Although I’ve managed to stay on good terms with my relatives over this long break, I have been getting a bit antsy. So just for fun I took Mr. Rice History Corner over for a walk around Rice the other day. For a university that is technically closed it was pretty busy. There were the usual suspects, of course–the joggers and dog walkers, the grad students and post-docs who can’t leave their labs, the facilities crews, the Rice police. There were also quite a few contractors, unhindered in their work by the need to accommodate students and faculty. We saw a lot of interesting things.
First, a befuddling sight in the stadium:
It turned out to be the Kansas State marching band, in town for the Texas Bowl. They sounded terrific, by the way.
Then the new band hall. As far as I know this is the first time the Rice band has ever had a dedicated practice facility of their own. It very nearly brought a tear to my eye. I was jolted back to reality, though, when MOB Director Chuck Throckmorton pressed us into service setting up tables to serve pizza to the K State band.
Here’s some elegant synchronized spraying as the Brochstein Pavilion got some maintenance:
I was especially keen to have another look at the garden over by the South Servery. I wondered whether the broccoli had yet developed heads:
I didn’t see any but patience is key with broccoli. I also noticed this, although I don’t know what it is:
And finally, the Moody Center for the Arts looks to be nearing completion:
Like the RMC, I’ll be open for business again next Tuesday. Happy New Year!
