Special Projects

Congrats to Wiess, NOD partygoers

Although we are too modest to accept that last week's staff editorial ("Be NODdy, just not stupid," Oct. 24) was the principal or even a major cause for the diminished number of arrests and EMS calls at this year's Night of Decadence, we appreciate that the vast majority of partygoers followed our advice and enjoyed the night responsibly (see story, page 1). NOD's staying power has much to do with how its guests conduct themselves, and it appears that most of them understood and respected this fact.That is not to say that Wiess College itself did not have anything to do with it. We must congratulate Wiess' social committee for providing an organized and safe environment for students. The multi-wristband system made it easier for student security volunteers to monitor the party, which in turn limited the number of intercessions RUPD needed to make. All in all, Wiess carried NOD out very well, and the college should be congratulated on yet another successful year of promiscuous partying.

NOD arrests, EMS calls decrease

Once notorious for its drunken antics and the numbers of students it sent to the hospital, Wiess College's annual Night of Decadence, which took place Saturday evening, had few incidents this year - even fewer than last year's NOD. Only one patient was transported to the hospital, and Rice Emergency Medical Services responded to 15 emergency calls while on stand-by at NOD, head of REMS Michael Pandya said.

Football defeats USM behind six Clement TDs

Although the Golden Eagles gave them a last-quarter scare, the football team held off a surging University of Southern Mississippi squad in the final seconds to secure a 45-40 victory last Saturday afternoon at Rice Stadium. For once the Owls were the ones looking in the rear view mirror as the two sides traded scores throughout the second half. Fortunately, USM was unable to tap the spirit of their 1969 alumnus Jimmy Buffett and Rice improved to 4-3 on the year. The Rice offense did not show any signs of rust from its bye week, as they continued their torrid pace. Senior quarterback Chase Clement tossed six touchdowns, tying the Conference USA record he set last season at the University of Texas-El Paso.

Government intervention to blame for economic woes

Unless you live under a rock, you may have noticed the United States is currently deep in the throes of an economic crisis. What caused this crisis? Well, it depends who you ask. Republican candidate for president John McCain blames corporate greed on Wall Street, while his Democratic rival Barack Obama denounces deregulation of the markets. For a race in which the two candidates are trying to differentiate themselves as much as possible, their solutions to this mess are surprisingly similar - more government intervention. Unfortunately, government intrusion in the economy is exactly what caused the financial crisis in the first place.In the economic heyday of the 1950s, the government created Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to help young war veterans get home loans. These "government-sponsored enterprises" operated in an unusual gray zone between private businesses and government organizations: They were essentially mortgage monopolies established by the federal government. For years, Fannie and Freddie existed outside of government regulations on banks while enjoying privileged status as borrowers from the federal government.

Panel discusses entry to law school

For many Rice students, the decision to go to law school can be a shaky one, made more unsettled by the lack of a pre-law track at the university and only a handful of law-related classes. But those students unsure of their future post-Rice careers can rest assured in the words of the seven speakers at Wednesday's law careers panel, who all described their accidental entries into the law field. Justice Carolyn King, who serves on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, said she found herself in law school merely because she lacked a plan for anything else.

Volleyball extends win streak to six

The Rice volleyball team headed into the weekend expecting to take two matches from the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Central Florida, but they did not expect to win both matches in three sets. The relatively painless pair of conference victories extended the Owls' win streak to five matches. Rice continues its home stand on Friday night against the Tulane University, which is second in Conference USA with a 7-1 conference record. The match begins at 7 p.m. and promises to be a big test for the streaking Owls. The squad then faces the University of Texas-El Paso at 1 p.m. Sunday. Rice has already defeated UTEP once this year and looks to finish the season sweep of the Miners, which are currently in eleventh place in C-USA. Despite UTEP's record, head coach Genny Volpe expects a challenging pair of matches.

Under construction: Braun brings no-excuse formula to rebuild men's basketball

Success has been no stranger to head basketball coach Ben Braun in his three decades of coaching college basketball, but his experience with success is not why he was chosen to take over the reigns of a failing Rice Owls basketball squad last spring. Rather, Braun's history of reviving struggling teams throughout the nation brought him to Houston. And for this singular reason, his arrival at Rice University is a welcome sight. Before ever picking up a clipboard, Braun spent time as a young athlete shaping his approach to the game of basketball, learning the importance of hard work and determination at a young age. The eldest of three brothers, he grew up in Chicago, Ill. and attended New Trier High School, where he led teams on both the basketball court and the baseball diamond.

Glass boats float in Fondren

With the installment of nine multicolored glass boats in the front lobby, Fondren Library is the first location to integrate art into the Rice campus in a campus wide project known as the "Endeavor Installation." The boats are a gift from donors Elizabeth and Albert Kidd (Hanszen '64) and is a project of the Arts Committee, chaired by Raymond Brochstein (Sid '55).The committee promotes President David Leebron's intent to create a more vibrant and dynamic campus as outlined in the Vision for the Second Century, Eleni Barzouka, Facilities, Engineering and Planning senior project manager, said.

Welcome, Bacchae

Featuring its horde of frenzied women, cross-dressing and a gruesome act of infanticide, Euripides's The Bacchae is a bizarre standout in the broad realm of Greek tragedy, but a perfectly-timed spectacle for NOD- or Halloween-crazed Rice students. While the Baker College production is entertaining and strives admirably to do justice to the classic text, it is hindered by several technical and performance issues and does not quite succeed in its pursuit of instilling in the audience the ferocious ecstasy presented by its Maenad women and suggested by its advertising, which alludes misleadingly to glam rock outfits and David Bowie.The Bacchae tells the story of Dionysus (Baker sophomore Jeremiah Bolinsky) as he punishes his half-cousin, cynical young Theban ruler Pentheus (Baker sophomore Tomas Lafferriere) for refusing to recognize the former's divinity. Dionysus sets the stage for his plan as the show opens: He has possessed all of the Theban women, driven them into orgiastic madness and sent them into the wild. In taking on one of Euripedes's final works, directors Cat Coombes and Guy Weissinger, Baker College seniors, have chosen a work of dizzying complexity that challenged ancient Greek societal ideas and continues to be relevant today.

Letters to the Editor

Bike policies fail to reflect situation

Minority lectures canceled because of low attendance

Noted theoretical physicist Sylvester James Gates, Jr.'s speech last Wednesday marked the end of the President's Lecture Series of Diverse Scholars. Computational and Applied Mathematics Professor Richard Tapia, who started the series five years ago, decided to discontinue the lectures due to poor attendance. The lecture series specifically invited African-American, Hispanic and Native American scholars born and raised in the United States to speak. Tapia said he started the series because, at the time of its founding, the original President's Lecture Series had never featured a historically underrepresented minority. In addition to Gates, over the past five years the series has attracted Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sonia Nazario; Brown University President Ruth Simmons, the first black president of an ivy league university; and physicist Arlie Petters, a Belizean- American famous for his work in gravitational lensing.

Commentary: Cricket bores down-under sports editor

Before I came to Australia, I'd never wanted to chug vegemite, punt a joey or wrestle with a pool of hammerheads. Then again, before I came to Australia I'd never watched a cricket match either.

Be NODdy, just not stupid

Back in 2005, when the police blotter was still descriptive enough to be entertaining, the Thresher reported the following entry regarding an incident that occurred the night of that year's Night Of Decadence: "Subject jumped from Wiess' fourth floor to third floor and landed on cement. Intoxicated underage student fought with four officers and was detained. Subject found to have fake IDs in wallet. Student remanded to Harris County Jail" ("Police Blotter," Nov. 4, 2005). Did we laugh the first time we read this entry? Yes. Did we laugh at it again as we re-recorded it above? Absolutely. There is no doubt that it is an entertaining story. But on the other hand, it is also a chronicle of someone's downright stupid actions.

Women's XC to defend C-USA title next weekend

When classes and the Thresher took a break two weeks ago, the women's cross-country team did not slow down. Last weekend, the team traveled to Terre Haute, Ind., to compete in the Pre-National meet, so named because it is held on the same course as the national meet. There the Owls placed eighth overall, beating two ranked teams in Providence University and North Caroline State University, then ranked 21 and 18 respectively. The weekend before, the team won the Houston Baptist Invitational. The Owls now have a weekend off before traveling to Memphis, Tenn., to compete in the Conference USA Championship meet. The Owls will be running to defend last season's Conference USA championship. This season, the win will be more difficult to come by, as 26th-ranked Southern Methodist University has already defeated Rice twice this season.

Too much Max, not enough Payne

Last Friday Max Payne, the movie adaptation of the video game of the same name, hit theaters. Overall, the movie is solid, but when critiqued as an action flick, it is like ordering a hot juicy steak and receiving a chicken salad.Mark Wahlberg (The Happening) stars as the titular character, an NYPD detective still following leads on his wife and child's murders from three years ago. While at an informant's house party, he runs into Natasha Sax (upcoming Quantum of Solace Bond girl Olga Kurylenko), who later winds up hacked to pieces in an alley behind Max's apartment. When Max realizes that his wife's and Natasha's murders are somehow related, he teams up with Natasha's sister Mona (Forgetting Sarah Marshall's Mila Kunis) to find the murderer.

Comic: Cingle Cellularity

Poor advertising leads to poor lecture attendance

Who knew that an interesting lecture series was hosting ethnically diverse speakers on campus? Answer: Apparently, not enough people. Last Wednesday, renowned physicist Sylvester James Gates spoke at Rice as a part of the President's Lecture Series of Diverse Scholars. The Diverse Scholars lecture series, which started five years ago, differed from the regular President's Lecture Series in that it held a specific emphasis on inviting minority scholars to speak on campus. However, its short-lived life has come to an end (See story, page 1).

Maxed out: An open interview with actor Mark Wahlberg

While I did not have the pleasure of seeing Max Payne last weekend, I did manage to talk to actor Mark Wahlberg on the phone about it during a conference call with two other college journalists. Wahlberg was funny, down to earth and extremely easy to talk to. I only wish I'd remembered to ask if there would be a Marky-Mark/Ludacris rap album coming out for Christmas. Below are our questions and his answers.Q: Have you ever played the video game Max Payne, and if so, how did this inspire you in the role?

This week's Editorial Cartoon

RPC books band for Homecoming Concert

For students, this year's Homecoming festivities will mark a departure from the traditional, most notably with a free concert by indie rock band The National. The concert, funded with $50,000 from the Office of Development, will last from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7 at the west quad behind the Raymond and Susan R. Brochstein Pavilion. In previous years, the Office of Development, which funds most of the homecoming game festivities, invited a keynote speaker. This year, the all- Rice picnic and headliner concert have replaced the speaker.