Op Eds

Innovation district must make progress for all

When asked about the inspiration behind the name “Ion”, President David Leebron described Rice’s planned innovation hub as “embodying the ever-forward motion of discovery.”

Peers and professors can work to prevent imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome — that deep sinking feeling that hits when you feel way out of your league, accompanied by cold sweat and anxiety. The first time I felt imposter syndrome was during O-Week

Despite concerns, Vagina Monologues positive experience for many

For many years, the Rice Women’s Resource Center (RWRC) has sponsored and staged an annual production of Eve Ensler’s 1996 episodic play, The Vagina Monologues.

New Harris County Commissioners Court must fix the dialysis dilemma

Lines of patients flood the emergency care centers at every hospital, from Ben Taub to Memorial Hermann, according to the Houston Chronicle. This scene is the product of a broken system, a system that we must push our newly elected county leaders to fix.

‘Places I’ve cried’ and the dangers of normalizing mental illness

Crying every day. Not being able to get out of bed. Losing interest in hobbies and academics. Pushing away friends and family members. Feeling intense loneliness and isolation. These are all things you will find on a list of signs of mental illness. These are also things you will find on the “rice university places i’ve cried” Facebook page. 

‘Yellow fever’ and other microaggressions hinder progressive sentiments

Response to Rehman and Quirante: Calls to disengage from electoral politics epitomize privilege

Many Americans work hard within our electoral system to shape our country in a positive way. Dismissing their efforts minimizes them and in doing so demonstrates troublesome entitlement. Activism requires a certain amount of time, effort and privilege to work. Not everyone has the resources to engage in activism, but voting is a right, not a privilege, that we must promote.

Response to Rehman and Quirante: Disengaging from politics isn’t ‘woke,’ it’s counterproductive

Don’t overlook the value of international experiences

First (and a half) impressions

I like meeting people as much as the next guy. I like it more than the next guy, actually. There's a world of unknown experiences within a new person, and sometimes, learning the story of someone's life can feel like watching art made in real time. It’s amazing that a first impression can feel like that. Spontaneous and beautiful and original — that's how first times should feel. At one point in my life, meeting people almost always felt like that. But socializing at Rice is different.

New Baker 13 Rules: Well-Intentioned but Misguided

Response to Wilson: Some got off Twitter, some didn’t. It shouldn’t matter.

In an op-ed in the Oct. 17 issue of the Thresher, Chloe Wilson discussed the cognitive dissonance she sees in progressive Rice students who post political comments on social media but are noticeably absent from phone banking and canvassing events. Unfortunately, her call to action critically omitted an important variable in the conversation about increased civic engagement: the systemic suppression and exclusion of disenfranchised Americans. As a result, I find her framing of the Rice student as busy, privileged and lazy to be too simplistic, deficit-oriented, and homogenizing.

Activism at Rice must extend beyond Election Day

Beto O’Rourke’s campaign to unseat Ted Cruz as U.S. Senator has arguably generated as much buzz on campus as the 2016 presidential election. While it’s clear that Rice students are most politically engaged during election season, students should consider whether electoral politics is the most effective means of pursuing their political goals. We argue that it is not, and that our activism must not be limited to working within a political system that does not always reflect the needs of the people.  

Eat empathy, not Earthlings

As humans, we constantly search for purpose, for happiness and for love. Embracing a plant-based diet liberates us and allows us to remove the ominous, translucent veneer placed upon our eyes by those who want nothing more than our money. 

‘Fun’ classes aren’t always fun — and that’s great

The modern college student is almost expected to take some wacky classes during their college career. From Exploration of the Solar System to Beginning Sculpture to Scuba, there is something for practically every student who wants to pick up some skills that they might never use in their career but will have a great time learning. After all, that’s what fun classes are for.

Dark days for our nation

These days, it seems each sunrise is a little dimmer. 

LTTE: NOD helped make me into who I am

Thanks to the glory of social media, I have watched the controversy of NOD vs. EOE with interest for the past couple of years. I loved NOD. It was crucial in my growth as a sex-positive queer individual, and I thought my voice might be useful in this conversation.

Get an STI test, and protect your health

Testing for sexually transmitted infections is increasingly important for college students at Rice and across the nation. More STIs were diagnosed among teenagers and young adults in 2018 than in any prior year, according to the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention. With transmission rates higher than ever before, getting tested is the most effective course of action you can take to maintain both your and your partners’ sexual and holistic health.

A letter to my fellow men: Let’s do more, and let’s do better

I have spent a great deal of my time at Rice contemplating what it means to be a man. Over two weeks ago, when Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed to the Supreme Court, I learned a little more about the answer to that question. In light of the Kavanaugh hearings, it seems to me that to be a man is to be given license to lie under oath, to respond to legitimate questions with churlish non-answers, to break norms of decency, civility, and indifference to partisanship central to the survival of our democracy and to override the credible testimony of women with nothing to gain. In sum, it is to live by a lower standard — to be expected to do no more than the bare minimum — and then have that standard lowered again if it ever becomes inconvenient.

Competition over ideological purity distracts from substantive activism

In last week’s Thresher issue, Chloe Wilson did an excellent job exhorting Rice students to demonstrate their progressive values not just through Tweets, but through participation in activities that are more likely to bring about real social change. I do not wish to repeat her critique of Rice students’ relative political inaction. Rather, I would like to situate the problems that she describes within some disconcerting trends in the culture of social justice activism. For too many of us, our advocacy as allies of social justice has strayed from the goal of supporting marginalized groups and has become focused on distancing ourselves personally from the oppression that afflicts them.