The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 16, 1965 Page: 4 of 10
ten pages : ill. ; page 21 x 14 in.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
.'V; -V
. • ■ *v •
V I,, ' j.,^ •• •' ■ v-'
the problem
By CHUCK KING
WIom Codes* Prwldmt
As outlined in the 1965 re-
port of the Committee on Stu-
dent Housing, which served as
the basi^ of the final creation
of the residential college sys-
tem at Rice, the minimum goal
of the colleges was to have been
the promotion and preservation
of the more humanitarian and
gentlemanly values which can
characterize communal living.
The primary aim of this com-
mittee was to establish a col-
lege system based on corporate
living and dining, faculty resi-
dence, and strong student gov-
ernment.
It has been our experience at
Wiess that the colleges have
reached this minimum goal in
the first seven years of their
existence, and that the aims of
communal living, faculty par-
ticipation, and responsible stu-
rV
Jfe:
CLOSE TO
THE HEART
OF THE
CAMPUS
2519 University Blvd.
JA 8-1509
Also Bellaire: MO 5-5557
dent government have been
attained.
The colleges have successfully
survived the transition from
dormitory to college. No longer
can anyone seriously argue that
a college is nothing but a glori-
fied dormitory.
; Yet it strikes us at Wiess
that the colleges now face an
even more basic challenge; the
construction of an environment
in which an intellectual and
scholarly community may grow
and flourish.
It strikes us that such a com-
munity must be based on
shared experiences, common
customs and habits, and the
feeling that one can both benefit
from and contribute to the pro-
cess of education; that is col-
lege life.
Building or Spirit?
The question that immediate-
ly comes to .mind at this point is
how to achieve this ideal. How
does one transform some 250
desperate souls into a genuine
community, into a college that
is no longer merely a building
bat a spirit?
Frankly, I, as president of
Wiess ^EMlege, do not know.
Conmquently I would like to
see the year at Wiess spent in
discussing and investigating the
direction in which the college
should go next.
In the past, two years Wiess
has resolved its problem in
phyBcial facilities. Our new
wing now contains a game room,
music room, television room,
and an excellent college library.
We have a patio and a new
private dining room.
Rules Drawn
Last spring Wiess drew up
a code of rules under which
the college members would, for
the first time, genuinely rule
themselves. In this rules pro-
posal we have attempted to
deal with such problems as the
ed community
liquor on campus question and
open house policy.
With the passage of these
rules, (which we hope will
occur this year), Wiess will
take a large step towards real-
izing its ideal as a community.
Wiess will also endeavor to
present such diverse programs
as classical theatre, art exhibits,
and a series of motion pictures.
In presenting such programs,
we hope to provide our mem-
bers with a sense of identifica-
tion with the .college.
Identification Basic
We feel this sense of identifi-
cation is basic to our goal of
a college as community.
Finally, we hope to go into
new areas in college life. These
new areas hopefully will include
off-campus facilities and offices
and classrooms for faculty
within the college itself.
But regardless of specific
plans or goals, I for one would
be sincerely gratified to see a
spirit come to Wiess College,
a spirit that will help trans-
form our college members into
discerning, independent-minded
and cultured, educated men.
Fleming and Football
To quote from the Wiessf Col-
lege Plan and Perspective,
"Educated men read Ian Flem-
ing as well as argue politics;
but when the educated man
reads Fleming, plays touch
football, or when he argues
politics or reads Milton, there
is a difference."
The attainment of this dif-
ference should be the goal of the i
college system, and it is with
this difference in mind that we '•
eat, work, play, and dream at
Wiess College.
commitment and the colleges
TIMES
BARBER SHOP
2434 Times — JA 8-9440
Hair Cuts $1.50
Flat Tops $1.75
By RALPH KNOOHUIZEN
Hanszen College President
The college system at Rice is
emerging into a regular tra-
dition, an amazing record for
an institution which has enjoyed
an existence of only eight years.
Its primary claim to tradi-
tional status is that it has
proved almost invaluable to the
university, not only for pur-
poses of discipline and organ-
HOUSTON SYMPHONY
SIR JOHN BARBIROLLI
SEASON OPENS 4 , .
OCT. 18-19 VV^
GUEST CONDUCTORS
GEORGES TZIPINE
ANDRE PREVIN
J U S S I J A L A S
GUEST ARTISTS
GINA BACHAUER JOSEF SUK FREDELL LACK GARY GRAFFMAN
Pianist Violinist Violinist Pianist
NIKITA MAGALOFF GORINI LORENZI ERICA MORINI JOHN BROWNING
Pianist Duo-Pianists Violinist Pianist
SERGIO PERTICAROLI FVELYN ROTHWELL HANS RICHTER HAASER
Pianist Oboist Pi.mist
JOIN NOW! 16 CONCERTS FOR THE PRICE OF 10
SEASON TICKET PRICES: $lb-$20 %2b $30 $3b MS $*•
Students 1 Pine
Prosper tus detailing the programs <>! Houston's most it. -t.
entertainment may be obtained by writing or telephone i. '
Symphony Offices
ization but because it has pro-
vided a source of spirit to a
community where the tendency
is toward apathy for anything
outside the intellectual grind.
I am the first to realize that
I'm treading on rather danger-
ous ground in attempting to
criticize a Tradition, but I've
decided to risk social oppro-
brium dn the (interest of improv-
ing the existing system.
This seems particularly time-
ly right now, since there is a
general feeling in the air that
the college system has virtually
passed through dts incubatory or
experimental stage and will soon
take on permanent patterns of
development.
To put it bluntly, the Achilles
heel of our college system is a
failure to gain any form of com-
mitment to the college from its
members.
As a result, everything is put
on a strictly voluntary basis and
any feeling of obligation to
serve the college or take part
in its activities must be self-
generated. The only source of
obligation is the token financial
commitment that the $15 col-
lege dues represent.
Therefore, it's no wonder that
we are so often confronted with
the problem of the college not
having the support of all its
members.
In searching for a solution to
this problem, I attempted to
ascertain how other universities
with systems like our own
handled the same situation.
A study of the different
ST. BEDE'S CHAPEL
(Episcopal)
Sundays at 10 A.M.
(beginning Sept. 19)
Autry House
6265 S. Main
methods pointed to two possible
answers: (1) raising the college
dues and (2) setting up some
method whereby the constitu-"
ents of the university could se-
lect their own college. The first
of the two ideas has merit, be-
cause itf the dues were $50 in-
stead of $15, college members
would no doubt feel more
obliged to participate in order
to get theii& money's worth.
However, this is an approach
that would meet limited appeal
in the rather sophisticated at-
mosphere found here at the Uni-
versity. (In other words, people
here are just too smart for any-
one to pull that on them.)
The second alternative ap-
pears to have real merit, and it
is this one that probably should
ibe thoroughly explored. One
eastern university, for example,
has a system identical to ours
except that it has a freshman
dorm in Which, everyone lives
during his first year.
Then, at the start of the
sophomore year, each individual
chooses the college with which
he wishes to affiliate, and this
choice in effect creates a feel-
ing of commitment. This com-
mitment provides the college
with a basis for asking a col-
lege member to help with its
program and for expecting par-
ticipation.
The degree of success that
has been enjoyed thus far at
Rice can be directly credited to
the voluntary efforts various
college members who, in recog-
nition of the magnitude of
things that a well-run college
can do for them, have thus de-
veloped their own personal
sense of obligation and commit-
ment. This is commendable, but
their efforts have always been
partially negated by the inertia
of the members whom this feel-
ing hasn't reached. Hopefully,
we will be able to solve the
problem of getting a commit-
ment from these other people so
that the full possibilities of the
college system can be realized.
Box O 'fn i' lower level, M;r.u Mall, Op> ri i),nly ') to Pi, nipt .ittenti
to W'< Hires Phone C *« oH.'3 • I HI HOlJSiOf! SYMPHONY SOCII
- font M Johnson, M,in.)t'rr • MUSIC H AI I , HOUSTON T F X A s
STUDENTS '/> PRICE
You may purchase your season-tickets on campus by contacting:
KEN HANSON—Room 201 Hanszen College
BECKY CARDIFF—Room 309 Brown College
THE RICE THRESHER, SEPTEMBER 1 6, 196 5—P AGE 4
BREAK THE STUDY HABIT
WITH A SNACK AT
DUTCH KETTLE
HERMANN PROFESSIONAL BLD6.
BREAKFAST — LUNCH — DINNER
CHARCOAL BURGER
STEAKS — HAMBURGERS — HOME MADE PtES
OPEN 24 HOURS
SHORT ORDERS TO GO — JA 8-9121
;ff
H
.
- ; f
,. &■'
Igfi
. ..
4
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Kelly, Hugh Rice. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 1, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 16, 1965, newspaper, September 16, 1965; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth244948/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.