T H E
U N I V E R S I T Y
O F
T E X A S
A T
A R L I N G T O N
Thursday March 10, 2011
Volume 92, No. 89 www.theshorthorn.com
Since 1919
MATEO REYES 1988 - 2011
TEGENE TADESSE 1988 - 2011 The students were roommates and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members.
The Lexus the two were in crashed and became lodged between bridge pillars on Interstate 30.
The fraternity plans to hold a vigil sometime today or Friday evening.
Students mourn loss of friends Fighting tears with laughter
Arlington Police have not determined the cause of the accident.
BY SARAH LUTZ The Shorthorn staff
The Shorthorn: Daniel Douglas
Alumna Whitney Geary, right, comforts accounting sophomore Gunn Choi Wednesday night at the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity house. Geary has been friends with Tegene Tadesse for the last four years and Choi was Tadesse’s fraternity little brother.
CRASH LOCATION N
The car was heading west on I-30 when it struck a pillar near Davis Street.
I-30
Randoll Mill Road Cooper Street
Davis Drive
MEMORIAL continues on page 6
BY JOHN HARDEN The Shorthorn senior staff
Fielder Road
Several Pi Kappa Phi fraternity members, alumni and friends gathered outside the fraternity house late into the night Wednesday, laughing, crying and swapping stories. All agreed that even though business major Tegene Tadesse and biology major Mateo Reyes moved out a few months ago, their absence is even more apparent now. The two students died Wednesday morning after a single-vehicle collision. Their vehicle was found lodged between the Davis Street bridge pillars, heading westbound on Interstate 30. The fraternity plans on holding a vigil open to the public sometime tonight or Friday evening. Civil engineering sophomore Sawmon Shirazi said Reyes and Tadesse were both the reason he joined the fraternity. Shirazi, Reyes’ fraternity little brother, said Reyes would always text him to see how he was doing. Both Reyes and Tadesse were prominent figures in the fraternity, he said. “Anywhere Tegene went, everybody was happy,” he said. “He was known for that.” Alumnus Erik Jessen said he knew Reyes for about four years, since before he rushed. “I’ve seen all the stages: when he had long hair, when he had short hair, when he got his lip pierced, when he got his first tattoo,” he said. “I was like his older brother basically, I got to see all kinds of things.” Jessen’s favorite story about Reyes stems from the brothers’ prank wars. Reyes would always go out of his way to prank Jessen’s roommate, he said. “Mat’[Reyes] thought of this great idea to climb into the attic and go up over where our room is, and he used a clothes hanger and basically drilled a whole through the ceiling,” Jessen said. “He [Jessen’s roommate] got so mad at me he was like, ‘I gotta get out of here. I can’t take it, debris fell on my head!’” Jessen said hearing about Reyes’ and Tadesse’s deaths was so unexpected, he was in shock, could hardly breath and had to sit down for a second before he drove to Pi Kappa Phi’s house to join his friends.
Division Street Abram Street
UTA The Shorthorn: Daniel Douglas
Pi Kappa Phi brothers and friends gather to comfort one another after the death of their fraternity brothers Tegene Tadesse and Mateo Reyes.
ADMINISTRATION
Two students died Wednesday after the Lexus they were in crashed and became lodged between bridge pillars on the westbound side of Interstate 30 near Davis Street. The deaths of roommates and Pi Kappa Phi members Tegene Tadesse, 22, and Mateo Reyes, 22, are being investigated by the Arlington Police Department. The scene of the single-vehicle accident will be used to determine the cause of the wreck. “One part of our investigation will rely on the report from the medical examiner and the other part will be the scene,” said David Szatkowski, Arlington Police Department traffic investigator. “We’re still not sure what happened or what caused the wreck.” He said the medical examiner’s full report will not be released for at least 90 days. Mateo enrolled in fall 2007 when he transferred from Tarrant County College. His records show he was pursuing a degree in biology, said university spokeswoman Kristin Sullivan. Tadesse also enrolled in fall 2007, she said. Tadesse’s friends said he was pursuing a business degree. President James Spaniolo released a statement via e-mail and said the UTA community is grieving the loss of its students.
Park Row Drive The Shorthorn: Marissa Hall
CRASH continues on page 6
ADMINISTRATION
Recommendation suggests Spaniolo accused of statute violations self policing for tobacco The idea is to encourage a culture of compliance, says university spokeswoman. BY SARAH LUTZ The Shorthorn staff
A recommendation will reach the president’s desk this week that calls for student body self policing instead of university police enforcement regarding the tobacco free campus. University spokeswoman Kristin Sullivan said the idea is to encourage a culture of compliance rather than create a policy when the campus goes tobacco free in August. The recommendation was compiled by a sub-
committee of the Tobacco Free Campus Initiative Committee. How exactly it will work will emerge as it happens, she said. “It may be as simple as if you see someone smoking on campus property asking the people to stop,” she said. “Of course, there’s a question about what if someone refuses to comply, the recommendation would be that repeat offenses would be dealt with through the established administrative disciplinary procedures.” The current policy states that people should appeal in person or in writing to the UTA Police for enforcement if they see someone breaking a smoking rule. Currently, the UTA commu-
ONLINE Do you think self policing the tobacco ban would work? Let us know at theshorthorn.com.
nity cannot smoke or use tobacco in places, such as within 50 feet of doorways or air ducts. Non-compliance could result in a fine. Attending a program at the Health Center can waive the first fine of $10. The second fine of $25 can also be waived by attending a cessation class. The third, and all following fines, are $25. SMOKING continues on page 7
Accusers say the President violated school conduct codes and state statute. BY ALI AMIR MUSTANSIR The Shorthorn senior staff
The Tarrant County Republican Party accused university President James Spaniolo of violating state and employee conduct codes in his statement last week about the concealed carry on campus bill. On March 3, Spaniolo issued a statement via e-mail and the university website stating licensed concealed handguns on campus would not make the campus safer. TCRP posted an article on its website about its concerns with the
SEE THE BACK PAGE FOR DETAILS!
James Spaniolo, university president, released a statement about concealed carry on campus.
statement. TCRP chairperson Stephanie Klick said the statement violates the state statute ‘Prohibited Acts of Agencies and Individuals Sec. 556.006 Legislative lobbying’ which states, “A state agency may not use appropriated money to SPANIOLO continues on page 3