Special Projects

Distance comes up short

I like Drew Barrymore (Whip It). I mostly like Justin Long (Dodgeªball). But their newest collaboration, Going the Distance, felt more like a forced union than an emotionally gratifying rom-com. Their respectable talent was squandered on a lackluster storyline and awkward script. I'm down for a good romantic comedy as much as the next guy. Hell, I'll admit that I actually like romantic comedies, but director Nanette Burstein's (American Teen) first foray into major motion pictures leaves much to be desired. Going the Distance follows the struggles of Erin and Garrett (played by Barrymore and Long, respectively) as their relationship is tested by the distance between them. Their circumstances are really not all that exceptional, and the premise hardly lends itself to a successful romantic comedy. The whole idea behind the movie is that, from opposite coasts, Erin and Garrett try desperately to keep their romance alive. Thus, most scenes rotate through a grab-bag of strange situations: phone calls, text messages, complaining sessions with friends and emotionªally charged reunions.

U.S. engame hindered by impatience and insolence

While you are most likely stressing about your first round of exams coming up, there is something more crucial to worry about: Afghanistan.Talk of "reconciliation" with the Taliban has been steadily gaining support in the West in the last few months, and it seems likely that sometime soon a power-sharing deal of some sort will be proposed. Meanwhile, some experts are predicting that Afghanistan is heading for civil war after the withdrawal of American forces, and interested parties in the region seem to be moving ahead as if that will be the case.

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H&D offers energy-efficient MicroFridges in rooms

Tired of worrying about Housing and Dining fining you for having a contraband microwave in your room? This year, H&D is pioneering a solution to this problem by offering MicroFridges, a freezer/microwave combination available for rental for $247 for the school year or for purchase for $489.Rice has not allowed microwaves in student rooms since 2007 because of risks associated with vermin infestation due to waste generated from microwaveable items as well as the risk of electrical surges. The microwave oven included in the MicroFridge unit is the first and only one approved for use in the Rice residential colleges.

Saturday's Sports Update: Football falls to Northwestern

The football team learned Saturday they just are not a good enough football team to make big mistakes and still win football games.The Owls (1-2) hosted Northwestern University (3-0) in their first game at Rice Stadium of the year. It was the first time the Owls had played a Big Ten team since 2002.

Veg Out: Cheap but delicious Chinese food at Happy All

The vegetarian appetizers include the usual egg and spring rolls but also tasty little vegetable dumplings that can be served steamed, fried or both - they are more than happy to split an order. There are seven vegetarian dinner comªbos on the menu, such as string beans in spicy pepper sauce or broccoli and mushrooms in garlic sauce. Each combo comes with soup, an egg roll and your choice of fried rice or rice noodles. And the best part is that this feast rings in at a mere $8. If you're not in a combo mood, I would highly recªommend the clay pot dishes. The tofu, vegetable and black mushroom clay pot was so incredibly tasty that I literally couldn't stop eating it, even though I was already full from all of the appetizers. The flavors were perfectly blended, each taste melding into the others to create foodie heaven.

Rice in service top 25

Unlike most college rankings out there, Washington Monthly's 2010 ranking of the best national universities rates each school on what it does for the country rather than what it does for each individual student. "We rate schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories," Washington Monthly's website states. Rice came in 25th in this ranking.

Wright discusses Gaza flotilla

Retired U.S. Army Colonel and former U.S. diplomat Ann Wright addressed an audience of approximately 50 students, faculty and community members on Sept. 9 to discuss her opposition to the the violence used by Israeli Navy to seize the six ships of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on May 31. Wright was a passenger on Challenger 1, a small yacht in the flotilla. The event was hosted by the Baker Institute Student Forum. Wright resigned from her post as a diplomat after the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is now a peace activist who spends her time protesting the government's current policies in the Middle East.

PRC a cloaked facilitator of KTRU sale

When I came to Rice, I thought of KTRU as one of the most exciting aspects of student life. I admired the station's unique sound: distinctly local, born from a collaboration between community members and students and the collective love of music. Recently, that community was undercut by a unilateral decision, hidden from the public even when public interests were involved; the University of Houston is, after all, a tax-payer supported institution.KTRU's space on the FM dial has been valued at $9.5 million, but what's the real price? The loss of an independent voice, one of Houston's only radio outlets for local artists and Rice's status as one of the few remaining tier-one schools with a student-run radio station. The behind-the-scenes brokering of the sale by an organization called Public Radio Capital, a branch of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, shows the loss of KTRU to be the latest casualty in a countrywide shift toward radio controlled by business interests.

Powderpuff begins with shock and excitement

While many were focused on watching college football or preparing to "get their rox off " at Lovett College last Saturday, the long-awaited kickoff of the 2010 powderpuff season took place at Field 7, with Duncan College opening against Jones College on Friday night. However, the main tussle of the week belonged to Wiess and Baker Colleges. Game of the Week: Baker 13, Wiess 7

Golf has rough start, now travels to Arlington

Looking to get off to a fast start for their fall campaign, the golf team stumbled to a 13th-place finish at the Sam Hall Intercollegiate, hosted last Monday and Tuesday by the University of Southern Mississippi at the Hattiesburg Country Club in Hattiesburg, Miss. Despite their performance, Rice's improvement throughout the event gave cause for optimism. This year's version of the golf team features two freshmen hoping to replace some of the production of last year's seniors, Christopher Brown (Baker '10) and Michael Buttacavoli (Martel '10), and Jade Scott, last year's Conference USA freshman of the year, who transferred to Texas A&M University following the spring season. Head Coach Drew Scott knew replacing the talent would be a difficult task, and the first round of the Sam Hall Intercollegiate only confirmed his suspicions.

Resolution passes with flying colors

The Student-Administration Relations Resolution, known by some as the "KTRU Resolution" gained the approval of the Student Association at their weekly meeting last Monday. During that meeting, the members of the SA called for a motion to vote via roll call on the resolution, and after some debate, it passed unanimously.Two weeks ago, one of KTRU's music directors, Kevin Bush, composed the resolution and introduced it to the SA after learning about the university's decision to sell KTRU's broadcasting tower, license and frequency to KUHF. According to Bush, a Duncan College junior, the resolution aims to safeguard and maintain the integrity of student organizations in the future. It said that the Student Association disapproved of KTRU being sold without the student consultation and called for a written commitment from the administration that the secretive procedure would not become a precedent for other student organizations.

Pakistan floods cause unprecedented loss

18.7 million people affected. 20 percent of the country &mdash the size of Florida &mdash inundated. $43 billion (24 percent of Pakistan's GDP) in total damage. More than 2,000 people killed. These numbers only begin to give a sense of the suffering caused by flooding in Pakistan. As United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon said, "I have witnessed many natural disasters around the world, but nothing like this."However, while flood waters surge south, foreign aid merely trickles into Pakistan. This lack of support engenders severe long-term consequences, such as the rise of the Taliban, the destruction of Pakistan's already fragile quasi-democratic government and the collapse of their fledgling economy.

Sports notebook: Soccer coach leaving Rice

Soccer Head Coach Chris Huston is leaving Rice, effective immediately, Director of Athletics Rice Greenspan announced on Wednesday. Huston had served as head coach since 2001, the first year of the program at Rice. Associate Head Coach Nicky Adams will take over as interim coach upon Huston's departure.

A look into the Wiess Master's House

If you have ventured to the southern edge of campus, you may have noticed the green fencing and construction going on behind Wiess College. Construction on the new Wiess masters' house started in February, with move-in scheduled for December this year. As the first LEED-certified masters' house on campus, the home incorporates an open floor plan for entertaining as well as a number of green features.Wiess junior Charlie Dai said he was pleased with the direction the house is taking.

Classic flicks: Wadleigh's Woodstock

For those of us without relatives or friends old enough to remember the "Summer of Love" of 1967, we have Woodstock. The Summer of Love kicked off one of the greatest cultural moments in our nation's history - the hippie revolution - which effectively came to a close with the Woodstock Festival in 1969. A huddled mass of 500,000 hippies made the trek to Bethel, N.Y. to watch 32 different musical acts perform over three days of "peace and music." After working previously as cinematographer on several underground films, Michael Wadleigh finally - and for the only time in his career thus far - experienced commercial success with Woodstock, making $50 million from a movie with a budget of $600,000.

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