The Rice Thresher, Vol. 94, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, March 16, 2007 Page: 1 of 24
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the Rice Thresher
Vol. XCIV, Issue No. 23
SINCE 1916
Friday, March 16, 2007
Fondren pavilion work slated for April start
by Natalie Kone
THRESHER STAFF
Construction on a 6,000-square-foot glass pavilion in
the central quadrangle behind Fondren Library will begin
next month. The new pavilion will house a coffee shop
and provide wireless Internet access that will be avail-
able across the entire quad. Construction is scheduled
to finish in early 2008.
The one-level pavilion will feature multiple seat-
ing areas, and a food kiosk will serve coffee,
pastries, sandwiches and salads. A wrap-around ex-
terior plaza shaded by an overhanging trellis will
take 11,000 square feet outside, and pavilion doors
will remain open whenever possible, Associate
Vice President of Facilities Engineering and Planning
Barbara Bryson said.
President David Leebron said the purpose of the pavil-
ion is to provide a hub for campus activity and a meeting
place for Rice community members and visitors.
"Rice needs a place to gather, a place that fos-
ters a sense of community, a place where you
can go to feel comfortable if you're staying late to
work or to go to an evening event on campus,"
he said. "We need a space where our graduate stu-
dents can gather and spend some time on campus.
We need a space where community members can
grab a cup of coffee and mingle with us while
visiting campus."
Bryson said the pavilion was designed with
sustainability issues in mind and expects it will
meet the standards of the Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design Green Building Rat-
ing System. LEED certification is awarded on a
four-tier scale that takes into account factors like a
building's performance, waste management systems
see PAVILION, Page 10
An artist's rendition of the pavilion to be built between the back entrance to Fondren
is scheduled to be completed by January 2008.
COURTESY OF FE&P
Library and the Student Center. The construction
INSIDE
Serveries closedtomorrow
Campus serveries will be closed at
lunch tomorrow for the Student Asso-
ciation's 'Take me out to the ballgame"
Day. A tailgate will be held in front of
Reckling Park from 11:30 a.m. -1:45 p.m.
Rice will play Cal Poly starting at 2 p.m.
at Reckling Park.
Last day to declare major
Today is the last day for sophomores
to file a major with the Office of the
Registrar. March 23 is the last day to
drop a course with a fee and the last day
to designate a course pass/fail.
Workplace discrimination
Baker Institute Student Forum will
hold a panel discussion, "Discrimina-
tion Expectations in the Workplace,"
in the Baker Institute's International Con-
ference Facility March 22 at 7 p.m.
OPINION Page 4
Social aptitude low at Rice
A&E Page 17
The real St. Patrick's Day
SPORTS Page 18
Baseball seeks 34th straight home series win
Quote of the Week
"[They] made me think, 'So, where's the free
food?'"
— Lovett College freshman Mabel Chan, on
the banners put up over Midterm Recess on
lamposts commemorating the colleges. See
Story. Page 6.
Scoreboard
Men's Basketball
Rice 64, Marshall 69
Women's Basketball
Rice 70, East Carolina 79
Weekend Weather
Friday
Partly cloudy, 49- 76 degrees
Saturday
Mostly sunny, 51 -72 degrees
Sunday
Mostly sunny, 58 - 74 degrees
Faculty Senate to consider two minors
by Beko Binder
THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF
The Committee on the Undergraduate Curriculum voted
Wednesday to recommend a business minor and a sociology minor
to the Faculty Senate for approval.
If approved, the business minor will be organized through the Jesse
H.Jones Graduate School of Management. The sociology minor—the
first departmental minor recommended by die CUC — would have a
six-course requirement. A sociology major requires 11 courses.
Even though the measure passed, committee co-chair Terrence
Doody said some members were concerned that the introduction
of a business minor would cause Rice's liberal arts curriculum to
become too professionalized.
Committee member Christine Moran said concerns were also
raised about sources of funding and potential complications that
could arise from the introduction of a second managerial studies
major at around the same time.
"We didn't just send a recommendation for passing [the business
minor]," Moran, a Martel College sophomore, said. "We actually
sent it with some reservations."
She also said there were concerns that students would become
limited in their ability to take electives if they pick up several minors.
However, she said students should be responsible for selecting
their courses.
"I think it's up to the students to decide what they want to do
with their schedule and their time," Moran said.
Doody, an English professor, said he would ultimately like to see
double majors replaced with minors because they would free up
time for students to take a variety of non-required courses.
"There are just too many required courses at Rice," he said.
"When somebody makes a double major, it doubles not their op-
portunities, but their responsibilities. A lot of undergraduates think
they can't just take a whole range of free electives without gathering
them under a single rubric."
Doody said he hopes the minors will be approved and used
conscientiously by students.
"The best possible scenario is that minors will give everyone
more free time to take courses," he said. "The worst possible
scenario is that it will produce the kind of mentality that 'I got two
double majors, four minors and eight new tattoos' — that kind of
macho spirit."
Chinese university officials visit campus
by Diana Lee
FOR TOE THRESHER
A delegation representing 25 of the top
universities in the People's Republic of China
will arrive at Rice this weekend. Twenty-six
leaders — including university presidents and
high-ranking education officials — will spend
two weeks on campus learning about university
management in the United States.
Assistant to the President and Board of
Trustees Cynthia Wilson said the Chinese del-
egation views Rice as a case study of a leading
research institution.
"We are thrilled that such a prestigious group
is coming to visit and to learn more about Rice,"
Wilson said.
President David I^ebroti invited Chinese
Vice Minister of Education Wu Qidi and other
educational representatives to vi^it after Wu
toured Rice in 2005. In November 2006, Leebron
represented Rice on a trip with U.S. Secretary of
Education Margaret Spellings to major univer-
sities in China, Japan and Korea. Past contact
between Wu and Leebron. in addition to
Rice's prestige and a good first impression,
was the reason the Chinese delegation chose
to visit Rice.
When they arrive, the presidents—joined
by Leebron, University of Houston President
Jay Gogue and former University of Texas
at Austin President Iarry Faulkner — will
give a presentation to exchange ideas and
information about higher education in the
United States and in China.
Members of the delegation will make
other presentations throughout their
stay, but speakers and topics have not
been decided.
The visitors will listen to speeches given
by Rice faculty members, senior administra-
tors and center directors regarding Rice's
education system. Rice will also provide
information about its collaborations with the
city of Houston, the Texas Medical Center
and Houston museums. The leaders will visit
the University of Texas Medical Branch at
Galveston, and the University of Houston and
Texas A&M will each host the Chinese delega-
tion for a day to continue exchanging ideas.
The Chinese delegation's cultural activities
will include meeting the mayors of both Houston
and Galveston attending a Rockets game, visit-
ing the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo and
going to the Johnson Space Center.
The visitors will be able to have lunch with
faculty members and interested graduate and
undergraduate students, although the schedule
has not been finalized. Lunches are open to the
public; all other events are invitation only.
Leebron said the delegation provides an op-
portunity for Rice to learn more about Chinese
universities. A dinner will be held with selected
international students attending who graduated
from Chinese universities, and Dean of Under-
graduates Robin Forman will select students
to participate in a panel discussion about each
other's universities.
Rice is the third U.S. university to host such
a delegation from China. Similar groups visited
Yale in 2004 and the University of Michigan
in 2006.
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Bursten, Julia. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 94, No. 23, Ed. 1 Friday, March 16, 2007, newspaper, March 16, 2007; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth442993/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.