Leebron Releases Call to Conversation, Seeks Input
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e Thresher Leebron releases Call to Conversation, seeks input by Amber Obermeyer of Tr ustees at the end of the semester. Leebron said he is in the process of gathering feedback ll THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF through the Call to Conversation Web site, as President David Leebron e-mailed all un- well as through forums and meetings to be dergraduate students in July with a "Call to held this fall. Conversation." In the document, he wrote that Student Association President James Lloyd Rice should aim to become more nationally said the SA will co-host a forum with the focused and increase overall enrollment by President's Office at 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 12, at about 30 percent, while selectively choosing which students can give Leebron theirfeedback programs to expand or contract. on the Call to Conversation. Leebron said the idea to publish a document Leebron said he has already received feed- like the Call to Conversation, which poses back in letters, conversations, and in more than many questions—and proposes some answers 800 comments on the Web site, including more — emerged during conversations he had with than 300 from undergraduates. the deans late last fall. Leebron wrote the initial "Nothing has shocked me, and I think that draft early in the spring before circulating it to the best thing is that the feedback has been the deans and vice presidents and later to the very thoughtful," he said. "All constituencies Board of Trustees to gather feedback before have been very balanced — for example, un- releasing the final version. dergraduate students have written me about 'To some extent I've spent a year or more the importance of supporting graduate stu- doing informal question and answers," Leebron dents. What's been most encouraging is that said. "It was important to begin to bring together people aren't entirely predictable. They often conversations in a focused way and to make have the larger best interest of the university ELIZABETH PARKER/THRESHER the process both transparent and inclusive by at heart." getting the Call to Conversation out in writing A new view to all constituencies." The Call to Conversation Leebron said he will use the opinions he Leebron introduced thedocument by writing Debris remains as the west side of the first floor of Fondren Library is demolished. When gathers to put together a document — prob- that universities face an increasingly competi- library renovations are complete, a permanent west entrance will take the place of what is ably with the help of a committee or task force tive environment. now a temporary construction entrance. — laying out the university's goals for the next "Success in that environment requires re- 7-10 years, which he will present to the Board See CONVERSATION, page 17 Alcohol Policy enforcement by Fireworks, sister groups m mark tamer 0-Week RUPD to become more strict by David Brown tunity to establish a new tradition," THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF Paul said. Forman said he was impressed by David Brown is a practice of enforcing a policy to this change in practice. already in place. "Anything that goes outside a Modified scavenger hunts, a with the creativity demonstrated THRESHER EDITORIAL. STAFF "It has always been a violation of room becomes public, and once it fireworks display at matriculation by coordinators in modifying the Hosts of private parties found the policy, but now I think you'll see goes outside a room it is in violation and sister groups were some of the scavenger hunt at their colleges. in violation of the Alcohol Policy RUPI) notifying my office of those because it is a public event and not events that debuted during Orienta- "I did see some colleges re- will be sent to Student Judicial Pro- violations," Ostdiek said. scheduled," Taylor said. "That will tion Week this year. thought the scavenger hunt in grams for discipline under the Code According to the Alcohol Policy, be passed on to [Ostdiek] to look One of the more successfully interesting ways," Forman said. of Student Conduct, according to a wet private party — now termed at why [the students] there were changed events was the scaven- "We set a clear standard, and they Assistant Dean for Student Judicial a private "gathering" in the policy not complying." ger hunt. Campus-wide O-Week more than matched it." Programs Don Ostdiek. — becomes a public party if it spills Ostdiek said such a violation of Coordinator Alex Paul said. As- In addition, potentially danger- "In the past, if you had a problem into a public space, such as a "hall- the policy by a host of a party, in sistant Dean of Student Judicial ous or embarrassing activities, with alcohol you might have been way, landing, lounge, bathroom the absence of more serious viola- Programs Don Ostdiek and Dean such as the purity test and late- cited for a [Minor in Possession] or or other common area." Private tions, could lead to any number of of Undergraduates Robin Forman night wake-ups were eliminated, public intoxication," Ostdiek said. gatherings that "cause undue sanctions, but that they would likely approved the scavenger hunt list, Paul said. She said the purity test "But if you ran a party that wasn't in disturbance" to other college mem- fall short of suspension. He said he which varied by college. Paul, a could be considered sexual harass- compliance with the alcohol policy, bers or are publicly announced also would try to refer cases to Univer- Jones College senior, said clarifica- ment. Advisers were informed of RLIPD wouldn't write you a ticket become public parties. sity Court whenever possible. tions about what was allowed on the restriction in an e-mail college the lists forced students to be more for having a bad party." Public parties require registra- Both Ostdiek and Taylor have O-Week coordinators forwarded creative. For example, Hanszen Ostdiek said the decision was tion and must have security officials used O-Week to educate students from Forman. College sent O-Week groups on made jointly between himself. Dean and certified alcohol servers, so about the Alcohol Policy and how Paul said advisers were recep- a two-part digital picture scaven- of Undergraduates Robin Forman, private gatherings that become it will likely be enforced. Taylor tive to the changes to O-Week. ger hunt, the first part of which the General Counsel's Office and public put hosts in violation of the said RUPD conducted essentially "[Telling advisers about the required groups to use U. Passes Rice Police Chief Bill Taylor. The policy. the same informational session for changes] wasn't bad," Paul said. to ride the METRORail to Houston shift is not an addition to the Alco- freshmen as it has in past years. "Forman talked to all the O-Week Rice Police Chief Bill Taylor locations. hol Policy, Ostdiek said; rather, it said campus police will be attuned Set ENFORCEMENT page 18 coordinators, who understood 'This was a really great oppor- See O-WEEK, page 8 Bookstore now run by Barnes & Noble INSIDE OPINION Page 3 by Risa Gordon The Bookstore will stay open with re- Take heed, freshmen duced hours on Saturdays throughout the THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF A&E year, instead of only during the fall, as was Page 21 Welcome back! Carrell impresses Barnes &. Noble College Booksellers done before. To everyone just arriving on campus: signed a five-year contract with Rice to operate Student Center Director Boyd Beckwith Be glad you weren't in Houston for this SPORTS Page 23 i the Rice Campus Store July 25. The renovated said he thinks the Bookstore operations will seemingly-hotter-than-ever summer. Owls fall to Tulane in super regional and renamed Rice Bookstore opened with a be an improvement over the Rice-owned And to the Class of 2009 (and transfer Quote of the Week greater variety of books, less Rice merchandise Campus Store. students): We're sorry Orientation Week and a less cluttered layout. "It seems like [the store] is going to be much falls in the middle of August. We promise "We're going to try to win Conference USA, but it's nice to know if we don't, that we have an excel- 'Hie Bookstore will offer extended hours more customer service-oriented in terms of its it gets better. lent chance to be in the playoffs as long as we for the first four days of classes and six cash Classes start Monday, and we know hours," Beckwith said. have a good year." registers — instead of four — to reduce time Students will be allowed to bring their the overachievers out there already have — Wayne Graham, head baseball coach. See spent waiting in checkout lines, Bookstore bookbags into the store, rather than having their books, pens and folders organized in Story, Page 23. Manager Evelyn Morton said. to leave them in the Student Center hallway their backpacks. Rut the rest of you should Barnes & Noble has hired seven employees as they were previously required to do. Theft check out the new — and adequately Scoreboard who were previously employed by the campus alarms have been installed on exit doors, and staffed with morme registers — Barnes Baseball store, as well as seven temporary student more employees will be present on the floor & Noble-operated Rice Bookstore. Or, if Tulane 9, Rice 6 of the store, Morton said. you're cheap, the SA's e-Coop is up and employees — from Rice and other universi- Weekend Weather ties — and four other temporary employees Barnes & Noble will also buy back text- running as well, so you can buy and sell Friday books throughout the year.