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The Rice Thresher
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by Mark Berenson Thresher Editorial Staff
Hasker has since apologized, but the administration has begun to investigate his conduct. The day before the Lunar New Year celebration, sponsored by six Asian student groups and held Feb. 9 this year, a group of students parades through classrooms and residential colleges advertising the festivities. This year, Lovett College senior Jimmy Wu held the head of the dragon. He said he knew Hasker had objected to the interruption the year before. "I walked in and recognized that it was Professor Hasker," Wu said. "We probably should have avoided him this year, but I didn't know that he was in the classroom." Wu said he tried to leave the room. "[Professor Hasker] sprinted from the chalkboard up to me and physically grabbed my arm and, in the process of doing that, shoved me into the wall," Wu said. A student in the class, who requested anonymity, witnessed the event. "All of the sudden, he just totally flipped off the handle, and started yelling at the guy, and ran up and pinned him against the wall," the student said. Hasker admitted he physically confronted Wu. "I went up there and, unfortunately, I even pushed one of the students, not too strongly," Hasker said. Another student in the class estimated that Hasker held on to and yelled at Wu for about 30 seconds. Wu said he was startled by Hasker's actions. "I was quite, quite shocked by the fact that he grabbed me," Wu said. "I really had no words for him either. I just stood there and looked at his eyes." Hasker followed the dancers outside of the classroom. "I basically started yelling at them without any control," Hasker said. "I wanted to know why they were there." The commotion could be heard throughout the ground floor of Sewall Hall. Cris Hamilton, a graduate student in psychology, heard yelling in Sewall Room 301. "I just heard some commotion, some yelling that lasted about a minute, and that was it," Hamilton said. "All the students in the auditorium heard it." Students in Hasker's class said he was shaken up. "He was unsettled," a student said. "He wasn't the same as he was before class." Last year, in response to the dragon dancers entering his classroom, Hasker asked the dancers what they were doing. "When the dragon people came in, Hasker got really mad and asked the class who they were," Wiess College sophomore Ricky Kalra, who was in Hasker's class last year, said. "It was inappropriate behavior for a professor to make such an issue about something this small." However, Wiess sophomore Yoon-Sung Kim, also in last year's class, thought Hasker's reaction then was appropriate. "He threw down the chalk and was asking what their names were. He wasn't yelling loudly," Kim said. "It was appropriate - it wasn't extreme." After last year's Lunar New Year advertising tactic, Hasker contacted Multicultural Affairs Director Cathi Clack to complain about the interruption. Clack said last year's CSA president agreed the dragon dancers would walk through the halls instead of entering classrooms. This year's CSA president, Olivia Lee, said she was unaware of the agreement. "I was not involved in the discussions last year. I wasn't even aware that there was a problem," Lee, a Jones College junior, said. However, early last week, CSA Treasurer Andrew Chang discussed last year's incident with Hasker and suggested the dancers talk to the professors of the classes they planned to visit. "The general decision was that it is a tradition at Rice, and that we never before had any prior approval," Chang, a Wiess junior, said. Shortly after the class ended Feb. 8, Hasker sent an e-mail to Vice President for Student Affairs Zenaido Camacho, Economics Department Chair Peter Hartley, Director of Student Activities Mona Hicks and Dean of Social Sciences Robert Stein to inquire about what actions would be taken against the CSA in response to the breach of the agreement reached last year. Hasker said he didn't address the physical or verbal confrontation in his e-mail. "To be frank, I didn't realize the severity of my actions until somebody sent me an e-mail later that afternoon," Hasker said. Hicks forwarded Hasker's e-mail to student organizations adviser Heather Masden. Masden met with Lee to discuss the incident, and Lee told Masden, Hicks and Clack the details of the confrontation. Clack said she was more concerned by Hasker's actions than by the dragon dancers' violation of the agreement. "My concerns were not so much that the students this year were not aware that we had said 'don't go into classrooms,' but the fact that he got physically abusive with a student became the biggest priority, because under no circumstances is that acceptable," Clack said. Hartley said he is concerned about a professor in his department physically confronting a student. "My job is to teach students economics and help them learn economics," Hartley said. "And I can't see how any physical contact is necessary for that, and it would seem to me that it is quite unhelpful, uncalled for and inappropriate." On Tuesday, Hasker sent an apology to Wu. In it, Hasker wrote, "I have been under a great deal of stress at work lately, and I am afraid I let it out on the member of your organization." Hasker also apologized to his class, saying his actions were uncalled for. One student said he was now apprehensive to meet with Hasker. "I would definitely say that I am scared of him," the student said. "I was going to go in and ask for help on this particular topic because I missed class, but now I thought, 'This is awkward, I don't want to go near him.'" Hasker said he wants students to feel comfortable meeting with him. "I am concerned that it could have damaged my relationship with this class," Hasker said. However, Hasker said he felt he should continue to teach the class. "It was a breach in decorum, but it doesn't reflect on my teaching ability," Hasker said. Lee said the CSA is considering requiring that an e-mail be sent to faculty members saying there is a possibility that dragon dancers may come to their classes. If they have objections, they will be asked to notify the club. Such a change would address Hasker's main concern: that professors are not asked permission before students enter their class Psychology Professor Tony Ro, who was teaching in Room 301 of Sewall Hall when the dragon dancers interrupted his class, agreed that the main problem was the lack of notification, not the dancers themselves. "I did think it was a bit inappropriate that they came into class without asking permission," Ro said. "But once they were in there, there was nothing really that I could do." Wu has not decided whether he will file a formal complaint against Hasker. However, Stein is investigating the situation. "I have to find out what happened, and I must take action if something happened," Stein said. "I need to take my time, but I want to deal with in the next couple of days." "If the charges are serious, and in violation of policy, there are disciplinary procedures, which involves the university council, and there are a host of options, none of which I hope to do," Stein said. Hasker said he would understand if disciplinary action were taken against him. "If the faculty body or student body feels something needs to be done, I am not going to fight," Hasker said. "I have no intention to stop anyone from censuring me in any way - within limits, of course."
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