The Rice Thresher, Vol. 95, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, January 18, 2008 Page: 2 of 28
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THE RICE THRESHER OPINION FRIDAY, JANUARY 18,2008
the Rice Thresher
Bicycle responsibility
falls on students
With the first weeks of New Year passed and a new semester
begun, it seems that the Rice University Police Department
has so far been faithful to its list of resolutions — a list includ-
ing the well-intentioned strategy of collecting unchained bikes
across campus before they become prey for roaming thieves
(see story, page 1).
RUPD used this method of crime-deterrence last semester,
most visibly by removing laptop computers from unattended
tables in Fondren Library, but as we wrote then, we write now:
Despite the possible benefits, preemptive stealing of student
property is the wrong route to take ("RUPD: Stop Stealing,"
Oct. 26).
While we understand the logic behind RUPD's decision — stolen
bikes lead to unnecessary headaches and hours spent by both offi-
cers and students—we feel that college-age students should be able
to police themselves. RUPD has done an excellent job informing
students of the theft problem through flyers and e-mails, but that
should be all that is necessary. Students have a responsibility to
protect their own property, and they must be prepared to accept
the consequences that might arise from leaving a bike unchained
and unattended.
Students have the Alcohol Beverage Policy and the Honor Code,
and if they are given this type of autonomy when it comes to con-
trolling underage drinking and cheating, they should certainly be
left to themselves to secure their own bicycles.
Not to mention, over-policing might tarnish student rapport
with RUPD with negative consequences. No student envies mak-
ing an unnecessary trip to the police station for any reason, and
an increase in these coupled with a change in department policy
towards a Mommy Rice approach might test the RUPD-student
relationship — and mistrust of RUPD is not good for anybody.
At the same time, though, students have a responsibility to help
themselves as much as possible by doing a few things. First, lock
up your bikes. It is not difficult: Get a lock, find a bike rack and
take the extra 10 seconds to save hours of hassle and lots of money.
Second, register your bikes. Search for the bicycle registration
form on the RUPD Web site (rupd.rice.edu), fill it out and get your
decal in the mail. Then, if your bike does get stolen, RUPD can find
out who the owner is and press charges against whoever took it,
something difficult to do with unregistered, unclaimed bicycles.
If you fail to register, RUPD cannot assign a victim to the crime,
and thus cannot charge the thieves even if they are caught in the
act and confess to it.
Be smart about your stuff, and refrain from relaxing in the
naivete that living inside the hedges can impart. We are still
Houston and theft still happens. RUPD should not be the only
ones trying to do anything about it.
96 percent of students
can't be wrong
If all goes to plan, next Wednesday will see the Faculty Sen-
ate finally approve a new academic calendar. And, if they have
any respect for students, they will approve a plan that maintains
the existing two-day spring recess. After all, 96 percent of stu-
dents support that plan, even with a contingency added that
would allow labs to hold classes on what would otherwise be
vacation days.
One of Rice's selling points is that it serves as a high-output
research university while being extremely focused on under-
graduates, but if the Faculty Senate does not recognize students'
desires, the university might as well throw out that one. At a time
when Rice's other selling points — low tuition and small student
body — are losing their validity, the Faculty Senate should tread
very carefully when handling Rice's prize characteristics.
The Student Association has expressed concern that taking
too strong a stance in support of the spring recess would only
scare the Faculty Senate into opposing the plan. We certainly
hope that this is not the case. The Faculty Senate should be able
to see that the only threat in this scenario is not strong student
support for spring recess, but the risk that the Faculty Senate
may ruin its relationship with a passionate undergraduate student
body and ruin Rice's reputation as a university that cares about
its students.
Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher
editorial staff.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Judicial Jedi quite
an odd metaphor
To the editor:
Pardon me if I sound like that an-
noying guy driving past the entrance
to a Star Trek movie, but all we need
is more people who think that they
arejedis ("It is called law school, not
lawyer school," Jan. 11). And yes, 1
know it was Star Wars. Granted, it
does not surprise me that at least
some Rice students might subscribe
to this ancient religion, but I would
have hoped the Jedi would have gone
extinct when George Lucas turned
wookies into ewoks.
That said, if it takes convincing
people that they are going to learn
Jedi powers to get them to go to law
school, then I am ail for it. Society
needs lawyers. Just like in a natural
pond ecosystem, slimy bottom-
feeders serve an important purpose.
And if society is one big machine, we
need to have plenty of grease to keep
it running. Perhaps more cogently,
lawyers, like condoms or Jedis, must
be capable of protecting the Toms,
Dicks and Jar Jar Binkses straight
out of the package.
The problem with "lawyer people
who think they are Jedi" jokes is
that my girlfriend is a lawyer and
my brother thinks he is a Jedi and
neither they nor our parents would
think this column is funny. So 1 am
depending on you.
Speaking of Jedi, is that singular or
plural? That is really starting to bother
me. Perhaps the singular form isjedus
... similar to Juris. There you go... we
need Juris Knights (or Jedi Doctors)!
Back to the main topic, a little
vocational education in law school
might not be a bad thing. I mean, you
would not have a Jedi school train
its students only to use the force.
They have to be capable of carrying
out their function for the universe.
One that manipulates the force for
only his own selfish gain — well, we
know what happens to him. He starts
breathing all strange, talking with an
English accent and killing people.
To make an analogy with The
Matrix, in creating lawyer school,
we would take some of those people
who think they are the next "chosen
one," and get them to serve some
sort of a purpose — for example, as
Jedi Doctors. That aside, we might
ponder whether the meeting of the
ten deans may not have been an at-
tempt to motivate the real "Neo." But
1 digress.
Perhaps the real question the ten
deans should be discussing is not how
to train lawyers but how to convince
students at top institutions that they
will be saving society by fulfilling their
law duties. Instead of speaking in the
bland terms of real society, they may
have better luck by making an analogy
with Star Trek or Vie Matrix.
Owen Gilbert
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
graduate student
Grad student thanks
his good Samaritans
To the editor
I would like to convey my sincere
gratitude to Uie two unknown Sa-
maritans who picked me up when 1
was bleeding from a head wound after
I had stepped off the METRO Rail and
fallen to the ground between 10 and 11
p.m. after a night of too much drinking
downtown. The strangers made sure
that I, another stranger, was all right,
find escorted me to a sale place. I know
writing this letter, as opposed to hiding
the mistake of overestimating myself,
involves publicly admitting shame and
a loss of pride and respect, but express-
ing my thankfulness for their effort is
much more important.
Thank you.
It is good to know that Rice stu-
dents are still caring, willing and able
to help, and not just the occasionally
rotten apple like me.
Mathias Rickcn
Computer Science graduate student
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Whitfield, Stephen. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 95, No. 16, Ed. 1 Friday, January 18, 2008, newspaper, January 18, 2008; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443186/m1/2/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.