Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916
Tuesday, May 06, 2025 — Houston, TX

Special Projects

OPINION 8/31/11 7:00pm

Politicians' affairs less important than squandering public money

By Shamsa Mangalji

All the heads of states or organizations who have recently been criticized for their eyebrow-raising sexual antics wear the same facial expression. Just Google Anthony Weiner, Mark Sanford or Elliot Spitzer and you'll see what I mean. Those trademark, remorseful (or pseudo-remorseful) expressions are strikingly similar to those worn by naughty toddlers who have just been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. Should all those politicians who made stupid decisions be publically humiliated into resignation? I think not. 

NEWS 8/31/11 7:00pm

Kahn's local sandwiches win

By Anthony Lauriello

The first time I went to Kahn's Deli this summer, I knew I had made a good choice.  Not only did the fresh deli ingredients, showcased on the counter, look delicious, but the owners, James Burke and Jeremy Pakalka, talked with me for a good half-hour about the history of the sandwich shop and the joys ?of pastrami.

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

Brother is truly idiotic

By Aaren Pastor

Paul Rudd, the king of lovable slackers, once again assumes his mantle of charming ineptness in the awkwardly titled end-of-summer flick Our Idiot Brother, from director Jesse Peretz. Peretz, who directed Rudd in The Chateau, teamed up with his scriptwriting sister Evgenia Peretz to create Brother. Though the title leaves much to be desired and conjures unsavory images of lewd sophomoric humor and, well, idiocy, the film actually reveals itself to be a bland yet sweet look at one bumbling brother's relationships with his three harried sisters. If it were a cookie, it would be shortbread: not spectacular, not detestable, just a middling bit of Hollywood escapism.

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

Classic Flicks: Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

By Joseph Allencherril

The first film to win all five of the major Academy Awards (Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay and Best Picture) was Frank Capra's still-fresh screwball comedy It Happened One Night in 1934. It would be more than four decades before Milos Forman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest pulled off this same fantastic feat in 1975. One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest is the film that converted me from a 2000s-film lover to pre-1980s-film seeker. Prior to seeing the film, I had an unfair prejudice toward films not made during my lifetime; if a movie had not been made in the '90s or '00s, I thought it impossible for it to make me laugh or to even keep my attention for more than eight minutes.

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

University funds ALFA expenses

By Ellen Liu

The university has started implementing some of the recommendations made by the Asset Liquidation Funds Committee last school year. However, the money that has been used on these initiatives has not come directly from the sale itself but rather from university funds allocated toward certain ALFA suggestions. The recommendations that ALFA made are still pending official approval from Rice's Board of Directors. Because of this none of the actual funds will be used until the 2012-13 school year, Committee co-chair Selim Sheikh said. Sheikh (Martel '11) said that since ALFA gave their recommendations for the KTRU funds in March the administration has held monthly summer meetings with the committee. During these meetings, Sheikh said the proposed budgets were reconsidered and adjusted. For instance, the Community Involvement Center suggested using some of the funds to improve the Alternative Spring Break, and Fondren Library expressed interest in improving its facilities and programs, Sheikh noted. Furthermore, fellow Committee co-chair Anna Dodson said that both SA and GSA representatives – along with the faculty members of the committee Paula Sanders, Matt Taylor and Kate Abad – would continue to meet with the President's Office over the fall semester to discuss possible budgets and timelines for the various projects. "Due to the nature of the funds raised from the KTRU sale, the timeline for the projected projects will vary depending on the nature of the project," Dodson said. "We cannot yet say which projects will be implemented first, nor can we say with certainty how much of the budget will be allocated to specific projects. These will be the subject of upcoming conversations with the President's Office."Sheikh added that the committee's formal presentation of its recommendations to the board of directors would happen in September of this year. "That's not saying nothing will be spent," Sheikh said, "The university has set aside money for things like the concerts endowment – which helped bring Three 6 Mafia to our Welcome Back Concert – though this money comes from university funds in the name of ALFA, not from the KTRU sale itself."The administration contributed funds to the concert endowment because it would have an easy, immediate effect on the students, Sheikh said. Martel College sophomore Meagan John said she supported the university's contribution to the concert endowment and thought that the Three 6 Mafia Welcome Back concert was a good idea. "It was nice to come back and have that event," John said, "It was really good for freshmen."Sheikh said that there might be plans for more university funds to go toward this year's ASB program in the name of ALFA. "The major changes will be long term," Sheikh said. "Things that happen every year are easier to put into effect."Sheikh also mentioned that the project of lighting the IM fields had been put on hold in the face of discussions with a donor for a possible new tennis court. If the university decides to build the court, it might have to take up some IM field space, which would require the fields to be moved, Sheikh said. He noted that delays like these were keeping the IM lighting project from moving forward. According to Sheikh, undergraduate and graduate students will continue being involved in the allocation of funds from the KTRU sale. He said that he and another committee member would be stepping off the committee soon and the administration would be finding new representatives of student interests. "I don't know the process, but there will be new students on the committee, so there will still be students directly involved in continuing ALFA's work," Sheikh said. 

OPINION 8/24/11 7:00pm

Triple-prong approach necessary to ressurect American economy

By Neeraj Salhotra

As a college student watching the United States economy slide into an abyss, I am immensely worried. I am worried that when I graduate jobs may not be plentiful. I am worried that robust economic growth may become a bygone phenomenon for the United States. I am worried that Washington is lacking smart, courageous leaders. But, despite all these worries, I take solace in knowing that all is not lost — the United States can recover. By enacting the right policies, the United States can boost economic growth, can create jobs for Americans and can help the country reduce its deficit.

OPINION 8/24/11 7:00pm

Student responsibility necessary in 2011

By Anthony Lauriello

Rice student life is mainly contingent on three things: the academics, the colleges and the relationship between the administration and the students. The first two of these items are as strong as ever, but last year we saw several major challenges to the third. Before first semester even began last year, the administration sold the KTRU radio tower in a manner that, no matter your opinion on the eclectic radio station, demonstrated a complete disregard to students.

OPINION 8/24/11 7:00pm

Campus-wide Assassins battle epitomizes Rice's distinct culture

By Staff Editorial

This coming week, students have the opportunity to participate in a campus-wide game of Assassins (see story, pg. 4). The recently busy RPC will be hosting the event which begins on Monday. The decision to host the event earlier than normal was a prudent one; it gives freshmen the chance to meet new people early in the year, and nothing starts a new friendship quite like a water gun ambush. While the game may seem mildly trivial, it is a sort of event that epitomizes what Rice culture. Rice is a fun and quirky place. Every student, every college, and even every professor, has some sort of odd tendency or characteristic that ironically puts them right at home at Rice. Similarly, this campus-wide Assassins battle will undoubtedly seem quirky to the bystander who watches a watergun-wielding freshman chasing someone across the academic quad; however, at Rice that sort of thing seems to fit in. Rice has the privilege of being a small and unique university, and hosting events such as Assassins helps explain Rice's perennially high quality of life rating. These commendations should not be taken out of context, in the end it is only a game; however, it is the combination of small, distinctive things such as Assassins that makes Rice into the school that it is.

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

Trends on Campus: A Vested Interest in Everyday Menswear

By Brittney Xu

Last week's Trends on Campus focused on how to wear something light, dressy, and comfortable in the summer heat, so it may come as a surprise that this time, the featured student is fully covered. Sid Rich College junior Nathan Han, is wearing jeans. And a vest. Not the clothes that come to mind when getting ready for a trek in 105 degree weather.

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

Outreach Day

By Brooke Bullock

Rice Student Volunteer Program's Outreach Day pulled in 478 new students fresh out of Orientation Week on Saturday, Aug. 20 to help the Houston community on 26 different projects. Director of the Community Involvement Center Mac Griswold said considering the combined efforts, those students completed 2,018 hours of community service. "There's an organization called Independent Sector who calculates the dollar value of volunteer work who says the students did $43,000 worth of work in one day," Griswold said. Students signed up before and during O-Week for projects before they knew what Outreach Day was, Griswold said. However, according to Griswold a problem with signing up early was that students wanted to change projects once they had made friends during O-Week. Next year, only half of the projects will be allowed to fill up before O-Week starts, he said. This year's projects included some familiar sites that have been included in Outreach Day in the past, like the Houston Arboretum and the Hermann Park Conservancy. "They are always willing to take on students," Griswold said. Jones College freshman Ashley Joseph volunteered at the Houston Food Bank sorting boxes of food for Outreach Day. "I definitely felt like I was connected to the Houston community through this service project," Joseph said, "It was wonderful being part of an organization even if only for a morning that has such a great impact on the community it serves."Several new partners joined Outreach Day this year, like Hostelling International, an association of hostels in 90 countries throughout the world. A Rice alumnus, Morty Rich, died in a plane crash and left money to start Hostelling International, Griswold said. Sixty students joined the Hostelling project on Outreach Day. Jones sophomore Rohan Shah lead a new site at Houston Interfaith Worker's Justice. "The fact that the CIC expanded and included this program is a big deal," Shah said. "If you think about current issues regardless of political spectrum or beliefs, immigration itself is a touchy subject, but [HIWJ's aid to illegal immigrants] is human rights that all people can agree on."A variety of other projects were also offered, making it hard for new students like Joseph to choose. "The projects catered to a lot of different talents and interests," Joseph said. "It was difficult to pick a single project for which to register!" Outreach Day was successful this year and has made her want to continue doing community service in Houston through RSVP, Joseph said. "[We had] very positive reactions for this year's first year students," Griswold said. "It was really obvious that they brought a passion and enthusiasm that has not been as strong in past years."The next RSVP Outreach Day will be in November. 

OPINION 8/24/11 7:00pm

Outreach Day a success

By Staff Editorial

This past O-Week, Rice extended its long established tradition of reaching out to the community and serving the needy (see story, pg. 5). Outreach Day was a vast success; it drew 488 new students to a myriad of projects around Houston. The number of participants exceeds that of any past Outreach Day. Furthermore, 88 percent of those students who signed up for a project actually participated — an incredible ratio when factors such as peer pressure to attend Dis-O and fatigue from a long O-week are considered.

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

Engineering Dean officially assumes new post

 

The new Dean of the School of Engineering Ned Thomas, who was appointed last spring, has now assumed his post in the department. His goals as dean focus on increasing the exposure and quality of Rice's engineering program by providing more opportunities for student leaders and competitions. Hailing from MIT's School of Engineering, Thomas was the head of the Department of Material Sciences and Engineering before coming to Rice. In addition to an academic background, Thomas also has experience in entrepreneurship, starting multiple companies over the course of his career since his undergraduate days at the University of Massachusetts. "Cambridge has that effect on people," Thomas said. "Once they drink the juice up there, a lot of them decide to start their own businesses."Thomas cited two examples of organizations he's founded: OmniGuide, a medical devices company founded in 2000 that specializes in making minimally-invasive laser surgical tools, and the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, a division of MIT focused on serving soldiers by developing lightweight army gear and creating devices that can seek out bombs remotely. He said the motivation behind these two creations sprung from his entrepreneurial experiences as an undergraduate and consequently, he wants to promote a similar environment for engineers at Rice. In Thomas' opinion, Rice – as a relatively small university – is the perfect size for cultivating excellence in engineering across the board. Thomas described his vision as encouraging engineering students to engage in competition, to experience leadership in preparation for the working world and to increase their capacities to innovate. He said he especially emphasized connecting with entrepreneurs, and expressed support for programs like the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership and Rice Alliance. "If a student gets involved in these programs, they may not eventually start their own company, but they'll meet people who might inspire them to explore the possibilities and innovate in other ways," Thomas said. Martel College sophomore and chemical engineering student Luz Rocha said she thinks Thomas will be an effective dean and that his goal for developing leadership within the school of engineering is heading in the right direction, especially with recent initiatives like RCEL. According to Rocha, RCEL helps engineering students connect with other engineering students outside of their major and year. She said she hopes the RCEL program will continue growing to include more events and ways to promote leadership and networking within the School of Engineering and she hope these efforts will extend the program's impact beyond Rice. However, Rocha said the new dean might face challenges in implementing engineering leadership programs in ways that students will both enjoy and feel are crucial to their engineering education. Still, she added that she was optimistic about the feasibility of Thomas' vision. "I think the vision can definitely become practical as leadership expands through engineering," Rocha noted. "I'm sure several engineering students are interested in that sort of thing and, given proper guidance, can definitely develop that interest into something more concrete that can eventually lead to entrepreneurship in engineering companies."

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

RPC brings 007 to Rice

By Hallie Jordan

Rice Program Council is bringing back H2007 Assassins, an annual campus –wide, week-long game starting this Sunday. This year, the event is being held during the second week of school instead of during finals when students are too busy to participate, RPC traditions co-coordinator Catherine Yuh said. During the game, every participant will be given the name of another participant or "target." Participants will then have to "kill" these targets using a water gun. When shot, the other player is out and must pass the name of his or her target to the assassin. The game begins this Monday at 12:01 a.m. and continues through Saturday at midnight. Participants must pick up their water gun at the info desk in the RMC on Sunday and must use RPC water guns, not their own. The specific rules of the game are that no one can be assassinated while sleeping, during class or in Fondren Library. The student who assassinates the most people will win the game and receive a $40 gift card to the store of their choice. Students can sign up to play on a Google Doc on the event's Facebook page: [RPC] Annual H2007: the return of the Assassins. "RPC is all about trying to get kids out for fun things," Yuh said. "We hope to use this as a way to be more visible toward the new freshmen and hope they will attend our events in the future."Though RPC did not hold this event last year, the number of participants in the year before that was 350, Yuh said. She added that she expects the number of students this year to go up by 10 percent. Yu described the lengths some students take to get their person with a story where an assassin sat outside her suitemate's door for 24 hours, keeping the target stuck inside her room. "Sometimes it does get kind of crazy but that is part of the fun," Yu said. RPC traditions co-coordinator Chloe Kwon said she hopes the game will be a good way for freshmen to interact with people from outside their college in a stress-relieving and fun way. "[Assassins] seems like a cool way to meet people from other colleges and, if nothing, squirting people with water is always fun," Jones College senior Joseph Rangel said. 

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

Project Spotlight: "The Elec Lounge"

By Seong Johng Hong

Guys, don't be shocked. The Rice chapter of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers plans to open its own lounge around late October. The lounge, temporarily dubbed the "Elec Lounge," is located in room A 121 of the Abercrombie Lab.

NEWS 8/24/11 7:00pm

Soccer shut out against Tech, triumphs at home

By Jonathan Myers

By glancing at every statistic besides the final score, the casual sports fan would have guessed that the soccer team had walked away from their season-opening match with Texas Tech University (2-0-0) with their first win of the year. The Owls led the Red Raiders in every offensive category from shots, shots on goal, to corner kicks. But the only statistic that mattered at the end of the night was the one beneath the words "Texas Tech" and the zero beneath "Rice" on the scoreboard at the John Walker Soccer Complex. Rice had the upper hand for the first half, outshooting Tech 5-4 and earning four corner kicks compared to the Red Raiders' two.However, a counterattack in the 64th minute proved to be the Owls' downfall as a failed offensive possession left Rice out of possession to defend against quickly advancing Texas Tech midfielders, who fired two shots on goal against freshman goalkeeper Amy Czyz. Czyz deflected the first shot, but Tech midfielder Tiffini Smith took control and fired the ball into the back of the goal for the only score of the match. Senior forward Hope Ward led the Owls with two shots on goal, while  fielder Gabriela Iribarne and forward Ashton Geissendorf contributed one shot on goal each. "Overall, we played well. But Texas Tech took advantage of a mistake," said Head Coach Nicky Adams. "We had a mistake after one of our own restarts, and it ended up costing us the game."If the first half of their match against McNeese State University (0-2-0) on August 21 was any indication, the Owls appeared to have an emotional hangover from the defeat at the hands of Texas Tech. Despite tallying 14 shots in the first half, the Owls failed to put one across the goal line and remained knotted at zero with the Cowgirls heading into the locker room. Whatever was said in the locker room seemed to do the trick for Rice, as senior defender Amy Beger rocketed a long-range shot past McNeese State goalkeeper Katie Seeber just 11 minutes into the start of the second half. Beger talked about freshman Lauren Busansksy's effort in setting up the highlight-reel goal. "There were a bunch of girls heading right for [Busansky]," Beger recounted. "Buzz just played it back to me and I saw a gap. I was sure I could get it to the corner (of the goal)." Adams added her own take on Busansky's overall match performance. "One person I was really proud of was Lauren Busansky," Adams said. "Today we put her in a role that she hadn't trained for and she did a magnificent job. She completed that first pass and it calmed us down. Lauren did what she was asked, and did it well, and as coaches that really gets our attention." With Czyz and the defense holding the Cowgirl attack at bay, senior forward Annie Kadota added a second score 78 minutes into the match off a pass from senior defender Nikki Storness. Junior forward Alex Burton contributed an insurance goal off a rebound in the 86th minute to bring the game to its final score of 3-0. Adams spoke about her strategy in motivating the Owls at halftime. "We were taking too many touches in the first half," said Adams. "Too many touches ended up slowing us down. It was something we addressed at halftime, that we need to increase our speed of play." Rice heads north to Fort Worth to take on Texas Christian University (1-1-0) tonight at 7 p.m. The Horned Frogs lost their season opener to Oklahoma State University by a score of 1-0, but defeated Lamar University 2-0 on Sunday. 

Editor's Picks

Most Popular

The Rice Thresher