(11-03-2020 07:42 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  But even over the last 7 years, the school has changed in negative ways that would likely make me choose to not attend if I were making the same decision today. That said-I see many of the same issues that frustrate me at Rice happening at other schools-so not sure if it’s a Rice thing or a broader societal trend.

My sense is that a lot of things that happen at Rice (and perhaps especially the bad things) are more the latter than the former.

(11-03-2020 11:59 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 07:42 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  But even over the last 7 years, the school has changed in negative ways that would likely make me choose to not attend if I were making the same decision today. That said-I see many of the same issues that frustrate me at Rice happening at other schools-so not sure if it’s a Rice thing or a broader societal trend.

My sense is that a lot of things that happen at Rice (and perhaps especially the bad things) are more the latter than the former.

So why does Rice have to follow the crowd?

(11-03-2020 12:23 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 11:59 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 07:42 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  But even over the last 7 years, the school has changed in negative ways that would likely make me choose to not attend if I were making the same decision today. That said-I see many of the same issues that frustrate me at Rice happening at other schools-so not sure if it’s a Rice thing or a broader societal trend.

My sense is that a lot of things that happen at Rice (and perhaps especially the bad things) are more the latter than the former.

So why does Rice have to follow the crowd?

In many cases, there may not be much Rice could do one way or the other. As an example, most of the qualitative differences in campus life today from, say, the 1980s are due less to any changes that Rice has made and more to the fact that 20-year-olds today are different from 20-year-olds in the 1980s.

But yes, there are some trends we follow that are good, and some that are bad. There are also a few trends we buck that are good, and few that are bad.


How's that for an answer that says almost nothing?

(11-03-2020 03:03 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 12:23 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 11:59 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 07:42 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  But even over the last 7 years, the school has changed in negative ways that would likely make me choose to not attend if I were making the same decision today. That said-I see many of the same issues that frustrate me at Rice happening at other schools-so not sure if it’s a Rice thing or a broader societal trend.

My sense is that a lot of things that happen at Rice (and perhaps especially the bad things) are more the latter than the former.

So why does Rice have to follow the crowd?

In many cases, there may not be much Rice could do one way or the other. As an example, most of the qualitative differences in campus life today from, say, the 1980s are due less to any changes that Rice has made and more to the fact that 20-year-olds today are different from 20-year-olds in the 1980s.

But yes, there are some trends we follow that are good, and some that are bad. There are also a few trends we buck that are good, and few that are bad.


How's that for an answer that says almost nothing?

I'd argue that it says quite a bit - mainly the bolded. Whether we like it or not, Rice is driven heavily to act by who their customers are and the type of student body that is attracted to Rice.

For example, I'd argue that even the sale of KTRU could be tied back to the changing of the student body. At the time of the sale, the student body was generally more interested in making fun of KTRU for their esoteric music choices, than listening to the esoteric music choices.

This isn't to say Rice isn't devoid of blame for all actions and how Rice decides to operate, but I often think of this when I hear complaints about what's happening on campus:

(11-03-2020 03:03 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 12:23 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 11:59 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 07:42 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  But even over the last 7 years, the school has changed in negative ways that would likely make me choose to not attend if I were making the same decision today. That said-I see many of the same issues that frustrate me at Rice happening at other schools-so not sure if it’s a Rice thing or a broader societal trend.

My sense is that a lot of things that happen at Rice (and perhaps especially the bad things) are more the latter than the former.

So why does Rice have to follow the crowd?

In many cases, there may not be much Rice could do one way or the other. As an example, most of the qualitative differences in campus life today from, say, the 1980s are due less to any changes that Rice has made and more to the fact that 20-year-olds today are different from 20-year-olds in the 1980s.

But yes, there are some trends we follow that are good, and some that are bad. There are also a few trends we buck that are good, and few that are bad.


How's that for an answer that says almost nothing?

Since the question was mostly rhetorical, I'd say it was a pretty good answer.

But I would like to see Rice buck more of those bad trends rather than just trying to be being another expensive private school following the lead of the east and west coast elite (at least in their own minds) schools.

(11-03-2020 04:09 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 03:03 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 12:23 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 11:59 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 07:42 AM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  But even over the last 7 years, the school has changed in negative ways that would likely make me choose to not attend if I were making the same decision today. That said-I see many of the same issues that frustrate me at Rice happening at other schools-so not sure if it’s a Rice thing or a broader societal trend.

My sense is that a lot of things that happen at Rice (and perhaps especially the bad things) are more the latter than the former.

So why does Rice have to follow the crowd?

In many cases, there may not be much Rice could do one way or the other. As an example, most of the qualitative differences in campus life today from, say, the 1980s are due less to any changes that Rice has made and more to the fact that 20-year-olds today are different from 20-year-olds in the 1980s.

But yes, there are some trends we follow that are good, and some that are bad. There are also a few trends we buck that are good, and few that are bad.


How's that for an answer that says almost nothing?

I'd argue that it says quite a bit - mainly the bolded. Whether we like it or not, Rice is driven heavily to act by who their customers are and the type of student body that is attracted to Rice.

For example, I'd argue that even the sale of KTRU could be tied back to the changing of the student body. At the time of the sale, the student body was generally more interested in making fun of KTRU for their esoteric music choices, than listening to the esoteric music choices.

This isn't to say Rice isn't devoid of blame for all actions and how Rice decides to operate, but I often think of this when I hear complaints about what's happening on campus:

Maybe Rice should reexamine the type of student body it is trying attract? Careful what you ask for, you may get it?

Or maybe Rice is getting exactly what it wants, making it a very different school than many of the posters here attended, graduated from and supported for so many years, making it difficult for such supporters to continue that support.

(11-03-2020 04:42 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 04:09 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 03:03 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 12:23 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 11:59 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  My sense is that a lot of things that happen at Rice (and perhaps especially the bad things) are more the latter than the former.

So why does Rice have to follow the crowd?

In many cases, there may not be much Rice could do one way or the other. As an example, most of the qualitative differences in campus life today from, say, the 1980s are due less to any changes that Rice has made and more to the fact that 20-year-olds today are different from 20-year-olds in the 1980s.

But yes, there are some trends we follow that are good, and some that are bad. There are also a few trends we buck that are good, and few that are bad.


How's that for an answer that says almost nothing?

I'd argue that it says quite a bit - mainly the bolded. Whether we like it or not, Rice is driven heavily to act by who their customers are and the type of student body that is attracted to Rice.

For example, I'd argue that even the sale of KTRU could be tied back to the changing of the student body. At the time of the sale, the student body was generally more interested in making fun of KTRU for their esoteric music choices, than listening to the esoteric music choices.

This isn't to say Rice isn't devoid of blame for all actions and how Rice decides to operate, but I often think of this when I hear complaints about what's happening on campus:

Maybe Rice should reexamine the type of student body it is trying attract? Careful what you ask for, you may get it?

Or maybe Rice is getting exactly what it wants, making it a very different school than many of the posters here attended, graduated from and supported for so many years, making it difficult for such supporters to continue that support.

I think it's a fair question to ask regarding the student body they're attracting based on their decisions to adjust cost of attendance, manage faculty, support extracurriculars, etc.

Has Rice's core mission and how it executes it changed significantly enough in the past XX years to also change the types of students it attracts? Or have younger generations also changed across the board, such that a student in say, 1980 wouldn't be interested in the type of university that Rice is today?

Well, considering someone thought it was a good idea to build Lovett and Sid, this isn't THAT bad...

I don't care anymore.

I'd like to see it from ground level. Not many people are going to see it from 400 feet.

Being that this is a Rice athletics conversation center, I can only accept this news within that context. How about Rice solicit donations just as aggressively for the full renovation of Rice Stadium as they do for campus construction? The crown jewel of athletics infrastructure is a mess, and it should be perfect.

That is a great suggestion, but Rice needs a strategy of where it wants to be in football. So far, I see no plan, and there has not been one for decades. Without a plan who is going to donate? TCU had a plan and they significantly upgraded their stadium.

(11-03-2020 10:19 PM)Ourland Wrote:  Being that this is a Rice athletics conversation center, I can only accept this news within that context. How about Rice solicit donations just as aggressively for the full renovation of Rice Stadium as they do for campus construction? The crown jewel of athletics infrastructure is a mess, and it should be perfect.

From this week's Thresher (https://www.ricethresher.org/article/202...cture-firm)

Quote:The new student center project has been delayed again, dean of undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced in an Aug. 21 email obtained by the Thresher. Rice has chosen to ‘reset’ the project, firing the architecture firm, Adjaye Associates. ...

David Adjaye, the founder and principal of Adjaye Associates, was accused of sexual misconduct by three former employees in July. Rice had previously said they were “very much reconsidering” Adjaye Associates’ role in campus projects.

A spokesperson for Rice did not say exactly why the university fired Adjaye Associates, nor did they clarify if Adjaye’s design will be completely scrapped. ...

The Moody Foundation donated $100 million for the new student center in 2021, and Gorman wrote that donor funds are still allocated to the new student center. The Thresher was unable to determine how much money Rice has spent on the project thus far.

The project has already been delayed multiple times. Construction was slated to begin in fall 2022 and be completed by fall 2023. Then, Rice postponed the construction by a year, which Gorman at the time attributed to economic conditions. Demolition was expected to begin at the end of the spring 2023 semester. Now, the RMC will likely stand through the end of 2024.

FTR, the name of the new student center will be the "Moody Center for Student Life and Opportunity." (https://news.rice.edu/news/2021/moody-fo...university) Will students call it simply the "MC"? I doubt that "MCSLO" will get any traction.

(08-23-2023 08:58 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  From this week's Thresher (https://www.ricethresher.org/article/202...cture-firm)

Quote:The new student center project has been delayed again, dean of undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced in an Aug. 21 email obtained by the Thresher. Rice has chosen to ‘reset’ the project, firing the architecture firm, Adjaye Associates. ...

David Adjaye, the founder and principal of Adjaye Associates, was accused of sexual misconduct by three former employees in July. Rice had previously said they were “very much reconsidering” Adjaye Associates’ role in campus projects.

A spokesperson for Rice did not say exactly why the university fired Adjaye Associates, nor did they clarify if Adjaye’s design will be completely scrapped. ...

The Moody Foundation donated $100 million for the new student center in 2021, and Gorman wrote that donor funds are still allocated to the new student center. The Thresher was unable to determine how much money Rice has spent on the project thus far.

The project has already been delayed multiple times. Construction was slated to begin in fall 2022 and be completed by fall 2023. Then, Rice postponed the construction by a year, which Gorman at the time attributed to economic conditions. Demolition was expected to begin at the end of the spring 2023 semester. Now, the RMC will likely stand through the end of 2024.

FTR, the name of the new student center will be the "Moody Center for Student Life and Opportunity." (https://news.rice.edu/news/2021/moody-fo...university) Will students call it simply the "MC"? I doubt that "MCSLO" will get any traction.

Hopefully they give Pub a proper basement space and not a food court space like the a$$ clowns in university admin planned on doing.

(08-23-2023 08:58 AM)Almadenmike Wrote:  From this week's Thresher (https://www.ricethresher.org/article/202...cture-firm)

Quote:The new student center project has been delayed again, dean of undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced in an Aug. 21 email obtained by the Thresher. Rice has chosen to ‘reset’ the project, firing the architecture firm, Adjaye Associates. ...

David Adjaye, the founder and principal of Adjaye Associates, was accused of sexual misconduct by three former employees in July. Rice had previously said they were “very much reconsidering” Adjaye Associates’ role in campus projects.

A spokesperson for Rice did not say exactly why the university fired Adjaye Associates, nor did they clarify if Adjaye’s design will be completely scrapped. ...

The Moody Foundation donated $100 million for the new student center in 2021, and Gorman wrote that donor funds are still allocated to the new student center. The Thresher was unable to determine how much money Rice has spent on the project thus far.

The project has already been delayed multiple times. Construction was slated to begin in fall 2022 and be completed by fall 2023. Then, Rice postponed the construction by a year, which Gorman at the time attributed to economic conditions. Demolition was expected to begin at the end of the spring 2023 semester. Now, the RMC will likely stand through the end of 2024.

FTR, the name of the new student center will be the "Moody Center for Student Life and Opportunity." (https://news.rice.edu/news/2021/moody-fo...university) Will students call it simply the "MC"? I doubt that "MCSLO" will get any traction.

Opportunity for what?

Have you seen their design for rebuilding Valhalla?

It will be sharp tan bricks with a metallic roof, plastic outdoor furniture, and extra-large lettering outside that says VALHALLA! A logo has been proposed with Sammy the owl in a Viking helmet.

A sister pub for the Roost!

Here's hoping they scrap the current design. That would be one hideously ugly structure.

It's a shame the new RMC hasn't been completed yet.

It would have been a good meeting place for students to discuss and compare notes on the new Rice course covering Taylor Swift.

(11-03-2020 04:42 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 04:09 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 03:03 PM)georgewebb Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 12:23 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(11-03-2020 11:59 AM)georgewebb Wrote:  My sense is that a lot of things that happen at Rice (and perhaps especially the bad things) are more the latter than the former.

So why does Rice have to follow the crowd?

In many cases, there may not be much Rice could do one way or the other. As an example, most of the qualitative differences in campus life today from, say, the 1980s are due less to any changes that Rice has made and more to the fact that 20-year-olds today are different from 20-year-olds in the 1980s.

But yes, there are some trends we follow that are good, and some that are bad. There are also a few trends we buck that are good, and few that are bad.


How's that for an answer that says almost nothing?

I'd argue that it says quite a bit - mainly the bolded. Whether we like it or not, Rice is driven heavily to act by who their customers are and the type of student body that is attracted to Rice.

For example, I'd argue that even the sale of KTRU could be tied back to the changing of the student body. At the time of the sale, the student body was generally more interested in making fun of KTRU for their esoteric music choices, than listening to the esoteric music choices.

This isn't to say Rice isn't devoid of blame for all actions and how Rice decides to operate, but I often think of this when I hear complaints about what's happening on campus:

Maybe Rice should reexamine the type of student body it is trying attract? Careful what you ask for, you may get it?

Or maybe Rice is getting exactly what it wants, making it a very different school than many of the posters here attended, graduated from and supported for so many years, making it difficult for such supporters to continue that support.

The cartoon to me applies as much to the administration as out of touch alums. I always liked Rice because it seemed more or less devoid of silly over reaching adults and when it did happened they were laughed off. Hard to do when you create hundreds of new phony baloney admin jobs. Also a sign of the times I guess.

(08-23-2023 10:45 AM)peanutgallery Wrote:  It's a shame the new RMC hasn't been completed yet.

It would have been a good meeting place for students to discuss and compare notes on the new Rice course covering Taylor Swift.

That or any of the other 1 credit hour student taught courses about topics like E-Sports, Boba tea, anime, artificial intelligence for chess, rubiks cube speed solving theory, pokemon game strategies, intro to DJing etc.