Ten things we can hope for in 2011-2012 at Rice University

A Rice football bowl game

While Rice went bowling in 2008, those days of football success seem distant after two dismal years in the post-James Casey era. Rice has 13 three-star recruits coming in next year and Sam McGuffie will hopefully become the offensive menace he was expected to be with a rejuvenated offensive line in front of him.

The Registrar's office stepping up

The class schedules are posted way too close to registration. A preliminary schedule of course offerings needs to be up four to six weeks prior to registration. Course offerings need to be searchable by more criteria such as class times and professors. Finally, late additions, cancellations and changes to the course list need to be listed in a separate area so students can be made easily aware. Exam schedules also need to be posted ealier as a service to international students who make travel plans far in advance. These changes areminimalistic but necessary; failure to institute these sorts of simple fixes may begin to reflect a sentiment of apathy in the Registrar's office.

KTRU Outdoor Show 2.0

KTRU did a fantastic job with the Outdoor Show this year. The atmosphere was electric and the music was good. Even if you didn't care about the artists, you could still have a great time at event because the music festival inspired set-up was brilliant. Next year, hopefully with an RPC partnership to raise more funds, the event can include a true headliner that could improve the event from great to marvelous.

Student responsibility with the return of liquor

I hope to see the moratorium lifted with the condition of continued alcohol responsibility. While liquor was not difficult to find in smaller circles, it was consistently absent from large public gatherings. The biggest effect of the moratorium was the message it sent to students: get your act together or this will only be the first of many privileges revoked. Students need to remember this admonition next year and the administration needs to have faith in the student body one last time by rescinding the liquor ban.

Better support system for student entrepreneurship

Dreaming big is not a bad thing; that's what college is all about. While Stanford seems to pump out numerous successful start-ups every year, Rice is certainly not known for anything of the sort. Despite being a science-dominated school, we can still follow suit. Some of the best and most needed ideas are in the academic sectors that Rice is known for. Engineering Dean Ned Thomas has stated that he hopes to bring entrepreneurial spirit to Rice's engineering programs. Dean Hutchinson needs to take this a step further and have Rice begin to foster student entrepreneurial ideas from biology to economics. Perhaps a start would be to begin emulating some of Stanford's programs such as the Stanford Entrepreneurship Network.

No more complaining about the KTRU sale

Don't get me wrong. I think the KTRU fiasco was one of the most totalitarian acts in Rice's history. However, while the methods of the sale were despicable, the proceeds of the tower will go towards things that frankly benefit a greater portion of the Rice community. I'm glad the student body had control over the asset allocation (ALFA), and I look forward to seeing the campus improved with these funds.

Meal plans that actually accommodate students

Right now your choice is zero meals per week, five meals per week, or 19 meals per week in the servery. Baloney. Students who want a consistent meal plan, but would prefer to not eat in the servery for about a meal a day, simply do not have that option right now. Perhaps Housing and Dining will begin actually considering students needs next year.

Less Texans, more out of state students

Obviously this is a dream that would take multiple admission cycles to truly achieve; however, I believe that it is a valid one. Rice prides its emphasis on diversity within classes; this focus is at least moderately hampered by the practice of maintaining a class consisting of half in-state students. While maintaining local ties is extremely important, Rice can still accomplish this goal while accepting fewer Texans and further diversifying the students it takes from other states.

More interaction between athletes and non-athletes

This is a greedy wish, since Rice already is much better than other universities at including athletes into its general student body. However, certain athletic teams definitely prioritize assimilation with non-athletes more than others do. It would be great to see a large proportion of athletes from every sport make a similar effort.

Rejuvenated O-Week alcohol education

The danger that faces the greatest number of incoming freshmen in college is alcohol abuse. There are plans to revamp the alcohol safety talks during O-Week already. I hope to see alcohol education events that are peer-driven, relatable to the students and hone in on a few hard-hitting statistics rather than spew mountains of data and endless numbers.

Ryan Gupta is a Baker College sophomore and Thresher Opinions editor