Rice and the Office of International Students and Scholars said in a May 23 email that they are monitoring the Trump administration’s actions towards Harvard to bar the school from enrolling international students. A federal judge temporarily halted the move less than 24 hours later.
The graduating class of 2025 passed under the Sallyport before convening in the football stadium for Rice’s 112th Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 10.
Founder’s Court morphed into a festival ground Friday night as British alt-rock band bôa launched the U.S. leg of their “Whiplash” tour. The group headlined the third annual Moody X-Fest before what organizers estimate was “a little bit over 2,000 students” — the largest turnout in the event’s three-year history.
Rice is launching the Bridge Funding Program for faculty whose federal funding for research projects has been reduced or removed. The program was announced via the Provost’s newsletter April 24.
Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, Texas spoke in front of the Sallyport to a sea of sunglasses and “end gun violence” signs April 17. The rally, organized by Rice Young Democrats, took place in the academic quad from noon to 2 p.m.
With the wave of international student visa revocations across the country, including three students at Rice and two recent graduates, international students have expressed fears that their visas will soon be terminated without warning.
Modified Beer Bike races, dubbed “Bike Bike,” were held at the track April 18 from 5-8 p.m. Results were released by email April 21.
The Student Association Senate passed Blanket Tax funding allocations for the coming year, voting 19 to three with four abstaining April 21. The budget included cuts to some Blanket Tax Organizations, including Rice Women’s Resource Center and student media, with the money to be reallocated to the SA’s Initiative Fund.
Rice men’s tennis traveled to Memphis, Tennessee, and pulled off a series of upset victories en route to winning the American Athletic Conference Championship.
Breezeways, arches and outdoor seating will abound at the Moody Center Complex for Student Life set to break ground May 8. The 75,000-square-foot complex was designed by architecture firm Olson Kundig and has an expected completion date of fall 2027.
Federal authorities have revoked visas for five international affiliates at Rice — three current students and two recent graduates, President Reginald DesRoches announced in an April 11 message to campus. The revocations are “not related to social activism or protests,” a university spokesperson told the Thresher.
Beer Bike races have been rescheduled for April 18 at 5-8 p.m. The makeup event was announced in an email to Beer Bike captains, coordinators and stakeholders, from the campuswide coordinators and the Bike Captains Planning Committee.
Four college nights are happening on Good Friday this year. This overlap has caused controversy amongst students who observe the high holy day.
Senate meetings are usually a quiet affair — but this Monday, there was a lively debate over the Blanket Tax Committee’s 2025-26 funding allocations. Rice Women’s Resource Center and ktru waved signs and protested funding cuts to Blanket Tax Organizations, which are funded by the Blanket Tax.
Rice football concluded its spring practice schedule with an open session Saturday, April 12. While an end-of-spring showcase is common throughout college football, this was Rice’s first under head coach Scott Abell, who was hired last November.
Rice has operated without fraternities or sororities since its founding. In their place, residential college systems have served as the core of student life. But this spring, three Rice students joined a fraternity for the first time in school history.
Despite talk of rain and a possible ‘Beer Run,’ the Beer Bike races seemed like they were proceeding as normal on Saturday. Alumni races were well underway at noon. At 1:30 p.m., the women’s teams were teeing up for their second heat when, under sunny skies, the races abruptly stopped.
Rice Students for Justice in Palestine staged a demonstration April 8. Students walked out in protest of various issues including the detainment of international students; diversity, equity and inclusion rollbacks; ongoing “U.S.-backed genocide” in Palestine; transgender rights and federal funding cuts at the Central Quad from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
After 15 years in business, the Hoot will shut down at the end of the semester. The Hoot has faced staffing and financial challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic, and has reached a point where operations are “no longer sustainable,” Hoot management wrote in an April 8 Instagram post.
Ian Chen, a biosciences and mathematics major, applied to a computational biology lab through the National Institutes of Health Summer Internship Program. Like many students, Chen was looking for professional experience over the summer. He then heard the program was paused in light of the funding cuts, then entirely axed.
