James Young, Class of 2022

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 17:15:33 +0000

As far as liberal arts colleges are concerned, I think Oxy is one of if not the most diverse. That being said, no institution is without its struggles and Oxy is not an exception. Our Black Studies department got off to a rocky start when they were officially founded in 2018 (lack of support for the faculty involved coupled with an administration that didn’t seem to understand the importance of the department), but in recent years they have grown stronger and stronger. As far as student organizations go, I would say that this really is where we excel as a collective. Both the Black men’s organization and the BSA as a whole have a strong presence on campus and that has only gotten stronger since I first started at Oxy in 2018 (which seems to be a trend). For example, on my first day at college, an older Black student came up to me and introduced himself and told me that he would look out for me during the rest of our time here. I like to mention that just to say that we know being Black at a predominantly white institution can be a bit of an alienating feeling, but we really go out of our way to connect with each other.

Anonymous, Class of 2024

Editorial Team — Sat, 22 Jan 2022 16:50:54 +0000

Find your community!

I think O-week is a great experience and integral to the Rice community, but it essentially indoctrinates students into the general Rice body, and, more specifically, your residential college. While that can be an incredibly positive and wholesome experience, being surrounded by mainly white and other non-Black faces for a week straight can also feel extremely isolating.

For that reason, my advice to any and all prospective Black students is to find your community!! Take advantage of the variety of Black clubs on campus (because we have a lot)! Join the Black Student Association (BSA) for instance. Or, if you’re looking for a more specifically African organization, join the Rice African Student Association (RASA).

Essentially, what I want to stress to all Black students is to take full advantage of any and all opportunities to connect with your community so you can find your place at Rice.

Sincerely,

Anonymous Class of 2024