The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 3, Ed. 1 Monday, August 23, 1976 Page: 1 of 8
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$480,000 bond
Suspect held in last year's Rice rapes
by Debbie Davies
Last Wednesday a Houston
Police Department detective
squad arrested a 35-year-old
Sharpstown man as a suspect
in 30 to 50 rapes in Houston, in
addition to the two rapes and
one assault which took place
on the Rice campus last year.
Terrance O'Donnell, an
unemployed consulting
engineeer, has been charged
on seven counts of rape, one
count of robbery, and eight
counts of aggravated sexual
abuse, and more charges may
eventually be forthcoming on
tentative identifications. He is
being held in lieu of $480,000
bond.
Detective Carol Stephenson,
who led the team, first sighted
O'Donnell following women in
a parking lot at Memorial City
Shopping Center from her
rooftop stakeout. Officers
followed him to his home and
set up an around-the-clock
surveillance until an arrest
warrant was issued.
Stephenson's team had spent
hundereds of volunteer off-
duty hours since April
searching for the rapist after
his pattern was noticed. Most
of the rapes have taken place
in the area bounded by the
Katy and Southwest Free-
ways, West Loop and Gessner.
Victims were abducted
from apartment swimming
the
.. uce
thresher
pools and shoppping center
parking lots at gunpoint,
taken to secluded areas, raped
and released without physical
injury. He acosted his latest
victim by pulling a pistol and
claiming he was making a
getaway from a robbery. The
suspect has also confessed to
three incidents on the Rice
campus last year. In seperate
incidents two women were
abducted from the quadrangle
last October and February on
a pretense of offering or
requesting assistance, raped,
and released without physical
harm. Brown and Jones
colleges were placed on keys-
only access by Campus Police
last April following an
unexplained entry into the
residence area of Brown. A
man entered an unlocked room
and attempted to rape its
occupant, but was frightened
away when she screamed. All
three victims identified their
assailant as about 6 feet tall,
heavy-set, and wearing a cap
which obscured his features.
The Rice Campus Police
remind students that although
Rice is often viewed as a safe
has the outside world, our
proximity to Hermann Park
and the Montrose area create a
risk which is often forgotten.
The University of Houston
and the Medical Center, both
the same size as the Rice
Campus, have three to five
times the police force that Rice
does, and also have more
incidents. Student help is
requested and appreciated in
keeping a watch for undesir-
ables. The Campus Police
answer the main switchboard
after hours, and can he
reached at extension 3333 at
all times. Female students can
call for a Campus Police escort
to or from any point on campus
between dusk and dawn and
are encouraged to take
advantage of this service.
Privacy Act summarized
volume 64, number 3
monday, august 23, 1976
Hackerman urges "human contact"
by TED ANDREWS
President Hackerman, in his
traditional matriculation
address, urged incoming
students to seek "human
contact" with faculty, staff,
and other students to facilitate
the maximum use of the
university and its resources.
He said that the Rice
experience often "works
beautifully for most" but that
"for the few for whom it
doesn't work, it can be a bad
scene."
The President spoke after
welcoming speeches from
Katherine Brown, Dean of
Undergraduate Affairs, Bruce
Marcus, President of the
Student Association (SA), and
Mark Bockeloh, Chairman of
the Honor Council. Mistress of
Ceremonies Dean Brown also
introduced the cnlWe masters
and other IJniversitv officials.
Dean Brown suggested that
the Rice experience can best be
compared to a "croquet game,"
in the sense that one must
knock balls through obstacles
like tests and requirements,
but also in the sense that the
game is won by "playing the
field between the wickets." She
added that there should be no
field between the wickets." She
added that there should be no
winners or losers, "only
learners."
Following Dean Brown's
address, SA President Marcus
spoke. He explained the
function of the Student
Association as "sitting back
and handling what the
colleges can't." He oriented
students to the place of the
college system at Rice and also
emphasized the necessity of
human contact between the
faculty and student body.
Chairman Bockeloh praised
the Honor System and
explained its function as a
cornerstone of the Rice
education, insofar as it lends
integrity to all grades earned
at Rice.
During his thirty-minute
speech, President Hackerman,
after welcoming matriculants,
detailed the Class of 1980
profile. The Class, with 630
members, including 100
transfers, comes from so many
different backgrounds that it
dispels the popular notion that
"Rice is a rich man's
paradise." 75% of the class is
from the top 10% of their
classes, and the average SAT
verbal score is 621, math 680."
The President also took time
to discourage "cockiness"
amongst the incoming
students. "Here is a group of
630," he said, "18-19-year-olds
who, up to this point, have
shown these abilities," but
that by the fact of their
admission each should realize
that it is possible to travel as
far down the road of the Rice
experience as one would care
to go.
Dr. Hackerman also
announced that there would be
no switchover to a financial
aid system based upon
academic records and that the
college system stands in no
danger of being abolished in
order to make the admission of
more students possible.
The evening's program
ended upon a stern, but joyous
note. Dr. Hackerman said that
"the world owes you no favors.
Use your gifts and the return,
inevitable..."
By the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974
and the amendments attached
to it, all of which became
federal law on November 19,
1974, Rice University is
required to advise its students
annually of the rights granted
them by the amended Act with
respect to their educations on
file with the University.
In summary these are: the
right to examine their records
under certain qualifying
provisions, the right to a
hearing to provide an
opportunity for correcting
information in their records,
and the right of privacy for
personally identifiable
information which may be
contained in their records.
For the exact provisions
under which the above rights
are established, the text of the
amended Act and the
applicable regulations, as
issued by the Department of
Health, Education and
Welfare, should be consulted.
Copies of the Act and the
regulations are available for
reading in the office of the
Dean of Undergraduate
Affairs. For a list of the
principal offices which
maintain student records and
the procedure for filing a
request to examine such re-
cords, students are referred to
the Student Handbook for
1976-77. Either the Dean of
Undergraduate Affairs or the
Registrar will be glad to assist
students in locating their
records.
Any questions or problems
arising in connection with a
student's request to see his or
her records, or with the
correctness or privacy of such
records should be directed to
the Dean of Undergraduate
Affairs. Hearings will follow
normal student grievance
procedures.
In accordance with the
provisions of the Act, the
University reserves the right
to publish directory infor-
mation, as defined by
the Act concerni n ir
(Continued on page 7)
Phillip Walters, putting KTRU back together again.
-photo by Walter Underwood
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McFarland, Carla. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 64, No. 3, Ed. 1 Monday, August 23, 1976, newspaper, August 23, 1976; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245294/m1/1/: accessed April 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.