OP-ED P. 3 A&E P. 11 SPORTS P. 15 Predacons, unite! Hard-drinking Peanuts Ponies tamed Dana Hoffman writes about why I should pay attention to Dog sees God follows Charlie Brown and friends as teenag- Jessica Kuster scores 22 and gets her eighth Freshman of the people who are bad at math and science. ers following Snoopy's death. Week award in women's basketball's 69-60 victory over SMU. ! VOLUME XCVIII, ISSUE NO. 19 STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011 ) I WILLY'S PUB CELEBRATES 35™ BIRTHDAY BY RUBY GEE THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF Willy's Pub commemorated its 35th birthday by hosting a four-day cel- ebration this past weekend. Although the ladies' night event was ultimately canceled, the Pub experienced two of its top sales days during its Smoking Section concert and birthday party. "I think the birthday party was a great success," Inventory Manager Av- ery Marcus said. "We're definitely very pleased with the outcome." Marcus, a Wiess College junior, said when planning the event, he looked into whether or not the timing of the Pub celebration would conflict with other events in campus. "To be honest, we didn't really know what to expect, because we're typically Pub first opened in 1975 in what is now After a fire in 1995, the Pub reopened after Pub's 35th birthday party Saturday night not open on the weekend," Marcus graduate student lounge. four months in its current location. was part of a half-week of special events said. "There (had] been a few times in the past when we opened on the week- end and it hadn't been that successful." Martel senior Page Robinson, Marcus said that the night of the would use — sweaty also," Jones Col- The Pub's 35th birthday party The first official event of the four- lead singer of the Smoking Section, concert, the Pub was filled to capacity, lege sophomore Chris Keller said. "It was held Saturday night. According day celebration was a concert by the said that classes being canceled the which is approximately 300 people. was fun — they played a lot of really to Keller, student attendance was Smoking Section, an undergraduate next day probably helped with the According to Marcus, the earnings good pop songs [like] 'F. You' by Cee about the same as Thursday's turn- band from Martel College who played crowd turnout. from the event constituted the Pub's Lo and 'Runaway' by Kanye West." out, though sales were slightly lower. a few of its own songs and covers of "The crowd was one of the most biggest sales night of the year. Drink According to Marcus, the only hitch Wiess junior Michael Nguyen, also popular pop songs at the pub for the engaging we [havel had," Robinson specials included beer for $1.25 and was the cancellation of the ladies' night known as DJ Mycle, provided th^ last time this past Thursday as a part said. "People stuck around until 2 a.m. champagne for $2.50. event since the Pub had to close on Fri- music for the night. of its farewell tour. dancing ... it was a pretty good night." "It was bumpin' — that's a word I day due to inclement weather. O see PUB, page 9 KTRU goes HD through KPFT Drinking task force considered BY SETH BROWN KTRU Station Manager Joey Yang mitter and frequency to the UH, but he DTP THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF said that although HD radio is not cur- declined to specify how much the uni- rently a widespread technology, the versity will be paying Pacifica. BY ELLEN LIU team wanted the task force to While the FCC continues to con- same was originally true of FM radio. "Overall [the cost] isn't going to THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF approach the alcohol policy template KTRU's analog future, on "The future of HD radio is uncer- significantly affect the resources from both top-down and bot- Monday morning Rice's radio station tain, but we feel pretty confident in available to KTRU or significantly af- Following the alcohol policy tom-up perspectives, which in- will begin broadcasting on KPFT's the opportunity," Yang, a Lovett Col- fect the resources available for other forum four weeks ago, Student volves consulting with both the HD2 channel using KPFT's 100,000- lege junior, said. "The longer a tech purposes," Leebron said. Association representatives in- administration and students watt transmitter in northwest Hous- nology is around, the more ubiqui- Yang said that although Pacifica troduced a proposal at the SA about necessary changes. Dud- ton. The university announced the tous it will become." initially wanted the agreement to meeting last Monday to create ley, a sophomore, added that the seven-year agreement with Pacifica Yang said that after paying an up- only last for two to three years, KT- a committee called the "Drink- task force would ideally listen to Radio, which runs KPFT, on Satur- front fee to KPFT, the monthly cost of RU's student leadership pushed for ing Task Force." This group's re- all suggestions, meet with differ- day. KTRU will continue to broadcast using the HD2 channel will be compa- the longer contract so that a whole sponsibilities include collecting ent groups of people and pres- on 91.7 FM through its own transmit- rable to the monthly operating costs cycle of students could benefit from student opinion on the current ent their findings to the student ter until the FCC reaches a decision for KTRU's 50,000-watt FM transmitter. broadcasting on the HD2 channel. He alcohol policy and suggesting body by March 14. on whether or nnt it can be sold to the President David Leebron said that the said that his counterpart when the possible improvements. "We would like the DTF to be University of Houston, and it will also costs for using the HD2 channel will be agreement expires will have a good Hanszen College Senator a central hub that coordinates all continue to broadcast online. paid in part by the sale of KTRU's trans- S3 see KTRU, page 9 Spencer Boucher said that he, of the incoming information and SA External Vice President Carl ideas," Dudley said. "A big point Nelson, Jones College Senator we are stressing is individual col- Steven Boswell and Will Rice lege responsibility and initiative; WHAT IS HD RADIO & HOW DOES IT WORK? College Senator Renee Dudley so, to be effective, we would like wrote the proposal after seeing the colleges to have the same in- % 0 HD Radio is a proprietary method of time-dependent variations in radio waves. how successful the SA's alcohol formation and recommendations." forum was because they wanted The SA team also considered transmitting digital and analog signals HD2 and HD3 channels, when present, are to move forward with the alcohol the appropriate size of the group using the same frequency. The technology, transmitted through digital subchannels. policy discussion while student and opted to keep the member- awareness of the issue was high. ship small — only five students. developed by iBiquity Digital Corporation, According to iBiquity's website, there Boucher, a junior, said he and "We feel that adding too is currently the only FCC-approved digital are currently 2,032 radio stations in the the others met at the following many voices to a conversation senators' meeting and discussed that is already so large and frag- • • radio broadcasting technology. U.S. broadcasting 3,308 different HD Radio the next step after the forum. They mented was not the spirit of our HD Radio is in-band on-channel, which channels. Unlike with television, the FCC decided that the best course of ac- initiative," Boucher said. "Rath- tion would be forming a task force to er, our goal is to consolidate means that it is broadcast on a single currently has no plans to force consumers investigate ideas raised at the forum the various dialogues between frequency alongside analog signals. to switch completely to digital radio, and and share them further with the stu- RUPD, the administration, each dent population through conversa- of the colleges and the SA in an While digital signals carry information unlike with television, the letters HD do not tion with college presidents, chief effort to face the issue as a uni- ® by transmitting binary numbers, analog stand for high definition — they are simply justices and other student leaders. fied front." According to Boucher, the signals carry information through small part of a brand-name owned by iBiquity. Osee DTF, page 9 Sound the tocsin Totentanz der Gliicksspieler One man, one vote INDEX Opinion 3 The Shepherd School Symphony is play- Lovett College's annual Casino Party is Don't forget to cast your vote in the SA general News A m ing Goddard's Songs of Arion, Elgar's Cello tomorrow night at 10 p.m., and the theme is election by 11:59 P - Monday. Don't know who to Features 10 Concerto and Shostakovich's 11th symphony "Night of the Macabre." We recommend go- vote for? Write in "William Randolph Hearst" for Arts & Entertainment ll tonight at 8 p.m. in Stude Concert Hall, and the ing as a pirate — no, it doesn't fit the theme, Thresher editor in chief. Sports 15 Chamber Orchestra is playing an all-Mozart but you'll have way more fun gambling than Calendar 19 program Saturday night at 8 p.m. those suckers who dress up as Poe. Backpage 20 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11,2011 EDITORIAL THE RICE THRESHER I T/L* I *W« weft , I | r>cr the Rice (Thresher I A \ 1 ^ •j .