The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 1966 Page: 2 of 18
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'You blocks, you storms
• • •
"Ploy 'pKMfiecttu
The academic year now ending has passed essential-
ly without crisis, catastrophe or confrontation. One won-
ders, however, whether the quietness represents con-
sistent co-operation, or whether the campus has merely
been dull and stagnant.
Perhaps the most surprising activity this year has *
come from the Undergraduate Affairs Committee. Its
decisions show a trend toward recognizing student re-
sponsibility and the removal of disciplinary restraints.
Students may rightly feel that many of their demands
have been met.
Discipline is, however, a negative aspect of a Uni-
versity. Efforts'spent on establishing- and maintaining-
disciplinary order and congruence are energies which
could have been directed toward the central endeavor of
the community: education.
Responsibility for educational policy lies directly
with the faculty, and progress toward a more effective
structure has been slow. The most notable example of an
attempt to define new directions in curriculum—the
Woodward Plan—has been entangled in a committee; it
is irrelevant whether it has been tabled in order to stifle
it, or if the investigation is but a proper first step toward
its potential inception. It is stuck.
■ The faculty, through its committees, has insisted on
putting the burden of proof upon the innovation, an at-
titude which must hamper change.
Student governments have apparently either reached
the limit of their potential or have failed to live up to it.
The colleges, the Student Association, the committees that
are its power and potential—all have found no new and
promising directions, have sponsored no noteworthy de-
velopments.
If the colleges are to progress—perhaps if they are
even to survive—the University commitment must be
increased. The student commitment to Rice's potentially
unique and successful institution has reached the limits
of its financial and human resources.
The masters and associates should be encouraged
and enabled to take more responsibility for the colleges,
and the physical facilities of the men's colleges must be
improved.
Rice's educational structure is at best clumsy. It
often stands in the way of the interpersonal contact
which is the heart of the liberal education this well-
endowed University can afford to provide.
The teaching function of the faculty must not be-
come obscured next to the researching; the classroom
education of undergraduates must not obscure the need
for extra-curricular facilities and opportunities.
In immediately past years, students and faculty have
been excited about the formulation of the Self-Study and
the Ten Year Plan which grew out of it. Now the tasks
are more subtle, perhaps less exciting. But they are not
less significant. Progress even without excitement is
still valid progress. In the quiet years following this one,
we must commit ourselves to it.
By ROGER GLADE
Thresher Staff Writer
Fox* quite some time, it has
apparently been the attitude of
the Rice Administration that
the Fine Arts are the stepchil-
dren of society, suitable only
for keeping the poorer misfits
busy and out of the way of the
pioneers of the brave new
world.
Indeed, until this year it was
a question of dubious nature
to ask if the University so
much as recognized the exist-
ence of such a set of disciplines.
However, with ever-expanding
facilities and an ever-expand-
ing curriculum, Rice has, in the
past year, evidenced to a large
extent a valid desire to live up
to its name. In short, the Uni-
versity has made progress.
It is disgusting that the Rice
Student Body hasn't done the
same.
Apathy Stifles
The problem of the "culture-
mongers" on the Rice campus
is essentially the same as that
of the "political activists," the
"professional do-gooders," the
"student government," and the
"God-lovers." Simply stated, it
is apathy.
The Rice community is poten-
tially a fruitful ground for
most, if not all, of the "finer
things in life," but the ordin-
ary student (be he engineer,
academ, or jock) has chosen to
bury his head in the bog and
come up for air only to com-
plain of the stifling atmos-
phere.
Far too long have we heard
muttered complaints regarding
cultural events on the Rice
campus. Far too long have we
heard these complaints from
the people who, if they cared,
could dp much to aid the situ-
ation. The atmosphere can be
improved only so much by mon-
ey and facilities. The "culture-
mongers" are only finite in
number. The only way the stu-
dents are going to get any-
thing better will be to exert
the necessary pressure.
The University is not, contra-
ry to rumor, deaf, dumb, and
blind. The Rice Players proved
this when they instituted a
campaign of constant pressure
for a director-in-residence.
They proved this by evidencing
actual student interest in dra-
ma. Rice gave them what they
Wanted. It will do so again and
and again, but not without rea-
son, and not without a request
from those who care.
No Response
The net result of the situa-
tion is dissatisfaction. Those
who perform are dissatisfied
with the reaction, those who re-
act are dissatisfied with the
performance. The Fine Arts de-
partment holds an exhibition
and few attend. If the exhibi-
tion is bad, those who hate it
don't complain; they cluck
their tongues and say, "well,
that's the way of it." If it is
good, nobody notices.
The Players perform for an
audience of 100 off-campus
adults. The show is wretched.
There is no reaction from the
students. The next night the
perfromance is good and the
audience is 500 — the same off-
campus adults with their high
school children. As far as Rice
is concerned, it might as well
not have happened, except for
a hopefully conscientious re-
viewer who tells the world,
four days after closing, that it
did.
Involvement Needed
The problem is not communi-
cation. The Shepherd School of
Music posts notices of concerts.
The Players (to the ire of
some) fill box after box with
junk mail. The bulletin boards
are awash with speakers, per-
formances, exhibitions, and am-
bitious college programs which
come, essentially to naught.
The populace (or those who
care) complains but exerts no
pressure.
The cultural explosion at Rice
of the past four years will con-
tinue, if only because of the
momentum the school has
achieved. More illiterate engi-
neers and ignorant Shakespeare
scholars will graduate. But un-
til the time when tomatoes are
thrown at a bad Player produc-
tion and orchids flung amid
"bravos" to a grand Shepherd
recital, the Rice student should
not be satisfied.
The potential is there. The
students have no excuse for
just complaining in whispers.
The Players, the Symphonic So-
ciety, and the Fine Arts De-
partment have proven they can
do excellent as well as abhor-
rent work.
The students except for the
"culture-mongers," have dem-
onstrated that the fault for the
remaining wastes in the "Cul-
tural Desert" rests squarely on
their own hunched shoulders.
Apathy reflects immaturity
By JIM DENNEY
Thresher Religion Editor
The so-called "religious scene"
on the Rice campus is character-
ized by a very strange paradox:
in the midst of great transition
and activity, there is no change.
Among the things that may
be listed as "religious activities"
that have marked the academic
year, no small number are im-
portant parts of the Rice com-
munity. Some have involved
speakers. Others include service
projects. But all, with rare ex-
ception, point to the fact that
religion and religious groups
are generally ignored.
The Rice Chapel Series, of
course, stands as the "official"
form of religion on the campus.
This year, as in the past, out-
standing speakers have come to
the Chapel to be a part of one
of the best lecture series avail-
able anywhere.
Policy Changes
As well, the arts were well
represented in the Chapel this
year by the Players' production
of Nemerov's play 'Cain', and
the exhibition of paintings by
Rice's Charles Schorre.
Changes in University policy
toward religious groups have
been of some note. The most
outstanding of these was the es-
. tafel'ishment of the "Campus
Clergy" office in the RMC clois-
ter. Five chaplains of recog-
nized denominational groups
were asked to provide counsel-
ing on a no-appointment basis to
Rice students.
Wounds Heal
The Universal Day of Prayer
for .Students, sponsored by the
World Student Christian Fed-
eration, was held in the Rice
Chapel this year instead of Au-
Itiry House.
Both of these instances re-
flect a mellowing on the part
of the University administra-
tion. Changes in personnel have
healed old wounds left over from
the 1961 controversy in which
all denominational activities
were relegated to off-campus lo-
cations. The controversy has
now subsided to the point that
only occasional reminders of it
pop up in relations with the ad-
ministration.
Service Projects
Although given occasional
publicity, the activities of the
other religious organizations re-
main under the surface.
The obscure Inter-Faith Coun-
cil, made up of students from
recognized denominational or-
ganizations, continues it's spon-
sorship of the Parkway Tutor-
ing Project on a definitely low-
key basis. Unknown to most
people is the fact that the IFC
was instrumental in having the
Student Senate adopt World
University Service as the char-
ity fund drive.
Last Drop
As a service to the Rice com-
munity, the Last Drop Coffee
House was established by cam-
pus religious organizations. The
Joint Christian Ministry, a
board of chaplains, organized an
(independent student board to
run the coffee house in order to
provide an inexpensive place for
students to congregate on week-
ends.
As an interesting parallel, the
Rice- Film Guild was started by
a religious organization several
years ago. It has now expanded
to a full-fledged student service.
It is hoped that The Last Drop
will develop similarly.
Poverty Tour
Most recently, the Methodists,
UiCCF, Episcopalians, and Ro-
man Catholics joined efforts
with Will Rice College to spon-
sor a bus tour of the impov-
erished Third and Fifth Wards
of Houston.
Annoyance
Although there has been an
abundance of worthwhile relig-
ious activity on the Rice campus
this year, religion remains some-
thing of the remotest sort pos-
sible for the majority of the stu-
dents.
Religion reminds one of the
Chapel -Cheerleader controversy
at the beginning of the year. It
is an amusing annoyance.
No Change
No one complains though. Re-
ligion on this campus deserves
no more attention than other
aspects of university life. And
the religious organizations no
longer pressure for priviledged
entrance to ithe University.
Many even relish their "dis-
established'' position.
Yet, amid all the activities
this year, it is apparent that
there has been no substantial
change in attitude on the "re-
ligious scene."
Lack of Maturity
My predecessor as the Thresh-
er Religion Editor noted that
religion has its place in an aca-
demic tradition, a tradition in
Which names like TUlldch, Buber,
and Chardin are uttered with re-
spect and in which many find
the ground of their scholarship
in Faiith.
Buit the lack of respect afford-
ed ,reldgion on this campus is
nothing more than a symptom
that Rice lacks a vibrant aca-
demic tradition.
A lack of change in the over-
all attitude toward religion is
but a sign of Rice's lack of ma-
turity as an academic com-
munity.
THE RICE THRESHER, MAY 5, 196 6—P A G E 2
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Coyner, Sandy. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 27, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 1966, newspaper, May 5, 1966; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth244975/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.