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Mental health forum addresses survey results

A Rice Alliance for Mental Health Awareness (RAMHA) survey distributed to Rice undergraduates showed 44.4 percent of respondents said they have lived or currently live with a mental illness and 57 percent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they felt comfortable talking about mental health on campus.

UCourt extends voting for part-time students

University Court announced at the Student Association Senate meeting Monday night that the election for SA president would be extended five more days for those part-time students who did not originally receive a ballot.

Rice community remembers James Patrick Griffith

James Patrick Griffith, a McMurtry College alum, passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 27. Griffith, known by his friends as “JP,” was training to become a flight instructor when he was involved in a plane crash near Denver. A Denver native, Griffith is survived by his parents, Bill and Emma, and siblings Gracie and Griff.

Cost of attendance to rise 3 percent next year

The total undergraduate charges for attending Rice University, including tuition, mandatory fees and room and board, will increase 3.1 percent to $59,458 for next school year, according to Vice President for Finance Kathy Collins. While the cost is the highest ever, its rate of increase was smallest in at least a decade.

Constitution in brief

Senate approves resolution supporting DACA students

The Student Association Senate passed Resolution #4, expressing support of the federal BRIDGE Act, in a 22-1-2 vote Monday night, after more than 30 minutes of debate in addition to discussions at two prior SA meetings.

Thomas contests election via UCourt

Two apparent constitutional violations have occurred during the Student Association election, and SA President Griffin Thomas has filed a complaint with University Court to contest the election.

Todd launches write-in campaign for SA president

Current Student Association External Vice President Hannah Todd announced she is running a write-in campaign for SA president Monday night just after voting in the election began.

Voting opens for Nyquist and Onwenu, Frediere drops out of race after debate

As Rice undergraduates began voting for a new Student Association president, candidates Jake Nyquist and Justin Onwenu continued ramping up their campaigning on campus and social media. Both individuals, along with former candidate Maurice Frediere, defended their platforms at a Friday night debate hosted by the Thresher. Frediere dropped out of the race on Saturday and endorsed Onwenu’s campaign.

Princeton Review race/class ranking at odds with mobility metrics

Following Rice University’s No. 1 ranking for race and class interaction by the Princeton Review in August 2016, a recent study reported by the New York Times of 2,137 universities revealed that Rice is approximately average in terms of class financial composition and mobility when compared to other elite institutions.

SA positions vacant in first election round

While five candidates will be contesting the Student Association presidency and external vice presidency, no undergraduates submitted a petition to run for SA internal vice president or treasurer in next week’s first round general election.

At Kinder speech, O'Malley promotes urban data

Martin O’Malley, former governor of Maryland and former Democratic presidential candidate, shared his thoughts on modern urban leadership last Wednesday at a Rice University Kinder Institute for Urban Research event.

Exclusive: Thresher interview with Martin O'Malley

SA addresses campaign ethics concerns with new rules

The Student Association Senate amended the regulations for the upcoming SA elections to bar candidates from promising student funding to organizations and from receiving campaign donations from groups unaffiliated with Rice. These new rules, which were approved unanimously at Monday’s Senate meeting, came in response to information indicating that a potential candidate or candidates had used external campaign consulting services and promised clubs preferential access to student funding in exchange for campaign assistance, according to SA President Griffin Thomas.

Potential federal funding cuts threaten Rice projects

President Donald Trump’s pledge to trim the federal deficit could affect research at Rice. According to The Hill, Trump’s budget team has proposed cutting funding entirely for the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as reducing funding for the Department of Energy to 2008 levels. The administration has not yet released an official budget outline.

Berlin Wall segment restored following graffiti

Art conservators completed the restoration of the section of Berlin Wall outside the Baker Institute for Public Policy following its defacement in an act of vandalism two weeks prior. According to conservator Robert Pringle, the process cost $10,000 to $12,000. Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson confirmed the vandals are responsible for payment.

Willy's statue vandalized with swastika

The base of Willy's Statue was vandalized with chalk on the night of Friday, Feb. 3 with a swastika and the word "TRUMP" between 9:30 p.m. and 1 a.m. According to Baker College senior Stephanie Brener, the white chalk graffiti was removed within an hour of notifying Rice University Police Department.

Opera house design unveiled, set to open July 2020

Rice University and the Shepherd School of Music are set to open a new music and opera building in July 2020. Together with Alice Pratt Brown Hall and a connecting plaza, the three will constitute the Music and Performing Arts Center.

"Rainbow building" lit again

The lights of the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, colloquially referred to by Rice students as the “rainbow building,” have come back on after months of darkness.

Hanszen fellows host Daily Show comedian

Approximately 100 attendees gathered in Hanszen College commons on Thursday to hear Adam Lowitt, writer and executive producer of the Daily Show, talk about everything from Rice University’s residential college system to President Donald Trump. He spoke by invitation of the Hanszen Academic Fellows Society, which maintains a tradition of asking speakers to the college.