Rice clears out the clutter across campus

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– October 26, 2006Posted in: Current News

Rice clears out the clutter across campus

BY JENNIFER EVANS
Rice News staff

The first line of the instructions for disposing of items in Rice’s surplus property sale is discouraging: “The process will take longer than you think.”

Little wonder it’s an oft-procrastinated chore. Further dampening the incentive is the cost to departments for disposing of heavy or bulky items, which boils down to about $81 for a crew of two working for a few hours.

So over the next year, Rice is offering packrats across campus a chance to get rid of clutter and eyesores, to create more space on campus and to do so without having to go through the Greensheet.

‘If it’s old, I want it’: A plea from the university historian

Rice University Centennial Historian Melissa Kean collects, preserves and writes the history of Rice and is all too aware that there are long-forgotten caches rich with artifacts all over campus.

For that reason she has a keen interest in the campus cleanup project and will be eyeing the trash throughout the endeavor, hoping to rescue and safely transfer all the historical items to the archives in Fondren Library’s Woodson Research Center.

Her mantra: “Whatever you have, if it’s old, I want it — or at least I want to get a first pass at looking at it.”

Among the treasures she’s retrieved from just the first two buildings to be cleared out, Allen Center and Lovett Hall, are old cheerleaders’ megaphones; Campaniles dating back to the earliest days of the institute; several of the original chairs from the first lecture hall at Rice; the files of Russ Pittman, who was assistant to the president before Carl McDowell took over in 1976; architectural drawings; and the papers of longtime faculty member Katherine Tsanoff Brown from when she was dean of undergraduates.

“These things help fill some large holes in the institution’s history,” Kean said. “But we are still actively looking for more. In particular, documents that might shed light on the history of the academic departments would be welcome.”

For anyone uncertain of what they have, Kean said she would be happy to help them decide what to toss and what should be sent to the archives.

“I can do it very easily and quickly and relieve folks of some of the burden. And I really do enjoy it,” she said. “Nothing is too small.”
Kean can be contacted at <kean@rice.edu> or 713-348-4449.

“It’s not spring, but we’re cleaning,” said Kathryn Cavender, director of environmental health and safety and chair of the cleanup committee.
She said with all the moving and renovating on campus, lots of purging is going on. In computer monitors alone, Rice has removed more than 23,000 pounds from campus since the summer.

To keep the momentum going, Kevin Kirby, vice president for administration, proposed having heavy trash days, giving each building on campus an opportunity get rid of the clutter.

Each building on campus will be assigned a date and a number of days to clean out every nook and cranny. Almost anything — except hazardous waste — is eligible for the big pitch: computers, journals and books, wall art, paper for shredding, office furniture, office equipment, lab equipment and electronics, batteries and even refrigerators and freezers.

The project got under way in mid-September, with Allen Center being the first building to be cleared out. Cavender and Mike Polk, supervisor of moving, recycling and solid waste for Facilities, Engineering and Planning, coordinated the event with the help of Joan Vogan, executive associate in Kirby’s office, and Patsy Barker, assistant to the vice president for public affairs.

Two sweeps of the building were done, one to remove old and unused computer and electronic equipment and one several days later to clear out smaller refuse.

It was at this point when Rice Centennial Historian Melissa Kean assumed her role in the project, rolling up her sleeves to make sure nothing of historical value was pitched and taking items to Woodson Research Center in Fondren Library for safekeeping. (See the sidebar at right for more on Kean’s efforts.)

Barker said that for the most part, the effort went extremely well and took much less time than anticipated. “Intrusion in the workplace was kept to a minimum, and most occupants were unaware that the building cleanup had even taken place,” she said.

Cavender agreed. “Cleaning out Allen Center and Lovett Hall [which occurred in mid-October] went really well, and Pasty and Joan made it all work right.”
She also praised Polk and his workers. “They moved a ton of junk, sometimes in the rain, and did it with a smile on their faces,” Cavender said.

Over the next year, departments in the remaining buildings should receive notice about their building’s trash day and how to prepare or participate. More information is always available from Cavender at <cavender@rice.edu>.

Upcoming buildings slated for cleaning are the Space Science Building, beginning Oct. 31; Rayzor Hall, beginning Nov. 7; and James A. Baker III Hall, beginning Nov. 14. Cavender hopes to clean out all 56 campus buildings over the next year.

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