Special Projects

Tuesday's Sports Update : Baseball unable to make up early deficit, falls to DBU

Rice dug itself into an early hole tonight that it could not crawl out of, and the team fell to Dallas Baptist University 7-6.Sophomore Matthew Reckling (1-1) notched his first start for the Owls (17-13, 4-2 Conference USA) this evening at Reckling Park but could not find control of his pitches, walking three and forcing in a run via a hit batter before being pulled in the first inning.

Online only: This week's crossword

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Messy behavior demonstrates disrespect

I have always felt strange about having Housing and Dining staff clean up after me. H&D staff members take out my trash each day and clean my bathroom on a weekly basis. As someone who was raised with her fair share of chores, I found it odd to shed the responsibility of cleaning up after myself just as I was finally approaching the point of maturity and self-sufficiency. But, realizing there are probably dozens of reasons why the administration rightly employs staff members to maintain students' personal facilities - among them allowing students to focus on their studies - I accepted it.

Jones wins again, at least with silly string...

Jones College sophomore Ellie Grebowski takes part in Jones' jack last Thursday in which Houston mayor Annise Parker's (Jones '78) visit to campus ended with Jones students from the crowd and nearby buildings spraying the other attendees with silly string. See the online update from last Friday and see another photo from the event as well.

Rain no deterrent for men's tennis in three-match sweep

After a season of more valleys than peaks, more struggles and strains than growth and gains, last weekend may have been a sign of changing times for the men's tennis team. Playing host at the 52nd Annual Rice Intercollegiate Tournament, the Owls (9-8) swept the three-match weekend to right a season that had wobbled to the brink. Before the weekend began, Assistant Coach Efe Ustundag (Baker '99) had said he wouldn't be pleased with anything but a sweep. With his wish granted, Ustundag was as satisfied as expected.

Thursday's Sports Update : Baseball blanks Houston 6-0

Coming off a mediocre 3-5 road trip, the Rice baseball team found its way home to Reckling Park tonight and toppled crosstown rival Houston 6-0. This game, the first in the season series for the coveted Silver Glove Trophy, was the third win in a row for the Owls (15-12, 2-2 Conference USA), who this week dropped out of Baseball America's Top 25 rankings for the first time this season.Sophomore starter Taylor Wall (1-4) got the ball tonight looking for his first win of the season, and he delivered in pristine fashion. The southpaw tossed a complete game-the first of any pitcher for the Owls this season-and surrendered only one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts. The lone Cougar hit came in the first inning.

Beer Bike planning lacks required foresight

Even the best-laid plans for outdoor events can be derailed by weather. However, plans for Beer Bike were not as well-laid as they could have been, and on Saturday a day of frigid showers threw the event into chaos.Although weather forecasts days in advance all but guaranteed rain for the event, as of Saturday morning, Beer Bike was scheduled to occur as planned. It was not until thousands of drunken, shivering college students arrived at the Beer Bike track that the campus-wide coordinators announced that the men's, women's and exhibition races would be rescheduled. Massive supplies of food that were ordered in advance had to be reshuffled, and hundreds of pizzas were left unclaimed, advertised only by some e-mail listservs, in the Rice Memorial Center that afternoon while students at the tracks and at their colleges went hungry. Why not leave the food at the tracks for the duration of the event or at the colleges?

This week's Editorial Cartoon

Slideshow: 2010 College Presidencies

Surls shares insight behind sculptures

James Surls, whose seven art pieces were installed on campus last month, enlightened the crowd about his art philosophy and the ideas behind his plant-like sculptures in a lecture Tuesday at Herring 100 . The seven pieces in the exhibit, which arrived Feb. 21, are entitled "Magnficent Seven: Houston Celebrates Surls" and reflect a connection with nature, featuring titles like "All Diamond," "Ten Big Standing Bronze Flowers" and "Standing Vase With Five Flowers." Before their appearance in Houston, five of the seven pieces on display were exhibited on Park Avenue in New York City.

Master plan survey results revealed

The Master Plan Working Group presented the results of its survey on the Campus Master Plan, the university's 50-year plan for development, at the Student Association meeting Monday. The survey, which was open January and February, attempted to gauge students' reactions to the various ideas presented in a draft of University Architect David Rodd's master plan of campus Nov. 9. The Master Plan Working Group was chaired by SA President Patrick McAnaney and consisted of eleven other undergraduates and graduate students ranging from college presidents to new student representatives. McAnaney, a Brown College senior, said getting student input about the master plan was one of his big campaign issues last spring.

Relish: Saffron Moroccan Cuisine disappoints

One of the few North African restaurants in Houston, Saffron opened in 2004 to generally positive reviews. The Moroccan restaurant is located off nearby Shepherd Drive and owned by the same company that runs the Italian eatery Mia Bella next door. However, Saffron proves to have little of the charm and memorability of its sister restaurant, and instead disappoints with bland, overpriced offerings.Located on the opposite end of the building from Mia Bella, Saffron boasts an ambiance that tries desperately to evoke the sights and smells of Morocco. The heavy wooden front door is imported from Morocco, and bright yellow walls and red seats add a festive flair. However, large stained-glass windows establish much of the natural light in the large front room, which results in a surprisingly gloomy atmosphere - even for a sunny Thursday afternoon. Most noticeably, however, diners are initially greeted by the smell of stale incense. While this smell may enhance the exotic atmosphere, it is neither appetizing nor particularly appealing; in fact, we noticed a slightly foul underlying odor, which made us wonder what exactly the incense was trying to mask.

Sports notebook: Rain cuts short TSU relays

Outdoor track has begun - sort of. The women's track team attended the Texas Southern University Relays last weekend in Houston. However, the two-day meet was shortened to one, as Saturday's downpours resulted in the cancellation of that day of competition.

Survey gathers necessary student input

Unlike the campus-wide Beer Bike coordinators, the university's architects seem to have nothing to do but plan. Last November, University Architect David Rodd presented the Campus Master Plan to the Rice community ("Master plan presented at SA meeting," Nov. 13, 2009). In the months since, the Student Association has been scrambling to ensure that the student body's opinion will be considered in these designs. The results of the SA's Master Plan Survey were presented Monday (see story, page 1).The 640 students who participated in the survey clearly had strong views on the aspects of campus that they valued. Students expressed support for green space, student center renovations, underground parking garages, traditional architecture and the retention of the current football stadium.

Commentary: Making sense of the remaining madness

With the shock of last weekend's upsets wearing off, it's time to look forward to the remaining games in this year's NCAA Tournament. Throw out your brackets and enjoy the final weeks of college hoops. The Sweet 16 will have its own share of excitement. Enjoy these expected bests: Kentucky will come out on top as the best team of the Sweet 16. A mirror image of the 2008 runners-up, this team has better talent and athleticism than does any other team in the field. John Wall and Eric Bledsoe make up the most athletic backcourt in the country, while DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson can score inside better than any other duo. With Kansas out, I do not see a team in the field that matches up well against Kentucky. My preseason pick to win it all will be cutting down the nets in Indy in a few weeks.

Commentary: Hopes of student body pressure baseball team

The baseball team knows pressure. They know the feeling of impossible expectations, the weight of heady predecessors and a legendary legacy. They've been beaten and broken and embarrassed, and had to dealt with the ramifications in kind. But they've never known pressure like this.

Saturday's Sports Update : Baseball earns first series sweep of the season over Houston

Rice snagged a series sweep of the University of Houston this afternoon in exciting fashion. The Owls (17-12, 4-2 Conference USA), having already captured the Silver Glove Trophy last night for the 10th consecutive season, won 7-6 in 12 innings.Houston (12-14, 2-4 C-USA) got on the board in the first inning with a bloop double down the line, two singles and a sacrifice fly to total two runs. Rice responded by loading the bases in the first. Sophomore third baseman Anthony Rendon approached the plate and with one swing of the bat doubled Houston's run output. The grand slam was his 11th home run of the season.

Slideshow: Beer Bike 2010

Willy Week update: Parker, Jones jack campus

Houston mayor Annise Parker (Jones '78) came to campus Thursday as part of a jack organized by Jones College. Parker spoke for about five minutes before announcing Jones was the best college. At that point, Jonesians in the crowd stood up and sprayed silly string on the rest of the audience amid chants of "JIBA" and "Jones wins again!" Parker then walked through the crowd, shaking students' hands and wishing them a happy Willy Week.Yesenia Montoya, Division Coordinator of the Office of the Dean of Undergraduates, captured this all on video, which you may find here on facebook.

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