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8
The News Argus, March 2003
E
I ^STUDENT
eatures'
Nightclubs across the country taking precautions to prevent injuries, deaths
By Julie Deardorff and
V. Dion Haynes
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
CHICAGO (KRT) —
Confronted by a stagger
ing death toll from night
club disasters in Chicago
and Rhode Island, city
inspectors and music club
owners around the coun
try have been jolted into
critical examinations of
safety procedures.
Under the cover of
night, local authorities are
fanning out across com
munities, making spot
checks at odd hours and
searching for possible
building and fire code
violations at nightclubs,
often crowded, boisterous
and sometimes danger
ous establishments.
More than 115 people
died in the two nightclub
incidents, which occurred
just four days apart,
tragedies that involved
building code or fire vio
lations and masses of
trapped partygoers who
didn't — or couldn't —
use all the available exits.
In Chicago, where a
panicked human stam
pede at the E2 nightclub
on the South Side caused
21 deaths, the Fire
Department stepped up
inspections at nightclubs,
concerts and other large
venues over the weekend
and will continue to do
so indefinitely.
Jam Productions, which
produces shows across
the city, and Metro, a live
music venue, are now
making pre-show
announcements about the
location of alternative
exits. In the lobbies, they
have begun making
emergency procedure
information available.
Teen clubs will also get
a close look. As a preven
tive measure, DuPage
County, 111., officials are
reviewing safety condi
tions at Zero Gravity in
Naperville, 111., which
caters to 16- to 22-year-
olds.
"Most people don't
think about it," said Jam
Productions' Jerry
Mickelson. "Now it's
time."
At The Station concert
club in Rhode Island, at
least 96 people died in a
blazing fire late Thursday
started by an illegal
pyrotechnics display by
the rock band Great
White.
According to early
reports, the club appar
ently met most, if not all,
state and local building
codes, although officials
said the bar was over its
capacity of 300.
The club was not
required to have sprin
klers because of its size, a
now controversial issue
that officials are re-exam
ining. Rhode Island Gov.
Don Carcieri said Friday
that the legislature also
planned a review of state
building codes.
In the U.S., there are no
nationally mandated
building and fire codes to
accommodate regional
differences such as earth
quakes and tornadoes.
Instead, municipalities
adopt their own. Though
national safety standards
are published by the
National Fire Protection
Association and other
organizations, they are
not uniformly adopted or
enforced, which is a
growing problem, accord
ing to crowd manage
ment experts.
With fractured and
often unknown regula
tions, many clubs operate
in a gray area. In some
cases, building owners
may change a building's
design or function after it
has met codes. Or, more
commonly, they simply
pack too many people
into a club.
"The problem isn't just
the design of a building,
it's the operation," said
Jake Pauls, a consultant
in building safety, who
says existing codes are
outdated. "There is a
reluctance on the part of
industry to establish stan
dards. Usually the
motives of a rock concert
promoter are not about
public safety but to get
maximum economic
return."
In Chicago, some
inspections now will be
random while others will
be in response to com
plaints and tips about
crowded and dangerous
conditions that have
come in following the E2
tragedy, said one city offi
cial, who asked not to be
identified.
"(The two tragedies) are
a wake-up call for all of
us," said Bill Fitzgerald,
owner of FitzGerald's
nightclub in Berwyn, 111.,
who just installed a state-
of the-art fire detection
system and is considering
making emergency exit
See CLUB, Page 10
PARK,
from page 5
and this year is the first
for students. "I really
think that next year is
going to be the trying
year," said Chief Bell,
because, "We're getting
ready for our next phase
— to gate up a com
muters lot."
Every student, includ
ing commuters, are able
to have a parking space
on this campus if they
have a decal. The prob
lem is that few people
want to park in their
assigned area, which in
turn, causes problems.
The gravel lot by the
track is hardly ever full,
but commuters choose
to park in residence hall
lots. The Rams
Commons lot is never
full, although those resi
dents choose to park in
the Wilson lot, forcing
many of their residents
to have no place to park
in their own lot.
Although, when the
Wilson lot is full,
"People can park any
where on this campus as
long as it is after 5 p.m.
and your vehicle is
removed by 8 a.m. the
next morning," said
Officer Norris Gullick
"The Ticket Man."
That is true not only
for Wilson Hall resi
dents, but everybody, as
long as the space is not
labeled "Reserved."
Officer James Lewis
brought up another
issue for thought. "I
think the Rams lot
should be interchange
able," he said. Half of
the spaces (more than
200) in that lot are avail
able throughout the day.
Perhaps commuters
could park there, also.
James said "At night,
[commuters] are not
here, and therefore it
won't affect Rams
Commons residents."
Bell also had this in
mind and said, "Next
year we will survey and
decide if we will sell
[Commons lot decals] to
commuters and Wilson
residents."
So once the gates are
working, all the parking
problems will be solved
then, right?
According to Gullick,
no, and they are already
prepared for problems
with students trying to
break and tamper with
the gates, so students
should think twice
before interfering
because he says, "We
have backups."
For students who are
parking on Vargrave or
in the Wilson lot instead
of in their assigned one,
because of safety (not
laziness) issues. Bell
wants to make people
aware that there are dig
ital cameras in the Rams
Commons lot and
Wilson's lot will be
receiving cameras short
ly for safety and security
issues. Brown Hall also
has a camera showing
all who enter and exit, as
well as the lot. In addi
tion, the student patrol
runs Sunday through
Thursday and students
always have the police
to call on. Stated in the
memo concerning park
ing on Vargrave that Bell
sent out, were the
words, "We are having
cars sideswiped ... fire
truck egress is being
blocked ... fire hydrant
access is being blocked
... and these are safety
issues.
Although vehicles
were parked on
Vargrave Street the
entire fall semester and
the entire month of
January with only a tick
et as punishment, towed
vehicles on Vargrave are
certainly not unfamiliar
with students now. It's
nearing the end of the
semester, and those who
do not have decals
might be deterred from
buying them for that
very reason.
What some students
don't know is that decals
are pro-rated and are
now only $35, and that
price is decreasing.
Unpaid citations can
prohibit you from regis
tering, receiving refund
checks orgraduating.
Gullick said, "We're
trying to make it safe for
all."
DISNEY,
from page 7
derful addition to an already
valuable and sought after
internship."
Students had the opportuni
ty to take part in courses that
include Communications,
Experiential Learning for the
21st Century, Hospitality
Management, Organizational
Leadership, College Program
Practicum and the Disney
Leadership Sparkers Series.
Williams does warn, howev
er, that any students thinking
of participating should make
sure that they have the time to
take off from school before
they make the trek to the
magic kingdom.
Recruitment will take place
April 3 at 5 p.m. in the
Thompson Center.
I
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WAKEMBA
Wake Forest University
Top-ranked school
Lx)oking for top-ranked
undergraduates
Application deadline May 1,2003
Apply online at
www.princetonreview.com or
www.mba.wfu.edu
THIS IS YOUR WAKE-UP CALL
Contact us at 800.722.1622 or
admissions@mba.wfu.edu
WAKE FOREST
Babcock Graduate
School of Management
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