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NEWS 11/5/09 6:00pm

Men's Basketball Preview 2009: On the Rebound

By Brody Rollins

With five much-heralded recruits, Ben Braun hopes to see his squad continue the improvements found last year.When the men's basketball team suits up for its first game next Friday, the perception will be that it is a team on the rise. Despite years of ineptitude, years of malaise and years of drudgery all burying the program under a pile of losses and defectors, the perception of resurgence exists.

NEWS 11/5/09 6:00pm

The competition: A look at Conference USA

By Casey Michel

Conference USA has recently been the whipping boy of the University of Memphis, champions and national powerhouses for the last four seasons. But with the Tigers' summer disintegration, the conference is more wide open than it's been in years. Here's a look at which teams have a shot at capturing the C-USA title this season, from best to worst. MEMPHIS: With ex-head coach John Calipari basking at Kentucky, Tyreke Evans turning in early numbers with Sacramento and Shawn Taggart toiling in obscurity, the Memphis Tigers' dominance atop the C-USA standings will be the shakiest it's been in years. Last year's scoring has gone out the window, but that just means the floor will be open to the talent Calipari brought in to ride the pine last year.

NEWS 11/5/09 6:00pm

Rice-BCM merger to promote research

By Jennifer West and Richard Smith

In light of recent discussions of the proposed Rice-Baylor College of Medicine merger, we would like to remind students, faculty and staff of the beneficial side of this proposition. In the first place, if the merger happens, there will likely be a significant increase in research collaborations between the two institutions. At present, most academic research expenditures in the United States are dedicated to biomedical, rather than basic, research. With BCM on board, Rice would immediately gain a leadership position among its peer institutions in biomedical research.

NEWS 11/5/09 6:00pm

Soccer ends season on 'perfect' note

By Teddy Grodek

If only the ball had bounced a few more inches to the right. If only the ball had slowed down a split-second. If only that tight game has gone the other way. If only the women's soccer team hadn't played a season full of "if only" finishes, its season wouldn't already have ended. It was only toward the end of the year that the women started playing with the heart and determination necessary to forget these scenarios and finally obtain the wins they had just missed during the bulk of the season.

NEWS 11/5/09 6:00pm

NOD attracts whole new world of scantily clad

By Seth Brown

While some partygoers may enjoy fond memories of Wiess College's Night of Decadence, others are still trying to figure out what exactly happened - or at least wish they were unsure. Approximately 1,300 Rice students and their guests - 100 more than last year - descended on the Wiess quad and commons for the four-hour Disney-themed party last Saturday.

NEWS 11/5/09 6:00pm

Brown set to go green

By Cindy Dinh

In a push for more sustainable living, students will now have another, less scandalous reason to turn off their lights. The Green Dorm Initiative, which launched Wednesday, is a way for students to rate their dorm and receive incentives based on their levels of environmental friendliness. The Green Dorm Initiative committee, part of the Environmental Club, is working in conjunction with EcoReps and the Rice Student Green Building Initiative to encourage students to assess their current behavior and reward them for adopting more environmentally friendly practices, GDI committee leader Nicole Kwan said.

NEWS 11/3/09 6:00pm

Aliquam lectus orci, adipiscing

By Ut dictum

Aliquam lectus orci, adipiscing et, sodales ac, feugiat non, lacus. Ut dictum velit nec est. Quisque posuere, purus sit amet malesuada blandit, sapien sapien auctor arcu, sed pulvinar felis mi sollicitudin tortor. Maecenas volutpat, nisl et dignissim pharetra, urna lectus ultrices est, vel pretium pede turpis id velit. Aliquam sagittis magna in felis egestas rutrum. Proin wisi libero, vestibulum eget, pulvinar nec, suscipit ut, mi. Integer in arcu ultricies leo dapibus ultricies. Sed rhoncus lobortis dolor. Suspendisse dolor. Mauris sapien velit, pulvinar non, rutrum non, consectetuer eget, metus. Morbi tincidunt lorem at urna. Etiam porta. Ut mauris. Phasellus tristique rhoncus magna. Nam tincidunt consequat urna. Sed tempor.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

NOD decorations underway

By Seth Brown

Tomorrow, numerous childhood images from Rice's undergraduate population will be seen in a new light. The Wonderful World of NOD: Someday My Prince Will Come, this year's incarnation of Wiess College's public party, will feature a Disney castle front, an under-the-sea themed bar and a light-blue Sparky, the 10-foot "phallic object" that traditionally graces the Night of Decadence, as described by Wiess College Social Vice President Charles Dai. Students can buy tickets for $8 during the week and for $10 at the door. Shirts are $10 and can be purchased, along with tickets, in the colleges' commons during lunch.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

Weary football looks to break

By Meghan Hall

After eight straight weeks of losses by the football team, everyone affiliated with the squad, from the players to the fans to the media, is ready for a week off. Most notably, Head Coach David Bailiff has big plans for the bye week after last weekend's conference loss to the University of Central Florida.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

Martel seeks new masters

By Lawanda Turner

For any faculty member interested in becoming a college master, this may be the year to apply. A total of four residential colleges - Baker College, Duncan College, Martel College and McMurtry College - are looking for new masters for next year. Martel was the first to begin their search for a new master, assembling a Master Search Committee early this month. The committee will search for masters to take the position that will open up once Earth Sciences Professor Jerry Dickens' and Michelle McCormick's five-year tenure ends this May.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

RPC announces concerts

By Diane Ramirez

In celebration of Homecoming Weekend in two weeks, the Rice Program Council announced that students will again be able to attend a live concert, featuring Augustana and The Wild Moccasins, in the Central Quad. The free event, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 14, from 7:30-11 p.m., is organized by the RPC.The Wild Moccasins, who will open at 7:30 p.m., are an indie rock band from Houston with a large local following, RPC President Michelle Kerkstra said. In the past, The Wild Moccasins have played at events like the Westheimer Block Party and at Walter's on Washington, a local music venue in The Heights. They will be followed by the nationally acclaimed rock band Augustana at 9 p.m.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

Rice aims to increase efficiency

By Scott Norgaard

Rice has taken large strides to reduce its overall energy consumption in recent years, and several initiatives have both lessened the environmental impact of the university's appliances and lowered costs across campus.One efficiency measure is the gradual implementation of front-loading washing machines in the residential colleges. The machines were first introduced to Rice five years ago, starting with the masters' houses, Associate Vice President of Housing and Dining Mark Ditman said. The colleges began phasing in these energy-efficient machines at the colleges three years ago.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

Volleyball falls in road matches with SMU, Tulsa

By Paul Fitzgerald

The volleyball team has struggled all season with closing out matches, and this weekend was no different. Difficult losses on the road to conference foes Southern Methodist University and the University of Tulsa dealt a crushing blow to the Owls' goal of a conference championship. Rice traveled to Dallas to take on SMU (17-7, 7-3 Conference USA) Friday evening, a team the Owls defeated in four sets at Tudor Fieldhouse just a few weeks ago. Yet this match had a vastly different result, as the Mustangs downed Rice (14-8, 6-5 C-USA) in a five-set match (25-23, 21-25, 19-25, 25-22, 15-7).

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

Rights-based development imperfect

By Josh Ozer

Much of the Western world's efforts to promote economic growth and human development in the last 60 years have focused on human rights. All people have a right to life, health and happiness - at least according to the unanimous declaration of human rights by the United Nations in 1948. Upcoming commencement speaker and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus has even argued that access to financial credit is a human right.These may indeed be human rights, and achieving their universal realization would be a tremendous milestone in human development.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

With new positions, RPC seeks accessibility

By Sarah Rutledge

In an effort to make the club more open to students, the Rice Program Council is nearly doubling in size as it allows students to join as committee representatives. Last year, RPC boasted the Formals, Socials, Traditions, and Spirit and Morale Committees. This year, the club restructured into Socials, Traditions, Publicity, Concerts, and Arts and Entertainment Committees, RPC Vice President Nicholas Muscara said. Interested students could apply for every committee but Arts and Entertainment, which does not accept members based on applications.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

Gearbox's Borderlands takes aim at trite RPGs

By Joe Dwyer

What do you get when you mix guns with free-roaming adventure, over-the-top enemies and more loot than you can shake a stick at? Easy: Gearbox's latest video game, Borderlands.Gearbox Software, a developer out of Plano, Tex., has made a name for itself in the first-person shooter genre over the past decade with its plethora of expansions to Half-Life, Valve's legendary 1998 PC shooter, and its numerous console ports of other franchises, including Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Halo. So when Game Informer magazine revealed the company's ambitious new shooter in the works, Borderlands, to the world two years ago, people were understandably excited.

NEWS 10/29/09 7:00pm

Fondren celebrates 60

By Lawanda Turner

Fondren Library may not see many parties, but as its 60-year anniversary approaches, the storied library will soon be hosting its own shindig. On Wednesday, Fondren's anniversary festivities will include parties for students, staff members and a panel focusing on the library's evolution. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Fondren Library, a supportive branch of the library that funds its collections and facilities.

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