Special Projects

Rice-Baylor merger promises unparalleled opportunities

On March 26, Rice students received an e-mail formally announcing discussions of a possible merger between the university and Baylor College of Medicine. As the Houston Chronicle noted, these were "serious discussions that could lead to a merger of the state's top private university and one of the country's best medical schools." Roughly two weeks ago, President David Leebron and BCM's Interim President William Butler issued a second e-mail detailing an extension of the initial memorandum of understanding to continue the possibility of a merger.In the intervening six months, a report on academic possibilities was released by a joint committee of Rice and BCM faculty, concluding numerous points. From a research perspective, the proposed merger offers many advantages. The Academic Committee Report highlights the potential for collaborations between BCM's pharmacology department and Rice's chemistry department, a concentration of expertise in neuroscience at both institutions and a possibility of exploring fields previously outside the scope of each individual institution. With significant public interest in national health policy and large federal investments in health information technology, there are many possibilities at the interface of engineering and healthcare beyond the capabilities of individual faculty members.

Saturday's Sports Update : Football remains winless after 63-14 trouncing by Navy

If at all possible, the Owls seem to have hit a down point in their season. Rice entered the game without a win in its first five games but sunk to a new low after losing to Navy, 63-14.Rice (0-6, 0-2 Conference USA) had possession first, and the Owls' seven-play opening drive ended with a blocked field goal off the foot of Clark Fangmeier. Navy (4-2) took control and within two plays was in the end zone. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs took the first snap and fired off a 51-yard pass, surprising everyone with a counterpart to Navy's run-heavy offense. Dobbs then took the ball in himself from the two-yard line, giving Navy a 7-0 lead it would never relinquish.

Volleyball earns weekend split with UTEP, Tulane

Since the opening round of the 2005 Conference USA tournament, the volleyball team has had a score to settle with Tulane University. In 2005, Rice swept Tulane 3-0 in both regular-season matches. However, come conference time, the Green Wave pulled out a five-set win over the Owls, knocking Rice out of its first C-USA tournament.

Rainy weather, Golden Hurricane wash away Owls

Playing though the driving rain in front of a sparse crowd, the football team's Saturday game against the University of Tulsa was about as cheerful as the cloudy skies. When the final seconds ticked off the clock, Rice (0-5, 0-2 Conference USA) had not fallen as easily as it could have, but it still suffered its fifth-straight loss, this time by a score of 27-10 against the Golden Hurricane (4-1, 2-0 C-USA). Yes, Rice's efforts may have prevented the bottom from falling out of the season. But that doesn't mean it's not getting close. Opportunities for wins are dwindling, and as the season reaches its midway point, the contest with Tulsa served as a microcosm for all the problems plaguing the team - plus potential causes for hope.

Lying leaves much to be desired

Imagine a world where no one lies; where everyone says exactly what is on their minds. Everyone knows what their friends, bosses and significant others are thinking, making day-to-day activities simple and predictable.And, in the case of The Invention of Lying, exasperatingly unexciting. Despite its efforts at humor, the film, disjointed and bland, becomes as trite and boring as the world it tries to depict.

Defending champion Martel continues win streak

Sometimes even the grittiest women must deal with the elements. Of the six scheduled powderpuff games last weekend, Sunday's heavy rain washed out four. But even with a shortage of games, there was still plenty of powderpuff played. Martel College, the defending league champions, entered the weekend at 2-0 coming off a layoff of nearly three weeks. Cast in the spotlight of our Game of the Week, Martel (4-0) faced Will Rice College-McMurtry College as they looked to cement themselves as the favorites to defend their title.

The sights and sounds of Austin City Limits

The Austin City Limits Music Festival, held annually in Austin's Zilker Park, has always been an event for hardcore music lovers. In the past, festival-goers have braved dehydration, September heat and the dust kicked up by thousands of feet bustling to the next stage. Fortunately, ACL's bigwigs decided both of these problems could be fixed: This year, the three-day event was pushed into October in hopes of cooler weather and the city of Austin spent $2 million to cover the historically-dusty Zilker Park in a layer of fresh green grass.As I'd never been to ACL before, the entire concept, to say nothing of the new changes, sounded fantastic. I had heard my friends recount horror stories of the dust clouds and witnessed their horrible coughs upon their return to school.

Zombieland brings the goods

Judging by their aggressive mainstream and viral ad campaigns,the makers of Zombieland weresetting fairly high expectations for fans of the genre, as well as for casual moviegoers. And to both, this film delivers in every way it possibly could - and more. Zombieland chronicles the journey of Columbus (Adventureland's Jesse Eisenberg) from college in Austin, Texas, to his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.But his journey fails to live up to typical college road trip standards: Due to a strange disease that swept the nation, the United States has become a land teeming with millions of undead zombies hankering for some very alive brains. Things begin to unravel onceColumbus meets up with Tallahassee, played by the utterly brilliant Woody Harrelson (Seven Pounds).

Yunus paves road to altruistic innovation

If the social and economic upheavals of the last 12 months could be summarized with the rhetorical flourishes of the average American teenager, it'd probably go something like this: "Capitalism is sooo 2007." Bruised by the bank bailouts and battered by the bursting of the financial bubble, marred by the Wall Street meltdown and crushed under the collapse of the auto industry, the 18th-century brainchild of Adam Smith has fallen, quite simply, out of vogue. Profit-driven executives, once respected and revered, are now subject to public vilification; formerly beloved corporations are widely seen as inherently soulless and destructive. Indeed, the very notion of profit-seeking, once the pinnacle of American ideology, has become to domestic policy what Crocs are to casual footwear - taboo.

Fourth-place finish helps golf continue momentum

The golf team continued its impressive play to start the 2009 season, recording a fourth-place finish at the Squire Creek Invitational this past Monday and Tuesday following the team's first tournament victory since 1997 at the UTA Waterchase Invitational two weeks ago. While the team posted a first-round score that fell below their expectations, the Owls bounced back with back-to-back rounds of even or under par. With Squire Creek behind them, the team now focuses their attention on the Lone Star Shootout, held October 18-19. The event, hosted by UT-San Antonio, will contain 12 of Texas' strongest teams, and will present the strongest field Rice has faced thus far this year. The tournament, which takes place at Briggs Ranch Golf Course, will give Rice a great opportunity to defeat some highly-ranked schools.

Winter break housing policy problematic

While the Houston winter is not nearly as frigid as what most of us may be used to, this winter break will nonetheless leave many students out in the cold. No, the residential colleges' air conditioning will not be left on full blast - instead, the residential colleges will be completely shut down, electricity and water turned off, while students are off building their snowmen (see story, page 1).That may be fine for those who were planning on venturing home for the break already, but for the remaining dozens, or possibly hundreds, who weren't planning on jumping the hedges during the three-week hiatus, the plan is undoubtedly a bit difficult to swallow. They won't be staying in a Motel 6 - but they won't be staying in Hotel Zaza, either. They will have to ship out for three weeks, living like a rock star on the road, or at least like a family whose house is undergoing a brief remodel.

Debate team sweeps competition

The George R. Brown Forensics Society, Rice's speech and debate team, won first place in sweepstakes over the weekend at the Top of the Rockies Invitational tournament at the University of Wyoming.Director of Forensics David Worth said the team was pleased to have put up a strong showing.

Photo: To infinity and beyond

NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, here elocuting on the merits of the Hubble Space Telescope, joined NASA scientists Massimo Roberto and Thomas Hanson in speaking to Rice students last Friday about the mysteries of space.

New east servery planned

Not long from now, residents of the north and west colleges might just have a reason to abandon their cinnamon rolls and head over to the south colleges for dinner. A new east servery, which will connect Lovett College and Will Rice College, may be completed as early as December 2010. Proposed plans for the east servery, which would be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certified, would connect Will Rice and Lovett's commons and cost an estimated $12 million.

Can't Beat this Retreat

No one goes to a Vince Vaughn movie expecting an epiphany. In that sense, Couples Retreat gets high marks for meeting expectations. The film is simply a funny movie that lets the viewer unwind and laugh at penis jokes for two hours without needing to delve into the deeper meaning. Something, I would wager, we could all use over fall break.Couples Retreat follows four couples who go to an island paradise designed to help troubled marriages. Only one of the couples actually wants to work on their marriage, but because the island promises water sports and fun, the others agree to tag along. The couples do not realize that the "couple bonding" sessions on the schedule are mandatory and that they cannot just lounge around all day. Hilarious adventures ensue and the couples end up appreciating the marriage counseling more than they thought they would.

Photo: Movin' like a dunk-a-cop

RUPD Chief Bill Taylor is a good sport, participating in the dunking booth at National Night Out Tuesday. Donating two non-perishable food items earned attendees the chance to send Chief Taylor into the tank.

This week's Editorial Cartoon

Sports Staff Soundboard: Who will be in the 2009 World Series

Who will be in the 2009 World Series?

A Word With Your Wardrobe: Spending less to look, feel better

Being a self-proclaimed fashion enthusiast comes with a number of responsibilities. First, there's the matter of staying current with the industry trends, or risking quickly losing both knowledge and credibility. Second, there's the obligation to always look presentable; otherwise I lack contextual evidence for caring so much. Third, there is the matter of dealing with frequent questions as to my wardrobe's origins. This last point, I would argue, is the most difficult, because it seems as if fashion-conscious people achieve their looks with overpriced garments and thus makes me feel as if I should indulge listeners in tales of glorious escapades in expensive-clothing lands that they dare not trespass.

Dear Denver: Facebook stalking defined

Dear Denver,