The administration continues to remove everything unique about Rice. http://m.ricethresher.org/opinion/hutchi...l?mode=jqm Im sure this is not just Hutch but he continues to disappoint me as a dean.

Future generations of Rice students will no longer know that Hanszen still sucks and that Baker is from Hell.

Apparently student complaints about the cheers is not a new thing.
http://www.rice.edu/projects/thresher/is...tory1.html

We really need make sure that not a single person ever feels uncomfortable or alienated, because that's real life™ right?

We didn't have any organized "Cheer Battles" when I was an undergrad. If you wanted to yell "Hanszen sucks," you just shouted "Hanszen sucks."

(01-14-2015 04:17 PM)owl95 Wrote:  Future generations of Rice students will no longer know that Hanszen still sucks and that Baker is from Hell.

Apparently student complaints about the cheers is not a new thing.
http://www.rice.edu/projects/thresher/is...tory1.html

We really need make sure that not a single person ever feels uncomfortable or alienated, because that's real life™ right?

It really only takes one person. Sid used to line every freshman up during oweek on the front steps for a "picture" and all the advisors would pour water on them. One student complained it ruined her hair and it was cancelled permanently.

(01-14-2015 04:29 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 04:17 PM)owl95 Wrote:  Future generations of Rice students will no longer know that Hanszen still sucks and that Baker is from Hell.

Apparently student complaints about the cheers is not a new thing.
http://www.rice.edu/projects/thresher/is...tory1.html

We really need make sure that not a single person ever feels uncomfortable or alienated, because that's real life™ right?

It really only takes one person. Sid used to line every freshman up during oweek on the front steps for a "picture" and all the advisors would pour water on them. One student complained it ruined her hair and it was cancelled permanently.

At O Week this year, we did a similar thing except they squirted shaving cream on us... This was at Lovett FWIW... I wasn't the biggest fan of the cheer battle, just because I thought it was stupid and it was also raining during it, but to cancel it for such PC reasons aggravates me.

You want to know why tuition is what it is? How the AD came to be run so poorly? We pay someone, probably quite handsomely, to undertake such heady endeavors (poorly I might add) as deciding that "official cheer battle" should be cancelled. Instead of letting it die in its own lameness this may now become a thing. I do like the free speech op-ed linked below it.

(01-14-2015 04:41 PM)mebehutchi Wrote:  You want to know why tuition is what it is? How the AD came to be run so poorly? We pay someone, probably quite handsomely, to undertake such heady endeavors (poorly I might add) as deciding that "official cheer battle" should be cancelled. Instead of letting it die in its own lameness this may now become a thing. I do like the free speech op-ed linked below it.

How long has the "cheer battle" been a part of O Week? It certainly was not around in the 1970s.

Also not around during the 1970s were jacks, but we did have Jax Beer.

(01-14-2015 05:04 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 04:41 PM)mebehutchi Wrote:  You want to know why tuition is what it is? How the AD came to be run so poorly? We pay someone, probably quite handsomely, to undertake such heady endeavors (poorly I might add) as deciding that "official cheer battle" should be cancelled. Instead of letting it die in its own lameness this may now become a thing. I do like the free speech op-ed linked below it.

How long has the "cheer battle" been a part of O Week? It certainly was not around in the 1970s.

(01-14-2015 05:04 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 04:41 PM)mebehutchi Wrote:  You want to know why tuition is what it is? How the AD came to be run so poorly? We pay someone, probably quite handsomely, to undertake such heady endeavors (poorly I might add) as deciding that "official cheer battle" should be cancelled. Instead of letting it die in its own lameness this may now become a thing. I do like the free speech op-ed linked below it.

How long has the "cheer battle" been a part of O Week? It certainly was not around in the 1970s.

Well, it started sometime between the 70's, and when I matriculated in '07.

Anyone from the 90's wanna help out?

I don't remember a Cheer Battle from my days (mid 80s) at Rice. I don't care much about Cheer Battles. But this gave me pause:

Thresher Editorial Board Wrote:According to Hutchinson, Cheer Battle “doesn’t represent who we are at Rice anymore” and violates Rice’s harassment policy requiring a non-hostile environment.

(emphasis added)

Harassment policy requiring a non-hostile environment? I tried to find this online. I searched rice.edu for policies dealing with harassment and the closest thing I can find is this:

rice.edu Human Resources Wrote:3. Harassment on the basis of any other protected characteristic is also strictly prohibited. Under this policy, harassment is verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of his /her race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship or any other characteristic protected by law or that of his/her relatives, friends or associates, and that: (i) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment; (ii) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance; or (iii) otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment opportunities.

4. Harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to: epithets, slurs or negative stereotyping; threatening, intimidating or hostile acts; denigrating jokes; and written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group and that is placed on walls or elsewhere on the employer’s premises or circulated in the workplace.

(emphasis added)

Surely we don't describe residential college membership as protected (unless it's Wiess, natch ). If this is the policy to which he's referring, I'm having trouble understanding how a Cheer Battle violates this policy, unless those cheers are pretty raunchy (in which case I'd suggest we police the actual cheers rather than cancel an event). On the other hand, if there IS a policy somewhere that says all students are entitled to non-hostile environments, how the hell do they justify Chem Lab?

(01-14-2015 05:14 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  I don't remember a Cheer Battle from my days (mid 80s) at Rice. I don't care much about Cheer Battles. But this gave me pause:

Thresher Editorial Board Wrote:According to Hutchinson, Cheer Battle “doesn’t represent who we are at Rice anymore” and violates Rice’s harassment policy requiring a non-hostile environment.

(emphasis added)

Harassment policy requiring a non-hostile environment? I tried to find this online. I searched rice.edu for policies dealing with harassment and the closest thing I can find is this:

rice.edu Human Resources Wrote:3. Harassment on the basis of any other protected characteristic is also strictly prohibited. Under this policy, harassment is verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of his /her race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship or any other characteristic protected by law or that of his/her relatives, friends or associates, and that: (i) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment; (ii) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance; or (iii) otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment opportunities.

4. Harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to: epithets, slurs or negative stereotyping; threatening, intimidating or hostile acts; denigrating jokes; and written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group and that is placed on walls or elsewhere on the employer’s premises or circulated in the workplace.

(emphasis added)

Surely we don't describe residential college membership as protected (unless it's Wiess, natch ). If this is the policy to which he's referring, I'm having trouble understanding how a Cheer Battle violates this policy, unless those cheers are pretty raunchy (in which case I'd suggest we police the actual cheers rather than cancel an event). On the other hand, if there IS a policy somewhere that says all students are entitled to non-hostile environments, how the hell do they justify Chem Lab?

To refer to the cheers as "raunchy" would be an enormous understatement.

(01-14-2015 05:14 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  I don't remember a Cheer Battle from my days (mid 80s) at Rice. I don't care much about Cheer Battles. But this gave me pause:

Thresher Editorial Board Wrote:According to Hutchinson, Cheer Battle “doesn’t represent who we are at Rice anymore” and violates Rice’s harassment policy requiring a non-hostile environment.

(emphasis added)

Harassment policy requiring a non-hostile environment? I tried to find this online. I searched rice.edu for policies dealing with harassment and the closest thing I can find is this:

rice.edu Human Resources Wrote:3. Harassment on the basis of any other protected characteristic is also strictly prohibited. Under this policy, harassment is verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of his /her race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship or any other characteristic protected by law or that of his/her relatives, friends or associates, and that: (i) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment; (ii) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance; or (iii) otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment opportunities.

4. Harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to: epithets, slurs or negative stereotyping; threatening, intimidating or hostile acts; denigrating jokes; and written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group and that is placed on walls or elsewhere on the employer’s premises or circulated in the workplace.

(emphasis added)

Surely we don't describe residential college membership as protected (unless it's Wiess, natch ). If this is the policy to which he's referring, I'm having trouble understanding how a Cheer Battle violates this policy, unless those cheers are pretty raunchy (in which case I'd suggest we police the actual cheers rather than cancel an event). On the other hand, if there IS a policy somewhere that says all students are entitled to non-hostile environments, how the hell do they justify Chem Lab?

Some of the cheers did get pretty raunchy, but for the most part, the admin had already neutered their use during O-Week (think along the lines of what part of the male anatomy Sid Rich could be said to resemble).

I didn't like the idea of censoring the cheers, but I understood it. I think the bigger issue Hutch is trying to combat is that this event basically forced people who didn't want to be around loud, rowdy people, to be surrounded by them. I think that line of thinking is a bit out of line with the idea of college, which is to push your boundaries and learn/experience new things. Forcing yourself to be uncomfortable in a very safe and controlled environment is probably a good thing.

I don't recall them from the 80s, either. Yell wars are a different thing, but I seem to recall those more early in the year, if not O week, than any other time.

(01-14-2015 05:10 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 05:04 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 04:41 PM)mebehutchi Wrote:  You want to know why tuition is what it is? How the AD came to be run so poorly? We pay someone, probably quite handsomely, to undertake such heady endeavors (poorly I might add) as deciding that "official cheer battle" should be cancelled. Instead of letting it die in its own lameness this may now become a thing. I do like the free speech op-ed linked below it.

How long has the "cheer battle" been a part of O Week? It certainly was not around in the 1970s.

Well, it started sometime between the 70's, and when I matriculated in '07.

Anyone from the 90's wanna help out?

I advised each year during my glorious reign on campus (early to mid 90's), and I don't ever recall an official "Cheer Battle." That said, every event devolved into screaming insults, er, "cheers" at the other colleges while calmly explaining why the college I was advising at that week was clearly superior. So it seems the chant rumble became official sometime between '95 and '07.

P.S. Jones is bad ass.

(01-14-2015 05:22 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  I think the bigger issue Hutch is trying to combat is that this event basically forced people who didn't want to be around loud, rowdy people, to be surrounded by them.

Yeah, this troubles me. I'd hate to think that Rice is trying to protect people from hurt feelings. But what do you mean by "forced"? Is it not possible to opt out of Cheer Battle?

**** Suck, Mother ****
Eat a bog of ****
**** hair, ****** bag
Suck your mother's ***
We are the best college
All the others ****
Edgar Odell Lovett
Rah Rah ****

(01-14-2015 05:44 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 05:22 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  I think the bigger issue Hutch is trying to combat is that this event basically forced people who didn't want to be around loud, rowdy people, to be surrounded by them.

Yeah, this troubles me. I'd hate to think that Rice is trying to protect people from hurt feelings. But what do you mean by "forced"? Is it not possible to opt out of Cheer Battle?

The "cheer battle" is basically the walk from each college's commons to the location of the Rice Per Rally. Along the way, the various colleges run into each other, yell things, and then move along.

You can't really opt out of being around the event because you're required to go to the pep rally, but you sure as heck can hang out near the back of your college and not participate.

(01-14-2015 06:03 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 05:44 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 05:22 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  I think the bigger issue Hutch is trying to combat is that this event basically forced people who didn't want to be around loud, rowdy people, to be surrounded by them.

Yeah, this troubles me. I'd hate to think that Rice is trying to protect people from hurt feelings. But what do you mean by "forced"? Is it not possible to opt out of Cheer Battle?

The "cheer battle" is basically the walk from each college's commons to the location of the Rice Per Rally. Along the way, the various colleges run into each other, yell things, and then move along.

You can't really opt out of being around the event because you're required to go to the pep rally, but you sure as heck can hang out near the back of your college and not participate.

Thanks for the clarification. Sounds like the admin is indeed trying to prevent hurt feelings and this action does not appear to be in line with university policy. But I'd be happy to be corrected on both counts.

(01-14-2015 05:45 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  **** Suck, Mother ****
Eat a bog of ****
**** hair, ****** bag
Suck your mother's ***
We are the best college
All the others ****
Edgar Odell Lovett
Rah Rah ****

Yes, in 08 Lovett was the only one with a "banned" cheer. They started removing some of the others from the O-week teachings after that. This administration likes to treat students as children instead of supporting the student run culture Rice previously enjoyed.

(01-14-2015 06:24 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  

(01-14-2015 05:45 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote:  **** Suck, Mother ****
Eat a bog of ****
**** hair, ****** bag
Suck your mother's ***
We are the best college
All the others ****
Edgar Odell Lovett
Rah Rah ****

Yes, in 08 Lovett was the only one with a "banned" cheer. They started removing some of the others from the O-week teachings after that. This administration likes to treat students as children instead of supporting the student run culture Rice previously enjoyed.

??? Sounds like this cheer battle was around for only the past 10 - 15 years. Not exactly a long tradition.