the Rice Thresher
by Elizabeth Jartlina
ГНМЯНМ1
KnrtllKMI STAFF
For almost a year, no one noticed that a
former Brown College treasurer had em¬
bezzled $3,000.
Only when the current treasurer looked
back at old bank statements did she find that
1998-2000 Brown Treasurer David Nunez
wrote at least two checks to himself, one with¬
out the required second signature and the
other with a forged signature.
Nunez (Brown ’00) admitted to stealing
$3,000 from Brown in an e-mail sent out to the
college Wednesday evening,
Nunez said he used the money to help a
terminally ill friend who died at the end of the
last academic year.
Hesent$7,000worlh of repayment to Brown
over the course of last semester. Of that sum,
$3,000 was for money he admitted to taking
along with a $400 penalty. Nunez also paid for
$1,200 for questionable reimbursements he
made to himself and about $1,000 in late fees
and insufficient fund charges the college
amassed while he was treasurer. The rest of
the money, about $1,400, he volunteered as a
"gift" to the college, he said.
Brown Treasurer Sarah Czamota said she
discovered the theft in April when she looked
through records to see if a check from the
previous year had been cashed. She noticed a
record of a $2,000 check cashed to Nunez, an
unusually large amount to reimburse a student.
“About a week later, 1 pulled up the digital
image of the check, and there was a forged
signature there," she said. Brown Coordina¬
tor Nancy Henry’s name was written as the
second signature, but the signature looked
forged.
Henry confirmed that the signature was not
hers, so Czamota immediately went to talk to
then-Brown President Tim Werner. The next
day, they talked to Brown Master Albert Pope.
"I approached Albert because 1 didn't feel
comfortable dealing with it myself," Czamota
said. “1 asked him to talk to Dave and see what
See TREASURER, Page 9
Registrar considers
registration changes
by Olivia Allison
nun sum KiiimKini iTAi F
After completing what he calls a
successful first semester as regis¬
trar. Jerry Montag is looking to im¬
prove many areas of the registration
process, beginning with preregis¬
tration for the fall.
Montag, who has been the regis¬
trar since July, said he thinks this
senieslei has gone more smoothly
than previous semesters.
However, he said he believes
many problems in the Registrar's
Office would
Ы
solved bv institut¬
ing i |irelerenii.'il prcregistration
учет
md unlit ■' 1 gistmtitin ffe
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-.iid he will
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tin- i-nroll
Uieitr rail a Tio|i<'v In- nttnnt'O rl lo
implement duringpreregistration for
this semester.
Montag said he would like to see
seniors preregister on Monday of
preregistration week, juniors on
Tuesday, sophomores on Wednes¬
day and freshmen on Thursday. Fri¬
day would beopen toall undergradu¬
ate students.
More specifically, students with
last names beginning with A through
I would register in the morning, and
those with last names beginning with
M through V. would register in the
afternoon The two groups would
swili It times the next semester.
Montag said he would like louse
tins preferential system in April tor
tail |>rcri-gisir.itioii, He said h- be-
■v. REGISTRAR. IVi
SA debates possibility of
electing co-presidents
by Mark lim-nson
IMKKNltl
и »
III 1 1 »HIAI - nil
Hanszen College juniors Jamie
l.isagorand Gavin Parksannutmced
they are planning to run together for
president of I he Student AsSui iation
at the meeting Monday, 'lire an¬
nouncement emerged from a dis¬
cussion about whether the SA Con¬
stitution allows co-presidents.
SA Parliamentarian Rudy Fink, a
Hanszen College senior, said at the
meeting that the constitution nei¬
ther permitted nor excluded co-presi¬
dents, but that precedent suggested
that co-presidents were allowed
In 1997. Hush iotlikar (Baker
98) and Ryan Melgiri (Baker ’99)
tan together unsuccessfully foi SA
president While the topic of co-presi¬
dents Was .discussed at that year’s
SA presidential debate, there is no
record of the senate having any doubt
of the legitimacy o! a co-presidency,
Fink said.
'Die discussion at Monday'smeet-
ing began when I rivet I College Sena¬
tor Deepthy Kishore asked what the
See PRESIDENCY,
Сакс
ti
Workers broke a natural gas line between Hansren ana Will Rice Colleges Wednesday afternoon Gas vapors and
water shot as high as 12 to 15 (set Into the air, but there were no
«
«plosions and no student» were evacuated.
Workers rupture natural gas line in quad
by Meghan Miller
Workers trying to fix a water
leak broke
л
natural gas line
Wednesday alter noon sending gas
and water shooting 1 2 In lb leet mfu
the air between Hanszen and Will
Rico Colleges
ITicrc were no explosions, and a
minor cut sustained by a worker was
the only injury reported.
Construction workers from
Hareon, one of Rice's main contrac¬
tors, were digging with a backhoe to
find the source of a water or steam
leak when they struck the line.
'I "hough they were aware of the line’s
existence, the workers overesti¬
mated its depth underground. The
source of the original leak had not
been identified by late Wednesday
HlW'tflOOn
'’lire pressure in die lines was so
great it was bit .w ing upwards." F rivi-
i-niiirieiital Health and Safety Man¬
ager Bryan Galley said.
Galloy decided evacuation of the
colleges was unnecessary Food and
I lousing employees weni inside die
buildings to make sure there was
not a heavy gas smell, which would
indicate high concentrations of natu¬
ral gas.
Rice Emergency Medical Ser¬
vices was present to treat potential
injuries, and University Police of¬
ficers stood around the perimeter
to keep people away from the scene.
Because remaining in the buildings
was not a health risk, the decision
not to evacuate Will Rice also helped
keep the number of spectators
down.
people who ai n nsidi n inaim ii
inside," 1 1 l
>.;шпп
Marshall said
Fight members of t ht- Honwti r.
Fire Departnu-ni were on hand, a
tnutinr: procedure when there is *
natural gas leak. Marshall said They
clamped the line within an hour of
the breakage, stopping the leak un¬
til Tntex workers arrived and re¬
paired it
-|"here was wind and it was kind
of dissipating the gas," Frank
Rodriguez, interim assistant direc¬
tor of Housing Operations, said. “I'm
just glad nothing blew up "
The gas didn't need to be shut off
at the main valve, but Will Rice resi¬
dential buildings and Will Rice
House were without gas service un¬
til 3:15 p.m. This only affected the
laundry room dryers.
KilANA MN'GHTIMRr f.i
The heart of the dragon
Wiess College freshman Jason Tung practices the dragon dance for Lunar New Year on Tuesday. The Lunar New
Year celebration, which will be held Feb. 9, Is sponsored by six Asian student groups on campus.
INSIDE
Short loop bus route
begun on trial basis
A new shuttle bus route, the
short loop mule, began yester¬
day. The short loop is Labora¬
tory Road to Alumni Drive to
College Way, and back around
in front of Lovett Hall. One bus
will be servicing this loop be¬
tween 1 1 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mon¬
day through Friday. The short
loop is an experimental route,
which was requested by stu¬
dents.
Quote of the Week
"Interiors used lo last 3(1 years,
now they last for about three.
Interior design has become like
set design."
— Kar.m Rashid, designer of
"I'leasurseape, ” the exhibit cur¬
rently on display in the Ru e Art
(laden in Seuall Hall See Re¬
view, I ’age II
OPINION Page 3
'Fattest city ’ title unfair
АДЕ
Page 11
Alley's Equus' lives up to Tony
LIFESTYLES Page 14
Digital Undergrounds opens
—
SPORTS Page 15
Owls lose star center
Scoreboard
Men'» basketball
San Jose State 54, Rice 44
Rice 70, Hawaii 64
Women's basketball
Hawaii 70. Rice 53
Rice 77, San Jose State 67
Weekend Weather
Today
Scattered showets. 39 56 degrees
Saturday
Scatteied showers. 46 51 degrees
Sunday
Mostly cloudy. 51 65 degrees