The Rice Thresher, Vol. 96, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, December 5, 2008 Page: 8 of 20
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8 NEWS
the Rice Thresher
Friday, December 5,2008
The Outer Loop gets re-lit
By Margeux Clemmons
Thresher Editorial Staff
Night-time joggers and commuters
will not be left in the dark in Facili-
ties, Engineering and Planning's next
project. Light fixtures along the outer
loop will be installed beginning Feb-
ruary in order to increase the safety
of Rice's hedge-lined border with the
outside world, FE&P Communica-
tions Manager Susann Glenn said.
The impending improvements are
not the first of Rice's collaborations
with the City of Houston to positively
impact the space.
"We're interested in installing the
lights, even though it isn't our sole
responsibility, because the enhance-
ment of the path has a direct impact
in quality of life on campus," Glenn
said, referring to the jogging track on
the Outer Loop. "It is an opportunity
to work collaboratively with the City
of Houston as we did with the decom-
posed granite pathway."
Plans for the installation be-
gan last year when a group of
concerned students met with Rice
University Police Department Chief
Bill Taylor as well as FE&P staff to
discuss the lighting around Rice's
perimeter gravel path, where many
Rice students and local residents
jog daily. The group composed a
list of problems and potential solu-
tions for the space.
Glenn said the path is currently lit
sporadically and that tnere are two is-
sues that impact the quality of light
along the Outer Loop: one, that many
of the lamps have been replaced over
the last year, improving lighting in
some areas; and two, that the height
of the existing city fixtures are locat-
ed well above the tree canopy, caus-
ing dark spots.
Despite the fact that the Outer
Loop is by law under the City of Hous-
ton's jurisdiction, FE&P began plans
for improvement that would abide by
city regulations. Rice is not receiving
any aid from the City of Houston for
this project.
NUMBERS
An survey administered by
students in University Cours-
es 219: Survey of Sexual Vio-
lence reported that:
■ 50 percent of females feel
unsafe on the Outer Loop
at night.
■ 40 percent of males feel
unsafe on the Outer Loop
at night.
■ 10 percent of participants
feel very unsafe running
the Outer Loop at night.
■ 80 percent of students
would feel safe with im-
proved lighting.
■ 70 percent of students
said they would consider
running the Outer Loop at
night after the installation
of lights
FE&P staff are currently testing
a preliminarv design along one sec-
tion of path iur four new lights that
feature a lower height than those
currently in place and are on the op-
posite side, the part closer to Rice.
One successful test has already been
completed. Once installed in Febru-
ary, the four fixtures will draw from
a temporary power source. This pre-
liminary implementation will allow
those involved in the project to de-
termine whether or not the changes
will succeed in lighting the entire
loop sufficiently.
Although FE&P is exploring
LEED-certified fixtures in an effort
to make the proposal as sustainable
as possible, no final decision has
been made on the type of lighting to
be purchased from Graybar Electric.
Other challenges for the project in-
clude the need for a practical power
source and electrical feed, neither of
which are available in the present
infrastructure along the path. New
power lines will need to be installed
in order to reach the new lighting be-
cause there is currently no existing
electrical system where FE&P plans
to install fixtures.
In order to avoid a high one-time
cost, FE&P plans to divide the Outer
Loop lighting makeover into several
spaced-out installations. The addition
of supplementary fixtures is contingent
on whether or not FE&P finds the test
installation successful and decides to
carry out the project, Glenn said.
While FE&P Senior Project Manager
and Engineer Bob Flumach began man-
aging plans for the test experiment, the
student in University Courses 219: Sur-
vey of Sexual Violence, led by Wellness
Center Director Emily Page, indepen-
dently assessed a need for improved
Outer Loop lighting.
Students in the group included
Jones College senior Alex Solomon,
Wiess College senior Rachel Kinney,
Baker College seniors Billy Haig and
MONDAY
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5pm to close
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SI Tacos / chicken, beef, pork or shrimp
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WEDNESDAY
Mission Hump Day
S1 beers / S2 margaritas
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THURSDAY
Taco Thursdays
SI Tacos / chicken, beef, pork or shrimp
All Day
FRIDAY
Mission TGIF
S1 beers / S2 margaritas
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SATURDAY
Mission College Football Day
$5 Burrito/Beer Combo / any burrito - any beer
All Day
SUNDAY
Mission NFL Day
$1 beers / $2 margaritas
S1 chips & guac or chips & small queso
All Day
limei Blvd.
MISSION
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Ko^e c.h-oLc*ej$. MfQ^vor.
□
QD
RICE VILLAGE • 5510 Momingside
Suite 120 • Houston, TX 77005
713.520.7240 phone • 713.807.0496 fax
We Validate Parking!
Valid only at Rice Village location. Offers good thru Dec, 31,2008.
queso, guac & avocado are always extra
RUPD POLICE BLOTTER
The following Items were reported to the Rice Univer-
sity Police Department for the period Nov, 18-Dec. 3.
Residential Colleges
Baker College
Baker College
Brown College
Baker College
Academic Buildings
Fondren Library
Fondren Library
Other Building
Brochstein Pavilion
Parking Lots
West Lot
Other Locations
College Way
Off Campus
Off Campus
« •
Nov. 18 Theft
Nov. 19 Theft
Nov. 23 Drug violations-arrest
Nov. 27 Theft
Nov. 23 Theft
Dec. 1 Theft
Nov. 28 Assault (see story, pg. 7)
Nov. 29 Criminal mischief
Nov. 19 Failure to stop and give in-
formation
Nov. 21 Credit card abuse
Nov. 23 Assault
Chris Douglas, Sid Richardson Col-
lege senior Whitney Sandin, Brown
College junior Pierre Beasley and
Sid junior Anna Roberts. The group
met with Flumach to discuss how
they might be of service to the al-
ready rolling project. In order to
encourage FE&P to continue with
the plans and support their efforts
with evidence, the group conducted
an anonymous survey of 122 un-
dergraduates at Rice, including 60
males and 62 females. The survey
asked students whether or not they
felt safe jogging along the loop and
whether or not they felt less safe at
night, Solomon said.
The results of the survey showed
that although most students felt safe
on the Outer Loop during daylight
hours, 10 percent of participants re-
ported feeling very unsafe running
along the path at night and of the
5 percent who reported feeling very
safe, none were female. Additionally,
approximately 50 percent of females
and 40 percent of males reported feel-
ing somewhat unsafe on the Outer
Loop at night. Eighty percent of stu-
dents said they would feel safe with
improved lighting, and 70 percent
said they would consider running the
Outer Loop at night after the installa-
tions. The UNIV 219 group hopes their
results will promote a continuation of
the project.
"We wrote a report to encourage
the powers that be to install the light-
ing," Solomon said.
He also said several students in
his class planned to make efforts to
see the project through, suggesting
further surveys for students after the
test fixtures are installed.
9>\
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f •
«
An project designed to encourage intellectual mischief mysteriously
appeared in Duncan hall on Nov. 24. It consisted of 300 paper airplanes.
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Chun, Lily & Farmer, Dylan. The Rice Thresher, Vol. 96, No. 14, Ed. 1 Friday, December 5, 2008, newspaper, December 5, 2008; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth443148/m1/8/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.