FEATURES P. 11 SPORTS P. 16 NEWS Caregivers realty care ; Women's basketball comes back strong Mr. Rice Crowned Carglver coordinators take a moment to reflect on the success The women's basketball team wins three of four recent Julian Yao is named the first of the program as the alcohol probation comes to an end. ' games after a disappointing start to the season. Mr. Rice. thVOLUME XCIX,e ISSUE NO . 1Ric4 STUDENT-RUeN SINCE 1916 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011 Marshall Chemists find new cancer scholars treatment BY JOHANNA OHM awarded THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF Curing cancer has long been a lofty BY ELLEN LIU goal of scientific researchers and one THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF that researchers in the Rice University Department of Chemistry have made Rice continues to reach beyond promising strides toward achieving in the hedges as two students head to recent months. the United Kingdom next fall to pur- Rice chemists' success in loading sue their graduate studies practically nanorod particles into cancer cells free of charge as Marshall Scholars. promises new developing treatment The Marshall Scholarship was options for cancer patients. Research created in 1953 to recognize students conducted by Associate Professor of who excel in academics, leader- Chemistry Eugene Zubarev, graduate ship and ambassadorial potential. student Leonid Vigderman and for- The scholarship funds two years of mer graduate student Pramit Manna graduate study at any U.K. institu- has focused on developing ways to tion, covering university fees, cost of squeeze up to 2 million gold nanorod living expenses, various grants and particles into a single cancer cell, travel to and from the United States. which could allow scientists to selec- Lovett College senior Kareem tively activate the particles and de- Ayoub and Temporary Research Pro- Groups take to the stage in the Grand Hall for the annual Dha- struct cancer cells from within. gram Coordinator Jecca Steinberg Dhamaka rocks the maka show on Saturday. Performances included modern and Their findings were published in (Brown '11) were selected for this Grand Hall, again traditional dance numbers as well as a fashion show. Angewandte Chemie earlier this month. distinction from a pool of almost 1,000 nominees. O see CANCER, page 8 Ayoub, a bioengineering major, said he plans to complete a mas- ter's of science in neuroscience and master's of research in experimental Alcohol probation to lift next semester neuroscience at either Oxford Uni- versity or the College of Imperial Sci- ence, with focuses on international Impetus now on colleges, individual students to promote safe drinking environments science policy and ethical issues in the practice of research and medi- BY HALLIE JORDAN sonal accountability by the college cine. He said he hopes to pursue an THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF courts," Hutchinson said. "It's a pow- M.D. in neurosurgery upon return- erful statement of strength and stu- College presidents weigh in on ing to the U.S. Dean of undergraduates John dent self-governance." Ayoub added that his passion in Hutchinson announced Wednesday With the idea that college is a place campus-wide alcohol probation these areas stemmed from his family. that the alcohol probation enacted to learn how to drink, Hanszen Col- "My sister, who was like a second last February will end the first day of lege President Coco Owens said she mother to me, had multiple sclero- next semester. was glad that the campus has not sis," Ayoub said. "Also, I was born Nine months since the probation gone dry but that she has definitely in the U.S. but moved to several dif- started, Hutchinson said he feels the seen a change in culture around cam- ferent countries in the Middle East, colleges, whose presidents were in pus since the probation began. which opened my eyes to different charge of working to help change the "Trouble emerges when things go cultures and sparked my interna- drinking culture, have all made prog- unnoticed for a long time; it's like a tional interests." ress toward promoting safe habits. cycle. Once students were made aware O see MARSHALL, page 7 "The spring semester is a good of the problem, we were completely opportunity for a fresh start, and I constructive," Owens said. "It's like "Probation bought us some time, "Our goal was to produce a feel the student leadership has really Kesha's 'shots, shots, shots' culture. and I think that what came out of culture which at the end of the earned a positive response to their To maintain a wet campus, we can't do probation was the awareness of probation nothing would change that. Colleges that have dry campuses hard work they have put in, and it is the alcohol issue. Made us aware ... [We're] not going to punish you have less freedom and behave more time to recognize that effectiveness," of the dangers of drinking. What for drinking, but we will intervene like that." Hutchinson said. does change is that if you are at when students step too far out Wiess College President Charlie Dai Hutchinson stipulated that each the point that you need to stop, of line... Formal caregiving is agreed that the probation started a move- college should create some kind of you are more likely too, or some- going to be a challenge because ment among students to create change. caregiving culture and program and one is more likely to stop you." its a little bit unprecedented, but a useful and meaningful college court "(The probation has] basically been I don't think it will be impossible." system. Hutchinson said he wanted to a catalyst for very well-needed discus- be sure that these policies were creat- sion regarding alcohol," Dai said. "It's ed and implemented by the students. basically a wake-up call. Wiess, go- Kareem Ayoub "I'm lifting the probation so col- ing into the probation, was pretty well leges can decide how to respond in- grounded, but it has made community o dividually, but of course, the laws of leaders think more about what it means ro <V o the state of Texas and the Rice Alcohol to take care of each other, what it means 5: Policy still apply," Hutchinson said. to be part of the family." The alcohol probation was put into Establishing a strong college court effect by Hutchinson last semester system has been Wiess' speciality and in response to a high number of EMS focus throughout the probation. "[The probation has] basically "Trouble emerges when things transports caused by hard liquor and "College court has been one of our been a catalyst for very [much]- go unnoticed for a long time. drunken students being left neglected. defining aspects. The college court needed discussion regarding Once students were made After implementing the probation, has met many times throughout the alcohol. It's basically a wake-up aware of the problem, we were Hutchinson left the colleges to them- semester. What we're working on call... It has made community completely constructive. It's like selves to decide how they would ad- right now is transitioning to a system leaders think more about what it Kesha's 'shots shots shots,' cul- dress the probation. that operates behind a set of rules - means to take care of each other, ture. To maintain a wet campus, "The presidents really went above the Wiess rules." Jecca Steinberg what it means to be part of the we can't do that." and beyond by incorporating per- O see PROBATION, page 6 family." Tests and essays and finals oh my! Let it snow Signing out INDEX Its that time of the year again. 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PLEASE RECYCLE to 11p.m. Backpage 20 AFTER READING • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2,2011 2 EDITORIAL THE RICE THRESHER the Rice ^jhresher Heu did uou hear the alcohol probation »s bging lifted- Removal of alcohol policy probation a testament to quality student leadership CP 00 The alcohol policy probation has been lifted effective next semester by Dean Hutchinson after nine months of efforts by student leadership to make the university envi- ronment more conducive to safe drinking (see story, pg. 1). The probation rules varied among the residential colleges, .jnext sewtester? but the greatest impact it had on the university party scene was the deprivation of punch and shots at private parties around campus. While the probation seems to have been effective in reducing the ease of binge drinking at private parties, liquor use in private quarters was still quite preva- lent. In short, the probation did not seem to stop individual students from drinking heavily if he or she desired to do so; it did, however, serve as a stark wake-up call for students around campus. The probation prompted students to step back and to put the campus' blatant abuse of the alcohol policy in perspec- tive.