Architect Submits Tech Rec Proposal ES&T Explosion Triggers False Emergency Alert by Arcadiy Kantor Opinions Editor
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Friday, NovemberNEWS 9, 2007 Technique • Friday, November 9, 2007 • 1 Rock fourseome “The South’s Liveliest College Newspaper” M u t e M a t h performs with Volume 93, Issue 15 a passion at the 32 pages Tabernacle. ONLINE www.nique.net Page 15 TECHNIQUEServing Georgia Tech since 1911 Architect submits Tech Rec proposal ES&T explosion triggers false emergency alert By Arcadiy Kantor Opinions Editor Th e Tech Police Department mistakenly distributed an emergency notifi cation in- structing students to evacuate campus in response to a chemical explosion in the Ford Environmental Science and Technology building Th ursday afternoon. “We got a report of an explosion of a chemical operation on the second fl oor,” said Bill May of the Atlanta Fire Depart- ment. “On our arrival we did evacuate the ES&T building.” At some point after the building had already been evacuated, Tech’s recently installed emergency notifi cation system distributed an announcement reading, “Evacuate campus immediately and tune to local media for additional information.” Th e message was followed less than 10 minutes later by another, instructing students to disregard the notifi cation. “Th e [fi re department’s] incident com- mander felt [the explosion] was contained in By Brian Casey / STUDENT PUBLICATIONS the one building and it was not necessary to Above: students enjoy T ech Rec’s pool tables. Right: the pro- expand that evacuation,” May said. posed multipurpose room and lounge (shaded purple) will “Th e text message was triggered in er- force the tables to move into the back (shaded green). ror; we don’t know how or why,” said James Courtesy of ai3, inc. Fetig, assistant vice president of Institute By Craig Tabita Rec. All students are encouraged an interim design, but should accomodating parties when the Communications and Public Aff airs. “An News Editor to stop by and give their feedback it be carried out, the biggest entire Tech Rec space gets rented investigation will take a look at that to on the drawings before the fi nal consequence will be the reloca- out. Besides being able to be used determine what happened.” When the Student Center design is implemented. Th e time tion of the billiards tables in the in conjunction with the other Th e false alarm is the fi rst time the new came forward in July with a pro- is limited by the fact that the front to the back area currently Tech Rec resources, it would be system has been used since its launch in posal to convert part of the Tech architect has only been retained occupied by air hockey and table an alternative to the frequently August. Most students received the notifi ca- Rec space into a multipurpose through Th anksgiving. Should tennis. rented-out Student Center Ball- tions successfully. “Th e good news is that room, the exact details remained any major changes to the plans In place of the tables will be room and other similar locations it appeared to work; most people followed vague and yet to be fl eshed out. occur after then, additional fees the multipurpose room and a around campus. the instructions,” Fetig said. Th e picture became clearer will be imposed. lounge. Th e entrance will also But a drawback is that some However, the fact that the fi rst alert this week as ai3 Inc., the ar- Th e architect will also be be extensively renovated to make current parts of Tech Rec may students received is a false one could reduce chitecture fi rm retained by the attending Tuesday’s meetings the facility more inviting from be eliminated to make space the new system’s eff ectiveness in the event Student Center for this project, of the Undergraduate House of the outside and a bigger draw for for the proposed design. It has of an actual emergency. presented its proposal for the Representatives and the Gradu- Student Center pedestrians. yet to be determined where air “Is it embarrassing? Yes. Are we con- space. Students are now being ate Student Senate to present the Th e multipurpose room is hockey and table tennis will be cerned about the credibility of the system? asked for feedback regarding the proposal to each chamber of SGA intended to be able to accomo- relocated. Absolutely,” Fetig said. new design. and all students are encouraged to date approximately 60-70 people “If [the multipurpose room] According to May, one minor injury Next week full details of the attend those meetings as well. and could be used for purposes occurred, as a result of the explosion, which changes will be on display in Tec Th e plan is currently labelled ranging from dance classes to See Tech Rec, page 7 involved the chemicals tetrahydrofuran, acetonitrile, and sodium. Th e injured person was not transported to a hospital. UHR debates two-thirds funding rule In response to a reported explosion, the Atlanta Fire By Emily Chambers organizations were restricted in best judgment to do our jobs or if the legislative responsibilities of Department evacuated the Senior Staff Writer their funding based only on their we just let policy blindly dictate the House, making the process ES&T building yesterday. tier, need and the item request- what we do,” Ray said. automated. Th e Undergraduate House ed. However, In previ- While no organizations had of Representatives debated for the recently ous years, the come forward to argue that over an hour this week about the amended JFC “This issue we are House ha s the two-thirds restriction was regulations placed on the House policy fur- considering here entertained prohibitive to their needs, many by the Joint Finance Policy. ther restricted lengthy de- representatives expressed the Specifically, the debate was capital outlay is how we do our b a t e o v e r concern that expensive capital over policy mandating that the expenditure, jobs...or if we let fi nancial mi- requests would be eliminated, as House fund only two-thirds of capping the nutia, actively groups would be unable to fund any capital outlay requests made available fund- policy...dictate choosing what even a third of the price without by student organizations. ing at two- what we do.” percentage of the help of Student Government Student organizations can thirds. requests to al- Association. Organizations are request funds from two diff erent Represen- George Ray locate fund- responsible for raising the fi nal accounts. Th e fi rst is the prior year tative George ing to. This one-third of their capital needs account, which is used for short Ray and Sena- Third-year PUBP year the House on their own. Th ey have the term or single use expenses such t o r G r a n t has been much options of fundraising, raising as travel and registration fees. Farmer submitted a bill pro- more willing to simply amend organizational dues, achieving Th e second is the capital outlay posing an amendment to the a bill to meet JFC policy and corporate sponsorships or re- account, which funds long term current JFC policy, striking the pass all financial allocation questing money from the Student multiple use expenses, such as two-thirds rule. “Th e issue we requests. Proponents of the Foundation. SGA is expected to athletic uniforms and techni- are considering here is how we amendment argued that the cal equipment. In prior years, do our jobs, whether we use our two-thirds mandate eliminated See Debate, page 2 By Craig Tabita / STUDENT PUBLICATIONS 2 • Friday, November 9, 2007 • Technique NEWS Technique Online Voice your opinion! From the files of the GTPD... Last issue’s question received 87 responses. How do you feel about campus construction? Campus Crime It doesn’t make a differ- I’m all for it; modernizing campus ence to me - 5% should be a top priority - 27% Criminal Trespass Motor Vehicle Theft 11/2/2007 15:00:00 hrs. 11/1/2007 22:00:00 hrs. Larceny-Theft Location: Tech Parkway @ Wallace Location: Fowler Street between Street Sixth Street and Fifth Street 11/4/2007 17:30:00 hrs. Location: 505 Tenth Street/Re- Incident: Report of broken window Incident: Report of a stolen brown on a white ‘05 Scion TC. ‘05 Nissan Pathfinder. search Administration Parking Lot Incident: Report that a red ‘97 Jeep Forgery-Fraudulent 11/2/2007 0:10:00 hrs. Cherokee was entered and items 11/2/2007 21:30:00 hrs. Location: Eighth Street between were taken. Location: 157 North Avenue/Bobby McMillan Street and Curran Street 11/3/2007 19:00:00 hrs. Dodd Stadium Incident: Report of a damaged Incident: Offender arrested for Location: 750 Ferst Drive/Campus side mirror on a gray ‘03 Mitsubishi forgery-currency, was transported Recreation Center Field Galant. and released to the Fulton County Incident: Report of a stolen Nike I hate having campus always Jail. It’s nice, except I won’t be here nylon bag and contents. 11/1/2007 20:16:00 hrs. Traffic Accident be a work zone - 22% when the buildings are done - 46% Location: 157 North Avenue/Bobby 11/2/2007 12:00:00 hrs. 11/4/2007 7:20:00 hrs. By Kenny Baskett / STUDENT PUBLICATIONS Dodd Stadium Location: Turner Place between Location: Eighth Street @ Hemphill This week’s question: Incident: Offender arrested for McMillan St. and Curran St. criminal trespass, was transported Avenue How do you feel about the Tech Rec proposal? Incident: Report of a stolen Geor- and released to the Fulton County Incident: Report of a two vehicle Tell us at www.nique.net gia license plate Jail.