Letters to the Editor

10/23/08 7:00pm

Bike policies fail to reflect situation

To the editor:The letter from Seiji Yamamoto ("Campus bike laws need clarification," Oct. 3) illustrates that Rice's bicycle policies are obscure and do not reflect current practices on campus.

Last summer Rice formed a bicycle safety committee, with an initial aim of addressing the increasing conflicts between pedestrians and cyclists on sidewalks. Focusing at first on education, the committee produced a bike safety pamphlet and the "Bell or Yell" campaign - an effort to persuade cyclists to announce their presence and slow down to pass pedestrians. The campaign heightened the awareness of safety issues, and the committee has received strong complaints about cyclists speeding recklessly down the sidewalks. Several bicycle-pedestrian accidents have occurred, and many pedestrians have reported harrowing experiences of near-accidents. Rice University Police Department responded to the complaints through increased law enforcement. However, responsible cyclists feel harassed by a sudden enforcement of the confusing bicycle policy.

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The committee is now attempting to make recommendations to update the bicycle policy. This is a daunting task because of passionate sentiments in the Rice community ranging from laissez-faire to absolute prohibition of cycling on sidewalks. Some students want a quick bike commute from their colleges to class. Others want to be able to stroll leisurely around campus while listening to iPods or chatting with friends. Scholars seek a serene environment for contemplative walks to think through complex problems. Rice administrators want to maintain a safe atmosphere on campus. Elderly and vision-impaired pedestrians are particularly endangered by reckless cyclists. But is it necessary to ban cautious cyclists from riding slowly down an empty sidewalk?

A seemingly laissez-faire mix of cyclists and pedestrians works well on crowded streets in northwestern Europe and Japan, where neighborly respect is deeply ingrained in the culture. In contrast, Americans are taught to value speed over public civility. Can we find a practical consensus solution for the Rice campus, with its 1,000 cyclists and 7,000 pedestrians?

Bill Wilson

Biochemistry and Cell Biology Research Scientist

Bicycle Safety Committee Member

Shopping period wrongly cut back

To the editor:

What happened to academic shopping? I was astonished to learn only recently that next year's academic calendar was approved, cutting Rice's traditional add/drop periods in half!

As a Peer Academic Adviser and a student, I have come to value the add/drop "shopping" period as one the best aspects of the Rice experience, right up there with the college system. I have added courses in the second week and dropped classes just before the tenth week to make my schedule more fulfilling or more manageable. Most students have at some point.

To cut these periods shreds apart the shopping policy and with it one of the most unique and useful academic benefits at Rice. One example of why we need at least two weeks to shop classes: seminars taught once a week. A student hoping to shop two such seminars that have time conflicts would be out of luck next fall. The chance to explore a wide variety of courses gives students a broader knowledge of the numerous subject matters available at Rice.

We need to be allowed 10 weeks to drop courses. We are well into the ninth week of classes this year, and in many classes students still have not received a single grade. With that feedback not yet forthcoming, students next fall might find themselves trapped in a course that is over their limit. The 10-week drop creates a safety net that encourages students to take risks in their class choices and attempt to learn subjects in which they may not excel.

Of course, giving students this incredible latitude of time in choosing their classes has costs. Admittedly, it creates more paperwork for the registrar and, occasionally, causes disruption in professors' class rosters. But I thought Rice valued students' enrichment enough to pay these costs. Who knew Rice cares more about cutting down inconvenience than students' academic experience?

In the end, neither professors nor students want to have students forced to take a class because of a registration deadline. Shopping and late drops ensure that students appreciate their classes and that professors appreciate their students. So let's hope the Faculty Senate rethinks a terrible blow to the Rice academic experience.

Dana Hoffman

Will Rice senior

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