A few returning students will have an extra roommate as a higher than expected number of students committed to Rice this fall. According to Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, as of the beginning of August, 11 new students were scheduled to share rooms with upperclassmen in order to secure a spot on campus.
Hungry owls returning in the fall may be in for a surprise. The Rice Memorial Center is undergoing renovations to accommodate significant changes in the campus food scene, which include the relocation of Whoo Deli, Droubi’s Mediterranean Grill and 4.TacO as well as the centralization of The Hoot in the RMC. 4.TacO and The Hoot will share Droubi’s window in the RMC, Droubi’s will move into South Servery and Whoo Deli will move into Sammy’s.
Rice University students continue to rate highly in quality of life compared to universities across America, ranking No. 1 for both race/class interaction and quality of life in Princeton Review’s “The Best 380 Colleges” 2016 edition.Rice also ranked within the top 20 across four other categories: happiest students, best health services, great financial aid and best-run colleges.The rankings are a result of 136,000 surveys conducted across 380 of the top colleges in the nation. The Princeton Review evaluated race/class interaction based on surveyed students’ responses when asked whether people from different racial and economic backgrounds interacted often at their college. Several different questions contributed to the quality of life ranking, according to the Princeton Review site.“[Quality of life questions assess] the beauty, safety and location of their campus, their campus dorms and food, their ease in getting around the campus and in dealing with the administration, the friendliness of fellow students and interactions among different student types on campus and their overall happiness,” the site said.Rice’s profile on the Princeton Review site compiles quotes collected from students who participated in the questionnaire discussing academics, administration and the student body.“Students at Rice are generous with their praise for professors, who ‘are very accessible and happy to talk about the material and give help outside of class,’ and make ‘their course material relevant, being sure to include modern-day and industry applications,’” the site said.President David Leebron said he was pleased that Rice was recognized for its strong quality of life and said the ranking supports students’ experience and achievement.“But we are even more gratified with our No. 1 ranking for interaction among students of different racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds,” Leebron said. “Diversity at Rice isn’t just a matter of statistics, but how our students actually experience their education.”Since 2007, Rice has previously been in the top 10 rankings for race/class interaction seven times, the top ten rankings for happiest students six times and within the top five for best of life eight times.
Rice University’s women’s soccer, women’s track and field and men’s track and field will be able to utilize a renovated stadium and other facilities after the completion of construction by spring 2016.
Due to conflict with Easter, next year’s Beer Bike will take place during the third, rather than the last, weekend of March, according to Dixita Viswanath, president of the Rice Program Council, which organizes the event.“This year Easter falls on March 27, 2016,” Viswanath, a Will Rice College senior, said. “Since Beer Bike was originally scheduled for March 26, we did not want Beer Bike to conflict with Easter to allow the maximum number of students to attend. As a result, we moved Beer Bike to March 19, 2016.”The date change will encourage participation and accommodate visiting alumni, according to Viswanath.“We know many alumni return to campus for Beer Bike,” Viswanath said. “We did not want to deter or prevent attendance at the event since we know many people tend to have plans for Easter weekend.”According to Viswanath, RPC Executive Board discussed the decision with Student Activities. She said RPC has always strived to be inclusionary in its event planning.“RPC does its best to schedule events keeping major religious holidays in mind to give the entire undergraduate student body equal opportunity to attend our events,” Viswanath said. “For example, [two] years ago Screw–Yer–Roommate was moved in order to accommodate Yom Kippur.”
Rice recently removed the Taiwan banner from its campus when hosting a visit from Chinese officials, according to Senior Director of News & Media Relations BJ Almond. The visit from June 21-22 included university presidents and chancellors from China and the United States, as well as China’s Vice Premier Liu, Minister of Education Yuan Guiren, and Vice Minister of Education Hao Ping."Rice was honored to host a visit from a very high-ranking Chinese official and removed two Taiwan banners for a short time for protocol purposes," Senior Director of News & Media Relations BJ Almond said. "The banners were restored the day after the visit, as originally planned."According to Almond, Rice's light poles are often adorned with themed banners that are rearranged, replaced and removed for a variety of reasons. The current banners feature the flags of countries represented by Rice students and faculty, including Taiwan."We are proud of our students from Taiwan, proud of our relationships with universities and other institutions there, and we have welcomed many people from Taiwan to our campus," Almond said.Rice alumnus Tim Chang (McMurtry ‘15) is the former president of the Rice Taiwanese Association and said he believes Rice officials should state their reasons for the removal and be prepared to respond to questions."I really have little idea on how conservative or how easily angered Chinese officials would be by the Taiwanese flag, and I did not know what Rice University was trying to achieve from the round-table event, so from a diplomatic and political stance, I cannot say whether or not the Rice University officials were proper in the removal of the ROC flag,” Chang said. “However, from a stance to improve tolerance and a chance to possibly establish meaningful conversations, among students if not among government and university officials, I think the Rice University officials should not have removed the flag."“International protocol decisions are made on a case-by-case basis,” Almond said. Vietnamese Student Association President Thu Nguyen said there had been a previous case in which a banner featuring Vietnam was taken down and replaced with another country's due to students’ requests.“Two individuals, who happen to be a part of [VSA], had requested the removal of the red flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” Nguyen, a Wiess College junior, said. “The reason behind the request is that the Vietnamese community in Houston and the U.S. is officially represented by the yellow flag of the former Republic of South Vietnam. There are documents from the City of Houston, Texas and other states which declare this while asking all institutions here to respectfully remove the current red flag. Therefore, Rice simply honored a legal mandate, and responded to the request within one day.”Errata: It was previously stated the Vietnamese banner was exchanged for a banner featuring the former flag of the Republic of South Vietnam. This is incorrect. It was replaced by a banner featuring Nicaragua.
When Daniel Cortez (Jones ‘15) got several text messages from close friends one morning in April, a few weeks before graduation, he had “no idea” what they were congratulating him for. After one friend forwarded him an email from the Rice University Awards list, he found out that he was going to receive the 2015 Gen. Colin Powell Commencement Award for Leadership.“I was both very excited and confused at the same time,” Cortez said.At Rice, some of Cortez’s extracurriculars included interning in Texas Senator John Cornyn’s office through the Leadership Rice Mentorship Experience, volunteering with Partnership for the Advancement and Immersion of Refugees and doing research at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy and the Religion and Public Life Program.“My time at Rice really was such a wonderful experience,” Cortez said. “In some ways the culture of excellence was a challenge. In high school I never really considered myself as being capable of too much. I always was naturally curious and like being involved in activities but I never saw myself as a ‘leader’ per se. Even now I don't think of myself as a leader, or even capable of affecting change.”When he won the award, Cortez said, he had many moments of self doubt.“I kept wondering what it said about me and if I really deserved it,” Cortez said. “Part of the reason for this feeling is that, at Rice, I feel like I am surrounded by so many incredible people. It's hard to think that I stand out among them.”Cortez did not receive the award on stage, instead meeting Gen. Powell at University President David Leebron’s house before the Saturday graduation ceremony.“It was amazing meeting someone who has had such a profound impact on the world we live in,” Cortez said.Komal Bansal, who Cortez described as a close friend, said she was not surprised when she found out Cortez was getting the award."He has always been committed to the cause of providing educational and leadership opportunities to Latino youth," Bansal (Jones ‘15) said. "His dedication to public service is admirable and inspiring."Cortez’s friend Mitchell Massey, who was also his roommate for two years, said Cortez’s integrity, passion, optimism and determination are evident to all who know him.“He is constantly thinking about what he can do to help others and to improve himself,” Massey (Jones ‘15) said. “As a friend, he is a great listener and will always give you honest advice. I am very proud of Daniel, and I am proud to be his friend. He is a tremendous guy with great values."Cortez will be working as a consultant in Houston at Deloitte for a few years before pursuing a master’s degree. He said in Washington, D.C. he learned that the intersection of government and business is pivotal.“In the long run, I think I’d like to work in government at the local level,” Cortez said. “But I’m keeping things pretty open. I want to use Deloitte as an opportunity to explore new industries.”Being a public servant, Cortez said, requires really understanding the people and communities you are serving.“And while I don't think I have that yet — and perhaps never will — I hope that I can immerse myself at the local level,” Cortez said. Read more about Cortez and the Powell Award at http://news.rice.edu/2015/05/16/daniel-cortez-honored-with-2015-gen-colin-powell-commencement-award-for-leadership.
Houston Mayor Annise Parker officially designated April 23, 2015 as Y. Ping Sun Day in honor of the Rice University representative and Houston community leader. City councilwoman Ellen Cohen presented Sun with the proclamation at the fifth annual Girl Scouts’ Success to Significance luncheon this April on behalf of Parker, who was out of the country.
Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine further cemented their relationship in an agreement to partner on research and teaching, 50 years after the institutions partnered in creating the first artificial heart. The agreement, signed by Rice President David Leebron and BCM President and CEO Paul Klotman in May, aligned with the Texas Medical Center outreach goals of Leebron’s Vision for the Second Century.The new agreement seeks to minimize the red tape and paperwork surrounding interinstitutional cooperation for both students and faculty, according to Rice Vice Provost for Strategic Partnerships Dan Carson. The partnership allows students at either institution to enroll in graduate courses at the other for credit, encourages researchers to share certain laboratory facilities and pushes faculty to jointly develop education and research programs.“Beyond lab experiences, Rice undergraduate students have been able to work with BCM faculty on projects through the Health, Humanism and Society Scholars program,” Carson said. “We expect all of these opportunities to expand as a result of the agreement.”Rice and BCM previously attempted a merger in late 2009. According to Caron, the institutions analyzed the challenges and opportunities of a merger and mutually decided not to pursue the endeavor..“I’m not sure I would refer to this effort as ‘failed’,” Carson said. “Nonetheless, it became clear through these discussions that we both saw many areas of collaboration that could be developed or expanded. The agreement provides for the establishment of a joint Implementation Office to develop these areas.”Carson said he is unaware of any further discussion on a merger, but he said Rice is also expanding interactions with UTHealth in developing the Rice Neuroscience Program for undergraduates.More than 40 researchers already partner in adjunct programs and research between the two institutions, and Baylor previously helped create Rice’s neuroscience program. Additionally, Rice shares in Baylor’s M.D./Ph.D. program with the opportunity for a doctoral degree in bioengineering.An oversight council with members appointed by both Leebron and Klotman will ensure that the agreement is implemented over the next year.
Rice University alumni Ann (Jones ‘75) and John (Lovett ‘73) Doerr donated the largest donation Rice has ever received to establish the Doerr Institute for New Leaders. The $50 million donation will help develop both graduate and undergraduate Rice students into leaders through innovative practices and hands-on, personalized coaching. Retired Brigadier General Tom Kolditz has been appointed to direct the institute after a yearlong international search.John Doerr, a venture capitalist who previously helped foster success in Silicon Valley companies, said the institute will focus on cultural and global inclusion and directly address issues that concern millennials.“Millennials want to see the big picture and their role in it, get frequent feedback and be empowered — not micromanaged,” John Doerr said. “Ideas are easy; executing those ideas with a well-led team is paramount. New leaders must be inclusive, self-aware and great listeners who are attuned to the needs of their teams.”Ann Doerr, who has held several management positions and is currently the chair of Khan Academy, said she and her husband had previously donated $15 million to establish the Rice Center for Engineering Leadership in 2009. RCEL has since resulted in groups like Engineers Without Borders, which sends student leaders to Nicaragua and Honduras. However, the Doerrs said they would like to see all students, regardless of major, develop leadership skills.Kolditz, who has more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles, said he believes four years at the Doerr Institute would allow students to continue fostering their abilities even after graduation.“Most of a person’s capacity to lead is learned,” Kolditz said. “Seventy percent of that is gained through experience, not classrooms, so the opportunities to lead teams at Rice are essential to the success of the Doerr Institute.”Kolditz previously held positions as the director of the Leadership Development Program at the Yale School of Management and leading the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.Rice President David Leebron said he is hopeful about the impact the institute would have on Rice’s transformative undergraduate experience.“By donating the largest single gift in the university’s history and dedicating it to leadership education, the Doerrs will enable Rice to be the front-runner in empowering students with the skills, training and confidence to make a true difference in the world,” Leebron said.
In a letter signed by 12 other Texas university presidents, Student Association President Jazz Silva called for Texas Governor Greg Abbott to not sign Senate Bill 11, which would allow licensed Texans to carry concealed handguns on college campuses statewide, including at Rice. Abbott has previously said he will sign the measure into law.“I know that it is quite atypical of a Rice SA president to behave ‘politically',” Silva said. “However, I feel that the letter is not only reasonable, but I trust that it is something Rice students would stand for.”The law, if signed, would take effect on Aug 1, 2016 and allow those age 21 or above to carry a concealed handgun at Rice, unless the university opts out. A provision in the bill allows private institutions to do so if they first consult their faculty, staff and students, Rice President David Leebron said in staff-wide email.“Should the governor sign the bill, we would engage in such consultation in the near future,” Leebron said. “Rest assured that, after those consultations, our expectation is to maintain [Rice’s current no-weapons policy] … In the coming months, we will take the steps needed to maintain [our] welcoming and secure campus.”Silva’s letter states all Texas schools, not just private institutions, should be able to opt out should they desire.“Not all university campuses are identical; they have different cultures, needs and beliefs,” the letter reads. “We trust that our administrators, students, and elected student representatives know how to create a safe educational environment. We should not only be enabled, but empowered to make these decisions on our own based on our individual needs, as universities.”Silva said she and University of Texas at San Antonio Student Government Association President Ileana Gonzalez drafted the opposition letter together and gathered support from other Texas university presidents, who altogether represent over 300,000 students.“I don't speak directly to whether or not guns should be allowed on campus; I only ask that public universities be given the right to choose for themselves - the same right that private institutions currently have,” Silva said.Although Rice, as a private institution, can opt out of the legislation, Silva said its students should still be concerned.“While this is probably unusual, I wouldn't stick my neck out for something I didn't believe in,” Silva said. “I wholeheartedly believe this issue affects Rice students. Our students go to conferences, attend sporting events, take summer classes, and even have siblings or friends who attend Texas public institutions. A large number of Rice students will attend public universities for graduate school.”Silva said she consulted the SA executive board and its faculty advisors before sending the letter.“They are all very supportive of this cause,” Silva said. “If one of Rice's initiatives is to create better leaders, we can't do so if we aren’t empowered to speak up.”The letter is also signed by the student body presidents of Angelo State University, Trinity University, the University of Houston, the University of North Texas, Texas Tech University, the UH Clear Lake, UT Austin, UH Downtown, San Jacinto College, Houston Community College and UT Dallas.Currently, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah and Wisconsin allow concealed carry on campus, while 19 states specifically ban guns at colleges. Other states leave it up to each individual institution to decide. The full letter can be read below:Texas Student Body Presidents LetterFriday, June 5th, 2015Dear Governor Greg Abbott,The 84th Texas Legislature passed the campus carry bill, Senate Bill 11, on May 31st, 2015. This bill would allow concealed handguns in our respective university dormitories, classrooms, and other buildings on our campuses. This has sparked widespread concern from professors, administration, staff and of course, our Texas students.As Texas student body presidents, we respectfully ask you to not sign this bill as it is currently written. In total, we have been elected to represent over 300,000 Texas students and work closely with over 100,000 people varying from staff & administration. Our universities consist of individuals from all backgrounds, ethnicities, faiths, and ages. Because of our diverse communities, a unique culture and academic life at each of our respective institutions exists. As student body presidents, we know firsthand these unique cultures and can address the needs of our students better than anyone else. This includes, but is not limited to, the issue of public safety.We believe that both private and public institutions deserve an opt-in or opt-out of the campus carry policy. We appreciate the work our legislators have done in amending the bill in a way that allows our university presidents to have a say in which buildings are able to become “gun free” zones based on certain criteria. However, we believe that the entirety of our campuses should be “gun-free” zones if said institution sees fit. Not all university campuses are identical; they have different cultures, needs and beliefs. We trust that our administrators, students, and elected student representatives know how to create a safe educational environment. We should not only be enabled, but empowered to make these decisions on our own based on our individual needs, as universities.We tried to communicate to our legislators in the past that we, Texas Student Body Presidents, have publicly opposed this bill, however, you are now the only one who can help. We attentively ask that you have in consideration Texas students’ voices and not sign the Campus Carry bill as it is currently written.Thank you,Jazz Silva, Student Body President—Rice UniversityIleana Gonzalez, Student Body President—The University of Texas at San AntonioJarett Lujan, Student Body President—Angelo State UniversitySean McCutchen, Student Body President—Trinity UniversityShaun Smith, Student Body President—The University of HoustonAdam Alattry, Student Body President—The University of North TexasHolton Westbrook, Student Body President—Texas Tech UniversityRobin Aleman, Student Body President—The University of Houston-Clear LakeXavier Rotnofsky, Student Body President—The University of Texas at AustinJohn Locke, Student Body President—The University of Houston DowntownEmmanuel Quiroz Martinez, Student Body President—San Jacinto CollegeGodswill M. Muofhe, Student Body President—Houston Community CollegeCaitlynn Fortner, Student Body President—The University of Texas at Dallas
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Transitioning from the safe, comfortable classroom setting to a job in the real world is tough for all students, but especially for artists who plan to market their work professionally. They not only have to invent original, relevant ideas for independent projects, but they also have to learn how to successfully curate their work.
The Student Association plans to begin a discussion in the coming fall about departmental grade inflation policies. These discussions come on the heels of legislation passed by the Faculty Senate in April 2014, which called for faculty-wide discussions about grading standards every five years, among other stipulations (see p. 1). The Thresher supports this renewal of discussion on a subject matter that continues to affect many students at Rice, especially now that the department of statistics has implemented a blanket policy of no more than 40 percent A’s in many of its introductory classes. While it is understandable that a large proportion of high grades in a certain class may be cause for concern, The Thresher maintains the opinion presented in our April 23, 2014 editorial that collaring grades as a response to grade inflation is not an appropriate response. By instating a policy where only a certain percentage of students can achieve high grades regardless of how many points they accrue throughout the semester, instructors engender a system that directly contradicts the spirit of positive collaboration so frequently touted by Rice. If individual professors, departments or the administration wish to see a more even grade distribution, then perhaps looking at course rigor or taking a more nuanced approach is in order. Considerations for major requirements, distribution credits and class content should be made to help determine a change in grading scale, not the performance of the current grading scale. Collaring grades is an arbitrary punishment to students that not only negatively impacts Rice’s academic environment of positive collaboration, but also does not address the root of any alleged problems with inflation. If too high a percentage of students receives A’s, the grading scale should not be the first place the faculty looks for a solution. The Thresher recommends investigating the content of the courses to see if it is appropriately rigorous for Rice students. The Thresher believes the statistics department’s turn to grade collaring is a precedent other departments should not follow. Princeton University recently repealed their grade deflation policy after 10 years, citing how it adversely affected students’ willingness to take risks in course selection, damaged the academic atmosphere and discouraged students from applying to the university. There is no reason a similar policy should be implemented among Rice courses. The Thresher encourages each academic department to consider student feedback in the implementation of grading policies, and to give significant thought to the potential negative consequences of such policies. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece’s author.
The Rice University Owls baseball team completed a four-game homestand against two in-state rivals, the University of Houston and the University of Texas, San Antonio. Beginning on Tuesday afternoon, Rice defeated No. 25 Houston 11-0 to even up the Silver Glove Series at one apiece and snap a fourgame losing streak against the Cougars. After heavy thunderstorms postponed Friday’s opening matchup against UTSA, the Owls won both games of the Saturday doubleheader but fell in Sunday’s contest. Rice finished 3-1 on the week and is now 26-16 on the year (14-7 in C-USA).
Student athletes gathered in Tudor Fieldhouse for Night of the Owl, an annual event celebrating their athletic and academic achievements. As part of Rice Rally Club, I got the opportunity to support my peer students in a rare, off-the-field context I don’t normally see them in.
Dean of the Shepherd School of Music Robert Yekovich and Dean of the School of Architecture Sarah Whiting discussed the impact of technology on their disciplines at a Scientia colloquium on April 14.According to Yekovich, the development of virtual instruments and electronically produced sounds has dramatically transformed the music market and pushed musicians to find new ways to adapt.“It’s far more cheap and cost-effective to have a computer playing the score for a film than to have 90 or 100 musicians sitting in a recording studio,” Yekovich said. “As a result, many musicians have had to learn computer-based skills, such as how to orchestrate, arrange, record and edit, in addition to knowing how to play their instruments.”Virtual instruments have also changed music composition and the way professors teach composition, Yekovich said. “When I write a string quartet, I can now sit with my computer and hear every note I write in real time on all four instruments,” Yekovich said. “When students go to lessons, they come in with their computer and whatever the piece has been scored for is played in real time.”Yekovich said he believes human performance and human interaction are still many years from being replaced by machine sounds despite these technological advances.“We still contend that human performance and the kind of experiential learning that is derived from that remains central to our musical endeavor,” Yekovich said.According to Whiting, a current challenge in architecture is how to convince people to invest in architecture or push architecture forward instead of imitating designs from the past.“Architecture is experienced in a state of distraction, and the public doesn’t really pay that much attention,” Whiting said. “We need to do is teach students how to make evaluations of their own and make those arguments convincing for a broader audience. If you don’t do that, you can end up repeating the past in a false form.”With new technology, architects can develop more sophisticated models, Whiting said.“Through these softwares, you can form more realistic environments where the imagination is rendered almost real,” Whiting said. “It’s opened the possibility for us to work digitally to create complex relationships among components.”Architecture student and lecture attendee Neha Sahai said she wishes the deans discussed experiential learning in more depth because the school does a great job balancing the technological side with the experiential learning.“Our fields are very based on experiential learning, and technology is a very integral part of our education,” Sahai, a Will Rice College sophomore, said. “For example, we take technology classes for two years in which we learn about structural systems and the basic mechanics behind constructing buildings. So it’s a huge component to the education and lets us push the boundaries with designing.”
