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Fayetteville, NC
Vol. XXXVII, No.
Monday, November 22, 1999
A Deer Through The Looking-Glass
By Chuck Heaton
Staff Writer
Libraries can expect to go through
some wear and tear over the years.
Scratched furniture, broken windows,
stained carpet, all part of years of use, but
few, if any, have it all happen on one day.
Even fewer still can claim that all the dam
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Pholo by Bill Billings
Maimenence had to sweep up glass and
clean off the carpets.
age was caused by a misguided buck crash
ing through a window, scratching up furni
ture and tables, and spilling blood all over
the carpet. On Oct. 30 at around 1:20 p.m.,
just before kickoff at the homecoming game,
that is exactly what happened to Davis
Memorial Library.
According to Susan Pulsipher, director
of the library, the ordeal started outside the
north end of the library just above the brick
facade. She and three students saw a pan
icked deer charge one of the windows of
the library and crash through it. The deer
then proceeded to run into the microfilm
room looking for a way out. When it could
not find one, the deer left the microfilm room
and began to run across the library to
wards the circulation desk performing sev
eral acrobatic leaps to clear the desk and
the laser printer located there. After the deer
cleared the desk, he ran past several stu
dents who had climbed on top of the tables
for protection and tried to find a way out
along the west side of the library where
there were several windows that were cov
ered by mini-blinds. He then ran back and
forth along the blinds apparently going into
shock due to blood loss and plain old ter
ror. By this time the Campus Police had ar
rived and began to try to coax the buck out
of one of the emergency exits. After sev
eral minutes the police succeeded in releas
ing the deer and it ran back towards the
woods.
While the ordeal was disturbing for
those around and inside the library at the
time, it was almost certainly more terrify-
mg for the young buck, which Police Chief
Dave Reece said, was a “small deer.” The
buck lost an antler and an ear going
through the window and several cuts on
the mouth, legs, and side. After retreating
to the woods the deer was not seen again,
so it is not known whether the animal is
alive or not. With the extent of the injuries
the buck suffered it is assumed that he did
not survive long afterwards.
The library' did not suffer any irrepa
rable damage; aside from the broken win
dow, the deer scratched up some furniture
which will not have to be replaced, knocked
a leg off of an old table, destroyed some
mini-blinds, and, most costly of all, spilt
blood all over the carpet. The library could
not put a price on the extent of the dam
age, but it was not a great expense, every
thing destroyed was easily replaceable and
the carpet was cleaned before classes
Monday.
What caused the deer to come crash
ing through the library? Pulsipher and
Reece both agreed that more than likely
the sun caused the buck to see his reflec
tion and charge it. Pulsipher theorized that
the deer had been driven out of the woods
because it was the first day of the hunting
season and the sight of four humans along
with the reflection caused the animal to
panic and charge.
What is most disturbing about this
Photo hy Bill Billings
The deer charged through the window of
the library.
event was that is was not the first time it
had happened. Two years earlier around the
same time of month and the same time of
day another deer “jumped through one win
dow and out another window.” Pulsipher
joked that this time “next year, we should
put brown paper around all the windows.”
After all, the library is open to anyone, but
the librarians prefer that you use the door.
Science Building Gets A Face Lift?
By Whitney Larrimore
Staff Writer
By the summer of 2000, President
Hendricks hopes that the planned Science
Building renovarions will be well underway.
The Science Building is one of Meth
odist College’s original classroom facili
ties. It was erected in the 1950s when
Methodist College was built. Since that
time, the Science Building has undergone
some renovations. According to President
Hendricks, within the past few years the
Science Building has had its roof renovated,
new ventilation installed, and a new lab cre
ated downstairs. “The Science Building is
like an aging dowager; it needs a face lift.
It is a fundamentally sound structure but,
it has been around for a while. The renova
tions will... [improve] it.”
“The Board of Trustees adopted a
strategic plan for Methodist College for
the years 2000 through 2005,” said
Hendricks. “Renovatmg the Science Build
ing is part of this plan. The strategic plan
also called for an addition [to the Science
Building,] but that is long term. If we do
the renovations, they will take place over
the next two years during the summers of
2000 and 2001.”
Renovation is only possible, however,
if It can be funded. President Hendricks
could not disclose the source of the
prospective funding and said that whether
or not there will even be funding is still an
uncertainty. However, he is hopeful that
the funding will come through.
Dr. Folsom, the director of the division
of science and mathematics and the biol
ogy department head, is excited about the
Continued on Page 1
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Photo by Krista McArtau
Much needed renovations to the science building may be forthcoming.