The Rice Thresher, Vol. 91, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 16, 2004 Page: 6 of 24
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if
THE RICE THRESHER
to remain through spring recess
RUPD, from Page 1
Heiden, "Lisa, they just axed me.
You're next."
Heiden was then called into the
office, where she found Spears, Lieu-
tenant Phillip Hassell, and Assistant
Human Resources Director Colleen
Dutton.
'She and her sons are
an important part of
our community and will
remain so as long as
she and her boys want.'
— Joel Wolfe
Will Rice Master
Heiden said although she is not
sure exactly why she was fired, she
understands the reasons are con-
nected to negative comments made
about RUPD officers who attended a
police training class in which she
and Sullivan took part.
"This was a very vague critique,
so I guess you can say I was very
shocked," Heiden said.
Will Rice College Master Joel
Wolfe said he had questions about
the handling of Heiden's termination.
"Particularly at a place like Rice,
terminations should be handled very
carefully," Wolfe, a history profes-
sor said. "We have some questions
about how Lisa's was handled."
Heiden said Rice is required to
notify the Texas Commission of Law
Enforcement Officers Standards in
Education of the terminations and
provide a reason for the termina-
tions.
"Maybe when I get the informa-
tion sent to me, maybe I'll know
then," Heiden said. "We'll just have
to wait and see."
Taylor said he is unable to dis-
cuss the situation, as it is a person-
nel matter, but he said Heiden's ter-
mination was regrettable.
"Iisa happens to be a very good
friend of mine, so it was very unfor-
tunate," Taylor said. "But things
happen, and we have to do things
based on those issues."
After she was terminated by
RUPD, Heiden arranged to work as
interim Will Rice Coordinator for
the first two months of the spring
semester, until Cece King returned
from cancer treatment.
However, Wolfe said this arrange-
ment was not permitted.
"In the process of her termina-
tion, Lisa was labeled 'unhireable'
by Mary Cronin in the Human Re-
sources Office in consultation with
RUPD Chief Bill Taylor, a character-
ization with which Traci and I
strongly disagree," Wolfe said.
Taylor said his involvement in the
issue was limited to filling out forms.
"There are things that we fill out
on forms, and they are basically what
we turn in," Taylor said. "And based
on that, the decisions are made by
the institution. And other than put-
ting in what I have to put in, I don't
have a whole lot of control over [ some-
one being deemed unhireable]."
Cronin declined to comment on
what could cause someone to be
deemed unhireable or why Heiden
was deemed unhireable, citing
Rice's policy not to discuss person-
nel matters
Heiden said she does not under-
stand why she cannot stay at Will
Rice through graduation.
"I don't really understand why
they want to allow me to stay until
spring break and not allow me to
stay until the end of the year," Heiden
said. "What is a couple of months?
And my concern is my kids. They go
to school here ... and I am going to
have to withdraw them and put them
in Perryland schools, where I have a
house."
At lunch Wednesday, students
at Will Rice introduced a petition
in support of Heiden. Will Rice
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16,2004
President Ryan Bergauer said the
petition contains two requests:
that Heiden be allowed to say un-
til the summer and that the uni-
versity remove the unhireable la-
bel from her file.
"We feel that the 'no hire' mark
was an unnecessary slap in the face,"
Bergauer, a senior, said.
Heiden said she appreciates the
students' efforts on her behalf.
"I'm not sure exactly how [the
petition] will work or what they are
going to do with it," Heiden said. "But
to me, that's not even the important
part, liie important part is the thought
of the students who did that."
Heiden said she plans to stay in-
volved in Will Rice as an associate
even after she leaves as an RA, a
decision welcomed by the Wolfes.
7 don't really
understand why they
want to allow me to
stay until spring break
and not allow me to
stay until the end of the
year. What is a couple
of months?'
— Lisa Heiden
Will Rice Resident Associate
"She and her sons are an impor-
tant part of our community and will
remain so as long as she and her
boys want," Wolfe said.
Wolfe said he does not think it
will be possible to complete an RA
search by the time Lisa is set to leave
in March. He said the college's stu-
dent leaders will establish a search
committee and a timetable for the
selection of a replacement.
A New Way of Doing Business
at the Office of the Registrar
Students are no longer asked to stand in line at the
Office of the Registrar. When a form is submitted by
9 am, it will be processed by 9 am the following day.
Request transcripts, change the grading of a course to
Pass/Fail, change a name or address and request
enrollment certifications by filling out a form and
placing the form in the in box. If the Office of the
Registrar is on your list of errands, you can complete
your errand in the time it takes to fill out a form.
For processes requiring a payment, you must pay the
Cashier's Office first. Come to the Office of the
Registrar, fill out the form, take the form to the
Cashier's Office, pay your fee and submit your form
marked paid to the in box at the Office of the
Registrar. It really is that easy. Unofficial transcripts
are only available on-line through Esther.
No one likes to stand in line. We look forward to
serving you more quickly than ever.
topped
in golf cart theft
by Holly Shiao
KOR THE THRESHER
Misdemeanor charges against
Sid Richardson College freshmen
Jeff Krivohlavek and David
Solheim, who were arrested Nov.
8 for stealing a university golf
cart, were dropped at their ar-
raignment Dec. 4. Felony charges
against Sid freshman Daniel
Perez, who was driving the cart,
were dropped at his arraignment
Nov. 24. Internal disciplinary ac-
tion is still possible, as the case is
being reviewed by the Office of
Student Judicial Programs.
The three freshmen were ap-
prehended by Rice University
Police Department officers early
on the morning of Nov. 8 after
they were seen driving a cart
taken from the Central Campus
Garage. When ordered to stop,
the students jumped out of the
cart and ran, evading police offic-
ers, RUPD Chief Bill Taylor said.
The students were subse-
quently apprehended and trans-
ported to Harris County Jail,
where they were held overnight.
Perez was charged with theft, a
felony, and Krivohlavek and
Solheim were charged with evad-
ing police, a misdemeanor.
Assistant District Attorney
Daniel Hilbum said he decided
to drop the charges after evaluat-
ing the case.
"It felt more like a prank than
a felony," Hilburn said.
Cases similar to this one are
often handled by University
Court, Assistant Dean for Stu-
dent Judicial Programs Don
Ostdiek said.
"Violating Rice code and state
law are two different things,"
Ostdiek said.
Taylor said he is content with
the DA's decision.
"Our job is not to prosecute or
punish," Taylor said. "Our job is
to investigate and document the
case, then hand it over to the DA
and let them adjudicate."
Krivohlavek, Perez and
Solheim said they are relieved
their charges were dropped and
that they think the original
charges were excessive.
"I got a felony [charge] for
driving a golf cart a hundred yards
and supposedly running away,"
Perez said.
Krivohlavek said he thinks
spending time in jail was too harsh
a punishment, and all three stu-
dents said they do not think the
RUPD officers involved in the
incident treated them fairly.
"U. Court is the proper place
for this case and where it should
h e been to begin with, not taken
off campus," Solheim said.
Sid President Becca Schendel
said she is glad the charges were
dropped and believes the level of
punishment the freshmen re-
ceived was too harsh for the crime
they committed, especially since
they displayed no aggressive be-
havior during the incident.
"I think it would be appropri-
ate for Rice to pay [Krivohlavek,
Perez and Solheim's] legal fees,
since [the case] shouldn't have
gone to the district court at all,"
Schendel, a senior, said. "They
should have been ... released to
their masters."
Sid Master Steve Cox agreed
with Schendel that RUPI) should
have called the college masters
before sending the students to jail
and that the students should never
have been taken to jail at all. He
said he believes U. Court is the
appropriate forum for the case.
"I don't excuse what they did,"
Cox said. "I think they should
have their day in court, but I think
that spending 24 hours downtown
on a Saturday night was suffi-
cient penalty."
Schendel said she thinks U.
Court should consider lessening
the penalty for the three offenders
in light of the fact that they spent 24
hours in a Harris County jail.
"I would subtract those 24
hours as if they'd already served
24 hours of community service,"
Schendel said. "I would hope U.
Court would reduce the number
of hours they would normally give
to this type of offense."
To help Krivohlavek. Perez
and Solheim raise money to pay
the legal fees they have incurred
— totaling $5,200 — the Sid ex-
ecutive council has approved a T-
shirt fund-raiser. The contest for
the shirt's design will be orga-
nized by Schendel and will be
sponsored by the Sid masters,
who will donate a $50 prize for
the best design. Entries should
be sent to schendel@rice.edu by
Mondav.
(MIDAS
--
2407 W. Holcombe
7 1 3-666-4267
Near Campus
www.midas.com
TOTAL CAR CARE
Oil Change & Tire Rotation
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Fluid maintenance is the key to
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Berenson, Mark. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 91, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 16, 2004, newspaper, January 16, 2004; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth398454/m1/6/: accessed June 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.