The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, December 2, 1988 Page: 2 of 16
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2 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1988 THE RICE THRESHER
Tuition increase improper
Today, President George Rupp and the Board of Governors are to decide
on what may be the single-largest tuition increase in the history of Rice
University. But no matter how large the increase is, the answer to the tuition
question is rooted in the principles set forth by William Marsh Rice, and it is
up to the students to continuously apply pressure on the administration to
make it their priortiy to stand by these principles above all else, or risk losing
the uniqueness and quality of the Rice experience.
There is no denying that Rice University is at a crossroads right now. We
must be careful not to become part of the national trend and become so
obsessed with competing with other top schools that we lose sight ofwhat has
brought us to number nine in the first place.
Rice has fostered and maintained an egalitarian atmosphere for its
students, where students with widely differentiated talents and aspirations
live and work together, in a way indicative of no other top university. It was
implicit in its charter that Rice University would seek to take care of its
students above all other concerns, and especially reward those who are
intellectually gifted but not blessed with high socio-economic standing. But
will the same opportunities that are available to students at Rice today be
available to Rice students of tomorrow? Or will they only be available to those
who can afford to pay for them? It is scary to think of returning to Rice five
or ten years after graduation and observing a Princetonian character at a
place we once thought was unique. Would the Rice ring still mean what it
does today to those of us who are seniors? I think not
Dr. Rupp has argued that in order to enhance the university, or be
competitive with other top schools in areas such as faculty recruitment, we
must find a source for increased revenue, the source being increases in
tuition. From a practical, economic standpoint, this makes sense. In 1965,the
year tuition was instituted at Rice.it accounted for 40 percent of the cost a Rice
student's education. This year that figure is down to 22 percent. Most other
top schools are at or around 40 percent. So the administration is certainly
justified in rasing the percentage students pay, right? Wrong. This university
was not based on fiscally sound principles, but on giving a way an unparalleled
education to those who most deserve to have it given to them. It is this
principle which has brought us—via an economically irrational path—to be
a top ten university. Indeed, compared to Ivy league tuitions, Rice is still
giving away an education. But the day when Rice students pay tuitions which
rival the Ivies is the day the principles of the founder have been abandoned.
The administration is faced with tough decisions with no easy answers. For
while the practical rationale behind a tuition increase is understandable, it
lies in direct competition with the philosophy of the university, and as aresult,
tuition should never be raised unless it is absolutely necessary. President
Rupp is a practical thinker, and, contrary to popular belief, he does not place
monetary concerns above all else. An ongoing forum on tuition and the
university's future begins next semester, in which intense student input is
mandatory. The tuition increase which will be decided upon by the end of
the day today should not put an end to tuition arguments from the students
until next year; rather, it should kick off an ongoing debate in which the only
way students can fail is if they do not keep the argument alive. This is not the
last day to fight, but the first day to battle for no tuition hike next year. We urge
all students at Rice to aid the efforts of the SA and Thresher by submitting
letters to the editors and making opinions known through the SA. But don't
sacrifice time for yourself; do it for the future students of Rice University.
by Joel Sendek, with Andy Karsner
THE CABINET aWMINENTS
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Neurock's views on Israel contradictory
To the editors:
You recently published an anti-
Israel diatribe by Mitch Neurock
("Arab nations our best allies", Octo-
ber 14, 1988), which requires some
response. The difficulty in respond-
ing is that the arguments posed by
Neurock are so convoluted and il-
logical that it is difficult to decipher
what the author's point is, other than
his sharp dislike of Israel and the
mythical "Jewish Lobby."
For example, Neurock writes that,
"Even those who support the
continued existence of Israel, for
whatever reason, are less than
positive as to the status of U.S.
relations with Israel's Arab
neighbors." What does Neurock
mean by that statement? Perhaps he
is suggesting that those who support
Israel's survival should be more
positive about American relations
with the Arab world. Apparently that
is what he means; but elsewhere in
his column he then assails those
Americans committed to Israel as a
"Jewish Lobby" for opposing arms
sales to the Arab world. In his haste
to follow one contradiction with
another, he ignores the reality that
America has exported substantially
more arms to the Arab world than to
Israel, including the AWACS system,
which not even Israel has.
Is Neurock implying that those
Fondren changes are more than meets the eye
by Sue-Sun Yom
Fondren Library has been
renovated, redecorated, and
resuscitated. But all the student
body seems to hear about from the
administration and the Thresher is
the "new look" of the library, as
though cosmetic appearances were
all that count in a university
information center. The lack of
coverage regarding the state of the
library's holdings may have led to
student suspicion about the quality
and quantity of Fondren's materials.
Surprisingly, Fondren library is
not among the lesser of the nation's
libraries. In fact, on many counts,
Fondren is outstanding when placed
beside contemporaries of similar
size and academic standing.
Larger libraries can amass
greater capital for resource
purchases, but can also spend less
per student less efficiently. Smaller
libraries can spend a great deal on
each member of their limited
constituency, but they can also
purchase materials of lesser quality
and are not subject to the standards
of a nationally recognized
university's library.
An additional problem in
comparing Fondren to other
university libraries is that Rice
University enjoys unusual stature for
a school of its size. Rice's academic
standards put greater pressure on
the library ot be of excellent caliber.
Of course, no two universities
can be exactly the same, but for all
reasonable purposes, Fondren can
probably be evaluated against
libraries serving a student body in
the range of 2,0(X) to 10,000.
According to statistics quoted by
American Library Directory 1988-
1989, Rice University reported full-
time enrollment of 4042 students.
For 1987-1988, Fondren Library's
income totalled $4,826,956, of which
Fondren spent $2,035,206
purchasing material resources.
Thus, not including staff salaries or
maintenance of the collections or the
physical plant, Fondren spent
$503.51 on each student
The number compares very
II -li-
favorably to a variety of other
schools. Dartmouth College's Baker
Memorial Library spends
$2,598,668 on 5672 students, or
$458.16 per student. Brown
University Library spends
approximately the same amount as
Rice, $2,191,793, to serve a student
body of 6823, or $321.24 per capita.
Aside from the Ivy League
schools, there is Williams College's
Sawyer Library, which spends
$344.79 on each of its 2000 students.
Oberlin College Library spends
$239.07 on 2825 students for a total of
$675,381. Swarthmore College's
McCabe Library turned in a better
performance; each of Swarthmore's
1322 students accounts for $408.47
SEE FONDREN, PAGE 4
Americans who believe that good
American/Israeli relations, as well
as good relations with the Arab
world are in America's bestinterests,
are somehow responsible for the
Iraqi attack on the USS Stark last
year, as well as the accidental
shooting down of an Iranian jet liner
by the USS Vincennes last July?
Strangely, apparently so. That is how
Mr. Neurock conlcudes his column
by saying that "AIPAC may be
responsible..." though he does
preface this surreal nonsense by
saying that his accusation "may not
be entirely fair."
What is symbolic about Neurock's
dizzy diatribe is it suggests the
blindness of those who question
Israel's survival and strong
American/Israeli ties. Rather than
provide clear argumentation, we are
presented with crude stereotypes
and scapegoating aligned with non
sequitors and absurdities. Such
muddying of the intellectual waters
fails to provide illumination on the
real obstacles preventing peace in
the region.
Sheldon Filger, Director
Southwest Region
Anti-Defamation League of
B'nai B'rith
Election chairmen need retraining
To the editors:
Upon attending a meeting held
tonight by the Student Association's
Election Committee to count ballots
for the external vice-presidential
election, I was shocked at the lack of
order and correctness which
abounded—a concern which should
be shared by all students since the
decision of the committee could
affect the entire student body. After
two hours of counting, I observed
that several colleges were not
redistributing second preference
votes, causing errors when the third
preference of these ballots should
Dye should respect snap
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To the editors:
On Saturday, I was one of the few
Rice students that attended the Rice
University of Houston football game
at the Dome. Even if students did not
show (which is understandable at
$15 a shot), I was glad that we did
field a band as usual.
But by the end of the game, my
patience for the MOB had worn thin.
Repeatedly, director Dr. Ken Dye
started the MOB on a tune just as the
players began the snap count
Fine — big deal if the Cougars
screw up the count because of noise,
right?
The problem is, this happened
during the Rice snap count.
At one point in the second half, he
did this during a fourth and one
situation for the Owlswhich ended in
an illegal procedure call — a call I'm
convinced was a result of an
inaudible count.
And on the very next snap, Dye did
the same thing. During this time, the
Owls were on the side of the field
closest to the MOB where the noise
must have been very loud.
In addition, bands that play at loud
volumes during the snap are subject
to penalties in college ball if the
referee is so inclined.
Even U of H quieted then- band
during the snap counts of BOTH
^•fcams.
Yes, the U of H band is probably
the most boring in the SWC. But, I
hate to inform Dye that some Rice
fans come to see the team, not the
band.
Show a little respect for the game
that gives the MOB the opportunity
to perform and more importantly for
the players who, by the way, work a
hell of a lot harder than the MOB
does.
Valerie Heitshusen
Jones '89
later have been counted. At this
point, five college representatives
admitted they had not correctly
counted their ballots and some
stated that they had similarly
miscounted ballots in past elections,
such as the Homecoming Queen
election two weeks ago. (Votes for
this external vice-presidential
election were recounted correctly.)
However, students should hope that
mistakes such as these are not made
in any upcoming elections, either
university-wide or at their own
colleges.
Obviously, the problem lies within
the colleges. Students who elect
chair men who do not understand the
system may not care if their own
elections produce inaccurate
results. However, it is unacceptable
for candidates and students of other
colleges to be harmed by this poor
judgment of one college. I believe
that it is the responsibility of the SA
to see that more stringent guidelines
are enacted and enforced at SA
election, committee meetings.
Chairmen should review the rules of
the preferential ballot system each
time they meet to assure conformity
to SAelection rules and the meetings
should be run more formally to
better maintain both order and fair
results.
" Ellen Rein
Baker College '91
Elections Committee
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McGarrity, Patrick & Sendek, Joel. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 76, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, December 2, 1988, newspaper, December 2, 1988; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245708/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.