Special Projects

CEO's support remarkable

The Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program and the Knowledge Is Power Program recently wooed Reed Hastings to speak at the university (see story, page 4). This high-profile speaker is the current CEO of Netflix and ex-president of the California Board of Education. The Thresher would like to commend the program on successfully acquiring a speaker of such high caliber.Hastings spoke from his background on education with fervent support for the charter school system. Rice, of course is vested in the charter school system because of its proximity to the first KIPP schools - one of the main models for the efficiency and success in the charter school system. Furthermore, Rice's selection of Work Hard, Be Nice as the university O-Week novel further ties Rice to this issue of charter education. Thus the selection of Hastings to speak on campus was particularly impressive; the topic of his speech was particularly relevant to students, and it was a privilege for those interested to hear from an expert in the field.

Rice University alcohol policy review: spring 2011

The Rice University alcohol policy and the future of its enforcement seems to be in question after a semester of unparalleled alcohol abuse this past fall. Something needs to be done, and ultimately it falls on everyone from students to staff to get together and act appropriately. Drastic action could jeopardize the essence of this university, but lack of response by students and administrators could result in unprecedented tragedy. This is the time to take notice, react and respond to a university issue that has the rare distinction of being universally relevant. This series of letters represents the collectivity of the burden and the numerous components that this crisis entails.

This week's Editorial Cartoon

Recent RUPD activity should be exceptions of the past, not future precedent

Everyone may have a different reaction when someone yells "Cops!" at a party. Some may run (not recommended, you will just go to jail tired), some may hide ?and some may not be in a state to take any action. However, the common ground is that everybody knows the police are present. This was not the case around 3 or 4 a.m. on Jan 15. At Duncan College, RUPD officers entered two suites completely unannounced and confiscated any and all alcohol. Admittedly, one of these suites is occupied by underage students, but there are 21-year-old students in the other. There were also rumors of similar incidents at other colleges ?that night. This is cause for concern for several reasons. During O-Week, I specifically remember an RUPD officer telling a room full of new students that they would not be going into rooms in the above manner. Of course, this incident did not start by the police simply patrolling the halls everywhere. The reason for RUPD's presence at Duncan was due to two alcohol-related EMS calls. The suites that were raided were in no way involved with the alcohol consumed that led to these calls. The manner is also troublesome. More so, however, is that this action was provoked by EMS calls. We know that the person who calls EMS does not get in trouble, and that is why he or she does not hesitate. But if he or she fears that his or her friends down the hall may be reprimanded, then an element of hesitation arises. Action by the police should never derive from a call to EMS. What Rice needs is a good faith contract between RUPD and the student body that will always be upheld.

Burn Season of the Witch

Every job involves perils, and when I took up the noble calling of reviewing movies for our fine newspaper, I knew the danger I would be facing. I knew that carefully crafting articles would take my precious time, that inferior movies would test my already stretched patience and that deadline-focused editors would push me ever closer to the brink of insanity. Yet I never foresaw that a movie would seriously and forever damage my intelligence. After bearing witness to Season of the Witch, a veritable war crime on good taste and cinema in general, I now fear that my GPA will suffer because my brain's cerebral cortex has shrunk after being exposed to pure idiocy (and as Rice students, we all know that our grades define not only our futures but our very souls).

Beyond The Hedges

National

Booze forum successful

The Jan. 20 "Booze Talk" forum regarding the future of Rice's alcohol policy was, simply put, the epitome of what makes Rice such an enduring community (see story, page 1). The discussion provided a comfortable venue for students to voice concerns and suggestions about the issues at hand. The outstandingly attended intimate gathering brought together students, student leaders and administrators in an absolute testament to Rice's culture of involvement and unity.Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson led a panel that included representatives from REMS, Socials Committees, chief justices and Judicial Affairs. The forum was established to ensure student input in the important issue of alcohol policy. This commitment to administration-student communication has been advocated by the Thresher in the past, and we would like to acknowledge the administration's distinct attempt to include the students and encourage similar discussion in the future.

Women off to good start with second-place finish

Despite an abbreviated practice schedule before the meet and a depleted squad of competitors, the women's track team earned a second-place finish last Friday in their season-opening meet, the Leonard Hilton Invitational held at Yeoman Fieldhouse at the University of Houston. Rice's 80.5 points pushed the team a half-point ahead of third-place Houston and behind top-finisher University of Texas, who earned 177 points.Rice's accomplishment is especially impressive considering that Texas and Houston had both had squads in practice for more than a week before the event, while the Owls had just three days of full-squad practice. Additionally, the Owls were without five returners due to a variety of health issues: junior thrower Brittany Brown, junior middle-distance runner Keltie John, sophomore distance runner Halsey Fowler, freshman sprint-hurdler Michelle Young and senior jumper and hurdler Alex Gibbs.

Booze: SA alcohol forum discusses safety

After an influx of calls to Rice Emergency Medical Services for excess alcohol consumption, the Student Association held a panel to discuss what can be done to reduce the number of intoxicated students.The panel, held Wednesday evening, included seven panelists whom the SA felt represent and are informed about Rice's alcohol policy, Will Rice College Senator Renee Dudley said.

Rondelet back after two years

Rondelet returns tomorrow at 10 p.m. after a two-year hiatus. While the location of the dance remains at the Trevisio restaurant in the Texas Medical Center, several changes, such as the addition of a winter theme due to a change in event timing, have been implemented in an effort to revive the formal dance.Rice Program Council Social Co-Chair and Interim Vice President Libby Ulman said that they had hoped to bring back the tradition in a slightly different way while maintaining the spirit of Rondelet.

Women go 1-1 against conference bottom-feeders

All it took to fall back into the pack was a few missed shots and some unforced turnovers. The women's basketball team, which has taken large strides this season, just cannot seem to win those big games that could earn the team its place among the Conference USA's most elite programs. The Owls, lumped into the middle of the standings beginning the weekend, had two conference games that could have started talk around the league about the possible successes of the team. They welcomed Marshall University into Tudor on Thursday and then traveled to East Carolina University on Sunday afternoon, two very winnable games for the young team.

Last week's online poll results

This week's Editorial Cartoon

H&D closes colleges, savings less than predicted

Closing the residential colleges for the second year in a row in an effort to save money, Housing and Dining once again offered alternative winter housing for the 23 days of the break the colleges were closed, this time at a Holiday Inn, to any students who could not go home. Twenty-seven students, both international and regular, utilized this option. H&D estimated that utility savings alone were around $40,000. In addition, Rice did not subsidize the hotel stay this year, increasing expected savings.

Beyond The Hedges

National

Rice Track & Field 2011: Men need strong performances in pole vault and heptathlon

When canvassing the roster for the next season, a head coach is first inclined to look for the voids left by departed athletes. With Jason Colwick (Martel '10), Simon Bucknell (Martel '10) and Chris Kato (Martel '10) all having graduated, it's clear Head Coach Jon Warren (Jones '88) will seek to get results from newcomers or returning stars to fill their spots on the men's track team. While the gaps exist, it takes a very small leap of faith to realize that athletes like senior outdoor All-American decathlete and heptathlete Philip Adam, long distance runners redshirt junior Michael Trejo and redshirt sophomore Gabe Cuadra, sophomore decathlete and heptathlete Clayton Chaney and senior hurdler Connor Hayes will continue their impressive campaigns, which helped lead the Owls to a fourth-place finish at the Conference USA Indoor Championships last year. "We've lost a few guys in the [pole] vault and a couple in distance, but we've got the ability to have guys come in and bring the same effort," Warren said. "I feel like we have the potential to improve from last year."

Baker Institute Student Forum debate: America's stimulus legislation

At its signing, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act legislators hailed the bill as the Keynesian fiscal stimulus needed to cure the recession. Yet more than a year after the Obama White House signed this "economic Viagra" into law, the economy remains as flaccid and slow-moving as ever. Furthermore, the law represents an unwelcome and dangerous intrusion of government and has plunged our deficit into staggering and unprecedented depths.Apologists of the stimulus have two main arguments, the first being that we are technically now out of the recession. This is indeed true, but the slow and sluggish recovery hardly amounts to any sort of success. Rather, the dangerous tide of unemployment remains unstopped. The current rate of ?9.6 percent could even go over 10 percent. Sanguine projections about the health of the economy mean nothing to the millions of Americans out of work.

Tron:Legacy: Visually interesting, plot lacking

Don't listen to the naysayers: Tron: Legacy is actually a really good movie. With jaw-dropping visuals, a thundering soundtrack composed entirely by Daft Punk and the revival and continuation of the story of the original 1982 Tron, it's just plain fun to watch. The movie comes up lacking in plot - Legacy essentially recycles the original Tron's story structure, with only a couple of nuances - but name the last time an effects-driven feature had a deep, philosophical storyline. Legacy picks up some 20 years after the events in Tron. Software engineer, ENCOM CEO and arcade owner Kevin Flynn (True Grit's Jeff Bridges) went missing shortly after the events of the first film and his son Sam (Country Strong's Garrett Hedlund) has grown up to be a motorcycle-riding rebel who wants nothing to do with his ownership stake in ENCOM, Flynn's software corporation. Following a mysterious page received by an old friend of his father's, Sam ends up getting sucked into and trapped inside the computer world of The Grid, where his father has been searching for a way out since he first disappeared 20 years ago.

Women post strong record over winter break

It is a good season for a freshman if she can make an immediate impact on the court, helping her team win games. It is a great season for a freshman if she can earn Player of the Week honors and work her way into the starting lineup. It's an unbelievable season if she can win five freshman Player of the Week awards; a feat only seen one other time inside Conference USA. With senior starting forward and team leader Jackie Stanley out with a knee injury, Head Coach Greg Williams (Hanszen '70) knew that someone on his roster would have to fill the void. Little did he expect that help to come in the form of a freshman - 6'2" Jessica Kuster - who is leading the team in rebounds and second on the team in points, which is just what the Owls needed to stay above .500 despite the injuries to their star.

Classic Flicks: Adaptation presents hidden comedic gem

Charlie Kaufman, the screenwriter of Adaptation (2002), is one member of the sparse crowd of directors and screenwriters who force you to rethink the limits of the human imagination. Kaufman bends genres, characters and minds in his best films, which include Being John Malkovich (1999), Human Nature (2001), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), and Synecdoche, New York (2008). All are among the most complex, comedic and confounding films in recent history. These films are not to be pigeonholed into categories like "dramedy" or "romantic comedy" - it is better to posit that they merely exist in time, space and film.In Adaptation, Kaufman blends fiction with reality, writing himself (or rather, a version of himself) into the screenplay. Charlie Kaufman (Nicolas Cage, Leaving Las Vegas) is a screenwriter living in Los Angeles who, during the filming of Being John Malkovich, is hired to write a screenplay based on the book The Orchid Thief. Living with Charlie is his fictional twin brother Donald (also Cage), a less talented writer than his brother. But the "genius" - as Donald calls Charlie - finds directly adapting the boring book on orchids to be an astonishingly Herculean task; in an effort to break through his severe writer's block, Charlie even attends one of screenwriter Robert McKee's famous seminars.