The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, September 30, 2015

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Choose to #StandwithPP Support Planned Parenthood despite unfair attacks

Defunding Planned Parenthood attacks the poor, people of color, young folks and LGBTQ individuals”

See “Intersections,” Rice Gallery’s new installation

see Ops p. 4

volume 100, issue no. 6

SUSE results prompt discussion Anita Alem News Editor

The Rice Women’s Resource Center hosted a discussion on the results of the Survey on Unwanted Sexual Experiences, drawing undergraduate and graduate students as well as members of the administration. RWRC Co-Directors Cristell Perez and Sam Love organized and moderated the event on Wednesday, two days after the results were released. Participants shared concerns over the culture of care, Orientation Week programming and sexual assault education. According to Perez, a Baker College senior, the discussion had three goals: to assess how the campus feels about the results, the current state of initiatives at Rice and steps that need to be undertaken to enact change. “We [hoped] to create a safe space to foster the necessary dialogue and discussion on preventing sexual assault and supporting survivors the best way we can,” Perez said.

Un-bear-able

Think outside the cube

Football team looks to recover after loss to Baylor

see A&E p. 6

student-run

Graduate Student Association President

Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, Title IX Resource Navigator Kate Hildebrandt and Wiess College Master Alexander Byrd attended the event. Hutchinson said he was present to answer any administrative questions that might arise during the discussion. “I stand with all of you,” Hutchinson said. “This is a problem that affects every one of us on campus deeply and emotionally and we really have to come together as a community.” The discussion began with a reflection on the expansiveness of Rice’s culture of care. Several students, including Student Association Internal Vice President Peter Yun agreed that the strong focus on alcohol can overshadow other aspects of student health. “The culture of care that Rice students talk about is too centered on alcohol,” Yun said. 0see RWRC, page 2

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see Sports p. 8

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wednesday, september 30, 2015

KTRU returning to air after four years Drew Keller News Editor

Rice University’s student-run radio station, KTRU, will begin broadcasting on 96.1 FM on Friday, Oct. 2, according to a station press release. KTRU has been on 90.1 HD2, a digital format, since the sale of its previous FM frequency in 2011. The station will celebrate its return to FM radio with a day of special programming on Friday and a concert held at Rice Memorial Center on Thursday night starting at 7:30 p.m., according to Mike Hua,

one of the event’s organizers. The free concert will feature three local artists: Robert Ellis, Buxton and Deep Cuts. “FM launches right after the concert ends, at midnight,” Hua, a Duncan College sophomore, said. “We have special programming for the first 24 hours of FM on Friday, featuring many of our specialty shows in hour-long segments.” According to an email sent to KTRU DJs, the lineup for the first day of FM includes Hip-Hop, World, Downtempo, Chickenskin, Kids, Americana, Funk and Soul, Elec-

tronic, Local and Mutant Hardcore shows spread throughout the day. Other special features will continue on FM throughout the weekend: For example, Saturday’s Navrang show will include performances by student a capella group Basmati Beats, according to a member of the group. Station Manager Emily Meigs said Friday marks the culmination of a multi-year effort. “Years of work have been put into this project since the sale,” Meigs, a Martel College senior, said. “To see the result of this is awesome. KTRU

These are real folks that we know – these are us, these are our friends. Lynn Fahey

.org

is a great part of Houston’s culture and I think moving back to FM will give students another opportunity to be part of that.” KTRU disc jockey Sunny Sharma, a Brown College senior, also said the station’s return to FM will be beneficial for Houston. “KTRU has had a long and rich history in the Houston music scene, and I think it’s great that we now have the visibility to reach more listeners and grow our organization,” Sharma said. “We’re pretty excited for what the future holds.” 0see KTRU, page 2

sean chu/thresher

Battle of the Owls

Junior right side hitter Chelsea Harris attacks Florida Atlantic University’s double block during a 3-0 victory against FAU. Harris recorded 13 kills in the match as Rice picked up their fifth weekend sweep of the season, also defeating Florida International University earlier in the weekend. Rice has begun C-USA play with a 2-0 start.

Rice ranks 28th in low-income accessibility Maurice Frediere & Meghana Pannala For the Thresher

Rice ranked 28 out of 179 top colleges, both liberal arts and research universities, in an index of the best colleges for low-income students published in the New York Times last month. The New York Times article was based on quantitative factors such as percentage of students receiving Pell Grants, the graduation rate of low-income students and the average net price for low- and middleincome students. Vice President of Enrollment Chris Munoz said he disagrees with the methodology of the ranking. According to Munoz, many parts of the Rice experience that make it egalitarian are not quantifiable,

and therefore discounted the ranking. For example, he said the residential college system makes the social environment much friendlier and less stratified than traditional Greek life. “You’re not competing for a social position,” Munoz said, in reference to the placement of students in residential colleges. “[The college system] creates a more open environment where students with different stripes and interests might find us more appealing.” Student Association President Jazz Silva said she believes Rice has an inclusive social environment. “I don’t think you get a lot of class stratification blatantly out in the open,” Silva said. “I don’t think that people are ostracized for being low-income.” Rice placed first in an August

ranking of race and class interaction by the Princeton Review. However, Rice ranks outside the top 50 for the factor “Pell Grad Share,” the number of students who receive Pell Grants, a form of governmental financial aid, multiplied by recipient graduation rate According to the National Review, low-income students nationwide are not proportionally represented at top colleges and are less likely to achieve high grades. Overall, 20 percent of high-income students qualify as high-achieving while that number is less than 5 percent for low-income students. Lovett College freshman Gunny Liu offered a contrasting viewpoint to those of the other students. “Kids from disadvantaged backgrounds don’t really make it here [to Rice] because of their poor educa-

tional opportunities,” Liu said. Program Director of the Center for College Readiness Sonya Ramirez pointed to Rice’s many resources, including peer advisors, the Center for Written, Oral, and Visual Communication, and the Center for Career Development in helping low-income students achieve their goals. “Rice has one of the highest graduation and retention rates for its students, and much of this can be attributed to the supports available to Rice scholars,” Ramirez said. According to Ramirez, who also serves as the advisor for Generation College, Rice’s mission of engagement with the local community is helping to combat the challenges facing low-income students coming to Rice. 0see DIVERSITY, page 2


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