Study break planned

By Brooke Bullock     12/2/10 6:00pm

The President and Dean's OWL-KART Study Break will take place this Sunday from 9 to 11 p.m. Featuring a Mario Kart theme, the biannual study break is organized by Rice Program Council, Rice Cyber Sports and Rice Annual Fund Student Initiative. Director of the Student Center and Campus-Wide Programs Boyd Beckwith said the turnout is expected to be around 1,000.The study break is a long-running tradition at Rice, with one at the end of each semester. Beckwith said it was running before he came to Rice in 1988. This year, the event's budget was cut by 50 percent because of cuts to the dean of undergraduate's budget. Last year's budget was $19,000 for both the fall and spring study breaks - $9,500 for the fall break alone, RPC Treasurer Mia Velasquez said. This year, the budget for both the fall and spring study breaks is $9,500; however, RPC gathered funds to keep the budget as close to last year's as possible.

"RPC sees the value of the event and for that reason allocated some of our blanket tax funds toward the event in order to maintain the same great level of programming that students have come to appreciate from RPC," Velasquez, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, said.

Beckwith said in the past students have not wanted to attend because of crowds, but this year the event is spreading out to the Brochstein Pavilion, which will have coffee and cookies.

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Beckwith said he expects more space for the study break will encourage students to come. Other incentives include a large size Houston Dynamo T-shirt with a $5 purchase of fudge provided by Rice Student Volunteer Program. The proceeds will go to the Texas Children's Hospital.

RPC Traditions co-Chair Tammy Hsu said that the food is TV-dinner themed. Bagel pizzas, macaroni and cheese, gyros, tater tots, smoothies, yogurt and fresh fruit cups will all be served at Sammy's.

Another activity added to this fall's study break allows students to create their own key chains in the Kelley Lounge. A station will be set up where students can take photos in front of a green screen with friends. An OWL-KART background will be placed onto the green screen and the photos can be placed onto the keychain.

According to Duncan College junior Hermione Gilpin, who is an intern for the Rice Annual Fund, RAFSI is sponsoring a Wheel of Fortune game in the Grand Hall lobby that will be free for students and that will offer prizes ranging from coffee bucks from Coffeehouse to a Chuy's gift certificate.

"As this is RAFSI's inaugural year, the main goal of the game is to simply let the students know of RAFSI's presence on campus and how we are a part of the student body," Gilpin said.

There will also be a concert from the Rice Symphonic Band in the Grand Hall and performances by Spontaneous Combustion and the Rice Philharmonics in Willy's Pub. Jones College freshman Rohan Shah said he is looking forward to the study break before finals.

"It'll be a fun way to relax," Shah said. "I've got a lot of studying for finals so [the President's study break] will be a good break.

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