The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, January 31, 1997 Page: 1 of 16
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VOLUME 84, NUMBER 18
I WOULD NOT DO HEAVEN'S WORK WELL
:;"'P 'r:'c
JANUARY 31,1097
Many changes
brewing at
CoffeeHouse
Maya Balakrishnan
Stuff Writet
■■ 11 "*
Rice's entirely student-run
CoffeeHouse continues to grow de-
spite the recent introduction of com-
mercially popular Starbucks'"coffee
to the Sammy's menu.
According to Will Rice College
sophomore Rusty Holleman. a
CoffeeHouse manager, the new com-
petition has not impacted business
noticeably..
"It's still too early iiUhe semester
to tell," he said.
Although Starbucks is available
in Sammy's right behind the
CoffeeHouse, "business is booming,
and we're rushing to keep up,"
Christa Robbing, a Baker College
senior and assistant manager, said.
Holleman has not noticed if fac-
ulty favor Sammy's offerings over
the CoffeeHotise's.
"There are a fair number ol fac-
ulty who will continue to come to the
CoffeeHouse," he said.
Some students, too, continue to
buy from the CoffeeHouse, not
tempted by the Starbucks alterna-
tive ."Sid Wchardson College fresh-
man Katie Newman favors the
CoffeeHouse "because of the kind
and wonderful staff, the wide variety
of coffees, because itVcloser, and
because it plays better music."
Another customer remains loyal
to the CoffeeHouse for two reasons:
"One, it's student-run. No. 2, because
[Sammy's] addition of Starbucks
seemed to fly in the face of the rela-
tionship between the students and
the CoffeeHouse — basically, it's
because of my allegience to a stu-
SElE COFFEEHOUSE PAGE 6
Are gates wor
Tuesday. SRC's gates, along with all the others on campus, are I
L# *, •
rdson Cottage
approximately midnight every night.
9anQirdemann
Su&Writtr
Crime statistics recently re-
leased bythe Campus Police:
have
ively lowered crime
rVrtat&rinlr a1
I , recommended by
the security committee headed by
Vice President for Student Affairs
Zenaido Camacho, included new
additional lighting and col-
officers.
changes combine to
give: a feeling of safety, and the
gates prevent crimesof oppOrtu-
gates, ad#
lege police<
: ■ These
nity," Voswinkel said.
"People would come onto cam-
pus from Main Street, steal a car
and then leave through the same
exit," she said.
aroppeo nrum w in iwo w seven
in 19%. This was the first hill year
ofaccuraie measurement, because
most of the changes were imple-
mentedin 1995,
In 1994, the campus was open
24 hours a day. "Then, we closed
the campus from 12 a.m. to 6 a.m.
with temporary chain gates,"
Voswinkel said. "The new gates
are more secure and permanent."
The gates also assist offioess in
preventing crime.
"During late hours, people who
are going the wrong way or seem
lost {have] criminal records or
fare] intoxicated."
Accordingto Paul Sanders, the
?r of
will be finished by die mlddl^ or
isftd of February.
"It's an ongoing process,"
Voswinkel said in reference to se-
curity measures on campus. "We
keepadding things—emergency
phones, sidewalks," new card read-
ers, but everything has been done
to maintain the flavor of the Rice
campus. Probably many, many
years ago there were gates at these,
'same entrances," she said.
MMV
11
Car thefts and burglaries
havp declined dramatically
on the R?ce campus, while
most other crime categories
have stayed steady. The
Campus Police attribute this
in part to the locking*of
almost all campus gates
after midnight starting
September 1994
Permanent gates were
installed in fall .1996.
Motor Vehicle Theft
'93 '94 '95 "96
Burglary
.1o.
20 _
10
0.
Ill
1
'93 '94 '95 '90
Aggravated Assault
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<nupct rAWtr; f'O! irt
m
NSF director lured back
to campus with new tide
Archana Singh
Staff Writft
National Science Foundation Di-
rector Neal Lane will be the first
person to hold the newly-established
post of university professor. Unlike
traditional professorships, a univer-
sity professor will be able to teach in
any-ilepartment or school.
According to President Malcolm
(iillis, the post was established to
honor faculty members who have
had exceptionally distinguished ca-
reers.
"The position will honor those
who have made really outstanding
contribution* to society," Gillis said.
lane's academic background and
administrative background are var-
ied. He joined the Rice Physics De-
partment in 1966 and served as de-
partment head. While at Rice, Line
also held the position of university
provost from 1984 to 1993, when
President Bill Clinton named him to
head the NSF. lane had previously
served as director of the NSF phys-
ics division from 1979 to 1980.
Current Physics Department
Chair Marjorie Corcoran arrived In
the department when lane was de-
parttnenthead: r
"He was an extremely popular
teacher," Corcoran said. "He packed
Physics for non-majors. He was a
fantastic physicist, and he could
teach physics to non-majors and
graduate-level quantum mechanics
with equal ease."
Although-a university professor
may teach in any department.
Corcoran hopes to see him teaching
physics again. "It was a real loss
when he left," she said.
Prior to coming to Rice, lane was
a chemistry professor at the Massa-
chusetts Institute ofTechnology. He
has also been a consultant to the Los
Alamos National laboratory since
1974.
According to a Jan. 16 Hue News
article, Gillis wrote lane in a Dec. 16
letter that "our recommendation for
creation of this position for you reads
as follows: 'A university professor
with Doctor line's experience could
play a central r\>le in furthering edu-
cational and research activities at
Rice that span many disciplines and
reach across divisional lines. His
unique understanding of issues of
science, technology and society
could also mfesh with the activities
of the James A. Baker III Institute
for Public Policy.' We are pleased
that we can extend this offer to you
at this time."
* As for theMure of this position^,
(iillis anticipates more appointments
in the next few years.
Intruder enters two Lovett rooms
Parole violator apprehended by police within minutes
Maya Balakrishnan
Sniff Writer
Two Lovett College students
were disturbed by a young man
while in their rooms on Monday,
between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. Ac-
cording to Assistant Campus Po-
lice Chief Tom Bickers, "The bur-
glar was found rifling through the
students' belongings but didn't
appear to have stolen anything,"
Daniel Wolfe, a Lovett sopho-
more. was the first student' to re-
port the stranger.
"1 Woke up Monday morning,
and I walked over to the other
room and found a guy looking
through my shelf," Wolfe said, "I
asked him who he was, and he
said he was from University Hous-
ing." When Wolfe asked the bur-
glar more questions, "the guy took
off through the door."
Lovett junior Stephanie
Richards also met the intruder.
"I left my room for five minutes
to grab some breakfast, and I came
back and found this guy in my
room." The man claimed that his
name was Rico and that he was
from Food and Housing "I told
him. To come downstairs with me
so I could verify his story with the
college secretary. He did every-
thing I fold him to — it was really ,
strange," Richards said.
"I think he-just'felt caught and
didn't know what else to do. Any-
way, we fan into the police on our
way down." She then told the po-
lice what had happened.
"They told him, 'for your safety
and ours, we're going to handcuff
you,' and they searched him for a
gun. He just stood there. He said
something about needing to call
his grandmother, too It was all
pretty sad.'I was sort of feeling
sorry for him, because he lookd
pretty young."
According to campus police,
the burglar had been sent to jail on
two counts of burglary and was *
violating parole. Ifi addition, he
was perhaps under the influence
of alcohol.
"I heard later that he was just
high on crack," Wolfe said "He
was so mellow and everything."
- Both students said they did not
find the situation intimidating or
threatening in any way, Wolfe's
reaction to his position was that of
curiosity,
"1 never felt'that my life was in
danger. He was obviously looking
for something in particular — in
my opinion, cash —- there was'a*"
CD player and tonsof CDs. and he
didn't take any of those."
Richardsdid not feel frightened
by her circumstances, either "1
just confronted him. I was re-
ally authoritative."
Lovett sophomore fiassain
lalif, who is Wolfe's roommate,
did not find the situation traumatic
"1 was waking up, and I heard
r;iy roommate in the next room./
say, 'So, who the hell are you5' and.
1 heart! someone say something
back. That was all the excitement
in my life that morning," Lit if said,
"But all day, my friends were com
ing up to me asking. 'Are you < )K'r
and 'Are you scarred for life?'"
According to all three students,
the burglar was very ordinary in
appearance,
"If I just saw him. I'd have
thought he was a Rice student,"
latif said. "He was about 1!'. and
he just looked like any other guy."
Both Wolfe and Ricliards de
scribed hiin as very polite.
Wolfe added that he still thinks
Rice has one of the safest cam
puses in the country.
"Nothing like this has hap
pened in quite a while," Bickers
said. He attributes the burglar's
quick apprehension to "good work
orTlife pari"oTTTie"sTurtenTs"*"""
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Beard, Marty & Rao, Vivek. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, January 31, 1997, newspaper, January 31, 1997; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth246558/m1/1/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.