Last October, the Class of 2014 joined thousands in the Rice community to celebrate our university's 100th birthday. Watching the Centennial Spectacle in the Academic Quadrangle with fellow Owls, both past and present, gave me a great sense of pride and awe. As the owl's wingspan flickered out across Lovett Hall and a hush fell over the audience, I realized just how lucky I am to be a Rice student. I know many in my class felt the same way.This year may be the last for the senior class, but our time as Rice alumni has not even begun. To commemorate our college experiences, the Association of Rice Alumni offers a small, elegant keepsake: class rings. Rice Rings are exclusive to Rice graduates (President David Leebron can't even have one) and unite Owls across generations and international borders. A long-standing tradition dating back to 1916, the Rice Ring was designed entirely by students. After its design was finalized in 1918, the ring saw no more changes until two years ago, when engraved college crests on the ring's interior band became an option for the first time. While the addition of the college crest ties our Rice experiences to our individual colleges, the unchanged exterior face features a university crest that identifies us as Rice graduates to the outside world. Lastly, the graduation year on each ring serves to connect us with our class.Some students might wonder whether a ring is worth the investment, and the simple answer is yes. Sporting a class ring can help with job interviews, open new networks and offer a starting point for conversation. The value of owning and wearing a Rice Ring is, ultimately, priceless. Not only does the ring have practical value, but it also serves as a tangible representation of the pride we have for Rice. The ring represents anything and everything we want to remember our Rice experiences by: Night of Decadence, those delicious frosted brownies from Coffeehouse, Club Fondren, the Centennial Procession, Architectronica, concerts at the Shepherd School of Music, squirrels, Associates Nights, midnight runs to 59 Diner. It symbolizes the opportunities Rice has afforded us as students and what Rice holds for us as alumni. Moreover, the ring is a way for us to represent Rice to the world.Following the success of last year's Rice Ring events, Alumni Affairs and the Rice Ring Ambassador Committee are once again hosting a Ring Celebration to honor and recognize the tradition behind the ring. The event is scheduled for the evening of Nov. 14, 7:30-9:30 p.m., in the Rice Homecoming and Reunion 2013 Alumni Tent. The Alumni Tent will be between the Shepherd School of Music and Jamail Plaza Fountain. Food and drinks will be provided, and families are welcome to join the festivities.Rice Rings can be ordered through the Rice Bookstore and are available in 10-, 14- and 18-karat yellow and white gold. Ring Ambassadors have worked to bring prices down such that purchasing a ring can be a viable option for all students. In addition to the traditional metals, less-expensive metals such as silver celestrium (stainless steel) and sterling silver are available, as are interest-free installment plans. While rings can be ordered any time, those who purchase their rings by Sept. 19 are guaranteed to have their rings available for pickup at the Ring Celebration in November. To help with sizing and metal selection, Balfour representatives will be available at the Rice Memorial Center from Sept. 17 - Sept. 19, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.Investing in a Rice Ring is a sign of our commitment to continue serving as ambassadors of the university. In just one year, we will no longer be Rice students, but Rice alumni. As the most recognizable emblem of the Rice University network, this single piece of jewelry connects us to the broader Rice community and strengthens the bonds and memories we all share. Taking part in this tradition links us to those who have already left the Sallyport and those who have yet to walk in. See what doors your ring will open for you.
Two Rice University students were selected to participate in the Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum, a program that allows students at American and Russian universities to meet, discuss, and work on policy proposals and initiatives together, according to senior lecturer of Russian Jonathan Ludwig.According to Ludwig, Jones College senior Rohan Shah and Brown College junior Irene Oh were selected to represent Rice University in this forum and will be the first Rice students to do so.Ludwig said the program was started at Stanford University in 2008 and has expanded to include more than 150 students from over 20 Russian and American universities.Ludwig said any student, undergraduate or graduate, from any major can apply to the program. He said participants are selected through a competitive application process conducted by Stanford. The ongoing program will last until April 2014."This program gives Rice students an excellent opportunity to play a role in policy formation with and concerning Russia and indicates that Russia is still a very important country in the world, both to work with and to keep an eye on, as we see today relating to Syria," Ludwig said. Oh said she was a Gateway Summer Fellow and previously worked in the Embassy of Korea in Kazakhstan during the summer. She said she is excited to represent the United States as a non-citizen."I am very honored to represent Rice in this bilateral forum," Oh said. "I think it will provide abundant opportunities to promote both in the U.S. and abroad how amazing our Rice community is."According to Oh, the program consists of three parts: the Moscow Conference, a collaborative research project and the Stanford Conference. Each student will be a part of a team comprised of two Russian students, two American students, a professional mentor and a student mentor, Oh said. Each project will culminate in a research paper on a policy recommendation.Shah, a previous Gateway Study of Leadership fellow, said he believes the forum will expand the impact policy makes in science."The Stanford U.S.-Russia Forum will allow me to further develop my knowledge and understanding of health policy and economics spheres while surrounding myself with like-minded, passionate peers from both the U.S. and Russia," Shah said. "I am excited for the prospect of working with my peers as I broaden my own worldview and understanding of creating effective and meaningful policy."
This year, the Office of Alumni Affairs will no longer be sponsoring the Senior Committee responsible for putting on events like 100 Days, an off-campus event which celebrates the last 100 days before commencement, and Senior Gala, an off-campus event for seniors to celebrate the end of the year, according to Director of Alumni Engagement Suzanne Boue. In previous years, the Senior Committee has been in charge of fundraising for these events and acting as a liaison between seniors and alumni, according to Joey Capparella (Brown College '13), one of the members of the 2012-13 Senior Committee."[Those events] give [Alumni Affairs] an opportunity to reach out to seniors before they graduate and tell them about all the ways they ... connect with all the alumni networks," Capparella said.Instead of the Senior Committee, Alumni Affairs will sponsor a Future Alumni Committee, which will be dedicated to connecting all current students, as opposed to only seniors, with Rice alumni, Boue said. The committee will be responsible for events like Families Weekend, the New Alumni Welcome Picnic, the Alumni Tent at Beer Bike and the Ring Ceremony, which occurs in the Alumni Tent during Homecoming. The committee was first publicized during Orientation Week when T-shirts were handed out to new students after the President's Barbecue, Boue said.The decision to refocus the Office of Alumni Affairs occurred over the summer as a result of conversations between Boue, Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, Student Association President Yoonjin Min and a representative of the college presidents, Boue said."[We thought] students in general did not connect 100 Days or Senior Gala with anything involving alumni," Boue said. "It seemed more appropriate that those events went back to being hosted and promoted through student groups as they have been in the past."Min said that during these discussions, she and the college presidents wanted to ensure 100 Days and Senior Gala could still happen."We all felt that these senior events were really important to the senior class, and we obviously didn't want to see them just disappear," Min said.Min said she and the college presidents are currently searching for other student organizations to host and plan 100 Days."It will not be the [Office of Alumni Affairs]," Min said. "We're trying to play with different ideas about possibly merging similar events, but we're treating Senior Gala as more of a priority."Min said she and the presidents plan for members of the new Future Alumni Committee to take the reins on planning Senior Gala."The current plan of action is that the 11 seniors from [the Future Alumni Committee] will be planning Senior Gala with oversight from [Alumni Affairs], so they will help plan the event like in the past," Min said. "The seniors will plan most of the logistical aspects of the event, as well as marketing. A staff member from Alumni Affairs will work in an advisory capacity for the most part, and will also help with contracts and things of that nature. The impetus will really be on the students to plan the event to make sure that it happens."The group recognized that a change needed to be made to the events so that they can happen again this year, Min said. One issue stemmed from funding for the events. Min said that in the past, ticket sales from 100 Days have gone toward funding Senior Gala, thereby offsetting the cost of the latter event. However, Min said she, the college presidents and Hutchinson decided this system was unfair to students who purchased tickets for 100 Days but were unable to attend Senior Gala because they were not seniors or were under 21.To address this problem, Min said she and the presidents were planning to make 100 Days and Senior Gala two financially separate events."If we raise the ticket prices or invite young alumni who are over 21, Senior Gala can be completely financially sustainable," Min said.Min and the presidents also said the use of alcohol has been a problem for 100 Days in the past and that the issue would have to be addressed moving forward."There's going to have to be compromises made based on the reputation of these events in the past," Min said. "They can't be as centered on alcohol as they have been."Min also said Alumni Affairs' decision not to plan 100 Days and to work on Senior Gala in a different capacity was not because of the new alcohol policy. "[Alumni Affairs not planning these events as they existed in the past] is something that has been talked about for more than one year, so the new alcohol policy didn't really play a role in their decision not to do it this particular year," Min said. Sid Richardson College senior Rachel Tenney said she has enjoyed attending 100 Days in the past and would be disappointed to see it discontinued this year."I have always liked 100 Days because it's cool to go out to a bar with everyone you know," Tenney said. "It's kind of like going to a public party but in a different setting."Tenney said she was upset to hear about potential changes to 100 Days."It's frustrating that it's changing for our senior year," Tenney said. "These are two big events that differentiate your senior year from every other year. All the changes feel like they're trying to take away all the things that make Rice what it is."Ultimately, Min said she wanted to reassure students that 100 Days and Senior Gala would continue to happen."There's going to have to be compromises made based on the reputation of these events in the past," Min said. "They can't be as centered on alcohol as they have been, and Senior Gala will probably be more expensive [so that it can be financially independent]. But the biggest thing [for students to understand] is that it is a huge priority for the college presidents and for myself that these events happen in some form."Descriptions for positions on the Future Alumni Committee will be released Monday, Sept. 16. Applications for those positions will be available the following day.
The Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen held an open house Sept. 7 to celebrate the renovation of its basement, which added 6,000 square feet of usable space, according to Director of the OEDK Maria Oden."The expansion of the OEDK is to better serve the need of students. We added 26 tables for [project] teams in the basement and quadrupled the electronic working area," Oden said. "We added a new, larger conference room and computer lab. We added one faculty member, two staff members and a technician to help students. The renovation itself cost $1.2 million. The original OEDK cost about $5 million."Associate Director of the OEDK Amy Kavalewitz said planning for the expansion started in January 2013 and construction, which took about three months, began after commencement in May. Kavalewitz said the OEDK received $600,000 for the project from the Asset Liquidation Funds Appropriations Committee, which allocated proceeds from the KTRU sale.Professor of electrical and computer engineering and of computer science Joseph Cavallaro said the larger space will allow more students to have the chance to experience engineering design."The opening of the basement offers space for more students, and it will certainly lead to better engineering performance," Cavallaro said. "Major facility upgrades, such as the 3-D printer, will help students to create more interesting prototypes as well." Director of the OEDK Maria Oden said the OEDK would catch up with students' growing interest in engineering and better accommodate students' needs in the future."We are adding more equipment in [the] machine shop, a [computer numerical control] mill and a laser cutter," Oden said. "We are also setting up electronic stations to provide opportunities for more students to have hands-on engineering experience."OEDK Engineering Design Technician Carlos Amaro said students are already benefiting."There is a new section for ENGI 120: Intro to Engineering Design and its continuation class, ENGI 300: Engineering Design Workshop," Amaro said. "If every design team gets a table, we'll have 60 of our 65 tables occupied."Ronnie Featherston, the Schools of Natural Science and Engineering liaison for Facilities Engineering and Planning, said the OEDK has an extraordinary history and that this expansion is a fresh start."Before the 1980s, the OEDK was actually the central kitchen," Featherstone said. "Cooks ... prepared the meals in the kitchen, and the meals were sent to the eight colleges. However, in the mid-'80s, colleges started the satellite kitchens, and the central kitchen was abandoned. [Since then], only the Marching Owl Band used the basement for rehearsing. Five or six years ago, the [George R. Brown] School of Engineering renovated [the] building and made it what it is today."Rice Solar Car President Juan Borbon said the capabilities of the new OEDK would allow project teams to do more work in-house."Previously, we had to outsource a lot, Borbon, a Jones College junior, said. "Doing stuff in-house saves us money and time between conceptualization and production, allowing for iteration."
The Center for Civic Engagement is now the Center for Civic Leadership and has gained a host of new staff members, according to Director of the Community Involvement Center Mac Griswold.Leadership Rice Director Judy Le said the name change helps connect and bring together the three offices within the Center for Civic Leadership: Leadership Rice, the Office of Fellowships and Undergraduate Research, and the Community Involvement Center. Le said the experiences offered to students by the three CCL offices overlap and that the CCL wants to help students prepare for their volunteering experiences, understand how their experiences connect to their values and continue to work to make changes in their communities."Having the CCL in place really helps [show that] experiences should not be thought of in a vacuum," Le said.OFUR Director Caroline Quenemoen said OFUR offers numerous programs that encourage students to develop their skills in research, internship and service."[OFUR] focuses on research opportunities and has a new program called the Houston Action Research Teams that allows students to engage with Houston community partners and to solve problems in the community," Quenemoen said. "Leadership Rice offers internship opportunities through the Summer Mentorship Experience, and the [CIC] offers service opportunities."According to Associate Dean of Undergraduates and Associate Vice Provost Matthew Taylor, the motivation for the change was to better convey the CCL's role on campus. " 'Civic engagement' was a reflection of the initial idea behind the center, which came in part from President [David] Leebron, and also of our original vision based on partnerships with organizations around the city and getting students out from behind the hedges," Taylor said. Griswold said the name change does not itself change anything for students, but rather reflects how the CCL envisions its future work and outcomes.According to Griswold, Lauren Caldarera will fill the new position of associate director of the CIC and will strengthen existing programs like Alternative Spring Break. Griswold said Caldarera will also work on six one-credit courses focused on leadership training, logistical training, and safety and support for site leaders.Additionally, programs such as Beyond the Sallyport, which will introduce students to the Houston community and develop them as civic leaders, and a capstone course for those demonstrating commitment to civic or social issues will be launched by next year, Quenemoen said.Le said the capstone course aims to create change within communities and launch students into a lifetime of civic leadership."We are conceptualizing the capstone course right now for students who have had a great deal of experience already in engaging on civic and social issues," Le said. "The capstone is meant to continue that work."Taylor said that in addition to Caldarera, the CIC hired two new assistant directors, Kelly Windham and Jacqueline Jones. He said Leadership Rice also has a new associate director, Felicia Martin (Sid Richardson College '99), and a new assistant director, Jesse Hendrix. Griswold said students need to look at the individual pieces of what they do and create a larger vision. "There has to be some bigger meaning to the work that you do, and being able to articulate that and convey it to others is an important part of leadership," Griswold said. Hanszen College junior Emily Sartain, an ASB site leader for 2014, said she thinks the new one-credit courses for site leader improve the structure of the ASB program and that the name change of the CCL shifts the center's focus from participation to leadership."That [name change] emphasizes taking a leadership role more than just being a participant," Sartain said.
This past summer, the OwlSpark Accelerator Program raised $313,000 and provided mentors, office space, guidance and a structured program for nine companies with an average age of 14 months, co-founder Vivas Kumar, a Will Rice College senior, said.Kumar said the goal of the program is to increase entrepreneurship at Rice by engaging students in an accelerator program and providing them with space, funding, and access to a network of mentors and investors from the Houston area to achieve their goals.OwlSpark benefited from the voluntary efforts of over 120 professionals as consistent mentors to 37 students, Kumar said. Nearly 350 people attended the inaugural Pitch Day, showing the program's success, Kumar said."One of our companies just signed a huge deal with the IKEA Foundation and the [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]," Kumar said. "Almost all of the companies acquired at least their first customer this summer."Co-founder Veronica Saron said the students who formed these companies will continue to work for their companies and will be mentored through ENGI 428: Entrepreneurship Independent Study, taught by temporary entrepreneur in residence for the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership Bryan Hassin (Lovett College '01).According to Saron, OwlSpark's goal is to teach students how to maintain and run a company in the real world."We hope that, because of OwlSpark, more Rice students will be comfortable with starting their own business," Saron, a Will Rice senior, said. "Our goal is to combine entrepreneurship conferences on campus and [increase] Rice's involvement in business."Saron said she believes the future of OwlSpark is bright. This coming summer, OwlSpark plans to have another accelerator program with a few modifications."OwlSpark plans to change the location of the [program] next summer to a nontraditional, open space on campus and to include a stipend for every student," Saron said.Kumar said he believes the program went smoothly due to the support of the university."The OwlSpark team and companies sincerely thank the wonderful people at [the] Rice Center for Engineering Leadership and Rice Alliance, the Office of the Provost and the university as a whole for continuing to support the strong vision for entrepreneurship in the future of Rice University," Kumar said.Wiess College junior Jennifer Ding, who participated in the accelerator program, said it was an excellent way to learn how to run a company. "There are so many ways we can change the world and create positive change," Ding said. "As Rice students we are equipped and empowered to implement this change, especially in our own community. That's really the essence of entrepreneurship - using what you have to make a change, leave an imprint on our world."
The Thresher commends Rice University for selecting Joe Karlgaard as the new director of athletics (see story, p. 1). In choosing Karlgaard, a former student-athlete himself, Rice shows its devotion to student-athletes. The Thresher believes Karlgaard's experience at Stanford University, a top academic university also known for its competitive athletic program, will help to propel Rice forward athletically while staying true to its commitment to academic excellence.The Thresher hopes Karlgaard will give much-deserved attention to all sports, not simply big-name sports like football and baseball. The Thresher believes all student-athletes should be recognized for their accomplishments, no matter the sport.Lastly, the Thresher would like to commend the administration for the way in which the search for the new director was conducted. The Thresher appreciated having student-athlete representatives on the committee so that the important voice of athletes, without whom the athletic program would not exist, could be heard when selecting a director. Through including students in the selection committee, the administration upheld the value it places on student governance and impact. The Thresher wishes Karlgaard luck in the new position and hopes he will give the Rice athletic program the passion it deserves. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece's author.
Projects for student development were and will be funded thanks to Rice University's Centennial Campaign exceeding its fundraising goal of $1 billion.According to Vice President of Resource Development Darrow Zeidenstein, the campaign received more than 200,00 gifts from nearly 50,000 donors.Zeidenstein said the campaign was launched was to raise financial resources to begin implementation of President David Leebron's Vision for the Second Century and rally the entire Rice community around the university's ambitions."A campaign's more than just raising money," Zeidenstein said. "It's about getting people involved. It's about bringing them to campus as we did during the Centennial ... to instill a sense of pride and engagement with the campaign. A campaign is a campaign not just to mobilize resources, but to mobilize people, and people's energy and excitement as well." The money raised in the campaign has had both an immediate and long term impact and has mainly raised the university's gain in three areas - student support, research and community outreach, according to Zeidenstein.Some of the raised money was gifted, such as to the Rice Annual Fund, and was made, given, and spent that year, whereas some of the money that was committed, paid or not, is restricted by what the donor wants to see happen, Zeidenstein said."During the whole campaign, about 56 million dollars came into the university through the Rice Annual Fund for Student Life and Learning," Zeidenstein said. "That was money that was used to help support budgets for the residential colleges, to support our need-blind admissions program, for [the] library and [for] other kinds of student support activities, and I think [it] made a big difference to why Rice [is] No. 1 [in] student quality of life right now in the Princeton Review." Additionally, Zeidenstein said the campaign funded 28 endowed chairs."That is 28 endowments that supports keeping the best faculty here and bringing really great professors to campus," Zeidenstein said. "Not all those chairs have been fully funded and not all the professors have come, but a good number have [already], and that means more course offerings, better faculty, better academic reputation, etc. The impact on that is immediate for students now, [and] because their reputation is excellent in research and teaching, [there's] going to be a long-term benefit from the campaign." Programs funded by the campaign money include the Chao Center for Asian Studies and the OpenStax College, a Rice initiative led by Richard G. Baranuik, the Victor E. Cameron Professor in Engineering, to make free 25 textbooks from the 25 fields that make up 80 percent of the textbook market, Zeidenstein said. "[The campaign] raised ... millions to actually either acquire the rights to really good textbooks, or to contract with leading professors and faculty members who write these textbooks," Zeidenstein said. "We pay them a good amount of money, they write really excellent textbooks, and they're put up online ... you can download [them] from iTunes for like three bucks, or you can download right into an HTML browser for free at openstaxcollege.org." There are also a number of brand-new programs funded by donors, Zeidenstein said, including a doctoral program in art history, the only degree of its kind offered in Houston.Zeidenstein said art initiatives funded by donor money do not take away from scholarships or direct student support. "I think it's really important that you don't set it up as a trade-off between students on one hand and beautiful art," Zeidenstein said. "People, above and beyond what they were already doing for the university, in terms of research and student support, also wanted to add beauty to the campus, and they did it through their giving." Zeidenstein said he hopes people will realize philanthropy is necessary for the university, especially for student life."I worry that people will think, 'Oh fundraising is just about these really big buildings and nice-looking art, so it's only about the colleges, the rec center, and these big sculptures' ... because that's what people see," Zeidenstein said. "But if you remove from the campus everything that is either currently supported by philanthropy in the form of permanent endowment or has been created because of philanthropy, the university would not be number one in student quality of life. I don't think it'd even break the top 50 ... Student life would be pretty barren and not nearly as rich if you took away philanthropy." The post-campaign goal is to continue to engage people in the life of the university, even if they aren't alumni, Zeidenstein said, so that they will be willing to support any future initiatives. Rice University President David Leebron said he thinks the campaign's success should give everyone a great feeling of optimism as Rice's second century begins. "With a university our size to exceed a goal that was higher than we were advised could be achieved, in the economic climate we faced, is just a tremendous testimony to the support of our alumni, our friends and the people of Houston," Leebron said. "We ought to all take pride that we've created and sustained a university that attracts that kind of support. Per person basis... this is one of the most successful university campaigns. This is what it takes to sustain the success of a university like ours. We could not continue to have the success we have had without this kind of support."Martel College sophomore Jenna Netland said she thinks that if the campaign money is used correctly, it can have a very positive impact on education at Rice. "Obviously there are a lot of things that people will come here for, like the residential college system and the atmosphere, but the main thing is to get that good education," Netland said. "I think that having funds to improve Rice's staff and to improve the way that we can teach students in the classroom is always going to be a wonderful thing for the university as a whole."
This past Sunday marked the start of the Rice Bike Rental program as a group of Rice University students took hold of 30 gleaming new bicycles - theirs to keep for the rest of the semester. Previously, the bikes were kept in the basement of Sid Richardson College, which houses the student-run Rice Bike Shop. Employees of the shop worked closely with organizers of the Rice Bike Rental program, helping to select and acquire the bikes.The program aims to reduce Rice students' dependence on motorized transportation by providing semester-long leases of quality bicycles at a reasonable price - $50 per semester, plus a $100 deposit, according to the group's website.General manager Sena McCroy said the number of applications greatly exceeded the number of available bikes. McCroy, a McMurtry College senior, said priority was given to applicants who have long-distance needs, such as those who live off campus.Rice Bike Rental was initially conceived by five students taking the course ENST 302: Environmental Issues: Rice in the Future. The original group comprised McCroy, graduate student Allen Chen, exchange student Clement Ory, McMurtry senior Tristanne Mock and Zach Casias (Wiess College '13).Rice Bike Shop general manager Matt Makansi said a hallmark of the program is the accountability it asks of its participants in their involvement with regular maintenance. "Students will learn how to take good care of their bicycles even after their rental is over," Makansi, a Duncan College senior, said.According to the rental agreement, bikes must be brought into the Rice Bike Shop in Sid Rich once a month for a check-up and routine maintenance. Renters are also advised to refill their tires every two weeks, either by themselves or by visiting the shop, and may bring in their bikes for additional extra repairs such as those for major cosmetic damage or structural damage, which will incur an extra cost.However, repairs will not likely be a pressing concern, according to financial officer Denis Leahy."The bikes are of better quality than those offered in [Rice's previous] bike share program," Leahy, a Martel College senior, said. According to the website, the fleet consists of 30 Torker U-District single-speed road bikes, complete with lights and a front basket. Their black frames range from 48 to 56 centimeters to accommodate different heights and bear a special sticker to distinguish them from other bikes on campus. However, according to Makansi, such a distinction is hardly needed. "Torker is a West Coast company," Makansi said. "There probably won't be any others on campus." According to Makansi, Torker was chosen for its good quality and bulk prices.Crystal Olalde, a Martel Junior, said the bike rental program came at a perfect time."I moved off-campus this year, and even though my roomate has a car, I wanted to have the option of getting to campus without a ride," Olalde said. Olalde, who rented a bike for this semester, said she wasn't disappointed by the quality of her new bike, and appreciated the amenities provided with the rental."I love the bikes they provided - they're really nice," Olalde said. Olalde said the positive envinronmental impact is an important factor to consider when deciding whether to bike instead of drive."I think it's a good first step, and not just at Rice but in Houston in general." Olalde said. "I think it's awesome that they're trying to be environmentally safe."
Rice University student parkers received an email Wednesday, Aug. 28 from Facilities Engineering and Planning informing them of lot closures due to the pending construction of the George R. Brown Tennis Complex."FE&P is in the process of closing off areas of West Lot 2 and 3 for the future tennis complex near Rice Boulevard," Manager of Communications for FE&P Susann Glenn, wrote in the email. "We are asking all parkers to relocate from these areas before 7 p.m. this Friday, Aug. 30."Parking Manager Mike Morgan said that although close to 600 spots are being occupied by the construction, everyone who previously purchased a permit for West Lot would still be able to park there."The biggest impact people will notice is where you used to swim in spaces in West Lot 3, there will be very few spaces," Morgan said. "West Lot 2 will fill up more often."According to Morgan, commuters arriving later in the day will have to park in West Lot 4, and occasionally in West Lot 5. Morgan said resident students should be able to keep a spot in West Lot 3 and should not fear being displaced to the Greenbriar Lot, which will be the last resort and will occur only during game days when West Lots 4 and 5 are sold to capacity.Morgan said that the Inner Loop bus will now make a modified loop around West Lot 3 to accommodate extra space for the construction site. According to Assistant Vice President for Project Management and Engineering Kathy Jones, the conception of the tennis center began in 2011, but student parkers were not notified until early last week.Jones College freshman Joan Liu said she would have liked more notice from FE&P."I think that the parking team did a poor job of notifying people of the situation," Liu said. "It would have made more sense for students to know about the construction plans before they paid for parking." Jones said she anticipates only a small portion of the parking spots occupied by the current construction will be restored once the project is completed in June 2014.Glenn said that while no concrete plans have been decided on yet, FE&P will work toward solutions for improved parking in the future to better serve Rice faculty and students.An email from Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby Aug. 30 reminded Rice students, faculty and staff that although parking will be more limited, they should still park their cars within Rice's campus to avoid disturbing the surrounding neighborhoods.
Whenever I tell people I spent this past summer doing research, they usually wrinkle their noses over how boring it sounds. Maybe it is because I love science, or maybe it is because I did my research in southern France, but the past summer was easily one of the best of my life. Though Rice has hundreds of opportunities and internships on campus, all students should explore beyond the comfortable hedges - in my case, all the way in Europe.
Star Trek Into Darkness The critically acclaimed follow-up to the 2009 reboot of the classic sci-fi franchise follows the continued adventures of the USS Enterprise a year after the previous installment. The entire main cast, including Chris Pine (Unstoppable) and Zachary Quinto (Heroes), returns to take a journey to the Klingon homeworld in order to search for a former Starfleet member-turned-criminal, Khan. In this sequel tensions arise between Spock and Kirk as Khan challenges their perceptions of their roles in Starfleet. Bonus features include exclusive behind-the-scenes documentaries.Love in the FutureJohn LegendAfter several delays, the Grammy Award-winning R&B soul-man finally releases his fourth collection of smooth love songs, inspirational ballads and gospel-influenced tunes. As the title suggests, the album has a more futuristic sound than Legend's previous work, but also features guest appearances from R&B newcomer Stacy Barthe and Mafioso rap titan Rick Ross, production from industry heavyweights such as Q-Tip and Pharrell Williams, as well as his current single, "Made to Love."FUSEKeith UrbanIt has been nearly three years since Urban's last stu- dio album, and his seventh effort contains 13 all-new tracks, including collaborations with fellow country stars Miranda Lambert and Eric Church, as well as a new, more modern sound made by fusing elements of different instruments Urban heard throughout his in- ternational travels. Featuring "Little Bit of Everything," which already has charted in the top 10 of the U.S. Country Singles Chart, the Australian serves up yet an- other sure-to-be hit to perfectly accompany the final dog days of summer.RiddickAlthough the prior two films in the The Chronicles of Riddick series were tepidly received, Vin Diesel (Fast & Furious) returns to the cult franchise nearly 10 years after the most recent installment for more action-packed, sci-fi adventures. The new film follows the title character as he attempts to save his home planet from destruction while fighting off galactic bounty hunters and fighting for his own survival. R. 103 minutes. Also available in IMAX.
Darra Keeton is a professor emeritus of drawing, painting and print-making in the Rice University Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts. Keeton joined the faculty in 1993 as a sabbatical replacement and was eventually granted tenure and awarded Rice's Phi Beta Kappa award for teaching in the mid-90s.
Rice Coalition for Hunger and HomelesnessThe Rice Coalition for Hunger and Homelessness will focus on tackling poverty and homelessness in Houston, according to founder Ahmed Haque.Haque, a graduate student in bioengineering, said that while most service clubs tend to mitigate the effects of hunger and homelessness, RCoHH differs because it will try to attack the problem at its source."Volunteering itself is great and incredibly important but, in and of itself, isn't enough," Haque said. "In order to make meaningful change, there is a real need to spend time experimenting with new kinds of solutions, developing connections with existing agencies, building deeper awareness about the problem and generally serving as advocates for this group in need."The club was originally started to continue a project Haque and a group of friends had been working on called Sandwiches-for-All, in which students made and distributed sandwiches to the local impoverished and shelters, according to Haque. Eventually, the group realized their project could accommodate more volunteers, and more importantly, that what they were doing was not enough, Haque said."While handing out sack lunches was awesome and it was obvious that those receiving them were incredibly grateful, the work itself felt sort of low-impact," Haque said. "Handing someone a sack lunch once a month, even if every month, is just a tiny Band-Aid solution to a serious structural problem."Haque said that because of this, he and his friends spent some time planning projects with longer-term solutions to poverty and hunger in Houston and have come up with three additional projects.According to Haque, the RCoHH will work with the Houston Police Department's Homeless Outreach Team to pair resourceful students up with homeless people on the streets who need jobs and housing. The students will coach their partner through many of the issues the homeless face, he said. Another project is the Photojournaling Houston Poverty Campaign, according to Haque. This project will spread more awareness of the extent of Houston's poverty problem by having students document the poverty in Houston through photography of the lives of people in low-income communities. Through this project, RCoHH hopes to spark discussions about potential solutions.Another event is the Annual Forum on Homelessness and Hunger. RCoHH hopes to bring together thought leaders, nonprofits, government officials and people who are or have been homeless for this annual event in which students can learn more about poverty and homelessness. The club also has speaking events and film screenings planned, Haque said."We want this organization to be one that also serves as a venue for hard-hitting conversations on topics like food stamps and social security," Haque said.Interested students can find out more by visiting the RCoHH's website at www.coalitionrice.org. Basmati BeatsBasmati Beats is a group that sings a mix of Indian and American songs. It has existed as acts in the South Asian Society's Dhamaka and Rangeela, but has become a separate club in order to be able to hold auditions, according to club co-president Ashley Joseph."[Now, we can] rope in people who would not necessarily be able to participate unless they were members of SAS," Joseph, a Jones College junior, said. "Holding auditions allows us to select members whose voices will be able to work well together to create the best possible sound."The group will continue to perform in SAS's cultural shows, but will also have other performances both in and outside of Rice, Joseph said."We plan to have a joint concert with SAS in November to showcase individual talent of members in both organizations," Joseph said. "Throughout the year, we hope to perform at venues both at Rice and in the greater Houston community, and we plan to participate in South Asian a cappella competitions."Auditions will be held on Friday, Sept. 6 from 2-7 p.m. and Tuesday, Sept. 10 from 5-8 p.m. Asian Pacific American Student AllianceThe Asian Pacific American Student Alliance will dedicate itself to establishing a Pan-Asian identity at Rice, according to Internal Vice Chair Bo Kim."Through collaboration with existing Asian-American organizations, both on and off campus, we will educate the student body about the shared experiences of Asian Americans and issues that affect Asian Americans as a whole," Kim, a McMurtry College sophomore, said.APASA was formed to increase awareness and spark campus discussion of Asian-American issues, Kim said."Asian-Americans as a group are a fairly new phenomenon," Kim said. "It's important that at Rice there's an opportunity for students to explore what it means to be Asian-American and we thought that a non-cultural, all-inclusive club would be the best way to generate awareness and talk about these issues."APASA plans to host speakers and conduct round tables to talk about issues specific to Asian-Americans and also planning on working with the Chinese Student Association to host an Asian-American Heritage and Culture Month in October, Kim said. Federalist SocietyA chapter of the Federalist Society, a national organization with over 40,000 members, student chapters at every accredited law school in America and lawyers' chapters in 65 cities, was established at Rice according to club founder and president Blake Delaplane."The society will provide a forum for students who share an interest in the American constitutional system and believe that governments should protect unalienable rights; that concentration of power in one branch of government is dangerous; and that the judiciary branch says what the law is while the elected branches determines what the law should be," Delaplane, a Duncan College junior, said.Delaplane said the Federalist Society plans to work closely with the University of Houston Law Center, the South Texas College of Law and student groups like the Baker Institute Student Forum and the Pre-Law Society."The society is committed to encouraging open and honest debate on the fundamental legal issues of our day," Delaplane said. "I hope that students will also gain a better sense of a law school environment at Rice Federalist Society events." NETwork Against MalariaNETwork Against Malaria is a national organization that works with schools in Uganda to distribute mosquito nets treated with insecticide to reduce students' risk of being bitten, according to Rice chapter co-founder and president Ashley Phillips."The major fundraiser for NETwork is the sale of beaded jewelry that incorporates paper beads handmade by Ugandan women," Phillips, a Will Rice College junior, said. "We plan to extend our fundraising efforts by selling other items such as boba tea, baked goods, Saturday dinner, etc., and [by] hosting a campus-wide awareness event."Phillips said he, along with Will Rice College junior Sajani Patel and Brown College junior Julika Kaplan, founded the chapter because it allows interested Rice students to take an active role in a significant public health effort. "Malaria is a hugely significant public health concern, and NETwork allows us to assist in the effort to reduce the number of lives lost to this disease," Phillips said. "Rice is full of passionate, caring and globally aware students, and we saw a lot of potential for NETwork to thrive on our campus."
Dr. Helene D. Gayle, president and CEO of the Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere USA, one of the largest aid organizations in the world, will speak May 17 at Rice's 101st Commencement."I was thrilled to accept President [David] Leebron's invitation to speak at the 2014 commencement," Gayle said to Rice News and Media. "I'm honored to play a part in sending another class of Owls out into the world and [to] be a part of their special day."According to committee member John King, five undergraduate students and one graduate student formed the Commencement Speaker Committee that selected Gayle, while Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Robert Griffin and Senior Assistant to the University President David Vassar advised the group. The committee submitted and ranked possible speakers until they came to agreement on Gayle, member Catherine Yuh said."Some of the qualities and characteristics we were looking for in our class speaker were a commitment to serving the broader good, a wide and far-reaching impact and, finally, a dose of star power," Yuh, a Brown College senior, said.Griffin said Gayle duly met those requirements."I think [Gayle] is an incredible role model for our graduates," Griffin said. "Her commitment to service and her experience in the medical field should appeal to many of our students, and I am positive that her address will be inspirational, memorable and enjoyable."Since 2006, Gayle has served as president and CEO of CARE USA. CARE's 2012 Annual Report said that the organization's combined 997 international programs aided 83 million people in 84 countries last year. According to CARE USA's website, its programs include emergency relief during disasters, education and water sanitation.According to an interview Gayle had with Womenetics magazine, Gayle said that while CARE USA had always played a significant role in global aid, her leadership has emphasized the empowerment of women in poverty through campaigns which aim to reduce maternal mortality, improve education and expose women to microfinance.According to her CARE USA biography, Gayle earned her bachelor of arts in psychology at Barnard College, her medical doctor degree at the University of Pennsylvania, and her master of public health at John Hopkins University. She worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 20 years and then directed programs at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation which combated HIV/AIDS, other STDs and tuberculosis, according to her Bloomberg Businessweek biography. Gayle has been listed on Forbes magazine's "100 Most Powerful Women" for three years in a row and was most recently credited by the magazine for aiding over 750,000 people during the severe food crisis in the West African Sahel region last year."She is a world-class leader on issues that Rice students care about, in places where Rice students have served," committee member Andrew Amis, a Martel College senior, said.Yuh said she believes Gayle will resonate with the student body."I think [Gayle] embodies what we strive to be at Rice," Yuh said. "As we expand our reach beyond the hedges, we'll have to think more critically about what's happening beyond our borders." According to committee member Shaan Patel, Gayle will provide valuable lessons for seniors to cherish. "As this group of seniors begin to chart their futures, it is important for them, as well as all members of the Rice community, to keep her message of philanthropy in their minds and hearts," Patel, a McMurtry College senior, said.
The Community Bridges Service Learning Program, under the Kinder Institute, is entering its third year since its conception and is expanding to include 40 students with nine nonprofit partner organizations from 20 students and six partners, according to program coordinator Mari Figueroa (Will Rice '12). In the past, the program sent students into Houston's Fifth Ward, which while culturally rich is economically poor, Figueroa said. Students work in a service project through nonprofit organizations in order to improve the Fifth Ward in some meaningful way. Accordingh to Figueroa, the fellowship has two components. During the fall semester, students complete the one-credit SOCI 469: Community Bridges Training, which teaches students about the theory behind current urban complications, and the four-credit SOCI 470: Inequality and Urban Life, which combines students' real-world applications with theory. In the spring, students work in their assigned nonprofit organization for five to seven hours per week.Figueroa said both courses will be taught by visiting professor of sociology Robin Paige, who came this year from California in order to coordinate this fellowship. According to Figueroa, Paige previously coordinated a similar program with over 300 students and hopes to accomplish the same here at Rice.According to Paige, the fellowship program is accepting applications from sophomores, juniors and seniors from any majors."We're looking for students who have the ability to go into new experiences with an open mind and solve problems creatively," Paige said.Figueroa said she got involved last year as a participant in the fellowship and is giving back to the program this year by coordinating. "Every person can make a difference," Figueroa said. "It is important to take that first step and start the ball rolling."Will Rice College junior Heidi Kahle, who participated in the program last year, said she believes it has changed her life. "For my final project, I set up a huge board in the center of Fifth Ward and wrote 'I wish the Fifth Ward was ...' on it," Kahle said. "By the second day, I [received] over 200 comments about how to improve Fifth Ward. Hopefully, [in the future] people will use these comments in order to better improve the community."Applications for the fellowship are avaliable begining Sept. 16 and can be found at kinder.rice.edu/bridges.
It is not a stretch to say that risk is endemic to any advanced society or that we as a collective sometimes fail to accurately quantify the risks we allow ourselves to take. The 2008 financial crisis was the fruit of a systematic misrepresenting, and in some cases ignoring, of the risks our financial institutions were taking on a daily basis.
Czyz Steps Up, Career High of 11 SavesJunior goalkeeper Amy Czyz tied her career high of 11 saves in Rice University soccer's scoreless game against Western Kentucky University. The team traveled to Bowling Green, Ky last Friday, Aug. 31, where they held off an aggressive Western Kentucky to finish in a 0-0 tie.Czyz, who has the fourth-highest number of single game saves in Rice history, had to compensate for a new defensive combination and an offense and midfield that was not able to maintain ball possession."It's fun for me to make saves and it was a nice change of pace, but that probably means that something else is lacking," Czyz said.Western Kentucky outshot Rice 6 to 1 in the first period, which set the tone for the rest of the game. Sophomore forward Danielle Spriggs had Rice's one shot on goal, but the Owls could not reach the goalkeeper for the remaining 88 minutes of the game."I thought where we struggled the most against Western Kentucky was in our midfield and our forwards," Head Coach Nicky Adams said. "We were having a hard time holding the ball...we would get forward and just give it right back to them." Hughes Earns 2 Goals and 1 Assist in First Season WinSophomore Lauren Hughes found her rhythm on Sunday after scoring two goals and providing an assist for the third. The team faced the Southeastern Conference's Vanderbilt University for the first time in school history on Sunday and won 3-2. The Owls are currently 0-1 at home and 1-0-1 on the road.Hughes and fellow sophomore forward Holly Hargreaves led the team to a win with two goals and one goal, respectively. Hughes was named the Conference USA Soccer Offensive Player of the Week after her Vanderbilt performance that included a total of eight shots with four shots on goal. This is Hughes' second C-USA Player of the Week Award in her career.Hughes said that the first goal helped play get going."Once we scored the first goal, I feel like it opened up the floodgates for the rest of the game," Hughes said.Hughes' first goal was a shot outside the goal box in the 33rd minute and was assisted by Quinny Truong. Freshman back Jenny Fichera provided the second assist toward the end of the first half. Even after Vanderbilt scored two goals and outshot the Owls 9-2 in the second half, the team was able to clinch the win.Adams was happy that the team was able to rebound after a difficult tie two nights before."The entire team stepped up this weekend. There was a lot of good individual play, but I was really proud of the team," Adams said. "What took us over the edge against Vanderbilt was the amount of heart and grit that our team portrayed against an SEC school."Hughes is looking forward to seeing where the team will go from this point."I'd like to see how our team chemistry can continue because that's something that we had on Sunday that we haven't had all season," Hughes said.The Owls continue their 2013 season Friday, Sept. 6 against the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque. While New Mexico is currently 1-3, all three losses have been to nationally ranked teams. The Lobos' 13game win streak at home was broken only last week by Texas Tech. Adams is expecting the cross-conference matchup to be a very physical game."[University of New Mexico] is probably regarded as one of the most physical teams in the nation...so that's something that we're going to have to match," Adams said.The 7 p.m. game at Albuquerque will be followed by a Sunday, Sept. 8 matchup against Texas State University (3-2) in San Marcos. The game will take place at 1 p.m.
