ROUNDING UP CAMPUS NEWS SINCE 1900 THE BAYLOR LARIAT VOL. 109 No. 25 WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2009 © 2009, Baylor University NEWS PAGE 3 MOVIE PAGE 4 MUSIC PAGE 4 SPORTS PAGE 5 Down to business Retreat review Drumming up a storm Outstanding Receiver Panel focuses on Couple’s therapy and Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie BU’s Ernest Smith set socially-responsible island wonders mesh now rocks out with the career highs in investment principles in new film band The Almost catching, receiving TODAY IN PRINT • ALUMNA RECOGNIZED Teacher rewarded for gracious efforts in the classroom PAGE 3 Chemical spill clears BSB Student breaks vial of • CHILDHOOD SCREENS caustic substance Recent films highlight youthful themes and BY LIZ FOREMAN nostalgia EDITOR -IN -CHI E F PAGE 4 The Baylor Sciences Building •THE BEARICADE was evacuated for more than two The volleyball team has hours Tuesday after a hazard- avid supporters. Check out ous chemical spill that occurred the way they support BU around 3 p.m. in a second-floor chemistry lab. PAGE 5 A female graduate student, whose name has not been re- FACULTY SENATE leased, was handling the con- tents of a shipping container Faculty senate discusses in lab E253R, when the vial of policy changes tert-Butyl isocyanide hit a bench and cracked, spilling less than BY ADEO L A ARO one milliliter onto the floor and STAFF WRIT E R her lab coat, said Lori Fogleman, director of media communica- Faculty senators met Tues- tions. day afternoon and briefly dis- The Lariat initially reported cussed a new federal law that on its Web site that the chemical would allow students under the spilled was Cyanide. However, age of 17 to get federal funding the chemical was tert-Butyl iso- for college education. cyanide, said Dr. Bruce Dobson, The change in the law could a chemistry lecturer who was under a ventilated hood in the (Top) Police respond to mean that younger students overseeing work in the lab. research lab to be neutralized, a chemical spill in the are admitted into a university, Tert-Butyl isocyanide is an said Rob Barlow, Waco Fire De- Baylor Sciences Build- according to Dr. Larry Lehr, odorous, highly flammable partment acting assistant chief ing Tuesday afternoon. member of the faculty senate The building was closed chemical that can be toxic by in- present at the scene. and professor of environmental around 3:00 and was halation, according to the Mate- Once the chemical was science. re-opened just before 6 rial Safety Data Sheet provided placed under the fume hood, the Senate members briefly dis- p.m. by the Occupational Safety and self-ventilated lab was sealed off cussed what problems may arise Health Administration. for the night, said Jill Scoggins, from having younger students (Right) Waco Fire Depart- Fogleman said the student assistant vice president for me- admitted to the university. ment Acting Assistant was checked at the scene but dia communications. “One issue that we brought Chief Rob Barlow releas- not treated for any injuries. No The room has self-contained up that I thought was interest- es an official statement one else was injured in the inci- airflow that does not mix with ing was the housing issue,” said to the media following dent. Waco Fire Department and air outside the room, she said. the spill of what was Dr. Joan Supplee, professor of its Hazmat team were called to The Baylor Sciences Build- confirmed as tert-Butyl history and faculty senate mem- contain the chemical. ing was re-opened to students, isocyanide. ber. In addition to evacuating faculty and staff at roughly 5:45 Supplee said lowering the the building while the spill was p.m. Tuesday. PHOTOS BY age requirement is an impor- cleaned, Bagby Avenue between “Fortunately we had a re- JED DEAN tant issue to address because it University Parks and Second searcher who followed proce- would mean that minors would Street was closed. dure and stayed safe,” Fogle- be living with adults. The Hazmat team acted to man said. that neutralizes the toxicity of vid Pennington said that shortly “The student had on protec- Dr. Dennis Myers, chair- contain the toxic chemical by us- After the spill occurred, fumes within it — then activated after the accident, the student tive eyewear, gloves, long pants man of the Faculty Senate, said ing sand to absorb it, then trans- Fogleman said, the student an alarm and called the Baylor involved went to his office to en- and closed shoes, Pennington some faculty members favored ferring the contaminated sand placed the vial into the fume Police Department. sure that the Department of Risk said, “She was fully protected.” younger-than-average students’ into a container, which was put hood — a vacuum contraption Chemistry Professor Dr. Da- Management had been notified. ability to adapt to the university setting and were impressed with their high level of motivation. An admission committee will be working with enroll- ment management to find out Chamber extinguishes eternal flame what Baylor’s policy on the fed- BY LAURA REMSON eral law will be. took action to prevent injuries asked us to put (the flame) out,” STAFF WRIT E R Also in attendance for the by setting a 2 a.m. cut-off curfew. After the last few years, meeting was Baylor’s Interim The flame would be returned to Chamber knew that changes Provost Elizabeth Davis. students six hours later, at 8 a.m. would be made; it was only a Faculty senators discussed In the past few years of However, in an unexpected turn matter of time. topics with Davis concerning homecoming, the guarding of of events, the guarding was can- “Chamber made the decision requirements and retention of the flame has become a news celled at 11:30 p.m., when Baylor to change the tradition before new students, the university’s story in itself. After numerous police put out the flame and no- being approached by the uni- promotion policy for faculty accidents, Chamber has decided tified Baylor Chamber of Com- versity — that was members of and Baylor’s faculty evaluation to end the guarding of the flame merce. One student dislocated Student Life, along with Risk review. tradition this year. her knee and another suffered a Management. It was not a tell- According to Dr. Ray Can- In 2005, after recommenda- concussion. ing, it was more of a sit-down non, professor of mathematics, tions from the Department of Last year, the curfew was type of discussion,” Vickers senators questioned and ad- Risk Management, the decision once again set to 2 a.m., but said. “The university as a whole dressed concerns about both the was made to move the bonfire fighting put another two people agreed this is not where we need promotion and faculty review from Fountain Mall to the park- in the hospital. One was a police to be.” policies. The senators sought ing lot of the Ferrell Center. officer, who dislocated his finger After looking into the flame clarification of what the expec- Then, 2006 saw the first in a during the commotion. -guarding tradition, Chamber tations were and how faculty string of injuries blamed on the “It only takes one student,” was contacted by upper-level would be evaluated. flame. Then-junior Justin Brown said Houston senior Tanner administration and told to re- Currently faculty members said he was hit in the face with Vickers, a freshman mass meet- vamp this tradition or it would that were eligible for promo- a lacrosse stick by the freshmen ing chair of Chamber. “In this be totally lost. guarding the flame. He was tak- case, it was a group of students “The university had ap- tion before 2006 are required ROUND UP FILE PHOTO en to the hospital with a broken and it took their actions and proached us and said we can- to obtain a letter of evaluation Freshmen guard last year’s eternal flame during Homecoming 2008 nose. from outside of the university. festivities. The eternal flame tradition will not be conducted in this fash- that’s all it really takes. One In 2007, the administration According to Supplee, altera- ion because of the hospitalization of many over the tradition’s history. person gets hurt, so Baylor PD see FLAME, pg. 6 tions are currently in the works for that aspect of the promotion policy. “We’ve been working on a revision to the promotion policy Waco mayor confronts America’s crisis for quite some time, so we are still working on that,” Supplee BY LENA WATERS the American Recovery and a local basis. The Baylor College The bailout is an issue that move that was necessary for our said. RE PORT E R Reinvestment Act is affecting Republicans hopes students will draws multiple viewpoints. present financial condition. Myers said that no motions Waco. It will be a discussion of leave the event with the knowl- While it is not known if DuPuy “We were in a worst-case were passed at this meeting. While words like bailout and the bailout and stimulus efforts, edge of specific examples about will be taking a position on the scenario,” said Galveston se- stimulus have been around for a said Pasadena junior Matt Hrna, how this legislation is affecting issue, student political organiza- nior Oscar Boleman, president In while, they are now having a di- president of Baylor College Re- Waco. tions are offering their opposing of the Baylor Democrats. “The OPINION rect affect on the Waco commu- publicans. “We want to give the stu- perspectives. stimulus was an idea that came nity and younger generations.