Opinion

OPINION 12/3/19 9:47pm

What can Rice University do to show that they believe Black lives matter?

By Milkessa Gaga and Toluwani Taiwo

“If Black lives matter to Rice then we would not have to ask that question to begin with.” As members of professor Anthony Pinn’s Religion and Black Lives Matter course, we were challenged with the task of applying what we learned in a unique way that engages the Rice community. One of our responses to this challenge was to survey Black voices on campus: “What can Rice University do to show you that they believe your life matters?”

OPINION 11/19/19 10:04pm

Embrace sustainable careers at Rice and beyond

By Steffi Halow , Kelsey Evans , Nafisa Istami and Amy Roush

Environmentalism is not a trend. It is not a movement that we can opt out of. If we understand the real meaning of sustainability — the active effort to sustain life on Earth — we must embrace sustainability as an inherent value and practice in our professional careers.

OPINION 11/19/19 10:02pm

From the editor’s desk: Student roles need proper compensation, support

By Christina Tan

Every year, 33 students sacrifice 10 months to plan Orientation Week, a pivotal institution of Rice. Assuming an O-Week coordinator puts in 20 hours of work a week and qualifies for the maximum stipend allowed ($2,500), they would be making a meager $3.13 an hour to help pull off one of the university’s most advertised, unique programs.

OPINION 11/12/19 10:24pm

Show solidarity against the Bolivian coup

By Jefferson Ren

The military of a South American nation forces a left-leaning president to resign and political violence shakes a nation. Prominent American lawmakers release unfounded statements to discredit the outgoing government and hail the undemocratic transition of power as “allowing the voices of the people to be heard”.

OPINION 11/12/19 10:23pm

The degradation of classical liberalism

By David Getter

Free markets are not very popular on college campuses. As rigid economic regulation has become a staple of leftist politics, another market — the marketplace of ideas — is now being subjected to the same type of boundless regulation.

OPINION 11/12/19 10:20pm

Letter to the Editor: Response to maternity leave policy

The Thresher's Nov. 6 report and staff editorial highlight inadequate maternity leave policies at Rice. We, the undersigned*, agree that institutions like Rice should strive toward "equal maternity leave for all,” including the extraordinary and valuable members of our community whose classification happens to be “staff” or “non-tenure-track faculty.”

OPINION 11/12/19 10:19pm

Our votes, our rights

By Meredith McCain , Maddy Scannell , Hannah Kaplan , Tessa Schreiber , Anthony Saliba and Carolyn Daly

This past Tuesday, Nov. 5, voters across Harris County went to the polls to cast ballots in local elections. Here at Rice, 851 individuals voted at the Rice Memorial Center. Many important municipal positions were on the ballot, including the Houston mayoral and city council races, along with Texas constitutional propositions. However, a number of Rice students who tried to vote at the RMC did not have an equal opportunity due to gross violations of one of our most essential rights.

OPINION 11/12/19 10:17pm

Rice devalues non-tenure-track faculty in primary caregiver leave policy

By Carissa Zimmerman

Last week, the Thresher published a piece highlighting the differences in Rice’s maternity leave policy for faculty and staff. What it left out was that not all faculty are treated equally under the current policy: Tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty receive different caregiver leave benefits.

OPINION 11/5/19 10:22pm

A eulogy for Schedule Planner

By Robbie Foley

The opening of Schedule Planner toward the end of each semester used to be an exciting day for Rice students. For two weeks each semester, Schedule Planner was Rice’s favorite means of procrastination.

OPINION 11/5/19 10:20pm

Asian American men, we need to do better to support other marginalized groups

By Gordan Liu

On Halloween night, three Rice students came to Willy’s Pub dressed up as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. When I first found out that two of the three students were Asian men — one East Asian and one South Asian — I wanted to have nothing to do with the situation.

OPINION 11/5/19 10:19pm

More than just costumes: why this is about complacency, belongingness, and so much more.

By Olivia Morris

From what we’ve heard, it wasn’t political; it was simply a cruel and insensitive series of choices. The three of them are: my new student, a friend (and McMurtry College Orientation Week advisor), and another fellow Murt. I’m sure we all know what this is about — the students who dressed up as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the Halloween event at Willy’s Pub.

OPINION 11/5/19 10:17pm

On “wasting” my Rice degree

By Aster O’Leary

“So, what are you doing after graduation?” It’s the question every college senior has to answer at some point, and at Rice, it feels like most people have the perfect response. “I’m going to law school.” “I’m going to med school.” “I’m becoming a consultant.” And then it’s my turn. “I’m becoming a high school teacher.” A pause. A look of mild bewilderment. The conversation continues.

OPINION 10/30/19 2:21pm

Re-evaluate your allyship if you went to Evening of Elegance

By Nishant Pradhan

This past weekend, hundreds of students attended EOE, which is hosted by Chi Alpha. After scrolling through social media feeds dominated by pictures of people in suits and dresses posing with the ice sculpture, one has to think: do people not know what they’re supporting, or do they just not care?

OPINION 10/29/19 9:14pm

I am not a monster: After a psychotic episode, I was deferred from Rice for a year

During Orientation Week my freshman year at Rice, I suffered a psychotic episode due to schizophrenia. I said what the voices were telling me and ended up saying inappropriate things. I was escorted by a Rice University Police Department vehicle to the emergency room, where I was then locked up in the psychiatric ward for six days.

OPINION 10/29/19 9:13pm

Who told you about Africa?

By Grace Ishimwe

When I came to Rice, I was asked different questions by some students about Africa and Rwanda, my home country. “Does Rwanda still suffer from the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi?” “How is life like in Africa?” “Do many people own cars?” and “Is it true that people are always fighting?”

OPINION 10/29/19 9:12pm

Response to ‘Call for a balanced narrative’: A no-nonsense narrative on Kashmir

By Daanish Sheikh

Three weeks ago, President Donald Trump attended Houston’s “Howdy, Modi!” event at NRG Stadium to advocate for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration in India behind the facade of cultural celebration.

OPINION 10/22/19 9:33pm

Treat linguistic minorities equally

By Ivan Gamov

My mother country is home to more than 190 nations. Some nation-related incidents, especially concerning minority nations, have taken place this year.

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.