VOLUME 104, ISSUE NO. 17 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 2020 VISION baseball seeks a return to glory days read more in our baseball insert, p. 7 - 10 NEWS Pub reopens Concerning the coronavirus: with new Rice suspends sponsored travel to China security measures BRIAN LIN SENIOR WRITER To prepare for its reopening this past Monday, Willy’s Pub implemented a camera and ID scanner system at the bar’s entrance. Pub was closed for the first few weeks of the semester following Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission violations in December at the “Last Pub of the Decade” event, according to Frank Rodriguez, board president of Valhalla & Willy’s Permits, which oversees the licenses of Pub and Valhalla. According to a press release by Pub, any further citations from TABC against Pub will likely force Pub to shut down permanently. TABC conducted an investigation of Pub on Dec. 6, the last day Pub was scheduled to open in the fall 2019 semester, and prompted two charges, the first ever made against Pub — one for selling alcohol to a minor and another for permitting a minor IllustratIon BY chloe Xu to possess or consume alcohol on the premises, according to Rodriguez. RACHEL CARLTON days before, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for “[TABC] gave Willy’s as SENIOR WRITER Systems Science and Engineering. 99.1 percent of the cases have an establishment what they been identified in Mainland China; 11 cases have been confirmed call administrative citations,” Due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, Rice in the United States, none of which are in Texas. Rodriguez said. “We’re still Crisis Management suspended all university-sponsored travel On Jan. 30, the U.S. Department of State, which issues travel waiting for TABC to get back to China by faculty, students and staff on Jan. 29, according to a advisories to help people stay safe while abroad, moved the travel to us and let us know if there universitywide email. The email also stated that there were no advisory for China from a Level 3 to a Level 4: Do Not Travel, the are going to be fines and what confirmed cases at Rice or in Texas at the time. Department’s most severe designation. The Department of State those fines are going to be.” According to Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, the recently urged U.S. citizens in China to stock up on food and stay The ID scanner, which university has been paying close attention to the evolving situation. home as much as possible. resembles a Rice servery “We’re evaluating what different groups who are really Although there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus at scanner, can skim the magnetic knowledgeable about disease spread and epidemiology in general Rice, about six Rice community members who have traveled to strip on the back of driver’s are saying and it seems like a reasonable precaution [to instate a China in the last 14 days but have not yet developed symptoms licenses and Texas state IDs for travel ban],” Gorman said. are self-isolating, according to Kevin Kirby, the vice president of a person’s age and date of birth, As of Tuesday evening, there were more than 24,000 confirmed administration. None of the six members are students. according to Julia Robinson, a cases of the virus worldwide, an increase from over 800 cases 12 SEE CORONAVIRUS PAGE 2 McMurtry College junior and Pub’s finance manager. “We asked Willy’s after the [TABC investigation] to come up with upgraded procedures ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT that would improve the way we check IDs,” Rodriguez said. “It’s obvious that fake IDs are a Shepherd School professor Robert Simpson talks Grammy win problem here, you know, and people are always trying to IVANKA PEREZ wanted to conduct secular rather Houston Chamber Choir in 1995, waiting to hear [the] name of a game the system.” FEATURES EDITOR than religious choral music — the and Simpson has been the artistic conductor. I was hoping I’d hear Although the ID scanner kind of music he couldn’t perform director ever since. 25 years later, “Ro… Robert,” but what we heard can determine the authenticity Although Billie Eilish may the choir has won its first Grammy. was “Duruflé, Complete Choral of a scanned ID, it cannot have been the star of this year’s How are you doing? Works.” It didn’t register with me identify if someone used Grammy Awards, the ceremony Simpson: I’m doing really well. for a second until my wife next to someone else’s genuine ID was a success for another, more I’m doing Still floating — from the Grammy, me started to scream, “We won! to enter Pub, Robinson said. local musician: Robert Simpson, of course. We won!” And then I came out She said in most cases she a Shepherd School of Music really well. Still What was it like to win a of the fog and the rest was just encounters people using other professor who won Best Choral floating — from Grammy? magical. people’s IDs, rather than fake Performance for his role in the Grammy, of It was surreal […] We were After giving my acceptance IDs, to bypass Pub rules. conducting the Houston Chamber about an hour and a quarter speech, they presented me with “I think the issue is more Choir’s recording of “Duruflé: course. into that ceremony and then all the Grammy that I thought was that people have IDs that aren’t Complete Choral Works.” Robert Simpson of a sudden, here comes “Best our Grammy, but as soon as I got [theirs],” Robinson said. “Like Simpson began his career SHEPHERD SCHOOL PROFESSOR Choral Performance.” They listed offstage, they whisked it out of my an ID of a sibling or a friend that as an organist before slowly [the nominees] on the screen hands. I looked heartbroken, [but might be a legitimate ID. And I transitioning to choral conducting. in the cathedral. After discovering and announced according to someone] said, “Oh, you don’t think those are mainly the ones After moving from Atlanta to work a team of talented singers, the conductor, so there was that want this one. This is just a prop.” I’ve seen that I’m like, I won’t at the Episcopal Church cathedral Simpson and his wife Marianna moment when [they say,] “And accept this.” in Houston, he found that he Parnas-Simpson founded the the Grammy goes to …” and I was SEE GRAMMY PAGE 13 SEE PUB PAGE 2 2 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020 THE RICE THRESHER NEWS FROM PAGE 1 21 purchase drinks and discreetly hand them off, according to Duffus. PUB “Historically if we see people who were underage drinking here, we just Pub staffers will continue to counteract reprimand them a little bit and take their this form of fraud by comparing the drink,” Duffus said. “But [now] we’re not photograph on the ID to the person comfortable having people in the bar carrying it and being familiar with the who we don’t think are working in our clientele, according to Robinson. interests, and we’ll just make them leave.” Pub also repurposed an existing Rice Pub has also revised their back door Memorial Center security camera to security to ensure no alcohol is brought capture the faces of people entering the out of the bar into the alcohol-free RMC, bar, according to Rodriguez. The line into according to Robinson. During the last the bar will now wind around a table at few weeks of the fall 2018 semester, Pub the entrance so that customers entering was shut down over reports of alcohol Channing Wang / ThresHeR Pub staffers will now use an ID scanner to verify the validity of presented IDs. These changes the bar will briefly face the RMC camera, found in an RMC conference room, which follow Pub’s being found in violation of Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s policies. Rodriguez said. violated the Rice Alcohol Policy. “We wouldn’t pull it for any other “The back door [security] has to open In the past, Pub staffers would draw an TABC violations. In Pub’s press release, reason other than if TABC questioned us or the door for people leaving to make X on the hands of minors using Sharpie staffers urge students to refrain from wanted to see data of a certain person that sure that there aren’t people leaving marker before they could enter Pub, drinking underage in Pub, handing off was charged with underaged drinking,” with drinks because that’s a problem,” Duffus said. drinks to minors or presenting staff with Rodriguez said. “And Rice might ask for Robinson said. “The RMC’s dry. Whereas “The Sharpie was really easy to rub fake IDs. information on that as well.” we’re allowed to have alcohol here, off, and people would trade wristbands,” “If being closed for three weeks at Although minors are permitted inside there’s not allowed to be any alcohol [in Duffus said. “Now with the two wristband the beginning of the semester is the Pub, they are barred from ordering the RMC].” system, I think it’s going to be easier for difference between us being open after alcohol, according to Emily Duffus, a Pub will also require those over 21 to us to make sure everyone in the bar has a that or us being closed, literally, forever,” McMurtry junior and the general manager wear one color of snap-on wristbands and wristband identifying their age.” Robinson said, “I think we’re all willing of Pub.