Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916

Thursday, March 28, 2024 — Houston, TX

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Director of Elections resigns following U Court complaint alleging constitutional violations

(03/01/17 6:27pm)

Student Association Director of Elections Taylan Tuncata announced his resignation today, after two apparent constitutional violations occurred during the SA election. On Tuesday, SA President Griffin Thomas filed a complaint with University Court alleging unconstitutional activity by the Elections Committee, contesting the election and asking for a rerun.



From the Managing Editor: On the writing process, ethics, and privacy

(02/17/17 12:33am)

On Feb. 16, the Thresher published an article I co-wrote titled “SA addresses campaign ethics concerns.” I would like to discuss some of the concerns members of the Rice community have raised and be transparent about the Thresher’s journalistic ethics and the right to privacy. The thoughts I express are mine and mine alone based on my three and a half years of experience with the Thresher, during which I have served as the News Editor and Managing Editor.


Berlin Wall segment restored following graffiti

(02/15/17 1:55am)

Art conservators completed the restoration of the section of Berlin Wall outside the Baker Institute for Public Policy following its defacement in an act of vandalism two weeks prior. According to conservator Robert Pringle, the process cost $10,000 to $12,000. Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson confirmed the vandals are responsible for payment.



SA addresses campaign ethics concerns with new rules

(02/15/17 6:14am)

The Student Association Senate amended the regulations for the upcoming SA elections to bar candidates from promising student funding to organizations and from receiving campaign donations from groups unaffiliated with Rice. These new rules, which were approved unanimously at Monday’s Senate meeting, came in response to information indicating that a potential candidate or candidates had used external campaign consulting services and promised clubs preferential access to student funding in exchange for campaign assistance, according to SA President Griffin Thomas.



SA voting records show high pass rates, unconstitutional procedures

(11/30/16 7:27am)

Despite constitutional mandates requiring comprehensive Student Association voting records, a Thresher investigation showed issues with transparency and found voting procedures to be unconstitutional. The SA has also approved greater than 95 percent of legislation introduced over the past three years, an aspect that SA President Griffin Thomas said he has been attempting to address with increased debate this year.


Help end cancer with HPV vaccination

(11/30/16 12:46am)

In his speech at Rice a few months ago, Vice President Joe Biden said our generation will see such radical changes in our lifetime that we can end cancer as we know it. Although we may be tempted to write off this responsibility to scientists and researchers, Rice students themselves have access to a vaccine right now that can help bring an end to up to seven different types of cancer. The human papillomavirus vaccine is available at the Student Health Center and, beginning this semester, is entirely reimbursable under Rice’s student health insurance.


Learning to lead: Students reflect on whether the Doerr Institute’s coaching model can deliver results

(10/19/16 4:40pm)

The Doerr Institute for New Leaders is not a “coaching institute,” according to Associate Director for Coaching Holly Tompson — although it is only one of 12 initiatives, it is what many students have come to associate most with the institute.


Purpose of ‘color wars’ at Rice must be questioned

(10/05/16 1:00pm)

It seems as though the poverty- and filth-ridden image of India most people have in their minds has given way to a new stereotype that paints the entire subcontinent as a unidimensional group of people whose only contribution to society is plastic sacks of colored powder. Instead of being a rich way to appreciate and take part in Indian culture, Rice has made Holi (and its affiliates of “color war” or “powder fight,” which may not explicitly use the name and thus falsely deny any tie to Holi) a shell of its actual glory, an undervalued and decontextualized caricature that promotes colorblind disrespect.



Students protest as Faculty Senate passes CUC proposal to lower credit limit

(04/20/16 9:11pm)

The Faculty Senate voted 14 to 9 in favor of the Committee for Undergraduate Curriculum proposal to lower the limit on the number of credit hours undergraduate students can enroll in from 20 hours to 18 hours, starting with the incoming class of 2020. More than 100 students were present at the Faculty Senate meeting to protest against the proposal in a sit-in organized by the Student Association.





MECH department faces questions following student town hall

(04/13/16 2:47pm)

Over 150 students, faculty and administrators attended the mechanical engineering town hall, where undergraduates discussed some of the issues they face in the department, including a lack of tenured professors, underresourced labs and the general underfunding of the department. Mechanical engineering is the second-largest major by enrollment in the engineering division, with about 190 students.