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The Rice Thresher
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The two-day spring recess we are about to enjoy next week will be gone in two years unless the Faculty Council-approved 2002-'03 calendar changes. This unfortunate decision will lead to a more stressful spring semester for students, staff and faculty alike (See Story, Page 1). The faculty also moved spring break a week later, scheduling it for the second week in March to coincide with Houston Independent School District's break. The reason given for taking away spring recess is to make the number of days in the fall and spring semesters more even. With our current calendar, the fall semester is 70 days and the spring semester is 67. While classes in the fall meet once or twice more than those in the spring, the difference is not great enough to warrant such a change. A break for students is more important than having equal semesters, and differences between the two semesters in the first place make it unfair to compare them. First of all, the fall semester is sprinkled with breaks, from Labor Day weekend to the October fall recess to Thanksgiving break. In the spring, the stretch between President's Day and spring break is long, rainy and bleak. And the second change to the calendar, pushing spring break back a week, elongates this stretch. If the faculty decides it's really necessary to balance the semester lengths, we propose adding two days at the end of the spring semester rather than canceling the recess. President Malcolm Gillis has said he wants to find ways to relieve the stress students face at this time of the year. Eliminating one of the only breaks during the spring semester does the exact opposite. As term paper deadlines and finals approach, having spring recess allows students to catch up, get some work done and breathe a little before the homestretch. While spring break is typically a time for vacationing, many students stay in Houston to do work during spring recess. Registrar Jerry Montag said he thinks students might find it hard to go back to school after the two-day break. But we can almost guarantee that no student will complain about readjustment issues, and we've never heard of someone preferring a five-day week over some vacation time. We think the faculty should reconsider the calendar changes. While ensuring there are exactly 40 chemistry lectures each semester may seem important, keeping students sane should be the first priority.
Increasing safety on the bike track Most of the changes to the Beer-Bike parade this year were prompted by concern for students' safety. The big-wheeled monster trucks of years past were replaced with smaller, low-to-the-ground trailers in the hopes that students would be less likely to get run over by the smaller vehicles. Whether it was due to the design of the trailers that were used or merely a twist of fate, injuries due to parade vehicles actually went up. In recent memory, no one had ever been run over by a truck during the parade, but this year several people had their feet run over by the new trailers. We're not saying that the injuries were due to the changed parade procedure, but we do think that efforts to make Beer-Bike safer can also be aimed elsewhere. This year, as usual, the race itself was the source of multiple injuries. While there is no way to remove the element of danger from the race, we would all benefit if future Beer-Bike coordinators tried more ways to diminish the risk involved. For example, coordinators could meet with the bike riders and give them guidelines for riding in close quarters with other bikers. Simple rules of courtesy about what to do after crossing the finish line might help prevent accidents like the one that happened toward the end of the men's race. Also, the fence along the track serves the needed purpose of keeping wayward bikes out of the stands, but a fence that is easier to move and open would make things easier for EMTs trying to treat injuries on the track. Overall, this year's Beer-Bike went smoothly, but for an issue such as safety, there's always room for improvement.
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