September 19, 2002
Cool school

I'm just going to give in to the fact that I'm in a whimsical mood today and keep posting silly stuff...

The noted academic journal Seventeen magazine recently released its list of the Top 100 Coolest Colleges, "where girls can get the best college experience[, f]rom frat parties to professors' involvement, from campus safety to great shopping". Their Number One Kool Skool is none other than Houston's own Rice University. As a former grad student at Rice and a longtime member of the Marching Owl Band, I can tell you that this came as a great surprise - not to mention source of amusement - to the campus itself. They're not afraid to live up to their newfound reputation, however, as this article from Rice News makes clear:


Rice President Malcolm Gillis is asking everyone to wear shades inside and outside for the next week or two as badges of coolness. “If people insist on calling us cool, then maybe we should act the part, at least part of the time,” he said.

All together now:

I study nuclear science
I love my classes
I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses
Things are going great, and they're only getting better
I'm doing all right, getting good grades
The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades

Posted by Charles Kuffner on September 19, 2002 to Elsewhere in Houston
Comments

SCIENCE!

Posted by: Magnus Pyke on September 19, 2002 3:09 PM

I haven't see anyone wearing shades since Gillis's request, which hasn't been particularly well publicized. In any case, I'm not surprised the administration is focusing more on the Seventeen ranking to take the edge off the fact that we slipped three slots in the US News and World Report guide. Oh well, you gotta emphasize your strengths.

Posted by: Owen Courrèges on September 20, 2002 12:57 PM