The Rice Thresher, Vol. 89, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, November 16, 2001 Page: 4 of 20
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"" —
THE RICE THRESHER OPINION FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2001
Eclectic courses could enrich education
COURSES, from Page 2
Wilderness Survival and Outdoor
Life: Everything from how to back-
pack through Eastern Oregon to how
to recover from a "water landing":
impromptu shelter, edible plants,
orienteering.
Music Appreciation: We'll leave
the 15th-century polyphonic choral
music for the professional musi-
cians; this course can address the
sad fact that some students leave
Rice without having heard
Rachmaninoff, Coltrane or Marley.
Web Design: An important and
marketable skill for the average stu-
dent, but one that is beneath the
computer science department.
Social Activism: A course in raising
hell generally. Learn to draft pam-
phlets and flyers, write tersely and
convincingly, where and when gov-
ernment becomes permeable, why
and how to protest. Should be taught
to benefit all students regardless of
political beliefs or partisan affiliation.
Classic Gaming: How to pass the
time. Bridge, chess, mah-jongg and
croquet are all worth conquering.
Sod the West Stadium Lot, rent some
quarter-horses, and you've got polo.
Gardening: The chosen metier of
Thomas Jefferson and Henry David
Thoreau. Aside from various region-
specific special problems, crafting a
suitable garden entails finding the
appropriate global approach to the
available space.
Carpentry: The chosen metier of
Jesus of Nazareth. Despite our best
intentions, most of us will one day
acquire garages, and that acquisi-
tion will instantaneously necessitate
the purchase of full toolboxes. Pre-
pare accordingly.
Massage: An interdisciplinary art that
demands attention and practice. Cer-
tified massage therapists are never
without friends or wealthy clients.
I encourage students to lobby to
see that some of these become avail-
able in the future. Until they do,
however, I encourage you to struggle
along with tried-and-true classics
such as British Romantic Poetry or
Fluid Dynamics.
Alternatively, students might
undertake an advance assignment
in the Social Activism course: Regis-
ter for all three personal wealth en-
hancement courses listed at the out-
set of this column, fight your way in,
skip them regularly, and then drop
them all right before the deadline.
Lighten your courseload and ensure
our academic credibility.
James Dallal is a Lovett College se-
nior.
The College PrePaid Phone Card: the really cool
thing about it is—there is no card. It's virtual. You get it online with
a flat per-minute rate* and no hidden fees. And it's rechargeable
so you'll never need another phone card—ever.
Ordering is easy and it's instant. Just go to att.com/college/easy
and choose your card denomination. Submit the form to get your
PIN and you're off and dialing.
The College PrePaid Phone Card. Get it online.
Keep it in your brain. How easy is that?
Go to our website now.
AT&T
BOUNDLESS
•US and International rates vary,
©2001 AT&T All Rights Reserved.
att.com/college/easy
U.S. treads on shaky soil
BATTLING, from Page 2
litical heritage signifies that he
heeds the lessons of history. It
would be wise for our foreign
policy team to use the same ap-
proach when evaluating our poli-
cies throughout the Middle East.
Support for despotic govern-
ments is a recipe for continued
strife and instability.
This is what our war against
terrorism is about. It's about a
deep-seated antagonism between
two sides of the world. It's about
the human need for self-expres-
sion and empowerment. And it's
about Americans defining our
national interests to include na-
tion building.
Only when we resolve all
these conflicting forces will our
current war truly be over. Then,
and only then, will I feel com-
pletely safe boarding a plane
bound for home.
Catherine Adcock is opinion editor
and a Martel College junior.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ISSUES, from Page 2
After all. RBT is "Giving students
the TV they demand," and isn't that
what democracy is really all about?
Abigail Cohen
Hanszen senior
Emergency case not
an accurate example
To the editor:
In his column. "Corporate pan-
handling not an inherent evil" (Nov.
9), Brad Lega rightly points out that
corporate lobbying is a legitimate
consequence of our current system,
and that heavy restrictions on lob-
bying and campaign contributions
would be wrong and unproductive.
I find fault, however, in his will-
ingness to accept the underlying sys-
tem that forces businesses to bid for
their right to exist. Businesses
should be allowed to succeed or fail
on their merits rather than their tac-
tical skills in lobbying. Instead of
accepting this system of thinly veiled
bribery, we should look to a flat tax
system that has no hidden business
subsidies in the form of exceptions
or deductions. That alone would
eliminate a great deal of the lobby-
ing efforts in Washington.
Then, we should eliminate the
more easily recognizable business
subsidies that exist in congressional
budgets. Such a solution would allow
for more productive use of the money
currently wasted on lobbying efforts
and would reflect the principle that
businesses do not simply exist at the
whim of the government.
Finally. 1 should note that Lega's
example of the airline industry is
certainly not one on which to build a
case for corporat e welfare. The emer-
gency measures arising from the
events of September clearly neces-
sitate certain actions to stabilize the
economy and the airline industry'.
Congress understood the need for
such policies without relying on ex-
tensive lobbying efforts.
Furthermore, emergency cases
like this represent only a tiny frac-
tion of instances of corporate wel-
fare. and do not represent a justifica-
tion of the system.
Todd Makse
Sid '01
Research analyst. Jones Graduate
School of Management
Rice campus serves up
down-home hospitality
To the editor:
I wish to thank all of the Rice
students, faculty and security for
the kindness exhibited to our
Gumbo Posse Nov. 3.
We hope all enjoyed our cre-
ation, and that you invite us back to
serve the cuisine we all love so well
in Louisiana.
Our founder, Tim Durand, came
with the gumbo recipe. Steve Bujol
did the browning in the kettles. Bob
Farmer was our spice man. Louis
Bievenue, our master plumber, was
our navigator. Chef Leon West of
Boston procured the chicken breast,
and Chef Patrick Henry of Delgado
Culinary Institute came with the sau-
sage recipe.
Please forward all comments and
criticisms to my attention at 538
Ridgeway Dr., Metairie. La., 70001.
I am (he custodian and janitor of
The Gumbo Posse, and one of the
proudest men on the face of the
earth because I now have many
friends at Rice University — the
greatest academic institution on
God's green earth.
Krcig White
The Gumbo Fosse
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Liu, Leslie & Reichle, Robert. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 89, No. 13, Ed. 1 Friday, November 16, 2001, newspaper, November 16, 2001; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443125/m1/4/?rotate=180: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.