VOLUME 109, ISSUE NO. 2 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2024
Rice sees
44%
yield for
class of 2028 SARAH KNOWLTON
NEWS EDITOR
With a 44% yield rate, 1,149 students joined the class of 2028 along with 74 transfer students. Incoming classes continue to increase in size ahead of the construction of two new residential colleges. This year’s admission cycle marked a third consecutive year of record-low acceptance rates. 7.5% of applicants were accepted for the class of 2028, 7.7% for the class of 2027 and 8.6% for the class of 2026. Yvonne Romero da Silva, vice president for enrollment, previously told the Thresher that historically high yield rates had, in part, prompted the admissions office to be more conservative with their admissions offers. This marks the first full admissions cycle since the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 29, 2023 watershed decision to overturn affirmative action at colleges and universities. Rice administration emphasized its commitment to diversity after the ruling.
‘PR for Jesus:’ Across the spectrum of Rice’s Christian student organizations SARAH KNOWLTON
NEWS EDITOR
For those who frequent Rice public parties, there is no sight more beloved at the end of the night than a tent and a whiteboard. Underneath this tent, the intoxicated can indulge in fresh pancakes from the Baptist Student Ministry and attempt to consider the faith-related question on the nearby whiteboard, often encouraging students to vote with a tally mark. Also available — a fleet of golf carts and sober drivers to chauffeur the more inebriated students safely home. “The first year, 2008, I joined forces with
“Even though the Supreme Court ruling is not allowing us to track race in the [admissions] process, our team is already trained to look at those unique voices that students are bringing and to value it,” Romero da Silva told the Thresher last year. 6% of the new class of domestic admits identify as Black, compared to last year’s 8%, according to data from Romero da Silva. The proportion of Hispanic students slightly decreased, from last year’s 18% to this year’s 17%. Caucasian students make up 26% of the new admits and Asian American students make up 29% — last year, the Thresher previously reported 24% and 30% for Caucasian and Asian American students, respectively. Texans make up 38% of the new class, while 49% come from other states and 14% come from countries outside the U.S. Due to ongoing construction in the academic quad, the matriculation ceremony differed from previous years. In the past, students from each college proceeded through the Sallyport to the center of the quad to watch a fireworks display in their college’s colors. To avoid construction zones, this year’s
matriculating class walked through the Sallyport and immediately exited the quad through the Herzstein arcades, watching a continuous fireworks show as a group. Vanessa De Leon, a Hanszen College freshman, said that she enjoyed the fireworks but that combining the colleges into one show had its problems. “The fireworks were fun. We were on the concrete, and … they took so long to set them up,” De Leon said. “We were all tired, we were all sweaty.” However, De Leon said that the college bonding aspect of matriculation was still present. “I felt so much pride for Hanszen. [Matriculation] really made me fall in love with it,” De Leon said. “When I walked through the Sallyport, it was like ‘Yeah, HFH!’” Duncan College freshman Areeb Qazi said that he was struck by the importance of the event in the life of any Rice student. “The significance was pretty cool,” Qazi said. “I didn’t feel the weight that much, but it was awesome. It’s a once in a lifetime type thing. It’s a blessing to be able to do it.”
the Rice Women’s [Resource] Center, who Christians, I’ve always wondered this, can was the one running the golf carts at the time you answer that?’” Dennis said. “They’ll … we provided probably 10 or 12 volunteers, ask a question that they’ve always had in and they had one person that was there,” their mind, but they maybe don’t know a Christian that they Andy Dennis, the BSM feel comfortable director of ministry, asking.” said. “Over time, we Aside from just became the go-to pancakes and golf people. After a couple There aren’t many carts, the BSM also of years, we were the Christian ministries that provides free Chickpeople driving the are open and affirming fil-A lunches on golf carts, because I Wednesdays, which wanted to make sure in the same way that we Dennis said are that people stayed are ... It’s not a place of funded by donations safe.” judgment. from alumni and Later on, Dennis affiliated churches. began serving Beth Anne Nelson BSM members also pancakes because of PALMER EPISCOPAL CHURCH participate in service concerns that arose REVEREND projects and missions from watching the throughout Houston. parade of partygoers. Dennis said the group strives to provide a “There were so many people that would go to the parties on completely empty different representation of Christianity. “Part of the process is just doing PR for stomachs,” Dennis said. “We at least have something that’s going to absorb some of Jesus,” Dennis said. “I think oftentimes the alcohol in their systems, so that maybe Christians have given a negative view of who Jesus is, and if we can break down they’re a little safer.” BSM also encourages students to ask some of those barriers, we can have better questions about Christianity during these conversations.” nights, Dennis said. SEE CHRISTIAN CLUBS PAGE 6 “People will ask us, ‘Hey, you guys are
COURTESY JEFF FITLOW
Bloomgren, players apologetic after football’s upset loss ANDERSEN PICKARD
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
As the Rice football team put on their helmets for their first home contest of the season, three white letters adorned the back: ARA. The letters were the initials of Rice junior Andrea Rodriguez Avila, who was found shot at Jones College on the first day of classes. “Our football team is hurting,” head coach Mike Bloomgren said in an Aug. 27 press conference. “We’re trying to make sense of a situation that simply doesn’t make sense. I truly believe we will come out the other side of this grief tighter than ever.” As for the 17,295 fans who braved the evening heat for Rice football’s season opener against Sam Houston State University on Aug. 31, there was a pregame moment of silence. Viewers watching on ESPN+ also saw Avila’s photo with a brief tribute. After the moment of silence, the team proceeded with their home opener. Rice entered the game as 9.5-point favorites but instead fell to Sam Houston, 34-14, dropping their 14th season-opening contest in the last 16 years.
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 10