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OPINION 10/22/19 9:32pm

The Value of NOW

By Summar McGee

What if we treated our time at Rice like what it actually is — a convergence of the world’s greatest minds and four years of unfettered access to the intellectual pillars of the past and the promise of the future? Dear Rice, your Orientation Week friends could one day change the world, and many of your professors and mentors already have. 

OPINION 10/8/19 10:11pm

What Black people hear when you use the N-word

By Gabby Falcon

As the semester starts and parties are in full swing, I want to speak out and be clear about one thing: Don’t use the N-word while rapping or singing along to songs. On a broader note, don’t use the N-word in your casual vocabulary. This is a demand, not a request.

OPINION 10/8/19 10:10pm

Call for a balanced narrative on Kashmir

By Anu Singh

Two weeks ago, I attended the “Howdy, Modi!” event along with over 100 Rice students and 2,000 students from universities across the United States. It was a proud moment as an Indian American, as I saw fellow students dancing in their colorful garb, musicians celebrating all of India’s spiritual traditions and politicians honoring the contributions made and unique place held by Indian Americans in the fabric of the U.S. 

OPINION 10/1/19 10:52pm

Rethinking Orc Raids in the age of blackface scandals

By Cyrus Ghaznavi

In the past year, there has been a notable influx of blackface scandals among prominent politicians, such as Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and I cannot help but think of Sid Richardson College’s Orc Raids every time a new incident hits the press. 

OPINION 9/26/19 5:19pm

Letter from the Dean of Undergraduates regarding recent Thresher opinion

By Bridget Gorman

First, I want everyone to know that we take these cases incredibly seriously. Cases that involve sexual misconduct or sexual assault are often difficult and complicated. Our reporting and investigative process, as well as our final decisions in these cases, are based on the best available information. We base our decisions on the evidence before us, our best judgment of what is fair to the individuals involved, and what we believe best protects the Rice community.

OPINION 9/24/19 9:27pm

Kavanaugh has to go

By Lila Greiner

Brett Kavanaugh should never have been nominated to be a Supreme Court justice. His confirmation tarnishes the office and its fight for justice.

OPINION 9/24/19 9:25pm

I reported. Rice and SJP still let him graduate.

 

The last time I wrote an opinion piece like this, I had just been sexually assaulted. I was in a terrible place, and I stayed in that terrible place for months and months, unable to break the walls that the sexual assault had put between me and my closest friends. 

OPINION 9/24/19 9:24pm

Men Need to be More Involved in Climate Change Action

By Ezra Smith

In high school I was involved with an environmental networking organization, Maine Environmental Changemakers, that connects like-minded people across the state of Maine to the resources they need to actualize positive environmental change within their communities.

OPINION 9/17/19 10:00pm

Make low-income students feel welcome at Rice

By Elizabeth Hergert

Sometimes as I walk around campus, I have to remind myself that I belong here and this is my school. I think that Rice is not truly mine because I can’t afford my own education. While I am incredibly grateful for the financial aid I receive and the opportunity I’ve been given to attend Rice, I am often reminded that my financial situation is uncommon at this university.

OPINION 9/3/19 10:07pm

The Hoot's Chick-fil-A Ban: Food for Thought

By Tomas Jonsson

In April of this year, The Hoot made a controversial decision that sparked fierce debate among the student body. Effective this semester, The Hoot will no longer be selling Chick-fil-A products because “[their] values, as a student run business, do not align with those of corporate Chick-fil-A.” 

OPINION 8/27/19 10:02pm

A new year begins at Rice, with both joy and sorrow

By David Leebron

The beginning of a new academic year is both a busy and joyous time at Rice. Just over a week ago we formally welcomed 965 new freshmen and 35 transfer students into our community. And over the last week, 1,075 new graduate students arrived on campus, joining disciplines ranging from applied physics to art history and from music to chemical engineering.

OPINION 8/27/19 9:40pm

From the Dean of Undergraduates: Welcome to Rice

By Bridget Gorman

Welcome to the start of another year at Rice! This is my favorite time of year. The academic calendar follows a cyclical rhythm — each spring is a bittersweet goodbye as our seniors move on to the next stage of their lives, and then before you know it, the excitement of greeting our New Students is upon us. 

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