The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 82, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 20, 1995 Page: 1 of 16
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SINCE 1916
VOLUME 82, NUMBER 15
SHARING ELVIS
JANUARY 20,1995
SRC balconies shut
off after finals party
by George Hatoun
Sid Richardson College held an all-college meeting Wednesday
night to discuss the reopening of its balconies following an incident
on Dec. 17 that led to their closing.
According to SRC President Jason Martinez, the balconies were
closed after a block of dry ice was thrown off the college's fourth floor
balcony during a party.
'There was a party at the end of the year — kind of a time of flux
during finals — people probably not from Sid came over and threw
over, of all things, dry ice at the Will Rice master's house next door,"
Martinez said.
The block of ice, which was about the size of a basketball, smashed
one of the sliding glass doors of the Will Rice College master's house,
Martinez said.
WRC Master Dennis Shirley called Martinez to the house shortly
after 3 a.m. on Dec. 18.
Martinez said he was "as you can understand, upset... annoyed
and scared." "
He said that initially Shirley was going to call Vice President for
Student Affairs Zenaido Camacho to ask that the balconies be locked,
but the decision was ultimately made jointly between Shirley and SRC
Master Gordon Wittenberg, with input from Martinez.
SEE SRC PAGE 6
Students honor MLK in vigil
by Marty Beard
The cold wind did not deter those
who gathered Wednesday night at 7
p.m. in the Sallyport in celebration
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'sbirth-
day.
The tribute began with a proces-
sion to the Rice Chapel from the
Sallyport and the singing of the hymn
"We Shall Overcome." The candles
were lit as the party reached the
shelter of the Rice Memorial Cen-
ter.
The Black Student Association
sponsored Wednesday's candlelight
vigil.
BSA President Alicia Powers
opened and led the vigil in the chapel
with welcoming remarks, stressing
King's "ideas of peace, justice and
especially racial harmony."
Lovett College senior Leviticus
Chase read selections from King's
"Letter from Birmingham Jail."
In this particular work, King de-
clares that in oppressed peoples, the
urge for freedom and the need to
vent frustrations arises, which be-
gins the process of vindication.
SWC honor
£
Football players Emmett Waldron and Byron Coston lift the Southwest Conference Championship trophy as they
stand next to President Malcolm Gillis at the Rice-A&M basketball game Tuesday in The Summit.
Dean search eyes minorities, women
by Vijay Iyer
The Search Committee for the
Dean of Humanities has begun sift-
ing through numerous applications
for the vacant position, which it be-
gan receiving in October.
"We're very optimistic about the
candidates we have," said, Edith
Wyschogrod, chair of the commit-
tee and a professorof religious stud-
ies.
Allen Matusow, after serving as
dean for 14 years, has asked to re-
turn to full-time teaching at Rice as a
professor of history.
Two committee members esti-
mated at least 100 complete or in-
complete applications have been
received.
Stephen Klineberg, a member of
the committee and a sociology pro-
fessor, said about 12 or 13 candi-
dates are currently mentioned fre-
quently among the committee mem-
bers.
Several committee members said
a large number of women, but not so
many underrepresented minorities,
have applied or been nominated.
Several of the top candidates are
women, he said.
In conducting the search, "we
are prepared to follow all affirmative
action guidelines," Wyschogrod
said, adding that further comment is
"inappropriate" at this time.
King says that he is only an ex-
tremist in the same sense that Christ
and Martin Luther were extremists.
Vice President of Student Affairs
Zenaido Camacho delivered the key-
note address.
He tied King's most famous ad-
dress, "I Have a Dream," to his own
goal to continue student excellence
at Rice by saying, "Dr. King had a
dream. I have a dream. I hope you all
have a dream."
Camacho also expounded upon
the excellence of Rice students, add-
ing that for King, excellence ex-
tended far beyond grade-point aver-
ages.
He expressed a hopeful vision
that the definition of success, espe-
cially at Rice, would someday in-
clude "dignity, nurturing of the soul
and caring."
The vigil featured a moving mu-
sical presentation by Sid Richardson
College senior Angelina Baines, who
sung a favorite hymn of King's, 'Take
My Hand, Precious Lord."
BSA Vice President Jermaine
Gibbs closed the tribute with words
in reverence of King, reiterating
King's philosophy that hatred cor-
rupts, destroys and depersonalizes,
and that King's dream is the original
American dream, involving true
peace and true justice.
Student Association President
Marty Makulski said observance of
the national holiday was only adopted
by Rice last year.
Initially, the day was only an offi-
Dr King had a dream. I
have a dream. I hope
you all have a dream.'
—Zenaido Camacho
Vice President of Student Affairs
cial vacation for faculty, resulting in
a vacation for students as well.
"Even this year, it was not an
official vacation day for the staff but
only an option," Makulski said.
The SA, Makulski said, will con-
tinue to lobby to make the day a full
holiday for faculty, staff and students
alike.
Rice graduate looking
to fill City Council seat
by Sei Chong
Sidney Burrus, committee mem-
ber and an electrical engineering
professor, said he believes affirma-
tive action implies an active search
for qualified women and minority
candidates as well as special favor
for such applicants if they were oth-
erwise equally qualified.
However, "it's more important to
get the right person," Burrus said.
He also said the committee "would
not take someone of lesser quality"
in the interests of affirmative action.
The Office of the Provost em-
ploys the dean of humanities who is
responsible for auricular, financial
and personnel matters related to the
SEE DEAN PAGE 6
Neighborhood revitalization and
economic development will be the
top priorities for a Rice graduate
running for Houston City Council in
a special election to be held tomor-
row.
Annise Parker, 38, has served 11
years on the Houston Police Advi-
sory Committee. As a member, she
worked to get the Houston Police
Department to start maintaining sta-
tistics on hate crimes and to change
the way gay and lesbian prisoners
are treated.
The committee also worked to
make sure undercover police offic-
ers do not violate civil rights. She
said some undercover police offic-
ers made arrests while wearing ski
masks and conducted what she
called "fishing expeditions," which
targeted gay bars. Officers would
collect drivers licenses and check
their computers for any violations
when there was no probable cause.
She is also president of the
Neartown Association, one of
Houston's oldest and largest civic
associations. The Neartown Asso-
ciation takes abandoned property
and converts it into low-income hous-
ing.
Parker said that as a City Council
member, she would continue to push
for neighborhood redevelopment. "I
see it as an extension of activities
that I am already very much in-
volved," she said. "It will give me an
opportunity to work on the same
issues in a wider arena."
A 1978 graduate, she was one of
the original members of the Rice
Gay and Lesbian Support Group. She
is a member of the Rice Gay and
Lesbian Alumni Association Schol-
arship Committee.
Her first brush with politics came
in 1978 when she became involved
with the Gay and Lesbian Political
Caucus and the Democratic Party
primaries. She later served as the
president of the Houston Gay and
Lesbian Political Caucus in 1986 and
1987.
Annise Parker
She said she expects support from
the gay and lesbian community as
well as environmentalists and femi-
nists.
Her experience with the
Neartown Association and the
Neartown Community Development
Corporation will also draw those who
support neighborhood development.
Parker is running for the Council
at-large position 4 that was left va-
cant by recently elected U.S. Rep.
Sheila Jackson Lee. The position has
drawn 19 candidates.
Political experts have predicted a
low turnout for tomorrow's election.
about 10 percent of Houston's
750,000 voters.
Those registered in Precinct 361,
which includes the Rice campus, can
vote in the Sewall Hall lobby.
No. 1 meets
No. 2
12
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Hale, David. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 82, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 20, 1995, newspaper, January 20, 1995; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth246500/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.