Beer Bike is one of the most anticipated days of the year, with Rice students across campus participating in Beer Bike festivities.
As a senior who has been both a Peer Academic Advisor and an Academic Fellow, I have formed some critical opinions on both of these programs, especially with regards to the lack of communication between the heads of the college-specific programs and their teams, as well as between the Office of Academic Advising and the collective bodies of PAAs and Fellows/Mentors.
As seniors who have been both Peer Academic Advisors and Academic Fellows, we have developed some critical opinions of these programs.
If you’re like me, you’ve watched with dismay over recent months as Donald Trump sped to the front of the pack of Republican presidential nominee hopefuls. If you’re like me, you’ve bemusedly asked yourself, “Who is voting for this guy?” I’ve spent much time thinking about politics in my political science coursework and during internships in Congress, the U.S. Department of Education and the White House. But it wasn’t until I set aside politics and began thinking about my hometown, a small municipality in upstate New York, that an answer emerged: Donald Trump is winning because his campaign is founded on false empathy.
As Griffin Thomas prepares to assume the role of Student Association president, he is faced with the challenge of carrying out his campaign promises, while considering where his predecessor has left off.
Who here remembers the RU Observer? If you’re a freshman you most likely have no clue what I’m talking about. But for the older members of the Rice community, the RU Observer occupies a specific niche in our institutional memory. They were the digital-first outlet, the disruptor, the Buzzfeed of Rice, and they acted as a supplementary news source to the Thresher, for better or for worse.
A quick glance at the comments students leave in course evaluations reveals that justifications for the high ratings of a professor often concern easily obtained grades, low workloads, a professor’s aptitude for making jokes and a general high entertainment value to the classes. Curiously, the mention of teaching itself is frequently missing. So what does good teaching look like? Being no expert on university teaching, in an attempt to answer this question, I can draw upon only my own experiences.
Rice students often joke about how they seem to be taking more classes than their friends at similar universities; it turns out that for many, this observation is actually true.
From our first day of O-Week, we are told Rice actively works to build inclusive and diverse spaces and a “culture of care.” O-Week coordinators assemble their new students into O-Week groups of diverse identities and backgrounds. We view the residential college system as a social equalizer and living space for all students, and espouse that we value inclusivity and diversity. In practice, we often fail to translate these ideals into reality.
When I got my O-Week book, I was thrilled. It was the summer of 2013 and I couldn’t be more excited to be going to Rice. I tore the package open, read the letter from my O-Week coordinators and proceeded to flip through the book. As I got further into it, I realized my goal was no longer to learn about O-Week, Brown and Rice generally; rather, I was on a manhunt. Not for anyone I knew or even my own advisors, but for someone who looked like me.
What I will do for you I would like to take a chance to share my plans for some of the most pressing topics facing our campus right now, as well as some of the priorities that students have directly addressed to me.
There are multiple ways to define a leader and be a leader, all of which are valid in their own spheres. Two clear and different leadership styles are at play in this year’s SA presidential election. Griffin Thomas promises to lead from the front, representing Rice and the student body that will elect him, while Joan Liu promises to lead from behind, following the lead of the students and attitudes on campus.
Dear Candidates, This past week I have enjoyed reading your candidate mission statements, watching your campaign videos, and learning more about your platforms through various social media. This week also allowed me to reflect on my term as SA external vice president during the 2014-15 year, and this reflection led me to write this letter.
To the Editor: After the debate, the Thresher released their endorsement for Student Association external vice president and I congratulate Hannah Todd on her endorsement.
To the Editor: I would like to thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of support I have received for my campaign, especially over the past few days. In light of recent events, I want to take a moment to address The Thresher’s endorsement.
To the Editor: Late Sunday night, the Thresher put out an endorsement for SA President based in slander by fundamentally misrepresenting Griffin Thomas and who he can be as a leader. This view is based on speculation rather than evidence and Griffin’s responses at Friday’s Thresher-hosted debate.
To the Editor: It filled me with great excitement on Monday morning to see Joan Liu acknowledged for her long-standing commitment to do what is best for Rice students through the SA.
In discussing the Thresher’s endorsement with friends and acquaintances, I’ve realized that many students aren’t aware the use of endorsements is standard protocol for both university and regular newspapers.
I went to my first Rice Student Television meeting as a freshman during my first week at Rice. Having enjoyed film production in high school, I was excited to see what I could accomplish at the collegiate level.
All three Student Association external vice president candidates brought big ideas to the table during Friday’s debates.
