Cheers Debate Goes to Colleges

i r f the Rice Thresher Vol. LXXXVIII, Issue No. 20 SINCE 1916 Friday, February 9, 2001 1 Prank lands wwwmm* & : • ,• student in jail by Mark Berenson THRF.SHF.R EDITORIAL STAFF Running across Enron Field during the /iTi, d Te* ** << w Owls' baseball game on Friday seemed like a harmless prank to Jose De La Pena. But it laiided the Baker College senior in jail for the night, and he may face fines of up to $2,500. At the game, a group of about 25 Baker students, including De \x Pena, along with Baker Master Mickey Quinones were sitting on the third base line. Quinones had pur- chased tickets to the game and given them to Baker students. According to Quinones, some students started daring De I.a Pena, to run from his seat to the flagpole in the middle of center field. The students collected $125 as incentive for De. La Pena to run. Quinones did not contribute to the pot. Baker freshman Mahek Shah said he gave money because he thought it would be enter- taining. "I Ihought it would be fun to see him do it," Shah said. "It's good to contribute to a good cause." When Rice was in the field in the top of the 8RIAN STOLER/THRESHER eighth, De Pena hopped the fence and Professor John Bryant discusses with Economics 375 students how to evaluate the grades for the course Wednesday. Bryant replaced Assistant Professor Yasar Barut as the instructor of the macroeconomic theory course after the department received numerous negative responses to a started running toward center field. survey sent to students Feb. 2. The crowd, especially those in the Rice section, started cheering for him. "I was just cheering him on and hoped that he wouldn't trip," Shah said. De \jn Pena made it to the flagpole in Economics courses exchange professors center field, climbed the short wall and then scurried up to the Ruggles restaurant be- by Olivia Allison turned in would not count toward their grade Barut's decision to make the average grade in the class a C had influenced the evaluations, yond the wall, where a security officer was THRESHKK KDITORIAI.STAFF in the course. waiting for him. Barut took over Bryant's graduate course, so he sent a survey to the current students in Baker freshman Katie Fort was standing One class period before their first test, ECON 505: Macroeconomic/Monetary the course. next to the security officer. students in Economics 375 were greeted Mon- Theory II. Bryant taught ECON 375: Macro- "There was some concern about the teach- "Afterjose made it over [the fence] thecop day morning by a box of cinnamon rolls and a economic Theory last semester. ing in that course, in particular last year, so I said, 'Your friend didn't outrun the radio. He's new professor. Economics Department Chair Peter Hartley wanted to get to the bottom of what the prob- going to jail,'" Fort said. Economics Professor John Bryant, who said Barut was removed after students in the lem was there," Hartley said. "We got lots of De I-a Pena said the officer took him to a was replacing the macroeconomic theory course filled out a survey sent Feb. 2. Barut, negative feedback from the students again on holding facility to wait for the Houston Police course's original instructor, Assistant Profes- whose contract is up for renewal this year, had this survey." Department. sor Yasar Barut, then announced to the stu- received negative evaluations when he taught Twenty-seven of 70 students in the class After the Rice students realized the police dents that Wednesday's test was canceled and the same course last spring. However, Hartley responded to the survey in the first three days See ARREST, Page 6 all homework the students had previously said the department was not sure whether See F'ROFESSORS, Page 9 Cheers debate goes to colleges sexual harassment policy applies to by Rachel Rustin I"he debate over college cheers was sparked last semester when four college cheers. THRKSHKR EDITORIAL STAFF students wrote, and an additional "[The policy is] intended to ad- As part of a month-long process 100 signed, a petition asking the dress conduct of a sexual nature that to gather student opinion on the is- university to look into the issue. Vice has the effect of substantially inter- sue, the Student Association held a President for Student Affairs Zenaido fering or denying someone partici- forum on college cheers Monday. Camacho passed the issue to the pation in programs that Rice pro- While the meeting did not produce college presidents, who, in turn, vides," Garcia said. "What we're try- r any concrete solutions, it did give looked to the SA for help. The forum ing to do is protect your ability''to students on both side of the issue an was the result of a plan to get student partake in the university's programs c opportunity to voice their opinion. input. and all of the opportunities that are , , • , «t About 75 f>eople attended the fo- "1 think it went really well. 1 think here." rum. The meeting began with a pre- it was a great start to the dialogue Garcia explained that evaluating sentation and discussion led by Asso- that's going to happen," SA Presi- whether or not a situation falls un- ciate General Counsel Carlos Garcia dent Lindsay Botsford said. der the policy involves looking at and ended with an hour-long discus- Garcia began the question-and- the actual conduct and its context. sion about the problems and solutions answer session of the evening with a "In the end, the policy is ulti- to the college cheers controversy. short presentation about how the See FORUM, Page 10 * INSIDE • : - Add/drop deadlines General Elections OPINION Page 4 Today is the deadline for add- petitions available Explaining athletic apathy ing a course. It will cost $10 to add a course today. Petitions are available at the A&E Page 13 Hannibal' a suspenseful sequel * * ' The deadline for dropping a Student Association office today t." "• Vv'** course without a fee is today. and are due Feb. 15. Elections Dropping a course will cost $10 will be held online Feb. 23-28. SPORTS Page 18 until the deadline March 30. Positions to be elected in- Men's tennis beats UTA clude Student Association presi- ROB GADDI/THRFSHER Quote of the Week dent, vice presidents, secretary Weekend Weather "I was made honorary vagina and treasurer; Thresher and Today So far, so good the first year. They gave me a Campanile editors in chief; Rain, 46-69 degrees little vagina soap-on-a-rope." Honor Council and University Saturday Senior right-hander Kenny Baugh throws a pitch during Rice's 1-0 win Court representatives; KTRU Mostly cloudy, 51-56 degrees over Baylor University last week. Baugh, who has thrown 10 scoreless — Lovett College senior Blake Station Manager and Rice Pro- Sunday innings in helping the No. 7 Owls to a 4-0 start, gets the call against Barker, director o/The Vagina gram Council chair. Showers, 55-60 degrees top-ranked Georgia Tech University tomorrow. See stories, Page 19. Monologues. See Story, Page 14. * i 1 t 1 >' i f i { D : THE RICE THRESHER OPINION FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2001 u«\... excuse me I'fft TRVinar To COLLeCT SofA inFoRCftaTior Brian Stoler Jose Luis Cubna, Michael Nalepa ant>... urft... Editor in Chief Mariel Tam Opinion Editor would yo Managing Editors LiKe to rav suRvey Cheering ourselves hoarse We hate to discourage intelligent discourse about the con- tentious issue of college cheers. But we're tired of talking about it. With all of the forums and discussions going on these days, we seem to have lost sight of some basic issues. First, cheers that involve sexual situations are tasteless and unnecessary. Second, inappropriate cheers can be changed. Orientation Week advisers and coordinators shouldn't teach cheers that involve sexual acts. Once they're not a part of golden O-Week memories, they won't have sentimental value and will fade \ away. Third, getting paranoid about what's acceptable and what's not blurs the issue. We don't need a list of "dirty words" we suRveys aRe now 'a) H\oRe ermcirKx (b) sarf\e OLD sacf\e OLD can't say, but we do need to show some common sense. OR ) <rive rt\e a new PROF, now! Furthermore, we're dismayed by the idea of sitting the fresh- men down to scare them about the sexual harassment policy during O-Week. Common courtesy and being sensitive to LETTERS TO THE EDITOR those around you probably means that students won't inad- vertently violate the policy. in the light of global humanism sider in future long-range planning. 'Thresher' should not rather than as an exclusively Much input is needed from students, We also want to reiterate the distinction between profane run offensive ad woman's issue. As a society, we ab- faculty and staff to determine if there and sexual cheers. We don't believe that adding a curse word solutely must protect those who can- is an interest for me to pursue this in here and there is harmful — and we don't think that saying To the editor: not protect themselves. on behalf of the university. I am writing to express my dis- Thus, the central question — the The current procedure for pre- 'Team Wiess sucks!" is sexual in nature. may at your decision to publish an ad only question the abortion debate registration for the following semes- The issues of college cheers — and the comfort level of our in the miscellaneous section of the can truly be distilled to — is, "Is the ter is for students to drop off their fellow students — are important.

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