Special Projects

Beer Bike proposals misleading in intent

The motions of change are incumbent upon the development of any progressive institution, and they should never be avoided out of fear of the unknown. But the notion that those in favor of maintaining the traditions of Beer Bike are merely resisting change could not be further from the truth.In a Thresher poll conducted last November, more than two-thirds of respondents expressed their desire to maintain the status quo and retain the trucks for the water balloon fight. The primary interest of the proposed redrawn plans for Beer Bike is the elimination of trucks, contrary to a message from Campus-Wide Beer Bike co-Coordinator Brian Henderson, who called the trucks' absence a "main disadvantage" for balloon delivery.

Erratum

Last week's column by Patrick McAnaney read thatCatholic Charities in Washington, D.C. would cut off all services to the homeless if legislation legalizing same-sex marriage passed ("Catholic Church abandons social services for homeless," Jan. 15). Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl said that only some services would be cut off if the legislation passed. The Thresher regrets the error.

Relish: Going to Gravitas (Online only)

Open for brunch, lunch, dinner and, thankfully, happy hour, Gravitas is a stylish venue simmering with both imaginative cuisine and sensible fine dining in a low-pressure atmosphere. The offerings kept us satiated, the setting kept us cool and a new dish turned a heretofore meat-lover on his head. Ambiance

This week's Editorial Cartoon

Autry Army turnout a welcome surprise

Was there a basketball game last weekend? You tell us. Autry Army successfully enticed approximately 550 students - effectively one-sixth the size of the undergraduate population - to attend the Rice men's contest against the University of Memphis (see story, page 11). With an intact support system, the Owls nearly emerged victorious, and students enjoyed cheap pizza and the thrill of a successful athletic event.Considering typical student attendance at athletic events is abysmal, attracting hundreds of students for Saturday's game sounds spectacular. But what was the cost of the record attendance? Autry Army shelled out $900 for pizza and provided hundreds of free t-shirts to students. Given students' free admission to the game, the athletic department made no profit off the stellar attendance; instead, Autry Army went into the red with these expenses. And given the exponential increase in attendance - we estimate an average home basketball game sees 20 students - we can only assume it is a result of the effort Autry Army put forth. Taking into consideration the fact that college serveries are closed for Saturday dinner, this may have been a primary motivation for students to go to the game. After all, paying $1 per pizza slice results in a cheaper dinner than those available beyond the hedges. So then, why not stay close to one's college and partake in a cheap meal, even if it means going to a basketball game? Several students may have attended the game purely out of convenience rather than a desire to bleed blue and gray.

Rice Track & Field 2010: Women's squad brings in abundance of upperclassmen, large group of freshmen to extend conference title streak

There is also this special video report on women's track for this week's issue.With six conference championships in three seasons, sweeping both indoor and outdoor competition, success has become an expectation, not just a goal, for the women's track and field team. Last season, then-senior Lennie Waite helped lead the team to their success, qualifying for nationals in two events and earning an All-American status in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.

Fond memories abound for Fraser, 52

Massage therapist Julia Fraser, who worked at the Wellness Center, died Dec. 24. She was 52. The Wellness Center notified the Rice community of Fraser's death, of natural causes, via e-mail Jan. 4. A memorial service for Fraser was conducted in the Rice Memorial Chapel Tuesday.

Government officials discuss border safety

Rice, like the rest of Houston, is a short trip from the U.S.-Mexico border, and is directly impacted by immigration, making the campus an ideal site for discussions of border security and U.S.-Mexico relations. Both Alan Bersin, Assistant Secretary of the Office of International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs, and Undersecretary of the Interior of Mexico Gerónimo Gutiérrez Fernández spoke about U.S.-Mexico border security at Rice Wednesday in Duncan Hall. Bersin, who is responsible for developing strategy on security, immigration, narcotics and trade matters affecting Mexico, describes the two nations' relationship as "friendly but proper."

Beer Bike parade changes proposed

As the Beer Bike coordinators prepare for the 50-day countdown to Beer Bike on Jan. 29, they are also proposing significant changes to the parade and security system and have reached a final decision about accommodating Duncan College and McMurtry College in the races this year. New track will wait

This week's Editorial Cartoon

Student published in national magazine

It is one thing to have your work read on your own campus, but one Rice student recently found her work read on campuses across the nation. Cintia Roman, a Lovett College sophomore, had her short story, "Birthday in Ecuador," published in the fall 2009 issue of The Collegiate Scholar, which is produced by The National Society of Collegiate Scholars.The Collegiate Scholar, NSCS's online literary magazine, is published once at the end of every semester and features poems, short stories, essays, journalism, art and photographic pieces. All members of the society may submit work, Janine Deegan, the Outreach and Communications Coordinator for NSCS, said.

First semester challenging yet rewarding

It's the start of the second semester at Rice. This means a last-minute scramble for books and classes as Owls gear up for another academic term at one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the nation. But before getting back into the hustle and bustle of school life, this is a good time to reflect on what was, for many, their first semester at Rice.Reactions can vary depending on the student, and answers encompass everything from relief at still being alive and functioning, to the expression of boundless joy that radiates with the warmth of the Houston sun.

Closure of colleges saving green

In keeping with its recent efforts to go green, the university has also attempted to stay in the black. The university decided to close the residential colleges over winter break with the hopes of reducing its carbon footprint with the aim of saving an estimated $100,000 in utility bills. Although Housing and Dining is in the process of computing more accurate data and numbers, it is clear that the university saved at least $35,000 by closing the colleges, Housing Operations Manager Mark Chaszar said. This figure is a preliminary number, but is expected to be much higher once all the calculations are complete.

Rice Track & Field 2010: Owls hope Colwick's championship effort effort in 2009 translates into team success in 2010, as majority of team returns

Jason Colwick hasn't let up. The defending national champion in pole vault, the senior, who also ranks fifth in the world in his sport, has kept a healthy training regimen that should make him the odds-on favorite to grab another crown. But Colwick can only do so much when trying to attain his final, furtive goal: a conference championship. Fortunately, according to Head Coach Jon Warren (Jones '88), Colwick is still doing everything he can to improve on his team's third-place finish in 2009.

Catholic Church abandons social services for homeless

One of my favorite parts of going home to Washington D.C. for the holidays is the opportunity to find out what's really going on in national politics. Sure, you can watch the news or read the newspaper anywhere in this country and learn about current events. But only in D.C. are people truly immersed in the political arena.So when I went home this winter break, I was surprised to discover that one of the hottest topics had nothing to do with the White House or Congress, but rather with the intense battle brewing between the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, the City Council and the homeless. The issue? Believe it or not, gay marriage.

Bringing the masses together

Martel College junior Chris Kopcynzski speaks at the McMurtry College town hall meeting Monday to discuss the college's future. McMurtry and Duncan College are still without many of the necessities of a college, such as masters or upperclassmen, but both colleges are ramping up the process to fulfill these necessities.

Holiday movie wrap-up

From a studly detective to a blossoming queen, this year's holiday films delivered delightful gifts wrapped from top to bottom. As they often do, a deluge of notable films flooded theaters over the past few weeks in order to take advantage of vacationing moviegoers and attempt one last swipe at an Oscar nomination. While the wealth is often distributed fairly equally during the winter months, 2009 propelled one film to the head of the class handily. James Cameron's (Titanic) Avatar outperformed any other film over the holidays by bringing in more than $441 million at the time of this writing - plus $906 million internationally - to make it the second-highest grossing film of all time. Even with its two-and-a-half hour runtime and middling plot, Avatar's stunning visuals pleased audiences and critics alike and earned four Golden Globe nominations.

Beer Bike proposals poorly calculated

Since Lance Berkman did not answer our calls for aid ("An open letter to Lance Berkman, concerning Beer Bike," Nov. 20), we applaud the necessary parties for taking it upon themselves to pony up the funds to construct the new Beer Bike track (see story, page 1). The annual event is unfairly shunned by the university, so the recognition of its inherent importance - to the tune of more than $100,000 - is a commendable feat.Alas, that is where our applause ends. We've looked over the proposed changes. We agree with sentiments - safety should be the preeminent concern of the organizers of the school-wide race. However, and we hesitate to sound like codgers opposed to any notion of change, the proposed shifts of the parade, both in location and logistics, are resoundingly incompetent.

Going back to the 'oud' school with Istanbul

The oud is a millennia-old Middle Eastern musical instrument that Arab conquerors brought to Spain, where the locals trimmed down its size, lightened the sound and renamed it the "guitar." However, the guitar never caught on in the Muslim world, and the oud remains, to this day, the stringed instrument of choice in countries like Turkey. My great-grandmother was one of the premier oud teachers in Turkey, meaning, then, that my mother lived in a household filled with great music. All her memories came flooding back after I put this new CD, Istanbul, into our stereo. Istanbul is a carefully researched, gorgeously performed album of Turkish folk music, uniting musicians from political rivals Turkey and Armenia. "The best Turkish music I've heard in ages," my mother mused, before singing along to several instrumentals.

Commentary: Baseball's Hot Stove thaws frigid winter doldrums

It's been a cold winter. A winter of noses turned faucets, bones turned brittle and fingers turned frigid. Cold enough that the Washington Wizards' Gilbert Arenas had to pack heat just to stay warm. Cold enough that Tiger's remaining mistresses will have to wait until spring to unveil their allegations. Cold enough that Colt McCoy's tears actually warmed his blubbering cheeks - as well as the hearts of 'Horn-haters from Pensacola to Portland. Yeah, it was a cold winter. But if you were huddled around baseball's annual Hot Stove, there was little discontent to be found.