The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, April 3, 1987 Page: 4 of 24
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Friday, April 3, 1987 THRESHER Opinion
Meixner invites juniors to start thinking about that Watson
To the editor:
The members of the Committee on
Scholarship and Awards are delighted, to
say the least, by your prominent story on
Rice's three Watson winners this year. First
of all, we are happy for the three seniors
themselves. But secondly, we are grateful to
t he Thresher for calling the Watson award to
the wide attention of the Rice student body,
especially to this year's juniors.
The Watson is a truly remarkable
fellowship, unlike any other. It offers a year
abroad—a "Wanderjahr," as the Watson
people describe it—during which the
winners "can test their aspirations and
abilities, view their lives and American
society in greater perspective, and
concomitantly, develop a more informed
sense of international concern."
A Watson nominee (and eventually
winner) is selected because he or she wishes
to pursue a "project" which he is uniquely
fitted to explore. That project must be
imaginative, intrinsically interesting, and
realistically grounded. It is not easy to put
together such a project proposal if one starts
in September, with the deadline set at the
beginning of October. For that reason we
urge interested juniors to attend the Watson
orientation meetning to be held on Monday,
April 6, at 4 pm in Sewall Hall 207B. April
and May and June are the times for
candidates to think hard (and longingly)
about being one of next year's Watson
winners.
John Meixner
Committee on Scholarships and Awards
'Nile ed answers Butcher
To the editor:
I am writing in response to Jane Butcher's
Doonesbury
THRESHING IT OUT
letters to the editor
letter (Threshing It Out, 3/27), because I feel
that I am in good position to compare the
spirit of volunteer jobs such as college offices
with salaried positions such as that of
Campanile editor. Ms. Butcher has never
worked for the Campanile and therefore has
no basis for comparison. I have been heavily
involved in my college since my freshman
year, serving this past year as treasurer and
having recently been elected president. Also,
I am the editor of the 1987 Campanile.
I see a distinct difference between my
service to the college and my role an
Campanile editor. I wouldn't presume to ask
to be paid for my service to Hanszen.
Hanszen has given me far more than I can
ever repay. My activities as treasurer and
president have been an attempt to return
some of the friendship and support I have
received. My position as editor of the
Campanile is an entirely different matter.
I feel that my salary is an essential part of
my role as Campanile editor. I have put far
mo¥e into the Campanile than I have
received either in the form of salary of
recognition. None of the good feelings of
helping your fellow college members
accompany working for the Campanile.
Very little gratitude from students follows
the publication of the book. Instead, all
Campanile staffers hear is "Why isn't my
picture in the book?" or "You spelled my
name wrong."
Despite the complaints, I do have the
satisfaction of knowing I did a good job. But
this is little compensation for not being able
to hold a part-time job, for the wear on and
theft of my personal camera equipment, for
giving up vacations to lay out pages to meet
deadlines, and for missing countless meals.
All of these things are part of being
Campanile editor. And for all of these
reasons I believe I am justified in receiving
the salary I do.
I do not feel that the SA Senate is justified
in cutting Campanile salaries by imposing
the arbitrary 50-50 split between the Reserve
Fund and salaries. The 70-30 split was
decided upon with the consensus of the
bylaw committee and the approval of the
Office of Student Activities. It represents
fair compensation for the efforts of staff
members and reflects an adequate emphasis
on the Reserve Fund. No student is paid
more than the amount deposited into the
Reserve Fund and all salaries come from
advertising revenue, not blanket tax money.
Students should be happy to get such an
inexpensive yearbook, put together by such
talented people, when there are so few
incentives to be on the staff.
Harold Turner
Hanszen *88
Ex-ed does the same thing
To the editor:
I feel it necessary to respond to Jane
Butcher's letter (Threshing It Out, 3/27) in
part because it was my salary as 1986
Campanile editor that caused such an
emotional response among the members of
the SA Senate. It also seems as if the
Campanile staff is being punished, and I
can't figure out what it is we have done
wrong.
Last year we produced a good yearbook
under budget. Isn't that what we are
supposed to do? Are we supposed to turn
down a $10,000 advertising contract because
BY GARRY TRUDEAU
I AGONIZE- OVER IT FOR. PAYS. ^
WHAT WOULD
BARBARA
April 2, mi
BREAKTHROUGH! A
ROUTINE CORE SAMPLE
TAPS/WO A VEIN OF
HIPPEN MEMORY!
YES, BURIED BENEATH THE STRATA
OF CONSCIOUS THOUGHT ISA
MOTHERLOPE OF SUPPRESSED MEM-
ORIES. I AM SUPPENLV FACED
-^m^MONSTROlB PILEMMA!
DO I BRING THIS IMPACTED IN-
FORMATION TO THE SURFACE WERE
THE PRESIDENT CAN ACCESS IT?
IS IT PROPER FOR A JOURNAL
1ST TO PLAY SUCH A ROLE?
GOODGOP...
IT BXI9TS!
&
FASHIONING A CRUPE IN-
CENDIARY DEVICE FROM A
BRANDY BOTTLE, 1 LET FLY-
APRIL 3,1987 -1 REACH A
PECISION. I MUST PI5LOPGE
THE RECOLLECTIONS BURIED
PEEP WITHIN THE PRBSI -
PENTS SUBCONSCIOUS.
A RUSH OF
MEMORY, SIR* _
ABOUT WHAT? FORGET.
ilil
ted
YOU'RE A LUCKY
MAN. M SPOTTED
THE SMOKE IN
THE CORTEX.
OKAY! PULL
HIM UP!
MEPE VAC, MR. HEPLEY.
JUSTTAKB IT EASY.
WE'RE GETTING YOU
OUT OF \
HERE.
THE...THE MISSING
WHA...
WHO...
GASP!-
I WHO
ARE
YOU?
THAT WAS QUITE SOME
STUNT YOU PULLED, PAL.
IT RBLEASBPA FLOOP
OF MEMORIES FOP
THE PRESlPENT.
AFRAtPNOT. MOSTLY
BA6EBALLSCDRES
FROM THE'dOs
it will make our salaries too high? The 70
percent of the income that goes to salaries is
divided up among approximately fifteen
people, with no one person earning more
money than is sent to the Reserve Fund.
Throughout this controversy the Campanile
staff has been treated as if they were trying to
cheat the students. They are blanket-tax-
paying students too!
Ms. Butcher apparently voted to change
the bylaws without knowing all the facts.
Perhaps if the motion had been tabled until a
member of the Campanile staff could be
present, I would at least be comforted by the
knowledge that the members of the SA
Senate had made an informed decision.
First, Ms. Butcher is incorrect in stating
that the Campanile's income comes only
from blanket tax and ads. In past years,
money has also been earned by allowing the
student organizations to purchase pages.
Neither Harold Turner, who is the current
editor, nor I chose to do this because we
didn't consider it fair to small organi zations
with limited resources who would not get
pictured in the book.
Secondly, the decision to hire a company
to solicit advertising for the Campanile was
made several years ago because the
Campanile has a hard enough time finding
an editor and business manager, much less
an advertising manager and salespersons.
The ad companies submit bids. We choose
the one who will get us the most money and
turn in the best quality ads. Isn't this what we
would look for in an advertising manager?
According to Ms. Butcher's argument, we
would then be justified in earning a salary.
Hiring a company allows us to concentrate
on producing a quality book rather than
siphoning off people's efforts to search for
and produce ads.
Ms. Butcher is correct in saying that the
Reserve Fund money is used to purchase
equipment. But her reasoning that the
money could be used to make a better
Campanile, perhaps with color pictures in
the college sections, is incorrect. Once the
percentage of the year's income goes into the
Reserve Fund, which is an account with the
university that does not earn interest, it can
only be withdrawn to purchase equipment.
It also serves as a cushion in case the
Campanile incurs a loss. We are not allowed
to use Reserve Fund money on production
costs.
It is also incorrect to say that the
Campanile turns a profit every year. Only
the 1985 and 1986 books have produced a
profit in the $10,000 range. In those years,
revenue was high and production costs low.
Next year the Campanile will turn a profit
close to $2,400. The decline in the Houston
economy has caused the ads to go from 24
pages in '86 to 16 pages in '87.
Comparing the production of the
Campanile to playing intramural sports, or
working for RS V P, or even holding a college
office, is ludicrous. Almost anyone can play
a sport or serve on a college cabinet. I admit
that it takes someone special to do these
things well, but even a mediocre editor must
have some special training. He or she needs
to have a thorough knowledge of darkroom
procedures and layout technique, as well as
the publishing process, in addition to the
managing skills necessary in a college
president.
The editor of the Campanile has a
responsibility to every student on campus
and to future students of the university. The
job begins after elections and doesn't end
until the books are shipped from the
publishers, approximately 18 months later;
not even the Thresher editor is required to
work more than a year.
I resent Ms. Butcher's implying that
Harold and I cut corners on the Campanile
to make more money for ourselves. If some
of the senate members are upset because
they don't get paid, I suggest they look into
making their positions salaried positions, as
are similar offices at other schools, and not
take out their frustrations on the Campanile
staff.
Susan Buchanan
Brown H7
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Greene, Spencer. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 74, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, April 3, 1987, newspaper, April 3, 1987; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245663/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.