Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916

Tuesday, May 21, 2024 — Houston, TX

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Honor Council renews penalty structure

(10/24/08 12:00am)

After a three-hour debate, the Honor Council approved this year's Consensus Penalty Structure Sunday by a 17-3 vote, with three members abstaining. The penalty structure, which is identical to last year's, drew concerns this year at the Council's open meeting due to the secrecy surrounding its approval, as well as the renewed efforts to repeal a loophole known as Article XII, which allows students to withdraw for two semesters instead of facing punishment for violating the Honor Code. The penalty structure, which is reviewed by the Honor Council each fall, sets the standard for how the council should treat violations of the Honor Code. This year, the penalty structure retains the same punishment guidelines as last year, with the starting punishment being an F in the course and a two-semester suspension. Penalties can be lessened if the Honor Council feels that the student in violation has cooperated fully with the investigation or based on the degree of the violation, and can be increased to an F and three semesters if the student appears to have premeditated the action or purposefully deceived the Honor Council. The final decision of the Honor Council requires a unanimous vote.


Panel discusses entry to law school

(10/24/08 12:00am)

For many Rice students, the decision to go to law school can be a shaky one, made more unsettled by the lack of a pre-law track at the university and only a handful of law-related classes. But those students unsure of their future post-Rice careers can rest assured in the words of the seven speakers at Wednesday's law careers panel, who all described their accidental entries into the law field. Justice Carolyn King, who serves on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, said she found herself in law school merely because she lacked a plan for anything else.


News in Brief: Traffic stop yields wanted felon

(10/10/08 12:00am)

A routine Rice University Police traffic stop turned into a criminal chase when the car's driver turned out to be a wanted felon. A Rice University Police Department patrol stopped a car going the wrong direction down College Way on Sept. 28, Chief Bill Taylor said. After looking up information about the driver, Drake Young, the officers discovered that he had a felony warrant for a parole violation in Fort Bend County. The officers handcuffed Young and transported him to the RUPD station. While being transferred from the car to the building, Young took off running west down University Blvd. RUPD called the Houston Police Department for backup and were soon joined by a helicopter crew and a canine team, Taylor said.


Students voice discontent at finance forum

(10/10/08 12:00am)

Vice President for Finance Kathy Collins and Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman fielded questions at the Student Association meeting Monday night to a full house in an attempt to assuage students' concerns about the financial transformation planned for colleges and clubs. The changes will apply to over 150 clubs at Rice who currently have independent bank accounts, as well as each of the residential colleges, Forman said.


South College plans finalized

(10/10/08 12:00am)

The first residents of Duncan and McMurtry Colleges will not be a new generation of freshmen. Rather, they will be Baker College and Will Rice College students relocated from their own colleges during the south college renovations, Facilities, Engineering and Planning Project Manager Kathy Jones said. The renovations to the south colleges will begin next May and finish in August 2010. Over this 14-month period, the "new" wing of Will Rice will be replaced, Baker's tower will be removed, a new wing of Baker will be constructed along the inner loop, the seventh and eighth entrances of Baker will be handed over to Lovett College, and a new servery will be constructed between Will Rice, Sid Richardson and Lovett colleges. A total of 82 beds will be added to the south colleges in the project, Jones said.


More money, more problems

(10/03/08 12:00am)

Colleges and clubs at Rice will soon find their finances extensively restructured under a new proposal that will move all external accounts on-campus and impose new restrictions on check-writing and tax records, according to Vice President for Finance Kathy Collins. While the details of the plan, from specific proposals to the date when transitions will begin, are not yet finalized beyond the closure of the accounts, many organizations are already dreading its potential consequences.


Add/drop deadlines to change next year

(10/03/08 12:00am)

Starting next fall, add/drop deadlines will be moved up, giving students half as much time to make decisions about whether or not to add or keep a course compared to the current schedule. Currently, students have four weeks to add a course. During the first two weeks, students can do so without a fee. Next year, however, students will have one week to add a course without a fee followed by two weeks to add with a fee.


News in Brief: Valhalla announces reopening

(10/03/08 12:00am)

After being shut down by Student Judicial Programs for violating a temporary dry campus policy in effect during Hurricane Ike, Valhalla has announced it will reopen following the completion of renovations. Valhalla manager John Stanley said that he expects the pub to be able to reopen next Friday.These renovations include the installation of a new refrigeration system and the repair of a broken pipe, Valhalla Bartender Tim Friedman said. These projects were interrupted when Rice University Police discovered the pub serving alcohol during the period of Hurricane Ike, and subsequently changed the locks to Valhalla.


Football player's parents file wrongful death suit

(09/26/08 12:00am)

The parents of Dale Lloyd II, the Rice defensive back who died Sept. 24, 2006 following a regularly scheduled football practice, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university Tuesday. They contend that a combination of performance-enhancing supplements containing creatine and rigorous practices caused a fatal reaction due to his underlying sickle-cell anemia. Former Rice football coach Todd Graham, four other Rice assistant coaches and team doctors, and the NCAA were also named in the lawsuit, as well as two manufacturers of performance-enhancing dietary supplements: Optimal Nutrition Systems and Cytosport, according to Houston-based Lanier Law Firm in a press release Tuesday, on behalf of Lloyd's parents.



In the wake of Ike

(09/19/08 12:00am)

Hurricane Ike barreled through Houston early Saturday morning, leaving most of the city without electricity or water pressure. But Rice escaped the storm mostly unscathed with its basic functions intact, an occurrence many are attributing to preparation and coordination. Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby credited the relative lack of damage caused by Ike to good planning on the part of the university.


Rice receives $100 million in grants

(09/12/08 12:00am)

Rice received a record $100 million in external funding for research and education last year, which will allow the university to fund cutting-edge research and facilitate the creation of many new programs. Most of this funding will go toward the sciences and engineering disciplines. "This increase shows that Rice is really moving in the positive direction, and I think the future trend will be great," Vice Provost for Research Jim Coleman said. "The increase means that the faculty and staff were incredibly productive in securing funding to do the research teaching and outreach which they think is important."


Rice Webmail upgraded

(09/05/08 12:00am)

Rice's Webmail received an update in May to make it faster and better able to handle the large volumes of e-mail sent to and from Rice accounts every day. Barry Ribbeck, Director for Information Technology Systems, Architecture and Infrastructure, said the update replaced old hardware and software from the Webmail interface, which could no longer accommodate Rice's increasing volume of mail. The Webmail page also got a makeover, which Ribbeck hopes will make commonly used features such as spam filters and vacation messages easier to find. Ribbeck said the update was made following student requests for faster Webmail.


Virtual tour added to attract prospective students

(08/22/08 12:00am)

While students were gone for the summer, visitors flocked to Rice through the latest addition to the Rice Web site: a virtual tour of the university designed to present the brighter sides of campus to alumni and prospective students.The tour, which was put online July 11, features 360-degree views of 16 sites at Rice and in the surrounding area, from the Sallyport entrance at Lovett Hall to the middle of a baseball game at Reckling Park. The tour also features a shot of Rice Village to give new students a glimpse of life beyond the hedges. Visitors can drag the image around to get a complete picture of the sites.


Strong opinions brew over Pavilion's opening

(05/16/08 12:00am)

Students walking around Robert R. Herring Hall and the Rice Memorial Center may have been surprised when the construction fences cawme down to reveal a glass building containing a coffee bar and lounge furniture. The new Raymond and Susan Brochstein Pavilion officially opened to campus with a dedication ceremony April 24. To kick off the pavilion's opening, the Dirk's Coffee bar inside remained open 24 hours a day during finals, from April 27 to May 2, to provide students moral and caffeinated support for the inevitable all-nighters.The pavilion officially opened to the public April 26. One day later, at the President's Study Break hosted by the offices of President David Leebron and Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman, the pavilion introduced itself to students by giving away free coffee to study break attendees.


Sport Mana major passed by Senate

(05/16/08 12:00am)

Students who sought a kinesiology major with an emphasis on sport management can officially change their majors to sport management beginning this fall.The change, which has been in the works for two years, was approved May 5 by the Faculty Senate. Clark Haptonstall, director of the sport management program, said this major will better reflect the work required of the students.


President's Study Break to feature '50s Sock Hop theme, Elvis

(04/18/08 12:00am)

In anticipation of stressful finals, President David Leebron and Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman are inviting students to return to a much simpler era: The 1950s. The '50s Sock Hop-themed study break will celebrate the Rice Memorial Center's 50th anniversary and next Thursday's opening of the Brochstein Pavilion. The '50s Sock Hop will be held Sunday, April 27, from 9-11 p.m.Student Association External Vice President Nick Muscara said he thinks the study break will be attractive to students because it will incorporate the pavilion as well as the Ley Student Center.


Demands strain on-campus housing

(04/11/08 12:00am)

An increased demand for on-campus housing led to panic for many students at room draw this year. At some colleges, room draw coordinators were forced to change their plans to deal with the increased demand for an ever-smaller number of spaces.At Jones College, students are normally bumped off-campus according to their seniority, with juniors and seniors at the highest risk of being bumped. Students get an exemption if they move off campus early.


Leebron serves as panelist at Clinton Global Institute

(03/21/08 12:00am)

Inspired by his experiences over spring break, President David Leebron is encouraging students to step up and use their education to find solutions to global problems.Last weekend, Leebron joined other presidents and students from universities across the country at the inaugural meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative University at Tulane University. The three-day event focused on how students can make a worldwide difference in the areas of energy and climate change, human rights and peace, global health and poverty alleviation.


Perry appoints Gillis to cancer research grant committee

(03/21/08 12:00am)

Former Rice President and current economics professor Malcolm Gillis was appointed to Texas' Cancer Prevention and Research Institute Oversight Committee last Thursday by governor Rick Perry. The institute was formed after a statewide vote in November with the purpose of allocating a total of $3 billion in grants for cancer research to researchers nationwide, not just those based in Texas."I wouldn't have signed up if it had been just Texas researchers," Gillis said. "This proves that we can compete with anybody on equal footing."