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# The since 1916 VOLUME 80, NUMBER 4 STUPID CUPID AND THE LONELY HEARTS SEPTEMBER 11, 1992 RKStampede ends ^TSU an Threshed Prairie View A&M football game prematurelry by Randy Block gered by the incident is not known. Though newspaper reports indicated that31,000 people were in attendance, The football game between Prai- Moniaci contradicted this figure. rie View A&M and Texas Southern "That figure is greatly, greatly, exag- University CTSU) in the Rice stadium gerated. There were not even 21,000 Saturday ended when a loud noise in attendance," he said. frightened the crowd on the north- The game also caused parking west side of the stadium and started problems on campus. People attend- a stampede. ing the game were charged for park- Initial accounts by witnesses and ing in the stadium. As a result, many news media reported that gunshots sought non-regulated areas to park. were the cause of the hysteria. The They filled the neighborhood sur- Harris County sheriffs office, which rounding Rice and parked in the provided security at the game, has Hanszen lot. Campus police had found this allegation to be false. placed sawhorses at the Hanszen "We checked on the story about entrance in an effort to keep the fans an U °ing seen, and it is simply from parking there and then walking unfouuaed," said Harris County across campus. sheriffs Sgt Larry Hall. "If there was "Everyone paying $75 for a space gunfire, there would have been spent doesn't want someone from another hulls, property damage, or injuries. school parking in it," said Chief of No officers heard shots fired. In our Campus Police Mary Voswinkel. opinion, it never occured." Voswinkel said that the campus Assistant Athletic Director Steve police's duties for non-Rice stadium Moniaci agreed with Hall. "I don't events include directing traffic and think there was a gun fired. There is protecting the rest of campus. just no evidence. We don't know what A concession stand destroyed in the rampage at the TSU-Prairie View A&M game is being rebuilt. Though her department is conduct- began all this." ing an investigation of the stampede, The trouble began at approxi- According to Hall, only two people Moniaci said that the incident reports of looting. "Hot Dogs. That's she sees no cause for increased secu- mately 10:10 p.m. as TSU was lead- had serious health problems. One would be investigated by campus about all that was stolen," he said. rity in the future. ing Prairie View in the fourth quarter was hospitalized for an asthma at- police, but that Rice officials would Two Rice students attending the "This wasjust a random thing. It's by a score of 35-0. Hall believes that tack; theotherwasapregnantwoman continue to rent out the stadium. game, who wished to remain anony- the first major disturbance we've had. a prankster, bored with the game, who started hyperventilating during Though contracts vary according to mous, said that they saw rampant I don't expect it to happen again," she may have incited the stampede by the stampede and was later picked the event, the university makes looting—including one man carry- said. making some sort of loud noise. up by an ambulance. money by charging for parking and ing a table out of the stadium. TSU is scheduled to return to Rice People poured out of the stands onto The Houston Chronicle reported receiving a percentage of the conces- Moniaci stated that Prairie View stadium Oct. 31 in a game against the field and through the aisle exits that five people were injured in the sions and attendance revenues. A&M is legally liable for the incident Grambling State University. into the concourse. The havoc lasted incident, and that the stampede Moniaci said the only destruction since it was the home team and had Hall joked that he will be ready for between five and ten minutes. When started on the east side of the sta- of property he knew of was one con- the responsibilty to insure the game. the game. "I think we're going out of the crowd settled down, the game dium. cession stand. He also minimized The number of people endan- town that weekend." was declared finished with TSU the Hall believed that nothing could victors. have been done to avoid the stam- "It was apretty frightening thing," pede from happening. "I've never Vice President for Student Affairs resigns said Hall. "Masses of people just seen anything like this in the past. started pushing and shoving. They Rice University could do nothing dif- research and teaching again." job has been very demanding, and it destroyed a concession stand as they ferently, except hire more officers. by Erin Gainer Previously, Stebbings conducted has been easy for evenings and week- ran for the exits. It was just by the But realistically, once this started, it courses in quantum mechanics, at- ends to be swallowed up. The idea of grace of God that no one got hurt" was hard to stop." Ronald Stebbings announced his mospheric physics, and atomic and more freedom is appealing." intention last week to return full-time molecular structure. He has not yet Professor A. J. Dessler was the to teaching and research in the De- decided which courses he will teach founding chairman of the Depart- partment of Space Physics and As- on his return. ment of Space Physics and As- Administration to receive tronomy, after a ten-year stint as vice Stebbings expresses some regret tronomy and hired Stebbings25 years president for student affairs. He will at leaving the administration. "Noth- ago. "We are extremely pleased with complete this year in his current po- ing is more enjoyable than getting his decision. He is one of the world's refund of O-Fest money sition, spend the 1993-94 school year seriously involved in the needs and best atomic physicists and an out- standing teacher, and we are tickled by Jeremy Bogaisky tor Ty Bailey. "It was a very nice on leave, and return to teaching in activities of so many enthusiastic men gesture on their part." the fall of 1994. and women. I feel fortunate to have pink to have him back," he said. Most observers felt that the com- Several factors influenced Vice had the opportunity to be involved A search commitee for a new vice Playfair, the company which pany displayed little skill in its han- President Stebbings' decision. He with so many students." president for student affairs has staged O-Fest, is refunding the $1500 dling of the evening. "The man said he believes that a new vice presi- Stebbings has not yet made spe- formed and is chaired by English the administration paid for the event. Playfair sent didn't have control of dent for student affairs will provide a cific plans for his year of leave. "My Professor David Minter. O-Fest, a new addition to the orienta- the crowd," said Sanborn, "and he fresh perspective and critical eye to tion week schedule this year, con- was playing games we already knew." bring about constructive changes. sisted of an outdoor barbecue fol- The student's reactions ranged "In my ten years as an administrator, lowed by 'icebreaker" games and a from patient acceptance to open I feel that we accomplished a lot. I performance by Venus In Furs. amusement. "It was like Richard also feel that one should not stay in Simmonson crack," said Jonesfresh- such a position indefinitely." man Gann Bierner. "Nobody knew Additionally, the position of vice We feel terrible that it what was going on." Several observ- president for student affairs has ers estimated that as many as half of grown substantially during didn't work, and we those present left before the end of Stebbings' tenure. When he entered the program. the administration ten years ago, he most certainly will Playfair's agent, Barbara Meyer, intended to stay active in physics was quick to apologize for the failure. research. The position was called refund the money.' "We do over 250 dates a year and dean of undergraduate affairs, and it we've never had a request for a re- was small enough that it was pos- —Barbara Meyer fund before. We feel terrible that it sible for Stebbings to remain an ac- didn't work, and we most certainly tive professor. will refund the money." "As the job grew, it became in- "We expected O-Fest to be a cul- Meyer seemed intent on stress- creasingly difficult to remain engaged minating event for orientation week," ing that Playfair is appropriate for a in research," he said. "I have great said Associate Dean of Student Af- mature audience. "We've gone to colleagues in Space Physics that have fairs Bob Sanborn. "We were very Johns Hopkins and Brandeis, schools helped keep me involved, but the disappointed." very similar to Rice, and it's worked demands of the administrative posi- The evening's program revolved very well." tion put pressure on my time for around a series of games conducted While Meyert claimed that research." , by Playfair's representative, Jordan Playfair's performance at Rice, taken Physics Professor King Walters Chouljian. These activities included by itself, does not accurately repre- shared a laboratory with Stebbings grouping everyone by month of birth, sent the comapnies, Jones transfer for many years. "He has always man- forming groups ofdifferent sizes, and student Andy Walker disagreed. aged to stay involved," he said. "We dancing back to back with a partner, Having seen Playfair during orienta- look forward to him returning full- arms linked.

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