VOLUME 101, ISSUE NO. 1 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016
Welcome, Rice class of Test scores: middle 50% range of admitted students
43% Etiquette, Shmettiquette Leebron takes on sensitive topics like religion, politics
see Ops p. 7
SAT reading From Texas
SAT writing SAT math
57% from out of state / international
ACT composite
790
710 740
800
700
790
33
35
Quench your thirst Frank Oceaní s album debuts after much anticipation
see A&E p. 9 Gotta Catch ë Em All Womení s ultimate, national champs, seek glory again
981 new students Admit rate:
see Sports p. 15
Drug threat fails to materialize
15%
Unknown
3%
50% 50% male
female
Multiracial
3%
Editor in Chief
0see DIS≠ O, page 4
African American
7%
(first time in 10 years)
Yasna Haghdoost Prior to this yearí s Orientation Week, the university administra≠ tion received information that some returning students were planning to distribute illicit drugs during Dis≠ Orientation with the intent of target≠ ing new students, according to Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson. With the rst weekend of the school year nished, Hutchinson said the administration has not heard reports of the alleged plan being carried out, but has received useful information regarding the culprits and is continu≠ ing to investigate. ì To our knowledge it wasní t ex≠ ecuted,î Hutchinson said. ì Weí re actually hopeful that by spreading information widely on campus that people were alert. As a consequence, anybody who was intending to do something dangerous and harmful decided to not do so.î The administration characterized the information they had received as a ì speci c, credible threatî that includes prescription narcotics, hal≠ lucinogens and other controlled sub≠ stances, Hutchinson said, though the scale of the distribution plans remains unclear. The university ad≠ ministration informed O≠ Week and residential college leaders of these developments so as to involve more students in preventing any poten≠ tially dangerous situations. Hutchinson said he discussed the issue with O≠ Week leaders to en≠ sure that more members of the Rice community were ready to intervene. ì I doní t want a student to say, ë Well, thatí s happening but thatí s not my businessí or ë If I say something about it someone might get in trou≠ ble and so Ií ll keep quiet,í î Hutchin≠ son said. ì Ití s actually a responsi≠ bility all of us have. The reason for raising this particular concern was to empower students to become agents in keeping the campus safe.î Hutchinson warned students who intend to distribute illegal sub≠ stances of severe sanctions, but em≠ phasized Riceí s policy of medical amnesty for students who have con≠ sumed drugs.
(lowest in Rice history)
Asian American
Caucasian
25%
36%
Hispanic
Intí l
16%
11% infographic by samantha ding/thresher
Sexuality course pilot stalled until spring Amber Tong News Editor
The Dean of Undergraduatesí of≠ ce and the Student Association are working to offer pilot programs for a Critical Thinking in Sexuality course in spring 2017 rather than this fall as some expected, according to Dean John Hutchinson. The course was proposed last Oc≠ tober by former SA president Jazz Silva (Sid Rich ë 16) in response to the results of the Survey of Unwanted Sexual Ex≠ periences, which found that 24 per≠ cent of responding undergraduate women and 7 percent of responding undergraduate men had been victims of sexual misconduct. The course was
initially intended to be mandatory this semester for all new students, with a goal of reducing the prevalence of sex≠ ual assault. ì The idea is still completely alive as far as I am concerned,î Hutchinson said. ì The goal is to completely involve our student organizations in brain≠ storming and preparing a curriculum and a plan for us to try and pilot. Our goal here is to do this thoughtfully, so that we have a good idea of what it is weí re going to try to do.î SA President Griffin Thomas said the aim for the pilot is to create optional classes of up to 35 new students as a UNIV or LPAP course. ì The current plan is to offer a couple of pilot programs in the spring semes≠
ter as a way to judge the efficacy of the course and to better understand what it would actually look like in practice,î Thomas, a Lovett College senior, said. A Critical Thinking in Sexuality task force, chaired by Silva, was formed last fall to promote the course among dif≠ ferent stakeholders and discuss cur≠ riculum possibilities. According to task force member James Carter, who is now serving as the SAí s Associate Vice Presi≠ dent, the group met with critical enti≠ ties on campus, including the faculty senate, the Wellbeing Office and the Deaní s office. It also released a video series of student interviews in Febru≠ ary to highlight the ways in which the course would enrich and be of service to Rice students.
Oct. 28, 2015 SA president Jazz Silva introduces SB#4, a bill to create a task force to develop CTIS class
April - May 2015 Working group releases recommendations: increased training, development Sept. 23, 2015 of student STRIVE liason program and Women's Resource all-student Survey of Unwanted Sexual Center holds forum Experiences on survey results
August 2014 Admin creates working group to address sexual assault at Rice, partially in response to new federal requirements released months earlier
Sept. 21, 2015 Results of Unwanted Sexual Experiences survey released by President's Office
Silva said she felt that the program had student support, but administra≠ tion was not fully supportive. ì Last year, the CTIS task force did not feel as if we had the support from a majority of faculty members,î Silva said. ì We need to have advocates and champions outside of the student body. Students come and go, like myself, but if we want to make an institutional change we need institutional support.î Hutchinson said the reason for postponing the roll≠ out is to allow more time for in≠ depth planning. ì Thereí s a difference between knowing the topics you want to cover [and] really working out the details,î Hutchinson said. ì Even the format 0see CTIS, page 3
Feb. 1, 2016 CTIS task force creates website, Facebook page and video series
Nov. 11, 2015 SB#4 passes SA Senate by 19-7 vote
Oct. 28 - Nov. 11, 2015 Polls conducted at all residential colleges except Lovett regarding the proposed class; roughly 50-50 split on average
Oct. 7, 2015 SA holds "It's Up to Us" forum on survey results
Spring 2016 First STRIVE student liasons chosen
August 2016 No CTIS class is offered for fall semester
May 2016 Silva announces course will be offered as optional LPAP in fall