The Rice Thresher, Vol. 96, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, April 10, 2009 Page: 2 of 20
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EDITORIAL
the Rice Thresher
Friday, April 10,2009
the Rice (Ihresher
Emergency alert system
requires updates
Not long ago, a member of the Rice staff had been violent-
ly assaulted and the perpetrator, a man with a clear descrip-
tion, was on the lam, putting the entire Rice campus at risk
for another attack. We wrote — nay, pleaded — with the Rice
University Police Department to properly implement and uti-
lize the Emergency Alert System that was put into place al-
most two years ago ("Safety measures need revamping," Jan.
30). We asked RUPD to alert us whenever the information
was pertinent to our safety and well-being. We didn't mind
having our inbox full or text messages eaten up, so long as
the information sent kept us free from harm and our belong-
ings safe at hand.
After all, that's what the system was created for. And while
we were eventually alerted of the assault, the details of the
situation escaped in an infuriating trickle.
Now, we've had another assault on campus, this time on
a student walking alongside Sewall Hall (see story, page 1).
When the staff member was assaulted, it was a travesty, a
shamelessly despicable act. This time, there is the added as-
pect that the the victim is one of us, which brings the lack of
notifications into an immediate and frustrating light.
Instead of e-mails to a select few students, RUPD's alerts
need to go directly to the inbox of every single Rice stu-
dent, faculty and staff member. When almost no one on the
Thresher's editorial staff receives a notification that one of
their peers has received an early-morning campus beating,
there is a potentially life-threatening problem.
Clearly, the passage of information was bungled, much
like the initial report of the student being struck by a car.
While the victim's injuries may not be horrific, any type of
physical assault from an unknown assailant threatens us all.
RUPD does an admirable job in almost every other respect
— after all, the safety we feel within the hedges from their
selfless protection. But this aspect of their job needs to be
taken care of. If the entire school can be alerted to Rice's
merger with the Baylor College of Medicine (ahem), then
it should be beyond easy to alert us to a potential threat.
We are glad that the MIR3 cap has been raised to 40 min-
utes, but it is unfortunate that it came to this. We need to
know when something like this happens, and we need to
know immediately.
3oNights cancellation
ruins excitement
If you're reading this right now, it means that we're un-
happy — 3oNights is still cancelled (see story, page 6). What
was shaping up to be a great Wednesday night — senioritis-
laced seniors mixed with Element is always a good concoc-
tion — has now turned into another typical, paper-churning
slog. Yes, we're complaining, and here's why:
3oNights, with its marketing blitz and higher sales of tick-
ets, was set to go off without a hitch. People were excited
about this party, and rightfully so. In a week that people
needed lo blow off steam, the team behind the party's plan-
ning was doing an excellent job, and with an expected 350
attendees — 200 pre-sold and 150 more expected, according
to an e-mail — the club Element was due to be hoppin'.
Instead, with only 24 hours' notice, everyone who bought
a ticket is now scrambling to find the person who sold it to
them. This is the second party to get cancelled this semester,
but this party seemed to have far more momentum and inter-
est than Rondelet. An unfortunate streak, to say the least.
Now students are more likely to hesitate before purchas-
ing tickets to future events knowing that the plug could be
pulled at a moment's notice. Two hundred students were led
on, and at 70 percent capacity, the atmosphere at Element
could have been more than entertaining.
So please, stop axing our parties. They are, after all, what
keep us sane.
Erratum
In the March 27 article "Bikes-for-cars for grad students,"
the Thresher incorrectly stated that the retail prices of the
Giant Boulder-brand bicycles sold to the Rice Village Apart-
ments retail for $735. They actually retail for $330. The
Thresher regrets the error.
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LETTERS TO TH E EDITOR
thresher-ops@rice. edu
Bikes-for-cars
article erroneous
To the Editor:
I was glad to read your editorial sup-
porting Rice University's green initiative
that offers graduate students at the Rice
Village Apartments a free bike if they
don't bring a car to campus ("Bikes-for-
cars program almost perfect," March
27). Although you expressed concerns
about a couple of points, they were
based on inaccurate information, so I'd
like to set the record straight.
Rice did not pay the retail price
for the bikes. Bicycle World and Fit-
ness and Giant Corporation were
generous enough to support Rice's
green initiative by offering a sub-
stantially discounted rate. Although
the agreement specifies that we keep
the purchase price confidential, I
can assure you that it was signifi-
cantly less than the $700-plus figure
cited in the editorial.
To qualify for the bike offer, gradu-
ate students must sign a minimum of
a one-year housing agreement at the
Rice Village Apartments and agree not
to bring a car to Rice. Residents must
return the bike or pay the retail cost of
the bike if they bring a car to Rice at
anytime during their education here.
Abeer Mustafa
Graduate Housing Manager
Online Comment
of the Week
To the Editor:
I could not disagree more with
Catherine Bratic on the opinion that
newspapers are the "most important re-
sources" for students ("Newspapers in-
dispensable to education," March 20).
First, 1 am surprised that students
receive free subscriptions frum the
Chronicle. When I went to college, I
paid for my own. If it is important to
you, purchase it yourself. Students
need to learn how to take care of
themselves instead of receiving their
resources free.
Second, The New York Times
and the Chronicle are the most lib-
eral newspapers in the country. They
are also biased. They write articles
slanted toward convincing the pub-
lic of their view instead of simply
providing the news.
Third, their opinion pages are near-
ly always in support of liberal causes,
many of them immoral. For example,
the evolution vs. design debate is nev-
er reported truthfully. The Chronicle
uses their columnists and opinion
pages to blast away on this subject,
never really telling the truth about the
debate. The. use a strategy of always
accusing the proponents for design
of being dumb, religious fundamen-
talists who sinply do not understand
scier ce. This idea could not be farther
from ine truth. Remember, a true evo-
lutionist can only believe evolution's
implications suggest for humans that
there is no purpose, no afterlife, no
foundation for ethics, no meaning and
no free choice. If you believe these im-
plications, your humanistic solution
for stability in society is "might makes
right." You also cannot tell me what is
right or wrong. I will simply ask you
"based upon what?" The bottom line
is no one can truly live this way.
In summary, the university does
not need newspapers for an impor-
tant student resource. You guys need
to try and understand what "you" are
all about instead of opinion writers
telling you what you are all about.
The Times and Chronicle will certain-
ly be happy to advise you.
Bill Freeman
NEWS
Catherine Bratic Editor
Margeux Clemmons Asst. Editor
Cindy Dinh Asst. Editor
Josh Rutenberg Asst. Editor
Jocelyn Wright Asst. Editor
Jaclyn Youngblood Asst. Editor
Zach Castle Head Designer
Nick Morales Designer
OP-ED
Christine Pao Editor
Kay Fukui Cartoonist
SPORTS
Natalie Clericuzio Editor
Yan Digilov Editor
Jonathan Myers Assistant Editor
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Joe Dwyer Editor
COPY
Nick Schlossman Editor
Ryan Stickney Editor
Anna Wilde Editor
Casey Michel
Editor in Chief
CALENDAR
Brian Reinhart Editor
PHOTOGRAPHY
David Rosales Editor
Lauren Schoeffler Asst. Editor
Ariel Shnitzer Asst. Editor
WEB
Stephen Wang Editor
Dennis Qian Asst. Editor
BUSINESS
Yvette Pan Manager
Jessie Huang Subscriptions Manager
Charlie Ary Distribution Manager
Gustavo Herrera Distribution Manager
Sergio Jarumillo Distribution Manaqer
ADVERTISING
Joseph Ramirez Ads Manager
Thomas Yeh Ads Manager
('.athleen Chang Classified Ads Manager
BACKPAGE
Eric Doctor Editor
Timothy Faust Editor
The Rice Thresher, the official student news-
paper at Rice University since 1916, is pub
lished each Friday during the school year,
except during examination periods and holi-
days, by the students of Rice University.
letters to the Editor must be received by
5 p.m. the Monday prior to publication and
must be signed, including college and year if
the writer is a Rice student. Letters should not
exceed 250 words in length. The Thresher re-
serves the rights to edit letters for content and
length and to place letters on our Web site.
Editorial & business offices are
located on the second floor of the Ley Stu-
dent Center:
6100 Main St., MS 524
Houston, IX 77005-1892
Phone (713) 348-4801
Fax (713) 348-5238
E-mail: thresherCdihce.edu
Web site: www.ricethresher.org
Unsigned editorials represent the major
ity opinion of the Thresher editorial staff.
All other opinion pieces represent solely
the opinion of the piece's author.
The Thresher is a member of the Associated
Collegiate Press. STEVE HOLT!
«•> Copyright 2009
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Michel, Casey. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 96, No. 26, Ed. 1 Friday, April 10, 2009, newspaper, April 10, 2009; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443096/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.