Special Projects

Meet the presidents: College presidents prepare for a year like no other

Wielding power in their respective commons and in the Student Association Senate, college presidents are perhaps the most visible faces of the student leadership that is essential to the Rice experience. But just a few weeks after this year’s cohort began their terms, their communities dispersed as students were sent home to study online. Now, the presidents must lead their colleges amid conditions completely unknown to all who came before: distancing rules, a ban on mass gatherings, students who may never actually be on campus and other pandemic-related changes. They may not have signed up for these new challenges, but they are surely stepping up to face them. 

LPAPs to Enroll in Before the Add Deadline

Students say admin unprepared for return to campus in petition

A student-written petition expressing concerns about the administration's handling of fall semester has reached 442 signatures at the time of print. Students shared dissatisfactions with the administration ranging from those listed in the petition — servery food and a new "medical hold" health status — to concerns about contact tracing.

SRBs prepare to reopen with CDC guidelines in mind

The three official student-run businesses on campus, Rice Coffeehouse, The Hoot and Rice Bikes, all expect to reopen in September after submitting return to campus plans to Rice’s Crisis Management Team, according to the businesses’ respective Facebook pages. The student-owned business East-West Tea will not open in the fall, and Willy’s Pub, which is student staffed, cannot open until statewide restrictions on bars reopening are lifted.

Local Asian American artists respond to the pandemic in new Fondren exhibit

Now on display in Fondren Library, Houston Asian American Archive’s “Faces in the Pandemic” exhibit explores Asian American experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic through dynamic visual art, fostering reflection and discussion on relevant topics of racism, isolation, history and intersectionality. The exhibit explores a history of Asian American discrimination from the early 1800s to today and prompts the viewer to think about what this moment will look like in our collective history. 

Rec and IMs continue to operate, adjust to new measures

At a time when many gyms and recreation centers across the country are shuttering their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rice’s Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center, which reopened from a temporary closure on Aug. 3, is taking a number of measures in order to remain open.  

9/2 scenes and screens

Forgotten Gems: Feel Good Now EP Is The Most Underrated Pop Project of the 2010s

 Imagine you’re me in 2011. Ouch. Ouch ouch. Wait fuck. That hurts. Is that the nascent depression or the repressed sexuality? Okay, don’t imagine you’re me in 2011. Instead, picture a young, swoopy haired tween sitting at the desk under their bunk bed and churning out some homework for Mrs. Parker’s seventh period English. A young Jacob is listening to their favorite Pandora station: “Fall For You” radio, based off the one-hit wonder power ballad by Secondhand Serenade. Suddenly, the mire of dad rock and pop punk is cut through by a warbly synthetic lead and bandpassed vocals before breaking down into an R&B-inspired pop verse. I liked the song almost immediately. It was “Notions” by The Ready Set.

Katy Perry drops uncharacteristic yet hope-filled album “Smile” as “Teenage Dream” turns 10

Aug. 24 was the 10th anniversary of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” her generation-defining pop album. She then delivered her first child on Aug. 26 after an engagement with Orlando Bloom last year, and two days later, dropped her sixth studio album, “Smile.” Her latest album was disappointing, nothing like the Katy Perry you know, and only the third most significant part of her week.

Football season to start season Oct. 3 at Marshall

In a summer that was full of uncertainty, the return college sports has been one of the biggest unknowns. As the school year begins and decision making windows shrink, it appears that Conference USA will move forward with the plan to play football this fall. Head coach Mike Bloomgren praised his team’s commitment throughout an extraordinarily strange summer. 

9-2-20 Crossword: "A Boston Party"

Rice braces for Hurricane Laura

All campus operations including in-person and remote classes were cancelled from 5 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday in anticipation for Hurricane Laura, according to an email sent to the Rice community Tuesday night, from Chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee Kevin Kirby. Students living on campus are also required to shelter in place from Wednesday 10 p.m. until sunrise Thursday, according to an additional email sent Wednesday at 7 p.m.

8/26 scenes and screens

Fresh Air: Nine outdoor destinations perfect for a socially distant semester

Traditionally, the end of August signifies an end to a summer of trips, getaways and parties. But the COVID-19 pandemic has put a hard stop to the romanticization of summer break this year, with most (responsible) human beings in the United States restraining their urges to throw a pool party and opting for a solitary swim instead. So it’s probably no surprise that college students who have returned on campus, jaded and sun-deprived, would feel an even stronger desire than before to escape their endless Zoom sessions on the weekends and have a little fun. 

Admin’s own actions need to reflect the Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence they demand of students

When you visit return.rice.edu, the university’s online hub for information about reopening plans, you’re redirected to coronavirus.rice.edu. It’s a seemingly harmless swap — “return” becomes “coronavirus” — but one that is indicative of the two incompatible narratives the administration has been feeding its students, staff and faculty. 

New traditions: Students get creative with virtual and socially-distanced events this fall

 Mask-designing in tents by Rice Program Council, online dance workshops by Rice African Students Association, outdoor movie nights at Jones College and a Bachelor or Bachelorette-style online dating event at McMurtry College are just a handful of the events students are planning for this fall, which will be unlike any other Rice has seen before. With restrictions on social gatherings on campus, student organizers have been brainstorming ways to not just replicate traditional events online, but also introduce entirely new events. 

Honor Council cases rise to 78 during last semester

The Rice Honor Council saw an increase in the number of cases last semester, receiving 78 complaints of academic misconduct compared to the 28 cases heard in the previous semester.  

Student leaders adapt O-Week to COVID-19 precautions

Orientation Week is a decades-old event at Rice, with traditions that have largely remained untouched. This year, coordinators have had to modify or cut out many traditional O-Week events to comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and university guidelines in light of the pandemic, resulting in a unique experience for the incoming class of new students. 

Rice welcomes class of 2024 in-person and online

Rice’s office of admission saw a greater enrollment of both freshman students and transfer students than last year, with just under 1,000 new students enrolling in total, according to Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva.  

The Essential Backpage-to-School Dictionary