Newspaper Page Text
NEWS
The Red a Black | Thursday, February 15, 2001 j 3
v.
Railroad crossing
arms cause traffic
By JAMAR LASTER
jlaster@randb.com
A malfunction in two railroad
crossing arms Wednesday at two
different intersections on campus
caused a traffic jam that lasted
about five hours, said University
Police Chief Chuck Horton.
The malfunctions occurred at
the intersection of College Station
and East Campus roads and at
the intersection of East Campus
Road and Carlton Street, Horton
said.
The arms came down at about
11 a.m. and became stuck in that
position, preventing traffic from
crossing the railroad tracks,
Horton said.
Vehicles were rerouted onto
River Road, and only buses were
allowed to go through the guard
rails.
“That’s probably one of the
busiest areas in Clarke County
during those hours,” Horton said.
A Campus Transit employee
said no buses were rerouted, but
the bus schedules were set back.
Sam Almon, a senior from
Augusta, said he was late to class
after waiting about 15 minutes for
an Orbit bus.
“I noticed a huge crowd wait
ing to get on the buses in front of
the Tate Center, and only a few
people were able to get on when it
finally came,” he said.
Horton said technicians from
Norfolk Southern Corp. were
called to fix the problem but took
longer than expected, causing
many drivers to get impatient.
“It was an eternity,” he said. “A
lot of people get impatient and we
can’t help it. I can’t wave a wand
and get those gate arms up, but
we do the best we can.”
Emily Smith, a senior from
Atlanta who said she had to take
an alternate route to get home,
said she wondered how the traffic
jam affected students going to
class. She said traffic was backed
up as far as Aderhold Hall.
“I had no clue about what was
happening,” she said. “It looked
like it would be backed up for a
long time.”
Merrell Hubbard, a junior from
Carrollton, said the traffic was
DANIEL HENRY | The Red . Buck
A Curtis Bradshaw of the
Athens-Clarke County
Police Department directs
traffic on East Campus and
College Station roads.
“unreal” and police officers were
directing traffic.
“I felt sorry for the people
because it looked like they had
been there for a while,” she said.
Regarding traffic, Horton said
he appreciated some of the
drivers’ tolerance.
“I wouldn’t want to deal
with it everyday,” he said. “I
appreciate the people that were
understanding.”
Students face alcohol charges
By LEAH NEWMAN
lnewman@randb.com
Two students appeared before a University
Judiciary panel Wednesday on charges that
they were misbehaving while drinking
underage.
According to a police report cited at the
hearing, University officer James Weems report
ed hearing suspicious noises on
Sanford Drive at approximately 2:35 a.m. on
Nov. 9, 2000.
Brandon Burris, a sophomore from
Douglasville, and Henry Hefler, a sophomore
from New Orleans, said at the hearing that they
were walking south on Sanford Drive at that
time.
“Mr. Burris and I were at a downtown
bar,” Hefler said. “We left, and as we were
coming home my shoe came undone. I
stopped to tie it, and Brandon continued
walking.”
Meanwhile, an officer had stopped and
approached Burris, who sat atop an overturned
newspaper rack, the report stated.
The officer then asked Burris to replace the
bin in its correct position, Burris said.
The newspaper bins normally reside on the
north side of the Tate Student Center bus stop.
The box on which Burris sat had been moved
at least 50 feet along the bridge that night,
according to the report. Another box also had
been moved a short distance.
After denying having any part of moving the
newspaper boxes, Burris — with help from an
officer — moved one box and Hefler and
another officer replaced the other rack, Burris
said.
“There is no way I could have moved this
thing by myself,” Hefler said.
Officer Derrick Gregory, the report stated,
smelled alcohol and discovered that both Burris
and Hefler had been drinking.
Burris and Hefler then were placed under
arrest for underage consumption, and were
taken to the University Police Station.
The charge was dealt with through Athens-
Clarke County police. Both men received
fines and community service, and were instruct
ed to enroll in an alcohol-education course
called On Campus Talking About Alcohol, or
OCTAA.
“Both men take full responsibility for drink
ing that evening,” said Patrick Clingan, a stu
dent advocate for one of the defendants. “But it
took an officer and their help to move the boxes
back.”
University advocate Tunde Ezekiel said the
key to determining the truth of the situation is
in the timing.
According to Ezekiel, the officer heard a
series of loud noises — quite possibly made by
the moving of the metal newspaper racks — and
immediately called officers to the scene. Within
20 seconds, there was an officer questioning
Burris.
“If I had (moved the boxes), I would take full
responsibility, but I didn’t,” Hefler said.
The University Judiciary panel is expected to
deliver a decision in the case within a week.
University of Alabama student reports rape, burglary
COLLEGE HEADLINES
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A 20-
year-old female student at the
University of Alabama reported
she was a victim of rape and
burglary at her residence on
13th Avenue at 5:30 a.m.
Thursday.
The suspect is described as a
male of six feet with a medium
build. He is reported to have
entered the victim’s home
through an unlocked door with
a handgun and wearing a dark-
hooded sweatshirt and jeans.
The case is being investigat
ed by the Tuscaloosa County
Homicide Unit.
LSU examines equal
treatment of minorities
BATON ROUGE, La. —
Officials at Louisiana State
University are looking for ways
to deal with the needs of minor
ity students.
Adrienne Magendie, co-
founder of the Progressive
Student Alliance and an arts
and sciences junior, said all stu
dents aren’t getting treated
equally.
“Before we can change atti
tudes and get students to work
together, we must treat them
equally and I don’t think that’s
happening,” she said. “I think
white students get preferential
treatment.”
Magendie also said the safest
side of campus is considered to
be where the Caucasian dorms
are located.
Other students said the
University does not show
favoritism or cater to one
particular group.
Lauren Hunt, a graphic
design sophomore, said the
mixture of the school is
mediocre but is better in com
parison to other universities in
the state.
“LSU has always been open-
minded,” Hunt said.
Lanaea Parker, a mass com
munication junior and presi
dent of the Union Program
Council, said the university is
on a trend in diversity.
“That seems to be what they
are focusing on this year,” she
said.
Other students said some of
the problems are due to the
way fees are paid.
African-American students
have maintained the African-
American Culture Center since
it opened in 1992 by paying a
fee assessed to them only.
The fee — currently $7 — is
applicable to undergraduate
and graduate African-American
students.
USC running back
allegedly assaults man
COLUMBIA, S.C. —
According to a police report,
University of South Carolina
running back Derek Watson
allegedly was involved in an
assault Monday at the Blatt
RE. Center.
The report claims Watson
was playing an intramural bas
ketball game at 5:30 p.m.
Monday. A dispute arose
between Watson and the stu
dent referee, Norman Jones.
Watson pushed Jones on his
back and stood over him,
threatening him.
Jones decided not to press
charges. Watson will be referred
to Student Discipline instead.
“From what I gathered, he
lost his cool when he should’ve
walked away,” said Kerry
Tharp, assistant athletics direc
tor for USC. “It shouldn’t be
blown out of proportion.
Obviously (Jones) didn’t feel it
was important enough to need
to press charges.”
Judicial Affairs Director
Scott Lewis said sanctions for a
simple assault case can vary
from a written reprimand to a
suspension from the university,
depending on the level of
assault.
— Compiled by Kimberly
Cooper
Contributing: The
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