OP-ED P. 3 A&E '• ' P. 9 SPOILS P. 11 Hair's the difference Probably not contagious The eyes of Texas are upon him BISFs Mike Lee and Gabe Cuadra face off over next week's Dave Rosales compares D) Earworm's homecoming concert Five reasons why southpaw Cliff Lee should rebuff the media's Texas gubernatorial election. performance to Girl Talk's live shows. expectations and stay with the Rangers. thVOLUME XCVIIIe, ISSUE NO.Ric 10 STUDENT-RUe N SINCE 1916 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 New world lit Vegas-themed # department NOD will dazzle considered BY RUBY GEE THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF BROOKE BULLOCK THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF Viva NOD Vegas: Go All In is to- morrow night, and students are going % After 15 years of fluctuating dis- all out, or taking it all off, to prepare. cussion, the French, Hispanic, Ger- Ticket sales for Wiess College's man, and Classical Studies depart- public party started Monday, with ments are considering a merger to tickets selling for $8 each beforehand form one World Literatures depart- or at the door for $10. A t-shirt and ment. The merger would not result ticket combination can be purchased in any changes to staff or curriculum for $15. £ but would restructure the four de- The Wiess Socials said that about partments into one overarching de- 1,200 students have attended in past partment making cross-listed cours- years, but that they do not yet know es and expansion easier to organize. how many will this year. There are Dean of Humanities Nicolas 150 guest passes for sale. Shumway has set up a task force Like, OMG baby DJ Earworm mixes and mashes contemporary music at the Rice This year's incarnation of NOD that is looking into a possible grad- Program Council's homecoming concert Friday night. For a re- will feature a walking magician, card uate program for the departments tables and a red carpet costume con- view of the concert, see page 9. as well as what advantages there blame it on the pop test in the Acabowl area. would be for combining the depart- "We're trying to make NOD more ments into one. inclusive," Wiess Social Alysa Frost Beginning a graduate program said. "We want it to be an enjoyable in World Literature and Culture de- night for everyone." partments would open up opportu- New colleges strapped for cash Wiess Socials Frost and Kelsey Mase £ nities for students and professors. did not want to reveal any further spe- One problem facing a graduate BY HENRY DENG rooms. Makhani said that because part of the college system." cifics regarding the party's decorations. program is how to staff it, a certain THRESHER STAFF the architecture of the two buildings At Duncan, Makhani said that the "Decorations will involve lots of, number of professors have to be is so similar, it is especially important college owns two bikes but would glitz and glamour, but we want to available to teach courses, French Despite a wide spectrum of bud- to buy carpets, curtains, artwork and also need to spend more because the keep the rest a surprise," Mase, a ju- ^ Studies and Hispanic Studies De- get cuts across the university, Rice other items to differentiate the two students want to compete. nior, said. "We want to build and ex- ™ partment Chair Jose Aranda said. has not reduced the budgets allotted and present unique personalities. In addition to the necessary pand the event [and] embrace Rice's ^ However, Aranda said professors to the individual residential colleges. At the moment, both college start-up costs in both new col- potential for creativity." ™ are open to the idea of a graduate Even with the addition of Duncan presidents said they are working to- leges, Duncan and McMurtry have The Wiess Socials said that they program. College and McMurtry College, the gether to increase their capacities to also run into various unexpected have been working with the admin- The more controversial issue formula for determining how much fund these projects by talking to their expenses this year. For example, istration and RUPD to coordinate a surrounding the merger is the idea money each college receives annually masters, requesting more money, and Makhani said that Duncan was safe event. Mase, who encouraged of combining French, Hispanic, has remained unchanged. looking at fundraising ideas. charged $6,000 for cleanup costs students to read the flyer regarding 0 German, and Classical studies into "We've talked to our masters and after painting its commons win- NOD's alcohol policy, said that they one department. McMurtry and Duncan dows during 0-Week. They were not tried to keep what has worked with One fear professors have of com- Duncan and McMurtry now face aware that the windows required a past NOD events, while adding more a bining departments is that the four the significant challenge of shaping special, expensive soap to clean. improvements. programs could risk losing their au- their new colleges with roughly the Makhani said that Duncan and "We're trying to break the mold tonomy. Aranda said some professors same amount of cash allotted to the It bothers me because McMurtry are working together without taking away the party atmo- worry that their department's needs other colleges. According to McMur- we're paying the exact through the challenges they face. sphere," Mase said. _ would be overlooked by a combined try President Kelsey Zottnick and "A lot of times, if Duncan gets Frost , a junior, said that she did ^ head of all four departments. Duncan President Amber Makhani, same to go to Rice. something done, we tell McMur- not anticipate NOD experiencing any "There is a sensitivity to retain- their colleges will have more start-up We should be funded try, and they do the same for us," security or safety issues since they ing the identity of each depart- costs while not having funds saved Makhani said. have been working with the adminis- ment," Aranda said. from previous years. and furnished the Dean of Undergraduates John tration and RUPD to coordinate a safe Duncan College senior Helen Zottnick said McMurtry is trying to same. Hutchinson said no additional mon- event. Sid Richardson College's pub- Li said she worries that the merger find a balance between buying things ey will be given to McMurtry and lic party was forced to limit attend- Kelsey Zottnick would take away from the uniqueness for the college and maintaining stu- Duncan this year from college fees, ees midway through the party due to McMurtry President 0 of being a German Studies major. dent quality of life. but that they could put in additional overcrowding, which was deemed a "Combining the departments "We're given a budget that pre- requests that might be granted from fire hazard. other budgets. "NOD is the safest party on the could take away from the identity of sumes that we are only going to use 99 the department," Li said. "Having it for the daily functioning and stu- However, Duncan and McMurtry Rice campus," Frost said. "We have my major come from the German dent life at our college," Zottnick, have received support from the uni- a security force of about 120 students Studies department makes it stand a McMurtry senior, said. "With the we are going to try to request a little versity and other residential colleges, from all over campus, of all ages." out more than a world literature new colleges, our biggest struggle is more money so that the students such as $250 donations from the mas- NOD security members, who will 0 major would." trying to start to maintain an identity aren't penalized for having fewer re- ters of eight other colleges from their work four hour shifts, will enjoy free However, merging would not through the activities we are able to sources than students at other col- masters' budgets. food, shirts and giveaways as they significantly alter the individual have." leges," Makhani said. "They should However, even with the issues in work at the party. The additional departments, as each would re- Makhani, a Duncan junior, also have the same access to events or ac- their budgets, the two new colleges presence of a 12 member RUPD force main a mostly autonomous division talked about the importance of forg- ademic resources as other students, have managed to stay resourceful. and an ambulance, which together within the overarching world litera- ing an identity while operating with- and having a home and comfortable According to Makhani, Duncan fresh- will cost Wiess $5,000, and EMS vol- ture department. Majors would not in the bounds of Duncan's budget. living space is one of them." men have started a tradition called unteers are meant to add to the secu- 0 be altered either; students could "We're making concessions on According to Zottnick, the biggest "Monday Night Lights" during which rity of the event. still obtain degrees in Hispanic permanent improvements so that we priority other than amenitities will be they lay toilet paper rolls across serv- Despite the anticipated changes to Studies, French Studies, German can still have events and traditions," Beer Bike, given that McMurtry only ery tables as nets and play because NOD this year, the reputation of NOD Studies or Classical Studies, which Makhani said. "That's really the im- owns one bike and needs to buy more they do not have a ping pong table. as a lingerie party has discouraged Li said was preferable to creating portant thing right now: creating an to compete in the race.