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The Rice Thresher
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by LIORA DANAN THRESHER STAFF No significant changes will be made to Beer-Bike parade logistics or to regulations for parade vehicles for the March 25 event, according to coordinators. Beer-Bike Coordinator and Rice Program Council President Lindsay Germano said that the coordinators' focus this year will be on stressing the rules and emphasizing safety. Germano said the Masters and Presidents Beer-Bike Committee discussed recommendations to limit each college to one parade vehicle or to surround the parade area with fences, but these measures will not be implemented this year. "Since these issues were brought up so late in the year, there's really nothing we can do about it this year," Germano, a Hanszen College junior, said. "Nobody said anything until February, and there's not a lot you can do in that time frame." Germano said that after this year's event, she will meet with fellow Beer-Bike Coordinator and Lovett College senior Rebecca Searl and the college Beer-Bike coordinators to come up with suggestions to improve safety for next year. "Next year, the Beer-Bike coordinators will speak at the [Masters and Presidents Committee] meeting earlier," Germano said. "There will be student input in these suggestions." This year's coordinators know that college masters are concerned and will be working to make everyone in the colleges aware of the rules, said Hanszen Beer-Bike Coordinator and sophomore Angie Howe. "We asked our banner committee to make a list of the rules on a big banner so we can hang it in the commons," Howe said. "The morning of Beer-Bike we're going to go over all the rules and how to not get fined." Jones College Beer-Bike Coordinator Nirav Bhagat, a junior, said coordinators realize people are going to break the rules no matter what actions are taken. "We realize the liability in having a campus full of drunk people throwing water balloons," Bhagat said. "But as long as people stay smart, we should be OK." Germano said it is important for those in attendance to remember that Texas state law is still in effect. "All the normal rules that apply in everyday life, they apply for the week of Beer-Bike," Germano said. "You get up and hit someone in the face with a water balloon and they can sue you for assault." Security will be in place at each of the colleges and at the track to ensure all rules are followed, Germano said. She also said the Campus Police will be looking for public intoxication and underage drinking throughout the event. Participants breaking the rules face fines pre-determined by coordinators. Rules are posted on the RPC Beer-Bike Web site at www.ruf.rice.edu/~program/beer-bike/index.html. Germano said colleges can pass fines on to individuals, and she believes the institution of fines has led to a decrease in the number of rule violations. Coordinators are taking many precautions to maintain this trend. "People were getting on the trucks at the colleges and riding over to the Inner Loop, and that's when most of the accidents were happening," Germano said. "Now no one is allowed onto the vehicles before they reach the parade." - back -
This document may be distributed electronically, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted without the express written permission of: The Rice Thresher, Rice University MS-524, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892, USA. The Thresher Online Project -- ethresh@listserv.rice.edu |
