The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 83, No. 22, Ed. 1 Friday, March 15, 1996 Page: 1 of 20
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
SPORTS
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SINCE 1916
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A HAPPY, FUN PUCE — APPLY TODAY
MARCH IS, 1996
Building design boasts 'robot columns'
G«org« E. Hatoun
News Eiluur
The Rice Engineering Alumni
Association sponsored an open
house at the Computational Engi-
neering Building Wednesday to
showcase the building in progress
to engineering students, faculty and
alumni.
Doug Ashe raft of Walter I1. Moore
and Associates, a Houston architec-
ture firm which helped design the
building, spoke about the building
process.
"I must say that it was quite an
experience having team meetings
on this project," he said.
He commented on the promi-
nence of columns in the structure.
Two types of columns are found in
the CEB — traditonal structural col-
umns, called "anti-gravity devices,"
and columns housing the support
structure of the building, termed
"robot columns."
Ashcraft said that the columns
define the "architectural space" of
the building. Pointing out a column
in the building's atrium, he com-
mented that this was the first project
that he has worked on where the
architect had asked him to add un-
needed columns for aesthetical
purposes.
Re said the project posed a num-
ber of challenges. For example, un-
like the typical office building, the
CEB required isolated temperature
controls. At the same time, the uni-
versity demanded that the building
be energy efficient. Computer labs
"in the building will also have to oper-
ate continuously for weeks at a time.
The featured speaker—the build-
ing designer, John Outram from
John Outram and Associates of 1 x>n-
don — focused on both concrete*
and abstract topics.
Outram described architecture
as a field "left with everything I in the
design process] that can't be ex-
plained." He saki that this differenti-
ates architects from engineers.
He said in order to build the CEB
to the specifications he was given,
the concrete between the floors had
to be very thin. He complimented
the contractor on his work on the
concrete.
"In a way, it's a shame to cover it
up because it's so amazing," Outram
said.
Outram also discussed his "ro-
bot columns." He said that this de-
sign differs from the modern archi
tectural notion of hiding pipes and
tubes. The columns will contain
much of the building's infrastruc-
ture, including the air conditioning
"(The) service core has distrib-
uted itself around the building in the
form of columns," he said.
Outram said he enjoyed working
on the project "enormously" and was
looking forward to its completion.
"When it's finished; we will un-
derstand that there is nothing more
complicated than something
simple," he said.
The building will house the Com-
putational and Applied Mathemat-
ics, Computer Engineering and Elec-
trical Engineering departments, the
Computer and Information Technol-
ogy Institute, the Center for Re
search on Parallel Computing, the
dean of engineering, computer labs
and an auditorium.
A $45 million fundraising cam-
paign is currently underway to pay
for the CEB and associated infra-
structure improvements, endow-
ments, chairs, lectureships and fel-
lowships.
Milium
CMrt Kapoor
Ntm Editor
The electronic Diebold card
access systemhas been experi-
encing some difficulties re-
I, according to Campus
nance manager for F&E, said.
Tfte problems began two
weeks prior to midterm recess
and it&ared several times there-
Voswinkel said electrical
"spikes" lied to the recent card
reader system crashes. A spike
is an electrical voltage fluctua-
tion. Facilities and Engineering
installed an uninterruptable
power supply (UPS) device at a
cost of approximately $1,000 to
prevent the fluctuations. The
Diebold maintenance team in-
stalled a new controller for the*
system since the old one had
been damaged beyond rf pair by
the fluctuations.
"We are planning on install-
ing a better UPS system to pre-
vent spikes from causing prob-
lems with the Diebold com-
puter," Rnssrli Price, mamte-
Several students were af-
fected fey the failure, since some
student records were mixed up
*iid others were deleted from
the system.
"[Students who are having
problems with their ID cards)
should come by and let us check
their cards to seewhat num-
ber his been encoded on their
card," Voswinkel said.
About 30 or 40 people have
reported problems with their IDs
so far, according to Voswinkel.
"t was surprised [by the fail-
ure}. I said, 'Oh my Gotf! They
changed the locks on me,'" an
anonymous faculty member said. *
the Diebold system is 12
years old. Voswinkel affirmed
that the current system will be
updated but could not give a
timeline fbrthetipgrade:
Sawing for Humanity
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Jones College senior Becky Wentland cuts up a re-bar to
be used in the wall of one of the Habitat for Humanity
houses as Chemistry Department Safety Specialist Carlos
Garcia supervises. Twenty students traveled to the Seis
de Mayo project in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, with
Habitat for Humanity over spring break as a part of the
Rice Student Volunteer Program's Alternative Spring
Break. The students worked on five concrete block
houses in the project, building all five up- from the
foundation to about two thirds completion. The group
spent nine days total in Honduras, working on the houses
six out of the ntne days. The other alternative top was a
Habitat trip to Gainesville, Fla NSVP held a formal
ceremony to commemorate its 10th anniversary on
Tuesday, and this weekend s FG and Outreach Day will
wrap up the week long festivities in honor of the event
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over in
Hicks confident that money will carry over from year to year
Felisa Yang
Ne '* Edttnr
S
The Residential College Manage-
ment Advisory Committee has ten-
tatively approved the plan to roll over
meal plan money left from the spri ng
semester to the following fall semes-
ter.
The plan, however, will not take
effect until the spring of 1997.
Although the plan has not been
officially approved, Marion Hicks,
director of Food and Housing, is
confident that it will be adopted.
The current plan allows students
to roll over money from the fall se-
mester to the following spring se-
mester but not from spring to fall.
Students who wish to roll over
dollar points to the following semes-
ter will be required to purchase plan
four, a new plan which will include
the base cost and pre-paid dinners
but will have zero dollar points for
additional meals.
"A maximum of $ 150 won h of meal
credits will be allowed to roll over
For off emi t> Js stttdfMrts, at wxif mi m
of $50 can be rolled over between
semesters.
F&H is a "self-sustaining entity,"
according to Hicks. A portion of its
yearly revenue comes from meal
money left over at'the eqd of the*
year. This reduction in revenu^may*
entail some increased prices in
other areas.
"We may need to ease up some
individual prices because (the
money) has to be recovered some
way," Hicks said.
Hicks also suggested cutting
costs, but warned that this may prove
to be difficult. There is no scheduled
increase in the price of board, but
room costs will increase by $100.
Money left over at the end of a ..
it be
■M
student's career at Rice will not
refunded.
"That'splaying with banking laws
— we can't issue refunds." Hicks
said. He pointed out that studei
can buy food products directly
Central Kitchen at tin1 end of
year.
m
III
The following students have been elected college presidents.
Baker College:
Alex Gonzalez
Brown College:
Pippa Eltringham -
Hansxen College;
Tara Miller
Jones College;
Sammy LakshmananJ
Lovttt College; #
Kara Miller
Sid Rleltartfson College;
Michelle O'Hara
Wleaa College:
Dave McCann
Will Rlee College;
Mitch. Hollberg
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Klein, Charles & Rao, Vivek. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 83, No. 22, Ed. 1 Friday, March 15, 1996, newspaper, March 15, 1996; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth246535/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.