News Briefs

Annual powwow set for April 15

The seventh annual Native American Student Association Powwow is Friday, April 15, from 6 to 11 p.m. at intramural field No. 7, next to Autry Court Gymnasium.

The powwow will feature dancers from various American Indian traditions, native drum groups, vendors of Native American crafts, Indian tacos and much more. The event will include contests in various categories, gourd dancing at 6:30 p.m. and a grand entry at 7:45 p.m. The Native American Powwow is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Elyse Walker at <ewalk@rice.edu>.

Survey deadline approaches

The deadline for the ‘Engaging Houston’ Web survey is April 15.

All faculty and staff are invited to share their individual contributions, such as research, teaching, volunteerism and leadership. These efforts will then be catalogued to better understand the informal network of relationships beyond the hedges. Any relevant information pertaining to students will be collected by the Office of Student Activities.

Leaders of major Rice-sponsored programs, as well as “record managers” of major university-sponsored programs that engage the Houston community, received a request via e-mail to fill out the Web survey detailing the specifics of their programs.

The end result of this initiative will be a searchable database of engagement activities that will highlight Rice’s many contributions. It will also serve as an indicator for where Rice may wish to direct future engagement endeavors.

To fill out the Web survey or to learn more about the Engaging Houston initiative, visit <www.rice.edu/engage>.

Expanded hours for shuttle to the Village

The Rice shuttle bus schedule for weekend routes to the Rice Village has been extended by two
hours.

The shuttle now runs Friday and Saturday evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Buses can be caught in the inner loop every 15 minutes. Pickup locations in the Village are at the corner of University Boulevard and Kelvin and the corner of Rice Boulevard and Kelvin.

Undergrads to showcase their research

Rice students who have conducted research during their undergraduate years will showcase the fruits of their labors Friday, April 15, at the fourth annual Rice Undergraduate Research Symposium (RURS) in Grand Hall, Rice Memorial Center.

The symposium, which will feature work by undergraduates who are conducting or have conducted independent and group research, will include a keynote speaker, two poster sessions and brief presentations by the students to a panel of judges. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top posters in each division.

RURS is designed to expand the research opportunities for students and allow them to gain conference experience. More than 100 undergraduates participated in the first RURS held in 2002.

For more information, visit the RURS Web site, <www.ruf.rice.edu/~rurs>.

Solar eclipse viewing from Rice Observatory

The Rice Observatory will hold an open house Friday, April 8, from 4:15 to 6:15 p.m. for viewing of a solar eclipse.

This partial eclipse will be visible only from the southern half of the United States. Along the Gulf Coast, the eclipse will last about two hours, and observers will see from 30 to 40 percent of the sun covered by the moon.

For more information, visit <http://space.rice.edu> or call Umbe Cantu, 713-348-4939.

Recertification at the Rice Rec Center

The Rice Recreation Center is offering an affordable way for anyone to be recertified as a lifeguard or to update CPR and first-aid certifications.

Recertification tests will be offered at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30. Certification costs range from $25 to $35.

For more information, contact Lovett College senior Kate Hurtekant at <katehurt@rice.edu>.