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Sunday, January 26, 2025 — Houston, TX

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NEWS 1/22/25 2:35am

‘A Charlie Brown’ January:

By Sarah Knowlton

Classes and normal campus operations will halt on Tuesday, Jan. 21, due to a winter storm watch, Rice Emergency Management announced Jan. 19. Houston is forecasted to receive sleet, two to four inches of snow and possible freezing rain. The Rice Memorial Center, Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center and Fondren Library will be closed. Campus bus service will be suspended until roads are safe to travel.

NEWS 1/22/25 2:34am

Rice reflects on leadership at MLK vigil

By Viola Hsia

Rice held a vigil to commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jan. 19. The vigil, held in Kraft Hall, included a reception, followed by a series of talks from Rice professors. The Rice Black Men’s Association and Multicultural Community Relations, within the university’s Office of Public Affairs, helped organize the event.

NEWS 1/22/25 2:34am

New AI major proposed for fall 2025

By Abigail Chiu

The Faculty Senate will vote on a possible AI major Feb. 5, proposed by Rice’s Committee on the Undergraduate Curriculum. The program has been in development within the computer science department since Spring 2024, and if approved, could be offered as soon as Fall 2025.

NEWS 1/21/25 10:23pm

College 12 selects part of staff leadership

By Hongtao Hu

Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced the magisters and one resident associate Jan. 4. for the upcoming College 12, set to open fall 2026. In the email, Gorman also announced the establishment of a college 12 website and founding committee. 

NEWS 1/14/25 10:59pm

H&D rolls out new spring dining schedule

By Charlie Cruz

Housing and Dining unveiled a restructured dining schedule for the spring semester, introducing extended meal times and continuous weekday dining. Lunch and dinner times are staggered at different serveries — for example, Baker offers lunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., while Seibel offers lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Under the new plan, at least one servery will be open at any given time between 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on weekdays.

NEWS 1/14/25 10:59pm

Rice accepts 13% of record-setting ED applications

By Belinda Zhu

Rice accepted 13.2% of Early Decision applicants in its first round of admissions for the class of 2029, said Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment. With 2,970 total applicants, this year saw yet another record-high; a 3% increase from last year’s previous high of 2,886. An additional 100 students gained admission through the Questbridge National College Match program, an uptick from last year’s 77. 

NEWS 1/14/25 10:57pm

Student Association considers raising Blanket Tax

By Sarah Knowlton

The first Student Association meeting of the semester, held Jan. 13, introduced several action items for the upcoming semester, including increasing meal swipe donations and planning for the new student center set to replace the Rice Memorial Center. A report on the results of December’s special election regarding divestment and university spending was also on the agenda, however was tabled as student elections director Natalie Wang was unable to attend.

NEWS 1/14/25 10:56pm

Sarofim Hall on track for August 2025 opening

By Viola Hsia and Aisha Khemani

The construction of Sarofim Hall, the art department’s new building, remains on schedule for an expected opening in August 2025. The project is moving forward as planned while construction crews continue to work at the site, said John Sparagana, art department chair.

NEWS 12/12/24 1:58pm

Students reject divestment proposals

By James Cancelarich

The student body voted to pass S.REF 01, which asks the Rice Management Company to disclose all of its holdings investments, but rejected the remaining divestment proposals. While every ballot measure gained a majority of votes in favor, the remaining three did not achieve the two-thirds majority required to pass.

NEWS 12/3/24 11:41pm

Student organizations form coalition to support SA referenda

By James Cancelarich

Four Student Association referenda open for the general student body vote today at noon. The referenda call for disclosure of Rice Management Company holdings and divestment from entities that profit off the Israel-Hamas war. The referenda also ask that Rice release a statement condemning genocide and materially support anti-colonial scholarship. Voting will close Dec. 11 at noon and the results will be published the next day. For the referenda to pass, a two-thirds majority with a 20% student body turnout is needed. 

NEWS 12/3/24 11:40pm

Chaus closes due to water leak, ‘tentatively hoping’ to reopen Dec. 5

By Belinda Zhu

Rice Coffeehouse is closed indefinitely due to water leaks in the building that occurred over Thanksgiving break. Chaus announced its closure in a Dec. 1 Instagram post, citing “unseen circumstances.” Although no official date has been announced, Chaus is aiming for a Dec. 5 reopening, said both Alysa Bijl-Spiro, Chaus’ general manager, and Caitlin Lindsay, Director of Student Center Operations.

NEWS 12/3/24 11:39pm

Rice launches partnerships with Indian universities

By Nandini Dasari

Thirty members of Rice leadership and faculty convened in Bengaluru, India Nov. 18 to launch Rice Global India, an initiative to bolster Rice’s network of academic collaboration abroad. According to Caroline Levander, Rice’s vice president for global affairs, the trip was the largest international delegation in the history of the university.

NEWS 12/3/24 10:28pm

SA approves special ballot, gender resolution

By Viola Hsia

Senate passed the special election ballot about divestment and investment transparency referenda Dec. 2., during its last meeting of the semester. Senate also passed a resolution, formally introduced on Nov. 25, recommending the inclusion of gender diversity statements in professors’ syllabi and a bill to expand student discounts around Houston.

NEWS 12/3/24 10:25pm

‘Not an easy job’: Student hosts police officer panel

By Viola Hsia

A panel discussion titled ‘Behind the Badge’ was hosted by Kelsea Whiting, a political science student, Nov. 21. The event, according to the Rice University Police Department’s Facebook post, aimed to “humanize law enforcement by providing an honest, inside look into the challenges, experiences and realities faced by officers in their daily lives.”

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