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23, 2010
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D A I L Y
MISSISSIPPIAN The Student Newspaper
of
The University
of
M i ss i ss i p p i | S e r v i n g O l e M i ss
and
Oxford
since
BOWLING ALLEY BURNS, CAUSES WATER WOES
1911 |
www.thedmonline.com
OLHS new facility nears completion BY KATE NICOLE COOPER The Daily Mississippian
CAIN MADDEN | The Daily Mississippian
Firefighters work to put out a fire that gutted the Brass Monkey and The Lanes on Wednesday morning. A power outage at the city’s main water supply and the firefighters’ need for water caused low to no water pressure in parts of Oxford. For more pho tos, see the slideshow at thedmonline.com
BY CAIN MADDEN The Daily Mississippian
The fire at The Lanes and Brass Monkey on Wednesday morning totaled the building, but the woes didn’t stop there. Oxonians reported low to no water pressure in the Old Taylor Road area and North Oxford. A car hit a pole late Tuesday evening, which flipped the switch to the main water supply. This left the Oxford Fire Department with little water to fight the flames that consumed the building. City Engineer Bart Robinson said Oxford’s water woes were due to a “perfect storm.” “The power going out is not unusual, a surge is not unusual
and a fire is not unusual,” Robinson said. “What is unusual is that they all happened at the same time.” The water system became pertinent at 3:50 a.m., when the fire department were dispatched to The Lanes and Brass Monkey Sports Bar and Grill to answer calls of a fire at the building. The first unit arrived on scene at 3:56 a.m., Oxford Fire Chief Mike Hill said. The “perfect storm” began around midnight, when a wreck on Molly Barr Road knocked out the power to the central water tank and the central control. “This is the brains of our system,” Robinson said. “It controls all of our plants and
wells.” When the power came back on, it created a surge and knocked out the controls, Robinson said. By about 3 a.m., the system was using up stored water and not generating new water. Shortly afterwards, Robinson said the fire at The Lanes and Brass Monkey put an additional strain on the system. “By that time, we figured out that there was low pressure,” Robinson said. “But it took until 7 a.m. to figure out that the controls were down.” All lanes of Jackson Avenue were blocked off until 7 a.m. Hill said the building is a total loss, but that no one was hurt. Investigators have not ruled out arson.
The Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society’s new facility, which will house both the organization and its furry residents, is expected to be completed in November. As part of a partnership with the City of Oxford, the Board of Aldermen, and the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors, the new headquarters for OLHS will provide more modern shelter for animals. Donations are accepted to help with funds for the new building, but people may also adopt a space in the new facility as part of a donation. By adopting a building, one may honor a family member or pet and aid in the development and upkeep of the new facility. The new shelter, which began construction during the summer, is near completion, according to Will Baker and Jeremy Lambert, both electricians of Third Phase Electric Company. It is located on McElroy Drive, between the post office and the intersection of Highway 314. The foundation, framework, and bricking of the new building have been completed. The Third Phase was recently called in to begin electrical work for the facility.
this week T O D AY
OLE MISS MEMORABILIA EXHIBIT In conjunction with UM’s annual Fall Family Weekend, the museum presents an exhibition of memorabilia that follows the graphic representation of “Ole Miss” across decades, including sports uniforms, band instruments, luggage, caps, pennants, jewelry and clothing. All day, free. University Museum
F R I D AY
FREE FRIDAYS: REBEL CHALLENGE COURSE Check out the Rebel Challenge Course every Friday from 2-4pm for FREE FRIDAYS. The RCC is open to students, faculty and staff and consists of high elements. We are located on campus near the intramural fields off Hathorn Road. 2 p.m. - 4 p.m., free. Rebel Challenge Course
inside OPINION
HOMECOMING ELECTIONS
NEWS
OLE MISS RANKS #29 SAFEST NATIONALLY
See OLHS, PAGE 4
FACULTY CONSIDERS SOCIAL NETWORK BAN BY BLAIR JACKSON The Daily Mississippian
After the recent week-long ban on all online social media (Facebook, Twitter, AOL and Myspace) by The Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, some members of the University of Mississippi staff and faculty were asked what they would think of a week-long ban here. Dawn Bullion, senior staff member and office administrator for public policy, said, “I use Facebook to get out messages to public policy students, but if I couldn’t use that, then I would just use e-mail, which
students should be checking anyway.” Bullion also pointed out that if social networking was banned, students would learn better patience and the art of conversation. Biology professor Lucile McCook said that a networking ban, however unpopular, would be good for students. “Every once in a while, we need to realize how dependent we are on technology,” McCook said. McCook said it is as though students can’t get away from it. “It is incredibly annoying not only to the teacher, but to oth-
er students when students use these social networks during class,” she said. Zhu Cao, a professor of calculus, said that he observed that his students use social networking too much. Cao takes an observant side of the issue saying that a ban wouldn’t be effective because people have cell phones that can access the Internet. “A social network ban would really only prevent students from getting on these sites on the university computer system,” Cao said. Samir Husni, professor of journalism known internationally as Mr. Magazine, said that
he would strongly disagree with a ban. Husni said he believes in the freedom for all adults to make their own decisions. “I am against banning anything that limits our individual freedoms as long as it is not harming anybody else. Social networking is one of many ways of life in today’s society,” he said. Whether for or against an online social media ban, faculty and staff members seem to agree that social media truly plays a big role in our everyday lives today. Whether this is a good or a bad thing continues to be a debate.
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