Rice renovates Brown and Jones Colleges
Rice started a renovation project this summer to modernize existing colleges ahead of the construction of two more.The renovation is a multi-year project set to finish in the upcoming summer.
“The first in line for college renovations are Brown and Jones,” said Doug Schuler, the magister at Brown College. “This summer the improvements were to the common spaces, such as the Vator, our first floor and then in our basement.”
According to Schuler, one of the most prominent changes to Brown spaces is updating the interior design to make common areas more appealing..
“We used to have some off-campus lounges down in the basement. Now [these] have come up onto the first floor,” Schuler said. “So it’s way different from before, because it’s kind of hip-hip and modern now.”
Some students at Brown think the renovation makes the college more lively and also a better place for student activities.
“I was surprised when I first saw the renovations,” Cecilia Yang, a Brown College sophomore, said. “The new furniture and other stuff are great because the older ones were getting a little shabby. I really like the new color theme. It used to just be gray, white, and brown, but now it has much more colors.”
“The new gym is amazing and the basement renovations, especially the movie room, make it a great space to hang [out] with friends,” Ian Khemlani, a Brown College freshman, said.
Schuler said that in addition to the cosmetic changes, Brown has also renovated the bathrooms to include a gender-neutral bathroom.
“We didn’t have [a gender-neutral bathroom] because of the historical nature when these colleges were made as single gender colleges, and now they are not,”Schuler said.
People at Brown expressed their gratitude towards Housing & Dining’s effort to improve living spaces.
“If we build attractive spaces, everyone is going to take pride in those spaces and take care of them,” said Schuler. “ We are very thankful for the people at H&D who decided to invest in Brown College.”
“I appreciate the makeover and Brown and H&D’s efforts. Now I kind of regret moving off-campus,” Yang said.
More from The Rice Thresher
O’Rourke rallies students in Academic Quad
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, Texas spoke in front of the Sallyport to a sea of sunglasses and “end gun violence” signs April 17. The rally, organized by Rice Young Democrats, took place in the academic quad from noon to 2 p.m.
Five international visas revoked at Rice
Federal authorities have revoked visas for five international affiliates at Rice — three current students and two recent graduates, President Reginald DesRoches announced in an April 11 message to campus. The revocations are “not related to social activism or protests,” a university spokesperson told the Thresher.
Modified Beer Bike races rescheduled to April 18
Beer Bike races have been rescheduled for April 18 at 5-8 p.m. The makeup event was announced in an email to Beer Bike captains, coordinators and stakeholders, from the campuswide coordinators and the Bike Captains Planning Committee.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.