The Rice Thresher, Vol. 95, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, January 18, 2008 Page: 1 of 28
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the Rice Thresher
Vol. XCIV, Issue No. 16
SINCE 1916
Friday, January 18, 2008
RUPD catches bike culprits, continues anti-theft policy
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by Jennifer Luo
THRESHER STAFF
ARIEL SHNITZER/THRESHER
Bikes are kept outside of the Rice University Police Department. RUPD began preemptively taking unlocked bikes as part of an effort
to prevent bike thefts on campus. RUPD Police Chief Bill Taylor said that all bikes not claimed by Feb. 11 will be given away to Houston
area non-profit organizations.
Over winter break, fifty-two bikes were re-
ported stolen, the highest number of bike thefts
over such a short period in eight years.
The bike thefts have occurred all over cam-
pus, striking the north and south colleges as
well as the academic buildings. Of the 44 bikes
reported stolen, 42 were locked with cable or
chain locks while the two using U-bolt type locks
were improperly secured to a bike rack. For many
students, like Sid Richardson College sophomore
Stephanie Eberhardt, bike theft can be a serious
hassle. She said she was surprised to find her
bike stolen when returned from break.
"I was sad and mad that my bike got stolen
because it suddenly made it very inconvenient
for me to get around campus," Eberhart said.
"Also, I was outraged because my bike was
old and rusted so I thought no one would
want to steal it."
Rice University Police Chief Bill Taylor said
it was critical that students register their bikes.
He gave the example of a suspicious individual
on bicycle outside the hedges RUPD appr cached
last week. But because the bicycle was not reg-
istered, RUPD could not arrest him.
RUPD later was able to arrest the suspect on
two charges of bicycle theft. The suspect had
already stolen several unregistered bikes and
had hidden them in a bush.
"Word has gotten out to the bike theft com-
munity," Taylor said. "I think they talk to each
see BIKES, page 4
Grant goes to EcoReps
by Jocelyn Wright
THRESHER FIOTORIAJ.STAFF
The residential colleges will
get a lot greener now thanks to an
Envision Grant recently awarded
an EcoRep program proposal. Start-
ing this semester, the program will
receive $1,500 to pay a student in
each college to encourage recycling,
sustainability and energy conserva-
tion.
The EcoRep will have six main du-
ties: facilitating recycling; reducing
waste in the serveries; conserving
energy; promoting environmental
issues; maintaining contacts with
Facilities Engineering and Planning
and Housing and Dining and admin-
istering the Green Dorm Initiative,
a program which certifies dorm
rooms meeting certain environmen-
tally friendly requirements, such as
keeping thermostats at 76 degrees
in the summer.
The EcoReps will be paid eight
dollars an hour for two to four hours
of work per week. By making the
position paid and outlining specific
duties for it, Student Association
Environmental Committee Chair
Lauren Laustsen said she hoped
to correct for inconsistencies in
environmental efforts from college
to college.
Laustsen, a Sid Richardson
College senior, Environmental
Club Vice President Jeremy Caves,
Rice Student Green Building Initia-
tive President Alex Tseng, RSVP
Environmental Committee Chair
see ECOREP, page 6
POTENTIAL ENERGY SAVINGS PER COLLEGE
(assuming population of 250 students per college)
Switch 60W incandescents to CFLs $252
(Compact Fluorescent Lightbubls)
Implement energy-saving programs on computers $2,500
Raise thermostats 2 degrees during summers $5,700
Lower thermostats 2 degrees during winters $1,200
TOTAL $9,652
Campus projects near completion,
future renovations planned
by Jocelyn Wright
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
As fences go up and come
down across campus, a common
question is "What are they build-
ing now?" A far less common
question is "How are they paying
for it?"
Rice, which has historically
amassed very little debt for any
projects, is paying for two thirds
of the new construction projects
on campus by taking on debt.
'Hie other third of the funding
for the projects will come from
private donors.
McMurtry College and Dun-
can College, for instance, cost
about $66 million each. Approxi-
mately $30 million of funding for
each college was a gift. Vice
President for Administration
Kevin Kirby said the money from
Housing and Dining charges
of new students would cover
the debt for the balance of the
cost, but that he anticipated no
significant increase in tuition or
Housing and Dining fees as a
result of construction.
Coming Right Now
At the end of January, a short-
term construction project on
the grove in the South Colleges
between Baker, Will Rice, and
Hanszen will begin. Drainage
issues in the grove will be fixed,
new lighting will be installed
along a path through the center of
the grove, and trees and benches
will be placed along the path. The
landscaping project is expected
to be completed in a couple of
months.
Student Housing
To accommodate the 30 per-
cent increase in undergraduate
students over seven years, new
colleges are being built and oth-
ers are receiving reneovations.
Around the time McMurtry
College and Duncan College
are completed in summer 2009,
renovations are expected to begin
on Lovett College, Baker College
and Will Rice College. There are
plans to build a new kitchen for
Baker as well as demolish and
replace one wing of Baker to add
some extra beds. An additional
Students wishing to learn more
about construction projects on
campus can check out the Con-
struction Information Center lo-
cated on Alumni Drive between
Hanszen and the Inner Loop.
Open from 9-4:30, it contains all
models and schedules for the
current construction projects.
common servery is planned for
Will Rice and Lovett that will
eventually also be used by Sid
Richardson College. There are
also plans to make improvements
to Lovett and possibly increase
the number of beds.
Although nothing is definite
yet, Kirby said it is likely all Baker
students will move to McMurtry
or Duncan during the year their
college is being renovated. Dean
of Undergraduates Robin For-
man and Adviser to the Dean
of Undergraduates Matt Taylor
are discussing several plans
for Baker for fall 2009 to spring
2010, including housing Baker
students and part of McMurtry
see PLANS, page 8
INSIDE
Ask Leebron a question
Got a concern you want to address with
the president? President Leebron will con-
duct "open door" office hours Wednesday
between 3 and 4 p.m. in his office on the
fourth floor of the Allen Center. No appoint-
ments are necessary.
earned letter grade for courses taken in
fall 2007, to withdraw with a 100 percent
refund of tuition and fees and to drop
to part-time status with a 100 percent
refund of tuition. The first Registration
Add/Drop (RDA) PIN expires and
online registration is disabled for all
undergraduate students at 5 p.m.
Late registration deadline
Don't be a hobo. If you haven't regis-
tered for classes yet, go ahead and do it
before the deadline on Tuesday. Students
who have not yet registered for classes by
this day will be charged a Late Registra-
tion Fee.
Message from the registrar No classes on Monday
Today is the last day to add courses
online without a fee, adjust variable
credit for courses online, to add a
course without obtaining instructor's
permission, to convert a pass/fail to an
Thank goodness for a three-day week-
end! Though it won't make up for a short
winter break, it will provide a much-needed
day of rest. Celebrate Martin Luther King,
Jr. Day with a day of peaceful reflection.
OPINION Page 3
Lightbulhs and the nanny state
A&E Page 9
Ugly guys and hot chicks
SPORTS Page 12
Track and field preview
Quote of the Week
"Right now we're a bicycle thief supermarket."
— RUPD chief Bill Taylor on upsurge of bicycle
thefts, See story, page 1
Scoreboard
Swimming
Texas A&M 159, Rice 95
Women's Basketball
UH 71. Rice 56
Weekend Weather
Friday
Rainy, 36-50 degrees
Saturday
Mostly Sunny, 36-57 degrees
Sunday
Mostly Sunny, 51-60 degrees
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Whitfield, Stephen. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 95, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, January 18, 2008, newspaper, January 18, 2008; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443186/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.