We hope the administration will continue to listen to student feedback and be open to discussion, as it did this year with the CTIS student working group. CTIS is a milestone in Rice’s initiative to better the well-being of students on campus, and it is encouraging to witness the progress being made.
The Rice University student body will vote on a proposed increase in intramural sports fees this week (p.
The dean of undergraduates is the primary administrator with the ability to be a voice for the student body. Gorman should actively work with and listen to students rather than act unilaterally as an administrator.
Rice currently does not conduct need-blind admission for international students, which sets it apart from other prestigious schools that lead in financial aid — and not in a good way.
Beer Bike is an inherently risky activity that we should constantly strive to make safer. The steps taken by the campuswide Beer Bike coordinators to improve biker certification were much needed in limiting the risk that is ever-present when a pack of 12 bikers takes sharp turns around a track at high speeds.
Overall, the SA under outgoing President Justin Onwenu has certainly brought up important topics that could set up the incoming executive board to further galvanize the Rice student body.
A new dean of undergraduates will soon take on the role of overseeing undergraduate academics by working with the faculty on teaching and curriculum. With this in mind, we encourage the search committee and applicants to prioritize teaching as one of the most pressing issues facing the undergraduate community.
A Student Association task force is examining the cost of health center tests for sexually transmitted infections, with survey results indicating that more than 60 percent of sexually active Rice students have never been tested for STIs (see p.
The Student Association uses an election system named “ranked-choice voting” to elect all campus-wide leadership positions. Being an informed voted means not just reading the candidate’s platforms and watching the debate, but also understanding the exact rules of our voting system.
Engles' ability to listen, reflect, ideate and take concrete steps toward implementation make her the candidate who would have the most positive impact in the coming year.
We are lucky to have two excellent candidates this year with realistic goals and an emphasis on using feedback to guide the SA. Wickerson’s emphasis on going past the status quo while keeping their ideas realistic and within the scope of the role have earned them our recommendation for SA IVP.
Loh’s ideas, even if not revolutionary, indicate that she understands the basic job as described in the SA constitution. Though the candidate field sets the bar somewhat low, we encourage you to give Loh the dough.
Demanding that every department except music and architecture designate certain existing majors as minors is the wrong approach to this issue. Instead, there should be more research and discussion on which majors in which departments could actually be beneficial and desirable as minors.
One of Rice’s many traditions is a debate between the Student Association presidential candidates, moderated by the Thresher. We have decided to not include candidate Morgan Gillis in the debate.
Though not all of the proposed changes are moves in the right direction, we applaud the efforts to continue making Beer Bike a campus-wide event that is both safe and fun.
If Rice truly hopes to form a student body both representative of and enriching to its broader community, then this resolution is a certain step toward achieving such an outcome.
Door propping is like underage drinking: The university technically doesn’t allow it, there might be some associated risks, and yet a large portion of students do it anyway.
In the Jan. 10 print edition of the Rice Thresher, our popular satirical “Backpage” consisted of a series of fake advertisements that looked to poke fun at different events going on at Rice and in the world at large. One of these “ads” related to the upcoming holiday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Every year, the Rice Annual Fund solicits donations from students for the Rice Owls Give Back campaign (see p. 1). Many students, however, aren’t sure why they should donate in addition to the thousands in tuition they already pay.
Onwenu should ensure that his presentation of the proposal to the CUC is nuanced and representative of the diverse opinions expressed through this process, both for and against.
