The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, January 21, 1994 Page: 3 of 20
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OPINION
THE RICE THRESHER FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1994 3
Students, not faculty, to blame for Foundation Course faults
To the editor
Much energy has been spent re-
cently lambasting the N atural Sciences
Foundation Course required by Rice
of all humanities, social science, mu-
sic and architecture majors. Although
in no way do I feel the class is being
implemented ideally or most effec-
tively, I do feel adamantly that two
fundamental aspects of this class are
being disregarded — the attitudes of
6 The attitudes of an
amazing percentage of
Natural Sciences students
are farfrom receptive, far
from positive and farfrom
respectable. 9
ture extremely prepared. Lecture
notes are organized in a course packet,
overhead view-graphs explain clearly
the lecture topic, and demonstrations
and experiments, along with being
relevant and well thought-out, are
amazingly visual.
Dr. Freeman encourages student
participation and challenges even the
most scientifically literate.
He makes a conscious effort to
integrate the technicalities of science
with the significance of science and
discusses the current questions aris-
ing in the scientific world.
Dr. Freeman has spent vast
amounts of time, professionally and
personally, organizing the Natural
Sciences Foundation Course so as to
be successful in following Rice's goal
of creating liberally-educated, widely-
knowledgable individuals.
If in anyway he or the other profes-
sors fall short of this goal, it is most
definitely not because they didnt make
a conscientious effort
The majority of the students, on
the other hand, are not able to say the
same.
Many enter late, if they attend at
alL They treat the professors disre-
spectfully and give absolutely no feed-
back.
They rarely pay attention in class,
yet arrogantly expect to understand
new concepts.
They place blame on the profes-
sors or the class itself for lack of com-
prehension, yet do not fulfill their re-
sponsibilities as students.
They get frustrated with their
grades and "inability" to grasp mate-
rial, yetare never truly willing to learn.
In short, the academic integrity of
Rice University, highly maintained in
other courses, is significantly lost in
the Natural Sciences Foundation
Course; and, be it a generalization of
sorts, the attitudes of an amazing per-
centage of Natural Sciences students
are far from receptive, far from posi-
tive and far from respectable.
It is no wonder the course is less
than successful
True, challenges to the Founda-
tion Courses should be voiced and
alternative options researched, but, in
the midst of recent criticism, it is nec-
essary for us all to realize that the fault
of the Natural Sciences course does
not rest solely with the university or
with the professors.
The question is not whether Dr.
Freeman and his peers are attempt-
ing, as best they can, to effectively
teach. It is, instead, whether or not the
students are doing the same.
And, frommy personal experience,
the Natural Sciences 101 and 102 stu-
dents, a group to which I am required
to belong, need desperately to reevalu-
ate their attitudes before any validity
is to be seen in their criticism.
Allison Fine
Hanszen '97
Division I athletics contribute to great Rice experience
the professors and the attitudes of the
students.
Dr. Freeman, with whom most of
my individual interaction occurs, and
the various other professors involved
with Natural Sciences 101 and 102
make a tremendous, almost super-
natural, effort (especially considering
the attitudes they encounter) to open
the students' minds regarding the sci-
ences.
Dr. Freeman enters into each lec-
To the editor;
In all fairness, how can a history
professorpredicttheend ofthe South-
west Conference? The Southwest
Conference has had economic and
ethical problems in the past, but so
have almost all of the conferences in
Division I athletics over the years.
How many problems do you think
the Southwest Conference has had
compared to the Southeastern Con-
ference? Alabama, Auburn, Kentucky
and the list goes on. Let's not use this
petty lever to try to give athletics at
Rice the boot
It is appalling to see athletics at
Rice called a "semi-professional spec-
tator sport" and nothing more. How
many students do you actually think
would attend this school if there were
no athletic events to watch? I'm sure
many students would not want to come
to Wee if it were similar to MIT, no
matter how low the cost
There is already enough stress
and competition between students
now. Many Rice students who sup-
port admission being based solely on
SAT scores and other academic crite-
ria would not truly be in favor of the
"diverse" student body which would
ensue.
The "illustrious" Rice intramural
program or Beer-bike could not keep
bringing in such well-rounded classes
every year.
The fact that athletes are admitted
into this university by different stan-
dards than other students is not a big
secret or a "back-door" policy.
Many students are admitted to this
Executive order makes murderers of us all
To the editor:
One of country music's most popu-
lar songs among U.S. servicemen dur-
ing the Gulf War declared, "YouVe
Got to Stand for Something, or You'll
Fall for Anything." If there has ever
been a time in our nation's history
when standing up for something has
been necessary to defend the very
basis of the American way of life, that
time is now.
0 n Dec25,1993, President Clinton
presented his Christmas gift to
America: an executive order requir-
ing states to use tax money to pay for
abortions under certain circum-
stances.
This order not only effectively ne-
gated the Hyde Amendment tfhich
prohibits taxpayer funding of abor-
tions and was affirmed by both houses
of Congress in the fall of 1993, but
contradicted the President's own ex-
ecutive order of Oct 26,1993, which
prohibited any new federal mandates
without prior consultation with af-
fected parties!
Several states, including Utah,
Louisianaand South Dakota, have laws
prohibiting such funding, butwith one
stroke of the pen Clinton has swept
aside the right of states to make laws
contradicting his own whims.
The direct implications of this or-
der are obvious. Now, the American
taxpayer, regardless of how he or she
feels about abortions, will be required
to pay for them
'Every American will now be forced
to be an accomplice to murder! And
our system of checks and balances,
which heretofore has given our coun-
try a degree of political stability unri-
valed in history, has been thrust aside
as federal and states legislatures find
themselves powerless on such a cru-
cial issue.
*Fads are facts. Abortion
is murder!'
We cannot take this lightly. The
purpose of the order, in itself, has
opened the door for the official demo-
lition of the values of life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness upon which
any civilized society must be founded.
Facts are facts. Abortion is murder!
There have indeed been instances
in history when governments officially
sanctioned the elimination of those
members of society deemed inconve-
nient to the rest Here's a hint Steven
Spielberg just directed a movie about
one such nation!
For those who do not see the moral
implications of President Clinton's
order, the political consequences
should suffice as a cause for alarm.
What sort of precedent is set when a
president overrides congressional leg-
islation, state legislation and one of his
own executive orders to implement
something that he knows many Ameri-
cans oppose? What happens when he
gets away with it once? If it works,
won't he try it again?
The time has come for Americans
to stand up for something, before their
nation falls for anything! Just imagine
the consequences if the American
people acquiesce in the face of this
attack upon their basic morals and
rights, not to mention the very lives of
our unborn citizens!
Even something as simple as a
letter to one's congressman accom-
plishes some good (the Freedom of
Choice Act was shelved last year be-
cause of constituent response!).
This literally is a life-and-death is-
sue. Every person who respects the
value of human Pe must be willing to
stand up, to make one's voice heard!
Either that or every moral and politi-,
cal precept upon which our society
was built will be cast into the dustbin
of history.
Analisa Norris, Lovett '96
Steven Iltiss, Lovett '94
Peter Johnson, Baker '94
Rice for Life
' The fact that athletes are
admitted into this
university by different
standards than other
students is not a big secret
or a "back-door" policy.
university by special admissions pro-
cesses that require different standards
than those for a "typical" student Shep-
herd School students, ROTC students,
and many of the minority students are
all admitted through different pro-
grams.
Should these programs be abol-
ished orchanged?Are these programs
like "an albatross weighing the uni-
versity down"? Why should a profes-
sor dictate which endeavors are ac-
ceptable reasons to bypass the admis-
sionsprocess, such as music, whereas
athletics is not?
With such successful athletic pro-
grams as our nationally ranked base-
ball team and women's cross-country
team, as well as world-ranked track
and field team members, not to men-
tion many others, Rice is out to prove
that it can compete with larger schools
in Division I, even though we are one
ofthe smallest Sure, wecould change
to a different division, but would the
new standards for athletes enable us
to compete as well?
Discussing possibilities for the fu-
ture of athletics at Rice is one thing,
but for someone who is obviously op
posed to athletics to come out and
knock one of Rice's great institutions
is wrong in my opinion.
1 thought Rice was above name-
calling and vicious attacks! In the fu-
ture, try to imagine what Rice Univer-
sity would be like if there were no
athletics. 1 think it might surprise and
scare you.
Mike Barako
Hanszen '96
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Howley, Peter & Epperson, Kraettli. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, January 21, 1994, newspaper, January 21, 1994; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245863/m1/3/: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.