Opposition to KTRU sale

This week's Student Association meeting introduced a resolution entitled "To Disapprove of the Secretive Process Employed During the sale of KTRU-FM; To call for a Collaborative Dialogue between Student Stakeholders and the Rice Administration" (see story, page 11). The Thresher would like to highlight this commitment as it pertains to both the student body and the university's administration.First, the SA's support of student organizations is commendable. Though they are understandably powerless to take any action stronger than passing a non-binding resolution, their demand that "the Rice administration provide a concrete assurance ... that the decision to confidentially appraise and sell KTRU-FM was indeed not a precedent" properly engages decision-makers to come to the table and share future plans with the student body. In a place where institutional memories rarely reach back further than four years, it is important that the administration carve in stone their commitment to students.

Errata

Last week, the Thresher reported that $4 million from the KTRU sale would be used toward construction of the East Servery. The Thresher would like to clarify that no final decisions have been made on the amount any project or service will receive, including the East Servery.Due to a printing error, page 10 of last week's issue was not printed. A PDF of this page can be accessed using the following URL: http://tinyurl.com/thresher- page-10

Smooth Transition

Many changes to the Rice campus welcomed students at the start of the fall semester. Though some of those changes have been met with some resistance, the Thresher has been encouraged to see that the new renovations to Will Rice and Baker Colleges have gone without a hitch. The return home for these two colleges has been comfortable and well-received, thanks in large part to planners who all too often hear only criticisms for mistakes, rather than praise for unnoticed smoothness. According to Facilities, Engineering and Planning Project Manager Larry Vossler, "during the first 14 days, a total of four work orders were issued for more than 100 rooms, compared to 5,500 work orders at Duncan and McMurtry [Colleges] in early August of last year" (see story, page 12). The Thresher commends the planning and execution of the move-in into the renovated colleges this semester.

KTRU in Hindsight

As detailed information about the sale of KTRU to the University of Houston continues to be disseminated throughout the student body, many groups are taking steps to determine the immediate future of the organization (see story, page 1). Alumni, KTRU disc jockeys and members of the greater student body are taking action to keep the deal from going through, while the administration tries to ameliorate the situation through discussions with KTRU about its future online operations. We at the Thresher believe that both attempts are simply too little, too late.First, it should be noted that President David Leebron personally met with KTRU officials in an attempt to explain the decision made by the Board of Trustees. Though KTRU affiliates may not have come away with satisfactory answers as to how the university put a price tag on their lives, President Leebron's outstretched arm is a welcomed sign.

KTRU sale dealings ominous for all student organizations

This week, an announcement was made that came as a surprise to both the Rice community and the Houston community in general. The sale of KTRU's transmitter tower, license and frequency to the University of Houston for the sum of $9.5 million has been met with both cries of foul play and shrugs of apathy (see story, page 1). But one thing is certain: This transaction will leave a massive imprint in the pages of the Rice University history book.As any student that has chosen to become part of a specific facet of the Rice community can tell you, there is no price that can be put into the love, dedication and hard work that goes into these undertakings. Coffeehouse workers, Thresher employees, athletes and any other club members have been reminded that the administration can and will act unilaterally to make an existential decision on students' behalf without consultation or even forewarning.

Thresher to return in August

The craziness of the year died down long ago, but we at the Thresher want to wish all of you a happy, restful and fun-filled summer - even if you'll be stuck in a 9-5 job. At least you'll be dodging the Houston humidity bullet!Of course, stay safe and don't do anything we wouldn't do: As much as we love publishing articles about you guys, we'd prefer if you did positive newsworthy things.

New provost excellent fit for Rice

On Wednesday, President David Leebron announced that George McLendon, currently the dean of the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences at Duke University, will become Rice's new provost on July 1 (see story, page 1).First, we'd like to express our gratitude to the administration for securing Rice a distinguished academic and leader from one of our peer universities. In addition, McLendon went to the University of Texas-El Paso and Texas A&M University for his undergraduate and graduate degrees, respectively, and is originally from the great city of Fort Worth, so he knows Texas. And, therefore, he is likely already familiar with Rice and the prestigious reputation that the university maintains in this state.

More fond farewells

We'd like to take the time to say a special goodbye to some seniors of our own. We're grateful to these Thresher staffers for sticking it out for four long years and helping our paper earn All-American and Best in Show rankings year after year.We wish the best to senior editor Catherine Bratic, who was always willing to do a little bit extra for the Thresher, whether it was going for a Whursday night dessert run or verifying the facts for an article. Catherine's attention to detail and talent for writing made her a valuable member of our staff. We'll miss her passion for French and food (and French food). Bonne chance!

Serveries enact welcome new focus on health

Rice Dining Services has slowly but steadily been reducing salt, saturated fat and added sugar in our servery food for the last half of the semester (see story, page 10). Although the shift has been all but imperceptible in terms of taste, it represents a drastic change for student health.We at the Thresher will readily admit that as students, we all eat poorly. We drink too much, snack too much and gorge ourselves late at night on junk food. Although we all know we should eat better, our general eating habits are not likely to change any time soon.

All the best to the Class of 2010

Incredibly, another year has come and gone, and with it, another group of seniors moves on to life beyond the hedges. We wish all the best to the Class of 2010. Though jobs are still a bit scarce, we are confident that all of your time and hard work at Rice will put you ahead of the rest. We know that you will all make great names for yourselves and for our university.Most importantly, when you head off into the great beyond, don't forget about us. Come back to visit when you're missing the warmth of Houston or the zaniness of your former home. We'll miss you!

Dean Forman a unique character, devoted leader

At the end of June, Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman will leave Rice to accept the position of Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Emory University in Atlanta (see story, page 1). This announcement, which was made at the beginning of the week, came as a shock to many of us. We'd assumed that Forman, who seems a veritable campus fixture, would be around for years to come, and though we're saddened to hear the news, we wish Forman the best in his future endeavors. We know Emory will gain a dedicated academic and leader with their pick.Forman has served at Rice for 23 years as both an educator and dean, and he leaves behind an extensive legacy. During his five-year tenure as Rice's first dean of undergraduates, he helped to establish the Center for Civic Engagement and interdisciplinary minors. In addition to his role as dean, Forman generally teaches a math class each semester, which offers him a multidimensional approach to the student experience: as an administrator, as an academic and as a mentor to students. His investment at Rice has extended far beyond the academic, however, and he has consistently made a point to reach out to students. He served as Jones College master from 2002-05, and despite taking on a heavier role in the administration in recent years, his dedication to students hasn't waned. Go to just about any home football game, and you'll see Forman hanging out in the bleachers. He regularly eats at serveries and may even know your name: In short, he's much more in touch with students than most other members of the administration.

This week's Editorial Cartoon

Erratum

The Thresher is retracting the usage of the word "fraud" in the March 19 article "Annual Fund monies fraud," following the decision by Vice President for Resource Development Darrow Zeidenstein to send a letter to Martel College parents and alumni explaining the unintentionally misleading machine-generated signature that appeared on a letter previously sent by the Annual Fund in Martel President Sean McBeath's name. The Thresher regrets any mischaracterization that may have occurred.

SA Budget Planning Committee promising

In order to ensure that any budget cuts required in the future are made with attention to students' opinions, the Student Association has established a Budget Planning Committee to represent student interests in budgetary issues to the Dean of Undergraduates and the Office of Finance (see story, page 1). This step, if properly enacted, will promote a financial system that works with, rather than against, the student body and produces outcomes that, if not optimal, are at least mutually agreed to be the best options under the circumstances.The SA has decided to limit the committee to six student members. While this small size will allow the program to be more efficient, it also risks reducing the influence of the committee into obscurity. Such an advocacy organization can only succeed if it truly voices the opinions of all it represents.

Je ne sais pas pourquoi

Although Rice lauds its international emphasis, in both its students and fields of study, the university just got a little less worldly with the decision to cut the doctoral track in the French Studies Department (see story, page 5). The death of this program, the result of university budget cuts, marks the end of the line for graduate programs in language study.Although we understand that the small size of the French graduate program makes it a predictable target for required budget cuts, this decision is the latest in a longterm university pattern that is disappointing and unworthy of the status the university seeks to maintain.

Survey gathers necessary student input

Unlike the campus-wide Beer Bike coordinators, the university's architects seem to have nothing to do but plan. Last November, University Architect David Rodd presented the Campus Master Plan to the Rice community ("Master plan presented at SA meeting," Nov. 13, 2009). In the months since, the Student Association has been scrambling to ensure that the student body's opinion will be considered in these designs. The results of the SA's Master Plan Survey were presented Monday (see story, page 1).The 640 students who participated in the survey clearly had strong views on the aspects of campus that they valued. Students expressed support for green space, student center renovations, underground parking garages, traditional architecture and the retention of the current football stadium.

Beer Bike planning lacks required foresight

Even the best-laid plans for outdoor events can be derailed by weather. However, plans for Beer Bike were not as well-laid as they could have been, and on Saturday a day of frigid showers threw the event into chaos.Although weather forecasts days in advance all but guaranteed rain for the event, as of Saturday morning, Beer Bike was scheduled to occur as planned. It was not until thousands of drunken, shivering college students arrived at the Beer Bike track that the campus-wide coordinators announced that the men's, women's and exhibition races would be rescheduled. Massive supplies of food that were ordered in advance had to be reshuffled, and hundreds of pizzas were left unclaimed, advertised only by some e-mail listservs, in the Rice Memorial Center that afternoon while students at the tracks and at their colleges went hungry. Why not leave the food at the tracks for the duration of the event or at the colleges?

Erratum

In the March 19 issue, the Thresher reported in the article "Casino party security pays off" that undercover Houston Police Department officers made an appearance at Lovett's Casino Party. The officers in attendance were actually representing the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission. The Thresher regrets the error.

Healthcare debate attendance laudable

This Saturday, more than 60 students attended a healthcare debate hosted by the Baker Institute Student Forum and Rice Young Democrats at Hanszen College (see story, page 1). Sure, the food may have played a part - serveries were closed, and the event promised Vietnamese sandwiches and tacos. But the food ran out in the first few minutes, and students remained to listen to Democratic and Republican students debate the relative merits and issues of healthcare reform.We at the Thresher are pleased. Not necessarily because the Tacos a Go Go proved the event to be a success - those wandering in the Hanszen Commons just two minutes after the debate began were too late for the food - but because of the implications of this attendance. Sure, serveries were closed, and the food was a step above what most might purchase on campus on Saturday evening, but more than 60 students remained for the final vote at the end of the debate, which showed a fairly even bipartisan split. For a campus that must alert, and almost force, its students to attend alumna and Houston Mayor Annise Parker's (Jones '78) Rice speech by delaying servery dinner, getting this many students to show up to a student debate is especially noteworthy.

New athletic director faces great expectations

We are pleased with Rice's selection of Rick Greenspan as athletic director, following Chris Del Conte's departure for Texas Christian University in October (see story, page 1). Greenspan has some large shoes to fill: Under Del Conte's tenure, Rice saw the opening of Tudor Fieldhouse, the renovation of Reckling Park, three consecutive Conference USA championships for the women's track and field team and back-to-back bowl appearances by the football team, just to touch on a few of Rice athletics' accomplishments in the past three years.However, we are confident that Greenspan will rise to the challenge and continue to take Rice athletics in the direction that Del Conte started. With experience at big conference schools that also do not put a main priority on football, such as Indiana University, Greenspan is the perfect fit for Rice athletics, especially when facing potential team conference reassignments. Also, we are happy to hear that Greenspan is planning to increase student involvement even more so than Del Conte did, and we are hoping that the recently established Varsity Sports Liaison program in the residential colleges has an opportunity to flourish under his purview, to encourage students to support teams other than their college's bike and chug teams.