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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2000)
Thui sday, October 19,™ ’Biursday, October 19, 2000 NEWS Page 7A THE BATTALION iThree state school inmates overdose Barents blame school officials for child's poor health and hospitalization a Volkswagen e exhibit allows have about the trail: ansferring to Galvi HOUSTON (AP) — Three Crockett State chool inmates have overdosed on psychotropic rugs, with a teen-ager who had reported abuse at the facility still hospitalized Wednesday. Jason Scott Kay was on life support at John lealy Hospital in Galveston. The 17-year-old had September mailed his mother a photograph tak- Jn of him following an alleged beating at the hands df other school inmates. I Texas Youth Commission officials were unsure how Kay and the others had acquired the medica tions, which are commonly dispensed at the (Crockett school, before overdosing on Sunday. | The victims were taken to the Galveston hos- ital after school officials discovered them hav- ig physical problems about 3:30 a.m., commis- ion spokeswoman Pamela Ward told the ouston Chronicle. Kay of New Caney required a ventilator to as- ist his breathing, said his stepfather, Joe Glover. None of the victims had been prescribed the nedications, which can cause respiratory and car- iac problems leading to deep coma if overdosed, laid Ward. “The staff noticed one kid kind of falling out of ied and vomiting,” she said. “They took him to )ing toanewcollei -ally quickly thattr. MEDINA )t the same and on!; >f Sea Aggies real!; >ing up tradition an many small d ‘sources are differed , but here, itisruntol see the nurse in the infirmary.” The other two inmates, age 16 and 20 years, have since been returned to the school 115 miles north of Houston. An investigation is under way to determine how the inmates got the drugs they consumed, said Ward, along with a review of com plaints about Kay’s beating. 66 /f ain't right. The boy is on life support, laying in the bed with his ankle cuffed” — Joe Glover stepfather of overdose victim The tablets acquired by the inmates — De pakote and Tegretol — are commonly used to treat patients with seizures. The school administers the drug to inmates suffering from emotional prob lems such as bipolar disorder. “They can’t keep stuff like this away from those boys? And now this happens?”said Glover of New Caney. “It ain’t right. The boy is on life support, laying in the bed with his ankle cuffed.” Ward said searches using drug-sniffing dogs have tried to ensure other inmates did not have the drugs. Glover and Kay’s mother, Donna Glover, said they had not seen the boy in more than a year, since he was placed in Crockett for a second time in September 1999. They complained that school officials have stonewalled them about Kay, who has been serving his second term for problems including running away from home and curfew violations. “He was supposed to have gotten out,” said Gfover, who added that his stepson told him offi cials do not prevent fighting at the school. “But be cause of the fight incident, they postponed it. Now, he has overdosed. It’s just not right. The boys get no supervision. How can somebody get beat up and nobody will stop it?” Two Crockett officers in 1997 were cleared of wrongdoing after one of their disruptive inmates died of asphyxiation while being restrained. The 17-year-old boy’s death apparently was the first in TYC history. Continued from Page 1A Association, Pack said LMP has the esources to conduct a more effec- ive awareness campaign. At a table She used the exam- it Rudder Fountain this week, mem- th care facilities o: )ers of LMP are distributing fliers plerting students to the overlooked >n we have access id langers of drowsy driving. Students University ol Texi' ^ere given the opportunity to sign a ledge banner promising never to Excessive rainfall responsible for flooding and evacuations et behind the wheel when sleepy. A toll-free number will be avail- ” Flynn said. “Itwas ise I had to have m; inslerted. I thouglii Lbi e s00n a ji ow j n g students to find d tell me if I needed , u u * i «• a- ■.or they would doi ut 1 wh ' ch hotels ofter ^counts, meed delays in sert ac sJIL * mseofit” *‘ ie ^ u P e Medina Program was id that A&M allows lame( i a f ter Lupe Medina, an A&M nt< m mrtirinatp ir dudent killed in a car accident ■tiviiiefsea Aggies April 23, 1998, he fell asleep ■cess every resource al the wheel while driving to Col- ’ollegeSvAvoucam- ^ge Station from Huntsville. The cs some (WmwfM pextfall, the Student Senate started or answers/ the program, lual and a part of i Rob Ferguson, a senior political m, then why dot science major who introduced the to the Recreatio itel Health Center A MUG students d( benefit College Sts- eir fees benefit ' is instead, t be fair to ts to take advantas] ities, such as :r or health centeil ot pay the fees ttej facilities,” he said e impact A&Mltfj mp said, m is the reasonf«| ess,” Kemp the development tneasure in the Student Senate, said the program has taken strides to edu cate students about the harms of mix- ng sleep deprivation and driving. “Drowsy driving was not some thing people knew much about, but iow, the name Lupe Medina has be- ome partnered with drowsy driving, nd that’s good, because it means eople are becoming more aware,” aid Ferguson, executive vice presi- ent for policy and administration in lints from studen&lhe Student Senate, linistration is gratef' k e y to raising student aware- ess, Ferguson said, is to puncture students’ sense of invincibility. “Sleep is very undervalued, and jstudents think they are invincible. When you push yourself to the limit, it will catch up with you,” he said. “We’ve seen what can happen when student tries to make that long dri ve home after the game with just a 1 graduate student' out most of the k- orld and why thejlfew hours of sleep,” he said, vhat was good an(!| According to the National High way Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 accidents and 1,500 fa talities, and 20 is the peak age for drowsy driving crashes. nstruments (TP alog Engineerinj romTI to enhance ght Look Collegf ABILENE (AP) — West Texas flood waters were receding Wednes day after heavy thunderstorms dumped more than six inches of rain in an hour, flooding businesses, homes and cars. Some residents who could not re turn to their homes because of high water stayed at Red Cross shelters overnight. Weather forecasts called for more rain through Wednesday afternoon. On Tuesday, two lines of thunder storms that converged on Abilene be fore stalling — one out of the west and another from the south — dumped rain so quickly that rooftop drainage and storm sewer systems could not keep up, turning intersec tions into swimming pools and flood ing buildings. Dozens of motorists were rescued from flooded houses and automobiles. The storms provided some help for Abilene’s long-running drought, replenishing the city’s shrunken wa- Housing ter source. Lake Fort Phantom Hill. But it was not enough to lift water consumption restrictions. “The Lord is giving, so I’m not going to say a thing about it,” Randy Scott, coordinator of the G.V. Daniels Recreation Center, told the Abilene Reporter-News in Wednes day’s editions. “It all comes on God’s time, and I guess today was the day,” Scott said at one of two emergency shelters des ignated by the city for those in need of flood relief. The American Red Cross had set up emergency shelters for those whose homes were flooded, or who could not get to their houses due to flooded streets. Several inches of water swept into houses on Abilene’s north side. At one intersection, three peo ple were rescued from a city bus that stalled on a railroad underpass, and quickly filled with several feet of water. “Now, you can’t even see the bus; it’s under water,” said Larry Bell, fire battalion chief. No serious injuries were reported. A police department dispatcher who declined to give her name said Wednesday that several highway underpasses and intersections would remain closed to traffic throughout the day. “At one time, we had all our equipment out and calls waiting,” said Bell. Firefighters covered emergencies with the department’s fleet of 11 engines and trucks and four vehicles kept in reserve. Two American Eagle flights were canceled at Abilene Regional Air port during the heaviest of the storm and several flights of both airlines serving Abilene were delayed. “The wind was really coming out of the north ... just really, really heavy,” said Keith Kaspari, airport operations manager. “I couldn’t even see across to our airport fire station.” Continued from Page 1A University Tower, the oldest private dorm in Bryan-Col- lege Station, has been successfully inhabited since 1989. Jason Fort, director of residence life at University Tower, said the dormitory’s success can be attributed to customer service and top-notch updated facilities. “Customer service is definitely of prime importance,” Fort said. “It’s difficult to advertise, but it sets us apart.” Sometimes two, three or even four times the price of on-campus housing, private dorms, such as the Tow er and Callaway House, are renovated more regularly than on-campus facilities. “We renovate and touch up our facilities annually each summer, bringing changes with them,” Fort said. This summer, University Tower added ethernet con nections and private phone lines in each rbom. On-campus renovation is done in increments each summer. Murray said plans have been made to renovate one balcony-style hall every year to create better living conditions. “Besides minor touch ups, FHK [complex] hasn’t been renovated since it was built in the 1960s,” Murray said. “We will choose one of the three dorms to renovate next year as our project.” The last major work done on campus was in 1988, with the final construction of several modular halls. Res idence Life is considering building a new apartment-style hall for Fall 2005, Murray said. Alex Clinton, resident director at the Callaway JHouse, said almost 20 percent of Callaway residents were sopho mores. He said the private dorms have a high retention rate. “We try to re-create the dorm experience as much as we can,” Clinton said. “The residents seem to like that.” Murray and Thomas pointed to the convenience many students gain by choosing on-campus accommodations. “Living on campus allows students to get more in volved with campus activities, academics, organizations and the like,” Thomas said. The Student Recreation Cen ter, classes and computer labs also are nearby. Residence halls on campus also provide education classes on sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and oth er health and safety issues through Residence Education. However, Fort said he thinks the Towers’ success over the years is the reason for many new private dorms, in cluding the two new dorms being built on Northgate. ived the i the National In- ic world, consult rves as a director | 1 'FEB. 20-241 hstival Bryan & College Station’s Goodwill CHANGE AND SO HAS GOODWILL! SHOP GOODWILL GREAT VALUES IT’S NEW! (979) 823-2083 www.goodwillhouston.org Women in Engineering Conference 2000 October 20-21 r r * f -r ? * v * * r w * r w r * r P * * p ** v * * * w f * r * m* r t y * * t ? r* > * + ft * • Meet and talk with practicing female engineers! • Learn more about your discipline! • Learn about planning a career path! • Find out what companies are looking for in students! • Attend workshops and panel discussions! • First and second year women- sign up for a corporate mentor through MAPS! Registration forms available in 204 Zachry Registration is $10 (includes meals, snacks, fitn stuff, and a t-shirt Deadline: October 18 Sponsored by: American Airlines, Boeing, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Conoco, DuPont, ExxonMobil, FMC, Frito Lay, Halliburton Co., IBM, Parsons Brinkerhoff, Phillips, Schlumberger, Texaco, Union Carbide ATTENTION BBA AND MBA STUDENTS Q Billion Dollar Fort Worth Hedge Fund is Coming to Campus! WANTED: BBA Junior Analyst MBA Assistant Portfolio Manager Please visit the Web Walk Up for more information on the available opportunities with Q Funding/Q Investments, L.P. www.qfunding.com a Q Funding & Q Investments are equal opportunity employers Q ONE NIGHT ONLY!!! JACK INGRAM with Roger Creager Sat., Oct. 21 st * Shadow Canyon Buy pre-sale tickets at... Dixie Chicken, Shadow Canyon, Chicken Oil Company, Pother's and Loupot’s Bookstores. Brought to you by Artist Envoy Agency, KORA 98.3 and Shadow Canyon. Benefiting the Brazos Food Bank. MSC L.T. Jordan Institute for International Awareness Are you planning to intern or conduct independent research abroad? Need Money? Become An L.T. Jordan Fellow! Come to one of the following informationals and apply for up to $2,500 for your excursion! Monday, October 16, 7:30 pm MSC 223-J Wednesday, October 18, 7:30 pm MSC 223-J Thursday, October 19, 7:30 pm MSC 223-J To inform us of your special needs please, call 845-8770 or stop by MSC 223-1. I “jl L Tonight Ladies' Night No Cover Ladies 18 and Up! $1 A n PINTS ALL NIGHT 1. U U BAR DRINKS TIL 11 PM. Friday (Oct 20 lh ) THE TAP FALL HOUSE PARTY SOC BAR DRINKS & DRAFT 8 10 •PLUS OTHER ALL NIGHT SPECIALS 696-5570 for details Party Safe and Designate a Driver HHNHMHI