The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, February 22, 1991 Page: 2 of 16
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2 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1991 THE RICE THRESHER
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To the newly elected
1991-1992 SA Senate:
Congratulations on your election! You are now the legitimate
voice of the student body here at Rice; you are the much-needed
leadership. But before updating the resume, I would like you to
think a moment about the Senate's agenda for the new year.
Highest priority belongs to the reinstatement of the Senate as
the primary decision-making body for undergraduates. This past
year the college presidents have often acted outside the Senate.
However admirable their goals and whatever their accomplish-
ments, much of the Senate's power has been usurped. One result
college dues increased by fifty percent to accountfor inflation, but
the Senate's blanket tax remained unaltered.
Also initiated by the presidents was the alcohol policy petition,
which lacked the coordination and thoroughness of Senate action.
While the presidential decision to ask the campus police, students,
and administrators to cooperate to enforce the alcohol policy
received enormous support and numerous signatures, the cause
carried the force of a paper tiger. This past week in fact, one of the
authors of the movement was blatantly in violation of his own
petition and the alcohol policy itself.
The presidents do not have the luxury in campus-wide issues of
letting the name of the Student Association stand behind their
decisions; the Senate does. Moreover, the Senate has the ability to
approach the University Court about increasing the standard
penalties for underage drinking and other student-monitoring
possibilities, which should compliment - if not precede - any such
action involving the administration or the campus police. The
shame of the matter is that had the college presidents acted within
the Senate, their petition would carry more weight
But the greatest loss of power this year seems to be to the
Masters. Last year, the Food Committee worked with Bill Boorom
and chose the current meal plan. Personal relations with CK,
constructive student criticism, and compromise have resulted in
better food and, more importantly, better attendance in the com-
mons at dinner. This year, the Masters seem to have decided
what's best for the students. No offense to the Masters, but since
the Senate began tackling the meal plan (not just food quality)
under the Karsner administration many years ago, great progress
has been made. The Senate needs the power of choice to continue
the battle. And I can only hope that next year's Senate contains a
few Dave Fishers.
Although I am confident that, by turnover, SA President Mitra
Miller will have personally updated the changes that have already
been made to the constitution (something not done in a year ortwo
because the disk was lost), the Senate's goals also need an update.
First should be finding a permanent place for the Coffeehouse.
The Senate has offered in the past to help, but now it should
demand a home for the Coffeehouse — it deserves one.
Second is an investigation of the Pub's finances. V&W Permits,
Inc. president Sarah Nelson Crawford refused earlier this year to
promise to keep the Pub open if it lost money. Years ago when the
Pub was in serious trouble, SA President Kevin Gass claimed to
personally save the Pub by, among other tilings, starting the
quarter cover charge. That burden may soon agfin fall on the
Senate.
Third, the Senate should at least tiy to chip away at that
infamous Rice Apathy, which everyone running for office seems to
care so much about Not to mention tuition, campus safety, et al.
Despite all these unresolved problems, this year's Senate has -
made progress on a great number of issues and leaves behind
quite a legacy to live up to. I for one am confident next year's
Senate can. Who knows? In the future, an improved Senate might
even cause contested elections.
- Jay Yates
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Ribbons as worthy as King wreath
To the editors:
On Wednesday, February 20, a
group of Hanszen students and a
faculty member offered to the
administration a compromise
solution to the yellow ribbon
controversy which was meant to be
beneficial to all concerned. For
Friday, February 22, the students
proposed a day-long but temporary
public display of yellow ribbons on
the trees in the main quadrangle
around Willy's statue. The yellow
ribbons were to be displayed only
from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., and
were to be removed from the trees in
the same manner as the wreath in
honor of Martin Luther King Day
was removed at the end of its day-
long display in front of Willy's statue
on January 21.
During the course of Wednesday
afternoon, the university's policy went
through several noteworthy changes.
Vice-President Stebbings and
Activities Director Crawford were
especially receptive to the initial
proposal in light of the fact that (1) it
was temporary and (2) it would help
to repair the damage done to Rice's
media image in light of recent
negative coverage. Dean Sarah
Burnett officially accepted the
proposal on behalf of the
administration.
It was clear from subsequent
discussions with Dean Burnett,
however,that shewas uncomfortable
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Honor Council details
consensus
The Honor Council approved
recently the following consensus
penalties for Honor System viola-
tions. These penalties serve as
sentencing guidelines only- The
Council reserves the right to
choose a lighter or more severe
punishment based on any pos-
sible mitigating circumstances
and the cooperation of the ac-
cused. The Council adopted con-
sensus penalties in the early
eighties to helpprovideauniform
sentencing framework within
which to deliberate cases. They
are as follows:
Cheating on a homework:
Multiple loss of credit on the as-
signment
Cheating on a major assign-
ment: (15% or more of final
grade): Failure in course.
Cheating on in-class exam:
Failure in course and one semes-
ter suspension.
Cheating on take-home
exam: Failure in course and two
semester suspension.
All Honor Council violations
generally receive the addition ofa
suspension clause to a student's
file. This clause insures that a
subsequent violation by the same
student will cany the recom-
mended penalty of suspension.
The Honor Council urges all
students to take responsibility for
their academic worts and to seek
clarification of course guidelines
that may prove ambiguous.
Thank for your support of the
system.
with the idea of a display until 5:00
p.m., and she stated further that
ideally the ribbons should be re-
moved immediately following a noon
statement on the meaning *of the
ribbons. When queried further as to
a time that would be acceptable to
begin the placing of ribbons on the
trees in the morning, Dean Burnett
suggested five minutes before the
statement, and she suggested taking
them down five minutes after the
statementwasover. Inalate afternoon
phone call following this unproduc-
tive meeting, the administration in-
formed the students that in fact, no
ribbons whatsoever were to be al-
lowed on any tree in the quadrangle
during any part of the event A final
appeal of this unexpected decision to
Carl MacDowell in the President's
Office confirmed not only the com-
plete ban on all ribbons on trees at
any time in the quadrangle, but con-
stituted a further ban on a proposed
yellow wreath modeled on the King
Day precedent
In light of the fact that this uni-
versity makes provision for a sym-
bolic statement in honor of Dr. King
in the main quadrangle of the uni-
versity each January, we wonder if
the administration can explain fully
why support for soldiers under fire in
the escalating Persian Gulf conflictis
any less cause for a simple,
comparable, day-long public display.
Daniel R. Bowers,
Hanszen '92
Dr. Frank D. Schubert,
Hanszen Resident Associate
Kurt Moeller, Jay Yates
Editors-in-Chief
Harlan Howe
Managing Editor
NEWS
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PHOTOGRAPHY
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BACKPAGE
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Christopher Lowe
Business Manager
OPINION
Peter Howley Editor
SPORTS
Darrell Speck Editor
Gus Atwell Columnist
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Howley, Greg MaGee, Jason Ockerman,
John Skelton, Nathan Tiller, Alison
Uberecken
PRODUCTION
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Phone - 527-4802 © COPYRIGHT 1991
The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper at Rice University since
1916, is published each Friday during the school year, except during examina-
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Moeller, Kurt & Yates, Jay. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, February 22, 1991, newspaper, February 22, 1991; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245777/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.