Against the wishes of a student who was hit by a bus during Foam Sword Friday last spring, UT student organizations will not host the end-of-semester celebration this fall.

UT student Nick Engmann was hit by a Capital Metro bus during the event in May, but suffered no serious injuries from the accident.

For the past six years, UT students have met on both sides of Guadalupe Street near the University Co-op to participate in Foam Sword Friday, an event where students charge into the street at each other holding foam swords when the walk signal appears. The Undergraduate Architecture Student Council has sponsored the event in the past, but this fall the organization has decided not to endorse Foam Sword Friday.

Engmann’s attorney, Reed Teckenbrock, said his client was not in favor of cancelling the event.

“Mr. Engmann does not support the cancellation of Foam Sword Friday, and he is disappointed that he was not consulted prior to that decision being made,” Teckenbrock said.

A traffic ticket was initially issued to the bus driver involved for running a red light. No other injuries resulted from the accident.

Erica Macioge, Capital Metro spokesperson, said review of cameras installed on the bus showed that the driver was in the intersection legally, and the ticket was dismissed at municipal court. Capital Metro’s investigation of the incident cleared the driver, as well.

“This incident involved a bus operator who at the time, had 21 years of service under his belt and a good safety record,” Macioge said in an email.

Teckenbrock said a complaint filed by Engmann with Capital Metro as a result of the incident is still under review.

After discussion with representatives from the School of Architecture, Higinio Turrubiates, president of the Undergraduate Architecture Student

Council, said the organization decided to cancel the event until it can be restructured in a safer manner. He said plans for a Foam Sword Friday in a new location should be completed by the spring.

Turrubiates said although the event has been cancelled, he believes some students will continue the tradition on their own.

He said because Foam Sword Friday has become a tradition at UT, his organization wants to keep it going.

“It’s had a strong demand by students,” Turrubiates said.

The event is normally held around noon on the last Friday of the spring and fall semester that classes are in session. Turrubiates said last spring roughly 200 students attended the event.

Printed on Thursday, November 1, 2012 as: Foam Sword Friday cut after student hit by bus