The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, September 24, 1993 Page: 5 of 24
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OPINION
THE RICE THRESHER FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1993 5
Parly
FROM PAGE 2
sonable, but asking that they receive a
little respect is certainly not
Twice each year, deans of academic
departments as well as administrative
officers receive from Hillel calendars
listing the Jewish holidays in the next
six years, accompanied by detailed
descriptions of how Jews observe
these holidays and instructions to con-
vey this information to all professors
in the department.
For freshmen in particular, ap-
proaching a professor to reschedule
one's first test at Rice jor obtain an
extension on one's first paper can be
highly stressful. Students should not
be expected to reschedule around
events of which the professor was
notified six years in advance.
During the planning meeting at
which the Rice Program Council
(RPC) discussed the dale ol Screw
Yer Roommate. RPC member
Cards
FROM PAGE 2
library any more than before. Rather,
I was told, it simply filters out persons
who might want to use the building for
activities disturbing or harmful to
those studying or reading.
Alarm bells were set off when the
phrase "undesirable elements" was
uttered, but since only a photo ID is
required, all members of society are
welcome.
As for concerns of students, as the
long lines and required possession of
an ID card, there is some consolation.
First of all, the library is trying to
speed up the card processing time on
the turnstile. That will hopefully cut
down on the long lines and waiting
time in general. However, with lim-
ited, privately-provided funds and the
need for a handicapped accessible
entrance, a second turnstile is not an
option at this time. Also, peak periods
account for only about two or three
hours per week out of a weekly total of
111 hours.
As for the burden of carrying an ID
card constantly, six out of eight col-
leges operate under 24-hour lockup,
and many academic buildings already
have card readers, making such ob-
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Caroline Schaeffer noted that the
dance would be held on the evening
following Yom Kippur, but no change
was made at that time. According to
president Lee Hsiah, the RPC tradi-
tionally holds the dance in September
and was reluctant to move it to an
earlier weekend because of events
such as Families Weekend, Outreach
Day, and college parties.
At a university claiming to pro-
mote religious tolerance and diver-
sity, a day Jews consider as holy as
Yom Kippur should be prioritized
above a college party or a dance.
"Rice goes out of its way to receive
other minorities," explains Federow,
"Well, minorities are not only created
as a result of race, as a result of
ethnicity, as a result of culture. Mi-
norities are created as a result of reli-
gion and still have the right to be
received on campus." Jews deserve as
much respect as Blacks, Asians, Catho-
lics or any other minority.
Ron Dror is a Baker College freshman.
jections seem very weak. Even if this
were not the case, Wee students surely
are mature enough to be willing to
undergo a small inconvenience for
the benefit of those who would gain
immeasurable confidence and secu-
rity from the new system.
Still, though the library should be
commended for the idea of putting a
card system in place, its execution has
left much to be desired.
Although surveys were conducted,
the system's sudden appearance this
fall angered many. A serious effort to
involve students in the process would
have done a great deal to smooth the
transition.
Many who feel disgruntled now
will adapt over time and perhaps grow
to appreciate the system's beneficial
qualities. But as the university seeks
to limit lawsuits and crime in an age
where both are highly prevalent, it
should proceed with caution. Though
today's measures put no real restric-
tions on students' freedom, care
should be taken to assure the same for
tomorrow.
Massoud Javadi is a FWess College
freshman.
0
Si
^0^'
Security
FROM PAGE 2
students have begun to use each oth-
ers cards to get through the reader
rather than go back to retreive their
own cards or stop and check in with-
out being noticed by the system It is
not difficult to assume that a potential
attacker could find undetectable ac-
cess just as trivial.
While a monitor might not catch
every single person who walks by
with an ID that is not his own, he
would certainly have a greater chance
than the card reader.
One possible advantage of the card
reader is that it treats everyone equally,
taking responsibility away from the
front desk staff, who are not trained
security personnel. Admittedly, there
have been problems in the past with
certain groups being asked to show
their identification a disproportionate
amount of the time. Makingapolicyof
checking everyone's card, however,
would eliminate this problem equally
welL
The card reader also does not help
alleviate the security responsibility of
the front desk.
The only cases that would seem-
ingly lead to any dispute between
someone trying to enter the library
and the person manning the front desk
would be those in which the person
did not have a Rice ID, in which case
the front desk still must make the
decision to let him in.
Finally, the new policy seems to
violate one of the basic traditions of
the Fondren Library: access to alL By
insisting that one have an identifica-
tion card of some sort, we discrimi-
nate against a significant amount of
the population, those who have no
picture identification.
This includes not only younger
people, for whom I will concede that
parental supervision should be insisted
upon anyway, but also in many cases
the homeless.
Contrary to popular belief, not all
homeless are criminals, and not all
criminals are homeless. Allowing them
access should not increase the dan-
ger to patrons of the library as long as
care is taken. Knowledge should not
be a luxury of the rich alone.
The library should be commended
for trying to solve a long-standing prob-
lem of security. Their solution, how-
ever, leaves much to be desired. It is
probably fruitless to ask for a change
now, whether it is the addition of a
second turnstile to improve the effi-
ciency (it can be done without de-
stroying the wheelchair accessiblity
of the library — trust me on this one)
or an adoption of a less technocratic
solution.
The expense has already been
made. But perhaps next time the ad-
ministration will be more successful
at anticipating such problems and
avoiding them ahead of time.
David Hale is a Sid Richardson College
junior and the opinion editor for the
Thresher.
Tell your parents you need to
expand your horizons
by sensitizing yourself to the myths,
mores and history of a
culture foreign to your own.
(By the time they figure out what's up,
you'll already be there.)
Next semester, get out of town with Beaver College. You can intern in London, ponder
Peace Studies in Austria, cycle to class in Oxford or sun yourself in Mexico (while studying
Spanish, of course). You can even linger at a cafe in Vienna or tour a Greek isle. We also
have a wide variety of integrated university programs in the U.K. and Ireland. For over 30
years Beaver has been sending students abroad for the experience of their life. Now it's time
for yours. Call us today for more information.
Study Abroad with Beaver College.
1.800.755.5607
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Howley, Peter & Epperson, Kraettli. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 6, Ed. 1 Friday, September 24, 1993, newspaper, September 24, 1993; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245848/m1/5/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.