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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 26, 2001)
Repres Inforr # Radio news from the newsroom of THE BATTALION campus and community news 1:57 p.m. Monday through Friday on KAMU-FM 90.9 College Station/Bryan We Buy & Sell Clean Late Model Used Cars 779-7063 21 00 Texas Avenue Bryan Texas Ja (71 This Rhone Is Only when you activate with Advanced Wireless #1 Verizon Wireless Agent in Aggieland • FREE Hands Free Headset - s • FREE Voice Mail • FREE Caller ID a » a *39 9S S 59 9S Enjoy clear digital calling from Verizon Wireless. Wireless, Inc. 979-693-8888 2230 Texas Ave. S. In College Station just past Outback Steakhouse In the Fuddrucker's Shopping Center W.A.C., Contract, early termination fee & some conditions apply. See stores for details. Offev end* 10-31-01. wireless Authorized Agent w orship Directory StesemBCy of QocC 9{pn- r DenommatioTia£ Bethel Temple Assembly of God 2608 Villa Maria, Bryan 776-4835 Sunday Worship 10:15, 6:00 pm Sunday School 9:00 www.startel. net/bethel ‘Baptist Fellowship Free Will Baptist Church College & Career Class You are invited to a Bible study especially for students. Sunday mornings at 9:45 1228 W. Villa Maria 779-2297 For more information contact Marcus Brewer: 731-1890 m-brewer@tamu.edu httpy/www.fellowshipfwb.ora Community si Church ixl ►V« Sundays f 10:00am % @The Hilton Hiift Small Groups ^ meet weekly A 260-1163 WWW.COMCHURCH.COM IPentecostaC CatfioCic < St. Mary’s Catholic Center 603 Church Avenue in Northgate (979)846-5717 www.aaaiecatholic.ora Pastoral Team Rev. Michael J. Sis, Pastor Rev. Keith Koehl, Associate Pastor Campus Ministers - Deacon Bill Scott, Deacon David Reed, Martha Tonn, Maureen Murray, Dawn Rouen Daily Masses Mon.-Fri.: 5:30 p.m. in the Church Tues. & Thurs.: 12:05 noon in the All Faiths’ Chapel Sat.: 10:30 a.m. (Korean) Weekend Masses Sat.: 5:30 p.m. (English), 7:00 p.m. (Spanish) Sun.: 9:00,11:00 am, 5:30 p.m., and 7:00 p.m. Confessions Wed. 8:30-9:30 p.m., Sat. 4:00-5:15 p.m. or by appointment. Cornerstone Church Mid Week Small Group Meetings Sunday Service at 4:30pm on George Bush, just across from campus at the College Station Conference Center. 485-8744 ‘PresByterian Cfmrch of Cflrist Covenant Presbyterian Church “A welcoming community of faith who reaches out, cares for one another & proclaims the love of Jesus Christ to all” 220 Rock Prarie Road (979) 694-7700 G. Thomas Huser - Minister Sunday Service: 8:30 & 11 a.m. Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. Aggie Classes: 9:45 Prayer & Praise on Tuesdays: 7:30 fax: (979) 696-4334 www.covenantpresbyterian.org A&M Church of Christ 1901 Harvey Mitchell Pkwy. (979)693-0400 Sunday Assemblies: 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m., Sunday Night: 6 p.m. College Bible Class 9:30 a.m. Mid-Week “Oasis” 7:30 p.m. Aggies for Christ Call for on-campus pick-up info FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH pL— 1 Helping Aggies grow in faith 1 New Fall Hours: 1 Worship 8:30, 11:00 a.m. ■ Church School 9:30 p Fellowship on the Patio 10:30 ^ 1100 Carter Creek Parkway www.fpcbryan.org ‘EpiscopaC ‘UnitecC MetfiocCist St. Thomas Episcopal 906 George Bush Dr. • College Station, TX 696-1726 Summer services - 8:00 and 10:00 a.m. 7:30 p.m. Evensong Next door to Canterbury House, the Episopal Student Center A&M United Methodist 417 University Dr. (on Northgate) • 846-8731 Church at 8:30, 9:45, 10:50 College Sunday School 9:30 & 10:45 Sr. Pastor Dr. Jerry Neff am-umc.org News Page 6 THE BATTALION Friday, October 26,!i Breen family files lawsui i iday, Octol By Rolando Garcia & Brandie Liffick THE BATTALION The family of Christopher Breen, one of the 12 Aggies killed in the 1999 Aggie Bonfire collapse, sued Texas A&M and five top administrators Wednesday, including A&M President Dr. Ray M. Bowen. Filed in a U.S. District Court in Galveston, the suit alleges the University and the named administrators violated Breen’s constitutional rights by encouraging participation in an activity they knew was danger ous and by refusing to correct safety problems associated with Bonfire. The other defendants are Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. J. Malon Southerland, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Bill Kibler, Rusty Thompson, the Bonfire advisor and John Koldus, who was vice president for student affairs from 1973 to 1993. Steve DeWolf, the Breen family’s attorney, said the fami ly never has asked for financial compensation from the University. The Breen family took legal action only as a last resort because A&M officials refused to meet with them until after the two-year window to file a lawsuit expires Nov. 18, DeWolf said. “All the family wanted was for someone to step up to the plate and take responsibility,” DeWolf said. “It would be much easier to let it go, but this is about honor and dignity.” The lawsuit asks for actual and punitive damages. University spokesperson Cynthia Lawson declined to comment. The Bonfire stack col lapsed Nov. 18, 1999, killing 1 1 students and Breen, a for mer student, and injuring 27 the It y s the adminis trators, not the stu dents, that should be held accountable, but all the Universi- students for DeWolf said. The Breen family’s 1 cites numerous internal ments and memorandum! argue that A&M adminii were aware for some Bonfire’s hazards and< ing to eliminate the safety DeWolf said Koldu named as a defendant be when Bonfire was movedtol Polo Fields in 1992, Kol knew the field’s slope posel ty did was blame the students. — Steve DeWolf Breen family attorney safety hazard but recomiw against leveling the ground, the years leading up to the dent, there were severah signs, including the \% lapse of the Bonfire stack administrators chose to the lawsuit claimed. Ni was injured in the 195 lapse, and the stack was and burned. The special By TRL THE B/ others. Breen, 25, was a mem ber of the Corps of Cadets from 1992 to 1996 and gradu ated in Dec. 1997. DeWolf said the Breen fami ly did not join the lawsuit filed in March by the family of Jerry Don Self, one of the Bonfire vic tims, because they did not want to include students as defen dants. The Self case has not yet come to trial. “It’s the administrators, not the students, that should be held accountable, but all the University did was blame the After splitt luinsV the iolorado and :xas A&M mping straigl in into the fri Saturday’s wa State will Aggies’ b :ch to fin &M's closini ition’s third-1 Imaining teai commiii tasked by A&M to investisj the 1999 collapse concls! last May that the root caus the accident was a 1u vision” approach to declined 21-5 reci making by A&M admimsl The Aggies tors, in which they disrecrl e a team thai safety concerns and atoefturies on botl complex structure to be bui::It tight end. I untrained students withoui Ante and gone fessional supervision. lichael de la DeWolf said the BreeniaAas forced to filed in Galveston became Meek after bein federal court's docket felhemiated dis! not as clogged as others inlsl True fres and the case would receive it arriger, a coi lively prompt attention. neman. has ta A jury trial will probs id duties. begin in 12 to 18 months, he Lawsuit Continued from Page 1 lawsuits filed by Bonfire victims, but that would not be just,” Borchardt said. The lawsuit also challenges the state law limit ing punitive and exemplary damages and argues the limits should not apply in this case. University spokesperson Cynthia Lawson said the University does not comment on pending litigation. “We’ll continue to support the families of Bonfire victims in any way that we can,” Lawson said. The Bonfire stack collapsed Nov. 18, 1999, killing 11 students, one former student and injur ing 27 others. Powell, 19, was a freshman com puter engineering major. The Powell’s lawsuit alleges that A&M admin istrators failed to properly supervise Bonfire and allowed students to build a stack with inherent design and structural flaws that made it a safety risk. The lawsuit alleges the Bonfire student lead ers were negligent because they did not possess the technical knowledge to design and build a safe Bonfire. Also, the lawsuit said, the redpots direct ed subordinates working at the site to engage in actions that caused the collapse, such as “weiii ing” upper tier logs into gaps in the tier below,a failing to wrap a steel cable around the stack, " The special commission tasked by A&M investigate the 1999 collapse concluded theroi cause of the accident was a “tunnel visiot approach to decision making by A&M trators in which they disregarded safety cot 9ach R.C. S cems and allowed a complex strucfwe to' pMeyer havi built by untrained students without an sional supervision. Borchardt said the Powells were reluctffltto sue, but felt that A&M administrators stalJ take responsibility and wanted to ensurethatil Bonfire continues, it is done safely. “They lost a son they loved dearly, andtto loss will be with them for the rest of thei lives,” Borchardt said. He added that the Powells have never soul The Texas A financial compensation from the University,«l team wil1 be did they attempt to meet with A&M “'“M 1 resolve the matter before filing the lawsuit. The families of Christopher Breen andJen; starting this m Don Self, two other Aggies killed in thecollapsi have also filed lawsuits against the University top administrators. The injuries &M’s abilitie id the Aggie: a combined ist two games “Coming ini t two of our ffense would t nd,” said A& wand we ai SPORTS Men’s te Fort V weekend in Hotels Region Free Admission Free Food November 9th. 2001 Reed Arena 8:00 p.m. -1:00 a.m. Black Tie optional. Pick up your tickets by November 6th at the MSC Box Office/Reed Arena Limit 2 per TAMU student ID Ticket required for admittance. Sponsored by the division of Student Affairs, Office of the Provost,The 125th, COPY J The Association of Former Students, The Memorial Student Center, and '—y-’rvnvjpj) Action Wear Plus. Call 845-1515 with questions. The indoor second c championship season and w man singles c 64-team dout The singles bles champii automatic I November 8- National Cc Championship The A&M w withdrawn fro Tyler Collegial resume ai ITA Role) Championship A&M-Tei to be on The Texas football game / not scT television, wi ay-per-view The game for pay-per-i because it \ for over-the-a dication or c According rules, games regular televi broadcast wit Open 3