The Rice Thresher, Vol. 95, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 11, 2008 Page: 3 of 20
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THE RICE THRESHER OPINION FRIDAY, JANUARY 11,2008
Sans serif soliloquies
Campus changes at expense of prestige
In light of Harvard's announce-
ment that it will drop its tuition for
upper middle-income families, this
Rice student wonders what actions
his university is going to
take to raise its profile. As
a university touted for the
value of its education, this
unprecedented change
from one of America's pre-
mier universities should
be rocking our strategy.
And I don't know if any
new changes are in store
for the future or if our ad-
ministration is scrambling
in the back rooms of Allen
Hall deciding their next
moves. But if they are not, they
should be.
In an era when colleges and
universities are being treated in-
creasingly as businesses and less
as institutions of learning, Harvard's
decision to lower tuition places it in a
category of its own. It has exited the
"industry" that higher education has
become. And as the self-proclaimed
"Harvard of the South," we should
be swift in following their move.
We are increasing tuition annu-
ally, year by year eroding the claim
that Rice is one of the best values
in higher education today. We brag
that our tuition is remaining un-
der $30,000 when Harvard — for
some — is lowering theirs below
$20,000.
The Vision for the Second Cen-
tury uses a lot of fancy language to
describe the basic goal for Rice's
future. You can find it online,
the easiest way is to just Google
"Rice V2C." Hut it you don't feel
like it, I'll summarize: Rice needs
to be better.
1 agree wholeheartedly with this
sentiment; Rice could improve itself.
Sean
McBeath
However, I am thoroughly confused
by the methodology behind this
profound ideal. Granted, I am not
trained in this sort of business, but
I am a college student and
I think I know what the
prospies are looking for
in a school.
I can guarantee that
they are not getting ex-
cited about the increase
in our student body; the
only people excited about
that are the ones who've
figured out that the only
immediate impact it will
have is a decrease in the
stringency of Rice's ad-
missions standards. The V2C Web
site claims that "we must increase
the size of the university to realize
more fully our ambition as an insti-
tution of national and international
distinction that attracts the very
best students and researchers from
around the globe." But schools like
the California Institute of Technol-
ogy, arguably one of the more
prestigious institutions in the United
States, manages this goal with close
to a quarter of our student body.
Arguably, an increase in student
body will increase Rice's options and
of ferings in the long run, but it should
not be at the cost of our prestige.
And without somehow increas-
ing our appeal, our applicant pool
most likely will not see an increase
in qualified applicants. Sure, there
might be a notable number of stu-
dents who look up when they hear
Rice will be accepting considerably
more students, but those are not
students that we should be eager
to enroll.
Changes that make Rice attrac-
tive to prospective students should
be the first projects completed.
It makes little sense to increase
student body without the neces-
sary accommodations for them; as
is, with fewer than three thousand
students at Rice, Autry is pitifully
undersized. And while the new rec-
reation center's construction is
slated for an opening concurrent
with the opening of our two new
colleges, it is not enough.
That facility's construction
should already be underway; stu-
dents who are going to be applying
to Rice when Duncan and McMurtry
open are looking at schools now.
That means we should be working
to impress them now. And since I, a
current student, have hardly heard
rumblings of the new recreation
center's opening, I can only assume
that prospective students know
nothing of it.
Rice needs to start making chang-
es to support the new students they
plan to admit. Parking on the north
side of campus is already terribly
cramped since the loss of Abercrom-
bie Lot to construction and plans to
build a garage along I^ib Road are
still years from completion.
Admittedly, the administration
should be looking to the future of
the university. But they should not
forget that they also have an obliga-
tion to current students.
Rice needs to wake up and
start making the changes that will
keep us competitive. We need to
start making these changes now
and spend some of our new mar-
keting budget publicizing — on
campus—those that are being made.
Or there aren't going to be another
thousand students lining up to fill the
rooms we're building for them.
Sean McBeath is a Martel College
sophomore and calendar editor.
Guest column
Judge campaigns by substance, not slogan
I took a break from politics this
week. I didn't watch the New Hamp-
shire primary results, I didn't read
the news on Wednesday morning
and didn't know who won
until I overheard another
conversation. But when I
started reading the news-
paper and blogs hoping for
more information on the
impact of the victories, all
1 could find were endless
debates over Clinton's
show of emotion. News
stories from both the main-
stream media and blogs too
often place an emphasis on
strategy and tactics rather
than substance.
For example, most of us re-
member Mike Huckabee's recent
disavowal of a negative campaign
ad against Mitt Romney only hours
before it was supposed to be aired
across Iowa. But how many people
know what the charges against
Romney were?
The most disingenuous charge
was that there were no executions
in Massachusetts under Romney.
The charge is true, but only because
the state effectively outlawed capital
punishment in 1984. In fact, Romney
established a commission in 2004
to investigate reinstating the death
penalty and the resulting legislation
failed in the state legislature.
With the Supreme Court debating
the death penalty this term and New
Jersey recently abolishing it, perhaps
the media should have seized this op-
portunity and forced the candidates
to contribute to the ongoing national
debate on the death penalty. After all,
there is a stark difference between
these candidates on the issues. As
governor, Romney attempted to find
ways t o resc >lvt • pre)blems likewrongful
convictions and inadequate defense.
Hnckabee chose to parole criminalson
the basis of their religious beliefs.
Kirti
Datla
Politicians debate over phrases
as well as strategy, but once again
substance gets pushed into the
background.
During the New Hamp-
shire debates this past
Saturday, the Republicans
bickered over their respec-
tive immigration plans.
Rudy Giuliani, John Mc-
Cain, Huckabee and Rom-
ney all used some variation
of the phrase "back of the
line" to conjure up images
of amnesty versus legality
and order which seems
haphazard and abrupt. In
reality, none of their plans iil-
low illegal immigrants to remain in the
country without interruption, which is
what amnesty means to most people.
The moderator, Charlie Gibson, should
have raised the level of debating by
asking what heading to the back of a
line actually means.
That was not all Gibson missed.
The Department of Homeland Se-
curity's Yearbook of Immigration
Statistics states that almost 1.3 million
people obtained legal permanent resi-
dent status in 2006. Without counting
the backlog, the current length of the
"line," it would take over 10 years
for all current illegal immigrants to
re-enter the United States. So the
timeline is inefficient, but what about
the other logistics? What would
compel people to leave the country
if businesses here continue to hire
them? Why would people apply for
permanent residence status when
many simply want to work for a short
time, build up savings and return
home? Why do none of these plans
mention increasing the institutional
capacity of U.S. Citizenship and Im-
migration Services?
There are countless other
examples. Conservative pundits claim
Americans want a President who
wants to win the war on terror. Yet,
at this point, no candidate has even
articulated what the scope of this
metaphorical war on terror is. During
debate this summer, Democrats railed
against a "rush to war" with Iran to
contrast themselves with Republi-
cans, without rejecting the premise
that any forward motion towards war
is necessary.
We are consumed with the play-
by-play of campaigns. But that does
not lead to better candidates, to bet-
ter policy or to our becoming more
engaged citizens. It simply leads to
the election of politicians who have
not been vetted by the country and the
enactment of incoherent policy.
Kirti Datla
senior.
is a Sid Richardson
Serendipitous musings
New Year's resolutions
should be all year 'round
New Year's Day is truly unique
in our society. On no other day do
so many people come together
and promise to change them-
selves with simple reso-
lutions: lose weight,
have more patience,
read the newspaper
more often.
The reason is sim-
ple. New Year's Eve
marks the end of an old
year and symbolically
closes the past year's
regrets and mistakes.
It is the literal begin-
ning of a new year and
brings with it the hope
of a better future. This new future
bubbles with myriad possibilities.
The remainder of our lives and
the world itself rests front and
center, ripe for the taking.
Though resolutions give us a
positive goal and opportunity for
improvement, this pressure for im-
provement causes the resolution to
inadvertently carry with it some po-
tentially negative effects. In a study
done by the University of Scranton
in Pennsylvania, only 19 percent of
Americans actually follow through
with their New Year's resolutions
after two years. That percentage is
almost as high as the acceptance
rate into Rice. Almost.
Amanda
Melchor
All this anguish makes me
wonder: Why do we confine all
pledges of self-improvement to a
single day? It is rare to find your-
self or a friend saying,
"I've made a first day of
spring resolution to be
nicer to other people,"
or "I've made a Fourth
of July resolution to eat
healthier." And often
when a resolution is
broken, many do not
decide to re-apply it
and start afresh. The
resolution is simply
abandoned along with
its potential. Without
the prompted reflection brought
on by the previous year and the
advent of a new one, changes
are more difficult to discover
and put into practice. A true
resolution claims no sole time
or place. It can happen wherever
and whenever.
Instead of only resolving to
This pressure
for improvement
causes the resolution
to inadvertently carry
with it some potentially
negative effects.
While discouraging, the find-
ing is hardly a revelation. Self-
improvement is tough and made
even harder while struggling
to achieve multiple resolutions
simultaneously. Couple this
resolution business with the rigors
of everyday life — classes, job
searches, college and club re-
sponsibilities—and thechanceof
sticking with a resolution dwindles
even further. I have been caught
in this resolution trap and am
all too familiar with that pang of
disappointment and shame when
my resolutions fail to last past
Valentine's Day. It feels as though
the future is bleak and our natures
unchangeable even when we are
most determined to change.
A true resolution
claims no time
or place. It can
happen wherever
and whenever.
reflect anu initiate chang,? one
day a year and abandoning it at
the first major stumbling block,
reflection and improvement
should be something we all em-
brace constantly. The first day of
spring, Columbus Day or even
Wednesday is an opportunity to
momentarily reflect on our lives
and resolve to be better people.
It is important to remember
that there are 11 other months
in the year in which to improve
ourselves. The only obstacle
standing in the way of the
achievement of our resolutions
is our own resolve. Resolutions
are important, powerful and
positive because they allow
us to re-evaluate our lives and
values and encourage us to
improve ourselves in an upbeat
way. New Year's should not
mark the only day we begin
making resolutions, but the day
we decide to make each day a
possibility for reflection and
self-improvement.
Amanda Melchor is a Hanszen
College junior and opinion editor.
the Rice Thresher
Stephen Whitfield
Editor in Chief
Evan Mintz
Executive Editor
NEWS
Lily Chun, Editor
Sarah Rutledge, Asst. Editor
Jocelyn Wright, Asst. Editor
Sean McBeath. Designer
OPINION
Amanda Melchor, Editor
Dan Derozier, Cartoonist
SPORTS
Casey Michel, Editor
Natalie Clericuzio, A«f. Editor
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Nikki Metzgar, Editor
COPY
Nick Schlossman, Editor
Kvan Stickney, Editor
CALENDAR
Sean McBeath, Editor
PHOTOGRAPHY
Taylor Johnson, Editor
Marcus Roman. Assignments Editor
David Rosales, Asst Editor
Lauren Schoeffler, Assf. Editor
Ian White, Asst. Editor
BUSINESS
Adam Benarova, Manager
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Joseph Ramirez, Ads Manager
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Til tanv Kuo, Classified Ads Manager
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Whitfield, Stephen. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 95, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, January 11, 2008, newspaper, January 11, 2008; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443076/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.