What’s Inside: Kimberle Haijiao Sun JaDarius Garner Kristen Fuller Johnson Recent Sophomore Freshmen Junior Graduate Hometown: Hometown: Hometown: Hometown: Clarksdale, Miss Luverne, Ala. Montgomery, Shenyang, Math major Social Work Ala. China major Social Work Sports major Management Troy University’s Official Student Newspaper ROPOLITAN Vol. 87, Issue 16 www.TropNews.com January 16, 2014 TrojansTwo of the victims whoin survived the mourning Karli Mauldin Assistant News Editor shooting have filed a lawsuit against the club owner and the security company. As the spring semester begins, the “Our thoughts are with Ms. Johnson’s Trojan family is mourning the loss of family and friends, as well as the other four students who passed away over victims of this senseless tragedy,” said the break. Herb Reeves, Dean of Students. “Any- The incidents included two gun time there is a loss of life, it is tragic.” violence deaths and two car related One other person was murdered at deaths. the scene of the crime and six others Two football players were involved, were hospitalized. one was killed and another has been Kristen Fuller, 18, a freshman social charged with manslaughter. work major from Luverne, was shot and killed on New Year’s Day from a Haijiao Sun from Shenyang, China, a gunshot wound sustained at a party recent graduate of Troy died Dec. 21 in Crenshaw County, at a residence on due to injuries sustained in an auto- County Road 29. mobile accident on Dec. 14 close to Troy student Taylor Driggers from Gainesville, Fla. Brantley has been charged with man- Sun had graduated just eight days slaughter in connection with the incident, Joshua Thurston photo before the wreck. according to reports. It has been reported Students come together to honor those Trojans lost during the holiday Kimberle Johnson, 22, a junior social that Driggers was Fuller’s shooter. break at a vigil in front of Bibb Graves Hall yesterday. Four students passed work major from Montgomery, was fa- Driggers was signed with the Trojan away during the break, leaving a Trojan family to mourn. tally shot Dec. 28 at the Centennial Bar football team but was not slated to join and Grill in Montgomery. the team until summer 2014. JaDarius Garner, 20, a sophomore on Jan. 2. While the university held a vigil last According to AL.com and other sourc- math major from Clarksdale, Miss. and a Garner died due to injuries sustained night for the deceased, the Office of In- es, the Centennial Bar and Grill will not member of the Trojan football team, was from being struck by a vehicle on the ternational Programs is also holding a reopen due to it’s suspended liquor li- found dead on U.S. Highway 61 in Bo- highway. He was not found until a sec- memorial service for Sun today at 3:30 cense and inadequate security team. livar County, Miss. early in the morning ond car had run over him. p.m. in Bibb Graves Hall. Ex-athlete IT dept. charged in introduces killing new alert Tatiannah Clarke Staff Writer system for Dimitri Miles, 21, a Troy University football students player, was arrested and charged with the murder Zachary Winslett of 26-year-old Troy resi- Arts and dent Marquise McClendon Entertainment Editor at Trojan Crossing Apart- ments over the holiday TrojanTXT, a text break. messaging alert system According to Bruce launched last semester, W. Mathews, chief keeps students up-to-date investigator for Troy on registration dates, fi- City Police, police were nancial aid deadlines, drop called to Trojan Crossing and add dates, and billing. Apartments Sunday Dec. The Information Technol- 15 at 7:55 a.m. after shots ogy Department and Stu- were reported. dent Services sponsors As stated in the police Hannah Crews photo the program. Instructions report, McClendon was Ray Smith, professor of saxophone and jazz, conducts one of the two Spring concert bands in the can be found at http://tro- breaking into an apartment newly opened John M. Long Hall, which was built to accommodate the entire band. jan.troy.edu/help/sms, and that belonged to two of the registration page can Miles’ teammates. be found at http://hermes. Upon hearing the sounds troy.edu/#txt. of the break-in, Miles then Greg Price, the chief left his apartment and technology officer in the John M. Long Hall IT Department, said that attempted to prevent the burglary from proceeding. the program eliminates Miles then fired multiple the need for students to shots from a Glock 9mm, review calendars, websites hitting McClendon in and applications, as both his upper and lower revamped, reopened TrojanTXT ensures that extremities. McClendon students receive “brief, was unarmed at the time of Grishma Rimal is located between the dining hall and Smith Hall. direct notices” with the shooting. Staff Writer “The old building did not fit our needs. It was too pertinent information. Miles did admit that he outdated,” said Mark Walker, director of bands for the TrojanTXT is the not had purchased the firearm After a year and a half of construction and an School of Music. Walker explained that the new build- the lone text messaging from an acquaintance in expenditure of approximately $9 million, the John ing comes as a vast improvement compared to the old service available to Georgia. Maloy Long Hall has now reopened. The building, one which was not big enough nor had enough storage students. The other text Miles called the Troy designed to be the home for the music and dance area while the new hall comes with the amenities of a messaging service is the Police Department to departments, replaces the original band hall that was large band room, a band storage facility, a choir room, Troy University SOS report the shooting and built in honor of former director of bands John M. Long dance studios, soundproof practice rooms and adminis- system, which, according was seen near the scene in 1976. trative and faculty offices. to its website, “can The original structure was torn down in July 2012 to swiftly notify university See Murder Page 2 make room for the new 30,500 square foot structure that See Long page 2 constituents of a number of unexpected events, including: emergency broadcasts, alerts, weather advisories, school closings, SGA proposes recreational facility class cancellation and significant maintenance Fees charged to freshman, sophomores, juniors to assist in funding project events.” Chase Robinson Students can subscribe Student Government As- would establish a fee to be timeline is established. from the fee because they to the SOS service at sos. Copy Editor sociation meeting. collected at the same time The fee would apply will graduate before the troy.edu/subscribe.html. The resolution, spon- as tuition. to students classified as The two text messaging A resolution to begin ef- sored by Faith Mote, The fee could be put in freshmen, sophomores or facility is completed. systems do not have forts to build a new recre- chairwoman of the stu- place as soon as the fall juniors when it is estab- SGA President Cody overlapping information ational facility on campus dent welfare committee semester of 2014, but it lished. according to Price. Farrill, a senior political was introduced and put on and a junior communica- would not be formally put Current juniors and se- docket at Tuesday night’s tions major from Pelham, in place until a building niors would be exempt See Resolution page 2 See TXT page 2 THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY 51°F | 34°F 53°F | 28°F 50°F | 34°F 58°F | 36°F 64°F | 48°F 61°F | 32°F 49°F | 30°F high low high low high low high low high low high low high low News Page 2 | [email protected] January 16, 2014 TXT Department recommends eight weeks,” Price said. continued from page 1 that users consult their “During that time, eleven service provider and messages were delivered wireless plan before to distinct populations, “SOS and TrojanTXT subscribing. thereby allowing timely are two separate systems,” According to the and specific content to Price said. “SOS is for IT Department, there students.” emergency purposes are 2,402 participants For more information only.” registered for TrojanTXT or assistance with Any mobile device and 12,500 outbound the TrojanTXT alert that is able to send text messages delivered since system, users can text messages is compatible its launch this semester. TROYHELP to 69979. with the systems, but per- “The stats reveal Current TrojanTXT users message fees may apply that we have enrolled can unsubscribe from to the messages sent to approximately 10 percent the system by texting mobile devices. The IT of the total enrollment in OPTOUT to 69979. are not finalized. Resolution The resolution must still be voted on, Troy University photo continued from page 1 Becky Lareau (second from the right) received Troy University’s Vergil and, if passed, it will go before the board Parks McKinley Award on Wednesday during the University’s annual fac- of trustees. ulty/staff holiday luncheon on the Troy Campus. science major from Panama City, Fla., It will have to go before the board pointed out that many members of the before an official estimate on the cost SGA would graduate before the facility and completion date can be given. Murder can be completed. “We’re working for Farrill’s appointments of Lee Tatum to continued from page 1 the future of Troy,” Farrill said. chief justice and Hannah Louise Dungan The resolution states that the SGA to associate justice on the Supreme Court when police arrived.