Street Signs Yanked After Vandalism Case

'Independent' locks weren't Thieveo s take Lovett stereo from locked basement by Rolf Asphaug The burglary was committed thefts in other colleges may be The theft of the Lovett stereo President Leon Vance that For the second year in a row, within two weeks of its discovery. discovered when returning from behind locked doors brings the stereo would be kept in a safer Lovett College has lost its stereo Lovett College Master John upperclassmen remove private into sharp focus a major problem spot, or, at the very least, that a system to summer thieves Freeman saw the stereo while articles from storage. with key security at Rice. College burglar alarm would be installed in equipped with official University setting roach traps in Lyle's less A stereo system owned by a Will officials claim that following last Lyle's. keys. The burglary was discovered than three weeks ago. Rice College student was feared to year's stereo theft, Physical Plant by returning freshman advisors A burglary by key was also be stolen, but was discovered in the representatives sold Lovett Without an alarm, Pitman said, Friday evening. reported at Wiess College. More WRC commons kitchen. College $100 worth of locks which keeping the stereo in Lyle's was supposedly were not connected to unwise. "You could work in there the master key system. One such for twelve hours without getting lock was on the door to Lyle's, caught," he said. "You could cut Lovett College's basement lounge, through the doors with a through which the thief or thieves blowtorch," He added that thieves entered. Yet the investigating could easily have taken the Campus Police officer was able to supporting pins off of the door and open the door with his master gained entry even without a key. key. Case admitted that Lovett " They changed locks but that College had initially agreed to didn't change a thing," said Lovett move the stereo to a new location. President Tim Case. " I don't think "There were plans that were in the works...we were going to have it we were dealt with on the level." insured,too," he said. But in the Campus Business Affairs end, the college decided not to take Manager H. Russell Pitman what Case termed "a paranoid attributed the key controversy to approach." "a misunderstanding" between Case pointed out that once a Lovett College and the Physical burglar was inside Lyle's, he could Plant locksmith. As for the have taken other items even if the burglary, Pitman noted that "the stereo was not stored there. In fact, stereo wasn't supposed to be in some hand tools were also stolen that room." Pitman said that he from Lyle's. VolumWRESHEe 67, number 3 Friday, AugusRt 24, 197 9 had agreed with last year's Lovett But the controversy surround- ing the Lovett College lock purchase is only one part of the Street signs yanked after vandalism case. To reach the Lyle's door, the burglar had to open two other by Rolf Asphaug Pitman and Brown said they for naming the street passing and in giving directions, according doors in the Lovett College kitchen After decades with no coherent attempted to come up with street Baker and Wiess Colleges "College to Pitman. The use of "Street" was which were padlocked on the method of identifying locations names which would be informal, Way," Pitman said "we fell into deliberately avoided, he said. kitchen side. and giving directions on campus, easy to remember, appropriate to that one." "Laboratory Road" Brown and Pitman presented Case claims that he had received University officials decided last their surroundings, and pertinent seemed a natural choice for the their proposals to President assurances from Physical Plant December to name the campus to Rice and academics. Brown street beside the Chemistry Hackerman, who approved them that the two doors were never used, streets. Street signs went up during noted that they did not want the Building; "Campanile Lane" was see Street signs removed, page 4 see On-campus thefts, page 4 the summer. They came down names to mention academic another choice "fallen into." again last Sunday, victims of departments, since not all "Alumni Drive," Pitman admitted, student ridicule and vandalism. departments could be represented. was "kind of a pun." "I was very disheartened," said According to Pitman, Dean Each street was given a different i Campus Business Affairs Manager Brown was responsible for naming last name—Court, Road, Lane, H. Russell Pitman, who the circular drive to the North of Drive, Way—to further aid the cooperated with Dean of Lovett Hall "Founder's Court." As resident in remembering the names Undergraduate Affairs Katherine Brown in naming the streets. "After all these years we finally Freshmen urged to 'take came up with a system, got it approved by the Board of risks' at Matriculation Governors,and then the signs were pulled off." by David Butler jump, you'll never find out your Pitman ordered the remaining Tuesday night Rice's incoming real capabilities." After her signs and signposts taken down freshmen became the Class of 1983 welcome, Dean Brown proceeded after attempts at making the signs in matriculation ceremonies at the to introduce the Rice administra- harder to steal failed. "I even RMC Grand Hall. Addresses by tion and the college masters, as the epoxied one of them on to the post, faculty and student leaders newcomers responded with the exam graders nigtiter but they just bent it back and forth covered topics from gymnastics to obligatory cheering contest. until it broke," he said. Not giving the Depression, and were Student Association president up, Pitman now plans to have the punctuated with liberal amounts John Cockerham chose not to street names painted on the curbs. of college boosterism. speak on student politics, a subject More new students It is understood that student Dean Katherine Brown began which, he allowed, would be opinion against both the particular the ceremonies by placing an extra especially boring to the new English competency exam choices of street names, and the chair on the reviewing stand for audience. Instead, he confined his lack of student input on those newly-arrived Shepherd School remarks to a brief challenge: "Take Almost 88 percent of the Muhammad Ali. choices, contributed to the rash of Dean Allan Ross. In her welcoming the time to get involved and know students taking^the 1979 English Each examination was graded attacks on the signs. However, not remarks, Dean Brown suggested tp your constituents." Competency Examination by one graduate student and one only students disapproved of the the newcomers that "the real The Honor System was passed, according to English English professor. In every case in names: a Physical Plant worker challenge is not meeting the explained and defended by Honor Professor Walter Isle. Students which the two disagreed on the reported that Mrs. Hackerman (academic) competition, but Council chairman Vince James, who failed the test will be required grade, a second professor also read ordered the "OwFs Haunt Court" making the most of what is here." who reminded the new students to take Basic Composition the paper. signs near the President's House She compared the Rice experience that the system is based on mutual (English 103). Students receiving a "I think that the exams are a removed almost immediately after to a large trampoline-type net, and respect and maintained by mutual "low pass " will be urged to take little bit weaker this year than last they were put up. told the freshmen that "unless you trust. James noted that "(while) the Critical Reading and Writing year," Isle said. "I don't think that's faith and trust that has been placed (English 101). any particular trend; they're in you is great, your honor will be stronger than they were two or Of 625 students taking the unquestioned." three years ago." examination, 77, or 12.3 percent of President Norman Hackerman Of the students passing the the total, failed. "That's a little began his address by quoting from examination, 301, or 48.1 percent lower than it's been in previous the 1929 matriculation address of of the total number of examinees years," said Isle. However, the Edgar Odell Lovett, delivered on earned a "pass"; 247, or 39.5 ratio of students receiving a "low September 25. "Thirty-three days percent, earned a "low pass". pass" to those receiving "pass" was later, the bottom fell out of the Variance in examination results higher than usual. world. .there's not an inkling of was much smaller this year than in that in these eight typed pages." Test-takers had 20 topics to past years, Isle noted. "In the past, The president went on to note choose from in writing a 750- to some of the men's colleges have that, despite drastic changes in the 1000-word essay in three hours. done much worse than some of the outside world, the purpose of The subjects included abortion, women's or coed colleges," he said. universities remains constant: "the television, evengelical religion, Hanszen College had the fewest only real purpose of being here is Thomas Edison, racism, police failing students, said Isle. "That'll photo by Wayne Derrick A familar sight see Matriculation, page 4 brutality. Napoleon, and make Dennis Huston happy " /^FFICSRm. On the right to choose CAN YOU SST Another blow has been struck to those who Ml/CAT OUT have been trying to maintain the debate about abortion on a reasonable plane. OFTM? The assault ha^ co!"*3 tM° m abortion coalition which recently sent out direct mail appeals lur funds to be used ioaef4ai senators McGovern, P-ayh and Church in upcoming elections.

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