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NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

New Owl Days host 500 prospective students, up from previous years

By Rachel Carlson

The Rice campus played host to prospective students last month as the Student Admission Council directed three sessions of Owl Days. The new program for admitted student visitation, which replaces previous years' Owl Weekend, took place in three Monday-through-Tuesday sessions, from April 7-8, April 14-15 and April 21-22.SAC Director Claire Shorall said Rice students collectively facilitated Owl Days.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Third time not the charm for men's tennis

By Casey Michel

This was not supposed to happen. Not again. This was supposed to be the year that the men's tennis team finally got over the hump known as the University of Tulsa. After succumbing to superior Golden Hurricane squads in the Conference USA Championship match each of the last two seasons, No. 24 Rice traveled to the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, on April 20 to battle once more the team that has become its chief tournament rival.While Rice's past two squads always seemed to be lacking a certain key component, the 2008 version brought all the necessary pieces to the table: A dominant No. 1 in 14th-ranked Bruno Rosa, a talented doubles tandem in No. 22 senior Ralph Knupfer and junior Christoph Muller, and, as evidenced by a 11-7 record against ranked opponents, a knack for coming through in the matches that mattered most.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Car of missing student Matthew Wilson found in California

By Lily Chun

Updated: Monday, June 16, 2008 12:23 p.m. CDTJUNE  14 -- Police found the car of missing Hanszen College junior Matthew Wilson on Tuesday along a residential block in west Berkeley, Calif. The 2004 silver Dodge Neon with a license plate from Oklahoma was towed as an abandoned vehicle, Rice Police Chief Bill Taylor said.Wilson's case attracted national attention when Wilson, a computer science major, disappeared Dec. 15 from his off-campus apartment last year, withdrawing $500 from his bank account before he left."Berkeley police informed the Rice University Police Department there were no obvious signs of foul play inside the car," the university said in a statement today.Andrew Frankel, public information officer for the Berkeley Police Department, said BPD first got wind of the abandoned car when someone called in around mid-May."We feel that the car's been there for at least a month, maybe a little longer," Frankel said.Taylor said a notice was posted on the car in May that it would be towed if not moved. When the car was impounded on Tuesday, it was identified as Wilson's car. Taylor said although there was a layer of dust on the car, Wilson's books, backpack and clothes -- things that were missing from his apartment -- were found in the car.Taylor said the Berkeley Police Department is currently searching for Wilson in the Berkeley area and is looking for witnesses who might have seen him.Frankel said the Berkeley Police Department sent out a press release on Saturday in hopes that it will generate some leads.Frankel said he could not answer any questions regarding whether or not someone lived in the house that Wilson's car was parked in front of.The car was found along 1200 Allston Way, which is about six miles west of the University of California at Berkeley. But as for any link between Wilson and the university, Frankel said it could only be speculation at this point.The Rice Thresher will continue update this article as more information becomes known.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Senior sprinter Heard's emergence highlights men's track's resurgence

By Brody Rollins

Last year the members of the men's track team could count the number of NCAA regional events they qualified for on one hand. This year, however, that hand could be used to count the events that senior Bubba Heard has qualified for all by himself. Add another hand and a foot and maybe we could start counting his individual victories.Facing both collegiate and amateur competition last weekend at the Houston Invitational, Heard qualified for regionals in his third event this season, the 100 meter sprint. Heard was the top collegian in the race, which counts as a victory by NCAA standards, and finished with a time of 10.43 seconds. He improved his mark by .31 seconds from the previous week and moved up to second in the Conference USA event rankings.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Golf team last at C-USA

By Yan Digilov

For the golf team, the Conference USA Championships are turning out to be a tough nut to crack. For the second year in a row, the Owls rounded out the bottom of the pack at the C-USA Championship, finishing 11th out of as many teams in Texarkana, Arkansas on April 20-22. Impressive performances from freshman Michael Whitehead and junior Kyle Kelley were not enough to keep the team from sliding into the 11th spot, but Rice's young stars left room for a promise of a brighter future alongside their room for improvement.The Owls needed a first place finish to extend their postseason, but after a tumultuous regular season in which they cracked the top 10 four times, they would have been satisfied with at least a solid effort. In addition, Rice finished ahead of C-USA rivals Tulsa and University of Houston at the River Landing Intercollegiate the week prior to the conference tournament, so coach Drew Scott and his team were optimistic.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Strong opinions brew over Pavilion's opening

By Catherine Bratic

Students walking around Robert R. Herring Hall and the Rice Memorial Center may have been surprised when the construction fences cawme down to reveal a glass building containing a coffee bar and lounge furniture. The new Raymond and Susan Brochstein Pavilion officially opened to campus with a dedication ceremony April 24. To kick off the pavilion's opening, the Dirk's Coffee bar inside remained open 24 hours a day during finals, from April 27 to May 2, to provide students moral and caffeinated support for the inevitable all-nighters.The pavilion officially opened to the public April 26. One day later, at the President's Study Break hosted by the offices of President David Leebron and Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman, the pavilion introduced itself to students by giving away free coffee to study break attendees.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Commentary: Return to Omaha just business as usual

By Casey Michel

Most teams will savor it, every moment of it. The instant where a foot plants on home plate, where the batter whiffs at the final strike, when the outfielder cradles that fly ball like a newborn kitten. Whatever the circumstance of that series-clinching out or final run, winning a championship of any sort results in a mass gathering of jubilance and crushing bodies.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Parking fees increase, proposal changed

By Alex Dinur

Last week, the University Standing Committee on Parking sent President David Leebron its proposal for next year's parking fees and policies. The main points of the proposal included returning to a tiered-fee system depending on seniority and reducing the fee for the Greenbriar Lot. For the first time since Leebron has been in office, he rejected the committee's annual recommendations; instead, Leebron offered his own suggestions to the Parking Committee.The committee had proposed a change to the undergraduate student surcharge, which is an additional charge on top of the original parking fee. The committee proposed a tiered-fee system, which was in place from fall 2002 to the 2006-'07 academic year, in which student parkers pay different surcharges according to their class year. The committee recommended that freshmen pay $300, sophomores $250, juniors $200 and seniors $150.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Column: Off-campus student needs require redress

By Stephanie Jennings

During my time at Rice, I was one of "those people." I lived on-campus for one year, moved off-campus for sophomore year and never came back. I went pretty deep OC my junior and senior years. Spending lots of dead time in the Rice Memorial Center during my three years off-campus has taught me one thing: Rice needs better resources for off-campus students. The first thing that can be improved is food options. Food is expensive - I wince every time I see my total at the grocery store - but additional food options on-campus could help to offset this expense. Currently, if you do not have any sort of off-campus meal plan, your options are to pack a meal, eat at 13th Street, Willy's Pub or Sammy's Cafe or convince a friend with a meal plan to steal food for you from the servery. And even if you do have an off-campus meal plan, it is probably somewhat impractical as the meals do not carry over from week to week. While 13th Street is a big improvement over the sub par Subway that formerly occupied the space in the RMC, there are only so many $5 turkey sandwiches and $5.95 sushi boxes one can take. While Rice cannot realistically support multiple fast-food chain restaurants in its student center like the University of Texas does, Rice needs another food alternative aside from current businesses or the slightly frightening frozen food vending machine in the RMC basement.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Commencement Speaker Rupp emphasizes global service

 

Thank you very much, David, for the very warm introduction, appropriate on a day when -- I don't know if you've noticed, but the word "warm" has been used by virtually every speaker so far. As David mentioned, Nancy is here with me and we are both delighted to be back on the Rice campus, and in particular to be assembled with you in this place, surely one of the most remarkable academic quadrangles in the world. I am pleased as well that y'all have decided to be here rather than in Crawford for Jenna Bush's wedding. As David has indicated, this occasion is a wonderful time to celebrate for you, the graduating students, for your families, friends who have provided support and for the faculty, staff and board who have worked with you in this achievement. So, graduating students, please raise a resounding cheer for your mentors and teachers, for your families and cherished friends. Let's hear applause for them.That was pretty limp. Again, the warm weather, I guess.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Marshall ousts women's tennis in C-USA semifinals

By Rhodes Coffey

In the realm of sports, effort and talent do not always equate to success and victory, particularly in women's tennis. In this day and age, parity amongst conference rivals leads to any team having a chance of triumphing on any given day. After six hours of grueling play against No. 50 Marshall University, the Owls eventually succumbed in the semifinals of the Conference USA tournament, ending their strong season on a sour note.After closing its season with 10 wins in a row, including a 5-3 shellacking of No. 69 California State University-Northridge, Rice entered the tournament with a first-round bye and began actual play in the second round against the University of Houston. Rice was seeded third in the tournament behind the University of Tulsa and Marshall, while UH came in only at No. 6. Though unranked, the Cougars gave the team a run for its money. The match lasted for over five hours, but the Owls nonetheless pulled away in a 4-3 thrilling comeback victory.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

The Kooks' Konk will give you cool kicks

By Sarah Cook

Sometimes, you just want a band that you know will make you smile. A band that makes you feel like you're driving to the beach with the windows down. The Kooks are that band for me. With bouncing rhythm, dreamy English vocals and catchy lyrics, they are exactly what I needed after a few days of locking myself in the library. Their sophomore album, out last month, is named after the studio where they recorded: Konk Studio, founded by the Kinks. The album is a grown-up, relaxed version of their first album. While they don't pull out any new tricks, their sound is much tighter and more pulled together. The quality of the recording has improved immensely and you can tell that the absence of their original bassist hasn't hurt them much at all. They've grown up and stayed young, and it shows.The album begins with a slow fade-in on "See the Sun," with a little acoustic guitar and Luke Pritchard on slow vocals. At first, the amusing lyrics and simple style make me wonder if I have made a mistake. Am I listening to the new Pete Doherty album? Slowly, the album builds to the Kooks I know and love. Bouncy beats, fun hooks and, oh, those dreamy accents. I'm smiling. As I listen to this album, I know it's not the best technically or the most original, but my foot is tapping, and I have a huge grin on my face. The Kooks follow with an intoxicating dance song called "Always Where I Need to Be," which is made much richer by some experimental vocals and an invigorating bass. "Mr. Maker," the third track, brings up memories of the absurd anecdotal songs of The Beatles. This might be the best track on the album. Its simplistic chorus weaves with highly perceptive verses to make it certainly notable, if not memorable.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Baseball clinches conference title with sweep of Houston

By Jessica Cannon

There were many things to cheer about as the fifth-ranked baseball team played its final home series last weekend. With a sweep over rival University of Houston, the Owls (39-11, 18-3 C-USA) secured the regular season Conference USA crown, marking Rice's 13th conference title in a row dating back to 1996. In addition to the team accolades, two players were announced to be in the running for significant national collegiate baseball awards, and three were honored for their academic achievements this semester. And with the graduations of seniors Will McDaniel and Cole St.Clair last Saturday, the team had even more cause for celebration before the contest against the Cougars.Most pressing on the Owls' minds at the moment, however, is their series against Tulane University, which opened Thursday in New Orleans, Louis., and will continue tomorrow. Tulane (36-15, 13-6 C-USA) is not likely to go down easily; outside of facing the Owls, the Green Wave have dominated conference play. Tulane will rely heavily on the arm of pitching phenom Shooter Hunt, a junior with a 1.97 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Baseball takes College World Series berth with win over Texas A&M

By Dylan Farmer

The baseball team clinched a third-consecutive College World Series berth with a 6-5 win over the visiting Texas A&M Aggies in Sunday's Super Regional game, and while the opponent and result were the same as last year, the late-game heroics were a welcome addition.With two outs and a runner on and his team's 5-4 deficit glowing on the scoreboard in the game's eighth inning, head coach Wayne Graham watched the arm of Aggie reliever Travis Starling fire a pitch towards home plate. He then watched the bat of junior catcher Adam Zornes fire it back over the left field wall for what would prove to be the game-winning home run.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

RDT spring show offers memorable experience

By Taylor Johnson

Rice Dance Theatre's spring show, "Dancing on the Edge," did not keep me sitting on the edge of my seat during the performance. Having gone to see the show on a man-date with my roommate, I recall looking over at him after the first dance after intermission and saying, "There are three dances left? Mistake."Despite the initial negative reaction I garnered from the show, however, it seems much more powerful as I look back on it a month later. The dancers moved across the stage gracefully and beautifully in most cases, and the synchronization between them was not without flaw, but it was admirable. The lighting of the stage was filled with a variety of usually deep and dark, cool colors. One dance utilized a strobe light and included a warning in the program for epileptics. The strobe light turned out to be so weak, though, that I doubt the most sensitive of epileptics could have gone into seizure, and this potentially dynamic visual just fizzled instead of adding sizzle.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Speaker addresses clean election reform

By Sarah Rutledge

For this election year, political fervor may have gripped many students on campus who look into donating money to fund their favored candidate's election. But Dr. Joan Mandle, president of Democracy Matters, an organization devoted to campaign financing that has 70 chapters in college campuses across the United States, claims these donations may not make a difference for many politicians, who mainly answer to corporate interests and the privileged elite. Mandle, a professor at Colgate University, spoke April 21 in the Miner Lounge of the Rice Memorial Center.Mandle began her talk, entitled "White House for Sale? Do Students Really Have a Voice?" by acknowledging former Student Association President Laura Kelley with arranging for her to come to Rice. Kelley, a Brown College senior, began her internship with Democracy Matters earlier this semester. Mandle said students in the internship focus on reaching out to other students and enacting political change on their college campuses.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Commentary: Where have all the Rangers fans gone

By Casey Michel

When I first got to Texas, images of 10-gallon hats, five-pound belt buckles and 24/7 barbecuing were floating through my head. The theme song to that mental slideshow was "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone," sung by '90s-crooner Paula Cole, if only because I was in a soft-rock mood, and it had "cowboys" in the title.Of course, much has changed since then - I now know barbecues come and go as the rain pleases, and those belt buckles only really exist in the realm of Wild West dance clubs. Cole's song still comes on every once in a while, between Paul Simon and Pearl Jam, but after a couple semesters of meet-and-greet, the lyrics in my mind now say, "Where have all the Texas Rangers fans gone?"

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

One-stop CWS coverage

 

The Rice Owls are headed to Omaha for the College World Series, and the Thresher's got it covered.

NEWS 5/15/08 7:00pm

Staff Editorial:Parking proposal rejection na've

 

Earlier this month, President David Leebron reviewed the Parking Committee's decision for next year's parking fees. The committee, which had proposed a return to the tiered-surcharge system and cutting Greenbriar Lot's surcharge by half for students, found its work from the past year largely overlooked when Leebron rejected much of its proposal (see story, page 1). We applaud the committee's willingness to listen to student opinion; earlier this spring, committee members presented their ideas to members of the Student Association, generating positive feedback on the possibility of cutting rates to make Greenbriar Lot more affordable.

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