The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, February 3, 1989 Page: 1 of 20
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SINCE 1916
VOLUME 76, NO. 16
SMILE PRETTY AND ASK FOR THE BIGGEST PICKLE
FEBRUARY 3, 1989
Resolution calls for
changes in constitutions
by Jennifer Rios
Because of a Student Association
resolution passed Monday, January
23, Will Rice, Sid Richardson, Jones,
and Brown Colleges must consider
electing, rather than appointing, fu-
ture Rice Program Council represen-
tatives.
The resolution, sponsored by
Jones College Senator Edward Guay
and WRC Senator Map' Elliott,
came about because of an increasing
concern over the control of the
RPC's blanket-tax spending.
"The only thing that gives the
RPC any sort of structure is just By-
law C in the SA Constitution,"Guay
said. "For something that receives
the second largest blanket-tax of all
the blanket-tax organizations, it defi-
nitely needs to have more checks
and balances to be sure it is run
effectively."
According to Elliott, electing RPC
representatives will make students
more aware of their representatives,
as well as give the elected represen-
tatives a greater sense of responsibil-
ity and accountability for their use of
student tax funds.
Since the RPC receives the sec-
ond largest blanket-tax, should not
be run by indirect student represen-
tation, Elliot said.
There is no insurance that an
election will guarantee responsible
people, but if someone wants to go
through the process of the election,
then they at least have some dedica-
tion toward the position," Guay said.
Previously WRC, Sid
Richardson, Jones, and Brown Col-
leges had appointed their represen-
tatives, but this resolution calls for a
uniform means of obtaining RPC
representatives from each college
through a formal election process.
WRC has issued a petition so that the
reform can be considered in the next
formal election.
"In order for change to go
through, there must be change in
our constitution," said WRC Presi-
dent Moses Scheinfeld.
"A petition of one fourth of the
college membership is necessary in
order to get the issue on the ballot,"
he says
Jones, Sid Rich, and Brown Col-
leges, on the other hand, opted to
take the issue to the polls avoiding
the petition process.
"We took it as a kind of sugges-
tion, liked it, and we're adopting it
among a scries of other changes
we'll be voting on within the next two
weeks," Jones College president
Neal Ague said.
Although the resolution has met
little opposition, Scheinfeld dis-
agrees with the committee's pro-
posal to elect RPC representatives.
"At Will Rice, the system that we
have works. The last two years. . .
we've had two excellent RPC reps
and I don't see the necessity to
change," Scheinfeld said.
According to Guay, this resolu-
tion serves as an initial step to re-
forming the RPC. Among the re-
forms proposed by the committee
are the following:
1) The committee plans to revise
SEE RPC, PAGE 8
4:
Ruggers take a mud bath.
The Rice Rugby team does its best work in the rain. Jeff Duhrsen tackles a Baylor ball carrier. Story: page 13.
Students, faculty dissatisfied with
Fondren reserve room, circulation desk
by Kurt Moeller
Since spring semester classes
began, students and faculty have
criticized Fondren Library's reading
reserve room and have complained
A lock is pulled out of Its socket in an attempted car theft.
Crime wave hits campus
Students express concern over increase
in thefts and burglaries
News Analysis
by Anureet Bajaj
Crime on the Rice campus is
increasing at an alarming rate.
Two armed men have been ar-
rested on campus, and two auto
thefts, two burglaries from a ve-
hicle, four burglaries from
rooms, and one assault have been
committed—all since January 15.
The statistics from last semes-
ter are even more startling than
those cited above. Last semester,
27 auto thefts, 14 burglaries from
vehicles, one sexual assault, and
23 burglaries from rooms were
committed on campus.
Crime on campus is no longer an
issue to be ignored. Rice has not
been immune as crime rates have
risen in the Hermann Park and
Medical Center areas. In 1987, only
16 automobiles were stolen, 46 bur-
glaries were committed. In 1988, the
number of stolen automobiles in-
creased to 39 and burglaries to 158.
Chief of the Rice University Po-
lice Department Mary Voswinkel
said, "I think that it's comparable
with what's happening in the park
and in the Medical Center right now.
It seems like around the Christmas
holidays and the spring we have
more problems. I dont know why,
but we do."
SEE CRIME, PAGE 7
Hanszen
female
assaulted
by Leslie Raneri
A female undergraduate filed
charges of attempted sexual as-
sault against a 15-year old black
male for an incident that occurred
in Hanszen College's second
floor women's restroom, Friday,
January 27. The Rice University
Police Department apprehended
the man Saturday, January 28,
and transported him to Houston
Police Department focilities.
RUPD did not perceive this in-
cident as indicative of a serious
problem with current procedure.
"While individual bad things
may happen, we don't perceive a
general problem with security in
the colleges," RUPD Officer Ivan
Putzke said.
Campus police officers regu-
larly patrol the colleges on foot
and by car, Putzke said.
Hanszen College President
Dan Haddock said although all
restroom doors in Hanszen Col-
lege have locks, many have been
altered so they do not work.
Haddock plans to ask Bob
Mathis, the Manager of Residen-
tial Colleges, to fix the locks.
The student was taking a
shower at about 5:50 p.m. When
she opened the curtain to step
out, she saw a man with a scarf
over his face standing outside the
shower. Thinking it was a joke,
SEE ASSUALT, PAGE 7
about the library's computerized cir-
culations records.
A random survey of seven profes-
sors found that two professors re-
ported problems with the reserve
room this year. Five said whatever
problems they had were because
they returned their lists of reserve
books and readings after the dead-
line.
Professor of English Chris
Newfield said because of the incon-
venience of dealing with the reserve
room, "a lot of people don't bother
with them any more." For his own
class, "What I've had to do is use my
door and box outside as a reserve
room."
Newfield has been particularly
vocal about his experience with the
reserve room.
In his ENGL 400 class, twice as
many students showed up as had
pre-registered. Because the book-
store had ordered only enough
books for the pre-registered stu-
dents, Newfield copied the readings
for the first week of class and gave
them to the reserve room, offering to
place them on the shelves himself.
A student working in the reserve
room told Newfield the readings
could not be put on reserve for a
week, but that students could re-
quest them from behind the counter.
Several students told Newfield
they had been scolded for request-
ing the readings and had been told
they could not get the readings that
way.
Reserve Librarian Tim Porter
said delays occurred because many
professors turned in books and read-
ings to the reserve room on the
Thursday or Friday that classes
started. He said these were put on
reserve on a first-come, first-serve
basis.
The biggest problem is profes-
sors who do not turn in the lists on
time. Both Porter and the seven
professors interviewed said most
professors turned in lists alter the
deadline.
Professors claim the deadlines,
July 25 for the fall semester and
November 15 for the spring semes-
ter, are too early. They say they have
not thought enough about the books
and readings for classes to know
what will be read by those dates.
If they turn in their lists after the
deadline, professors must bring the
books to the reserve room. In thai
case, professors must also make all
photocopies.
Because he said he knew of the
book shortage only after classes had
started, Newfield said, "These
[rules] just aren't followable some-
times."
Newfield was told the only way-
he could help was by writing to Presi-
dent George Rupp saying the library
needed more staff.
Porter was asked if the Reserve
Room was understaffed. He replied,
"Personally, 1 don't think so. I think
you should ask the administration
about that, though."
Several students said they were
told by the library that they had
books overdue, but the books had
already been returned. The books
were subsequently found on the
shelves.
When asked about this, Circula-
tion librarian Ginny Martin said,
"That was an unusual circumstance.
Anyone who has a question about
the records should come in to see
me."
On December 16, a staff member
who docs not usually empty the re-
turned books put them directly in the
shelving room, bypassing the two-
part check-in process.
FEATURES
Abercrombie speaks
on Rice and boxing.
See page 5
DEALING WITH
THE REALITY
See page 9
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McGarrity, Patrick & Sendek, Joel. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, February 3, 1989, newspaper, February 3, 1989; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245712/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.