News

Commencement ceremonies expected to proceed with no restrictions

The 109th commencement ceremony is expected to proceed as normal with no restrictions, according to Cynthia Wilson, deputy secretary to the Board of Trustees.

Residential colleges grapple with housing adjustments

Several residential colleges, including Brown College, Duncan College and Will Rice College have reported a decline in student interest for on-campus housing next year, attributing this decrease to several factors including the pandemic, housing prices and food options. However, some colleges, such as Wiess College, have also experienced less on-campus housing availability, partly due to the larger size of incoming classes.

Theatre expected to split from VADA

In the coming years, Rice’s visual and dramatic arts department is anticipating a drastic restructuring of its current curriculum, according to Dean of Humanities Kathleen Canning and VADA Chair Bruce Hainley. Theatre students voiced concerns about these changes, as well as safety and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance issues in the current theatre building, Hamman Hall.

Rice debate places fifth, speech places twelfth at national competitions

Rice University’s speech and debate teams won several awards for their 2021-2022 competition season. Debate team members Jacob Tate and Maximus Renteria won the team its second national championship in the National Parliamentary Debate Association 2022 Championship tournament, and the team placed No. 5 in the overall season sweepstakes, according to David Worth, the director of the George R. Brown Forensics Society. The speech team placed twelfth in the overall season sweepstakes category at the American Forensic Association National Speech tournament.

Rice adjusts policies in response to COVID surge

The recent rise in COVID cases on campus prompted the reinstatement of masks in classrooms, the reduction of indoor dining to half capacity and the closure of The Pub at Rice, according to an email sent by the Chair of Crisis Management Advisory Committee Kevin Kirby late last week. 

Jones planning to contest Beer Bike 2022 results

Following Rice Program Council’s announcement of the official 2022 Beer Bike results, students from Jones College said they plan to contest their third place finish in the women’s race. 

‘This is in your best interest to leave’: LGBTQ+ students share discriminatory experiences in Chi Alpha

One of the last things newly matriculated students expect at Rice is intolerance based on sexual identity. However, the Thresher spoke to three students who shared experiences with exactly that in the national Christian organization Chi Alpha, as well as issues regarding victim blaming and alcohol consumption.

Rice cancels remaining publics as Covid cases surge

Rice administration has canceled public parties for the rest of the semester, according to Thursday night emails from college presidents. Additionally, capacity in college commons has been halved, masks are required in classrooms and The Pub at Rice has closed until further notice, according to a message from Kevin Kirby, chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee.

Brown-Jones public canceled amidst post Beer Bike rise in COVID cases

Over the past few days, Rice has seen a substantial rise in COVID-19 cases, according to an email sent to students, staff and faculty from the Rice Crisis Management Team. The Brown-Jones College public, scheduled for this Saturday, is now canceled as a result, according to Brown College Social Coordinator Lucian Bennett-Brandt. 

Rice announces Google Storage reduction by Dec. 17

Rice University Google Workspace student accounts’ storage will reduce to 10 GB, while faculty’s account storage will reduce to 50 GB by Dec. 17 of this year. Associate Vice President of IT Infrastructure and Operations Marc Cougle announced the change in an email to Rice students and faculty on March 7. 

Saudi Arabian Oil Co. joins Rice Carbon Hub research initiative

The Saudi Arabian Oil Company, also known as Aramco, recently joined Rice University’s Carbon Hub research initiative, a program that focuses on the development of sustainable uses of hydrocarbons to further the energy transition.

NESB construction remains on schedule amid other delays

The New Engineering and Science Building construction remains on schedule despite the recent disruption of multiple construction projects at Rice caused by pandemic-induced supply chain and inflation issues.

University Court rules in favor of SA president Gabby Franklin

The University Court verdict regarding the Student Association presidential election unanimously found Gabby Franklin not in violation of any campaign bylaws, UCourt Secretary Shivani Kulkarni announced at the April 4 Senate meeting. 

Beer Bike 2022: Hanszen wins women's, Jones wins men's, crash raises track safety concerns

Students voice safety concerns with track prior to Beer Bike

The bike track was closed for repairs to fix safety issues, according to one of Brown College’s bike captains Sara Emami and emails obtained by the Thresher. Several bike captains said they have noticed that the track drains more slowly after rain and that tar and paint have issues caused by heat that reduces surface friction.

New Hanszen Wing construction delayed by supply chain issues

Supply chain issues have delayed the construction of the new wing of Hanszen College, according to an email from Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman. Gorman said she expects construction to finish at the latest by winter break.

Y2K Ushers in a Bygone Era of Rice Publics

This past Saturday, McMurtry College’s Y2K marked the return of publics at Rice after more than two years. Wristbands for the event sold out within two minutes of being available to students. 

Andrew Yang speaks at Rice on state of U.S. politics and democracy

Andrew Yang discussed the state of U.S. politics, democracy and the benefits of a third political party at McNair Hall on March 28. Yang visited Rice as a part of the Presidential Lecture Series.

Rice hits record low acceptance rate for Class of 2026

This year, Rice hit a record-low acceptance rate of 8.56 percent for its admissions cycle. The Office of Admissions received a record high of 31,424 applications, marking a six percent increase since last year and a 74 percent increase over the past five years, according to Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva. Out of those 31,424 students, just 2,691 were offered admission.

Tuition raises 3.9 percent for 2022-2023 school year

Tuition for next year will increase by $2,030 to $54,100, up 3.9 percent from this year, with the overall cost of attendance rising 3.5 percent to a total of $69,963, according to a news release from the Office of Public Affairs.