Special Projects

Special election after Isabel Wiatt resigns from SA external vice president

Isabel Wiatt resigned from the role of external vice president of the Student Association, setting the stage for a special election for SA EVP to happen sometime near the end of September, according to SA President Anna Margaret Clyburn.  

Zooming into fall: Students and professors adjust to socially distant classes

While teaching about projectile motion in PHYS 125 this semester over Zoom, physics Professor Jason Hafner gave students a hypothetical scenario: A hunter is trying to shoot a monkey sitting in a tree. At the sound of the shot, the monkey falls from the tree — will the bullet hit the monkey? When teaching the scenario this semester, Hafner gave it a twist: Instead of teaching completely theoretically, he decided to make it real. 

Welch Foundation gives Rice $100M to establish Welch Institute

The Welch Foundation announced that it will donate $100 million to establish the Welch Institute for Advanced Materials at Rice University, the largest single gift that Rice University has ever received and the largest in the Welch Foundation’s 65-year history.

9/9 scenes and screens

Voting is essential this year

Political engagement is now both more important and more difficult than ever. The stakes always seem higher in a presidential election year but now — with the pandemic, the protests and everything in between — the stakes feel like they were tied to a rocketship and are currently somewhere orbiting Jupiter. 

Want to vote this November? Register and make your voting plan today

Voting may be a constitutionally guaranteed right for most American citizens over the age of 18, but that right is infringed upon year after year by voter suppression tactics employed by legislators across the country. This November, that infringement is poised to be only more severe due to the ongoing pandemic and President Donald Trump’s consistent undermining of the United States Postal Service. Although the grim reality is that most voter suppression tactics are out of an individual voter’s control, there are some steps you can take to protect your vote.

Rice Football stands up: Players lead march across campus

More than 100 players from the Rice football team marched silently from Rice Stadium to the Aacademic Quad to protest racial injustice on Friday afternoon. While roll was not taken, head coach Mike Bloomgren said he believes that every member of the team and the coaching staff was present. Players spoke in the quad about the importance of effecting positive change, before the march concluded with a moment of silence to honor those killed as a result of racial discrimination. 

Visit Houston's Hidden Secrets: Oddities in the Bayou City!

In my angsty high school grief in 2017, I explored the nooks and crannies of my city that embodied the state of limbo I felt in my soul. The eclectic spoke to me as I acted without regard for imaginary futures and instead felt grounded in the odd flux between a rich but ultimately irrelevant past and an electrifying present. As I find myself facing a similar sense of instability this semester, I return to the curiosities of Houston, Texas and share them with others currently bursting with wanderlust. 

Black Art at Rice: A Conversation with Chabrielle Allen

This week, the Thresher sat down with Chabrielle Allen (Hanszen College ’20), an alumna who earned her Bachelor of Arts in religion with a focus on culture and society in August. Currently living in her hometown of Roswell, New Mexico, Allen spoke about her artistic journey during her time at Rice, the intersection of technology and art and the importance of diverse representation in the art world. 

9-9-2020 Crossword #2: "Cropped"

9-9-2020 Crossword #1: "If You Take a Mouse to the Movies..."

Start of football practices delayed

Rice football announced that they would delay the start of their preseason practices in a press release today, due to concerns regarding the infection rate of the coronavirus in Houston. 

Administration shares logistics on plans for remainder of fall semester

The Faculty Senate met yesterday to discuss Rice University’s plans for the remainder of the fall semester and potential responses to COVID-19 case increases. The meeting follows the passing of a recent resolution expressing faculty disappointment with the Rice administration, due to implicit pressure on faculty to return in-person to campus.

Faculty Senate passes resolution expressing displeasure about pressure to return to campus

A resolution from the Aug. 19 Faculty Senate plenary meeting expressing faculty dissension with Rice’s campus reopening plan was recently approved, according to an email sent to faculty on Sept. 1 by Speaker of the Faculty Senate Christopher Johns-Krull.

From the (opinion) editor’s desk: Your opinion doesn’t have to change the world

It’s been a tumultuous summer, even for the opinion section of the Thresher. In previous years, we haven’t published any opinions over the summer, saving the hot takes for each semester. This past summer, we published 14 opinions and three staff editorials. 

To our essential workers at Rice: Thank you

On a typical morning this fall, on-campus students might drop by the servery for breakfast on the way to a class and pass contracted construction workers building the new Sid Richardson College dorms. We take weekly COVID-19 tests at centers staffed with volunteers, attend classes led by professors with little to no prior experience in online instruction and receive emails from student leaders who have had to take on enormous responsibilities beyond their job descriptions. Behind our daily actions are hundreds of people working hard and going above and beyond to ensure that we can maintain a semblance of normality in our college experience.  

Black at Rice: Calista Ukeh throws herself into the Rice community

Calista Ukeh was in the middle of throwing at a track meet during her senior year of high school when she received her admissions decision from Rice. As far as the throwing went, she was not having a great day — but that changed after she read the acceptance letter. 

Bridging the gaps: Student activists aim to protect survivors in face of new Title IX policy

In early May, as a challenging spring semester came to an end, the Department of Education released the final version of a new Title IX policy, leaving school administrations across the country scrambling to adjust their own Title IX policies to reflect the federal policy before an Aug. 14 deadline amidst navigating a global pandemic. With these new rules came a slew of student advocacy at Rice as students pushed administrators to implement the new policy in a way that minimizes the harmful effects the updated federal guidelines have for survivors of sexual assault. 

Clubs adapt structures to fit COVID rules, include remote students

The Rice University Student Center held its annual Fall Student Activities Fair on August 29 through an online event platform called Hopin. According to event details on OwlNest, over 150 student organizations participated in the virtual club fair. Many of these organizations have adapted club structures to better cater to COVID-19 guidelines and remote students. 

Keeping up with the Sidizens: College president Nia Prince leads the way

This is the first installation of Keeping up with the Sidizens, a features series that checks in with various members of the Sid Richardson College community as they navigate a semester without a physical college to call home.