We are Jewish Rice students, alumni and community members who fully support Rice PRIDE’s decision to cut ties with Houston Hillel, and who fundamentally reject the notion of one, hegemonic, Jewish opinion regarding Zionism on Rice University’s campus.
There has been a lot of discourse regarding Rice Pride’s decision to cut ties with Houston Hillel. Yet, throughout this controversy, I’ve noticed an unsettling sense of reluctance to denounce this underlying fact: The precipitating resolution is itself antisemitic.
Last week, we reported on Rice Pride’s decision to cut ties with Houston Hillel. It was controversial, to say the least. An ugly debate reared its head on social media, with online fights and hateful comments breaking out.
Rice trustee Terrence Gee and his family donated $1 million to help launch the Dr. Anthony B. Pinn Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Center for African and African American Studies.
The Wiess President’s House, which serves as both a private residence for the university president and a space for university-hosted events, is nearing completion of its latest construction phase.
Rice EcoReps hosted a two-day clothing exchange Sept. 27-28 prior to the Sid ’80s public. Students were able to donate unwanted clothes and receive clothes free of charge.
Housing and Dining and the Rice African Student Association collaborated Sept. 29 to taste African dishes, served at the Chopd & Stewd Fest hosted at the POST the next day.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ruled the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program unlawful on Sept. 13. According to this ruling, current DACA recipients, or individuals whose DACA status has been expired for less than one year, can continue to renew their status. However, first-time applications will be blocked.
In an email last week, Rice Pride announced an end to its partnership with Houston Hillel, a Jewish campus organization that has hosted events with Pride since 2016. The statement pointed to the “Standards of Partnership” of Hillel International, the parent group of Houston Hillel, which Pride called exclusionary to Palestinian and Arab queer students.
Rice Pride ended its partnership with Houston Hillel, a Jewish campus ministry at Rice, on Sept. 18. Pride’s latest statement on the decision says that the organization will no longer “receive funding or co-create spaces with Houston Hillel” and cited concerns by Palestinian and Arab students who did not feel comfortable engaging in Pride due to the partnership.
The Baker Institute will hold its 30th anniversary gala Oct. 26, welcoming three former secretaries of state: Henry Kissinger, Hillary Clinton and James Baker.
Rice Volleyball defeated the University of Alabama at Birmingham at home and the University of Tulsa on the road twice last week to open their first-ever American Athletic Conference season, moving the Owls to 9-4 on the season. This streak also brings the Owls to five consecutive unbeaten games since a Sept. 11 loss to No. 10 University of Texas at Austin.
Rice Soccer traveled to Denton on Sept. 24, where they were defeated 6-0 by the University of North Texas. According to graduate transfer midfielder Sarah Piper, the team was disappointed by the final results.
Coming off wins against cross-town rivals University of Houston and Texas Southern University, Rice Football was unable to keep up against the University of South Florida, losing 42-29. The Owls’ loss in their first game against an American Athletic Conference opponent dropped them to 2-2 on the season.
Small town girl seeks stardom in the big city: It’s a trope as old as time in the entertainment industry. Crafting an exciting narrative using this theme often requires an artist willing to subvert expectations or chart new ground. Chappell Roan’s debut full-length album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” proves the power of the latter, recounting a journey to queer self-affirmation through campy pop bangers and confessional ballads that express the conflicted comfort of finding solace far from home.
