Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916
Thursday, November 28, 2024 — Houston, TX

News

NEWS 4/19/16 9:01pm

SA organizes sit-in to protest credit limit vote

By Anita Alem and Drew Keller

The Student Association is organizing a sit-in to protest the Committee for Undergraduate Curriculum proposal to limit the number of credit hours undergraduate students may enroll in each semester. According to the SA, the Faculty Senate will very likely pass the proposal on Wednesday.

NEWS 4/19/16 8:59pm

Minority student group pushes for change

By Anita Alem and Andrew Ligeralde

A coalition of students called the Students of Color Collective has been collaborating with administration to improve underrepresented minority students’ experiences. The Collective is comprised of members of the Black Student Association and the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice.

NEWS 4/13/16 9:47am

MECH department faces questions following student town hall

By Anita Alem

Over 150 students, faculty and administrators attended the mechanical engineering town hall, where undergraduates discussed some of the issues they face in the department, including a lack of tenured professors, underresourced labs and the general underfunding of the department. Mechanical engineering is the second-largest major by enrollment at Rice, with about 190 students.

NEWS 4/13/16 9:42am

Hindi to return next year as CLIC implements changes

By Emily Abdow

Hindi will once again be offered by the Center for Language and Intercultural Communication in the fall 2016 semester as a two year program. According to Meng Yeh, associate director at the CLIC, students will have the option of enrolling in either First Year Hindi or Accelerated First Year Hindi, a faster paced program for heritage students who have been exposed to the language through their culture. She said an accelerated language program is already being offered in Chinese due to the amount of heritage students enrolled at Rice.

NEWS 4/13/16 9:39am

RUPD to roll out college security cameras

By Emily Abdow

Rice University has approved funds for the Rice University Police Department to install security cameras outside of residential colleges to record entrances and exits. According to Police Chief Johnny Whitehead, several hundred security cameras are already on on campus in administration and academic buildings, but crime statistics have revealed the majority of crime including thefts, trespassing and sexual assault, occur in and around residential colleges.

NEWS 4/13/16 9:37am

Advising diversity a work in progress

By Abigail Panitz

What makes a good O-Week? College coordinators have struggled to tackle this question since they were appointed to the position last semester. With a variety of factors and concerns, diversity has emerged as a topic of discussion.

NEWS 4/6/16 1:21am

Faculty political donations lean left

By Jaecey Parham

Public records show that Rice University employees have given 87 percent of their campaign contributions to liberal or Democratic organizations since 2000, while 10 percent of the contributions have gone toward those that are associated with Republicans.

NEWS 4/6/16 1:17am

Economics chair to head social sciences

By Hannah Todd

Antonio Merlo, the department chair of economics at Rice University, has been appointed dean of Rice’s School of Social Sciences effective July 1, according to an announcement from the provost’s office. As dean, Merlo will supervise the departments of anthropology, economics, linguistics, political science, psychology, sociology and sport management.

NEWS 4/6/16 1:15am

QRC, admin consider increase in gender-neutral bathrooms

By Anita Alem

For several months, Queer Resource Center facilitators and Facilities Engineering and Planning have been working on increasing the number of gender-neutral bathrooms at Rice. The group of QRC facilitators, including Catherine Wu, Seth Lauer and a student who goes by Brook, said their goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, healthy, accessible and convenient option to all people who use the bathrooms at Rice, including students, faculty, staff and visitors. “[Gender-neutral bathrooms] can be something that is beneficial for all people on campus and doesn’t make anybody less comfortable,” Lauer, a Duncan College senior, said. According to Lauer, the main concerns behind the push toward more gender-neutral bathrooms are health and safety of both students and visitors to the campus. “With the number of accessible bathrooms that are gender-neutral on campus right now, it’s very likely that a student who has to go to the bathroom may have to hold their bladder as they walk entirely across campus,” Lauer said.

NEWS 4/6/16 1:15am

Lovett senior selected to give speech at commencement

By Drew Keller

Jake Hassell will be this year’s senior class commencement speaker following his selection from a field of 24 candidates, according to former Student Association President Jazz Silva. “I am deeply humbled to have been selected as the commencement speaker,” Hassell, a Lovett College senior, said.

NEWS 4/6/16 1:11am

Catalyst to face UCourt hearing

By Andrew Ligeralde

A public University Court hearing to investigate Rice Catalyst’s blanket tax subsidiary status will take place this Friday, in light of new information that Catalyst did not disclose annual funding from the Center for Civic Leadership.

NEWS 3/23/16 10:15pm

Leebron honored by Spanish government

By Hannah Todd

Rice University President David Leebron received the Order of Isabel la Catolica, with the royal sanction of King Felipe VI, from the government of Spain. This “Encomienda” is awarded to recognize and support activities that benefit Spain and its people.

A&E 3/23/16 4:15pm

Archi-Arts showcases students’ eclectic work

By Ryan Lee

For those of us who cannot be found roaming Anderson Hall at night, the celebration of architecture is epitomized by two campus events: Architectronica and Archi-Arts, which is Architectronica minus the big party.

NEWS 3/23/16 4:11pm

$16 million donated for entrepreneurship

By Jaecey Parham

Alumnus Frank Liu (Lovett ’78) and family donated $16.5 million to Rice University earmarked for entrepreneurial education and the creation of a new idea lab, according to a Rice news release. As the founder of Lovett Homes, InTown Homes and Lovett Commercial in Houston, Liu is a successful entrepreneur himself.

NEWS 3/23/16 4:11pm

Rice English majors organize association

By Emily Abdow

Students have formed a new resource group, the English Undergraduate Association, focused on connecting English majors across Rice.  English department chair Rosemary Hennessy and the Director of Undergraduate Studies Betty Joseph approached English major Magen Eissenstat to undertake the endeavor.

Editor's Picks

Most Popular

The Rice Thresher