D! "#$$, %! &!'# M!"# [$"% &#$'()*] J!"# $!# $% &'()* +,$"-!. %$('* INSIDE Tina Nazerian argues against the New Montrose restaurant Pax Owls mount a late comeback RiceX begind systemic trend of overcommitment Americana pedals inventive, if against Old Dominion, only to be developing hybrid on the Rice campus inconsistent, New American fare denied the win by a late field goal rockets to launch into space !"" O#! #. $ !"" A#E $. % S!! S"#$%& ". ' S!! P. " .$/01) &2, &**0) 3$. 4 *+05)3+-(03 *&32) 6768 9)53)*5#", *):+)1!)( ;<, ;=6< Pod structure to encourage discussion !" J&)"# W)3 T'()*')( S+#,, The Rice University Student Association is employing a new group structure, referred to as a pod, to address four presidents’ topics of interests: the LPAP re- quirement, campus-wide elec- tion timelines, campus-wide an- nouncements and calendars and the blanket tax process, accord- ing to SA President Ravi Sheth. “I can’t possibly claim to know the solution to these top- ics –– or if there is any current problem with them at all –– so I am asking small groups of four or five students to consider these topics and provide recommen- dations to [the] Student Senate !"#$%&'( $%)5 as to how to proceed,” Sheth, a Moderator Donald Bowers asks the audience to raise their hand if they know somebody who has been Martel College senior, said. Show of hands pulled over by the police for no reason at a townhall meeting on Sept. 23 on the Ferguson police shooting. According to Sheth, each pod will focus on a different topic. “These small groups are open to any student, and the college leadership have been asked to [inform] any relevant students Competition prompts boba sale limits who are interested in working on !" N#$%& S'&!# these issues that they can join,” across from each other, creating a the chance to sell,” Halliburton said. policy to one semester.” Sheth said. T'()*')( S+#,, huge overload on supply, causing “Because we have the limit of one President of the Chinese Interna- According to Sheth, the four Rice University student clubs need some clubs to not always sell out,” boba-tea sale per day, that allows us tional Student Association Zhifan Li topics originated from discus- to start looking for new fundraising Chang said. to have five groups in the fall and five said she was not aware of the new sions with different groups on ideas, due to new limits placed on Henny Halliburton, the business different groups in the spring, rather policies. Nonetheless, Li said she does campus. boba tea sales this academic year. Ac- and events manager at the Student than having five groups sell in the fall not mind other clubs selling boba tea, “In a given week, I have 15-20 cording to Rice Taiwanese Association Activities Center, said she felt that al- and spring.” despite it being thought of as a tradi- hours of meetings and hundreds President Tim Chang, three years ago lowing clubs to reserve boba tea sales According to Halliburton, these tionally Asian drink. of emails, with groups ranging the only clubs that sold boba tea were on a first-come-first-serve basis was rules ensure clubs are able to sell out “I understand that many clubs are from students [such as] college the Chinese Student Association and not fair to other clubs and, beginning and are not competing with each oth- doing it because it is such an effective presidents, senators [and] SA RTA. Chang, a McMurtry College se- this year, will regulate the number of er over customers. Halliburton said way of raising money,” Li, a Lovett committees, to faculty, staff and nior, said when other clubs discovered times clubs can sell boba. Hallibur- she has yet to see whether these rules College junior, said. “At the same administrators,” Sheth said. the $200 profits boba tea fundraisers ton said the regulation, which allows will prove to be successful, but she time, people do need to come up with “These issues have come up in were raising, they started to sell boba clubs to book for only one day of the knew something needed to be done. new ways of fundraising options. For these settings or discussed infor- tea as well, creating competition over week for one semester, is intended to “This is the first time we have done example, another fundraising option mally with students.” boba tea customers amongst clubs. give more groups the opportunity to this,” Halliburton said. “I had so many that [CISA] has right now is [charging] Lovett College President “Last year, some days had clubs sell with less competition. requests for boba [sales], and I was al- a membership fee.” Meghan Davenport said she that double-booked, selling right “I decided to [give] more groups ready booked, so I had to change the 0see BOBA, page 3 0see PODS, page 2 RICE IN THE RANKINGS The 2015 edition of the U.S. News and World Times Higher Education Rice rankings since 2003 Report, released Sept. 9, ranked Rice University 19 among national universities, a drop from the pre- st The ranking criteria for THE includes a uni- 1 vious year’s tie at 18 with the University of Notre versity’s teaching and learning environment as U.S. News and World Report Dame. This is the second continuous year Rice has well as the breadth and influence of its research. fallen. Brown University, the University of Notre Rice has held a wide range of positions in this 30 Dame and Vanderbilt University sit just above Rice, ranking but held its highest position in 2010 Forbes all tied at 16. when it reached the top 50 universities. U.S. News and World Report Forbes Academic Rankings 60 of the World Rice has either held its rank or fallen since Forbes includes liberal arts colleges in its 2001; Rice held its all-time high of ninth on this ranking, and this may affect why Rice is consis- list in 1989. The current ranking of 19 is the low- tently ranked lower as compared to the U.S. News 90 est Rice has been ranked since 1983. and World Report, which has a separate list rank- ing liberal arts colleges. Academic Rankings of the World/Shang- QS World University Rankings hai Rankings QS World University Rankings 120 In these world rankings, Rice has consistently Unlike many other rankings, QS’ criteria most Times Higher performed in the top 100, reaching its peak in Education heavily weights the way academicians from 150 2003 at position 61 and falling consistently until peers across the world view the institution. Rice ‘06 ‘10 ‘12 ‘14 2009. Rice currently stands at 82, but fluctuations has not been ranked in the top 100 of this list ‘04 ‘08 of more than five positions are not uncommon. since 2009. ! NEWS !"# R$%# T"&#'"#& W#()#'(*+, S#,!#-.#& /0, /120 0 calendar would perhaps improve the situa- PODS tion. !"#$ %&'( 1 Sheth said he expects the pods to provide Jones School of Business develops recommendations to the SA on how these thinks all four topics are equally important. four areas should move forward. Davenport, a senior, said she is interested in “This will be an efficient way for us to Masters of Accounting program participating in the pod focused on the blan- quickly gauge opinions on these issues and ket tax process. potential for future changes, while also .+ H*))*" T3(( take another stab at a course before they sign up “I think it is very important to examine making sure what we are doing is in line F3& !"# T"&#'"#& for the MAcc, take that second Intermediate Fi- the processes through which people can get with what students want, and not just what nancial Accounting course that will be offered in funding for campus-wide initiatives,” Dav- I or our leadership wants,” Sheth said. The Jones School of Business is launching a the spring.” enport said. “I know the staff of the Student new Master of Accounting program that will earn The MAcc program is designed for and open Center does great work with that already, students their Master of Accounting degree in one to undergraduate students of all majors and is a but even they are constrained if the pro- year. Rice previously offered the MAcc program, great opportunity to combine other passions with cess is not ideal. I have seen more and more but it dissolved in the late 90s due to lack of stu- business, according to Lansford. campus-wide organizations coming to the dent interest and lack of a need for this type of “The strength of our old program, and what colleges for funding, which may be okay in This will be an ef- program in the accounting field at the time, ac- we hope to be the strength of the new program, is the short term to test out ideas if the college cording to Program Director Benjamin Lansford. having students who have a non-business under- approves but is not a sustainable solution. ficient way for us to “The MAcc programs give you that fifth and graduate degree, married with the technical ex- It is not a good practice for the colleges to final year you need to get up to 150 credit hours pertise that they would get from that one year in be allocating money to things that they ulti- quickly gauge opin- because undergraduate degrees typically entail the accounting program,” Lansford said. “What mately have minimal oversight on.” only 120 hours,” Lansford said. “That 150 hour distinguishes MAcc graduates from Rice from University Court Chair Brian Baran said ions on these issues requirement [to get a Certified Public Accounting MAcc graduates from most other schools is that he also thinks it is important to discuss the and potentially for license] wasn’t in effect when this program was in our graduates won’t solely be experts in account- blanket tax process because the blanket tax existence before, and so there just wasn’t as much ing.