Esperanza awaited anxiously, enthusiastically

As homecoming approaches, so does the annual Esperanza, girls-ask-guys dance (see story, page 5). Offering Rice students a rare chance to dress up and revisit the high school glory days of proms and homecoming dances, Esperanza is traditionally an anticipated event. The past two years have both sold out their allotment of 1,000 and 600 tickets, respectively. This year's number of available tickets has been set at 800; although this is a sizable increase from last year's allotment, there is still concern that this year's Esperanza will fail to accommodate all of those that wish to attend, especially with yet another enrollment increase in this year's freshman class pushing Rice's population to 4,000 undergrads.Furthermore, the decision to host the dance off campus is one worth second-guessing. The 2008 edition of Esperanza, often dubbed as the most successful incarnation of the event, was hosted on campus. Yet, the Rice Program Council has elected to move away from this proven formula for the second year in a row. The Thresher hopes that Minute Maid Park's distance from campus doesn't make university-provided transportation unfeasible. While frequent shuttles are slated to bring students to and from Minute Maid Park, there is a great possibility that wait times will make the classy event a mess for many partygoers. In addition, the Thresher hopes that the privileged students who are able to drive to the dance have the luxury of complimentary parking around the stadium.

Welcome, Provost McClendon

This week, the Thresher was given one of the first looks into the thoughts and life of our new provost, George McClendon (see story, page 1). We would like to take this time to officially welcome him to our community and share the parts of his vision that excite us the most.First, we were happy to see that McClendon places such emphasis on understanding the traditions and unique attributes of this university. His three points of emphasis exhibit willingness and desire to continue pushing forward toward goals that the student body wants to achieve.

Welcome, Parents

The Thresher would like to be the first to welcome the tidal wave of parents that arrive on campus for Families Weekend (see story, page 7). Before you begin cleaning our rooms and folding our laundry, you should take some time to walk around campus and enjoy the many construction projects that your paid tuition money does not even begin to cover. As students that are dying to just make it to the weekend, we ask that you refrain from answering questions or making silly comments in the classes you visit, unless specifically invited to do so. In return, the body will make a concerted effort to turn the music down and make it look like we are here to develop marketable skills.

Sid's '80s fails to impress

The generally accepted expectation of a public party is that it is to be a social gathering in which all are permitted to enter. It would thus seem that Sid Richardson College failed to truly throw a public party last Saturday. The fire alarms and subsequent fire-code enforcement were a repeat of Sid's last party, School Girls. This recurring exclusion of scores of students from Sid parties is becoming a nuisance and is frankly unacceptable.Sid needs to take steps to secure its parties against these false fire alarms. As the freshman classes continue to grow and high party turnouts persist, it's undertandable that these sort of acts will happen from time to time. However, Sid is the only college to have parties fail, twice, because of this sort of activity. The Thresher hopes this does not become a trend.

The Rice University Press closes down

For many members of the Rice community, the news that the university's digital press is being shut down (see story, page 1) illicits a common reaction: The university had a digital press? While losing this resource puts an end to an innovative experiment we would love to see continue on campus, the Thresher believes that in the current economic situation, the viability of maintaining this press would be under question. Though the press was producing at an admirable capacity, taking into account its limited support, its contribution to the campus and to elevating Rice's national standing was negligible. Having produced 18 pieces of work in the last two years is a lot for a $200,000 annual operating budget, but according to some figures, it would take nearly twice that to even begin to make Rice University Press a recognizable entity on the national scene.

Are you ready for some football

It was a beautiful day for football on Saturday when, despite a sea of orange, the Owls played host to the University of Texas Longhorns at Reliant Stadium (see story, page 7). In what has been collectively regarded as a better-than-expected effort, the game marked the much-anticipated start of the 2010 football season, and as long as running back Sam McGuffie promises to stop running backward, the 34-17 loss gave Rice fans a positive outlook for the rest of the year.We at the Thresher took note, however, that little was done to transform the speckles of blue into a cohesive blotch in the crowd of more than 70,000. UT fans come in full force every time the 'Horns come in town to play, and we feel it would have been pertinent to maintain some semblance of a home-team presence with a designated student section, as opposed to randomly scattering Rice students among the unsold nosebleeds.

New hours at Brochstein Pavilion disappointing

It's 9 p.m. on Thursday night, and if you are like many Rice students, you have a problem set due tomorrow and are just about ready to sit down to take a look at it. As you walk toward the lonely confines of Fondren Library for the rest of the night, the overwhelming need for a cup of coffee hijacks your mind. But before you head over to Brochstein Pavilion to prepare for your night in the stacks, be forewarned that the administration is no longer interested in catering to your needs.We at the Thresher, along with much of the student body, were shocked to learn that with the start of the new semester came dramatic cuts in the operating hours of a commonly used study and meeting area (see story, page 4). But the decision to reduce hours does more than give Coffeehouse larger profits in late-night hours.

Getcheroxoff our university's public party policy

It was recently announced that Lovett College's famed Getcheroxoff party will feature several changes this year, geared toward upping security and preventing unwanted disturbances from the party (see story, page 10). The Thresher applauds the college for preemptively taking measures to ensure the safety of the student body. Concerns for campus security should always be placed at the forefront of decision-making.However, because the changes are so different from Rice's established public party structure, the campus rumor mill has been spreading a misconceived notion that paints an improper

Opposition to KTRU sale

This week's Student Association meeting introduced a resolution entitled "To Disapprove of the Secretive Process Employed During the sale of KTRU-FM; To call for a Collaborative Dialogue between Student Stakeholders and the Rice Administration" (see story, page 11). The Thresher would like to highlight this commitment as it pertains to both the student body and the university's administration.First, the SA's support of student organizations is commendable. Though they are understandably powerless to take any action stronger than passing a non-binding resolution, their demand that "the Rice administration provide a concrete assurance ... that the decision to confidentially appraise and sell KTRU-FM was indeed not a precedent" properly engages decision-makers to come to the table and share future plans with the student body. In a place where institutional memories rarely reach back further than four years, it is important that the administration carve in stone their commitment to students.

Errata

Last week, the Thresher reported that $4 million from the KTRU sale would be used toward construction of the East Servery. The Thresher would like to clarify that no final decisions have been made on the amount any project or service will receive, including the East Servery.Due to a printing error, page 10 of last week's issue was not printed. A PDF of this page can be accessed using the following URL: http://tinyurl.com/thresher- page-10

Smooth Transition

Many changes to the Rice campus welcomed students at the start of the fall semester. Though some of those changes have been met with some resistance, the Thresher has been encouraged to see that the new renovations to Will Rice and Baker Colleges have gone without a hitch. The return home for these two colleges has been comfortable and well-received, thanks in large part to planners who all too often hear only criticisms for mistakes, rather than praise for unnoticed smoothness. According to Facilities, Engineering and Planning Project Manager Larry Vossler, "during the first 14 days, a total of four work orders were issued for more than 100 rooms, compared to 5,500 work orders at Duncan and McMurtry [Colleges] in early August of last year" (see story, page 12). The Thresher commends the planning and execution of the move-in into the renovated colleges this semester.

KTRU in Hindsight

As detailed information about the sale of KTRU to the University of Houston continues to be disseminated throughout the student body, many groups are taking steps to determine the immediate future of the organization (see story, page 1). Alumni, KTRU disc jockeys and members of the greater student body are taking action to keep the deal from going through, while the administration tries to ameliorate the situation through discussions with KTRU about its future online operations. We at the Thresher believe that both attempts are simply too little, too late.First, it should be noted that President David Leebron personally met with KTRU officials in an attempt to explain the decision made by the Board of Trustees. Though KTRU affiliates may not have come away with satisfactory answers as to how the university put a price tag on their lives, President Leebron's outstretched arm is a welcomed sign.

KTRU sale dealings ominous for all student organizations

This week, an announcement was made that came as a surprise to both the Rice community and the Houston community in general. The sale of KTRU's transmitter tower, license and frequency to the University of Houston for the sum of $9.5 million has been met with both cries of foul play and shrugs of apathy (see story, page 1). But one thing is certain: This transaction will leave a massive imprint in the pages of the Rice University history book.As any student that has chosen to become part of a specific facet of the Rice community can tell you, there is no price that can be put into the love, dedication and hard work that goes into these undertakings. Coffeehouse workers, Thresher employees, athletes and any other club members have been reminded that the administration can and will act unilaterally to make an existential decision on students' behalf without consultation or even forewarning.

Thresher to return in August

The craziness of the year died down long ago, but we at the Thresher want to wish all of you a happy, restful and fun-filled summer - even if you'll be stuck in a 9-5 job. At least you'll be dodging the Houston humidity bullet!Of course, stay safe and don't do anything we wouldn't do: As much as we love publishing articles about you guys, we'd prefer if you did positive newsworthy things.

New provost excellent fit for Rice

On Wednesday, President David Leebron announced that George McLendon, currently the dean of the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke University, will become Rice's new provost on July 1 (see story, page 1).First, we'd like to express our gratitude to the administration for securing Rice a distinguished academic and leader from one of our peer universities. In addition, McLendon went to the University of Texas-El Paso and Texas A&M University for his undergraduate and graduate degrees, respectively, and is originally from the great city of Fort Worth, so he knows Texas. And, therefore, he is likely already familiar with Rice and the prestigious reputation that the university maintains in this state.

More fond farewells

We'd like to take the time to say a special goodbye to some seniors of our own. We're grateful to these Thresher staffers for sticking it out for four long years and helping our paper earn All-American and Best in Show rankings year after year.We wish the best to senior editor Catherine Bratic, who was always willing to do a little bit extra for the Thresher, whether it was going for a Whursday night dessert run or verifying the facts for an article. Catherine's attention to detail and talent for writing made her a valuable member of our staff. We'll miss her passion for French and food (and French food). Bonne chance!

Serveries enact welcome new focus on health

Rice Dining Services has slowly but steadily been reducing salt, saturated fat and added sugar in our servery food for the last half of the semester (see story, page 10). Although the shift has been all but imperceptible in terms of taste, it represents a drastic change for student health.We at the Thresher will readily admit that as students, we all eat poorly. We drink too much, snack too much and gorge ourselves late at night on junk food. Although we all know we should eat better, our general eating habits are not likely to change any time soon.

All the best to the Class of 2010

Incredibly, another year has come and gone, and with it, another group of seniors moves on to life beyond the hedges. We wish all the best to the Class of 2010. Though jobs are still a bit scarce, we are confident that all of your time and hard work at Rice will put you ahead of the rest. We know that you will all make great names for yourselves and for our university.Most importantly, when you head off into the great beyond, don't forget about us. Come back to visit when you're missing the warmth of Houston or the zaniness of your former home. We'll miss you!

Dean Forman a unique character, devoted leader

At the end of June, Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman will leave Rice to accept the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Emory University in Atlanta (see story, page 1). This announcement, which was made at the beginning of the week, came as a shock to many of us. We'd assumed that Forman, who seems a veritable campus fixture, would be around for years to come, and though we're saddened to hear the news, we wish Forman the best in his future endeavors. We know Emory will gain a dedicated academic and leader with their pick.Forman has served at Rice for 23 years as both an educator and dean, and he leaves behind an extensive legacy. During his five-year tenure as Rice's first dean of undergraduates, he helped to establish the Center for Civic Engagement and interdisciplinary minors. In addition to his role as dean, Forman generally teaches a math class each semester, which offers him a multidimensional approach to the student experience: as an administrator, as an academic and as a mentor to students. His investment at Rice has extended far beyond the academic, however, and he has consistently made a point to reach out to students. He served as Jones College master from 2002-05, and despite taking on a heavier role in the administration in recent years, his dedication to students hasn't waned. Go to just about any home football game, and you'll see Forman hanging out in the bleachers. He regularly eats at serveries and may even know your name: In short, he's much more in touch with students than most other members of the administration.

This week's Editorial Cartoon