Special Projects

The Student Association is DEAD, long live the Student Association!

The Student Association in this past year has been disappointing to say the least; the discourse and lack of engagement I have seen reflects that disappointment. The Student Association’s reckoning has been a long time coming. The organization is in need of urgent reform in order to be more receptive to all the students it represents.

Rice should expand free laundry detergent sheets program

Over the past year, Rice has piloted a partnership with Generation Conscious, offering zero-waste and toxic-free, refillable laundry detergent sheets to students during a pilot program at Hanszen College. The program consists of a central dispenser, in which students can refill a reusable container with 10 individual sheets at a time. These sheets are packaging free and plastic-free, and require 97% less water and 95% less carbon to produce and distribute than the average leading detergent. 

RWRC presents possibilities for campus

The Rice Women’s Resource Center is now officially a blanket tax organization, joining the ranks of the Thresher, Rice Program Council and University Court, among others. RWRC will now receive funds from the $85 “blanket tax” that each student pays with their tuition. With their new designation, RWRC needs to expand the resources they offer to meaningfully reach every student they’re meant to serve.

Danish delegation visits Rice business school

The Jones School of Business hosted a delegation from Denmark for a roundtable discussion about innovation at Rice and the potential for collaboration between the university and Denmark. Guests included the Danish Minister for Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs, members of Parliament’s committee for business and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When novelty fades: Rice responds to ChatGPT with mixed reviews

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, has raised concerns in academic institutions over its implications for plagiarism. Rice University’s students, faculty and administrators alike respond to whether ChatGPT has a place in higher education.

Professors discuss new Congress on BISF panel

The Baker Institute Student Forum hosted a panel discussing the 118th Congress, and how that will be affecting public policy in the United States and abroad. Joseph Cozza and Joe Barnes, two faculty members in the political science department, served as panelists.

An im-press-ive acquisition: Rice procures replica of William Blake’s printing press

Rice University is now the home to a functional star-wheeled, copper plate, rolling press that the prominent, Romantic-period English poet William Blake used to create some of his famous pieces. The printing press, housed in the Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library, is the only functional replica in North America. 

CDOD hosts conversation on Fizz

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted a conversation about Fizz, an anonymous social media platform, as a continuation of the Critical Dialogues on Diversity series. Panelists spoke about the dangers of anonymity, impacts on the culture of care and how the conversations on the app are representative of the student body as a whole.

Dilf disrupts: Fake candidate siphons votes in otherwise uncontested election

Solomon Ni will serve as the next Student Association president, receiving 67% of the votes in the formally uncontested presidential election. “Dilf Hunter,” a fake candidate created by the Thresher Backpage, received 22% of the vote in a satirical write-in campaign, and 10% went to other write-in candidates.

Baseball knocks off No. 24 Texas Tech to open weekend at Minute Maid

Paul Janish is now undefeated, but the same can’t be said for No. 24 Texas Tech University. Rice’s associate head coach stepped in for head coach Jose Cruz Jr., who missed Friday’s game with a personal matter, and guided the Owls to a 3-2 win over the previously 10-0 Red Raiders to open the Owls’ weekend-long residence at Minute Maid Park.

03-01-2023 Crossword Solutions

03-01-2023 Crossword: "Before and After"

‘I don’t like to lose’: Reggie DesRoches puts work and family first — but won’t say no to a good game of Monopoly

The first thing to know about Reginald DesRoches is that he prefers to go by Reggie. He’s also a Jets fan and the first Black president of Rice University. But above all else, according to his wife and three children, he’s the most competitive person they know.

‘Because we’re the first generation’: Myritney Saint-Cloud faces the challenges and motivators of being an FGLI student

The daughter of Haitian immigrants, Myritney Saint-Cloud is acutely aware of the generational pressure that accompanies her time at Rice. While both her parents hold degrees, they did not go to school in the United States – thus putting the onus on Saint-Cloud to pursue her education in the face of being a first-generation American and low-income student. 

Senior Spotlight: Sofi Aguilera blends art, work

When Brown College senior Sofi Aguilera first wrote her fantasy book, “Paragon,” she didn’t know she was about to become the youngest published author in Mexico. Now, five years and a book series later, Aguilera is preparing for a full-time role at a California-based venture capitalist firm and, of course, still writing.

Spring break plans that’ll save you bucks

The infamous college spring break is (thankfully) nearly here. While these breaks are often associated with lavish and loud trips to the likes of Cancun and Aruba, the Thresher rounded up a few enjoyable ways to spend the upcoming break that won’t shatter your bank.

Rice on fire: Prairie Plot reborn through controlled burn

Rice’s Crisis Management team supervised a prescribed burn at the Prairie Plots, a 10,000 square foot plot of prairie garden on the south lawn of the James Turrell Skyspace, next to the Shepherd School of Music, on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Prescribed burning is a common practice and involves intentionally setting a controlled fire to maintain prairie vegetation. Maggie Tsang, an assistant professor at the Rice School of Architecture who created the installation, said that the Prairie Plot was installed nearly a year ago to reduce maintenance efforts for the previous turf grass.

Asfouri selected for Churchill Scholarship

Joseph Asfouri, a Sid Richardson College senior, was recently one of 18 U.S. college students selected as a recipient of the Churchill Scholarship at the University of Cambridge. Asfouri is now the second person in the last three decades at Rice to receive this prestigious award, according to Center for Civic Leadership Fellowship Director Danika Brown.

BISF hosts Russia-Ukraine panel near one-year anniversary of the war

The Baker Institute Student Forum hosted a panel discussion on the Russo-Ukrainian War on Feb. 22, two days before the one-year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The panel included discussions of the war’s recent developments and its global energy implications. 

Professor emeritus Sam Davis remembered

Sam H. Davis Jr. (‘52), a professor emeritus of chemical engineering and former director of the Office of Continuing Studies, died on Dec. 25 at 92.