A T W
Posted on 08/27/2004 8:15:53 AM PDT by Malichi
Oxford, MS
A fire swept through a fraternity house at the University of Mississippi early Friday and three students were missing, officials said.
The three students, members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, were not immediately identified.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Prayers for this fraternity and their families.
Keep us posted.
An extra hug and a reminder about risky behaviour too.
When my daughter's sorority moved back to campus after years of absence, they took over what had been a fraternity house and totally remodeled the house. New regulations required sprinkler systems be installed all throughout the house. Think it is time that these older Greek houses throughout the County have the same sprinkler systems installed in addition to fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors which are there now at least here at OU.
Any cause determined yet? The article doesn't say.
They just reported 3 fatalities on Fox.
FNC just announced three fatalities. God bless them and their families.
prayers for the victims, survivors and all their families.
As the parent of a fraternity member, I feel so bad for these families. We all hate having our kids leave us, and it's cases like this that frighten us.
Amen,.........Infinite Grace and Mercy,.......In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen!!!
My husband's band used to play at Ole Miss fraternity parties. This is probably one of those houses. This is just such a tragedy.
Prayers for these children. I believe the ATO house burned at SMU years ago. I pray sincerely that the cause here is not the same......
From the ATO national website (ato.org):
Three die in fire
Written by Matt DeWolf
Director of Marketing
Alpha Tau Omega is mourning the loss of three Fraternity brothers from the Delta Psi chapter at the University of Mississippi.
The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. and spread throughout the chapter house.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and chapter-mates.
Chapter house built in 1917.
Chapter chartered in 1927.
Current chapter size is 106.
Chapter raised $8,000 in 2003-2004 for Project: Battery, an initiative developed to send batteries overseas for the armed-services.
More information will be available on this tragic event as it becomes available to us.
From "The Daily Mississippian" newspaper online:
An early morning fire at the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house left three Ole Miss students dead.
The names of the dead have not been officially released.
About 4:30 a.m. Friday morning, a fire started on the southwest side of the fraternity house in the living quarters area and spread throughout the house, authorities believe.
University Police were the first to arrive on the scene and arrived just seconds after the fire alarm sounded. Oxford Fire Department firefighters arrived minutes after UPD officers to find the building engulfed in smoke.
Members of Chi Psi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which neighbor the ATO house, were evacuated from their houses before 6 a.m.
About 60 firefighters fought the blaze for about 2 hours and then were able to begin searching the house for casualties.
During the time of the fire, about 21 people were supposed to be inside the house. Seventeen of the students and one house mother were located by 7 a.m., when the three were known to be missing.
Aside from the three casualties, there were no injuries caused by the fire.
The cause of the fire is not known at this time.
Jeff Alford, vice chancellor for university relations, confirmed the three deaths for reporters on the scene.
“It is a terrible loss. This is the fourth day of classes. College students are normally very excited and exhilarated this time of year,” Alford said. “This is a horrible thing.”
The 17 displaced ATO members have been offered housing at Mays Hall. The university is also going to pay for the students’ books. Members of other fraternities have opened up their houses for the ATO members who have lost their housing.
Gordon Fellows, Associated Student Body president, will meet with university officials today at 2 p.m. to discuss the crisis.
“We’re just trying to make sure that they are comfortable and have a roof over their heads, and we hope their needs are met, whether it is prayer or counseling,” Fellows said. “The student body has suffered a great loss and our hearts and prayers are with ATO.”
A press conference is scheduled for 3 p.m. in the Media and Press Relations conference room inside Johnson Commons.
All campus social events, like “Rumble in the Grove” have been canceled today. The flags on campus have been lowered to half mast. Classes, however, are not canceled.
The Counseling Center inside the V.B Harrison Health Center is open for students needing those services.
The bill (S.1246/HR.1523) is called the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2003 and is currently in committee in both the house and senate.
This bill allows for national educational foundations (501(c)(3) organizations) to take tax deductible gifts and give grants to a local 501(c)(3) organization for any housing or infrastructure improvement that directly benefits a student organization. If passed, the bill would allow for all fraternal educational foundations to use tax deductible gifts to make grants to local housing corporations for housing and infrastructure improvements (such as fire/life safety improvements, a new roof, new furniture, etc.). The bill applies to all student organizations, not just fraternal organizations, and it is anticipated many religious organizations will be able to use this tax change for improvements to their campus facilities.
Not that this makes any difference for the guys at ATO, but this is something that fraternities in general are concerned about.
I was ATO in college,, sad news to lose my brothers,,
RIP.
Prayers for the ATO boys. Houston Baptist had ATOs and KAs when I was there, and a bigger bunch of sweethearts I never met.
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