The Magazine of Rice University Winter 1990, Vol. 46, No. 2 IN THE FACE Of CONVENTION ;41'4 National Professor of the lear Dennis Huston In the Face of Convention In the continuing struggle between research and teaching, too SALLYPOR many undergraduates face professors whose bodies are behind Winter 1990, Vol. 46, No.2 are in the lab. But for national the lecturns but whose minds Editor Professor of the Year Dennis Huston, teaching is his life, and Suzanne Johnson students are the victors. Assistant Editor Maggi Stewart Contributing and Staff Writers 11 Scott Andrews 0011telltS Taking the Student Pulse: In Search of Kathie Krause Timothy Moloney '90 the "Real" Rice Undergraduate Bill Noblitt and students go—how much could they change Debbie Schmidt '89 Students come, Steven Zettner '89 in five years? In our first student survey since 1984, Sallyport from Hanszen, Jones and Sid Richardson to Editorial Assistants asked participants Jay Fitzgerald '91 dispel, once and for all, a few of the dusty stereotypes that Sue Kim '90 continue to stick to Rice undergraduates. Art Director Jeff Cox Senior Graphic Designer The Way We Were 22 Corinne Zeutzius Perspective may take the sharp edge off our memories, but it Graphic Designers Michael Sawyers only adds to the overall picture. Sallyport asked alumni from the Mary Owens '90 first 50 years at Rice to contribute their memories of under- Photographer graduate life during the Institute years—and found that, despite Tommy LaVergne Wi a variety of likes and dislikes, the time they spent at Rice shaped gin Officers of the Association of Rice Alumni the their lives. President, Bridget Rote Jensen '53 President-Elect, Louis Spaw Jr.'40 Gii 1st Vice President. Karen Hess Rogers '68 At 2nd Vice President, Carolyn Heafer Woodruff' Treasurer. Homer Borgstedt '57 Prc Déjà Vu 26 Past President, J.D. Bucky Allshouse '69 Jus "If I had it to do over again, I'd do it differently." So we always Executive Director, Susan Baker '78 The Rice Undergraduate Survey, he page 16. think, but when it comes down to it, how much in our lives Association Committee on Publications tru Bridget Rote Jensen '53, ex officio, would we change? For Steven Zettner '89, the chance to go Association ofRice Alumni ear undercover as a freshman during this year's Orientation Week Susan Baker '78, ex officio, Pe( Cover portrait of Dennis Huston by staff Association ofRice Alumni shows just how much four years at Rice can change a person, Lynda L. Crist '67, chair photographer Tommy LaVergne. ily and how little there is to regret. John Boles '65 Hardy Bourland Charles Bracht '69 the Sue Fernandez Helen Lawrence-Toombs '79 ham Marsh Rice Institute, I wore one of those Film Psychology Fred Murray '72 ho: chic khaki uniforms. I am proud to have been a CO; I was disappointed in Sarah Bumett's attitude to- Bill Noblitt Rice student. Bill Pannill '62 Ills ward cinematic depictions of psychologists ("Yes, '21 Dorothy Plumbley Woodley Dee Pipes '78 But Is It Art?" Fall 1989), particularly in her Texas lea El Paso, B.C. Robison '63 supercilious lambasting of Bill Murray in "Ghost- Linda Sylvan '73 do Murray is at his hilarious best assuming busters." Wi and that "worst image" open- an overacted charm Alumni Governors funny (and more "Alibi" Not Enough CO ing scene was absurdly, sexistly Joyce Pounds Hardy '45 Francis Loewenheim's article entertaining than anything that followed, I'm I have just read Jerry McClesky '56 sorry to say). "Alibi of a Civilization" (Sallyport, Fall 1989). It Carolyn Douglas Devine '52 Also, you quote Burnett lamenting the public's repeats a question that has been asked frequently Paula Meredith Mosle '52 ignorance of the difference between psychologists since 1945:"How did the Nazi era happen?" and psychiatrists, yet the movies she cites as pejo- There are presently two approaches to dealing quarterlY rative examples contain a healthy mixture of both with this question. The first employs the methods Sallyport(USPS 412950)is published Alumni and Rice under the collective "psychologists." of professional historiography and includes con- by the Association of Rice and is sent free to all university Depictions of librarians(my occupation) vary siderations of: University, alumni, parents of students and friends. Second' from Ali MacGraw's character in "Love Story" to • The political constraints on leaders (e.g., class postage paid at Houston, Texas. Nazi-apparition Sholom Weiss in "Sophie's FDR), which may explain differentials between folk at the American Li- desires and actions; Tales from the Past Choice." Some insecure William Marsh Rice University offers equal brary Association worry about the public image • Competing items on a national agenda (e.g., Thanks for the article about Donna Rex Martin opportunity to all applicants without regard to presented by these storytellers, but I think if we emphasis on domestic recovery from the Depres- ("Tales from the Far Side," Winter 1989). I just race, color, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, or all laughed a bit more at ourselves and were better sion), which may preclude decisive action on a got around to reading it. Yes, I am that far behind physical handicap. aware of our own hypocritical prejudices we given issue; in my periodicals. would at least be able to enjoy the fantasy world • Balance-of-power calculus, which may dic- I especially enjoyed it because I like to see Editorial offices for Sallyport are located in the of the movies. tate playing off one nation against another (e.g., for between my two alma maters: the Office of University Relations, Allen Center connections John Sigwald '74 Germany vs. the Soviet Union). Lawrence, my under- Business Activities, Rice University,6100 S. University of Kansas at Texas This approach treats the question as answer- Plainview. Main St., Houston, TX. Mailing address: P.O. graduate school (class of '67), and Rice, where I able and obtains at least provisional answers. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251. earned my M.S. and Ph.D.('72 and '74). There may be disagreement over the answers— The "Rice on Ice" was good, too. Both Sally- but that's the nature of the historical dialogue. Global Congratulations address changes to Sallyport, port and the K.U. Alumni newsletter had articles The second approach is often employed in Postmaster: Send Office of University Relations, Rice University, on Antarctic science at the same time. I want to congratulate you and thank you for popular discourse—magazines, television drama- P.O. Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251. Larry Friesen '72,'74 "Tales from the Global Classroom"(Summer tizations, etc. It doesn't really seek to answer the League City, Texas 1989). Those young people are giving the world a © 1990 Association of Rice Alumni. beautiful picture of Rice and its students. (Continued on page 39) Many years ago when I was a student at Wil- Page 2/1INTER 1990 4bl r Through "One of the things that concerned my campus isolates him from other Rice says, he will be able to spend more time parents when I turned pro was that I students. He is making an effort, how- with them. "All the time I was growing would skip college. I always wanted to ever. "I eat lunch at Jones almost every- up we would do things as a family—I've come back eventually, and the older you day," he says. Then he admits that he always spent time with my parents. I the get, the harder it is, so here I am," has learned enough about life at Rice to guess I'm different that way." Being in Giammalva laughs. He says he still prefer to sneak away for a sandwich Houston will do nothing to solve the feels young enough to integrate rather than eat campus-prepared food. problems of a long distance relationship, well with the other students. As for He has even thrown a BBQ or two at his however. Giammalva's girlfriend is Sallyport feels it is a good choice townhouse to helpiellow students sup- presently attending Smith College, and Rice, he for him."Rice has a beautiful campus, plement their diets. he sees no more of her in their present playing it's close to my family, and for the edu- "I had a different image of what Rice circumstances than he did while will cation received, it's a real bargain," he students were like before I came here," tennis. At least now, he says, they says. "And, of course, it has a great Giammalva says. "They're more grown be doing the same things. Though reputation academically." up than I thought they would be. Most For a while, at least. he claims to have no desire to return to To meet that academic challenge, younger tennis professionals who come stu- the circuit while in school, he does in- Giammalva has had to hustle. With a on the court are not as balanced as that all tend to start working out again, possibly weak math background, he says Natural dents at Rice." This is not to say young playing some tournaments on the side. Science 101 has caused him some real of Giammalva's tennis friends are "I wouldn't want to lose all of my tennis problems. "I never took trigonometry or and immature. "In general, most tennis have skills. I've spent too much of my life calculus in high school, so the first players are pretty nice—they don't Tennis, other working on them," he says. For the mo- couple of assignments really panicked really flashy lifestyles like guys in on ment, though, Giammalva is taking the me," Giammalva recalls with a shudder.