The Rice Thresher, Vol. 88, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, November 10, 2000 Page: 3 of 28
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THE RICE THRESHER OPINION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2000
Guest column
Life's big issues wait outside Rice
The worst thing about being a
philosophy major is the question.
No, not the one about the meaning
of life, but "What are you going to do
with a degree in philoso-
phy — teach?" Although
philosophy majors tend to
outscore biology majors
on the MCAT and many
go on to successful law
careers, people seem to
suspect that we'll either
end up in front of a class-
room or as the butt of
some joke about unem-
ployment lines.
Personally, I don't see
either of those outcomes
in my future. I'm studying philoso-
phy because I'm interested in the
real world. Some people might ar-
gue that the word philosophy doesn't
belong in the same sentence as "real,"
so I should probably explain myself.
One of the most important things
I've learned at Rice is that values
don't exist in a vacuum — we can
only sharpen our beliefs by applying
them outside the classroom. Cam-
pus life abounds with examples. The
Rice Student Volunteer Program
takes direct action by volunteering
in the Rice and Houston communi-
ties. Our various religious and cul-
tural groups are constantly express-
ing their takes on life in ways rang-
ing from Bible study to ethnic festi-
vals. With few exceptions, though,
these groups have focused on our
Andrew
Courtwright
immediate surroundings. My inter-
est in philosophy, however, has led
me to consider a more general ques-
tion — how can we apply abstract
theories to policies that
affect people outside of
Rice and even beyond
Texas?
You may have noticed,
in the week before the
election, voter's guides
taped to tables and bath-
room stalls. These flyers
represent the first effort
at answering my question:
they are the work of a
newly formed group on
campus, Rice Students for
Global Justice. Each month, this or-
ganization chooses a topic on either
an international or domestic level
and asks how we, as students, can
effect change in that area.
During the next week, RSGJ will
be focusing on the School of the
Americas (SOA), a U.S. military in-
stitution in Georgia responsible for
training Latin American soldiers in
combat, counter-insurgency and
counter-narcotics. Graduates of the
SOA, however, have been respon-
sible for some of the worst human
rights abuses in I.atin America and
have included dictators like Manuel
Noriega and Guillermo Rodriguez.
To raise awareness about this
issue with an ultimate goal of affect-
ing U.S. policy, RSGJ will be provid-
ing an information table and a video
presentation in the Student Center
from Wednesday through Friday,
Nov. 17. They will also have speak-
ers on Thursday evening, and on
the morning of Nov. 17, they will be
holding a sister protest — corre-
sponding to a similar event in Geor-
gia — at Willy's statue.
One of the most
important things
I've learned at Rice
is that values don't
exist in a vacuum
So what can you, as a Rice stu-
dent, do? First, educate yourself
about the issue and make your own
decision. If you think this is a topic
you're interested in, stop by the pro-
test between classes and sign a peti-
tion or write a letter. If you're knee-
deep in problem sets and papers,
you may not think you have time
now, but remember that someday
you'll have to start applying all that
abstract knowledge to real situa-
tions, even if you are a philosophy
major.
Andrew Courtwright
College sophomore.
is a Wiess
Poster girl with no poster
LPAP classes provide more than exercise
HPER, now known as LPAP,
has been the bane of many a Rice
student's existence. It's always the
last time slot to be filled on a class
schedule and often the rea-
son for the big "X" on de-
gree audits. Yet, as much
as we complain about the
physical education re-
quirement, I think it offers
opportunities we do not
find in any other class.
I get stunned looks
when I tell people that I
take LPAP for credit even
though I have already ful-
filled the graduation re-
quirement. It makes me
feel self-conscious, as if there is
something wrong with enjoying ex-
ercise or wanting to try a different
kind of sport. I figure that I have four
years to learn about and try as many
diverse kinds of things as I can and,
yes, LPAP is included. My LPAP
class has helped me to get back in
shape and to spend two afternoons a
week outside enjoying the sunshine
— which wouldn't happen otherwise
with my courseload this semester.
But even if you are only fulfilling
your two-class requirement for
graduation, LPAP offers you the
chance to meet students from across
campus. My ballroom dance class
freshman year spawned two friend-
ships I've maintained for four years
and led to several others. It also
gave me a few random faces to say
hello to on the way to and from
classes that year.
Playing games or learning tricky
moves like "thread the needle" is
much more fun when done with oth-
ers. Without fear of embarrassment,
you can try something new—every-
one else is struggling with the "pret-
zel" as well. And surely your new
friends will see that your interper-
sonal skills (beyond the fox-trot)
override your three left feet. Beyond
the aspect of socializing, making a
habit of reserving time for exercise
builds a good routine for the future.
At the same time, the benefits of
a physical education class can be
more immediate. While many of us
come into Rice in pretty good shape,
the vast majority do not remain that
way. "CK" food and hectic study and
extracurricular schedules wreak
Lizzie
Taishoff
havoc on any exercise regimen.
Choosing a class that offers instruc-
tion in weight training, conditioning
or aerobics can get you on a pro-
gram to get in shape. It's
all about choosing the
right class for your goals.
If you want to learn to
two-step and have fun
without breaking a sweat,
think about taking a coun-
try-western dance class.
When we enter the cor-
porate world, racquetball
and squash often replace
fencing and martial arts.
In his Oct. 13 column
("LPAP does not enrich
the lives of varsity athletes"),
Michael Nalepa questioned the in-
telligence of having the LPAP re-
quirement extend to varsity athletes.
But I think LPAP can particularly
benefit those on a varsity team. Ath-
letes at Rice often do not have a
chance to socialize much with stu-
dents from their own college, let
alone those at other colleges, so
they can benefit from the interac-
tion LPAP offers. Additionally, ath-
letes devote a tremendous amount
of their time to their particular sport
without a chance to enjoy an alterna-
tive activity.
For a varsity athlete, LPAP also
offers a break from a rigorous train-
ing schedule to try a kind of exer-
cise, like yoga, that can help their
strength and flexibility. While some
football players might have trouble
seeing themselves in the lotus posi-
tion, yoga is an exercise that uses
the body's natural resistance to pro-
mote balance, flexibility and
strength. Because of the stretching
involved, it helps the body tone and
relaxes smaller muscles that seri-
ous weight training often doesn't
reach. And, as an exercise, yoga has
been shown to successfully help the
body naturally prevent injury.
While I have no doubt that across
country runner would not benefit
much from "Walk, Jog, Run," I do
think the benefits of a different type
of exercise like Alexander Tech-
nique or swimming could be a posi-
tive addition to any training regi-
men and also allow for some relax-
ation time.
And the sau e goe. for the rest of
campus. We are all busy, but an
LPAP class can give us a chance to
relax, try something new or get in
shape. It is all about the decisions
we make in choosing which class to
take. Most of us put some thought
into our class selection and the same
should be true of LPAP.
So consider taking an LPAP class
next semester, even if you have al-
ready fulfilled your requirement. It
is a chance to meet new people, try
something new and maybe even get
those abs you always wanted. Check
out the schedule of classes offered
under LPAP or even those in the
Wellness Program if they fit better.
But think seriously about what you
want to get out of your class and
consider the variety of options of-
fered.
Who knows, you just might sur-
prise yourself.
Lizzie Taishoff is features editor and
a Wiess College senior.
Are they laughing with me or at me?
Messed-up election shows
how weird voting can get
If there was one thing made
abundantly clear in this presiden-
tial election, it's that everyone's
vote counts.
And though I'm not
too happy that I've
stayed up until 4 a.m.
to see who the next
president will be (it's
Wednesday and I still
do not have an an-
swer), I think this elec-
tion shows that our
system still works.
Well, maybe not
entirely. The U.S.
presidential election
was neck and neck,
with some spreads differing by
merely a few thousand votes. This
could indicate that America was
deeply divided on whether they
wanted A1 Gore or George W.
Bush in the White House.
It could also show that they
saw so little difference between
the two that they couldn't make
up their minds.
Another question raised is
whether or not the electoral col-
lege still works. As I write this,
Gore has the popular vote, which
isn't supposed to mean anything.
However, Bush still has a slight
lead in Florida. If he hangs on to
that advantage, he wins the elec-
tion even with several hundred
thousand fewer votes than Gore
across the nation.
If things stay this way, there is
no doubt many people will an-
grily call for changes in our sys-
tem of voting, possibly with good
reason. A Gore victory that is
really a loss would get people up
in arms, just as the opposite sce-
nario for Bush would have many
calling for blood.
Maybe reform isn't such a bad
idea. But maybe the electoral col-
lege isn't the best place to start.
Why not first look at how the
media covered the election? Ev-
ery single TV news station
jumped the gun and gave Gore
Florida, then took it back, then
gave Florida to Bush and then
took it back again.
I was surprised that even sta-
tions that had been playing it safe
the entire night fell victim to hasty
predictions when it came to the
Sunshine State. Probably does
not equal certainty, and the
Florida race was anything but a
sure thing at any point.
On the other hand, it made for
some interesting TV. The elec-
m
Michael
Nalepa
tion coverage was like watching
a football game with a flip-flop-
ping lead, play-by-play announc-
ers and a little score box in the
bottom right hand of
the screen. CNN even
pulled out the neon
yellow marker and
marked up voter con-
centrations on a map
of Minnesota.
TTiis will probably
go down as one of the
strangest elections in
history, and not just
because we still do not
— have a president-elect
the day after the elec-
tion. New Yorkers elected the
current first lady to the Senate.
Missouri residents elected a dead
man to fill a Senate seat. Housto-
nians decided to build an arena
to replace a structure that is only
twenty years old.
Why is it that neither presi-
dential candidate was able to capi-
talize on some aspect of this elec-
tion and win outright? I think the
fact that they both did almost the
same thing throughout the en-
tire campaign pretty much ex-
plains it.
How did Gore not easily de-
feat Bush, considering the strong
state of the union right now? I
think the culprit might be Gore's
reluctance to ask for President
Clinton's help. Gore's strategists,
who right now must be feeling
oh-so-smart, said the scandal-rid-
den president would hurt Gore's
image. Ouch. Hurt A1 Gore's im-
age? Clinton helped make A1
Gore's image.
Plus, Clinton still enjoys a 61
percent approval rating. By not
standing by Clinton during his
scandal and after, Gore showed
something akin to an indirect
betrayal. There is something to
be said about abandoning a sink-
ing ship, but sometimes you have
to stand by the people who helped
you rise to the top even when
they screw up big time.
Either way, we will have a
president-elect at some point.
And even with things being as
close and as crazy as they were,
the transition will probably be
peaceful and the losing party will
most likely be back to fight again.
Our election process works
after all. Well, sort of.
Michael Nalepa is opinion editor
and a Lovett College senior.
the Rice Thresher
Brian Staler
Editor in Chief
Jos£ Luis Cubria, Mariel Tam
Managing Editors
NEWS
Elizabeth Jardina, Editor
Olivia Allison. Asst. Editor
liora Danan, zlss/. Editor
Erin Mann, Page Designer
OPINION
Michael Nalepa, Editor
SPORTS
Chris [.arson, Editor
Jason Gershman, Asst. Editor
ARTS A ENTERTAINMENT
Robert Reichle, Editor
Tim Crippen, Asst. Editor
Mandi Montgomery, Page Designer
FEATURES
Lizzie Taishoff. Editor
LIFESTYLES
Corey E. Devine, Editor
Ajeet Pai
Business Manager
CALENDAR
Josh Taylor, Editor
BACKPAGE
Mark l>ewis, Editor
Sarah Pitre, Editor
PHOTOGRAPHY
Rob (iaddi, Editor
Megan Smith, j4ss/. Editor
COPY
Leslie Liu, Editor
Mary Messick, Asst Editor
David Chien, Illustrator
Lyniee Tanner, Ads Manager
Shannon Scott. Asst. Business Manager
Robert Lee, Classified Ads Manager
Carly Halvorson, Office Manager
Sol Villarreal, Distribution Manager
Adam lazowska, Online Editor
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Stoler, Brian. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 88, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, November 10, 2000, newspaper, November 10, 2000; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth442991/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.