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Georgia Southern University Digital Commons@Georgia Southern The George-Anne Student Media 1-26-1989 The George-Anne Georgia Southern University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/george-anne Part of the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Georgia Southern University, "The George-Anne" (1989). The George-Anne. 1115. https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/george-anne/1115 This newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Media at Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. It has been accepted for inclusion in The George-Anne by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons@Georgia Southern. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Give blood Wednesday! Red Cross drive in Williams Center 1-7 p.m Stratford fire leaves 82 uninjured, forces indefinite closure Nolen: 'RAs are heroes' |^p -.jH(~ Candle said to be cause through on crisis intervention and Jim Christian Jim Christian An investigation is in progress, but News Editor counselling pays off. News Editor Hawkins said that she contacted no charges are expected to be filed, about 15 RAs at 6:30 a.m. the day of said Ted Wynn, Environmental They really made the best of a very the fire to help with clean-up and Eighty-two GSC coeds escaped Safety Director for GSC. bad situation. relocation of the Stratford residents. unharmed from an early morning Several other rooms received mi- This comment was made over and None, she said, refused. "At about 7 blaze that caused extensive damage nor fire damage, in most cases be- over about the response of GSC offi- a.m., we had five or six guys go into to Stratford hall Saturday. cause the doors were left open as cials, in particular members of the the building with masks and shovels The fire, which burned three rooms students were evacuated. "Students Housing Department staff, to the to clear the halls and rooms of debris and caused considerable smoke are told every quarter during fire Stratford fire Saturday morning. so the girls could begin moving their damage to at least twenty other sec- drills to close their doors after them," According to Vice-president of belongings," Hawkins said. ond-floor rooms, started at approxi- said Housing Department Assistant Student Affairs Dr. John Nolen, it is By 10 a.m., the dorm was cleared mately 4:30 a.m. as the result of a Director Vickie Hawkins. "And this The room above, where the fire apparently started, along with three a tribute to the Housing staff that no for residents to begin going inside. candle left burning in one of the shows why," she said. one was hurt in the blaze. "Wendy others were completely destroyed by the flames. After the blaze was rooms, Statesboro Fire Department Reports indicated that one room Hawkins said that residents were extinguished (below), residents were allowed in the building to survey the (Douglas, the Stratford RA most only allowed inside with ahousing reports said. was apparently blown in from the damage and begin collecting their: belongings. responsible for evacuating the 82 staff escort. This was necessary, she A Stratford resident reportedly force of the flames and was damaged residents in the building at the time) explained, so that the disturbing awoke to find materials next to her by flames. The first floor of the two- deserves a lot of credit," he said. scene could be explained to the vic- bed aflame, apparently from a candle story building received minor dam- "It was fortunate that Wendy kept tims on an individual basis to make on a nightstand. Evidently, she tried age from water leaking through the her cool and knew what to do," Assis- the shock of actually seeing the to smother the flames with a blanket ceiling, reports said. tant Director of Housing Vickie but could not. The occupant then damage less severe. An insurance adjuster was on the Hawkins said. awoke Hall Director Stephanie Par- "Several of the girls were very scene Monday, but no damage esti- In fact, Douglas was so involved in rish who notified Public Safety to call upset, and it was up to the staff to mate had been released, said Stu- telling residents to shut their doors the fire department. help console them," she said. dent Affairs Vice-president John as they left to prevent fire damage Housing officials said many of the And evidently, the strategy Nolen. "I don't have a figure, but the that she forgot to shut her own. "And 130-resident dorm were away for the worked. 'There was no widespread damage does appear to be extensive," all of her stuff was burned," said Hall weekend, which made the evacu- Director Stephanie Parrish. panic," she said. 'The students he said. handled it very well." ation less difficult. But it was not a one-person job. According to reports, fireman ex- Over the weekend, Hawkins said, I Nolen also said that no plans to 'The whole Stratford staff deserves a tinguished the blaze in about an hour about 32 RAs, hall and area directors J rebuild and reopen the dorm will be lot of credit," Hawkins said. "This and released the building to college ' made until a settlement is reached. shows that all of the training they go See Fire, page 6 officials around 7 a.m. Victims who 'lost everything' are just 'glad no one was hurt Cathy McNamara asked. Her shoes were burned in the full of clothes." Now, Davis says, "We "It was the most devastating thing Editor fire. really don't have anything to wear." we've ever experienced," said Stam- Wendy Stambaugh and DeDe Sifting through the rubble, Stam- The clothes on their backs were baugh. "You don't realize how lucky Davis lost everything in last Satur- baugh held up a crisp, now black even borrowed, they said. you have it until you've lost every- day's Stratford fire except their jew- pair of pants, barely identifiable. Since the fire, both Stambaugh and thing." elry, a pair of sweat pants and a few "I've never even worn these." Davis have spent $300 to begin re- charred pictures. Nearby, Davis' week-old remote placing destroyed necessities: books, A positive side to the incident, they "After we got outside, I knew it was control/color television was harden- clocks, clothes and other items, all of said, was the cooperation and help bad when the blinds started melting ing after melting onto the shelf. which will be covered under their from friends and resident assistants. off the window," said Stambaugh, "It's still hard to believe that we parents' homeowner's insurance. 'The RAs were great; ever/one has whose lived next door to the room lost everything," Stambaugh says The two pointed out; however, that been so helpful," said Davis. where the fire began. now. "It feels empty," she says as not all of the residents' things will be Both Davis and Stambaugh said Peering out the dorm's lobby win- roommate Davis agrees. covered by their family's insurance. also the situation was somewhat dow, Stambaugh watched with teary One day prior to the fire, which the In addition, items such as pictures, relieved when they learned no one eyes and soot-covered hands as her girls estimate destroyed a combined yearbooks and scrapbooks are un- was injured. "We are most grateful friends carried her and her room- $20,000 worth of goods, they said able to be replaced and considered by that no one was hurt," said Stam- mate's few remaining items to a car. they joked about "not having any- the coeds to be their most valuable baugh. "Can I borrow your shoes?" she thing to wear when their closets were losses." (1-r) Shane Cobb, Traci Cobb, Wendy Stambough Date rape teleconference here Feb. 2 News briefs... By Cathy McNamara Date Rape Prevention," sponsored Editor jointly by the University of Georgia Definition GSC'S FIRST RHOADES nated by the Southeastern branch and GSC, will present participants SCHOLARSHIP FINALIST, Darrin and four of the six subject sections. One out of every five women at- with new information about the defi- Acquaintance/date rape is forced, unwanted intercourse with a Van Tassel, has been chose to repre- Prior to his election, ht served as tending college will become the vic- nition and prevalence of acquain- person you know. It is a violation of your body and your trust. It is an sent GSC at Georgia Academic Rec- chairman for the Medical arid Veteri- tim of sexual assault, according to tance rape and give them the oppor- act of violence. It can be with someone you have just met, or dated a ognition Day sponsored by Board of nary Entomology section, ile will statistics. The offender is usually an tunity to examine effective strate- few times, or even with someone to whom you are engaged. The force Regents Chancellor Dean Propst in serve as president-elect for one year, acquaintance; often, he is the vic- gies the campus can employ to de- involved can come from threats or tone of voice, as well as from Atlanta this weekend. president for another, and past- tim's date. crease the number of incidents. physical force or weapons. Experts estimate as many as 90% of all Van Tassel will have dinner at the president for a third. College campuses around the na- "Its goal is to make people aware of rapes are never reported, about 60% know their assailants. Of these, Chancellor's house and will tour the tion are plagued annually with date what constitutes date or acquain- women 15-25 years old are the majority of victims.