Storm causes roof damage, student evacuations at Will Rice
Students were forced to evacuate parts of Will Rice College’s old dormitory early Wednesday morning after parts of the fourth floor ceiling fell in and leakage occurred throughout the building during a heavy rainstorm. Housing and Dining cleared students to return to their rooms and expects repairs to be finished by the end of the week.
“We believe this occurred due to a clogged drain outside on the deck of the fifth floor,” H&D Senior Business Director David McDonald said. “Once this was cleared, water was draining normally.”
Students were evacuated around 7 a.m., but leaking had begun by 5:30 a.m., according to Will Rice freshman Jake Lesher, who lives on the fourth floor.
“I woke up to the sound of what I thought was rain, but after a moment, I realized it was coming from inside the room and the roof was leaking,” Lesher said. “I got out of bed, went to put a trash can under the leak, and started cleaning it up with a towel when chunks of drywall started falling from the ceiling. Mud and dirt covered everything — the chair, the lamp, my books.”
More from The Rice Thresher
7.5% acceptance rate marks lowest in Rice history
Rice admitted 2,439 students from 32,459 applicants March 26, according to Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva. With a 7.5% admit rate, this is the third consecutive year of record-low acceptance rates. The Thresher previously reported 7.7% and 8.56% acceptance rates for the Class and 2027 and 2026 respectively.
Public parties to resume, Martel sundeck off-limits for morning party
Campus-wide public parties will resume in time for Beer Bike and Brown College’s Bacchanalia, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced in an email to students March 22. The sundeck will permanently be off-limits for Martel College’s morning party, and colleges will not be allowed to reschedule or host additional public parties this semester.
Senate debates resolution to boycott, divest SA funds from Israel-aligned companies
A student resolution calling on the Rice Student Association to participate in the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement was presented at the Senate meeting March 25. The resolution is titled “Student Association Boycott and Divestment from Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza.”
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.