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NEWS 10/22/24 10:52pm

Wiess announces a MAD new public

By Viola Hsia

Wiess College announced that their new public party theme will be a masquerade. The party will be officially titled “Masquerade After Dark” — MAD for short – according to the announcement made during Wiess’ Oct. 18 FITQ. According to Wiess co-Social Vice President Isabelle Shen, the public is scheduled for Jan. 25. Wiess co-Social Vice President Rocio Gras added that the event will be outdoors.

NEWS 10/8/24 11:36pm

Chabad at Rice hosts vigil for Oct. 7 anniversary

By James Cancelarich

Nearly 150 students, staff and faculty gathered at Farnsworth Pavilion for a vigil commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Held up by clothespins, pictures paying tribute to killed Israeli people lined the walls of the room. 

NEWS 10/8/24 11:35pm

RUPD updates on recent campus crime

By Abigail Chiu

A single person is likely responsible for the rash of recent car burglaries in North and South Lot, according to Rice University Police Department Chief of Police Clemente Rodriguez in an email to the Thresher. The male suspect was identified with security cameras, but their identity could not be determined. No one has been arrested in connection to these burglaries, which occurred on Sept. 21 at 3 a.m. Students received a Rice Crime Alert email Sept. 22 informing them of the break-ins. The North Lot suspect had not been connected to the South Lot burglaries in the email.

NEWS 10/8/24 11:34pm

Rice introduces peer-led study program

By Aisha Khemani

Rice launched the Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students this semester, serving as a centralized office and drop-in study hub to academically support undergraduates. OASUS was created by the Task Force on Student Success, initiated by President Reggie DesRoches during his tenure as provost, to address gaps in educational experiences and outcomes, particularly for under-resourced students.

NEWS 10/8/24 11:33pm

SA Labor Commission proposes $15 student minimum wage

By Hongtao Hu

The Student Association’s Labor Commission advocated for a $15 minimum wage for student workers during a Student Association meeting Sept. 30, based on results from a student wage survey. Currently collecting signatures for a petition, the Labor Commission said that raising the minimum wage for student workers would reduce financial burdens for students. 

A&E 10/1/24 11:31pm

New art opens behind Brochstein’s closed doors

By Juliana Lightsey

The morning after a terrible storm, inspiration struck Karyn Olivier on her commute to work. In a North Philadelphia neighborhood she had driven through countless times before, a huge swath of vines and ivy had been peeled off of a concrete wall by the rain and wind, crumpling forlornly over an adjacent fence. Olivier stopped her car and took a photograph. 

NEWS 10/1/24 11:18pm

Rice launches 10-year strategic plan

By Viola Hsia

The university launched a new strategic plan that will develop investments in research and teaching over the next decade. The plan, titled “Momentous,” was announced at an Oct. 1 event. 

A&E 10/1/24 11:18pm

Senior Spotlight: Abdullah Jahangir captures home and belonging

By Shreya Challa

Through Abdullah Jahangir’s camera lens, a photo isn’t just a still image — it’s a moment in time, dynamic and emotional. Working with film in his freshman photography class prompted him to consider photography as more than just snapshots, but rather a form of self-expression and exploration. 

NEWS 10/1/24 11:18pm

Sophomores debut AI nutrition app Diagnos

By Abigail Chiu

Diagnos, an AI-backed nutrition-tracking app, launched in the Apple app store Sept. 24. The app, designed by Ifty Ahmed and Thun Silpsamrit, provides AI-based calorie and nutritional estimates based on users’ pictures of their food. The app also provides nutritional estimates of food on servery menus.

NEWS 9/25/24 12:25am

Lovett to permanently move into new building by fall 2026, adjacent to twelfth college

By Riya Misra

Lovett College will permanently move into one of the two new residential college buildings, President Reggie DesRoches said in a Sept. 18 email to campus. The buildings, initially intended to house new twelfth and thirteenth colleges, are projected to finish by fall 2026. Lovett will stand adjacent to the unnamed twelfth college, and there are currently no plans for the thirteenth.

NEWS 9/25/24 12:24am

Rice ranks No. 18 in U.S. News

By James Cancelarich and Riya Misra

Rice ranks No. 18 in the the U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 national university rankings tied with Vanderbilt University and the University of Notre Dame. Rice has also placed No. 8, 9 and 29 in the Niche, Forbes and Wall Street Journal rankings, respectively.

NEWS 9/25/24 12:24am

Financial aid settlement form released

By Belinda Zhu

Claim forms for the class action financial aid “cartel” lawsuit Rice settled were released Sept. 13. The suit alleged that Rice and 16 other top universities “illegally conspired” to restrict financial aid. Students can submit a claim on the court-approved settlement website https://financialaidantitrustsettlement.com/submit-claim by the Dec. 17, 2024 deadline. 

NEWS 9/18/24 12:37am

Academic quad officially opens with celebration

By Sarah Knowlton

The redesigned academic quad had its grand opening Sept. 12. The ceremony included speeches, a ribbon cutting and guided tours for attendees to learn about new quad features.  Speakers included President Reggie DesRoches, board of trustees chairman Robert T. Ladd, landscape architect Thomas Woltz and several alumni.

FEATURES 9/18/24 12:36am

Shifting the status quo: Campus activism, protests change over time

By Amy Li

Last week, the academic quad reopened after nearly a year of reconstruction, kickstarted by the decision to relocate the Founder’s Memorial statue. Protests for the statue’s removal began Aug. 31, 2020, and continued for a year and a half before the Board of Trustees announced their decision to remove the statue on Jan. 25, 2022.

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