... the Rice Thresher Vol. XCI, Issue No. 24 SINCE 1916 Friday, March 26, 2004 Martel damaged in Willy Week jack Beer-Bike parade almost cancelled by Camacho by Jenny Rees Ditman said he is unsure of the THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF exact cost of damages because some damage attributed to the jack had Saturday's Beer-Bike parade was actually been caused beforehand. almost cancelled due to safety con- "We're trying to get clarity as to cerns after a jack on Martel College wh.it was damaged as part of that involving several hundred students activity and what was already dam- caused extensive damage in the early aged," Ditman said. morning of March 19. Ditman said repairs have already Students participating in the jack begun, and most will be completed planned to have a water balloon within two weeks. However, he said fight and take over the Martel ro- the broken furniture probably will tunda for a party Martel students not be replaced until summer. would not be allowed to enter. How- Martel President Phill Brown said ever, Martel students blockaded the he thinks the jack was not planned in college's stairwells using furniture, a destructive spirit but that it got out and chaos ensued when crowds of of control. students filled the Martel stairwells "I think it was kind of all fun and and balconies. The jack resulted in games, but when you have $10,000 at least $7,000 worth of damage, worth of damage it turns into a big ALEX SIGEDA/THRESHER mostly to furniture. deal because that money's got to Rice University Police Sergeant come from somewhere," Brown, a Buy me some Skittles and a tie-dyed shirt Steve Reiter said students began junior, said. "The damage itself didn't entering Martel at about 12:35 a.m. upset me as much as the disregard Hanszen College senior Bonnie Johnson hangs a tie-dyed T-shirt up to dry during the pre-game festivities for the Two officers were already posted at that the people who did it showed." Rice vs Hawaii baseball game Friday. Martel at the time, he said. Assistant Vice President for Stu- Reiter said the large numbers of dent Affairs John Hutchinson said students converging on the college he sees the situation as part of a created a situation that led to major trend of escalating tensions during safety concerns. Willy Week. Woman fatally shot near campus "Sometimes when it gets into the "1 don't think this was a jack," mob mentality you get where there's Hutchinson said. "This was the wa- shoving and pushing, and you get ter balloon fight moved forward into Police say shooting is linked to March 3 Rice Village attack on woman where people get injured. We got the week. I do think it represented a reports that there were students up further escalation of the conflicts ••• by Mark Berenson 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and weighing mmm on the roof, so obviously that was between the colleges during Willy 180 pounds, with a slight belly. The my very first concern," Reiter said. Week, an escalation which has been THRESHER EDITORIAL S [AIT suspect was seen leaving Saturday's "After that I started focusing on the occurring over many years." A fatal shooting midday Saturday shooting in a dark tan or brown late property damage, criminal mischief, Vice President for Student Affairs at Kirby Drive and Bissonnet Street model Dodge Durango with Texas things like that." Zenaido Camacho said he had re- has been linked to the March 3 shoot- license plates. An undergraduate and a gradu- ceived e-mails from students con- ing of a woman in the Rice Village, HPD South Central Division Cap- ate student who refused to cooper- cerned about the situation Friday the Houston Police Department an- tain Dwavne Ready said the seem- ate with police now face university morning, and he met with Ditman nounced Tuesday. ing lack of motive is troubling. disciplinary action. However, and RUPD Chief Bill Taylor that At 12:40 p.m. Saturday, Helen "We don't know what this Reiter said most students cooper- morning to find out what had hap- Orman, 65, an artist and Houston person's motive is — that's one of ated with officers. pened and assess the damage that Community College-Southwest pro- the most perplexing issues," Ready "It had some of the mob-type had been caused. fessor, was shot in the head as she said. "Obviously we need to in order mentality to it, where people start Camacho said his main concerns was vacuuming her car at the Chev- to catch him." feeding off one another, but once we were the large number of students ron service station at 2539 Rice University Police Chief Bill said it was time to shut it down, we that converged on Martel, the de- Bissonnet. Although several items Taylor said RUPD officers are step- didn't have any problems with any- gree of destruction of property and were visible in Orman's car, noth- ping up their patrols and looking body," Reiter said. the potential for serious injury. ing was taken. for anyone suspicious entering the COURTESY HPD 'Hie college sustained $7,000 to After meeting with Taylor and According to an HPD press re- campus. In addition, Wednesday af- Composite sketch of the suspect $ 10,000 in physical damage, Housing Ditman and with the college mas- lease, the crimes were linked by the ternoon, RUPD released a crime and Dining Director Mark Ditman ters, Camacho decided that morn- similarity in witness descriptions of alert to various listservs and posted futile, however. said. Damages include broken furni- ing to cancel the Beer-Bike parade the two suspects. Ballistic evidence it in buildings on campus. "I'm not going to say to avoid ture, broken windows in Jones Col- planned for Saturday. The decision also demonstrates the same gun was Taylor said students and commu- places because these people are lege, damaged sheetrock walls and was based on safety concerns rather used in both shootings. nity members should not travel mobile," Taylor said. "There is no ripped carpet in the Martel rotunda, than punitive reasons, he said. The suspect is described as a alone, since both victims were alone way to determine where they will graffiti on the exterior wall of Jones, "My main concern was the 30- to 40-year-old Hispanic or white when they were shot. Taylor said go next." an elevator breakdown and additional safety of our students during the male with an olive complexion, about avoiding certain places would be See SHOOTING, Page 8 custodial and maintenance labor. See MARTEL, Page 10 Number of Beer-Bike EMS Registrar deadlines OPINION Page 3 Monday at 5 p.m. is the absolute dead- The real victors in Spain calls similar to those in past line to drop a class, as well as the last day Page 12 to designate a course pass/fail. First se- A&E mester students may drop courses SxS W rocks Jennine Guanchez also said the parade by Risa Gordon through April 23. Spring registration add/ went well. SPORTS Page 19 THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF drop PINs expire at the end of the day. "Line-up was quick and efficient, [and the] NFL special teams pipeline continues Despite several bike crashes during the Beer- parade began as scheduled and ran until all Quote of the Week Bike races, Saturday's injuries were similar in colleges ran out of balloons," Guanchez, also Fall'04 registration "[Ryan Harlan]'s got a little groin problem right a Jones junior, said. "Everyone seemed to number and ty])e to injuries in past years. The Registration for the Fall semester be- now, but if he's healthy, he could be the Rice Emergency Medical Service responded to have a great time." gins at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday for all grad greatest track athlete we've ever had, and that 24 calls throughout the day, including incidents Guanchez said changes in the parade students and undergrads who will have includes Olympians and medallists. He could at the track during the race, at the colleges included a new line-up route and radio con- 90 or more hours at the end of this semes- even be one of the best athletes at Rice." throughout the day, those related to the parade, tact between the truck drivers. At the track, ter. Wednesday all students with 60 or — Head men's track coach Jon Warren (Jones '88), on Harlan's return to the track injuries related to the bike race, and calls unre- security officials monitored the track en- more hours may register, and Thursday lated to Beer-Bike. trances to ensure only authorized students after being redshirted last season. See Story, undergrads with 30 or more hours can Page 20. Campus-Wide Beer-Bike Coordinator Ellen entered the area. register. Registration is open to all stu- Rice Emergency Medical Service Lieuten- Montz said the parade was a success. dents on Friday and will last through Weekend Weather "The parade went wonderfully," Montz, a ant Rachana Patel was in charge of coordinat- April 4. Make sure you meet with your Friday ing EMS services during Beer-Bike. Patel, a Jones College junior, said. "It went off without advisor and get your PIN release form. Mostly sunny, 80-65 degrees Will Rice College junior, said the majority of the major injury and with lower than the expected Saturday amount of fines. People were very responsible injuries EMS responded to Saturday were mi- Scoreboard Mostly sunny, 77-62 degrees this year while still maintaining the spirit and nor, with only one severe enough to require an Women's Basketball Sunday excitement that is Beer-Bike." ambulance transport to the hospital, and just Rice 66, UNLV 68 Mostly sunny, 82-64 degrees Campus-Wide Beer-Bike Coordinator See PARADE.