Special Projects

Baker enters final stage in search for RA

Baker College will select a new Resident Associate by April 23, as current RA Jessica Logan is leaving at the end of this year.Baker President Megan McSpedon chose eight Baker students to form a RA search committee, Liz Young, RA search committee co-chair, said. McSpedon hoped to choose students who had not been previously involved with Baker's student governing body, Young, a Baker sophomore, said.

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.

Photo: I dream of BISF

The Baker Institute Student Forum held its first-ever study break Wednesday in the Duncan College Commons, attracting a crowd with free food and Baker Institute Founding Director, Ambassador Edward Djerejian.

Photo: Bike racing... without the beer

Martel senior Kristin Anderson leans into the turn during the Baylor University Race Weekend, a collegiate cycling competition, on April 10. Anderson swept the road race, the time trial and the criterium to help Rice retain its conference lead.

O-Week adviser selection too exclusive

Rice University's approach to welcoming new students with Orientation Week is often cited as a bedrock of our institution's college system and the formation of a unique campus culture. For countless members of our community, myself included, O-Week memories summon feelings of comfort and beginnings of deep friendships. But in the spirit of constant self improvement, I will suggest that one aspect of O-Week is hurting members of this community and limiting the integration of one of the most diverse campuses in the country.

Sports Staff Soundboard: How should the NFL and the Steelers discipline Ben Roethlisberger

How should the NFL and the Steelers discipline Ben Roethlisberger?

Eater's Digest: The 'whole' story

If you're looking for guilt-free food, chances are you've stumbled across whole-grain options. Nutrition experts often laud whole grains, but do most of us know what grains are considered whole grains? What does this label mean?Grains are the seeds of grasses and are typically composed of three parts: an outer bran that contains a lot of fiber, a starchy endosperm and a germ, which is a concentrated source of nutrients. According to the FDA, whole grains are "cereal grains that consist of the intact, ground, cracked or flaked kernel, which includes the bran, the germ and the inner most part of the kernel (the endosperm)."

Letters to the Editor

Online Comment of the Week

Last week's online poll results

Relish: Sushi King moniker misleading

We are white people (see picture). Affluent, sheltered, suburban white people who fit in perfectly with the rest of the patrons at Sushi King last Saturday night. The establishment is little more than another iteration of the "Americanized Sushi" algorithm, with heavy weighting factors for price and comfort and sacrifices of authenticity and excitement. Ingredients like cream cheese, jalapeños, papayas and limes can be found here, and the popular American process of deep-frying rolls and then loading them with fatty sauces is all too common.The restaurant seemed conflicted about how it wanted to present itself: The hostess was Caucasian but greeted us in broken Japanese, startling our delicate sensibilities and triggering a fight-or-flight reflex. (Perhaps we should have listened to what our bodies were telling us.) Once we were assured that she in fact spoke English, we pressed on, exchanging our 5:30 p.m. reservation for one of two dozen empty tables - the hostess recommended reservations for 7 p.m. or later.

Golf fails to take tournament title after subpar first day

The golf team entered the Jim West Intercollegiate on April 12 looking to lock up an NCAA appearance with their third team title of the season. Instead, they posted a third-place finish, leaving themselves with work to do in the upcoming Conference USA Tournament. After what could only be described as one of the most successful season starts in recent Rice golf history, which saw the squad score two team titles and post six out of seven top-five finishes early this season, the Owls have struggled to the finish line. What at once seemed like an almost-certain NCAA berth is no longer such a sure thing.

Fey, Carell hot in Date Night

Tina Fey and Steve Carell, comedy superstars of "30 Rock" and "The Office," respectively, are today's funniest television personalities. And together on the big screen in Date Night, Fey and Carell prove they are a force to be reckoned with, creating absolute hilarity as an awkward suburban couple innocently caught up in an action-packed New York City scandal.Date Night finds Fey and Carell as a dorky couple from the suburbs looking for an enjoyable night out on the town. Without the reservation needed to score a table at a hip restaurant, Claire (Fey) and Phil (Carell) steal the reservations of another couple (The Book of Eli's Mila Kunis and Milk's James Franco), gangsters involved in a scandal with the Manhattan district attorney (Night and Day's William Fichtner). With the help of a good-looking security expert (The Lovely Bones's Mark Wahlberg) and an NYPD detective (I Can Do Bad All by Myself's Taraji P. Henson), Claire and Phil work to escape the district attorney's threats in what turns out to be their most exciting date in years.

Martel takes Sammy Cup in college battle, will receive cash prize

With overall students, parents and alumni giving participation rates of 10.2 percent, Martel College took home the Sammy Cup in this year's College Battle. Winners were announced on March 20 at Beer Bike and Martel will be officially presented with the award by the end of the school year.Along with a trophy and bragging rights, Martel will receive $1,000 for its student budget. Martel will use the money to kickstart a savings fund, Director of the Rice Annual Fund Michele Boillotat said.

Forman to leave

Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman announced Monday that he will be leaving his position as dean of undergraduates to become the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Emory University, effective July 1. President David Leebron said that a search committee will be formed to find a suitable replacement, with the goal of having the new dean in place by this fall. Forman began teaching at Rice full time in 1987, after receiving his doctoral degree from Harvard University in 1985. He was made a full professor in 1999 and became chair of the Mathematics Department in 2001 and Jones College master in 2002. Forman relinquished his positions as chair and master in order to become the first dean of undergraduates in 2005.

So you think you can dance

Lasya, Rice's traditional Indian dance troupe, performs as part of Saturday's Rangeela, the South Asian Society's spring show. The evening featured dances from a number of groups, singing and a Maury parody followed by dinner in the West Servery.

Sid Theater tops charts with Rock 'n' Roll

Sid Richardson College's production of Tom Stoppard's 2006 play Rock 'n' Roll, directed by Sid Richardson seniors Kristen Hallberg and Jacob Lindsey, is a thought-provoking and engaging narrative that deals with deep themes of communism and resistance. Such weighty subject matter generally leaves much room for things to go wrong, but the production and its strong cast performances offer a fantastic experience that shouldn't be missed.Fans of Stoppard - more specifically, of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead - may be disappointed to find that Rock 'n' Roll isn't a typical Stoppard play. Rock 'n' Roll focuses on socialism, communism and other issues facing the Czechs and British from the 1960s until 1990. The characters often discuss rock music's evolution over the years, which makes the production especially entertaining. While the philosophical discussions can venture into cerebral, even heavy, areas, the play is written so those without a knowledge of its historical background can follow the narrative with ease.

Men's and women's tennis win one, lose one over weekend

For the last time before conference championships, the women's tennis team packed their bags, traveled long hours in a cramped white van and missed out on their friends' shenanigans back at Rice, to head out onto the road for their last away matches of the regular season at Southern Methodist University and the University of North Texas. First, the No. 42 Owls (12-8) took on a tough No. 29 SMU (22-3) squad on a four-game winning streak.

KTRU Top 35: Week of 04.14.2010

Photo: Woodstock's got nothin' on us

Rafter performed Saturday as part of KTRU's Outdoor Show held on the Central Quad lawn. The all-day event featured musical talents ranging from the kid-friendly Rachel Buchman's Homemade Band to the thick rhymes of Fat Tony.

Green dorm initiative launches campuswide

The Green Dorm Initiative, a program which encourages students to reevaluate their living habits by rating the environmental friendliness of their dorms, began April 8. The program, which was tested last semester at Brown College, required approximately 20 participants from the college to fill out a survey assessing their living habits. They then kept a two-week log of their behavior, Becca Sagestegui, president of the Rice Environmental Club, said.