Funds for campus art nice but misplaced
Everyone likes art, right? The glass boats recently hung from the ceiling of Fondren Library are supposed to be the first of many projects around campus, according to the Arts Committee. Art may well be an "essential element to achieving our mission as a great university," as President David Leebron said during the official unveiling of the sculptures. However, as enjoyable as art can be, there remain several much more direct ways to make Rice a better school.The unveiling ceremony was exciting enough for there to be wine. The pavilion was crammed with men in sportcoats and women in bright skirts holding wine glasses while the four plasma screens featured the oozing of molten glass. Leebron stood somewhere in the middle of them all. Around 5:45 p.m., the group made its way into the library to admire nine glass boats hanging from the ceiling. A few inspirational speeches were given, a few pictures taken on BlackBerry phones. A student employee at the front desk, referring to them as "radishes," wondered if the rumors about the cost of the boats were true.