Josh Stallings for SA treasurer
(02/21/24 3:39am)
Due to his experience as the current Student Association deputy treasurer, we, the Thresher Editorial Board, endorse Josh Stallings for SA treasurer.
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Due to his experience as the current Student Association deputy treasurer, we, the Thresher Editorial Board, endorse Josh Stallings for SA treasurer.
In a rather rare contested election, the Student Association has two candidates on the upcoming ballot for secretary: Chelsea Asibbey and Calla Doh. Due to her fresh perspective outside of the Student Association, willingness to take initiative on her own ideas and emphasis on serving Rice communities, we, the Thresher Editorial Board, endorse Chelsea Asibbey for SA secretary.
On your 2024 Student Association ballot, you’ll see something in addition to the standard races for executive positions: a constitutional amendment. We urge you to vote “no.”
As the Student Association elections roll around, so do our candidate endorsements. These endorsements are neither new nor novel. We’ve been writing them for years, alongside student-run and larger newspapers alike.
A recent study conducted by Bowen Cho examined top universities’ accessibility and disability infrastructure, ranking them on the basis of support, inclusion, safety and critical pedagogy, among other factors. Each university was graded — and Rice placed 35th, with a whopping F.
Solomon Ni announced their resignation from the Student Association presidency Jan. 22, citing mental health concerns and burnout. Ni’s resignation resurfaces conversations about the responsibilities and benefits of student leadership.
As this year’s Student Association election cycle officially begins in early February, let’s not forget last year’s uncontested slate of candidates and the “Dilf Hunter” write-in campaign. The student body’s dissatisfaction with the SA has been clear, with many even calling for change in the way the SA operates, or questioning the allocation of their current resources elsewhere. If you’re one of the many jaded about the SA, we pose a question: Why not run for SA yourself?
A petition was posted by an anonymous Rice student Jan. 13 asking for Fondren Library to be open 24/7. By publication, the petition had garnered 313 signatures. While we understand the desire for more study spaces, the extra labor required to support this endeavor may cause more difficulties than it solves. Instead, we have some suggestions for other study spaces and resources that those who want it can access 24/7.
Despite their disappointing 45-21 season-ending loss to Texas State in the First Responder Bowl, the Rice football team has reason for optimism going forward: The Owls played in their second-straight bowl game while going 4-4 in their first season as members of the American Athletic Conference. Winning their most games in a season since 2014 and defeating crosstown rivals University of Houston in the Bayou Bucket has made this season a successful one for head coach Mike Bloomgren, who has significantly turned around this football program since he arrived in 2018.
Rice’s 111-year history is marked by lots of positive impact — and plenty of harmful actions. William Marsh Rice, the university’s founder and namesake, was a slave owner, and from the school’s establishment as a free institution for only white students to Ku Klux Klan meetings occurring on Rice property, the connections to segregation and racial injustice cannot be denied.
After years of student protest and the final report from the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice, construction crews have removed the Founder’s Memorial statue from its pedestal. Willy’s statue will no longer be the centerpiece of the campus’ main quad.
After seven students were transported to the hospital at Night of Decadence Oct. 28 and the public was shut down nearly two hours early, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced that all publics through spring break would be canceled and Pub Night would be only open to 21+ students until further notice. Many students have responded with upset and even anger at this decision, sharing thoughts on Fizz and creating petitions about the matter. While it is fair to be sad about the loss of some important college traditions, we need to consider how severe the alcohol situation on campus has gotten to necessitate this decision.
In the early hours of Oct. 29, the 50th Night of Decadence public at Wiess College was abruptly cut short. In an email to all students, the Wiess team in charge of organizing the public justified the shut down due to the complete overwhelming of Rice and Houston emergency services, which was promptly accelerated after an altercation between RUPD and several students.
Early voting has started in the elections of Houston’s next mayor and city council. Through Nov. 3, you can head to the Texas Medical Center to cast your ballot — and starting Saturday, Rice will provide bus service from campus. If you can’t make it by then, Sewall Hall will be a voting precinct for Election Day on Nov. 7.
President Reggie DesRoches recently told Bloomberg that Rice has been struggling to hire faculty due to perceptions of Texas and its politics. The report by Bloomberg found that many professors and instructors that could otherwise have been hired were turned away by the “conservative political environment,” among other factors.
Last week, we reported on Rice Pride’s decision to cut ties with Houston Hillel. It was controversial, to say the least. An ugly debate reared its head on social media, with online fights and hateful comments breaking out.
In an email last week, Rice Pride announced an end to its partnership with Houston Hillel, a Jewish campus organization that has hosted events with Pride since 2016. The statement pointed to the “Standards of Partnership” of Hillel International, the parent group of Houston Hillel, which Pride called exclusionary to Palestinian and Arab queer students.
Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal released their list of the 2024 Best Colleges in the U.S. This ranking features a brand-new methodology that prioritizes student outcomes, graduation rate and median annual salary. Rice came 64th.
Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Chief Clemente Rodriguez of the Rice University Police Department unveiled Policy 854, the university’s new regulations on micro-transportation, in a Sept. 7 email. The policy, among other things, prohibits the operation of scooters and bicycles inside and at the entrances of university buildings, in addition to requiring operators of these vehicles to yield to pedestrians at all times.
Rice football kicked off its season with yet another rout at the hands of the University of Texas Longhorns, losing 37-10. At least it wasn’t 58-0.