Special Projects

Women trying to improve as season comes to close

With its win over the University of Tulsa on Friday, the women's basketball team put together consecutive home wins for the first time since the beginning of the season. It is difficult to say, though, if the Owls (7-20, 2-11 C-USA) have accomplished the main objective that most coaching staffs carry throughout the year: Be better when you finish than when you started.

Refurbished Fondren lounge thrives

During the fall semester, Fondren Library's Sarah Lane Lounge, previously an open study area, was renovated into a place where students could relax and snack. The library added colorful beanbag chairs, posters of book covers and snack and soda vending machines to the lounge, Assistant University Librarian for Information Technology Diane Butler said."Our idea was for something kind of fun and colorful, a room where students could come in and do whatever they wanted to do: hang out, or talk, or study," Butler said.

Great story or The Greatest Story

During the first scene of The Greatest Story, when the commencement speaker begins to sing his address, viewers may think to themselves, "Is this really what the entire show is going to be like?"Luckily, no sooner does that thought form than the song abruptly halts, and one of the characters onstage asks aloud, "Who sings at commencement?"

Sunday's Sports Update: Owls start strong at Houston Baseball Classic

Friday's Sports Update: Owls start strong at Houston Baseball Classic

In Friday's game at Minute Maid Park, the starting second baseman for the home team (number seven) led off the bottom of the first inning with a double that hugged the foul line and rattled in the left field corner.But this team was not the 2007 Astros and the player was not Craig Biggio. Rather, it was junior Brock Holt and the 2009 Rice Owls playing UCLA in the annual Houston College Classic Tournament. Despite getting outhit 14-9, Rice came out on top in the tenth inning.

Congratulations deserved

After a record-high turnout in the Student Association elections, we cannot commend the student body enough for making its voice heard (see story, page 1). The SA debates were widely-watched, the messages of potential candidates were widely-dispersed, and the poetry of the election was widely-versed, if a bit full of rage.We would like to extend our congratulations and gratitude to all candidates, especially those who had never been involved in the SA before. It was a breath of fresh air to hear new voices, see new faces and learn new ideas from those who had not been involved in the SA from Day 1. We also admired those who had previously given their time to the SA, and we hope that those in both camps who did not win will remain involved in the SA. A variety of ideals and ideas make an institution more representative of the student body, which, after all, should be its main focal point.

The Week in Photos

Our intrepid photographers have traversed campus, capturing images for you, our faithful readers.

A Word with your Wardrobe: The importance of building basics your way

Fall 2009 is not looking too good.I was halfway through poring over all of the runway shows debuting in New York and instead of immense anticipation, I felt... bored. Bored because every designer seemed to be focusing on the bare minimum, the solid colors and the black-on-blacks; even those who have a reputation for something a little more "out-there" lacked luster this time.

RUPD deserves respect from students

When students think about everything they appreciate at Rice University, a lot of things probably come to mind: the residential college system, the abundance of on-campus social activities, the great academic opportunities. Unfortunately, students tend to focus on what directly affects them on a day-to-day basis, sometimes ignoring the people who, underneath the surface, help them along the way. While we are often absorbed in our own lives, there is one group at Rice whose efforts are often overlooked: the Rice University Police Department.From the Campus Watch Program to the lost and found service to the night escort, it is evident that RUPD goes to great lengths to protect us and our property. We might get frustrated and annoyed every now and then when RUPD hands us a parking citation, but deep down we realize that we probably did something wrong to deserve it (most of the time, at least). And the recent policy that allowed RUPD to take our possessions preemptively may have been frustrating, but it reminded us not to leave our belongings lying around with the risk of being stolen.

Women deliver rout at home after road struggles

While the Seattle, Wash., rain was washing away the women's tennis team's chances at good weather, the competition was washing away Rice's chances at a successful road swing. The 75th-ranked Owls fell to 8-4 this past weekend at the Nordstrom Tennis Center after a pair of losses against then-40th-ranked Sacramento State and then-34th-ranked University of Washington. Sacramento State, undefeated on the year, came into the match with momentum after pulling off an upset against Washington the day before. With a dastardly combination of experience and talent, the Hornets took it to the Owls in a 5-2 decision. Junior Julie Chao and freshman Alex Rasch managed to secure the only two points of the match with straight-set wins over Aileen Tsan and Joyce Martinez, respectively.

Griffins to replace Morrises as Hanszen masters in fall

Hanszen College announced its new college masters during a Hanszen-only lunch last Friday: Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Rob Griffin, his wife Ann and their children, six-year-old Liam and three-year-old Meredith, chair of the Hanszen Master Search Committee Ted Wieber said. Wieber, a senior, said he and Hanszen President Abbie Ryan presented the Griffin family, who emerged from an elevator at the end of Wieber's speech, in front of the biggest Hanszen lunch turnout he had ever seen.

Jewish studies minor passed

Mazel tov! Rice will offer a new minor in Jewish studies beginning this fall. The minor, which was approved by the Faculty Senate last week, is the start of a long-term effort to bring a full-fledged Jewish studies program to Rice. Professor of Judaic Studies Gregory Kaplan, along with Professor in Biblical Studies Matthais Henze, both members of the Religious Studies Department, spent the past three months obtaining approval for the minor by working with professors from a multitude of disciplines.

Former Israeli ambassador to EU speaks on Israel's stances on conflict

Oded Eran, former Israeli ambassador to the European Union, spoke on campus last Friday about the status of the Israeli-Arab conflict and the process of international negotiations. The lunch and lecture, entitled "The Peace Process in the Middle East," sought to address these issues from an Israeli official's perspective.

KTRU Pick of the Week: Group Inerane's Guitars From Agadez

The electric guitar has long been an instrument of social revolution. The rise of 1950s rock stars like Elvis Presley and Little Richard helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Movement by uniting fans across race and class boundaries with the youthful appeal of a new, blended sound, as blues had previously been largely African-American, and country music the domain of rural whites.A decade later, anti-war and anti-nuclear protest music from John Lennon spoke for the hippie subculture. Today, every band seems to have penned at least one anti-Bush ballad.

Rondelet loses momentum

After the bungling of Rondelet this week, the Rice Program Council's spring formal officially has a checkered history (see story, page 7). In 2007, the dance was axed for the first time since 1947, but was resurrected in 2008. At the time, it looked like 2007's cancellation was a fluke, as the 2008 version was well-attended and well-received.But after two abrupt cancellations in the last three years, we feel that it is finally time to nix the idea of having a spring formal entirely. If Rondelet did not have a tainted reputation coming into this semester, it surely does now. With little record of success in recent memory, students will be disinclined to attend a possible second resurrection next year.

Two new potential minors proposed to Faculty Senate

Aside from the newly approved Jewish studies minor, Speaker of the Faculty Senate Deborah Harter said the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee will soon vote on two potential minors - energy and water sustainability and poverty, justice, and human capabilities. These could join sociology, global health, business and financial modeling in Rice's expanding portfolio of minors.The Faculty Senate's approval of a new Jewish studies minor program last week may inspire students to introduce more interdisciplinary and departmental minors into their studies.

RPC axes Rondelet due to low ticket sales

After only 60 tickets were sold for Rondelet, the Rice University spring formal was canceled last Wednesday, three days before it was scheduled to take place.The formal would have had a Moulin Rouge theme and taken place in the Grand Hall of the Rice Memorial Center.

Political science chair to depart

After five years as the Department of Political Science chair, Rick Wilson has announced he will step down on June 30. Though Wilson will retire from his leadership position, he will remain at Rice as a member of the political science faculty. Wilson, who was appointed in 2004 by former Dean of Social Sciences Robert Stein, has served as department chair from 1991-94. The Department of Political Science rotates through chairs every three years, but Wilson's current term included a two-year extension beyond the standard three years because current Dean of Social Sciences Lyn Ragsdale asked him to stay.

Health care reform need not break America's fiscal budget

Now that the President has been elected and the stimulus package passed, Washington is once more at war over American health care. The range of policy proposals made by Democratic and Republican lawmakers has been predictable. More government spending. Insurance mandates. Tax credits. Tort reform. Information technology updates. Prevention and education programs. And, of course, more government spending.Certain key problems with these ideas are already well understood. They would raise America's fiscal burden during a time of growing macroeconomic uncertainty. They could erode monetary incentives for top-flight doctors and researchers to practice in the US. They might outspend or "crowd out" private sector competitors, even if actually less efficient. And, they may foment rationing. Alas, amid these common critiques, the most obvious issue is lost.

Two Owls land on the Red Carpet

On Feb. 22, under the fading Hollywood sunlight, two Rice premeds made history. After beating out reporter-videographer teams from across the nation in mtvU.com's first Oscar Correspondent Contest for college journalists, Baker College senior Faheem Ahmed and Sid Richardson College junior Anish Patel, both Rice-Baylor scholars, flew to Los Angeles as one of the competition's top three finalist teams on behalf of the Rice Thresher.