letters
Reader Response DEAR EDITOR
I enjoyed the article by Dan Oko in the Winter 2014 issue of Rice Magazine. I was surprised, however, that there was no mention at all of an earlier Rice–Bhutan link. Were you aware of the fact that the current king’s father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, lived at Will Rice College for the better part of a year in the late 1960s? … —Charles Tremoulet ’71
REPLY: In investigating this additional Rice– Bhutan connection, we discovered that it was the future king of Bhutan’s nephew — Jigme Wangchuk Yapshi Pheunkang — who attended Rice. The prince of Sikkim is in the 1971 Campanile. Thank you, Charles, for helping us unearth this fascinating piece of Rice history. It was great reading about the outdoor performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Winter 2014, Pages 10–11). There is an old tradition of outdoor Shakespeare performances set against the campus architecture. I remember fondly Rice Players’ productions when I was in high school. My English teacher, a Rice grad, hinted at extra credit if we attended! It was wonderful seeing Jim Bernhard ’59 playing Falstaff, with the soldiers on the battlements of the Physics Building in the background, and the following year, Bernhard and Ginger Purington ’59 (the future Mrs. Bernhard) channeling Shylock and Portia inside the physics lecture hall due to a rainout. As a freshman, I was unforgettable as a page with one line in “Twelfth Night,” with the chemistry building behind us. Frank Dent ’59 was a standout that year. I think the tradition may have ended with the graduation of those fabulous actors — but the buildings remain to inspire future generations of thespians!
—Barry Moore ’62 REPLY: Barry, thank you for this wonderful vision of thespian talent and bravery, too.
THE RICE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
WINTER 2014 SURVEY FINDINGS Congratulations on the randomly selected winners of our Rice Magazine Winter 2014 issue survey drawing — Kathy Wang ’97, James Rhodes ’62 and Richard Miller ’75. Thank you for providing valuable feedback about our quarterly issue. Each winner received an “Unconventional Wisdom” T-shirt. If you receive a spring issue survey, please fill it out and enter our next drawing. SELECTED COMMENTS AND STATS FROM OUR WINTER 2014 ISSUE SURVEY ABOUT THE FEATURES
“Frontside Forces” Earth scientist and longtime shredder Adrian Lenardic turns the art of skateboarding into a “public display of science.” “I cannot say that I have any interest in skateboarding, but the science aspect of the article was interesting.” “Loved the photos and infographics.”
“In the Land of the Thunder Dragon” Rice linguist Christina Willis Oko treks to remote Bhutan to research the endangered language known as Khengkha. “Loved the photos and how they brought part of the world back to Rice.”
“OwlSpark” Student startups are emerging from all corners of campus and getting serious support. “This one made me wish I had gone into engineering, although I wouldn’t have had the benefit of OwlSpark back then.”
WANT TO WRITE FOR US? Rice Magazine’s features and departments are open to experienced freelance writers. Before you pitch, please request a copy of our writers’ guidelines and tips via ricemagazine@rice.edu.
4
Ric e M aga z i n e | S p ri ng 2 0 1 4
Robert B. Tudor III, chairman; Edward B. “Teddy” Adams Jr.; J.D. Bucky Allshouse; Keith T. Anderson; Doyle Arnold; Laura Arnold; Albert Chao; T. Jay Collins; Mark Dankberg; Lynn Laverty Elsenhans; Doug Foshee; Lawrence Guffey; Ben Hollingsworth; John Jaggers; Larry Kellner; R. Ralph Parks; Lee H. Rosenthal; Jeffery Smisek; Charles Szalkowski; Robert M. Taylor Jr.; Guillermo “Memo” Treviño; James S. Turley; Randa Duncan Williams. ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS
David W. Leebron, president; George McLendon, provost; Kathy Collins, vice president for Finance; Kevin Kirby, vice president for Administration; Chris Muñoz, vice president for Enrollment; Allison Kendrick Thacker, vice president for Investments and treasurer; Linda Thrane, vice president for Public Affairs; Richard A. Zansitis, vice president and general counsel; Darrow Zeidenstein, vice president for Resource Development. EDITORIAL OFFICES
Creative Services–MS 95 P.O. Box 1892 Houston, TX 77251-1892 713-348-6768 ricemagazine@rice.edu POSTMASTER
Send address changes to: Rice University Development Services–MS 80 P.O. Box 1892 Houston, TX 77251-1892 ©April 2014 Rice University