: OP-ED HH ; p. 3 A&E P. 12 SPORTS Are newspapers an ancient relic? Fanboys, Fashion and Female Genitalia Vaulting to the top Print news is here to stay • it's the tangible way of main- It'sA&E's Valentine's Edition: Watch a movie. Dress up. Men's track and field raises an eyebrow or two as star pole taining institutional memory. Check out Vagina Monlogues. vaulter Jason Colwicksets the bar high. thVOLUME XCVI,e ISSUE NO . 1Ric9 STUDENT-RUe N SINCE 1916 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009 Lovett Blanket 4* masters ~'W taxes find complete \ £ ballot spot tenure Several clubs to put money amount up BY MICHELLE PHILLIPS FOR THE THRESHER for vote in election Lovett College Masters Bernard and Carolyn Aresu will finish their BY JACLYN YOUNGBLOOD AND five-year term at the end of this JOCELYN WRIGHT semester. THRESHER STAFF French Studies Professor Ber- nard Aresu and Carolyn Aresu, In- Peppered among the names tegrative Graduate Education and of student-government hopefuls Research Training Administrator on the 2009 Student Association at the laboratory for nanophoton- spring election ballot will be a ics, have been working at Rice for number of blanket tax proposals. 30 years. They also served as mas- Students celebrate at the 100 Days dance party on Wednesday. Rice Program Council is requesting 100 days until to increase its per-student blanket ters of Brown College from i982-'88, This year's event was held at Houston social club 26ten. staying on an extra year to facilitate tax by $23 in two separate mea- its transition from an all-women's the real world sures, adding $8 to its general fund college to a co-ed college. and adding a new concerts fund tax of $15. Additionally. KTRU is re- U questing a $3 increase in its blanket tax, Open magazine and The Rice Rent increases proposed for pubs Review are asking to add a $1 blan- They're a great team ket tax each and SA Internal Vice because they are President Akshay Dayal proposed Administrators consider raising monthly dues for Valhalla, Willy's Pubt o eliminate The University Blue's exact opposites: $1 blanket tax. Carolyn is the orga- In order to pass, the proposals nized one; Bernard is 2006 2007 2008 2009 - all of which have already been approved by the SA senate except all about action and Open's request, which will be pro- spontaneity. posed at the next SA meeting Mon- day — must be separately approved Lauren Reyes by two-thirds of the students voting Lovett 'n in the general election Feb. 20-25, with at least 20 percent of the stu- » dent body voting. When the Aresus became masters of Lovett five years ago, Hanszen BLANKETTAX and Baker Colleges were also look- ing for masters at the same time. PROPOSALS Knowing that each college had its Below are the proposed own personality, they tried to find blanket tax increases on the the college in which they would best $1,678 general election ballot: belong, the Aresus said. (proposed) "I think what's most wonderful • RPC: $19 ($8 increase) about the college system is ... it's a wonderful sort of intellectual, cul- • KTRU: $8.50 ($3 increase) tural and social village, and we re- ally cherish that particular aspect of PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CATHERINE BRATIC • Open: $1 ($1 increase) what we do," Bernard Aresu said. They based their decision on BY JOSH RUTENBERG Manager David Fortunato said. with pubs in Rice Village. • R2: $1 ($1 increase) the chemistry they felt with Lovett THRESHER STAFF Willy's Pub will also be affected "The problem is that such a students, saying they hit it off after by the rent increase, although at high rate increase necessitates an having an extraordinary experi- Valhalla's reputation for inex- this time their proposed increase increased price in goods," he said. ence with senior Lovett students on pensive beer may soon become is undecided. "Since the customers' disposable in- a tour of the St. Arnold's Brewery a thing of the past as the gradu- Block declined to be interviewed come won't increase, we will have to RPC in Houston. ate pub attempts to make up for a for this article, stressing that the increase prices more to compensate." The current blanket tax levied "We were baptized in fire with proposed 150 percent rent increase decisions were not yet final. Fortunato said that by having by RPC is $11 per undergraduate Lovett culture that night on that next year. Student Center Director Boyd establishments such as Valhalla on student per year, and $8 of total bus," Carolyn Aresu said. While nothing is set in stone Beckwith said the rise in rent re- campus, Rice promotes a healthy, goes to general RPC funds and $3 Lovett Masters Search Committee yet, the increase proposed by flects an increase in university util- safe environment for drinking. is put toward Beer Bike, RPC Presi- Chair Lauren Reyes said the Aresus Vice President for Investment Re- ity cost and that by raising rent on "The university fails to consider dent Michelle Kerkstra said. have a good feel for what Rice stu- nee Block, who sets the rent pay- the pubs, Rice is trying to recover the intangible benefits we provide," RPC proposed two separate dents need from college masters. ments for Willy's Pub and Valhalla some of that increase. he said. "Rice is putting a $12,000 blanket tax increase options. "They're a great team because every year, would raise rent to Fortunato said he is concerned price tag on this service." RPC's first proposal would in- they are exact opposites: Carolyn $1,678 per month, up 147 percent that the price increase Valhalla will In addition to safety concerns, crease the current blanket tax from is the organized one; Bernard is all from this year's $678.25. The in- have to implement to make up for Fortunato said that without Valhal- $11 to $19, doubling the general about action and spontaneity, and crease is the result of economic lost business will make it difficult la, graduate students would have RPC fund tax from $8 to $16 while O see LOVETT, page 4 strain on the university, Valhalla for Valhalla to remain competitive O see VALHALLA, page 6 Osee TAX, page 10 Superstitious Sightings Get some PDA tonight And the winners are... INDEX Opinion 2 Friday the 13th checklist: break a mirror, walk The Center for Student Professional Development Get carpal tunnels syndrome and send Faheem News 4 under a ladder, attend Archi Arts tonight at 10 offers advice on how to make it — in the job mar- Ahmed and Anish Patel to the Oscars! Vote online Arts & Entertainment 12 p.m. at The Meridian club. Tickets are $12 at the ket, that is. Students share their prior experience at mtvU.com to send Rice's own to L.A. as Oscar door. Catch a ride from the Sallyport. Watch out and awkward moments in interviews this Wednes- correspondents on the red carpet and in the win- Sports 17 for Baker 13 runners. day, Feb. 18 from 8-10 p.m. in the Kelley Lounge. ners' room. Voting ends Feb. 20 so click-away! Calendar 23 Backpage 24 FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13,2009 OP-ED THE RICE THRESHER TUSI the Rice (Ihresher u&APEft IANKRIXT , Raising Valhalla's rent requires review FUTURE With an ever-tightening economic noose forcing the university to OF N£WS pay more and more attention to its budget, Rice is currently entertain- ing a proposal that would increase the rent owed by Willy's Pub and Valhalla (see story, page 1). The amount of money Pub would owe has not been made public, but Valhalla would be on the hook for $1,678.25 ATA NEWS STATION I W£/*E per month, or $1,000 more per month than the graduate student hang- out is paying this year. mjke We are fully aware that this proposal is far from finalized, but we {AT p XHTBSNET feel that it is necessary to raise our objections as preemptively and im- Jth£ Fl'TURI vr-fHB mediately as possible. VE*ISI toM F08FormaWt loti t 1 According to President David Leebron's Vision for the Second Cen- ^^ ** N»uuminiii...i„11 «mir- tury, one of Rice's main goals for the upcoming years is the creation and maintenance of "attractive campus amenities" for graduate stu- dents. Luckily for those administrators given the task of achieving this goal, Valhalla is already one of the most attractive amenities in Hous- iff RKoRt>$2 ton, and its attractiveness stretches far beyond the hedges. Recently, ' ' \ Houston Press named Valhalla the "Best Place to Lie Around Drinking Beer" for 2008, citing good value — most beers cost no more than a i f 1 •A dollar or two — and lively social atmosphere as two of the pub's best attributes. Valhalla also made the Houston Press awards list in 2004 as the "Best Place to Meet Single Women." In short, Valhalla is the social thresher-ops@rice. edu lynchpin for the graduate student population, since it provides a vi- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR brant social environment at low cost, all within easy walking distance programs and open recreation going if the Thresher staff did everything in . of labs and classrooms. Rec Center strives on at the same time. You won't have to their power to bring Caroline May back. If this financial proposal passes, the university will collect $12,000 to improve facility schedule your workout times around more per year from Valhalla — money the volunteer-only pub will al- our schedule.