The Rice Thresher, Vol. 97, No. 25, Ed. 1 Friday, April 9, 2010 Page: 3 of 32
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Op-Ed
China vs. Google is a justified stalemate
In 1998, China's Ministry of Pub-
lic Security initiated the Golden
Shield Project, which blocks ac-
cess to information deemed subver-
sive, including some foreign news
and pornography.
Katie Jenson
In 2006, Google agreed to censor
keywords deemed inappropriate by
the People's Republic of China. This
was an agreement to internally moni-
tor content: A department of Google
would constantly discover what was
being blocked by the Golden Shield,
and consequently censor those re-
sults for Google China.
Despite criticism, Google initially
argued that it was better to offer fil-
tered search power to the Chinese
on the PRC's conditions, rather than
completely remove itself from the na-
tion. On Jan. 12, Google's servers were
attacked by an attempt to discover
information about Chinese human
rights activists. In response, Google
determined it would stop filtering
content and would attempt to negoti-
ate continued service in the PRC. On
March 22, Google and China failed to
reach an agreement, so Google redi-
rected Google China to Google Hong
Kong, an unfiltered site. China has
the power to restrict scitizen access
to Google.
China's Golden Shield remains
intact. And, while Google is ubiqui-
tous in America (Google controls 80
percent of the United States' search
market, and 90 percent of the Eu-
ropean search market), it was the
second most popular search engine
in China, with only 30-percent mar-
ket share, after Baidu. While Google
may have violated a written contract
to self-censor, I do not think that
Chinese users would notice much
of a difference in the availability
of information.
This event has interestingly
conflated Google's business inter-
ests and Western political thought.
Google maintains its policy, "Don't
be evil," in regard to all of its servic-
es. The political rhetoric surround-
ing this incident is that of opening
China and breaking censorship.
As an originally Western company,
Google's concept of evil is necessar-
ily influenced by Western thought.
I am no expert in Eastern political
thought, but I have the impression
that in some cases, respect and coop-
eration are "better" than rogue indi-
vidualism. Google's failure to abide
by its written contract could very
easily be perceived as "evil," just
as China's decision to censor mate-
rial is commonly regarded by Ameri
cans as "evil." While moral rhetoric
is highly effective and motivational,
such rhetoric can be adapted to any
number of viable business plans
and be used to turn public opinion
whichever way. The words are hol-
low; they dress up practicality and
make it appealing.
There is a second conflation here:
The concept of Western commodi-
ties has been attached to the notion
of freedom. The Chinese should be
free to buy our products, we say;
they should share our culture with
us. In the 1940s it was called "peo-
ples speaking to peoples," or, more
harshly, "Coca-Colonization." The
PRC has worked hard to maintain
"import substitution," a policy of
reducing foreign dependency, and
perhaps the PRC has achieved this
by imposing its restrictions on our
favorite search engine. We say, "In-
ternet freedom," and the concept
sublimes from industry to politics.
Google says that it wants the Ameri-
can government to "deepen [its] role
in advancing free expression on the
Internet globally." Profit and politics,
here, are collaborators.
Google has made a reasonable
business decision, as has the PRC.
It is important for us to separate the
form from the substance, the poli-
tics from the business, if we wish to
properly observe the situation.
Katie Jenson is a
Lovett College sophomore.
Houston a perfect fit for Rice experience
Rice would not be the same if it
were located anywhere else but Hous-
ton. And Rice would not be able to
take such great advantage of big-city
Houston were it not for its forested,
small campus feel.
Aida Luu
Houston is a dynamic city, al-
though it can be overwhelming.
Houston's distinct neighborhoods,
from Midtown to Montrose, and a va-
riety of events and things to do and
see, such as the annual Houston Live-
stock Show and Rodeo, could keep
students busy 24/7. As the biggest
city in Texas and the fourth largest in
the United States, Houston boasts an
impressive array of shopping, dining
and cultural fare that can satisfy any
urbanite. The only city to surpass the
number of Fortune 500 companies
headquartered here is New York City.
And although Houston does not have
a mass transit subway system like
New York City does, its METRO light
rail and bus system run throughout
Houston, with stops conveniently lo-
cated all around Rice.
Houston's lack of zoning laws has
helped to shape the city into what it
is today: an eclectic mix of everything
on top of and next to each other. But
somehow it all works to produce a
charming and distinct feel, different
from anywhere else. From the balcony
of the sixth floor of Lovett College, I
can see the Texas Medical Center, Her-
mann Park, the Houston Zoo and the
Museum District. In the middle of all
these attractions, safely tucked away,
lies Rice University.
When I tell people back home
that my school is located across the
street from a zoo, a cluster of high-
rise hospitals and a museum district,
they are amazed and wonder how it
affects the social atmosphere of the
school itself. As a native New Yorker,
I have many friends who go to New
York University and love the school
and the city, but they complain about
the lack of a central campus and the
big city feel that can make students
feel lost and without a sense of cohe-
sion. Unlike NYU, which is thoroughly
integrated within the city, Rice pro-
vides the entire college experience: A
central campus with green space and
quadrangles, an intimate dorm set-
ting and the enclosure of the hedges,
which, while at times seems to iso-
late us from the rest of the world,
evokes a sense of inclusion within a
distinct community.
In line with the results of the
Campus Master Plan survey, I think
that maintaining the green spaces on
Tiger Woods a terrible role
model but terrific athlete
As a society, we have an outra-
geous propensity to idealize our
athletes and entertainers. However,
in the end they are no different from
you or me — they have a single skill
set and they get paid for it.
campus should a be priority for Rice
if wants to maintain its distinct atmo-
sphere ("Master plan survey results
revealed," March 26). There is such an
interdependent relationship between
the university and the city that neither
would be as splendid without the other,
but what makes the university special
is that it remains a separate entity from
the city itself. In fact, the greatest thing
about being in Houston is that we Rice
students can take advantage of the
fact that we are in our own little green
enclave within a big city. We have the
best of both worlds; we live and learn
within a small school atmosphere and
beautiful green campus, while enjoy-
ing the resources and opportunities of a
big city.
While I understand that expand-
ing the university's facilities and stu-
dent body is important in increasing
national recognition, I implore the
administration to maintain the dis-
tinct features of Rice that are so en-
hanced and exemplified by the city
of Houston. As someone used to big
city life, I find it refreshing to live and
thrive in a university with such pro-
nounced green space, without hav-
ing to sacrifice the opportunities that
Houston provides.
Simply put, the city of Houston
is the ideal place for Rice University
to be situated, and I really would not
want it any other way.
Aida Luu is a
Lovett College sophomore.
Ryan Gupta
We should respect the jobs that
celebrities do, but the admiration
needs to end right there. In the end,
what Lil Wayne keeps in his tour
bus, what Amy Winehouse snorts
and who Jon cheats on Kate with is
no business of ours. As a concerned
member of society, I certainly don't
approve of their actions, and I be-
lieve the judicial system should
always interfere when necessary.
However, I strongly disapprove of
the media attention and gossip
that surrounds these scandals for
months at a time.
People seem to lack the ability to
differentiate between celebrities and
role models. Tiger Woods is a golfer,
not a god. He is a man, not a monk.
He is the definition of dominance
in his sport, and he is a role model
within the sphere of his craft. How-
ever, beyond the caddies, clubhous-
es and courses, he is just one of us.
Amid the controversy and judg-
ment of the public, Tiger returned
to golf this week, participating in
The Masters, which is his first golf
tournament since last November.
During his break from the sport. Ti-
ger Woods dealt with the fallout of
his professional and personal life
as a result of his numerous indis-
cretions. Tiger lost millions of dol-
lars through pulled sponsorships
and, at the same time, essentially
lost his marriage and a great pro-
portion of his fan base.
I'm not trying to write a sympathy
piece for Tiger because he was a dog.
He deserves to lose his many spon
sorships. After all, any corporation
not headed by Larry Flynt now knows
not to pay big money for Woods'
endorsements. Furthermore, Elin
Woods would demonstrate little self-
respect by not divorcing Tiger (the
payout settlement probably won't be
half bad, either). These consequenc-
es of the scandal are justifiable. The
public reaction, however, is not.
Think back to last Thanksgiv-
ing, before the scandal about Ti-
ger's affairs broke. Why did you
love Tiger Woods? Maybe it was
the number of championships, the
signature fist pump or the memo-
rable "swoosh shot" in the 2005
Masters. Regardless, I would be
willing to bet that you used to love
Tiger for his dominance on the golf
course. I'll go a step further and say
that most of you barely knew the
existence of the Tiger Woods Foun-
dation and the Tiger Woods Learn-
ing Center, two of Woods' most
profound service ventures; even if
you are privy to Tiger's charity en-
deavors, chances are you're primar-
ily a Tiger fan for his golf, not for
his philanthropic acts. Bottom line,
Tiger was always loved for his skills
on the course — nothing more and
nothing less. Why should that be
different now?
There is a fundamental disparity
between what society expects from
athletes and what athletes actually
are. Athletes are just ordinary peo-
ple with extraordinary skills. Just
because they're famous does not
make them good role models. Sure,
there are exceptions — Jackie Rob-
inson's tenacity, Lance Armstrong's
resilience and Roberto Clemente's
altruism are all very praiseworthy.
But for the most part, we don't know
enough about the personal lives of
athletes and celebrities to start call-
ing them role models, and that's the
way it should be. A child shouldn't
look up to a person because of their
blazing speed, pitching shoulder or
great receiving hands.
it
Tiger Woods is a
golfer, not a god. He
is a man, not a monk.
He is the definition
of dominance in his
sport, and he is a
role model within the
sphere of his craft.
However, beyond the
caddies, clubhouses
and courses, he is just
one of us.
99
Let's stop confusing people of
fame for our role models because
they will just keep letting us down.
Chris Brown, Lindsay Lohan, Michael
Vick, Mark McGwire, Marion Jones,
Floyd Landis and Pacman Jones are
just a few that line the top of the
bottomless barrel of superstars that
fail to maintain standards worthy of
a role model.
Just because athletes are mar-
velous on the field doesn't mean we
should expect the same off the field,
so let's love our athletes for what
they do well. Let's go back to loving
Tiger, the golfer. Think what you will
about Tiger as a human being, but
you have to love the animal that's
unleashed when Tiger hits the golf
course.
Ryan Gupta is a
Baker College freshman and
Thresher assistant opinion editor.
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Wilde, Anna. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 97, No. 25, Ed. 1 Friday, April 9, 2010, newspaper, April 9, 2010; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth398458/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.