Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916
Tuesday, July 01, 2025 — Houston, TX

News

NEWS 1/15/24 8:02pm

Classes canceled Tuesday, Jan. 16, dining schedule modified

By Riya Misra

Rice will suspend classes and normal campus operations Tuesday, Jan. 16 due to severe winter weather, according to an email from Vice President of Administration and Finance Kelly Fox. No classes will be held in person or online. The Rice Memorial Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but Coffeehouse and Sammy’s will be closed.  Unless otherwise stated by instructors, coursework may still be due, Fox wrote.

NEWS 1/9/24 11:00pm

Ahalya Lettenberger ’23 awarded Marshall Scholarship

By Aisha Khemani

Ahalya Lettenberger, a recent graduate and swim team member, was awarded the Marshall Scholarship Dec. 11, which fully funds two years of study abroad in the United Kingdom for up to 51 students annually. She is the first Rice student to receive the scholarship since 2018 and the first student-athlete since 1999.

NEWS 1/9/24 10:56pm

Rice sees second consecutive year of record-high early applications

By Riya Misra

Rice’s Office of Admissions accepted 15.3% of Early Decision applicants on Dec. 14, 2023. An additional 77 students matched with Rice through the Questbridge National College Match program. With 2,886 applicants, this year marked the second consecutive year of record-high Early Decision applications, surpassing last year’s 2,743.

NEWS 1/9/24 10:43pm

Student Association passes Senate Resolution 14, affirms support for ‘Faculty Statement of Solidarity with Palestinians’

By Riya Misra

The Student Association passed a resolution affirming support for the Oct. 27 Rice University Faculty Statement of Solidarity with Palestinians. The resolution, which was introduced at the Nov. 27 Senate and voted on at the Dec. 4 Senate, passed with 16 votes in favor, five votes against and four abstentions, exceeding the two-thirds requirement to pass.

NEWS 11/28/23 11:27pm

Bernard Banks new director of Doerr Institute

By Richie Su

Bernard Banks will join Rice’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders as director Jan. 1, 2024. He currently serves as the associate dean for leadership development and a professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

NEWS 11/28/23 11:27pm

‘Radio silent’: STRIVE becomes inactive

By Alyssa Hu

Students Transforming Rice into a Violence-Free Environment, a student organization addressing sexual and domestic violence, is no longer active this semester. Ndidi Nwosu, who had been a STRIVE liaison for two years and reapplied last semester, said the organization has gone “radio silent.” 

NEWS 11/28/23 11:25pm

Tecnológico de Monterrey partnership highlights emerging international opportunities

By Alyssa Hu

Rice has partnered with Tecnológico de Monterrey to offer concurrent doctoral degrees and dual master’s programs alongside joint efforts in continuing and professional education. Additionally, the agreement allows Tecnológico de Monterrey undergraduates to engage in research at Rice, providing more opportunities for Rice students in research to collaborate with international peers.

NEWS 11/28/23 11:24pm

Cultural organizations host inaugural Pangea Potluck

By Prasi Desai

Nine student cultural organizations hosted the first Pangea Potluck at the Rice Memorial Center Nov. 15. Clubs shared food, organized activities and participated in a passport program where students could collect a stamp from each organization in exchange for a prize in the Grand Hall. Participating groups included the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice, the Vietnamese Student Organization and the Black Student Association, among others.

NEWS 11/28/23 11:23pm

Immigration law program hosted for DACA, undocumented students

By Belinda Zhu

Rice’s Office of General Counsel hosted an Immigration Law Program for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Undocumented Students in Anderson Hall Nov. 8 in response to DACA being ruled unlawful earlier in September. Partners from the immigration and employment law firm Monty & Ramirez LLP, Carolina Ortuzar-Diaz and Maricela Alvarado, presented at the event and offered free legal consultations for DACA and undocumented students. 

NEWS 11/28/23 11:22pm

Over 4,400 students register for spring courses

By Arman Saxena

4,407 undergraduate students participated in the course request process for the Spring 2024 semester, according to the Office of the Registrar. This number is an increase from the Spring 2022 and 2023 semesters, when 4,269 and 4,103 students registered, respectively. 

NEWS 11/28/23 11:21pm

RISE expands programs to sophomores and juniors

By Belinda Zhu

Rice’s Responsibility, Inclusion and Student Empowerment program, which was founded in 2021, will now serve sophomores and juniors. The program was previously exclusively for incoming freshmen who also attended a RISE pre-orientation seminar program in the summer. 

NEWS 11/28/23 11:10pm

Rice community responds to DesRoches’ messaging on Israel and Gaza

By Maria Morkas

Multiple Rice faculty members released a “statement of solidarity” with Palestinians Oct. 27 later signed by members of the Rice community. The statement was written in response to President Reggie DesRoches’ “message of supportt” to the community Oct. 11, sent two days after an initial email about the “conflict in Israel and Gaza.”

NEWS 11/14/23 10:34pm

Rice goes to the polls

By Spring Chenjp

Members of the Rice community lined up to vote on Election Day at the Sewall Hall polling location Nov. 7. According to presiding judge Vivian Zheng, there will also be an on-campus polling location in Sewall Hall during the mayoral runoff elections Dec. 9.

NEWS 11/14/23 10:33pm

IJM fashion show fundraises to stop human trafficking

By James Cancelarich

Eleven student models took the stage for the International Justice Mission’s Interwoven: Celebrating Resistance & Resilience to Trafficking fashion show Nov. 11 at the Rice Memorial Chapel. The models showcased garments ranging from an English trenchcoat to a scarf made in Rwanda. All proceeds were donated to the IJM field office in Ghana, according to Rice IJM president Sarah Sowell.

NEWS 11/14/23 10:32pm

RASA hosts first Rice Date Auction fundraiser

By Rahul Santhanam

The Rice African Student Association hosted the first campus-wide Rice Date Auction in the Grand Hall of the Rice Memorial Center Nov. 10. The event was Rice’s first date auction hosted by a campus organization, according to RASA co-treasurer and organizer Barakat Ibrahim. 

Editor's Picks

Most Popular

The Rice Thresher