John Carroll University Carroll Collected The aC rroll News Student 9-26-1991 The aC rroll News- Vol. 81, No. 4 John Carroll University Follow this and additional works at: http://collected.jcu.edu/carrollnews Recommended Citation John Carroll University, "The aC rroll News- Vol. 81, No. 4" (1991). The Carroll News. 1007. http://collected.jcu.edu/carrollnews/1007 This Newspaper is brought to you for free and open access by the Student at Carroll Collected. It has been accepted for inclusion in The aC rroll News by an authorized administrator of Carroll Collected. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Serving the John Carroll University Community Vol. 81, No.4 John Ca"oll University, University Heights, Ohio 44118 September 26, 1991 JCU professor Fire blazes in Coventry dies in plane crash wherever he taught because he by Chris Kozor thought it was important If it had News Editor been up to me, I would have taken him for a teacher." The younger Petrus never had On May 18 of this past sum­ his father for class because Pro­ mer, Dr. Eugene Petrus, a part­ fessor Petrus thought it would be a time professor of sociology, was conflict of interest killed in a plane crash. Petrus' interests outside ofJCU Petrus, father of John Carroll were many and varied, indicating University sophomore Jonathan the kind of active lifestyle he en­ Petrus, was giving instruction to a joyed. flight student when the tragedy In 1979,heestablishedhisown occurred. The student was also advertising agency, DIVERS A, killed. Inc., in Kent. Ohio. Through hard .,...., "' .... s-o Petrus first came to Carroll in work and persistence he built it Some businesses in Coventry Mall were forced to close tbeir doors as a result of the rtre Sept. 20 1979 as the result of a one year into the largest advertising agency appointment in the sociology de­ in Portage County. by Tara Schmidtke taurant. the Cleveland Story vin­ hospital and then released. partment In addition, he distinguished News Ecttor tage clothing store, and an Wl­ The other ftrefighter has a He returned to Carroll in 1989 himself by winning awards in the named beauty store, which is the sustained hand injury and is off and had been serving as a part­ area of community service fcx his A fire which started in a build- assumed starting point for the fire. duty for an indefmite amount of time faculty manber up to the rape awareness posters. ing on Coventry Road wt Friday "We suspect that it started in time. time of his death. Petrus also was a member of afternoon and spread across the the space between the ceiling and According to Wagner, there Although his time at Carroll the Kent Area Chamber of Com­ roof destroyed all seven busi- the root at the north end of the were many spectators watching was not long, the impression he merce. He served in that capacity nesses in that building. building," said Mohr. the ftre until the smoke cleared 1eft will be lasting. for eight years, including one year According to Cleveland AccordingtoJenniferWagner, and the fuefighrm cleared the "There are two categories into as president in 1989. Height's Assistant Fire Chief who is a sophomoreatJohnCarroll streets. The ftre lasted for about which you place people," said Dr. Other areas of Petrus' com­ Kevin Mohr, the source and the University and a resident of an four hours. Duane Dukes, associate professor munity involvement were the Kent origination of the fire is still ob- apartment in Coventry, the ftre .According to Carroll students, of sociology. "One is things they 2-H Club, the Kent Rotary, and scure and an investigation is un- was .. well handled" by the the Coventry area has always been have done, and the other is the the Cleveland diocese. decway. ftrefighters. a popular gathering place and kind ofperson they were. Eugene Besides John Carroll, Petrus "Wedon'\}cnowtheexactcause "There was a lot of smoke," many of them were worried about was exemplary in both." had served as a part-time profes­ for the fire yet," said Mohr. "Until said Wagner, "but everybody got the extent of the damage. Despite Dukes described Petrus as a sor at Kent State University, and the investigation is completed, we out all right" the seven businesses which were hardworking individual, wbopaid as a full-time professor at Mount don't rule out anything." Therewerenocivilianinjuries, destroyed, many mcxe are still op­ attention to every detail. Union College of Alliance. The businesses which were de- according to Mohr, although two erational. His son agreed with this as­ Despite all his activities, Petrus' stroyed are Hunan Coventry, frrefighters were injured while .. Coventry is not cursed," said sessment and credited his father greatest love was still flying. He Casbah, Rainblue Handcrafts, combating the ftre. One of the Wagner. "People can still come for being able to show students at had served as a captain in the U.S. aMr. was treated the and out" John Carroll the ovetall picture Air Force, and flew during the \VIIATS II\SIDt:: rather than a narrow view. Vietnam War. JCU student remains in "He was a man with integrity," A letter written by his company ~lllJJWI•••••••••••••••• ~ said the younger Petrus. "He ttied as a ttibute to his memory says, hospital following accident to pass it on at John Carroll and " ... no matter how busy his sched­ ule was, Gene made sure he set by Taro Schmidtke the people with Friday all had aside time for himself and the blue News Ecttor glasses in their hands. When the skies." police arrived, one of them said, Tragically, yet in a way fit­ SeanFriday,amembecofJohn "Quick, hide the beer." However, tingly, Petrus died while enjoying Carroll University's sophomore the yet unfmished police report his greatest passion. class, was hit by a car this past reveals no indication that the The sociology department has Friday night while standing on consumption of aloohol w~ in­ established a setofPetrus • favoote Washington Street with a group of volved in the accident books in his memory. people. Deputy Chief Stehlik, of the The funezal for Petrus was held According to eyewitness University Heights Police De­ on May 22 at the Newman Center Michelle Macaluso, who was partment, said that no citations at Kent State. walking down the sueet when the have yet been issued, pending the Director., spurs(® ... The sophomore class has plans accident occurred, Friday was completion of the reportS. library for a memorial. The delails sur­ talking to a carload ofpeople when The police arrived at the scene growth rounding the memorial are cur­ he was hit of the accident very quickly, ac­ rently being decided by Petrus' "I heard a noise," said cording to the anonymous source. family. Macaluso. "I turned around and Friday was immediately trans­ .,._.....,,.......__ "We miss him very, very saw him in the air and then hit the ported to Suburban Hospital where much," said Dukes. •"There's a grolDld." he was admitted in critical condi- Prof. Eugene Petrus before his little hole in our department and I According to another eyewit­ death in a plane crash May 18. continued on page S don't think we'll be able to fill it" ness, who requested anonymity, Page 2 EDITORIAL The Carroll News, September 26, 1991 Constructive criticism --------------------------~----------- duty of newspaper This newspaper has handled some serious topics over the past weeks. Rape, race relations, and administrative inertia are among these. We recognize these issues to be of extreme imponance, and in need of immediate attention and action. But we feel compelled to make our editorial philosophy known. The U.S. Constitution allows us to express our opinions without fear. Opinion and dissent are necessary for an open and democratic society. Thus, our opin- ions have legitimacy and deserve to be taken seriously. The ultimate expression of these views is the editorial. ., lilt U.11U Gltlttl. 11 orkr It fotw. 1Im ~ b1os. t1tabl~ Juttct. 1um In the realm offree ...ut1ctl:nraq11i111r. pro~Mk for lilt- expression, the edito­ ~ pro-.o« l1lt anml Wtlfurt. ... rialisadifferentkind annllltlkll1181tfC:1knrttoar•tM~ of beast. In a democ- .u _. ~~... on.!a IU titaN~~- racy, where empha- ~ifttn~~~tntlilt)Gc.ciUtflwrUG. sis is on the indi- vidual, the opinion of a group carries an Full Time Traveler, Part Time President awesome power and responsibility. The editorial duty of The Carroll News is a sacred one. Its power to sway opinion and to affect the views of others must Let's focus on what's be handled with responsibility. We understand that we must back our assertions on fact and our important - education conclusions on logic. Without these key steps the editorial looses credibil­ Recently the administration unveiled their updated Master ity and wastes its potential. Our goal is only achieved with accuracy and Plan. The title alone somehow implies something smister. That's reason. not to say that it is, but perhaps they could have given it a more We have exercized our right and are willing to discuss all cr· ticism of palatable name. I guess I should be happy with the plans, but somehow they leave a bad taste in my mouth. our facts, assertions, and conclusions. This attitude does not constitute a As a communications major, it excites me that soon there will be a new place for us bias against the administration. Rather, we are performing our duty as communicators to communicate. The proposal of cutting off Belvior sounds great too, social critic and medium for postive social change. who knows maybe they will designate the~ in front of the new haJls as a place for It must be noted, however, that the editorial opinion of this paper reflects organized sports only the fact that it 1s both an institution and a group of individuals.