By Ivan Contreras

A small fire or a minor explosion has caused a partial closure of the Barrera Parking Structure on Tuesday.

The entrance on W. Sycamore Ave.,  the adjacent staircase and the elevators have been closed leaving only the N. Lemon St. entrance and the staircase closest to the rear of Bhathal Student Services Center open.

Two of  the flatbed carts that resemble golf carts commonly seen around campus, may have been the cause of the incident, but Public Safety has been unable to confirm this. The burned remains of the carts were still on the first floor of the structure as of 7 p.m. tonight.

A report on the incident is being obtained from Mary Platt, director of communications and media relations.

The exterior walls of the parking structure are covered in black smoke from the ground level up towards the fifth level and the shrubs near the walkway are burnt.

As more information is gathered, an update will be posted online.

UPDATE :

Two electrical carts, belonging to Chapman’s Telecommunications department, were burned in the Barrera Parking Structure according to Public Safety.

The cause of the fire has not been determined as of now and is still under investigation.
UPDATE :

A clean up of the fire that took place in the Barrera Parking Structure will begin tomorrow and continue through Jan. 29, according to a mass e-mail sent out by Public Safety.

The parking structure will have the following closures: the W. Sycamore Ave. entrance, the northeast staircase, the elevator and most of the ground parking level.

Temporary disabled parking spaces and reserved spaces will be be relocated. Access into and out the parking structure will not be restricted – the arms will be left open throughout the remainder of the interterm, according to the mass e-mail.

Those requiring any special assistance are encouraged to call Public Safety at (714) 997-6763.

Students lined up Wednesday outside Argyros Forum to spend two minutes cuddling with puppies and forgetting all the woes of upcoming finals week.

The mental health club Active Minds sponsored the event to help students de-stress at the end of the semester.

“There was a line before we had even set up,” said Megan Brown, counselor and Active Minds advisor. “The students are so happy. The smiles are just beaming.”

A cage was set up for small groups of students to enter and play with the 10 Maltese, Yorkie, pug and Daschund puppies.

The puppies came from Puppies and Reptile for Parties, a family organization that raises the dogs as pets. None of the dogs are sold to pet stores, but are all available for adoption, Brown said.

“Furry Friends for Finals” drew national media attention by Los Angeles Times, USA Today and the Chicago Tribune.  Several local news crews were also on hand.

“We’re excited for the attention,” Brown said. “People like puppies and they like happy stories this time of the year.”

By Morgan Helme

Work on a new traffic signal and pedestrian crosswalk beside the Western Cordage Building at 501 W. Palm Ave. began last week. Kris Olsen, vice president of campus planning, anticipates the project will be complete by March 1.

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which operates Metrolink, will install the traffic lights and crosswalk because it is already working on the Quiet Zone improvements along the railroad.

“The City of Orange required a signal for the safe crossing of pedestrians to and from the Palm Parking Lot and the Western Cordage Building,” wrote Olsen in an e-mail.

Chapman University is paying the city of Orange about $350,000 for the installation out of capital project funds. The city approved the conversion of the building to office and classroom space in 2007 on the condition that Chapman would reimburse the costs for the signal, Olsen said.

The Cordage Building currently houses the physical therapy department. The psychology department is set to move there as well, once funding for the renovation – about $1 million – is available. The crossing currently has flashing lights, a temporary solution until the engineering and approvals for the new signal are complete, Olsen said.

By Morgan Helme

UPDATE by Martin Syjuco

Students and staff were forced to stop working in the evening yesterday because of a power outage caused by a palm frond cutting into a power line.

More than 1,900 homes and businesses, including most of the buildings at Chapman University, were affected by the outage that lasted about thirty minutes, said Lauren Bruntlett, spokesperson for Southern California Edison.

The outage began at 6:49 p.m., affecting areas bordering Madison Avenue, Oak Street, Palmyra Avenue and Batavia Street. Power was restored in the affected areas at 7:22 p.m.

Classes were canceled in the affected buildings, including at the Argyros Forum. The Leatherby Libraries was also closed during the power outage.

Blackout darkens campus, library closed

By Ivan Contreras

Students and staff throughout campus have been forced outside because of a power outage affecting Chapman and parts of the City of Orange tonight.

The blackout occurred at about 6:50 p.m. and most classes have been cancelled, including art courses and lectures in Argyros Forum. Leatherby Libraries has also been closed. Beckman Hall has not been affected by the outage, and the extent has not yet been determined.

Many of the streets around campus are either partially lit or completely in the dark.

A reporter is on assignment and an update will be posted online shortly.

by Ian Lausa

Sometimes being a reporter has its perks.

I covered the Chapman lacrosse team’s collegiate exhibition game against UC Santa Barbara at the LXM Pro Tour in Santa Ana on Saturday.

The all-day event was a fusion between the X-Games and Lollapalooza with high-profile celebrities and all-star lacrosse players scheduled to appear as well as a big concert to end the night.

My press credentials became my all-access pass, gaining me access backstage, onto the red carpet, and best of all, into the VIP tent.

In this tent, my dreams came true.

Free Chipotle. Free beverages. And free access to high-profile celebrities.

Long story short, I met Lauren Conrad. Lauren freaking Conrad. Star of MTV’s ‘The Hills.” She was just hanging in the VIP tent.

It took me a while to dial up the courage to approach her. She is gorgeous in person. But as the night wore on, and she appeared more relaxed (no doubt because of said free beverages) I made my move.

She was surprisingly gracious when I asked if I could take a picture with her. After the picture had been taken she wondered whether I was OK with it. I could take another if I wanted, she said. It was perfect.

I like to think that this was just the beginning of a beautiful friendship between me and Lauren Conrad. I also like to think of myself as a burgeoning celebrity.

At least that is what I told my friends at home in Colorado.

By Jillian Freitas

Yesterday, about 2,200 printed copies of “The Panther” student newspaper were removed from the usual delivery location at the back entrance to Argyros Forum on Center St. The stacks of newspapers were delivered as usual on Monday, but some time between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., they were all taken.

This week’s issue of “The Panther” will not be reprinted, but the entire issue can be found online at www.thepantheronline.com, including a downloadable PDF version of the paper.

There are no suspects. If you have any information regarding the missing newspapers or have any comments, please send an e-mail to thepanthernewspaper@gmail.com.

By Lawrence Stevens

Chapman’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) will be hosting Chapman Coffee House’s one year anniversary party on Nov. 14 from 2 to 7 p.m.

The coffee shop will be offering specialty drinks, snacks and raffle prizes to the public. Each raffle ticket costs $1 with proceeds going to Secret Angels of Orange, a philanthropy which aids low-income families in need, said Jessie McDaniel, head of client relations for PRSSA.

“When I first heard the Chapman Coffee House was for sale, I immediately bought it in Oct. 2008, which was the worst time in the recession. My friends thought I was crazy. I thought I was crazy,” said Deborah Yamazaki, owner of the Chapman Coffee House. “But, [the coffee house] has turned out great and I’m having fun.”

The coffee shop’s regulars have been receptive to the new owner.

“I think [the coffee house] is great. I love to support small businesses in the Orange area,” said Santiago Salazar, 23, a regular patron of the coffee house.

PRSSA is coordinating other events with Yamazaki, which include poetry readings and Vinyl nights. Vinyl night takes place every Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m., where students can listen to music and relax, McDaniel said.

“I love the ambiance and environment that the coffee house has to offer. I get so much support from everyone,” Yamazaki said.

By KarriAnne Rivas

“Last weekend [I was a] sexy Tweedle (Tweedle Dum/Tweedle Dee) and this weekend [I’m] going to be a sexy panda. [My roommate and I] thought it would be funny to spin the stereotypical sexy costumes by making silly un-sexy things ‘sexy.’ I want to have fun!” -Annie Truex, sophomore.

“Little Red Riding Hood, after my Senior Thesis.” -Lindsay Belle Chambers, senior.

“A magenta fairy.” -Kitty Porter, senior.

“I am going to be a [crew member] on the U.S.S. Enterprise!” -Brittany Vickers, senior.

“Well I might be Abe Lincoln but my beard isn’t quite thick enough, so i don’t know.” -Leland Buttle, senior.

By Melody Kleiman

Richard Nixon – born in Yorba Linda, 37th President of the U.S., the man behind Watergate. Join Chapman in exploring the life of Richard Nixon on a private tour of the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace Foundation Saturday, Nov. 7, sponsored by the Department of Student & Campus Life.

“It should be a very cool opportunity that students should definitely take advantage of,” said Sean Salomon, Student and Campus Life Department Assistant.

The nine-acre Nixon Library and Birthplace is dedicated to educating the public about the life and times of the President, taking its visitors on a journey through half a century of California, U.S. and world history.

The tour features a 3-D walk-through memoir, 22 high-tech galleries, movie and interactive video theaters, First Lady’s Garden, the President’s restored birthplace and the flower-ringed memorial sites of the President and his wife, Pat Nixon.

The cost of the trip is $12, and those interested can sign up in Argyros Forum 303.  The last day to sign up and pay for the tour is Friday, Oct. 30. The tour begins at 10:00 a.m., but participants should arrive 20 minutes early and must provide their own transportation.

By Ariela Kozin

The Sunday after Halloween, Nov.1, students will get an extra hour of sleep as the semiannual daylight saving time comes back once again. Before taking off their masks at the end of Halloween festivities, students should make sure to move their clocks back one hour at 2 a.m.

One of the major reasons most of the U.S. participates in daylight saving time is to save electricity. The energy and demand for electricity is directly associated with the time at which people turn off their lights and go to bed.

By moving the clock ahead one hour in spring, less electricity is needed at night because there are more hours of sunlight.

The next time people clocks change, moving forward an hour, will be March 14, 2010.