VOLUME 107, ISSUE NO. 19 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2023
SA town hall features slate of uncontested candidates RIYA MISRA
Unegbu, who is running uncontested for external vice president, was similarly appointed as a Hanszen Student Association candidates College NSR and then to her current Solomon Ni, Alison Qiu, Crystal position as director of government Unegbu and Yuv Sachdeva outlined relations, losing her only contested their goals for the SA and addressed election last year in the internal vice questions about their candidacy president race. Unegbu said that by platforms at the Rice Thresher’s SA advocating for more diversity and Town Hall on Monday, Feb. 22. The inclusion within the SA, she hopes town hall was in lieu of the traditional to expand the SA’s reach and instill presidential debate, as every SA confidence in the student body about executive candidate is running her own candidacy. “If we’re going back to the same uncontested this year. The uncontested nature of the people who are already responding, election was at the forefront of many then we’re not really getting anywhere,” questions at the town hall, as the Unegbu, a Hanszen sophomore, said. candidates sought to assure people “One thing we would like to do together is reach out to that they were … clubs like representative HACER, [the of a student Rice African body that has One thing we would like S t u d e n t not technically Association] or chosen them. to do together is reach [the Chinese Ni, who is the out to [clubs] and just let S t u d e n t current SA them know that there are Association] treasurer and appointed positions that … and just let p re s i d e n t i a l them know c a n d i d a t e , they can apply for. that there are acknowledged Crystal Unegbu appointed that he has SA EVP CANDIDATE positions that never engaged in a contested election during his time they can apply for.” Unegbu also said that the SA holds at Rice. Their first position as a Jones College New Student Representative many appointed positions, from was appointed, and his second position committee members to senators to NSRs. The importance of appointed as SA treasurer was also uncontested. “I’m glad that I took the [treasurer] positions, she argues, should not position, because I learned a be minimized despite the lack of an lot through my year here. I am election. “Even if we are appointing [people disappointed that there is no one else running for president because I think from affinity groups], I don’t want that that the best ideas are grown through to invalidate what they’re going to do talking with another person or a group because the appointed positions are just of people,” Ni, a Jones sophomore, as important as any elected position,” said. “But I’m hoping that [by] working Unegbu said. “At the end of the day, [the with [the SA executive candidates], we SA] is not a five person team … There are can find some common ground and so many roles, so why not diversify?” some common policies that we want to advocate for.” SEE SA TOWN HALL PAGE 4 FEATURES EDITOR
KATHERINE HUI / THRESHER
‘Evolving daily’: Rice athletes navigate the NIL world DIEGO PALOS RODRIGUEZ
KINApparel, and NILProShop, newer social media features have even facilitated the content creation and partnership process. “It’s been really interesting to see just how Since the NCAA introduced a new policy allowing student-athletes to profit off of much social media has molded to content their name, image and likeness more than creation,” Johnson-McCray said. “I started a year ago, Rice athletes are increasingly social media pretty early and I remember agreeing to sponsorships with a variety of not having platforms like the Creator businesses. Student-athletes have had the Marketplace on Tiktok or the Professional opportunity to partner with everything from Dashboard on Instagram. Those two have clothing stores, to food and drink brands, to really made it easy for creators and brands restaurants. According to Quincy Olivari, a to collaborate and do transactions directly junior guard on the men’s basketball team, through the social media app.” The process, however, looks very he’s used the new NIL rules to sponsor companies to which he feels a personal different now than how it was just one year ago, Olivari said, as student-athletes have connection. “I have one deal currently with grown more comfortable navigating the world of sponsorships. Candelari’s, which is “When everything an Italian spot over first happened, on West Holcombe,” everyone was very Olivari said. “I eat inexperienced and there a lot with my [At first] everyone was didn’t know what was mom and I basically very inexperienced and the right price or how just reached out to didn’t know what was to go about contracts some people that and things like that,” know the business the right price or how Olivari said. “But owners and told them to go about contracts now there’s a lot of that I like going there and things like that. experience and you and they connected But now there’s a lot can have stuff to base me [with] the business things off of, which owner, we just talked of experience ... which makes it easier for makes it easier for from there.” everyone involved.” According to everyone involved. Rice has sophomore swimmer implemented a Arielle Hayon, NIL Quincy Olivari number of measures to has given her the MEN’S BASKETBALL GUARD help ease the process of opportunity to landing deals. According to Marco Regalado, endorse brands she uses. “I am currently a brand ambassador who oversees Rice football’s recruiting for JOLYN Clothing,” Hayon said. “I have operations, the athletics department has been wearing JOLYN Clothing since I was collaborated with Opendorse, a centralized about 11 years old because they make portal where athletes and businesses can functional and fashionable swimwear. contact each other, and The Brandr Group, They are a brand I have always loved and which allows student-athletes to use the the opportunity to work with them was one university’s registered trademarks. Aside from these collaborations, there I could not pass up.” Social media has played a major role in has been an increase in the number of the way that many of these NIL deals are initiatives from Rice available to studentboth established and fulfilled. According to athletes. This article has been cut off for print. Read redshirt junior quarterback JoVoni JohnsonMcCray, who has deals with Clif Bar & Co., the full article at ricethresher.org. THRESHER STAFF
NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER