Special Projects

Commentary: Del Conte departure to hamper athletics' future

I thought it was just a rumor, floated to generate some much-needed publicity. I thought Texas Christian University was tripping over Chris Del Conte's coattails, trying to uncover some of the magic our athletic director had used to turn Rice athletics from a graying, disheveled mess into a gleaming summit of college athletics in the Space City. Del Conte simply had too much left to accomplish within Rice: seeing through the revamping of Rice Stadium, constructing a bigger and better soccer stadium, returning men's basketball back to the Big Dance. Too many goals left, I thought.

Video: Sports Roundtable

For the last few weeks, the Sports Roundtable has been audio only. But with this week's video, you can now put a face to the name of those behind the Thresher sports desk. This week members of the Thresher sports staff will discuss the departure of Chris Del Conte, the football team's troubles and the talent behind the men's cross country team.

Photo: And all that jazz

The Rice Jazz Ensemble serenaded the audience at last Wednesday's fall concert in Sammy's. The group was led by Director Larry Slezak, a jazz instructor at the Shepherd School of Music, whose most recent album was nominated for four Grammys.

Esperanza planning proves problematic

We acknowledge it would be tough to follow up on the grandeur of last fall's Esperanza, which was held on campus in a Centennial Campaign kickoff tent. Rice Program Council scored the venue free of charge, and students enjoyed a focus on both student DJs and a classy atmosphere complete with a fountain and upscale finger foods. The 1,000 tickets quickly sold out, leaving a large number of students disappointed they couldn't attend the revamped dance.RPC hit a high note with last year's formal, and it's hard not to compare it to this year's (see story, page 4).

Coens get Serious in latest flick

After the somewhat inconsequential Burn After Reading, the Coen brothers have taken a step away from the fast-paced, Hollywood-saturated comedy to create a film that, while incredibly entertaining, carries a weighty burden. Although the complex film encompasses a multitude of issues, the primary question the Coen brothers ask is one most of us have considered at some point in our lives: Why do bad things happen to good people? And why do bad things happen at all?In A Serious Man, the protagonist is Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg, Body of Lies), a short and unassuming physics professor who lives in a small suburb somewhere in the Midwest. Larry quickly wins our sympathy through his guileless and simplistic personality; his only desire is to live a normal life, and he tries his best to be a good father, brother, husband and professor. He treats people well, and when faced with moral dilemmas, he tries to do the right thing.

Relish: Lining up for the Breakfast Klub

Do you feel that your breakfast is getting to be too predictable, too boring? Has the monotonous routine of servery eggs, limp bacon and tepid toast turned into a tasteless and mindless waste of your time? If so, don't give up faith just yet: The cure for your breakfast blues is just down the street.The Breakfast Klub, located on the corner of Travis and Alabama streets, is one of Houston's best breakfast experiences and will undoubtedly rejuvenate your spirits. When you arrive, you cannot help but notice a massive line of people in front of the yellow building's front door, all of whom know exactly what we're about to tell you: Breakfast Klub is really, truly, undeniably that good.

Photo: Disco inferno

Wiess College junior Danny Shanaberger, a member of Slow Burn, impersonates Michael Jackson last Friday.

A Word With Your Wardrobe: Chloe Dao's Fall 2009 Fashion Show

You may not know her, but Chloe Dao is kind of a big deal around here. Ever since winning the second season of "Project Runway," the petite designer has singlehandedly boosted Houston's fashion credibility and steered its image away from oil rigs and cowboy hats. Seeing as Houston is not exactly esteemed for its design prowess, it's only natural that a local such as myself would fall so easily into fandom.My first Chloe Dao fashion show was a few years ago, fresh off the post-"Project" buzz when she was still using the Lot 8 label for her clothes. The venue was free of charge, at her very own store, crowded with friends and fans. The lineup was small, with 20 or so pieces displayed. Though some of those featured her signature back cutouts and color blocking, the collection overall was mediocre. It was pretty and commercial, but nothing too covetable, and it lacked a connective theme.

Health Museum to host Esperanza

Students will have the opportunity to dust off their prom attire and put their dancing shoes to work at Rice's fall formal, Esperanza, slated to be held Friday, Nov. 13, from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. The dance, put on by the Rice Program Council, will be held at the Health Museum on Hermann Drive, RPC Socials co-Chair Radhika Chhabra said. The location represents a shift from last year's dance, which was held on campus. But the locale is not the only difference this year. Chhabra, who is in charge of formals, said RPC sold 1,000 tickets last year, but will sell just 600 tickets to this year's formal due to the size of the venue. The 600 tickets, costing $15 each, will be distributed to the RPC college representatives Nov. 3.

ZEROW House storms national scene, finishes eighth overall

Earlier this month, 25 students from Rice's Solar Decathlon team traveled to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to participate in the Solar Decathlon competition, where they finished eighth in the world. Hosted every two years by the U.S. Department of Energy, the competition challenges 20 teams of college students from across the globe to design and build energy-efficient, solar-powered houses.

Athletic director Del Conte leaves Rice for TCU

Chris Del Conte, who has served as Rice's athletic director since June 2006, was introduced as the new athletic director of Texas Christian University Wednesday. President David Leebron has asked David Sayler, fourth year senior executive athletics director, to serve as Interim Director while the university undergoes a nationwide search for Del Conte's replacement.

Men's cross country finishes first at HBU

The underclassmen may have carried the bulk of the men's cross country tournaments thus far this season, but the seniors, nagged by injuries, appear to finally be coming around. Seniors Simon Bucknell and Scott Zivick finished first and fifth, respectively, at the Oct. 10 Houston Baptist University/ Puma Invitational. Redshirt sophomore Michael Trejo and redshirt freshmen Gabe Cuadra and Matt Carey filled in the middle to grab the win over HBU by 10 points. Lamar University and Texas Southern University filled out the remaining spots in the lineup of teams.

Serveries offer better options

West Servery is not the only novelty in Rice's dining options this year. Money saved from last semester's removal of trays from the college serveries is being put toward more expensive, higher-quality and healthier beef and seafood options. The new menu choices this year include all-natural, antibiotic- and hormone-free Angus beef, as well as seafood that follows the Monterrey Bay Seafood Watch Program guidelines, a set of recommendations for purchasing seafood from sustainable sources to promote thriving oceans.

Campus sustainability calls for individual effort, collective awareness

As a sophomore pursuing a minor in Energy and Water Sustainability, I was ecstatic when I found out I would be living in a building unlike any other - Duncan College, the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold-certified building at Rice. However, after living in Duncan for two months, I am beginning to question not only the structural design, but also whether or not these residential colleges are actually any more environmentally conscious than the others.The university took a firm stance on its commitment towards sustainability by constructing these buildings according to LEED standards, but it is not enough to just erect these two structures and expect that they will carry the whole campus towards sustainability. For example, even though Duncan and McMurtry College have light sensors in their bedrooms, it does not mean that an extensive amount of electricity is being saved across campus. The solution does not reside in installing high-tech light sensors in every single dorm, classroom and office - it resides in becoming conscious and taking a personal initiative to turn off the lights when leaving a room. The practices and mindsets of the members of the Rice community need to change in order for the university to become worthy of "gold."

KTRU Top 35: Week of 10.18.2009

Soccer grabs first C-USA win

Apparently, all it took for the soccer team to blow past weeks of frustrating 1-0 losses was the unfortunate promise of a lack of postseason. After being eliminated from contention two weeks ago, the Owls (4-10-2, 2-6-0 Conference USA) started to win the tightly contested contests that dogged them in the past. Over the last 14 days, the team went 2-2, scoring a total of six goals to match their total over the previous nine games. The stretch saw them play four straight home games, including a nationally televised game on Sunday, Oct. 11, against conference powerhouse University of Memphis (11-5-0, 6-2-0 C-USA), which Rice won in impressive fashion 2-1. Junior midfielder Kate Edwards scored a pair of goals, giving her three for the season, enough to claim victory over Conference USA's third-best team.

This week's Editorial Cartoon

Sid bounces back with pair of wins

Following fall break and a weekend washout, powderpuff was set for a full slate of weekend games as the regular season nears the final stretch. And while a few teams seem destined to clinch a spot in the semifinals, there are still plenty of teams in the running to reach the illustrious final four. The Game of the Week highlights two teams who have had up-and-down seasons to this point. Sid Richardson College, a consistent powderpuff force in recent history, suffered a pair of close losses after an opening-game victory. Lovett College, on the other hand, has erased last year's struggles with strong performances on a weekly basis but still has work to do if the team hopes to secure a playoff spot.

Parking fees discourage students, campus visitors

Police and ambulance sirens screeching through the heavy Texas air, the blaring roar of news helicopters hurtling to capture the latest development, the blinking lights of state-of-the-art medical buildings, the scent of freshly-ripped construction lumber wafting through the city stench - the metropolitan symbols perpetually resounding through the Rice campus make it easy to forget that the school is immediately surrounded by a residential community. All you need for a reminder, though, is to simply see the people milling about campus. Those in the residential community jog around the outer loop, attend sports events, use the library, come to art shows and populate summer programs with their children, some of whom may eventually go to college here. A few of the neighbors are alumni who loved Houston so much that they got jobs nearby and stayed in the area.

"Let the wild rumpus begin!

Despite its origins as a children's book, the film adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are is not a kid's movie. It's dark and deep, melding haunting images with equally haunting themes. Yet the film reminds us of what it was like to be a child - both the good and the bad - and touches audiences in a way that few films can. Based on the children's picture book by author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, Where the Wild Things Are is the coming-of-age story of a young boy named Max (The Brothers Bloom's Max Records). He struggles in a world in which his mother (The Soloist's Catherine Keener) doesn't understand his "wildness" and his sister (Blue Heelers' Pepita Emmerichs) starts to make new friends and ignore him.