Who knew Rice's Internet student services needed to be improved? It turns out, most of us are painfully aware of this fact every day. Faced with the necessary tasks of checking email, registering for classes or checking on our homework, most Rice students access the Internet on an hourly basis. Computers and the Internet have become a fundamental part of our daily lives and our academic experience. From the Common Application to applying for graduation, our time at Rice consists of a significant online component. While our university has made significant strides in many domains over the past few years, through new buildings, initiatives and research discoveries, it feels as though we have seriously stagnated in terms of our Information Technology. While we may be attending Rice in the year 2012, core online elements of our educational experience remain behind the times.
Last week's article entitled, "New syllabus policy sets out standards" stated that Administrative Systems was having technical difficulties with putting syllabi archives on Esther. However, according to Administrative Systems Technical Manager Robert Truscott, there are no technical difficulties with the project, but instead the beta version is developed and awaiting institutional approval to go into production. The Thresher regrets this error.
This year's Student Association presidential debate featured a great performance by all the candidates, proving the stereotype that Rice students are engineers lacking any charisma at least partially false. However, after viewing the competitive verbal sparring, in the eyes of the Thresher editorial staff, Sanjula Jain is the clear choice for our next SA president.
Whether freshman or senior, Martelian or Lovetteer, we all complain about on-campus living conditions at one point or another. We've all experienced problems with water pressure and temperature, poltergeist AC units or light fixtures that have minds of their own. In perspective, however, these malfunctions pale in comparison to our own malfunction: We aren't using these spaces properly. Our personal living habits not only drive up the cost of living for everyone at Rice, but they also eat up resources and speed up wear and tear on our facilities.
Addressing Grant Park on the night of his election, then President-elect Barack Obama vowed to rise above the politicking and partisan bickering that plagued Washington and "resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long."
Hanszen College could be seeing new construction begin on its building in the near term (See story in NEWS). One would expect Hanszen's "New Section" to be the nicest in the college, but this name is in fact a misnomer, as the building has stood since 1955 without major renovations or changes, making it the oldest part of Hanszen and one of the most decrepit structures on campus.
The new O'Yeah Cafe is diversifying food choices in the RMC (See story in NEWS). Little Willy's and the O'Yeah Cafe might have funny names, but these two restaurants tell an informative tale about how to operate a successful business on campus. Little Willy's served the same food Willy's Pub does, satisfying a nonexistent demand and subsequently floundering. Simply because a business is student-run does not make it a good one, and Little Willy's proved that Pub must make the hard, smart decisions that every business faces. It might sound harsh, but the Thresher is glad that Pub has finally cut its losses and now focuses on the primary business downstairs from their failed venture.
In his recent article on student complaints about the servery, Christoph Meyer ("On-campus food offerings under-appreciated by student body") highlighted the keenly-felt difference between eating out and eating at the servery: When we go out to eat, we have a great amount of control over the meal: what we order off the menu, how it is prepared, even a choice of restaurants based on what mood we're in.
A new rule has made syllabus distribution a requirement for professors on the first day of classes (See story in NEWS). Syllabi are the roadmap that professors and students follow in their journey of higher learning. Most professors do their due diligence and post their syllabi on Owlspace before their classes, but some do not. Rice University and the Student Association widely standardized this practice by mandating it across all departments. Rice plans on archiving these syllabi online.
In response to: "On-campus food offerings under-appreciated by student body"
Last Thursday, Jan. 19, the athletics department took a strong step in outlining its vision for the second century of Rice athletics by holding a one-and-a-half hour forum for Rice athletics' fans and supporters (see story, pg. 1). The Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan and President David Leebron discussed the merits of Rice student-athletes as well as the five pillars that Rice is choosing to erect its plan for the success of Rice athletics upon.
"Ugh, servery food is disgusting today." "I'm so tired of eating in the servery." "I just can't eat this anymore, let's go off campus." These comments about our on-campus dining, among many others, are much too frequently overheard at Rice, whether it is lunch time on Saturday or at dinner on Tuesday. Many students, myself included, often voice their dissatisfaction with what Rice Dining has to offer in the serveries.
What marked the beginning of the CNN Republican presidential debate in South Carolina was neither a question about the future of Iran nor a philosophical question about the role of government in our society. Rather, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was asked to comment on allegations that he sought an open marriage with his ex-wife. This question not only gave Gingrich a chance to verbally crucify the "liberal media establishment," but also made me consider the deeper problem that our culture has become astoundingly superficial.
Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich came under media criticism in the latest Republican debate about his ex-wife's allegation that he asked her for an "open marriage." Incidents such as this are common, yet no consensus has been reached on how much a candidate's personal life should affect his or her ability to govern. However, a candidate's moral compass, including personal issues, cannot simply be ignored when he is running for an office such as president — one that demands a high degree of moral courage and strength.
