The Rice Thresher, Vol. 99, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, August 19, 2011 Page: 3 of 20
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IMce C/ass
of 2015
Bucket List
Dear Class of 2015,
Welcome to the greatest university known
to man. Awaiting you are the four most ex-
traordinary years of your life; as you look
back on your college experience you will
undoubtedly have the most sublime memo-
ries mixed with the occasional pang of regret
— regret that you missed out on an opportu-
nity to do something that no thirty-year-old
should ever go back and try to accomplish.
Fear not, however, for this guide will assist
you in your endeavors to avoid being an idiot
over the next four years while not missing
out on those things that are truly important.
Ryan Gupta
Mi' ■
3
Mental health a concern for even the happiest students at Rice
Welcome to Rice ... the university with the
"happiest students" and the "best quality of life."
For three years in a row, Rice has been ranked no. 1
by the Princeton Review for "Best Quality of Life,"
and for three years in a row, I've been fortuna'e
enough to experience firsthand the beautiful cam-
pus, endless opportunities and tight-knit commu-
nity that merit Rice its no. 1 spot. For good reason,
the majority of students here are madly, deeply,
wildly, ecstatically happy, in love with Rice.
Fear the beer(d)
Rice's alcohol policy fell victim to a stu-
dent body that was undereducated about al-
cohol, overzealous about drinking and just
plain oblivious to the dangers of partying too
hard. A series of indiscretions around campus
forced us to revisit our longstanding alcohol
policy lastyear, and the hard liquor ban is still
in effect as a result. We need to prove that we
still deserve Rice's liberal stance on alcohol
and that's going to start with you freshmen.
Class of 2015, before you jump into the year
National Lampoon style, it might be worth-
while to think before you act, figure out your
limits before you kill that handle, and decide
how you want to be perceived before you
mold an irreversible reputation for yourself.
Don't be an anarchist
Rice kids are pretty damn smart. But be-
tween figuring out Thermo problem sets,
cramming for Orgo midterms, and spend-
ing nights at Anderson, it seems that a lot
of us don't spend a lot of time figuring out
what's going on in the world, even though
that's where we're all headed in a few years.
It's worth your time to figure out what the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,
the nation's downgraded credit rating and
the country's small debt problem mean for
your future career. No matter how well edu-
cated you are, it's not going to be easy to
succeed after graduating if you know about
nothing beyond the hedges. Over the next
year, the 2012 presidential race is going to
ramp into high gear. Get involved and fig-
ure out the issues. The atmosphere at Rice is
liberal, but don't just go with the flow; fig-
ure out where your political alleigances lie.
Try a pick-up line sober
Dating at Rice has a lot of rumors asso-
ciated with it. Traditional folklore says that
students at Rice either exclusively hook-
up randomly or they begin dating someone
and don't look back until they're married. Of
course, neither of these characterizations is
completely true, but there is a distinct void
in the avenue of casual dating at Rice. Many
students seem to shun legitimate dates in
favor of drunken romantic escapades. While
that's a pretty great college philosophy, the
real world revolves around a different set of
rules. Alcohol is a great way to loosen up the
night, but we should be able to have a great
time without drinking too. Don't become de-
pendent on it, and give sober dates a shot.
Make an effort
Seriously. Don't wear your pajamas to
class. Take one and a half minutes and put
on some pants.
Ryan Gupta is a
Baker College sophomore
and is Thresher Op-ed Editor.
Allen Liao
But not everyone feels that way. Not everyone
has that same giddy, head-over-heels experience
of true love. Perhaps you, like myself and many
others before you, felt a little underwhelmed by 0-
Week — what was supposed to be the "best week
of your life." And instead of feeling comfortably
settled in and ready to tackle the school year, per-
haps you're feeling slightly apprehensive, anxious,
or just plain ambivalent. Well, you're not alone.
Yes, it might seem like everyone around you is all
happy and hunky-dory, but you'd be surprised at
just how many people aren't. Sadly, no one ever
talks about it. Amid the sea of smiling faces, it's
hard to talk about any problems you might be
having or contrary emotions you might be feeling.
But the truth is, underneath the surface, we're all
struggling to stay afloat.
I'll be frank. College is rough. The week of fun
and games is over, and it's time to buckle down
and worry about classes and grades, getting in-
volved, building up that resume, deciding on your
future, making friends, finding your niche, deal-
ing with roommates and relationships, missing
family and home. Somewhere in there, we forget
about the foundction that keeps us from falling
apart — our health.
We lose sight oi getting enough sleep, eat-
ing right, exercising, taking breaks. Burning the
candle at both ends, we're prone to stress and sick-
ness, yet we keep churning on, often hesitating to
seek help until we fall grievously sick. Now, when
I say "sick," I'm not only referring to the common
cold or flu — our physical health. I'm also referring
to the just-as-common depression or anxiety dis-
orders — our mental health. We might think about
seeking help and going to the doctor if we develop
persistent symptoms of a cough, sniffle, or fever,
but why on earth don't we think about seeking
help when we develop persistent symptoms of ex-
haustion, irritability, loss of interest or motivation,
trouble concentrating or functioning, changes in
sleep or appetite, feelings of hopelessness, guilt,
or worthlessness — the most common and char-
acteristic indicators of clinical depression? Just
as a small cough or headache might develop into
something a lot more serious, these small changes
in thoughts and behavior can develop into more
serious and debilitating mental disorders.
Sure, it's easy to brush off such problems: "Oh,
I'm just tired. Just stressed. Not feeling well. A lot
on my mind." Of course, it's perfectly normal to be
feeling this way at times, but when it develops into
a disabling, persistent problem, it might be a sign
of depression. The fact is depression and other
mental illnesses are real medical conditions. They
are as real, as in need of attention, and as treatable
as other physical illnesses. You'd be surprised at
how many of our brightest, most successful peers
are affected by depression, anxiety disorders, eat-
ing disorders, or other related conditions. Accord-
ing to the National Institute of Mental Health, an
estimated 20 percent of our 18-24 age group (that's
l in 4 people!) suffer from a diagnosable mental
The bucket list: 2015
Run Baker 13
Hedge jumping
Have a NOD walk of shame
<w.:
Go to a bowl game or Omaha
Chase a bunny
(when inebriated)
Urinate on each college
Do a college sport
Attend an event of each Rice
sport team
1 J* 0
Consume beverages in Fondren
Go to ACL
Sit in Willy's lap
Explore the steam tunnels
Win college bingo
(see back page)
Chug/ bike in Beer Bike
Study abroad
Finish a power hour
Protest something
Rush the field at Rice Stadium
Attend an ABC party
Declare a major
Do a jack
Do Pub Trivia/ Idol
Coordinate something
(Beer Bike, 0-week, etc.)
Neglect Brochstein
Get Dunked on your b-day
Attend a UT-Rice game
o
*
Halve your purity score
Seran wrap your roomate to
their bed
Talk to Bun B
Hold a position in your
college government
Take a class Pass/Fail
Teach or take a college course
at Rice
Write an op-ed for the-
Thresher
disorder. But over two-thirds don't seek help.
So what can you do? Recognize the symptoms,
both in yourself and in others. Get help when it's
needed. Talk it out, the good and the bad. Listen
and look out for your friends. Don't perpetuate this
culture of false positivity at Rice, this peer pres-
sure to be happy. Don't hide behind a fake smile.
Be honest to yourself and to others. I'm not saying
that you should pour out all your issues to every-
one you meet. I'm saying that everyone encounters
problems with mental health and if we all stopped
hiding and were more honest and open with our-
selves and with others, we can create a campus
free from stigma, where no one is left behind.
The truly great thing about Rice is its incred-
ibly supportive community. From the minute you
walk onto Rice campus, you have upperclassmen
advisors, peer academic and health advisors, the
masters, RAs, the Counseling Center, the Wellness
Center, and many other campus groups to help
you navigate your way through freshman year. The
professors are understanding, the administration
actually cares about its students, and the students
watch out for one another. Indeed, it's this unique
culture that makes us the "happiest students"
with the "best quality of life." Let's make sure we
live up to this title, by being frank about our men-
tal health and other concerns, by taking care of
ourselves, and by seeking out all of the campus
resources that are available, all of the supportive
people and peers around us.
If the issue of mental health is important to
you, if you want to help combat this silent epi-
demic, check out Active Minds. We're a brand
new student organization on campus dedicated
to speaking up, educating and raising awareness
about mental health issues and mental disorders.
Let's change the conversation about mental health
at Rice.
Allen Liao is a a
McMurtry College senior.
Dear Class
of 2015 (and others) J
my name is
RYAN GUPTA
and lam...
THE Ops Editor.
If you got OPINIONS
and want
ca$h money!
hit me up at
thresher-ops@rice.edu
for more info
You might have experience, but it
isn't required.
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Rutenberg, Josh. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 99, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, August 19, 2011, newspaper, August 19, 2011; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth398456/m1/3/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.