New county commissioner is alum
Rice alumnus Jack "Cactus" Cagle became a Harris County Commissioner for Precinct Four on Monday.
Cagle (Wiess '83) has worked as a civil court judge for the past 11 years and is taking over as Commissioner from Jerry Eversole, who pleaded guilty on Friday to lying to federal investigators and resigned on Saturday.
A triple major in history, economics and business, Cagle said getting a Rice education has really helped him in his career.
"It prepares you for leadership in the future. If you look at Harris County, which has five people in the Commissioner's office, two of those people are from Rice," Cagle said.
Cagle explained his job as a county commissioner the way he said he described it to his 10 year old daughter – someone who fixes pot holes and ensures transportation routes are usable, makes sure parks are clean and developed and plans for the future, with responsibilities ranging from making sure there is enough water during the drought to developing flood control.
One thing Cagle is working on is combining nature with facilities, so that water naturally found in one place can irrigate a field or park, for instance.
"Public service involves taking care of constituents and making sure their needs are provided for," Cagle said.
Cindy Dinh (McMurtry '11), who works for the Harris County Clerk's office, said she is glad to see a Rice alumni in office and is looking forward to seeing what he can accomplish.
"It's nice to know that there is a lot of pride in saying ‘I went to Rice,' and for me, it is nice to say there is another alum working in the same agency as I am, but I am ready to see his results," Dinh said.
Not only does Cagle feel that his Rice education has helped him be a leader, but he said it also influenced him emotionally as well. His fondest on-campus memory is sitting outside and reading.
"The first sweeps of cold weather and sitting by Willy's statue and reading tomes about history is what I remember most," he said.
More from The Rice Thresher
![](https://snworksceo.imgix.net/rce/dc5c08d2-04d3-4711-b454-786937b135d0.sized-1000x1000.png?w=800&h=450&fit=crop)
NOD permanently canceled, Rice strips away-decades old campus tradition
After 50 years of decadence, Wiess College’s infamous underwear party is no more. Born in the early 1970s after a group of Wiess students poured all their alcohol into a bathtub — creating a brew “so potent it removed the varnish” — Night of Decadence has spent years in the national eye. Allegedly recognized as one of Playboy’s top college parties in the nation, NOD has also been subject to mounting scrutiny over alcohol use and an “explicitly dangerous and sexual atmosphere.” Rice has now permanently canceled the public, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Wiess magister Flavio Cunha announced in a message to campus June 5.
Rice Mutual Aid partners with student organizations to fundraise for Gaza
Rice Mutual Aid launched a fundraising campaign for Gaza on May 13 in partnership with 15 other student organizations at Rice, including Rice Students for Justice in Palestine, Rice Pride, the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice and the Rice Muslim Student Association. RMA will direct donations towards American Near East Refugee Aid, a non-governmental organization that provides humanitarian aid and emergency relief in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan. A day after its launch, the campaign raised over $2,000 according to RMA’s Instagram.
UCourt final case rules SA must revert to prior constitution
The University Court has ruled that the Student Association must revert back to the March 6, 2023 constitution after the proposed constitution amendment was found to have been misrepresented on this year’s ballot, University Court chair Beck Hall announced on April 24.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.