1 Audio Recordings Bring Lawsuit on RUPD Chief New Servery Hours
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OP-ED A&E P. 9 SPORTS P. 10 Healthy, wealthy and wise We'll always have Paris Number 13 proves lucky for women's track What can students learn by treading outside the classroom and Hallie Jordan traveled to Paris for photography, and her pho- Becky Wade took 13th place in the 5,000 meter at the NCAA experiencing what the Wellness Center has to offer? tos are on exhibit in the Rice Media Center until March 23. Indoor Track and Field Championship last weekend. thVOLUME XCVIIIe, ISSUE NO. Ric23 STUDENT-RUe N SINCE 1916 FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012 Audio recordings bring lawsuit on RUPD chief BY NICOLE ZHAO be used or employed for an interception THRESHER NEWS ASSISTANT EDITOR not permitted or authorized." According to Whitehead, former Officers from the University of Mas- UMass-Amherst chief of police, UMPD o 1 sachusetts at Amherst police depart- did not intend to place audio recording ment named Rice Chief of Police and cameras in hallways. Director of Public Safety Johnny White- "UMass asked for cameras with vid- head as a defendant in a eo and audio capabilities for the book- $ class-action lawsuit they ing area and interview filed on Feb. 3. rooms in the school's new The complaint was police station," White- o a response to the un- head said in an interview. disclosed placement of "Without the department's audio recording devices knowledge, a subcontrac- in hallways of the new tor installed cameras with UMPD facility. The offi- both audio and video abil- cers claimed that this was ity throughout the station, including hallways." a violation of their civil RUPD Chief Johnny Whitehead rights granted by state Whitehead said he in- a and federal law. formed the Rice adminis- The complaint specifically cites the tration of the matter before assuming right of the plaintiffs to be free of un- his position at Rice. He declined to com- reasonable searches and seizures under ment any further because the lawsuit the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amend- does not directly involve Rice. ment and their right to privacy under UMPD officer Mark Schlosser filed the 14th Amendment. Massachusetts the lawsuit on behalf of all UMPD offi- o General Law outlaws audio surveillance cers against Whitehead, the university, Students celebrate Students crowded into the Academic Quad at 11:59 a.m. on Wednes- of individuals without their consent and UMass-Amherst President Robert Caret, day to enjoy 2,012 free pies of different flavors provided by the uni- a lawful warrant. It is a misdemeanor Deputy Chief Patrick Archbald and for- with 2,012 free pies versity in honor of Pi Day and William Marsh Rice's 196th birthday. under the Massachusetts Wiretap Stat- mer Chief of Police Barbara O'Connor. !• ute to permit "an intercepting device to O see RUPL1, page 6 New servery hours proposed Beer Bike seeks blanket tax increase BY FARRAH MADANAY BY HALLIE JORDAN HOURS EXTENSION THRESHER SENIOR EDITOR Beer Bike's rising expenses THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF PROPOSAL It $40 Expenses Athletes living on campus will no The South Servery Cafe Rice students are known for their 35 Revenues longer need to rush from practice or will open 7:30-8 p.m. steadfast devotion to Rice's most fa- (without increase) wait until the Hoot opens to eat din- on weekdays. mous tradition, Beer Bike. However, 30 CO Revenues ner. The Student Association, in col- next week, the second round of the SA TD (with increase) § ™ 25 Spring Elections will test whether stu- ~ i./"> laboration with the Student Athletic The cafe will serve as 0 3 20 Deficit Advisory Committee and Housing and a meal replac ^nt for dents are willing to back up their sup- E -E (without increase) Dining, will soon implement a pilot athletes and others. port of Beer Bike with their wallets. <£ 15 program at South Servery Cafe to ac- Because current funds allocated for Deficit 10 (with increase) commodate student-athletes with late students working together with the SA Beer Bike have not covered costs for the practices and general students who to carry out a proposal in a feasible event in over five years, Rice Program 5 Council is hoping to raise the blanket still feel hungry post-dinner. way," Jain, the SA president-elect, said. 0 Director of H&D for Residential Col "If the pilot program goes well and we tax for the event from $5 to $10, Beer '10 '11 Year '12 '13 leges David McDonald said the initia- get that feedback, the SA is commit- Bike Coordinator Philip Tarpley said. tive is still in the planning stages, but ted to realizing a permanent change in Beer Bike usually costs about Bike on average gets about 60." these party areas and providing tents. H&D is receptive to the idea of leaving South Cafe hours." $40,000, Tarpley, a Brown College se- Last year, the event caused a $12,000 In the future, we would love to be able South Cafe open until 8 p.m. SAAC President Andie Obermeyer nior, said. Event revenue has not gone deficit and before that, the deficit was to cover that cost because we don't want "For us to open all serveries un- and Hanszen College and Wiess College up since the '90s, while costs have been between $7,000 and $8,000, Beer Bike to give the colleges any more monetary til 8 p.m. would be a cost problem, Presidents Henry Hancock and David significantly increasing, he said. The Coordinator Teddy Grodek said. burden than they need." but starting hopefully in a couple of Payne also sat in on Friday's meeting. presence of the Rice University Police Furthermore, Facilities Engineering "This is a favorite event," Tarpley weeks, we are looking to stay open Obermeyer, who is also a member of Department and Rice Emergency Medi- and Planning now charges to set up the said. "If it's going to continue, this blan- at South Cafe until 8 p.m. Monday the women's soccer team, said SAAC cal Services at the event, for instance, bleachers that students sit on during ket tax increase is a necessity. To get it, through Friday," McDonald said. was first involved in the process last fall were previously free but now require the races; because the cost of this is too we need two-thirds of everyone that H&D sees South Cafe as neutral when it circulated a survey to student- payment. high this year, there will be no bleach- votes to vote 'yes,' and there needs to ground with its proximity to the ath- athletes regarding the possibility of ex- ers at the event, Tarpley said. Tents for be 20 percent of the student population letic facilities and the colleges, McDon- tending servery hours. each college will be set up in place of voting. If we get 19 percent, and every- ald said. The vision for the cafe is that "Of the 123 student-athletes that Spring Elections the bleachers. one says 'yes,' it's still not going to hap- student-athletes and non-athletes alike responded, 67 percent said they To help cover costs in the future pen, so we need to get people to vote." that have not already swiped in for din- would utilize a later dinner at South," Starting Monday at and to keep from going into debt, RPC If the blanket tax does not pass, then ner will use the cafe as a meal replace- Obermeyer said. 11:59 p.m., students originally suggested raising the tax to the cost burden will fall on the colleges, ment. Those who have already eaten H&D chose to keep South Cafe will be able to vote on $8, but Jones College President Ste- Grodek, a Mattel College junior, said. dinner but want more food are allowed open only until 8 p.m. for reasons of the tax until Wednes- phen Boswell motioned for this to be "Even if they don't vote for it, they to use tetra points, McDonald said. sanitation, cost and fairness. McDon- day at 11:59 p.m. increased to $10 to provide for a reserve will still feel the effects of it," Grodek SA External Vice President Sanjula ald explained that if South Cafe were in case the cost rises again next year or said. "This money is going to come Jain said the SA proposed the initia- to extend its hours beyond 8 p.m., the there are unexpected costs this year. out of somewhere. We don't want it to tive to H&D last Friday after SAAC had servery crew would have to cook new "This would give Beer Bike a little come out of the colleges. We'd have to approached the SA with concerns that batches because there is only a certain "Last year, EMS cost $2,500; this extra breathing room in case we need raise fines. We'd have to charge colleg- some athletes were missing regular din- window of temperature for cooked food year, it's going to cost $3,600," Tarpley to do any capital improvements to the es for part of the EMS cost. That would ner hours because of late practices. to sit out. said. "It's warranted. The average pub- track, or we can help the colleges out," hurt Beer Bike." "1 think this is a good example of O see SERVERY, page 6 lic party gets about four EMS calls; Beer Tarpley said. "We're giving colleges Molly Chiu contributed to this article. Of the people, for the people Like dubstep but with more words We need pre-Beer Bike break INDEX Celebrate Student Run Business week.