The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, October 31, 1991 Page: 2 of 6
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Page 2/Thursday, October 31, 1991/theJ-TAC
Death threats
and mysterious
footsteps cause
fear and dread
Jordan Cannady
Around the Bend
What is fear? I know what
fear is. Fear is what I felt two
nights ago when I left the library
at closing time and walked across
campus to my car which was
parked in the gravel lot.
The moon was a mere sliver
and filmy clouds drifted silently
across it, filtering out what little
light it gave off. As I crossed in
front of the Dick Smith Library, I
heard what sounded like footsteps
keeping even with mine.
They could have been echoes
except, there was the slightest
hesitation on every other step and
a faint dragging sound. I glanced
back to see who it was but saw no
one.
I continued on towards the
lot , the footsteps keeping pace
with me the entire time. As I
walked along the sidewalk parallel
to the Fine Arts Center I noticed
that the steps were getting louder,
yet still, I couldn't see anyone
following me.
Now, half way across the
parking lot I could see my truck
standing alone in the lot. From a
distance it was difficult for me to
see details of the figure that stood
;next to my truck, but there was
someone.
I don't know how soon
before I noticed their absence-the
footsteps had stopped. Maybe it:
was about ,the tiinft.I firsf saw the
person waiting ahead in the lot. I
couldn't tell what the person was
doing by my car. It appeared that
he might be leaning part way over
the hood.
. By then, I'd reached the street
and was preparing to cross over to
the lot. I can't say for sure if I'd
actually have gone over and
confronted this person because
about this time a police car drove
up from behind the Fine Arts
Center and stopped next to me.
The window rolled down and
an officer asked me how I was
doing. I said that I was kind of
glad to see her and explained that
there was someone by my car and
I was a little nervous about going
by myself. She said to get in and
I did.
As we pulled across the
street I could see that whoever had
been by my truck was gone. She
let me out and I apologized for my
paranoia. She laughed and told
me not to feel bad, that this time
of the night did funny things to
the imagination.
I got in my car and turned
over the ignition and then saw the
card. It was a regular playing card
that had been slid under the wiper
blade. I reached out my window
, and brought it in to look at it in
the light.
I turned on, the dome light
and saw large, block letters
scrawled across the card's face.
The words read ALMOST
TIME. I slid the card in my shirt
pocket and drove home.
Last night at about eleven
P.M. the phone next to my bed
rang. I answered it and at first
heard nothing. Then, I heard the
sound of an old, scratchy record
playing some jazz.
The music sounded like
someone was periodically braking
the turntable with their finger and
then slowly releasing pressure so
the music could return to the right
speed. This went on for about fif-
teen seconds and then a voice be-
gan speaking.
The voice whispered
"ALMOST TIME" and then the
call was disconnected. This morn-
ing at two, three, again at four the
voice called back and each time
with the same message. Finally,
the call I'd been dreading came at
seven in the morning.
The music was gone and had
been replaced with the loud
ticking of an alarm clock. When
the voice came on the message
(See Fear page 3)
ADVISOR - Charlie.Reynolds
FEATURES EDITOR - Tina Horton
PHOTO EDITOR - Marc Parks
STAFF WRITERS - Pmanuel Alvear, Kelly Boren,
Brig Lopez III, Eric Lang
EDITOR-Julie Grider
The J-TAC
MANAGING EDITOR - Christy Moore
SPORTS EDITOR - Mike Marbach
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR - Meredith Foster
CIRCULATION MANAGER - Justin Boswell
EDITORIAL CARTOONIST - Jordan Cannady
1 j I ■, lL* yl. ■ \} \ ..■I ■, i I. . ■, 1"^, I. . . I. I V'H. ■ I L. ) .• '' } '' '. /* / J J. ,l\ >777?7?7.
Top 10 Things You Dri—Vfont to Hear on
the Morning AffePHalloween
"Whaf the Hell if was free. * "
"Why does tils c^cfy,ia^,,lhniiy?tr §§§§§
"The last IbfegIfjfl
Ml Mtit leattze it wodd "born ftdMlfe,* Mil
"It's the police* they wto..their...<^S^,t * jjjjj
"I still cant believe you told you^Btn: tot* -1111
"I dtdht fhink ym could do if, bf§l§lre is your twenty bucks,* §|§Jg
"Did yoft mSy eat tm fhaig?J^B^ it can kill yw*
10,
9<
8*
7,
&
"5.
4
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your
Halloween is a time for fun and safety
It's Halloween Eve and many Tarleton students will
be on the prowl tonight bar hopping, pranking and
attending parties. While there is plenty of. fun to be had,
and no reason,.why they shouldn't, students should re-
member safety alid respect) on this haunting holiday.
"flie threat' C)f drunk drivers is always a threat on
holidays including Halloween. Hopefully students will
follow the safety rules of knowing when you've had to
much to drink and when not to drive. True, students are
veiy tired of hearing "Don't drink and drive!" preached at
them over and over. But, the incidents still occur. Kids
still die, get hurt, hurt someone or end up in jail with a
DWI or PI. You don't necessarily need to decline from
drinking, just drink responsibly. And always assign a
designated driver before the night begins. The great risk
of danger is amply not worth the fun had while cruising
around intoxicated.
Many pranks and tricks are also played on nights like
tonight. Halloween can be fun without being dangerous
or disrespectful. If students must through things at
people, which is dangerous in itself, please let the objects
be soft. '^ vAndr|epA^nber that vandalism is a criminal
offense: and probably won't be Worth the consequences.
Bashing people's mailboxes with a baseball bat while
driving down the highway hanging out a truck window
is neither safe nor respectful of other people's property.
Halloween is not just a time for adults, however.
There will be an army of small children out trick or
treating tonight. Please drive carefully and keep a sharp
lookout for the little ghosts and goblins as, in the excite-
ment of free candy, they sometimes forget to look both
ways.
It's Halloween. It's time to have fun. Remember, have
fun safely and maturely.
Around the 3end
©1991 by
J. Jordan Cannady
TF YOU DON'T STOP THAT SON, S OMEDAY / T
WILL FREEZE AND STAY LIKE THAT $
Q
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The J-TAC is published on Thursdays during the regular semester, with the exception of university holidays and
examination periods. The printer is the Stephenville Empire-Tribune.
Only articles in the Opinion section of this newspaper express the opinion of the J-TAC staff. Columns and/or news
articles do not necessarily express the opinion of this university or this newspaper.
Inquiries regarding deadlines may be made by telephone to: Editor: 968-9056; Newsroom: 968-9057; or the Faculty
Advisor: 968-9058. The offices of the J-TAC are located on the third floor of Davis Hall, rooms 303 and 304.
Looking back
when the
party is over
rrr
Pmanuel Alvear
Pman
on the Street
:W-
The scene is just about anywhere
I go on a weekend. I walk into a
fairly crowded room and see a few
people I know. Somebody puts a
bear in my hand, and before I laiow
it, it's , being replaced by a second.
I talk to friends, maybe make a
few new friends, and nine times out
of ten, I won't think twice about
being handed my third beer. But
sometimes. . .
Sometimes, in the space of a"
few quiet seconds at this week's party,
a million memories seem to wash
over me. I look at the twelve ounces
of alcohol in my hand, and the voices
around me fade as I go back to other
times. . .
*****************************
I remember the first time I ever
got drunk. I was fifteen years old,
and an older friend of mine got us
some beer. We stumbled around his
house all night long with some other
friends, and I kept trying to explain
to my friends how my face had gone
numb.
My parents never found out, or
at least I don't think they did, but they
did have a great number of chores for
me to do the next day. I had my fun,
and I paid the piper.
Years pass, I've gone to college,
and I remember a party in my apart-
ment whose my friend Jesse has been
drinking much too steadily as a re-
sult of a drinking game we played. A
strange look passes ,qver his face, he
looks iat me arid says in a sliakey
voice,"Wait'aPininute.
He then stands up in my living
room and heavs up his last four beers.
He looks like Godzilla in one of
those cheap Japanese horror flicks,
(See Memories page 3)
Letters to the
E2 Editor EE3
Maturity of TSU
dorm residents
queried by RA
Dear Editor,
When I was thinking of coming
to college, I was under the impres-
sion that when you were accepted to
an institute of higher education that
you were supposed to be a mature
person. From my stay in Bender
Hall for the last two years and as a
Resident Advisor this year I can see
that I was completely wrong.
When you live in such close
quarters, such as the dormitories
with a group of people, you start to
realize just how ignorant and cruel
people are.
The main reason for this letter is
that when I returned from the dining
hall this evening, one of my resi-
dents told me to look in the bath-
room. When I did, I found that some
person has taken a sheet of paper and
defecated on it. The person then
took the piece of paper and its con-
tents and smeared it all over the
bathroom wall.
After I looked at this, I went on
and looked at the rest of the bath-
room. Upon doing so, I found that
someone, probably the same person,
had taken four beer cans and thrown
them into a toilet
To me, this shows nothing but
immaturity and not just a lack of
respect, but no respect for any other
resident on the third floor of Bender
Hall.
I would like to urge that anyone
who witnesses anything similar to
what I have mentioned to report it to
someone of authority. If not for their
own sake, then for the sake of all the
other residents residing in a Tarleton
State University dormitory.
Will I^arremore
TSU student
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The J-TAC (Stephenville, Tex.), Ed. 1 Thursday, October 31, 1991, newspaper, October 31, 1991; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth141762/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Tarleton State University.