The Rice Thresher, Vol. 90, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 17, 2003 Page: 1 of 20
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the Rice Thresher
Vol. XC, Issue No. 15
SINCE 1916
Friday, January 17, 2003
Gillis to step down in 2004
by Mark Berenson
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
President Malcolm Gillis an-
nounced he will resign effective
June 30, 2004. He will then take a
one-year leave and return to Rice as
a university professor.
In his announcement Dec. 11.
Gillis said that he had always planned
to spend about 10 years as presi-
dent. Gillis became Rice's sixth presi-
dent July 1, 1993.
"I told everybody, even years
before I became president, that 10 to
12 years is the most that the best of
us could hope to be effective in this
job," Gillis said.
Gillis said he announced his resig-
nation 18 months in advance so a full
search could be conducted in time for
his successor to have a full transition.
"I don't want to let what happened
to me happen to my successor," Gillis
said. "A president needs at least six
months to get settled."
Gillis was confirmed by the
Board of Trustees as president on
May 21,1993, five weeks before he
took office. Gillis' predecessor,
George Rupp, abruptly announced
his resignation Oct. 22,1992, effec-
tive June 30,1993.
Bill Barnett, chairman of the
board, said he would start the pro-
cess of forming a search committee
during this semester. The board met
Dec. 10-11.
"The way it has worked the last
couple of searches [at Rice] is that I
get it started, and I appoint the board
members to participate in it," Barnett
('55) said.
Previous search committees have
been composed of various groups,
includingfaculty, alumni and students.
Barnett, whose term as board
chairman ends in 2005, said he in-
tends to have the search committee
chaired by a member of the board.
Gillis said recent search commit-
tees have included one undergradu-
ate and one graduate student repre-
sentative, selected by the board with
the guidance of the Student Associa-
tion and Graduate Student Associa-
tion, respectively. However, the com-
position of the committee, like all
aspects of the search, will be up to
the discretion of the board.
SA President Matt Haynie said
he has not been contacted about
the search committee and is still
unsure of his role in the selection
process. SA General Elections, in
which the SA president is elected,
will be Feb. 21-26, and changeover
will be March 17.
Haynie said Gillis told him that he
would be contacted about the search.
Speaker of the Faculty Jack
Zamtnito said he was still research-
ing past faculty involvement in presi-
dential searches.
"Going back a few presidential
searches, a pattern did get approved
where the faculty as a whole votes
on about three representatives,"
Zammito, the chair of the History
Department, said. "I am trying to
See GILLIS, Page 5
Sid student missing
by Olivia Allison
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
Sid Richardson College fresh-
man William Penny was reported
missing over winter break after
leaving his house in Fort Worth
early Jan. 4. Penny did not return
to Rice this semester.
His father Bill Penny said all
evidence indicates William Penny
chose to leave home.
Bill Penny said he and his wife
Linda Penny filed a missing
person's report with the Fort Worth
Police Department However, be-
cause their son is an adult who
appears to have left voluntarily, the
police cannot actively pursue him.
FWPD Public Information Of-
ficer Jesse Hernandez said
Wednesday night he did not have
sufficient information to com-
ment on the case.
The Pennys have hired a pri-
vate investigator, but they still
have few leads on their son's cur-
rent location, they said.
Wiess College junior Frank
Donnelly, who played on the la-
crosse team with William Penny,
said he met William Penny's par-
ents duringThanksgiving recess.
They contacted him with informa-
tion of William's disappearance,
and Donnelly said he forwarded
an e-mail from Linda Penny to
other lacrosse team members.
"I think they thought that some-
one on the [lacrosse] team might
know something," Donnelly said.
Sid Master Steve Cox said he
was unable to comment on the
case because of confidentiality. On
Wednesday, Rice University Po-
lice Department Officer Robert
Redman said no details had been
reported to the department.
Bill Penny said any informa-
tion about William Penny's
whereabouts should be sent to
wmp@hjsllp.com.
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Honor Council
cases unresolved
bv Rachel Rustin
IHRFSHEP EDITORIAL STAFF
The memories come crashing down
CHRISTINE LIANG/THRESHER
After being home to more than 50 years worth of Wiessmen. old Wless College was torn down starting Dec. 19. Wiess House
still remains.
The Honor Council case involving 15 students suspended
for cheating on a Spring 2002 final remains unresolved, more
than a month after the Honor Council completed the hearings.
The cases are still in the appeal process, which involved
first an appeal to Assistant Dean for Student Judicial Programs
Patti Bass and then a final appeal to President Malcolm Gillis.
Gillis said he would not comment on the cases because the
appeals of the Honor Council decisions are currently before him.
The case involves 15 students who were found In Violation of
cheating on the take-home, open-book, open-note final for Phys-
ics 203: Atmosphere, Weather and Climate. The students, a
majority of whom were varsity athletes, received a two-semester
suspension, except for one student who received an infinite
suspension because of previous Honor Code violations.
If the suspensions stand at two semesters, the students
would be required to be suspended this semester and could
choose whether to have the second semester be fall 2002 or
next semester. If the suspensions are reduced to one semes-
ter, the suspension could be taken retroactively for last semes-
ter or be taken this semester.
The story was picked up by other media sources during
finals and over the break. The Houston Chronicle reported on
the Thresher article Dec. 7 and ran follow-up articles in the next
See HONOR. Page 9
Montano admits posing as student
by Daniel McDonald
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
Rodrigo Montano, a 24-year-old
who posed as a Rice student during
the beginning of the fall semester,
pleaded guilty Dec. 9 to the charge
of theft of services.
He received 18 months proba-
tion, with stipulations that he stay
off the Rice University campus,
write a letter of apology and
acknowledgement to the university,
pay restitution in the amount of
$107.99 for the meals he ate at the
North College Servery and perform
community service.
Before County Criminal Court at
I .aw Judge Jim Anderson announced
the sentence, he asked Montano to tell
him what he did.
"His lawyer knew that the more
candid he was, the more appropriate
his sentence would be," Anderson
said. "So he made a full acknowledg-
ment that he was on campus posing
as a student, he in fact was not a
student, took from student benefits,
hoodwinked a few students and pro-
fessors on top of that, and got, I
think, a track shirt from the univer-
sity."
In coming clean. Montano said
he never applied to Rice and the
money his mother gave him for tu-
ition went into his own bank account.
"I was surprised, and so was his
mother, at the last minute," Randy
Roll, Montano's attorney, said. "She
really believed in her son, and she
had tears in her eyes. She believed
See MONTANO. Page 4
INSIDE
Driver in Peck accident found guilty
by Mark Berenson
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
A Houston man was convicted in
December of intoxication, man-
slaughter and intoxication assault
for his role in the May 10 car acci-
dent that killed Brown College fresh-
man Erin Peck, an architecture stu-
dent. He was sentenced to 13 years
in prison.
Michael Leslie Gattis, 30, who was
driving a white Chevy Silverado west-
bound on Bissonnet Street, ran a red
light and hit Peck's vehicle, which was
traveling southbound on Greenbriar
Street. Peck. The three passengers in
her car, all Rice students, were re-
leased from the hospital within a week
after the accident.
Shortly after the accident, Gattis
admitted to police he had been
drinking, and Houston Police De-
partment spokesman Martin
DeLeon said police later determined
Gattis' blood alcohol concentration
was .26, more than three times
Texas' legal limit of .08.
Harris County Assistant District
Attorney Murray Newman, who
prosecuted the case, said Gattis re-
ceived 13 years in prison for intoxi-
cation manslaughter and 10 years in
prison for intoxication assault. Be-
cause the sentences will be served
Set (iATTIS. Page
STUART SINCLAIR/THRESHER
Fits like a glove! First baseman Vincent Sinisi (left), shortstop Paul Janish
and the second-ranked baseball team started spring practice last week.
King for a day
You should have no problems
recovering from the first week
of classes, as there are no classes
on Monday in honor of Martin
Luther King Jr. Day. Spend the
weekend catching up on sleep,
doing homework or taking ran-
dom trips to San Antonio.
But be sure to be back on
campus by 6:30 p.m. on Mon-
day for a candlelight vigil out-
side of Fondren Library fol-
lowed by a memorial service in
the Rice Memorial Chapel.
OPINION Page 3
Honor Code fosters cheating
A&E Page 14
Twisted pleasures
SPORTS Page 15
Swimmers relish Olympic trip
Weekend Weather
Friday
Sunny. 26-48 degrees
Saturday
Mostly sunny, 30-58 degrees
Sunday
Sunny, 39-63 degrees
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Rustin, Rachel. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 90, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 17, 2003, newspaper, January 17, 2003; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443205/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.