Special Projects

Peruse the paranormal at Rice’s Archives of the Impossible

In a world dictated by facts, seemingly everything can be explained by some scientific principle or research. Certain events, though, just can’t be explained, falling outside our conceptions of how the world works — which many call the paranormal. Records of unordinary events have been kept for centuries in the form of books, photographs, letters and government documents. Since 2014, the Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library has been gathering these accounts detailing the supernatural, placing them in a collection aptly named the Archives of the Impossible.

RNASA reconnects with Indigenous community on campus

Rice currently has less than 10 Native-identifying students on campus, according to Catherine Clack, the associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion. Houston, however, is home to over 80,000 people who identify as American Indian or Alaskan Native and is a city with a deeply rooted Indigenous history and culture — though it’s a history often forgotten and rarely spoken about. 

‘A force of nature’: Elaine Howard Ecklund makes her mark

Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, director of the Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance, sociology professor — Elaine Howard Ecklund has many titles to her name. However, she said being this year’s president of the Religious Research Association — a position to which she was recently elected — is among the most meaningful.

Socials committees plan for new memories without publics

Since Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman’s recent decision to cancel public parties through spring break, colleges no longer hosting publics have been left with a large sum of leftover money.

Clinking glasses, not heads: Speakeasy Pub's winning formula

As Rice has been struggling for the past few weeks with our culture around alcohol and public gatherings, Speakeasy Pub last Thursday night has shown us that a safe, responsible and fun drinking environment is still very possible.

One Muslim graduate student’s perspective on the response to the Gaza massacre

As the death toll in Palestine continues to rise, the silence of college administrators, faculty and even students sends those of us watching the events unfolding in Gaza and the West Bank into near psychological isolation. 

Desolation does not entail peace

We have lost sight of the bigger picture in the Middle East. Intensification of violence over the preceding month has shattered the veneer of an international rules-based order, promulgating the precariousness of ascertaining global prosperity, stability and peace through sui generis multilateral frameworks devised to avert the perpetuation of such hostilities. Notably, the conflict has laid bare the alarming moral calculus precluding meaningful discourse across America’s college campuses, including our own. 

Pro-life after Roe: an extended invitation

Last semester at West Servery, I found my flyer, “Pro-life after Roe: Catholic Answers to FAQ’s,” vandalized. “FORCED BIRTH” was scrawled over “Pro-life” in big block letters. 

The academic quad redesign shows student activism works

After years of student protest and the final report from the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice, construction crews have removed the Founder’s Memorial statue from its pedestal. Willy’s statue will no longer be the centerpiece of the campus’ main quad.

SA resolution provides $2,000 for SSI Pantry

A resolution allocating $2,000 to the Student Success Initiative’s pantry passed unanimously at the Student Association senate meeting Nov. 13. 

Rice goes to the polls

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.

IJM fashion show fundraises to stop human trafficking

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.

RASA hosts first Rice Date Auction fundraiser

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. 

Off the pedestal: Willy’s statue moved as academic quad redesign progresses

The Founder’s Memorial statue was removed from its pedestal Nov. 8. The statue is currently in storage and will eventually sit at the corner of Lovett and Sewall Halls in the redesigned academic quad. The Board of Trustees announced in January 2022 that the statue would be relocated and the quad would be redesigned.

Return of the Max: HBO subscription is back for on-campus students

Rice students regained access to Max, HBO’s subscription streaming service, Nov. 8. Included in the room and board fee, Max is only available for on-campus students and graduate students living in Rice Graduate Apartments, according to David McDonald, the interim associate vice president of Housing and Dining.

Philanthropist Robert L. Moody Sr. remembered

Robert L. Moody Sr., known to friends and family as ‘Bobby,’ passed away Nov. 7 at the age of 88. The cause of death was not reported.

Letter to the Editor: Free speech at Rice should support open dialogue, not dangerous rhetoric

In the article “‘All out for Palestine’ protest sees 2,000 at Houston City Hall” from Oct. 17, Associate Vice Provost Catherine Clack discusses the Rice Students for Justice in Palestine sign-making event at the Multicultural Center in the wake of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. She states “... how is this something that we should oppose when it's an exercise of free speech?”  I respect the complexity of issues related to the Middle East and recognize the importance of representing a spectrum of views. But while free speech is a cornerstone of academic discourse, it is imperative that we distinguish between fostering open dialogue and supporting dangerous rhetoric.

Review: Del Water Gap takes the stage

‘You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes’: Students react to canceled publics, Pub restrictions

Following the Night of Decadence, which saw seven hospital transports and over 24 students requiring on-site medical treatment, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced changes to Rice’s parties and social events. Public parties are canceled through spring break, Pub nights are limited to students 21 and older and NOD is placed on “probation,” Gorman wrote Nov. 2.   

Academic Quad closed Nov. 6, redesign to be completed April 2024

The Academic Quad closed Nov. 6 to begin construction of the redesign, according to a campus-wide email from Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Kelly Fox. The closure and construction are expected to continue through late April 2024.