Letters to the Editor

8/27/09 7:00pm

Online Comment of the Week

To the Editor:As a transfer student myself back in the day, I have to say that I'm not all that enamored with the idea of warehousing transfers from every college at "historic" Will Rice ("Students opt for historic housing at old Will Rice," Aug. 21). It's better than the prior policy that denied on-campus housing to almost everyone, but this still isn't a substitute for the experience of actually living in one's own college. (Presumably, one wouldn't transfer to Rice if one weren't interested in that experience - I certainly was!) I still fail to understand why transfers aren't counted the same as incoming first-year students for the purposes of housing.

In addition, the financial incentives offered are certainly attractive, but one worries about students feeling as though they're forced to choose this living arrangement due to financial constraints. If this becomes a long-term housing solution, care must be taken to ensure that we're not creating, essentially, a two-tier college experience.

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Matthew Patterson

Jones '07

Registrar unfairly reprimanded

To the Editor:

I feel compelled to respond to the opinion piece written and published last week ("Print version of GA ensures integrity," Aug. 21). In it, the writer laments the fact that the GA (General Announcements) is no longer being printed and is available now only as a pdf file online. If the writer had checked with the Office of the Registrar beforehand, he would have found a very sympathetic office. We in fact have nothing to do with the printing (or not printing) of the GA. We of course work very diligently with the contents of the GA, enforcing university academic policies, etc., but the coordination of its content and the printing of that content is managed and coordinated by other offices.

On a personal level, I, like the writer, have a paper copy of the GA for the year I matriculated at Rice. It was "my Bible for Rice" and still sits on a shelf in my office at home. I understand why, and would even encourage students to download the PDF and store it somewhere electronically. Beyond that, I would encourage actually reading it, not as "protection from the Registrar," but as a resource of valuable and important information. It's not a confusing book of obstacles created to keep you from graduating, but rather a helpful road map to guide you through the curriculum and academic policies of our university. Because of its significant role in advising, often done over a dinner table in the colleges, a large number of us will miss the printed GA.

I appreciate the points made in the opinion piece, but find it disappointing that it contained some inaccuracies and misrepresentations about our office. While the GA states that "students are responsible for making certain that their plan of study meets all degree and major requirements," we in the Office of the Registrar will offer our assistance and will work to help you in the ways that we can. We hope to see each and every Rice student succeed ... and graduate!

David Tenney

Sid Richardson '87

Office of the Registrar

Parking editorial misinformed

To the Editor:

When I read the editorial about H-E-B employees parking at Rice ("Parking deal evidence of Rice's generosity," Aug. 21), I half expected it to end with a sponsorship ad from Yu Wan Mei fish products.

This sort of over-the-top praise of Rice reads like Backpage mockery of an administration-owned publication, rather than the ideas of independent-minded students. This perception of brown-nosery was only exacerbated by the Thresher reiterating the administration's new favorite phrase, "Historical Will Rice," whatever that is, with little critique or explanation.

But even worse, the editorial reads like one from the Wall Street Journal, where the news articles often contradict the opinion page.

Despite what the editorial board may think, Rice is not a charity, it is a business. Giving away free parking as simply a kind gesture would be bad business and not in Rice's interests. Luckily, the news article clarifies the situation: Rice provides H-E-B with parking to encourage corporate sponsorship of the athletic teams and to encourage H-E-B to display Rice paraphernalia. In a city where the number of University of Texas, Texas A&M University and even Texas Tech University products on display in stores vastly outnumbers Rice products, even in our own backyard, this sounds like a good move. Furthermore, it doesn't cost Rice anything except the opportunity loss of not charging for parking and the increased wear on Rice's infrastructure from the extra cars and shuttles.

However, the Thresher ignores that while H-E-B gets free parking at Rice, the new gates around Greenbriar lot charge joggers, and area alumni, $1 for what used to be de facto free, short-term parking. Admittedly, this charge makes sense given the opportunity loss of free parking. However, it also discourages local community members from using the outer loop running path, hurting whatever ties were built between Rice and the community.

How about this for a parking deal: Rice advertises and provides free parking in Greenbriar lot during the morning, evening and weekend - traditional jogging times - with the hopes of building community sponsorship of the athletic teams. After all, it is working so well with H-E-B, right?

Evan Mintz

Hanszen '08

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