\K( \hi \( ,1 1 FRIDAY Sbptembbi 7,2001 Vol. 87 No. 13 Todayi IS B ® Htfi91Low75 SEP 1 2 2 / f Htfi 87 Low 76 An independent newspaper serving Southern Methodist University • Dallas, Texas smudailycampus.com Tornado strikes near Carrollton public school By De'Borah Bankston SENIOR STAFF WRITER • BANKSTONI0UREACH.COM TcfffifXiSft* MYTHS ; Just 17 miles northwest of the SMU cam­ pus lies McCoy Elementary School in There are many misconceptions iCarrollton. that swirl around tales of torna­ ' Wednesday, this school was witness to •the first recorded tornado strike in the city's dos. Knowing the truth about • history. this phenomenon can pro tea you ; School was in session and the day was in the event of a storm. •coming to an end as winds blasted through ;the neighborhood. The storm snapped power and telephone • Tornadoes are not always clearly ilines, damaged homes, and ripped apart :trees across the Dallas suburb. visible, they are often hidden by At Polk Middle School, children fol­ heavy rainfall. lowed standard tornado safety procedures and no one was injured. • Damage caused by tornados ; "We didn't try to downplay the serious­ doesn't stem from changes in air • ness of this with the children, but we were pressure, but from the dangerous­ ;calm. This carried over to everyone," said ;Mark Hyatt, Assistant Superintendent of ly fast winds of the storm. Thus, Support Services for the Carrollton-Farmers opening windows will not protect Branch Independent School District. "Everyone went into the halls, just like we your house - in fact, it could do for the drills and there were no prob­ make it more vulnerable. lems." Hyatt described the tornado, and the • Tornadoes can cross bodies of actions taken by the school. water, and even form on the De Borah Banksioti/Tm- DAILY CAMPUS "At one point the outside door blew open A inlaw caution tape cordons off an area dwwapad by Wednesday's tornado. The first water, in which case they are and a ceiling tile overhead was dislodged twister ever recorded In Carrollton was mlnot.but the winds were strong enough to dam- called a waterspout. because of the vacuum effect, but that was age houses and cars. Downed power Knee and debris littered the streets after the storm all," said Hyatt. Maw through in the mid-afternoon. • Funnel clouds do not always McCoy Elementary sufferred minimal damage. A tornado is measured by the damage gated their archives and microfilm records accompany tornados.Tornado Approximately half of the students leav­ that it does and by the strength or speed of back to 1890. winds can cause damage well ing yesterday, left by school bus, just like it's winds using a system referred to as the They only found three incidents reported before a funnel forms, and even if any other day. Fujita-Pearson Tornado Scale. in Denton County, none in Carrollton. The One student from Polk had caught the The scale ranges from an FO to F5. Carrollton Public Library Reference Desk the funnel is not touching the bus to McCoy in order to walk her younger "Yesterday's tornado was a weak FO to also failed to turn up reports of tornados in ground the winds can still be sister home safely. Fl," said Greg Fields, Meteorologist for Carrollton. When the school contacted her parents WFAA TV. "Winds were estimated to be 40 "Although SMU students practice fire dangerous. and it was discovered that she had already to 72 mph, however, there were winds drills regularly in the residence halls, they • Not every' downward-bulging left Polk for McCoy. reported at over 110 mph is a couple of do not practice tornado drills," said Marie cloud will develop into a tornado. She was delayed by the weather, but areas." Cotten of Residence Life and Student eventually arrived safe and sound to collect A small tornado was also reported near Housing. "All of the students do receive These clouds can potentially her little sister. Prosper, but there was only minor damage information about tornados in the resident become dangerous, especially if Students at McCoy Elementary were kept and no injuries occured. planner that they receive in their packets at they seem to for a short time in the school cafeteria "The real story here is that we had a pro­ the beginning of the year. Tornado informa­ De'Borah Bankston/XHE DAILY CAMPUS be rotating, but not because of downed power lines and debris- cedure, everyone knew their job and no one tion is located on page 33." Estimates for the strength of the storm always. littered streets. was injured," said Hyatt. Overall, the Red Cross estimated 30 rate it as an FO or weak F1 on the Fujita- • Tornadoes can change direction "What I find interesting is that the phones Sue Taylor of the Denton Record homes suffered from damage due to the tor­ Pearson Tornado Scale, the standard used were still functional," said Carol Hernandez Chronicle said their computerized records nado. Both McCoy and Polk resumed class­ to measure the velocity and power of tor­ without warning. They do not of Projects and Services for the district. "Of only go back to 1993 and did not have any es Thursday morning. nado winds. Estimates place the winds at follow a set pattern of movement, course the lines are all buried, so that was reports of tornado activity in Carrollton. For information on tornados, go to between 40 and 72 mph, strong enough to not an issue. The school is just very well Eric Wilkinson of the Denton County www.disastercenter.com\tornado.htm. damage this Carrollton fence. such as from south to northwest built." Reference Library and his associates investi­ Controversial Kansas For two, preacher to protest the Mustang 'sins' of SMU policies Shazia Aslam football is a STAFF WRITER [email protected] family affair At 2 a.m. Wednesday, Randy Hubach's peaceful night of sleep ended. Hubach, president of the Gay, Lesbian, By Brand! Bloodworth Bisexual, Transgendered, Straight SPORTS EDITOR [email protected] Organization at SMU received a phone call telling him of a press release he needed to see. It began with the words Sonya Cole/T HE DAILY CAMPUS When the "WBC to picket fag-dominated Southern First-year Lee Dervech catches a ride to class in the rain from WVfred Job of Mustangs stampede Methodist University..." Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship. Job tfc-ove dozens of students around campus into Gerald J. Ford For Hubach, it was the first of many Ph«lM as publicity for their organization. Stadium on calls and e-mails about the visit from the Saturday night, controversial minister. they have more The Rev. Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church in Going my way? than just Mustangs Topeka, Kansas, planned to protest with 20 of his followers on the team, they near the Perkins Administration Building. Later the group Christian fellowship chauffeurs students to class will have brothers. plans to protest at the national convention of the Gay and Sophomore Lesbian Journalist Association in downtown Dallas. Phelps By Sonya Cole pus pastor,- started the organization at right guard, No. 75, and his followers will be protesting the SMU campus as a EDITOR IN CHIEF SMU after being a member of a chapter Sterling Harris, and whole as well as its same-sex benefits policy and its general [email protected] at Pennsylvania State University. junior linebacker, attitude toward the issue of homosexuality. "At the time there were no No. 38, Devonric After careful thought, Hubach has backed off reacting to Some student organizations stand Pentecostal ministries at SMU," he (D.D.) Johnson Phelps' presence and encourages other SMU students to do outside and pass out candy along with a said. "I wanted to bring that aspect of will shift in and out the same. flyer promoting their group to passers- Christianity and God pressed it on my of the game just "We are not going to fight fire with fire," Hubach said. "I by. But few drive around and give heart to start Here." like they did in would advise students to stay away from protesters." these potential members a free ride to Now, there are three other high school. Phelps also accuses someone from SMU of hacking into class. Pentecostal ministries on campus. The brothers his Web site, godhatesfags.com although he said he does not To advertise their organization, Mosquera said he feels that Chi Alpha aren't on the field JtkMM have any substantial proof of this allegation. members of Chi Alpha Christian is just as necessary today as it was five at the same time, In the past, Phelps' organization has picketed universities Fellowship rented a golf cart and shut­ years ago. live in separate apartments and take and even funerals of people who were homosexual or tled students across campus. "Every group feels like they have its different classes. refused to condemn homosexuality. The WBC protested at "We thought it would be a different own identity and students feel comfort­ In fact, Harris admits most people the funeral of Matthew Shepherd, a University of Wyoming way to invite people to our events," able in different ministries" he said. don't even know they are brothers. student who was beaten and tortured to death in 1998 graduate student and Chi Alpha mem­ "They may feel more at home in one "People always ask us — 'Why because he was openly gay. The WBC Web site features a ber Wilfred Job said. "Pius the weather than the other and that's fine." don't you hang around your brother photograph of Shepherd being engulfed in red flames.