The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Neches River flooding wipes out Texas homes, forces evacuation of trailers Monday, October 23, 2006 - 7A VIDOR, Texas (AP) - Flooding along the Neches River in Southeast Texas destroyed an estimated 40 homes, forcing people to flee their residences and even FEMA trail- ers brought in after Hurricane Rita pounded the region lastyear. The river stood at about i2 feet late Sunday afternoon, 8 feet above flood stage. "We have a lot of homes under water," said Jeff Kelley, Orange County emergency management coordinator, who estimated about 40 homes have been destroyed. Some of the homes along the river have been built on stilts while oth- ers sit on the ground, and they had from two feet of water to water up to the roofline. The area was pum- melled when Hurricane Rita came ashore last year, and several Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers were delivered to the area. "They are completely under water," Kelley said. The worst-hit areas were the communities of Lakeview, Connely Road and Four Oaks Ranch Road north of Vidor, about 80 miles east of Houston. Flood waters also were beginning to rise yesterday night in Rose City. Kelley said authorities have been helping people leave the flooded areas since Thursday. He said the area is prone to flood- ing ofsecondarystreets. Peopleusu- ally are able to move their vehicles to higher ground. "The water came up so fast they couldn't get their vehicles out," said Kelley, who estimated authorities have had to help get 75 people out. Sixteen people were staying at a Red Cross Center. Some remained in their homes. Kelley said the number of res- cues picked up Friday and Saturday because the river's level was "worse than anyone had ever seen it." The water wasn't expected to go down for several days, Kelley said. All Interstate 10 ramps between Beaumont and Vidor were closed, as was the access road in the same area, he said. Heavy rains saturated portions of Southeast Texas last week and have been working their way down- stream into the Neches. Kelley said flood gates also were open on the dam on Stinehagen Lake. embarra FRIENDS said. From page lA This -- ring for her friends said, was her refusal to "Thet let it hinder her active and passion- and not ate lifestyle. alive," sh Vaidyanathan - valedictorian Vaidy of her high school in Granger, Ind., around b a small town about 10 miles east of at Mueh South Bend - was a member of the her mem Honors College and the Shipman crowd s Society, which provided her a full minutes scholarship. She was majoring in the hall neuroscience and Spanish, and she Back was considering graduating early Vaidyan to travel to India or South America junior V before pursuing a career as a pedia- worn co trician. A bo In Sanskrit, "Kavya" translates quarter roughly to "poet," her friends said. "Kavy Appropriately, she would often "She wa scribble poems and song lyrics in five or si her notebooks. Alone Her list of involvements could areas wh have belonged to an entire honors ence wa society. Somewhere between Dance bed was Marathon, Indian cultural shows, blank w theUndergraduateResearchOppor- returned tunities Program and the Michigan had hu Independent, she would find time ning to f to tutor local children through K- Patel's m grams, and support Udavum Karan- Still, gal, an Indian nonprofit. nathan's "Basically, she never slept," Les- as it ws lie said. the dow: "No," Chang corrected him, stays an reminding him of Vaidyanathan's tions bei habitual naps on the South Quad Smiths basement benches. "She very much "Meat i liked to sleep." favorite She was renowned for her rea- traying C soned, principled political stanc- wore the es and a ferocious appetite for By he unabashedly expressing them. gray oxy "She lived with no regrets, no her brea the michigan daily PhDs or CANDIDATES, any field Full- & Part-time in tiny, highly suc- cessful biotech company near campus. Email dawn@eyelabgroup.com or fax 734-665-0569. WOLVERINESNEEDJOBS.COM We need Paid survey takers in Ann Arbor. 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys. YARD WORK CLEANUP. Some shrub pruning, etc. Info. and resume required. 734-663-9338. assment," Roselander-Ginn attitude, she said, was stir- those who knew her. re's no way to hear all that t be inspired to be more he said. yanathan's impact on those her was clear last Thursday ligs Funeral Home, where sorial service was held. The welled to capacity within , eventually overflowing to ways outside. on Washtenaw Court, athan's old roommate, LSA ijya Patel, flipped through a py of "Brave New World." okmark protruded about a of the way through. ya loved to read," she said. s probably in the middle of x books." now, Patel pointed out the here her roommate's pres- s beginning to erode - her stripped, and the wall was here a photo collage, now d to her home in Granger, ng. The room was begin- eel oversized, too large for todest possessions. for the most part, Vaidya- presence was as palpable as two weeks ago, before ,nward spiral of hospital nd respiratory complica- gan. On her wall, the same poster still proclaimed s Murder." Beside it, her actor, Johnny Depp, por- Captain Jack Sparrow, still same rakish smirk. r bed, the 2-foot-tall, dull gen tank she used to calm thing at night still stood. In the living room, the conversa tion grew livelier, the images and memories more impassioned and vibrant. As each story concluded, the friends looked wistfully around. Their eyes became glassy and dis- tant, brimming with bittersweet recollections: Kavya learning gui- tar in a week, Kavya dressed as an Oompa Loompa for Halloween. Less enthusiastically, Kavya singing. "This girl would sing," Chang said. "But she had no -" As she paused, the room erupted in laughter. "She was so tone-deaf," she finished, impersonating her "drawn-out, emo" version of "Hail to the Victors." "They're all happy memories," Roselander-Ginn said. "It's really Kerrytown reside good to have such a pure memory of rickshawsafterf reeri someone, really." After an hour, it didn't much mat- ter who knew Vaidyanathan from ------ --------- where, or how, or what experiences BIKE TAXI exactly they shared. It didn't mat- From page 1A ter who had been there the time she abandoned her psychology textbooks on the Law Quad lawn mote the credit pr to play Frisbee or who watched her free ride with a fri confront a fraternity doorman for essence of Chase + his "disrespectful" attitude. The link betwe' It didn't matter which ones she not be intuitive, b had nursed through which exams, rickshaws have gar or which colds. Parked at their What mattered is that they all ner of North Unive knew her when she was still the Fletcher Street,t "go-to" ear for their problems. turn the heads of p When she was still the vital, ecstat- "(People) look; ic hub of their social lives. That, at least, was enough for now. - -- - To finishthe saying, the brightest STABBING candles burn the quickest,but when From page 1A they are gone, everyone remembers how they lit up the room. Joe Ochsner rides around in his Chase +1 promotional bike taxi Thursday afternoon. The contemporary ides to students - if they'll listen to their sales pitch about credit cards. rogram because a end "captures the 1." en the two might but the futuristic rnered attention. base at the cor- ersityAvenue and the contraptions assersby. at us like we're Martians when we ride around," said Aaron Morrell, a BicyTaxi operator who graduated from Mich- igan State University last year. Much of the time, students walk past the row of bike-and-carriages, giving them little more than a puz- zled glance. Many students refuse offers of rides and leave the Bicy- Taxi drivers idling. Others have warmed to the con- cept. "It's an interesting idea," LSA junior Megan Polich said. "It seems sort of like Ann Arbor to try experi- mental transportation." One group of students - Business School sophomore 'Adam Blanck and LSA freshmen Marissa Dango- vian and Ashley Simmons - took advantage of the promotion Thurs- day morning. Trying the service for the first time, the three crowded into the two-person back seat, anxious to avoid walking in the dreary weath- er. "We're cold, hungry and our books are heavy," Dangovian said. As for the endorsement pitchthey were about to endure, Simmons said, "I'll just tell him I already have it." Realizing that his friends had gone, he climbed into a gray Pontiac Grand Am that had been following the Lincoln and was parked behind it during the fight. None of the passengers in the Grand Am engaged in fighting, but the car did take him from the scene, providing him a means to evade immediate arrest. Police found him later that morn- ing at a friend's house in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor Police Sgt. Pat Ouellette said. He was charged yesterday with three counts of assault and is now being held in the Washtenaw County Jail on bond. After the fight, the boyfriend and his friend were escorted to the Uni- versity Hospital for treatment. The student did not need treatment. At about 2 a.m. Saturday, nine Department of Public Safety and Ann Arbor Police Department cars were parked on State Street. Yel- low caution tape had been tied to the trunk of one of the police cars and then wrapped around nearby lampposts, restricting access to the crime scene. Crowds of people gathered around. As the morning wore on, students returning to West Quad Residence Hall found themselves forced to squeeze through a narrow passage- way off to the side of scene. Mean- while, several policemen stood within the confines of the caution tape, talking among themselves. It wasn't until a few hours later that State Street returned to normal. Campus was bustling with talk of the stabbings over the weekend and many students wondered if it could portend escalating violence on campus. But Ouellette said it was an isolated incident and didn't represent a trend. State Street has not been a par- ticularly dangerous area, he said, and police will not add patrols to the area. SPRING BREAK 2007 Celebration 20th Anniversary w/ Sun Splash Tours. Free trip on every 12 before Nov. 1. Free Meals & Parties, Hottest Deals Ever. Group Discounts on 6+. Hottest Spring Break Destinations. Call 1800-426-7710. www.sunsplashtours.com SPRING BREAK W/STS to Jamaica, Mexico, Bahamas & Florida. Sell Trips, Earn Cash, Travel Free! Call for group discounts. Info/Reservations 800-648-4849. www.ststravel.con !!ME SOOOOO HUNGRY!! Want free pizza for a year'? Enter to win and get a sweet deal at www.banzai.com For Monday, Oct. 23, 2006 ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Your ability to do research is absolutely excellent today. If there's anything you want to know about or dis- cover, you will succeed in finding it (You'll look under every rock.) TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) This is not a good day for discussions with partners and close friends. People are inclined to be critical of each other today. (This only promotes a downer feeling.) GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Your critical faculties are very sharp today. You'll be able to tackle any job that requires attention to detail. You also have long periods of concentration today. CANCER (June21 to July 22) Any artistic project or arts-and-crafts project can go very well today. You have a patient mind and a willingness to pay attention to tasks that require persistence and attention to detail. LEO (July 23 to Aug. 22) This is a good day for home repairs. Work around the house to make improvements. However, family discus- alons might e too negative. Be tolerant of and patient with others. VIRGO (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22) It's OK to withdraw from others today. That's just how you feel. However, this is a good day to sign contracts and look over the legal aspects of anything. You won't mis a thing! LIBRA (Sept. 23to Oct. 22) You feel prudent and financially cau- tious today. You don't want to blow your money on anything frivolous. (That's OK.) SCORPIO (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21) You'll have no trouble doing heavy mental work today. Your thinking is very disciplined right now. Take care that you don't look at issues with a negative frame of mind. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21) Work alone today. Your research skills are tops. Ignore negative comments from others, especially if they confirm your worst fears about yourself. (They're not true!) CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19) Someone older might give you excel- lent advice today. Be open to this. On the other hand, if someone older criticizes you, it doesn't mean he or she knows everything. AQUARtUS (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18) Many people feel lonely today. You might have to say goodbye to someone now. This is a temporary dark cloud on your horizon. (It's gone quickly.) PISCES (Feb. 19 toMarch 20) If you have to study any kind of lofty subject or plow through details related to religion, politics and history, you'll be able to accomplish a lot. You hove strong mental energy today. YOU BORN TODAY You have enor- mous energy. (You do so much!) You're youthful, energetic, lively and passion- ate. You often go overboard in some area of your life (work, play or a hobby). Because of your charismatic personality, you work well with groups. You love adventure and challenges.tA significant chtange might take place this year, per- haps similar to that of 1997. Birthdate of: Pele, Brazilian soccer legend; Johnny Carson, TV host; Masiela Lusha, actress/author. ALUM From page lA - -- ---------- - - - - His mother's family hails from the region, which inspirEd him to take an interest in the area. He studied through several different foreign universities, working on his degree while learning Arabic. After he left the University, he paired his experience as an asso- ciate news editor at The Michigan Daily with his knowledge of the region to launch the English lan- guage newspaper in May 2003. Amid the danger of war and with little funding, the staff of less than 20 published the Bulletin every week. Enders designed the paper to not only benefit English-speak- ing Iraqis, but to provide an alternative perspective for an international audience separate from coverage delivered by the mainstream media. Enders said the paper circulated more than 10,000 copies and had at least as many hits on the website. Friday's event was part of the LSA Honors Program's parent weekend. Many students' moth- ers and fathers attended the event, some anxious to learn what their son or daughter could do with an English degree. After listening to Enders speak, Sue Vasquez, mother of Residential College junior Meghann Rotary, said the opportunities young peo- ple have to make a difference in the world encouraged her. "You are the ones that have the drive and the zest to go out there and do something," she said. Enders said he got his first taste of social action in an undergraduate English class taught by Prof. Wil- liam "Buzz" Alexander. Alexander's Prison Creative Arts Project sends students into the real world, Enders said. They work in prisons and under- privileged Detroit high schools. Enders said that while talking about social issues in a classroom is constructive, it's a whole different experience to go out and do some- thing about them. By spending an extended period of time in Baghdad and surround- ing countries such as Jordan, Leb- anon, and Beirut, Enders gained first-hand knowledge of many social issues of the Middle East. He showed pictures of his time abroad: 10,000 men praying in the street, concrete rubble following air strikes in Beirut, the crater remain- ing after a car bomb exploded. Enders spoke about the current state of Middle Eastern nations and U.S. involvement, using his person- al knowledge of the war. "It confirmed my worst fears of what was going on," said Steve Leibert, whose daughter Jamie is a freshman in the Honors College. "People don't want to know. People wantto live in a cocoon." Three months into Iraq, Enders was convinced to buy a gun, despite sayinghe never would. A youngBrit- ish journalist had just been killed, and the Bulletin's staff threatened to leave if Enders did not agree to be less flippant with his safety. To blend in with the surround- ings, Enders changed his hairstyle and grew a mustache. By knowing conversational Arabic and wearing local clothing, he was able to pass as a native. Enders also had a contact he could call if there was a problem passing a security checkpoint. His last departure from Iraq was partly fueled by fear that his contact would turn on him, but his safety precau- tions weren't always enough. In 2004, someone put a loaded gun to his head, accusing of being an Israeli spy. In 2005, he was near- ly kidnapped for interviewing peo- ple on the streets after a bombing. Enders called the ensuingcar chase "movie-worthy." "The driver did a very good job," he said. "We were lucky to get away." He said there would be no point in returning because of the escalat- ing violence. Enderssaiddistrustofjournalists in the Middle East has reached such a level that no one has any desire to speak with American reporters. Even the U.S. military is suspicious of them, he said. But the distrust is mutual. Enders said there is an unspoken "no-one-believes-Iraqis rule" which causes important news to be lost. Reporters need to report on what the natives are saying as well, he said. "Half of what is told to you about what is happening in Iraq is told by Cheney or Rumsfeld, etcetera," he said. "Why aren't we questioning this?" This government approach needs to change, Enders said, if the U.S. is to salvage its reputation. He said he supports engagement with the Iraqi people in an effort to shift their misconstrued percep- tions of Americans. The military options have failed, he said, and now we need to engage culturally to make an impact. Enders advises that one way to do this is through efforts like those of History Prof. Juan Cole's Ameri- cana Translation Project. Cole's nonprofit group translates classic American works into Arabic to aide cultural understanding. Project leaders hope to one day translate works of the Founding Fathers as well as put several Ara- bic works into English. As of now, most Middle Easterners only see a negative representation of the Unit- ed States. "We have made people like us so much less," Enders said. "We have convinced a whole generation of people that they don't want to have a lot to do with the U.S." Donna Wessel Walker, assistant director of the LSA Honors Pro- gram and chair of the freshman book selection committee, admired Enders' knack for stirring contro- versy when she helped choose the text this year. "The book itself is personally compelling, but politically contro- versial," she said. HORSE BOARDING/TRAINING! FOR SALE. equinecharmschool.com Daily Classifieds: serving the UofM yOU'Ve community for been hundreds upon served hundreds or so years..