The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, November 22, 1985 Page: 3 of 20
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SPANNING THE HEDGES/by Steve Phillips
Conservative Rice Republicans are alive, and, well
Tuesday Night Massacre
Republicanism at Rice is on the
upswing. If you doubt it, just ask
Jane Mitchell, who nearly came to
blows last week with a loosely knit
group of "Rice Republicans." Jane
is one of the founders of the
Central American Peace Forum,
the name of which speaks precisely
to its purpose. It seems that Jane
and her comrades were getting
together to discuss publicity for
their first speaker when they were
interrupted by Grady Gibbs and
his Posse. Having got the drop on'
em, Gibbs executed a few
democratic reforms he had in mind
and then disappeared. Lone
Ranger-like.
It seems, Gibbs says, that "the
SA was naive enough" to believe
that the Central American Peace
Forum was a "non-political
organization." Between breaths he
also managed "he has a special
interest in peace" spoken while
rubbing a ROTC's burr) and
"someone else was listening on the
other line," referring to a telephone
conversation he (and some
unknown entity) had with Jane
before Tuesday's meeting.
The idea that an organization
promoting discussion of Central
American problems is "non-
political" is strange, to say the
least. Political discourse is a
hallowed American tradition, and
the dialogue it generates is the
seedbed from which new ideas and
solutions arise. If Rice students are
unwilling to fund organizations
promoting the discussion of issues
of political import, the only
alternatives are administrative
funding, faculty funding, or no
funding at all. Administration or
faculty funding is fine, except that
students have no control over such
funds. The alternative of no
funding eliminates Rice from any
serious discussion of issues beyond
those of immediate, local impact.
To contribute to any discussion
will require interest, knowledge,
and concern of the part of Rice
students. To fail to engage these
issues comdemns us to
parochialism.
Gibbs and his gang are laying
low for awhile. Their tactics, in the
worst of conservative tradition,
have earned them the incredulity
of their peers, and the wrath of the
administration. Are you sure
Ronnie knew about them?
In Watson Brown's Footsteps
The people at the Athletic
department have put their foot in it
again, this time in the person of
Steve Moniaci, the Assistant
Director for Operations. It seems
that Steve, always trying to stay
one step ahead of the game, nixed
Mary Ann Leonard's Cotton Bowl
aspirations before she was elected.
According to the Houston
Chronicle, Steve felt that his
decision to send a cheerleader in
Mary Ann's stead was justified by
the list of past homecoming
queens, which included . dogs,
refrigerators", and "snakes".
Loathe though I may be to
berate the ob(li)vious, I ask,"Have
you ever met Mary Ann, Steve?"
Locutory Klein bottle
In the meantime the Owls have
been backpeddling a little in the
face of media attention. Steve's last
job was Director of Marketing and
Promotions, and he demonstrated
his capacity for circumlocution in
his statements to the Chronicle. In
a truly fantastic feat of elocution.
Steve managed to speak his piece
and eat his words at the same time.
Still, he's sticking to his guns. After
all, we can't disappoint the fans.
can we?
Coming on the heels of Watson
Brown's goalpost extravaganza as
this does, one wonders who the
Owls think they're playing for?
Apparently the Athletic
Department feels that it must
distance itself from the student
body in order to represent Rice
University in the best light.
Somebody is out of step.
NO MORE HEDGES
continued from page 2
organizational meeting with 22 of
his followers and disrupted its
proceedings, attempting to take
control of the group by passing his
own constitution and hurling
insults at its members.
McLaughlin and Gibbs have
justified their threats and actions
by claiming they are merely trying
to preserve an element of
democracy in student government.
The Senate, they have said, did not
consult their constituencies when it
made its decisions to become
involved with political issues and
has no business representing
student opinion on such matters in
the first place. They contend that
their actions are wholly warranted,
then, because they are making a
democratic statement, forcing the
Senate to respect the wishes of
their followers.
But McLaughlin and Gibbs are
only masquerading as democrats,
for their words and actions reveal a
basic distrust of democratic
institutions. When McLaughlin
says the Senate has no right to
debate South African divestiture,
it is not because he wishes to
protect the majority of students. It
is because he is afraid of them. He
is afraid they might decide against
his position. So he proclaims the
idea of representation a farce,
insists that the members of the
governing body cannot speak for
the very student body which
elected them.
McLaughlin and Gibbs instead
try to thwart the will of the
majority they claim to represent by
giving themselves veto power over
the actions of the Senate.
McLaughlin, when he threatens
the existence of the Senate by
saying he might remove
Richardson College from it, and
Gibbs, when he disrupts meetings
with cameras and derogatory
slogans, both show they are not
above employing threats and
0©Cf)f)0C0000f)0( Doonesbury
iftj
HRESHER
Scott Snyder
Editor
Crystal Davis
Business Manager
David Friesenhahn Managing Editor
Karin Murphy Entertainment Editor
Erin Blair Features Editor
Robyn Klahr Advertising Manager
John Knapp Copy Editor
Valerie Rohy, Spencer Greene News Eds
Mike Hulbert, Harold Turner Photo Eds
Lisa Stewart Harold's Date
Chris Lowrance, Mark Matteson Sports Eds
Grayson Haun Production Manager
Damon Hart, Brian McDonald ... Back Page Eds
Paul Havlak Senior Editor
Head Typesetter Lisa Gray-
Assistant Editor Nancy Collier (Entertainment)
I'roofreadei Dan Sullivan
Graphics Michael Dobson. Mike Harshman
Jose Figueroa
Editorial Staff Steve McLaughlin, A1 Derbes,
Steve Phillips. Eric Salituro. Dan Sullivan.
Scott Flukinger
Features Staff Lisa Gray
News Staff Kimberlee Barrett. Erin Blair,
Paul Havlak, Eric Salituro, David Schnur,
Cheryl Smith, Kathy Sugg, Jenny Ettclson.
Kim Galle
Entertainment Staff Ian Neath, Sara Jordan,
Marie Lawson, David Nathan, L. Gene Spears
Kristi Isacksen, John Thomas, Beth Vito
Paul Orkiszewski, James Laura, Cheiyl Smith,
Kayhan Parsi, Carolyn Austin, Carrie Blum,
Andr< Fox. Kim Galle, Paul Lee
Sports Staff Mike Harshman, Anthony Wills
Tony Soltero, Antonio Torres, John Wilson
Sean 0*Malley, Maureen McKelvey, Jim Humes,
Thad Ware, Steve Nations, Jim Dean, Ned Hibberd
Doug Collins. Andy Kopplin
Photography Staff Susan Buchanan, Roy Shelley,
Eric Salituro, John Knapp, Mike Dingbat Gladu
Production Staff Amy Orchard, Kavita Mulchandani
Rich Frueh, Tracy Hodge, Pat McGarrity, Mark Nash,
Steve Phillips, Sophie Holquin, Geoff Stafford,
Patsy Hernandez, Carmen Falls, Jennifer Brown,
Julie Stanush
Bvkiaa SUIT
Asst. Business Manager Carlos Soltero
Asst. Advertising Managers Ashley Stainback
Adam Sticpewich
Student Staff Assistant Anna Ames Little
Subscriptions Manager Debbie Shelton
Circulation Howard Goldman
The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper st Rice Univereity
since 1916, is published each Fridayduringtheschool year, except during
examination periods and holidays, by the students of Rice University.
Editorial and business offices aie located on the second floor of the Rice
Memorial Center, P.O. Box 1892, Houston. Texas 77251. Telephone
(713)527-4801 or 527-4802. Advertising information available upon
request. Mail subscription rate per semester: 115.00 domestic, $30.00
international, (via first class mail). The opinions expressed herein are not
necessarily those of anyone except the writer. Obviously.
® 1985, The Rice Thresher. All rights reserved.
©©©©©©©©©©©©©«
> BUZ! ~
..AND NOW
— . THE FIRST
QC MM , LAP If?? APE
Dd «AUl 5HAKJNG
HANDS..
, 11-21
AS WE'VE SEEN JED,
THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT
THE- WAY THESE TWO W0 -
MEN HA VE CONDUCTED THEM-
SELVES THAT'S ACCIDENTAL.
THEY'RE AS REPRESENTATIVE
OF THEIR COUNTRIES
.y-^AS THEIR HUSBANDS!
THAT'S RIGHT, ROLAND. AND
AS THEY SAY GOOPBY, BOTH
: WOMEN SEEM TO BE MAKING
COMPETING FASHION STATE -
' MENTS -MRS. GORBACHEV
WEARJNGA CHIC DESIGNER
DRESS, MRS. REAGAN
SPORTING A.. A..
I ASKED MY DADDY
WHAT THIS "STAR UJARS"
STUFF 15 ALL ABOUT.
/VPPvsc.
11-22.
HE SAID RIGHT NOW WE CANT PRO
7ECT OURSELVES FPOM NUCLEAR UVEA
PONS AND THAT'S WHY "THE PRESIDENT
WANTS TO BUI LP A PEACE SHIELD. ITD
STOP MI5SILES IN OUTER SPACE..
All fr^
.. SO THEY CDULPNTHTTOUR
HOUSE. THEN NOBODY COULD WIN
A WAR. AND IF NOBODY COULD
WIN A WAR, THERE'S NO REASON
TO START ONE. MY DADDY'S SMART.
MYHoos<l\ TA
MDPfSAYS THE PEACE SHIELD
OVER. OUR HOUSE IS ACTUALLY
, HUNDREDS OF LITTLE PEACE
* MACHINES.
THE PEACE MACHINES ARE
THOUSANDS OF TIMES MORE
COMPLICATED THAN ANY
WEAPONS EVER BUILT.
/VWuSe,
:V v.--.-:.-.-...-..- ••••:••
BUT DADDY SAYS WITH
ENOUGH TIME AND MONEY.
THE PENTAGON CAN BUILD
MOST ANYTHING.
intimidation to get what they want,
hardly the tell-tale signs of a
populist spirit.
The attitudes and actions
McLaughlin and Gibbs display
have placed the existence of a
democratic atmosphere at Rice in
jeopardy. If they go unchecked,
unpunished and without
condemnation, as they have by the
Senate or any other formal
authority at Rice, they undermine
the legitimacy of representative
bodies at this university, because
they send a message that the will of
a majority of students will not be
enforced should any angry group
decide to browbeat the Senate and
others into submission.
McLaughlin and Gibbs, in their
words and deeds, have set a
dangerous precedent for our
community, one which, if left to
stand, will destroy the self-
governance Rice students have
grown to enjoy.
BY GARRY TRUDEAU
WHY,
IT'S AN
AFGHAN!
WHOA1
WHAT'S THE
FIRST LADY
SAYING
THERE,
TED?
OOPS, ONE GOT
THROUGH. 'BYE
THIS IS THE
SGT. YORK.
The Rice Thresher, November 22, 1985, page 3
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Snyder, Scott. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, November 22, 1985, newspaper, November 22, 1985; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245621/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.