The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 13, 1973 Page: 1 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Rice University Woodson Research Center.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Jump in food prices to force increase in room and board
by LINDA STEPHENS
Joyce Rubash, Director of
College Food Services, said re-
cently that rising prices have
already taken their toll from
a carefully planned budget.
Citing price jumps ranging
from 15 to 250% in specific
food items, she outlined the dif-
ficulties of planning meals for
1600 students based on a price
index computed last spring.
According to Mrs. Rubash,
Rice's food costs took a 12.5%
jump from September, 1972 to
February, 1973, while the U. S.
Department of Agriculture re-
ported a 25% national hike
since January of this year.
Asked if she expected the re-
moval of price controls to
further aggravate the situation,
she was pragmatic but not
gloomy:
"Prices will probably sky-
rocket for a few weeks, but
then I expect them to level
off to close to what they
are now," she said. "Meat
prices, especially, will prob-
ably show this pattern."
No meat shortage
Despite public opinion and
"contrary to an article in the
Chronicle," meat is not in par-
ticularly short supply, says
Mrs. Rubash. "Housewives just
aren't willing to pay the prices
that retailers charge," she
said. "Volume buyers, like uni-
versity food services, get meat
wholesale and that helps."
"Sometimes we can't get all
the cuts of meat we need," she
added, "and in that case we buy
from several wholesalers."
A registered dietician of the
American Dietitic Association,
Mrs. Rubash began as a dieti-
cian at Baker and Weiss. Now,
eight years later, she heads the
College Food Service which
employs approximately 150 peo-
ple—74 of whom are Rice stu-
dents. Her office is at Central
Kitchen, where much of the
food served in the Colleges is
prepared. "
Menu-planning is clone sev-
eral weeks ahead of time, said
Mrs. Rubash, so that food can
be ordered beforehand. Despite
occasional complaints of mono-
tony, she is hesitant to intro-
duce a more varied menu.
What about the veal birds?
"You can't get too much
variety," she said, "because
evidently, students don't want
it. I get bomb threats after
something new, and I'm get-
ting kind of gun-shy." Mrs.
Rubash recorded last year's in-
famous "Veal Birds" as one of
her more notable failures.
"I can't understand it," she
said. "When they left here, they
were good."
The complaint that such meat
dishes are dried out after an
hour or more in a warming oven
is occasionally justified, Mrs.
Rubash noted, but added that
the problem is sometimes un-
avoidable when preparing in
such large quantity.
"We try to prepare as much
as possible in the individual col-
leges," she said. "But anything
that calls for a skilled cook is
made here at Central Kitchen
in quantity and sent out."
Differences in types and
amounts of food at the men's
and women's colleges stem from
requests from the dietician at
the college, said Mrs. Rubash.
•"The women ask for more and
different kinds of salads, and
the men generally want more
meat," she said.
"Actually, when students
complain of monotonous menus,
it's usually because they've
(Continued on Page 2)
8 pages
volume 61, number 4
the rice thresher
of ads
thursday, September 13, 1973
Media Center offers university-wide videotape program
by H. DAVID DANGLO
James Blue, media instructor
at the Rice Media Center, has
announced a university - wide
program designed to give Rice
people access to the Center's
extensive videotape facilities.
The new program, first of
its kind in the southwest US,
allows any student to submit a
proposal for a film (documen-
tary, creative or otherwise) to
the Center. If approved, the
Center will provide videotape
equipment, some training, com-
plete access to the editing and
dubbing facilities, and a small
support fund to cover video-
tape. There is no need to en-
roll in a Media course.
"We here at the Media Cen-
ter feel it's important that all
Rice people be given the op-
portunity to take advantage of
this communications program,"
said Blue, a Rice professor for
three years. Blue was awarded
the Critic's Prize at the Can-
nes Film Festival in 1962 for
a feature on the Algerian War
(The Olive Trees of Justice)
and received an Academy Award
nomination in 1969 for his
documentary, A Few Notes on
Our Food Problem. David Han-
cock, visiting lecturer this year
from the National Film School
of Great Britain, will co-spon-
sor the program; he recently
completed a series of ethno-
graphic films in Afghanistan.
Using the new media
"The Media Center was
founded on the philosophy that
we are not simply training peo-
ple for the filmmaking profes-
sion," Blue continued. "We want
to train people to use the new
media in their own professions
and lives."
Many students have been hesi-
tant about filmmaking here be-
cause they feel they won't be
able to use it once they grad-
uate. "This is no exotic dis-
cipline, and there is no need
for it to be professionally or
institutionally based."
The new program aims to
broaden the basis upon which
film, and videotape can be
used to comprehend human ex-
perience. The point, according
to a Media Center release, is
not the spreading of technical
proficiency in film, but rather
the discovery of how film can
serve as an alternative mode
of perception for persons who
have never considered them-
selves filmmakers.
The relatively inexpensive
Super 8 film and videotape
processes are putting a new
face on communication. They
allow almost anyone to partici-
pate'In the total communica-
tions scene, to provide input in-
stead of just taking it off the
tube passively; Super 8 is now
compatible with broadcast tele-
vision and V-z inch videotape is
being programmed regularly on
cable television systems in
most major cities. Jt makes no
more sense today for film and
photography to remain only in
tfee hands of a professional elite
than for writing to remain in
the hands of scribes. An under-
standing of the image and how
to use it must be looked upon
as an essential kind of literacy.
Do it yourself
"We've been sitting back,
watching the glamorous peo-
ple on television, waiting for
the latest accomplishments of
the latest hero," says Blue. Now
people can "talk back, take
charge of their own destiny, of
what 4s seten as well as what
is said." The new technology
puts this capability within the
reach of almost anyone.
In New York City The Alter-
nate Media Center .it NYU has
a program in which different
groups in the community team
with the students to make docu-
mentaries on personal and
major issues. Videograph, a
go ver nm ent -sponsored i nsti tu te
established in "1972 in Montreal,
has offered its facilities for use
by the entire city. During their
first year of operation, they
receive 400 applications, ac-
cepted 160, and have thus far
produced eighty films, with
1,000 copies now in circulation
throughout Canada; about
three million people have
viewed the films on local cable
television.
Cable TV planned
According to Blue, Houston
should have cable television
within the year (Austin and
Galveston are already enjoying
cable, at only $4.95 a month
per television), and the gov-
ernment has ruled that at least-
one channel of cable must be
for public access. The video-
tapes made by Rice people will
provide a backlog for broad-
casting on the upcoming cable
channel; especially good pro-
grams may even be shared with
Canadian interests and other
cities in the U. S.
Videotape is the most inex-
pensive film method other than
8mm; whereas a one-half hour
16mm film may cost $5,000-
$10,000 for the film alone,
videotape would run no more
than $150. A good quality low
cost color video camera has not
been developed yet, but it may
be viable in two years. The
camera used is a black & white
Port-a-Pak, which can be car-
ried as a backpack and can
function without extensive
lighting set-ups. The resulting
film is very flexible; it can be
aired on television easily, or it
can be transferred to film.
The tentative deadline for
submitting proposals to the
Media Center is October 31,
but actual production m a y
begin earlier. The Media Cen-
ter is anticipating many imagi-
native" projects' from Rice peo-
ple.
Other services
Besides a great variety of
media courses in photography,
filmmaking, film theory and
computer graphics, the Media
Center is providing many other
services this year. The weekly
film series is always free (8pm
Wednesdays, Fridays ;yad Sat-
urdays), and is well-established
at R,. There is usually a
photographic exhibition in pro-
gress < this month a student
(Continued on Pag--} '2'!
Rare blood donated
after appeals here
By answering an emergency appeal to donate
blood last week, the Rice community may have
helped save a life.
Mrs. Patti Buvens Somers, niece of Dr. and
Mrs Castaneda of Will Rice College, was involved
in a train-car accident at about 2am Friday, Au-
gust 31, and was critically injured. She has so far
required 25 pints of Type O Negative blood.
Only 5% of the population has this type of
blood, and the blood bank at Ben Taub Hospital*
had no O- blood at the time.
The news was spread at Rice ^ by word-of-
moufeh, dinner announcements, and KTRU; some
students left the mixer Saturday night to give
blood.
In addition to the special appeal at Rice,
Ben Taub broadcast a city-wide radio call for
blood. According to the hospital, the total res-
ponse was "excellent", with about 150 people
donating blood of all types in Mrs. Somers'
name. Donations of O'blood, in particular, have
been more than sufficient for her needs. Her
family would like to express personal thanks to
all donors.
Mrs. Somers is still in critical condition
in the Intensive Care Unit at the Methodist Hos-
pital, and is allowed visits by her immediate
family only.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Jackson, Steve. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 4, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 13, 1973, newspaper, September 13, 1973; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245169/m1/1/?rotate=180: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.