Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916

Friday, March 29, 2024 — Houston, TX

Opinion



OPINION 10/22/19 9:32pm

The Value of NOW

What if we treated our time at Rice like what it actually is — a convergence of the world’s greatest minds and four years of unfettered access to the intellectual pillars of the past and the promise of the future? Dear Rice, your Orientation Week friends could one day change the world, and many of your professors and mentors already have. 


OPINION 10/8/19 10:11pm

What Black people hear when you use the N-word

As the semester starts and parties are in full swing, I want to speak out and be clear about one thing: Don’t use the N-word while rapping or singing along to songs. On a broader note, don’t use the N-word in your casual vocabulary. This is a demand, not a request.


OPINION 10/8/19 10:10pm

Call for a balanced narrative on Kashmir

Two weeks ago, I attended the “Howdy, Modi!” event along with over 100 Rice students and 2,000 students from universities across the United States. It was a proud moment as an Indian American, as I saw fellow students dancing in their colorful garb, musicians celebrating all of India’s spiritual traditions and politicians honoring the contributions made and unique place held by Indian Americans in the fabric of the U.S. 


OPINION 10/8/19 10:09pm

Letter to the editor: mindful protesting

Last week, I was dismayed to hear that over the course of protests happening at the university, chalk was used to deface multiple buildings across campus. A desire to strongly express feelings is understandable; however, it seems the vandals paid little attention to the burden their actions placed on those responsible for removing the writing. 



OPINION 10/1/19 10:52pm

Rethinking Orc Raids in the age of blackface scandals

In the past year, there has been a notable influx of blackface scandals among prominent politicians, such as Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and I cannot help but think of Sid Richardson College’s Orc Raids every time a new incident hits the press. 



OPINION 10/1/19 10:50pm

Letter to the Editor: on being low income at Rice

As a Rice alumna (Lovett College ’03) and a student who also attended Rice under adverse economic circumstances, I was inspired by Elizabeth’s bravery in writing about her financial situation and how foreign the Rice environment can be to those from different socioeconomic backgrounds. 






OPINION 9/26/19 5:19pm

Letter from the Dean of Undergraduates regarding recent Thresher opinion

First, I want everyone to know that we take these cases incredibly seriously. Cases that involve sexual misconduct or sexual assault are often difficult and complicated. Our reporting and investigative process, as well as our final decisions in these cases, are based on the best available information. We base our decisions on the evidence before us, our best judgment of what is fair to the individuals involved, and what we believe best protects the Rice community.


OPINION 9/24/19 9:27pm

Kavanaugh has to go

Brett Kavanaugh should never have been nominated to be a Supreme Court justice. His confirmation tarnishes the office and its fight for justice.


OPINION 9/24/19 9:25pm

I reported. Rice and SJP still let him graduate.

The last time I wrote an opinion piece like this, I had just been sexually assaulted. I was in a terrible place, and I stayed in that terrible place for months and months, unable to break the walls that the sexual assault had put between me and my closest friends. 


OPINION 9/24/19 9:24pm

Men Need to be More Involved in Climate Change Action

In high school I was involved with an environmental networking organization, Maine Environmental Changemakers, that connects like-minded people across the state of Maine to the resources they need to actualize positive environmental change within their communities.



OPINION 9/17/19 10:00pm

Make low-income students feel welcome at Rice

Sometimes as I walk around campus, I have to remind myself that I belong here and this is my school. I think that Rice is not truly mine because I can’t afford my own education. While I am incredibly grateful for the financial aid I receive and the opportunity I’ve been given to attend Rice, I am often reminded that my financial situation is uncommon at this university.