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NEWS 2/20/24 10:25pm

Community members protest Condoleezza Rice event at Baker Institute

By Belinda Zhu

Students and community members gathered in the Central Quad Feb. 15 to protest Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state and national security advisor to George W. Bush, coming to campus, demanding that the university “divest from death.” A Houston Police Department officer at the protest estimated nearly 100 protesters were in attendance throughout. 

NEWS 2/20/24 9:48pm

Tuition to increase over next academic years

By Aisha Khemani

Incoming undergraduate students matriculating in the 2024-2025 academic year will pay $62,874 in tuition, a 9.9% increase from the current price tag, according to a Feb. 9 announcement. The cost of on-campus room and board will rise to $18,094 with campus fees at $925, bringing the total cost of attendance up to $81,893. 

NEWS 2/13/24 11:09pm

Rice kicks off Black History Month

By Belinda Zhu

Rice is celebrating Black History Month with a variety of events. This year’s national theme for Black History Month, an annual celebration in February dedicated to recognizing African Americans’ achievements and contributions in U.S. history, is “African Americans and the Arts.” Events at Rice include a lecture series, hangouts and a first-ever kickoff event. 

NEWS 2/13/24 10:24pm

Fresh off term as EVP, Unegbu is sole candidate for IVP

By Belinda Zhu

Crystal Unegbu, a junior from Hanszen College, is running uncontested for the Student Association internal vice president position. Unegbu is currently the SA’s external vice president, and previously served as one of Hanszen’s new student representatives.

NEWS 2/13/24 10:20pm

Rice enters new university paid partnership with the MFAH

By Viola Hsia

Starting this year, Rice IDs will no longer be sufficient to enter The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Instead, Rice now participates in the MFAH’s University Paid Partnership program, requiring students to pick up a UPP membership card to gain access. This is due to a change in the MFAH’s pricing, which has caused the Rice Program Council and Student Activities to revise their partnership, according to Brianna Bukowski, an RPC Passport to Houston Committee co-chair.

NEWS 2/13/24 10:15pm

Rice hosts Science Olympiad Tournament

By Hope Yang

For the first time, the Rice Science Olympiad Alumni Association invited 14 middle school teams from around Houston to the Rice University Science Olympiad Regional Tournament Feb. 3. Previously open to only high school students, the team decided to include middle school teams for their second regional, according to the association’s co-director Aishani Gargapati.

NEWS 2/13/24 10:13pm

Motif Neurotech startup secures $18.75M initial funding

By Prasi Desai

Motif Neurotech, a start-up formed through the Biotech Launch Pad and founded by Rice professor Jacob Robinson, received $18.75 million from venture capital investors in Series A funding — one of the first major rounds of external funding for a start-up company. Motif was created to commercialize a pea-sized brain stimulator which was developed in Robinson’s lab at Rice to treat treatment-resistant depression.

NEWS 2/13/24 10:06pm

New public menstrual dispensers launch

By Kenzie Langhorne

The Menstrual Product Accessibility Program installed 36 public menstrual product dispensers in high-traffic areas on campus. Housing and Dining and Facilities and Capital Planning have worked together to stock at least 3,600 menstrual products in dispensers across campus. According to Fidel Gonzalez, the director of custodial services at Facilities Engineering and Planning, all products will be free of charge for the Rice community. 

NEWS 1/30/24 11:21pm

Qiu steps into SA presidency

By Nayeli Shad

Alison Qiu, the outgoing Student Association internal vice president, assumed the role of SA President Jan. 29 following former president Solomon Ni’s resignation. Qiu, a Hanszen College junior, will remain in the role until March, when a newly elected president will take office after the February SA elections.

NEWS 1/30/24 11:20pm

S.RES 17 passes, SA president to consider academic workload

By Viola Hsia

A resolution calling for Student Association presidents to meet with an academic advisor and the SA advisor to discuss workload with presidential duties was passed unanimously Jan. 29. Solomon Ni, the outgoing SA president, originally introduced the resolution Jan. 22 with a limit on the number of credit hours an SA president can enroll in, but an amendment Jan. 29 removed that clause. 

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