7 Administrators Ignore Worker Problems Says Gnome H Mm Jfljjn

\ - / 7 Speech team makes good showing at national contest much and gain so much by Cheryl Smith percent of university speech to semi-finals and seven to the final confidence," she said. The George R. Brown Forensic competitors in the United States. round of competition. Society had three members In order to qualify, the Anne Laffoon was the only team Next year, nationals will be held compete in their first year of competitors must either place in member which make it to semi- at Southern Methodist University attendance at the American their district competitions or finals in competition. This ranked and the club has set a goal of taking her tenth in the nation in Forensic Association National through the at-large process. Each 15 people. McClain said that, "All impromptu speaking. This even Individual Events Tournament at district is comprises several states. three of us are anxious to do better requires each student to prepare Tawson State University in Rice's opponents at the district next year." and present a speech in seven Maryland last week. level included students from minutes from a given quote. Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Laffoon added, "This was the David McClain competed in Kansas, and other Texas pinnacle of this whole year. We got impromptu and extemporaneous Laffoon recieved an engraved universities. pewter plate for her accomplish- to meet the best in the nation and 1 speaking, Evan Kramer in came away convinced Rice impromptu speaking and Anne To qualify through the at-large ment. David McClain and Evan process, a speaker must place first Kramer also participated in the students could capture many of Laffoon in informative, those trophies." impromptu and extemporaneous or second in his event at three event, with McClain achieving a speaking. separate tournaments. These final ranking of 25th in the nation. Although the young society is tournaments must also have at Anne Laffoon —K. Isacksen Laffoon noted that all of the still informal and under a tight They competed against 120 least 12 schools competing and winners are determined by a series speech events develop skills needed budget, they encourage all future universities, including Berkeley, more than 15 speakers per event. of elimination rounds. Everyone after college. "I'd like to encourage participants. Laffoon says George Mason and UCLA. At nationals, 100 competitors participates in the preliminaries everyone with or w i t h o u t prospective freshmen have already Nationals include the top 10 are allowed in each event. The with 24 going to quarter-finals, 14 experience to try. You learn so made inquiries about membership. INSIDE: • Outside: Darryl and Jeff won Sammy the Owl, congrats • More about new president Rupp, see pages 6, 7. • Froth all over pages 2 and 3. • One more issue and I'm free. Volume 72, Number 41 1HRESHETuesday, ApriRl 23, 1985 Administrators ignore worker problems says gnome by Sarah Jordan, anything from asbestosis to , Y H // David Friesenhahn, cyanide poisoning." and the Rice Radio Journal The Physical Plant administra- The Gnome Gazzette is tion has also refused to act on H necessary because the Rice employee complaints about University Physical Plant working conditions in the summer, mm jfljjn administration provides no other he said. ,wi v forum from which workers can air Reportedly, Physical Plant ifM . H'v/ their grievances effectively. This employees are required to wear •' «r was the assertion of one long-sleeved polyester uniforms unidentified Physical Plant during the summer. Employees, employee who spoke with the Rice who oftentimes do maintenance • mm Radio Journal Sunday. work in areas where temperatures climb well over one hundred The Gnome Gazzette is an degrees, have pressured the underground newspaper published administration to change this dress by Physical Plant employees and is code, but to no avail. intended to provide a place where workers can communicate their Added the employee to the problems to administrators. Journal, "Some of us have Its first two issues were highly coveralls, which are dark brown critical of administration policies, ones. And with the summer sun beating down on you they're the m claiming that the administration mistreated workers and was hottest thing in the world. It's just derelict in its duties. like wearing black outside in the summer." The employee said that the X administration does not respect He claimed that workers have university employees and does not tried to go through official listen to their concerns. channels, such as the suggestion box, to communicate their "The first Gazzette, that was the complaints to administrators, but main thrust of it — give us a little that such efforts are generally more respect, and we'll respect the ineffective. administration a little more. Our The Gnome Gazzette provides workers with a needed forum for their complaints says one worker. —K. Isacksen input, our feelings about work we Said the employee, "I personally discontent, and the Gazzette has the editorials by Paul Havlak have to do, worJc conditions, aren't put a suggestion in the suggestion really brought it out in the open," are very distorted, are very even taken into account usually," box a week ago Friday, and it has he said. untrue. not been touched yet. Does the Council he said. Director of Physical Facilities Samfield went on to say that his suggetion box work? No." Edwin Samfield, in a telephone The Physical Plant administra- administration has provided The Rice Alumni Association conversation with the Journal, tion has ignored employee The publishing of the Gazzette employees with ample opportuni- will feature a panel discussion responded that the charges leveled complaints about poor and was the only way that workers ties to express their opinions. He April 24, at 7:30 p.m., in the against his administration by the potentially dangerous working could gain a voice, he maintained. said he has initiated several Herring Hall Auditorium entitled Gazzette are wholly unsubstanti- conditions, he said. "There seems to be no other way policies to open lines of "Rice Works at City Hall." ated. He noted that many employees that works, that's done anything to communications between workers Moderated by Dave Ward of are reluctant to do preventive make the front office see what's Said Samfield. "I'm very and administrators such as the Channel 13 television news in going on, to see that people aren't maintenance work on the air disappointed in the Gazzette. suggestion box and supervisors' Houston, the program is a panel happy." conditioning units in the attic of Everything in it is not true. There meetings. discussion about Houston's the Chemistry Building because Although he conceded that no are some distortions and current activities and directions. In addition, he believed that the they fear exposure to harmful policies have been altered as a exaggerations, and, in most cases, Sitting on the panel will be three Gazzette was merely the work of fumes, for instance. result of the Gazzette's charges just Hat misrepresetations of the Houston city councilmembers. all against the university, he believed facts." one disgruntled employee and did alumni of Rice University. "We have to work in the attic of not speak for the vast majority of that administrators are at least Moreover, Samfield charged The pane! includes Dale the Chemistry Building. And it's Physical Plant workers. beginning to take note of worker that the Thresher violated Gorc/vnski '74, Jim Greenwood death to go up there. There are '58, and George Greanias '70. frustration. standards of journalistic integrity However, the employee dead pigeons everywhere, and Dr. Richard Stoll of the "It [the Gnome Gazzette] has in its coverage of the Gazzette. interviewed by the Journal that's proof that it's death to go up Department of Politcal Science awakened the front office to the "1 think that the Thresher has disagreed. He said. "1 feel that there. There is so much chemicals will act as a consultant to the feelings of the men in the back and really misrepresented the situation everyone supports it. everyone but being mixed together up there that program. to be up there for any length of how they feel. The administration there entirely. The stories they a few diehard company men that time, you're in danger of getting is well aware that there's have been printing, particularly have been here for 20 vears." Neither Thresher nor Physical THRESHING IT OUT much as I should have for the race. It was about a quarter past noon Plant can afford not to listen... Keller wants the During the latter part of the race, 1 that Saturday, and a crowd was was more concerned with catching gathering at the Baker grills. The alumni results my breath than with what was sun was shining, and enthusiasm Ed Samfield, director of Physical Plant, has criticized the To the editor: occuring on the track. From was running high for the weekend. Thresher for supposedly inaccurate reporting on the subject of As a recently graduated snatches of conversation What was about to happen at staff complaints and the Gnome Gazzette. Moreover, in his alumnus of Rice University and afterwards, 1 learned that there the grill would make history. Or telephone interview with KTRlJ's Rice Radio Folio, he left no participant in this year's Alumni had been at least one mechanical come close to it. failure during the alumni race. I doubt that he doesn't think there is much point in expecting Beer-Bike Race, 1 was quite In what was in accordance with heard Will Rice won and Hanszen truth to prevail in student media. perturbed when 1 read the article the day's theme.

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