Maroon

              The Maroon NOVEMBER 5, 2004 VOL. 83, NO. 9 LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS Streetcar accident victim returns to Biever Student spent nearly a month recovering after Oct. 9 incident By Kelly Brown Staff writer Nick Naugle was never so happy to see his dorm room when he returned Wednesday to Biever Hall. He'd spent nearly a month at Touro Infirmary recovering from his Oct. 9 collision with a streetcar. "I got home and took a nap — the best nap ever, basically," he said. "It's just great to be home and out of the hospital." Naugle, general studies freshman, said he was hit after he left Sigma Alpha Kappa's Welcome to the Jungle party around 11:30 p.m. and waited by himself at the streetcar stop at Carrollton Avenue and Cohn Street. A man approached him and struck up a conversation. "This guy seemed really nice — he asked what I was waiting for, and I told him that I was just going to take the streetcar back to school. Then someone called me, and while I was on the phone, he grabbed my wallet and ran away," Naugle said. Naugle immediately called his father, then the bank to cancel his debit card. He said he was not drunk at the time, but stressed out about the mugging. "I was buzzed, but not drunk," Naugle said. "It was dark and raining really hard, and I was wearing dark clothes. I was standing in between the tracks, and from what I've gathered, the trolley driver wasn't paying attention, and I was on the phone." The Claiborne-bound streetcar struck Naugle's left side, knocking him to the ground. He sustained injuries to his temporal lobe, the area of the brain that controls movement, which temporarily paralyzed his left side. Doctors at Charity Hospital performed brain surgery, leaving Nick with 42 staples in his head. After receiving a phone call from the Rev. Eddie Gros, S.J. dean of University Ministry, Naugle's • General studies freshman Nick Naugle was hit by a streetcar the night of Oct. 9 and suffered severe head trauma, requiring brain surgery. STAFF PHOTO BY ANN HERMES Student disrupts class Sophomore admitted to health facility after Mondays incident By Gene Guillot Staff writer When Thomas Dodd Newton put a knife to his throat Monday, he was not trying to attract attention from local media or attempting to harm anyone. Instead, the communications sophomore's actions were the result of a medical illness, according to his roommate Kyle Daly, communications junior. "Rumors have circulated that Dodd was attempting to get back at the Loyola Communications Department and gain media attention," Daly said. "This is not only insensitive but ridiculous. Dodd has a medical illness that neither he nor anyone else was aware of until now." Daly said that Newton is currently being treated, and that Newton's family and friends are confident that he will recover. "Dodd is one of my favorite people in the world, and 1 admire him greatly," Daly said. "He is exceptionally bright and motivated and is a loyal and generous friend to many people at this school." The incident began at 8:45 a.m. when Newton closed the classroom door and put a knife to his throat 15 minutes into his Production Theory and Practice class. New Orleans Police Department arrested Newton at 9:31 a.m., escorting him out of the classroom on the fourth floor of the Communications/ Music Complex. He was booked with 18 counts of false imprisonment, police said. A search of his residence revealed a 12- gauge shotgun, a ,223-caliber rifle and a 22-caliber rifle. Newton was taken to the psychiatric ward at NOPD's Central Lockup. Newton is being treated at an Uptown mental health facility. Daly said the firearms are legally registered, and Newton voluntarily told the police to remove the weapons. Daly said Newton used the guns for hunting. "Dodd grew up in a family that owned hunting weapons," Daly said. "The fact that Dodd owned hunting weapons is an entirely separate issue from what transpired Monday morning." According to Mary Jackson, communications senior, the class was taking a chapter quiz when Newton closed the door and put a 4- or 5-inch knife to his throat. Jackson said Newton asked for someone to take out a cell phone and call the FBI. Newton claimed someone was after him and that he was in a jam he couldn't get out of, Jackson said. Newton even said that some people in the classroom might even be after him. "There was stunned silence," Jackson said. "I was afraid. I didn't really know if he was going to harm us. 1 feared he might kill himself in front of us. There was a lot of praying. It's a surreal experience. I hope he's safe, but I'm concerned about other students doing it. I'm still a little shocked." Harold Kontz, communications sophomore, said that he considered the possibility of Newton doing something Thomas Dodd Newton, communications sophomore, is consulted by the NOPD after his arrest outside the Music/ Communications Complex early Monday morning. Newton is charged with 18 counts of false imprisonment. Newton pulled a knife to his throat during his 8:30 class then asked for someone to call the FBI. STAFF PHOTO BY ANN HERMES Carrollton Hall renovations delayed by two months By Adam Hennessey Staff writer Construction on Carrollton Hall has fallen behind schedule by more than two months, according to Paul Fleming, Physical Plant director. The completion of construction on the seventh floor, originally slated for late October, has now been adjusted to mid-January. The original plan was to complete construction on Carrollton Hall in 14 months. Construction began in August. "The necessary repairs are fairly expensive and have been somewhat more time-consuming than originally expected," Fleming said. In addition to the unexpected extent of the building's damages, Fleming said, weather has also caused delays. The threat of Hurricane Ivan in September shut construction down for several days. Robert Reed, director of Residential Life, explained that the delays are necessary, but nonetheless cause problems with relocating students. "By now, we would be moving people from [floor] six to seven," Reed said. "My projection is that we will not get to the fifth floor until sometime in February or March. This time the building will be fixed and fixed correctly." STAFF PHOTO BY GILLIAN DICKER Construction workers catch a lift on the exterior elevator to the seventh floor of Carrollton Hall after a lunch break. 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