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October 18, 2006

Hanging out at Rice University

Rice lovett Hall.jpgRuth Samuelson, an intern with the Houston Press, and a senior at Rice University, reports on David Jovani Vanegas, a 20-year old fellow who showed up about a year ago at Rice as a student and hung out for a year. However, it turns out that he was never actually enrolled at Rice as a student:

On September 13, Rice police arrested Vanegas for criminal trespass. Turns out he wasn't an actual Rice student but a 20-year-old impersonator. Starting last September, Vanegas began eating in Rice's dining halls, hanging out with students and attending classes. Some nights, he crashed in friends' dorm rooms when he was too tired to go home. [. . .]

. . . Within the next few weeks, campus administrators alleged that Vanegas had taken close to $3,700 worth of food from Rice cafeterias. On September 28, the district attorney's office filed felony charges for aggregate theft. Bail was set at $2,000. [. . .]

So why did Vanegas keep coming day after day for three semesters? He told police officers that he hadn't gotten into Rice, but it would have broken his mother's heart for him not to attend. Attempts to reach Vanegas were unsuccessful.

Read about the entire bizarre episode. There is a Marching Owl Band skit in this story somewhere.

Posted by Tom at October 18, 2006 04:41 AM

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Comments

1. Wouldn't his mother notice he never got any grades in the mail? Or a tuition bill?

2. It took me about a year to be qualified as a "student" at Rice.

Posted by: Kenneth [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 18, 2006 01:39 PM

There is a Marching Owl Band skit in this story somewhere.

As students make up a small portion of any Rice football game's crowd, we generally aim our shows at a wider audience. I fear too many people would react with a big "huh?" to such a show.

Too bad, because I think there is some good material there. Alas.

Posted by: Charles Kuffner [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 20, 2006 01:08 PM

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