O Week Book 2021 7.1.21

Chidera Ibezue Jim Zhang Callie Carnahan

Hanszen ‘22 Jones ‘22 McMurtry ‘22

You are truly so incredibly lucky to have Chidera as You just hit the jackpot!!!! Congratulations on getting Jim Zhang What’s that noise coming from down the hall? It must
your Advisor and DF. This senior psychology major as your O-Week Advisor! You can call him Jim, Jimmy, Jimbo, Jim- be Callie singing (super loudly) in the shower! This DC na-
from Hanszen College was born in Nigeria, and has ithy, Jimmy Jam, and, my personal favorite, Jay Z! Jim hails from tive is a proud Murt but she is extremely excited to make
since lived in Ohio, Maryland, and North Carolina, the great (not so great) state of Mississippi, double majoring in Jones her second home. If you’re ever looking for Callie,
though she now calls Dallas, Texas home. This pre- Electrical Engineering and Neuroscience (what a smarty!). Out- you can find her writing at Rayzor Hall, working out at the
med is also a black belt in karate, so she can break side of class, you can find Jim smashing people in Super Smash Rec, or trying to get McMurtry funding for beyblade and
your wrist then patch you right back up. An RHA Bros, hitting the weight room (he’s always says he’s just trying to hall bowling sets. If it’s a Wednesday night, you’ll find her
with the kindest, most genuine soul, Chidera is the be healthy, but deep down, he wants to be swole), conducting trying to remember what Bruno Mars got arrested for at
most supportive friend you’ll find — she will always neuroscience research at the Biosciences Research Collaborative, Pub Trivia. Ever in need of a healthy snack? Callie’s your
make time for you, offering advice wise far beyond watching anime (Hunter x Hunter is his favorite, but kinda basic in girl — she always has an unlimited supply of greek yogurt,
her years. Though generally a calming presence, she my opinion!), or dancing with one of Rice’s dance groups, BASYK Soylent, and cheese in her fridge. As a dedicated History
is lowkey the biggest (he’s known as the best looking electrical engineer in this group). major, Callie is one of the most hardworking people we
clown and will leave you If you want advice on how to manage know, but this doesn’t get in
literally rolling on the your schedule, Jim is the perfect per- the way of her having fun and
floor in laughter (speak- son because for as long as I’ve known making sure everyone else
ing from personal expe- him, he consistently goes to bed at does too. Callie is enthusiastic,
rience). There is nothing 11:30 pm - 12:00 am and gets about 8 an amazing listener, and the
more she loves than or 9 hours of sleep (kinda hard to do as punniest person you will ever
deep, late-night talks, a college student). All that said, what meet. We are so lucky to have
and you can go from I want to leave you with is this: Jim Callie as part of our lives, and
crying to laughing with is a solid support and is willing to go we can’t wait for her to be a
her within seconds. Buy above and beyond for those he cares part of yours!
her sour gummies as about! I am truly lucky to have him as
she deserves or procras- a close friend. So get excited to meet -Alyson Resnick, McMurtry ‘22
tinate your work with one of the most genuine and funny & Julia Engelhardt, McMurtry
her by filming tiktoks, people I know as your Advisor! ‘23
and she will love you for-
ever. -Harpreet Singh, Harvard University
‘22
-Lisa Shi, Hanszen ‘22

Jackson Jeffcoat Fiona Garrison

Jones ‘23 Jones ‘23

Major sports enthusiast. Old man country music listener. Supportive friend. What a We would say good luck, but you won’t need it! A junior from San Antonio, Texas majoring
lucky New Student you are to have Jackson Jeffcoat, a sophomore Sports Management in Classical Studies and Art History, Fiona is one of the best, most friendly, determined,
and Managerial Studies major from Columbia, South Carolina. From marathoning Star considerate people we know — just ask her to go on a Chaus run! From her family tradition
Wars and Marvel movies to cheering on the Chicago Bears or the South Carolina Game- of a Lord of the Rings marathon, to a running list of media to watch/read including Game
cocks through continuous losses, Jackson dedicates himself fully to his favorite things. of Thrones, horror movies like the Saw series (we’ve only watched the first one so far, and
If you can’t find him somewhere in Jones playing Madden or rattling off what college it’s amazing), and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, she’s
an NFL player went to, odds are he’s taking a nap or playing down to talk about anything, anytime. She’ll find some way to
golf. Jackson will always be down to go on late trips with mention her adorable cats, Sugar and Stripes, and will likely
you to the Hoot to get some delicious Whataburger hon- be holding a bag of sour cream and onion chips (probably her
ey butter chicken biscuits or try new foods off-campus. He second bag of the day). As a CAPC consultant, Academic Fel-
is one of the kindest, most honest people to ever walk on low, and a talented writer, Fiona is always willing to sit down
the face of the earth and will always be here to support you and talk to you about essay writing and guide you through
no matter what you face in your time here at Rice. The only the process. Fiona is a dedicated learner, demonstrated by her
problem he won’t help you face: squirrels, mice, and distin- ability to recite the Gettysburg Address fully by memory, on
guishing red and green markers. His easy-going nature and command any time you need. She’s also a dedicated friend
sense of humor will always make you laugh and feel right at and mentor who will support you tirelessly throughout your
home. Southern hospitality can’t be seen better in anyone time at Rice. She gives great, insightful, and empathetic ad-
other than Jackson Jeffcoat. You’ve definitely hit the jackpot vice (as evidenced by many late night, 3 AM conversations)
with Jackson as a great Advisor and amazing friend. and is an amazing listener. We are excited for you to have such
a caring and awesome Advisor!
-Christi Nguyen, Harry Golen, and Karl Abramson, Jones ‘23
-Terri-Jeanne Liu, Diep Hoang, & Candi Zhao, Jones ‘23

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52

Makayla Franco Gavin Voss Grace Walters Edelawit Negash

Hanszen ‘22 Jones ‘22 Jones ‘23 Jones ‘24

Where there’s smoke, there’s a fire. Where Is it a bird? Is it a plane? NO! It’s Jones’s per- If you are reading this, you are either lucky Attention New Students!!!!! If you have
there’s Makayla, there’s top tier curated sonal superman, Gavin “The Dragon” Voss! enough to be in Grace’s O-Week group Edelawit as your Advisor, you must be one
Spotify playlists, late-night sunset drives, While he can’t fly, Gavdaddy does have or unfortunate enough to know that you of the luckiest people around. Edelawit’s
warm hugs, and good vibes. Makayla Fran- his own super power in the way he carries won’t be. Regardless, that doesn’t change name really does mean “the lucky one”
co, a senior Sport Management major Jones College on his back. This Columbus, the fact that Grace is an awesome gal hail- so maybe some luck will rub off on you ;).
hailing from small town Lovington, New Ohio native is the ultimate team player. ing from the (not so) distant town of Mag- Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, this shining
Mexico, has the biggest heart you’ll find Whether he’s drowning opponents at a nolia, Texas. This class of ‘23 Linguistics and star and rising sophomore brings smiles
around Houston. When she’s not in the water polo tournament, chugging for the Asian Studies major is brilliant and dope in and kindness everywhere she goes. Here’s
quad at 12am procrastinating her paper by Jones Hard Men, winning a policy debate, sooooo many ways. First of all, she is an in- the lowdown: she will be there for you and
making a “Which residential college would or supporting Ohio State Football through ternationally respected spelling bee coach answer your calls at any second of the day
the One Direction members be placed at?” a lost national championship, Gavin gives who has had several students compete on (even during an econ lecture). But beware,
PowerPoint, you can catch her doing Man- 110% at all times and is the pinnacle ex- the world spelling bee stage. While she is she might mistake your call for a snooze
ager Things™ at the Hoot (best late night ample of work hard, play hard. As a rising super dedicated to her work there, she is button if she’s sleeping—just kidding—but
food stop on campus) or planning anoth- senior majoring in Political Science, he’s an incredible student at Rice too! Through with the amount of times she presses it
er *chef’s kiss* event for Hanszen. But no always down for a late night policy discus- her studies she is constantly trying to un- each morning, the possibility is there. Al-
matter how busy she might be with her sion, but you’re more likely to find him jam- derstand language, and it shows. When though she was a remote student for a
on campus endeavors AND her music in- ming out to a Narcos Theme Song remix hanging out with Grace, she’ll constantly year, she has kept busy with her pursuits
dustry career grind, she is always down for (https://tinyurl.com/wz3jth) or some reg- be picking up on the way you speak and as a Mathematical Economic Analysis and/
whatever you throw her way. So go ahead gae in his room. DJ by night and Rec fiend bringing up interesting information about or Business major (and of course watching
and ask her to go on a late night Oh my by day, when he isn’t playing water polo or it. Personally though, apart from listening Survivor and Modern Family). As a member
Gogi! run (and potentially witness her going crazy on the stair stepper machine, to the way you talk, she is also always will- of the Black Student Association at Rice
dancey-dance) or to a last minute concert you can often find him picking up McGrid- ing to listen to what you have to say. Grace (BSA) and the Rice African Student Asso-
at White Oak Music Hall. She’ll undoubted- dles, which he will probably make you try is a great friend and an amazing person ciation (RASA), Edelawit enjoys sharing her
ly love you forever for it (bonus points if you even though he brags about his “clean eat- who is always willing to lend a hand. She culture with others and meeting new peo-
ask her about her Spotify-linked Instagram ing.” Beyond McGriddles, Gavin loves inter- loves to talk, go on walks, bake, and gen- ple. She is a strong advocate for social jus-
stories in the process)! If you’re looking for national cuisine (ask him about the time erally hang out. Grace is constantly ready tice and civil rights and is not afraid to start
a loyal friend, RHA, music connoisseur, he tried Guinea Pig in Peru) and learning for the next adventure thrifting, exploring, a discussion or share her thoughts. Just to
bestie vibes, and explorer buddy to live out about other cultures, and he’ll be spending playing games, getting meals at UNREA- show how much she values understanding
your coming-of-age film adventures,you’re some time travelling after graduation. In SONABLY late hours, and being a generally and growth of thought, she changed her
in good company with the one and only our humble opinion, you really lucked out good friend. You’ve got no clue as to what favorite animal from dolphins after being
Makayla. with Gavin as your Advisor. He’s the first an amazing person you’ve got as an Ad- informed of their share of bullying in the
person to go to for advice, the most consid- visor and what a great time you will have oceanic world. There is no one else you
erate friend you’ll ever meet, and the best during O-Week!! would wish to have as an Advisor more
Jonesian to have by your side as you join than this proud sister, loyal friend, and
your family at Jones and Rice! thoughtful inspiration.

-Jen Spell & Catherine Jackson, Jones ‘22 -Korinna Ruiz, Jones ‘24

-Arshia Batra, Hanszen ‘22

-Nico Dominguez, Jones ‘23

53

54

Catherine Jackson Daniel Joshua Shria Chug Tanak Patel

Jones ‘22 Jones ‘23 Jones ‘24 Wiess ‘22

“I’m getting ripppped tonight!” What’s Coming to Dreamworks Studios this Have you ever wondered what the human Watch out for this short king stud coming
that you ask? That’s the sound of Cather- O-Week is Daniel Ulion Joshua, a junior form of “chaotic good” looks like? Have to you from Wiess College! Since he was
ine “Action” Jackson announcing her pres- Computer Science and Cognitive Science you ever needed someone to be your a wee lad, this Wiess living legend has
ence through her weekly TikTok of choice. major from Madison, Mississippi. His Com- resident hype-woman, order an obscene dreamed of being the next native Hous-
This native Houstonian, Cognitive Science puter Science major comes into play when amount of Dominos at any hour with, or ton basketball player yet his growth spurt
major will always be there to support you, Daniel competes in events like Hackathon, be your shoulder to cry on? Well, we are never came. The statistics major would
whether that requires a late night run to which also highlights his creative side. A pleased to introduce the one, the only, have tried to extrapolate his height if only
Sonic or a drive across campus to rescue lover of arts, Daniel is a ~world-renowned~ Shria Chug!!! This beam of sunshine hails he had eaten more vegetables when he
you in a truly heroic fashion. This Marvel critic on Letterboxd and will gladly discuss from Ames, Iowa, making her one of the was younger. Now, Tanak spends his days
fanatic is just as great at problem solving his favorite (and least favorite) films with most important things Iowa has to offer. holed up in his “cave,” studying Cody Ko’s
as her favorite superhero, Captain Amer- you. Daniel runs circles around his friends When you first see Shria, you might mis- videos to see how he too can be a legend-
ica. In fact, she once DIY’ed popcorn for both in the classroom and on the make- take her for a fellow New Student, but ary Short King. Don’t worry if he’s your
her housemates during a power outage shift soccer field. Playing video games like this tiny sophomore girlboss is packed Advisor though! What he lacks in height,
using tinfoil. Impressive, am I right? Cath- Duck Game or Stick Fight with his friends with enough energy and love to fill up he makes up for in versatility. This guy
erine knows the best restaurants in town also brings out Daniel’s competitive spirit. the whole quad — or perhaps even an has changed his major almost as many
and will gladly give you any recommen- When he’s not goofing around, Daniel can entire stadium. This Health Sciences ma- times as he has ordered late night Uber
dations. However, if you ask her to come be found working at the Moody Center for jor claims she is pre-med because of the Eats from The Den. If there was anyone
along she’ll either take so long to decide the Arts or studying all over campus. His questionable amount of medical events who could coach you on choosing a ma-
on a restaurant that you’re no longer hun- favorite study spots include Fondren Li- that have happened around her this year, jor and sticking with it, it is definitely not
gry or she’ll just take you to Lupe Tortilla brary, the Skyspace, Brochstein Pavilion, but we all know it’s because of who she is Tanak Jayesh Patel. He can help you try
AGAIN. When she’s not at Lupe’s, you can and Sammy’s Lounge. While studying, — caring, capable, and oh so cute. You will multiple different courses until you finally
find Catherine working in a psychology Daniel enjoys listening to jazz (John Col- never be bored around this firecracker; as find something you want to do. Outside of
lab, at Rice’s coffeehouse or at the upcom- trane and Miles Davis are two of his favor- the sophomore captain of the Bhangra academics, TP is the Treasurer of DREAM,
ing Jones fitq, but wherever you find her, ite artists). Sometimes, Daniel even pulls dance team, she can put on a show… in- an organization on campus dedicated to
trust that it’ll be a fun time not only be- out his saxophone and plays a few tunes cluding an award-winning performance mentoring high school students in STEM.
cause Catherine is an extremely thought- to kill time. A man of class, Daniel also has of lyrical W.A.P. Dancing, giggles, and As much as the wannabe-Lululemon am-
ful friend, but also because she is more a great sense of style. Given his smart ap- staying up WAAYYYY past an acceptable bassador hopes this will make him worthy
than willing to do things like shout Christ- pearance, you wouldn’t guess that Daniel bedtime aside, you couldn’t be luckier enough to be at Jones, make sure to let
mas songs with you in the middle of April. always wears the coolest socks. In spite than having Shria as your Advisor. She him know he will always be second to his
The rest of her music taste is a little ques- of these great attributes, Daniel does will drop anything — no, literally, anything sister, a true Jonesian. Nonetheless, Tanak
tionable though, so it might be better to have one weakness: he will drop every- — for the people that she loves, and can will make sure you find your home at
make her stick to Christmas music when thing to walk around with you and take bring anyone up after a bad day with a Jones and at Rice. He’s fun, spontaneous,
she has aux. All jokes aside, Catherine is in the campus scenery. As an experienced hug, an infectious laugh, and some heart- and has a smile that grabs the attention
one of the most genuine people that you O-Week dad, Daniel will know just how to felt advice. Get ready to have the most ex- of the room. He’s someone you can always
will meet at Rice. She is kind, understand- help in any situation. In a nutshell, Dan- citing O-Week and first year at Rice with rely on to be there for you, and he can’t
ing, generous, and will always have your iel is an amazing friend, and you couldn’t this babe! wait to meet you! JIBA!
back no matter what. Congratulations on have asked for a better Advisor.
getting Catherine as your Advisor, you’re Georgia Nevin, Jones ‘23, Kirsty Leech, Wi- -Hugo Estrada II, Beck Bergulin, & Varun
in for a great week! Kami Boutotte, Jones ‘23 & Lauren Frey, ess ‘23, & Olivia Goganian, Jones ‘24 Kukunoor, Wiess ‘22
Jones ‘22
-Erykah Pedro & Bri Gonzalez, Jones ‘22

55

O-Week Affiliates

Gophers Chief Justice (CJ)

Kami Boutotte Annie Chen Georgia Nevin

Jones ‘23 Jones ‘22 Jones ‘23

Headed straight for Dreamworks StudiO-Week is Kami Her name is Annie Chen. She is 20 years old. She is a Jones Cue the drum roll, because the BEST and BIGGEST MEME
Boutotte. Kami is a junior Psychology major with a mi- senior from Plano, Texas, and she’s a member of the swole of the Chief Justice team has arrived in the one and only
nor in Business from Montgomery, Texas. When she is gang. She lifts every morning at 11AM and drinks 1 large pro- Georgia Nevin. Despite all her friends thinking of Georgia
not baking delicious treats like macarons and cupcakes, tein smoothie to recover. She studies Kinesiology, and has like a non-related little sister, she uses all of her demo-
you can find her watching her favorite rom-coms like 10 massive muscles. She is an EMT with Rice Emergency Medi- cratically-elected power to keep Jones safe, happy, and
Things I Hate About You, rewatching Brooklyn 99, or jam- cal Services (skrt skrt) and on the Jones Bike Team, but stays healthy, just as a CJ is supposed to. This Junior superstar
ming out to Matt Maltese. On campus, Kami excels at her home most of the time because COVID. She doesn’t clean, comes from both Pleasanton, California, and Austin, Tex-
job as a First-Generation Low Income (FLI) Ambassador. but cooks occasionally. She is usually in bed by 12AM and as, and she will defend both cities with her whole being,
Kami enjoys a host of hobbies such as totally not being makes sure to get 8 hours of sleep, no matter what. After much as she does Jones. Georgia is one of maybe 5 civ-
addicted to coffee, making beautiful art pieces (ask her having a glass of ice cold water and dancing to Tame Im- il engineers (civies, if you will) on this campus, but is so
to show you her hand-painted desk), and destroying her pala for 20 minutes before going to bed, she still has trou- proud of being Bob the Infrastructure Builder that we ac-
friends at Duck Game. Just don’t let her near your hair or ble falling asleep. Just like a baby, she cries when she wakes cept her, anyways. Her major is not the only quirky thing
she will convince you to let her cut it all off (and she’ll ac- up. I was told she has a vitamin D deficiency and a case of about this beauty; in fact, it might be the most normal
tually do a really great job). If you befriend Kami, get ready multitasking-itis. She is addicted to the show Jojo’s Bizarre thing about her. Georgia’s primary mode of communica-
to receive the most thoughtful birthday presents. Past Adventure, and I need her to stop watching it because it’s tion is nonsensical noises, TikTok audios, or weird faces,
favorites include an Office themed birthday party and a affecting our friendship. Also, she likes large fries and pizza but as you come to know her, you will begin to under-
beautiful matcha cake made from scratch. If you are ever mozzarella. I’m trying to explain that she’s a loving person stand what this secret language means… or at least try
looking for someone who will take you on a spontaneous who wishes to live a quiet and fulfilling life. to. Jokes aside, Georgia is one of the most giving, genu-
trip to Galveston, Kami is always down to take you in her ine people that we know, and that is why she is so widely
Jeep Wrangler. She is a firm believer in Jeep CultureTM so -Jess Su, Jones ‘22 loved at Jones and beyond. Between being a Beer Bike
she will love you forever if you leave a rubber duck on her Coordinator AND Chug Captain, your amazing CJ, and
Jeep (it’s a real thing). Destined to be the greatest gopher powderpuff captain, she gives her entire heart to this
O-Week has ever seen, Kami is one of the sweetest people college, as well as to everything and everyone that she
you will ever meet and the Jones O-Week team is so lucky meets. She’ll be floating around O-Week; make sure to
to have her! say a hi and huzzah if you see her!

-Kirsty Leech, Wiess ‘23 & Isaac Che, Jones ‘22

-Daniel Joshua, Jones ‘23 & Lauren Frey, Jones ‘22

56

Peer Academic Advisors (PAAs)

Yessenia Ramos-Silva Mahmoud Al-Madi Ryan Emelle Korinna Ruiz

Jones ‘23 Jones ‘22 Jones ‘22 Jones ‘24

Never fear, when Yessenia Ramos-Sil- If you see a blur of luxurious, flowing hair Woah woah woah, cut the track (or the You’re so lucky to have Korinna, pro-
va (aka La Doctora Ramos) is around, no biking past you, consider yourself lucky — check) because quite literally the coolest nounced core-een-a, as one of your
pain will ever last. This outstanding junior you’ve probably run into our O-Week PAA Jonesian we know is going to be your Peer O-Week PAA’s! This Cell Biology major and
studying Sports Medicine and Exercise Mahmoud Al-Madi! A resident of Houston, Academic Advisor...standing at a scary 5’2, Data Science minor from Weslaco, TX, ra-
Physiology knows everything you need to Texas (originally from Jordan), Mahmoud hailing from Los Angeles, California, and diates the happiest energy, and she’s one
keep on going after a long day of grind- is the single most athletic student at Rice majoring in Cognitive Science, Ryan Emelle of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet.
ing. Whether this be a trip to CHAUS (your University. A triathlete and junior from is a force to be reckoned with. You can find As the mom of the group, she always has
treat of course), a stop to Teahouse, or Jones College, he is the golden standard Ryan making a PowerPoint about what extra blankets for you to use and lots of
some bandages, she’s got you. Coming all for what is considered the perfect ath- movie her friends would star in, showing snacks (ask her about Whales, and you can
the way from Terra Bella, California, she’s a lete and nothing will get in the way of his off her hand-crafted Spotify playlists made decide for yourself whether or not they’re
presence not to be forgotten. When she’s many successes, including his impressive for the Gods themselves, modeling another Goldfish knock-offs). She loves wander-
not holed up in her room studying, Yesse- leadership on the Jones Men’s Bike Team. cute Depop haul on her Snapchat story, or ing around stores, going on swings, and
nia enjoys spending time with her friends You can also be sure that Mahmoud will cooking up a fun recipe she found (ask her will use any excuse to procrastinate (see:
by going out to eat, getting boba, going always be on time, thanks to the insane for some shrimp alfredo!). This multi-tal- going to someone’s house to visit their
on Target runs, or playing volleyball. Yesse- way he drives over 100 mph on the high- ented queen not only keeps up with all the cat instead of doing homework). She can
nia is a great friend who’s always there for way. If you are ever feeling tired around latest trends through her avid TikTok watch- dance to all the songs in Pitch Perfect,
her friends whenever they need someone him, he is likely to have one of his iconic ing, but she also makes the latest trends as and if you hand her the aux, you’ll never
to lend an ear, give advice, or help buy- energy boosters, from date donuts to beet a ~Rice twitter influencer.~ When she’s not be disappointed by the music she chooses
ing Bad Bunny tickets. Her newly found juice shots, which he can all put down ef- off studying astrology (she’s a proud Cap- (perfect transitions between Mainstream
passion is bingeing the entirety of Avatar fortlessly, as one would expect from this ricorn), you might find her #girlbossing at Pop >Latin Pop>Rock and Roll). Korinna
the Last Airbender series while saying, beast of nature. When he’s not speeding the Hoot, our late-night dining on campus is a part of DAWA, HACER, ROOTS, Across
“Yip Yip!’’ whenever she can. Needless to around the bike track or inner loop, Mah- where Ryan is the general manager. As a All Borders, and the Jones Committee of
say, her favorite character is Appa. Never moud can be found helping Jonesians as manager, she’s also a planner! She can help Alumni and Associates. She’s incredibly
watch a show or movie with her, howev- a Peer Academic Advisor and Peer Career any friend group plan a weekend get-away, passionate about all that she’s involved in
er, because she’ll become impatient and Advisor, or saving lives as a lifeguard at the create a four-year plan, or make a spread- and especially in getting more underrep-
ask you about spoilers non-stop. Lastly, Rec. As an Electrical Engineering (ELEC) sheet of every Glee episode worth watching. resented minorities and women in health
while Yessenia’s taste in candy is beyond major, he is always down to talk about Just when you think she can’t get any bet- care and higher education. She’s your go-
questionable, her taste in music makes up ELEC stuff and is involved in wireless com- ter, she’ll blow your mind with her sarcastic to if you need any pre-med advice or want
for it. She loves listening to 2010 Pop Hits, munication research on campus. Whether humor and witty one liners. Her laugh is to talk about life in general. Even though
Bachata, Reggaeton, Cumbia, and Banda you need academic planning advice or to contagious, and she’s always down to watch she’s notorious for forgetting her glasses,
music. If you like any of these genres, Yess- fix a flat tire, Mahmoud will work tireless- a Marvel movie, Avatar, or Arrested Develop- she’s certainly looking forward to meeting
enia is perfect for taking over the aux cord. ly to ensure you have the best experience ment with you (even if it’s for the hundredth you in the fall and seeing all the amazing
possible. He’s one of the most driven peo- time). And to top it all off, Ryan is a loving, things you’ll do at Rice!
-Peter Riera, Jones ‘23 & Jose Castillo, Mar- ple we know, and we’re so excited for you loyal, and supportive friend, and she’s the
tel ‘23 to meet him during O-Week this year! best resource you could have to conquer -Vanessa Chuang & Edelawit Negash,
your academic life at Rice! Jones ‘24
-Terri Liu, Jones ‘23, Theo Vadot Jones ‘23, &
Victoria Lee, Jones ‘22 -Jen Spell, Bri Gonzalez, &
Krithika Shamanna, Jones ‘22

57

Part 3:
Life at Jones

58

There’s no place like Jones.
Jones is not just a residential
college. Jones is a family. Jones
is a self-run government. Jones
is a school. Jones is a history.
Jones is a tradition. Jones is a
way of life. Jones is a home you

can make for yourself.

Jones has come a long way since
1957 when the university bought
the building, made it a women’s
boarding house, and then the fifth
residential college. It was named
after Mary Gibbs Jones, wife of Jesse
H. Jones, a native Houstonian entre-
preneur. Together, they started the
Houston Endowment, which in turn,
donated the money that made the
purchase of the building possible.

Throughout its history, Jones has
gone through, and will continue
to go through, many changes. It
remained a strictly female college
until 1980, when it began to inte-
grate with the then all-male Lovett
College. By 1983, both colleges
were completely co-ed, and while
some remnants of Jones history still
remain intact, new traditions begin
all the time. In the past few years,
we have introduced Le Krewe de
Jones (a Mardi Gras-themed party)
and Fun In The Quad on Fridays
(kindly known as FITQ’s). Before you
leave, you will probably add some
new quirk to Jones culture. Only
time will tell what the coming years
will hold for Jones and its illustrious
residents!

59

The A-Team

Where would Jones be without our fearless Adult
Team to support us through every obstacle and cheer
us on through each golden opportunity? These dy-
namic five each play a unique and valuable role in the
well-being of all Jonesians. They are available for you
whenever you may need them and for whatever pur-
pose. Make yourselves welcome around them! Get to
know the Magisters, Jason and Jennifer, because they
can help you a lot with any problems you might have.

60

Residential Associates (RA’s) live on the first floor of These helpful people supervise Jones, but the college

North and South, with James on North and Kerri on government makes most of the decisions on college

South. They are not quite like RA’s at other universities, issues. Jones has a cabinet of elected student officials

as they are faculty or staff members rather than fellow and floor representatives and receives an annual bud-

students. Look to any of them for advice and compa- get, which can be spent on things like theatre, sports,

ny. They constantly reward our hard work and comfort parties, and furnishings. Every Jonesian has a say and

us through watch parties and study breaks -- all filled are encouraged to to attend cabinet meetings and

with lots of great food! There is also a college office vote on decisions.

where our fearless College Coordinator, Michelle Ben-

nack, takes care of all the administrative matters for

the college. Come to her for any questions you might

have, someone to rant to, good advice, great company,

etc. Feel free to pop into her office anytime!

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Meet the Adult Team

We are Jason Hafner and Jennifer Trotter, the Jones

College Magisters. Undergraduate students at Rice

are assigned to one of eleven residential colleges

where they live or associate for their entire time at the

university. Jones is home to about 300 students and

we are honored to serve in our fifth year as the Mag-

isters at this most winning college. Our family lives

in the Jones House on campus — right next door to

the residential halls. As Magisters, our main role is to

advise and assist students as they run the college. We

also host events to support Jones’s intellectual, social,

and cultural environment and we are also there to

support students in times of need. We met as under-

Jennifer Trotter ANd Jason Hafner graduates at Trinity University in San Antonio. Jason
came to Rice for graduate school in Physics while
Jennifer headed out west to the Texas Tech University
College Magisters School of Medicine. After an educational stint in Bos

ton, we made our way back to Houston and Rice. Jason is a Professor of Physics & Astronomy, where he runs

a molecular biophysics research group, teaches introductory physics courses, and helps to keep Rice running

smoothly. When his skills aren’t needed in the realm of academia, he is also available to help with the big and

small needs of Jones. Jennifer is a Pediatrician working in a suburb of Houston. She is an avid runner and en-

joys running marathons — especially when they are somewhere fun and there is good food at the finish line.

We both like to take advantage of the great restaurants and museums that are literally right around the cor-

ner from Rice. Our boys, George and Henry, are active in fencing, volleyball, music, reading, and video games.

Pretty standard, really. George will be a sophomore this coming year at Trinity University (yep, that’s Jason and

Jennifer’s alma mater if you are keeping up) and Henry will be a senior in high school — so he will be around to

hustle you in pool or volleyball.

We are excited to be your Jones Magisters and can’t wait to see you around our awesome college!

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Michelle Bennack Kerri Barber Ryan Hanna AND James ATkins

College Coordinator South RA North RAs

Michelle is the awesome Jones College Coordinator. Kerri is a 90’s lovin’, Yankee’-hating, country music James and Ryan aren’t from Texas, but they got here
When she’s not making the kingdom of Jones run parrot-head (Jimmy Buffett) that uses “wicked” and as soon as they could!

smoothly, Michelle enjoys entertaining friends with “y’all” in the same sentence. Kerri is a former New En- Both Midwest natives, James earned his degrees
the perfect cocktail, relaxing with a great book or glander who earned her B.S. in Sport Management in Communication from Ball State University, and
movie and kicking butt at her CrossFit class with her from Ithaca College where she was a member of the Ryan earned his degrees in Business from SIU Car-
husband Lloyd (btw he’s a Rice Grad, a Jones associ- 2002 NCAA DIII National Championship softball team. bondale, Eastern Illinois University and U of I Spring-
ate, and all around great guy). Michelle also has two After spending half her life bundled up in blankets and field. At Rice, James is the Deputy Director for Enroll-
amazing sons, Zach and Sam, serving in the military. snowsuits, Kerri realized she wanted to spend her days ment Marketing & Communications, and works with
So what does Michelle do as the coordinator? She in flip flops and shorts. Since owning an island was students from New England and Eastern Europe as
way too expensive, she decided moving to hot-humid they apply for admission. Ryan is the Applications
is here to help you through your college years and Houston was the answer. Manager (IT) at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston,
provide you with a variety of things: your mail, pack- and works with the team who ensures ticketing,
Kerri became a proud Owl in the fall of 2013 where she preservation and other online systems work like a
ages from home, stamps, envelopes, faxes, photo- is the administrator for the Department of Sport Man- well-oiled machine.
copies, answers to your queries, and being the cool agement. Outside of being an RA, Kerri is very active When they’re not at work, you can find James and
aunt providing you with smiles, hugs, and a dog! Her within the Rice community serving as the North Col- Ryan at Miller Outdoor Theatre, Minute Maid Park
golden retriever Beau is our unofficial college mas- leges RA representative, the Critical Thinking in Sexu-

cot and accompanies her to work daily. He loves ba- ality (CTIS) instructor for Jones College, and the imme- (Go ‘Stros!), or in the theatre district downtown, un-
nanas, snuggles and lots of pets. diate past-Chair of the Rice Staff Council. doubtedly with tickets they got for super cheap or
free. Their love for Houston is longer than the line
Just know the office is a great place to hang out with Kerri loves being an RA for the BEST and most WIN- at Ramen Tatsu-Ya on a Friday, wider than the Katy
Freeway at Beltway 8, and bigger than the Houston
comfy couches, fluffy puppies (Bruin and Beau are NINGEST college! Kerri loves to throw themed watch Livestock Show and Rodeo in March. They’re big fans
fur buddies), candy, and the amazing Michelle! Stop parties (JIBAchelor & Game of Jones) and looks for any of RuPaul’s Drag Race and both enjoy strategy and
by anytime to take a break from your busy day! excuse to dress in costume! Kerri is also the unofficial board games. They’re pumped to be at Jones, the
historian for Jones so get ready to take selfies with winningest college at Rice!!
her! Outside of Rice, Kerri lives for the Houston sports

scene, supporting local restaurants/breweries, or reliv-

ing her softball glory days.

Kerri and her furbaby Bruin (aka “BruBru Pup”) are
attached at the hip and do everything together. Kerri
loves to dress BruBru in costumes, especially in ugly
sweaters! Both love their Jones family and are wicked
excited to meet y’all! JIBA!

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2021-2022 Jones Cabinet

Aaron Pathak ‘22 | President

As President, I wear many hats and will constantly answer with “I’m in a meeting”, but I am first and foremost your personal listener,
spokesperson and cheerleader! My priorities are ensuring that our government runs effectively and efficiently, and voicing the ideas
and concerns of Jonesians at a campus-wide level. I host Jones Cabinet, our bi-weekly government meeting where we learn about and
discuss important issues facing us as students, members of the Rice community, and friends. I also represent Jones at a university lev-
el as one of our representatives to the Student Association (Campus-Wide Government) as well as weekly meetings with administra-
tors. If you have any issues or suggestions that you want the college or administration to hear, let me know! I can’t do my job without
you - it’s only when every Jonesian inputs their ideas, thoughts, and opinions that I feel like I can make the best decisions for Jones!

Dan Helmecci ‘23 | Internal Vice-President

Heyyyy fantastic new Jonesians!!!! As Jones’ Internal Vice President, it’s my job to make sure that everything at the BEST and most
WINNINGEST college at Rice is running smoothly, especially when it comes to the college’s committees, appointed positions and floor
representatives. One of the amazing things about Rice and Jones is that students help run, well, almost everything, so if you have any
ideas about how to improve Jones or make student life better, it’s my job to help you through every stage of the project. As freshmen,
you all have the opportunity to run for your floor’s representative, which is a great way to get involved with college government as well
as work with me to best serve our amazing community!! Even if you aren’t a floor rep, my goal for the year is to include everyone who
wants to be included in Jones’ government, so please reach out and see how you can get involved. All of Exec Cab is SUPER excited to
welcome you into the family this year, so get ready for the beginning of an amazing journey at Jones!!! Enjoy the rest of your summer
and see you soon!!!

Christi Nguyen ‘23 | External Vice-President

Hey New Students, and welcome to Jones! I am serving as your Jones External Vice President (EVP) this upcoming year. I am specif-
ically responsible for managing Jones space and getting you connected with our wonderful alumni and associates. Alumni as you
probably know are former graduates, but associates are professionals and adults who chose to be associated with Jones and get to
know us and help them in any way they can. They can be faculty, staff, or community members, and many of them are alumni as well!
I provide opportunities for our students and associates to get to know each other through a formal dinner every semester, events, and
activities, but I can’t do it alone. This year, it is my goal to change our associates program by actively recruiting more diverse associ-
ates, creating icebreaker activities and trainings, and creating networking opportunities for Jonesians through our associates. You can
help me out by joining the Committee of Alumni and Associates (CAA). I want to make the associates program reflect Jones and your
needs! If you have any questions, then come talk to me anytime. I’m super excited to meet you all! JIBA!

Georgia Nevin ‘23 | Chief Justice

As the Jones Chief Justice, I am responsible for enforcing the Rice Alcohol Policy, Code of Student Conduct, and the Jones Code of
Conduct, as well as representing Jones in campus-wide judicial discussions and decisions. My #1 priority is keeping all Jonesians safe,
both mentally and physically, and I am always available to listen to your concerns at any time. I am also the head of the Jones College
Court, which is made up of a team of amazing Associate Justices on each floor that work to investigate violations and impose appropri-
ate sanctions. I will be working year-round to ensure that the Culture of Care is fostered throughout Jones at all times. I will be present
during O-Week to introduce you to all the various resources concerning safety and compliance to the policies of Jones and Rice, but
also feel free to reach out to me at any time with any questions or concerns. I am super excited to meet you guys during O-Week and
look forward to being there for you during the year!

64

Skye Fredericks ‘24 | Student Association Senator

What’s up New Students? I will be serving as the Jones Senator this year, so I am responsible for linking Jones’ government and func-
tions with the Student Association, Rice’s campus-wide student government. I work closely with Aaron (our amazing president) and
other residential college representatives to tackle issues that affect all Rice Undergraduates. I also select and work with Jones’ New
Student Representatives to the SA, and I can’t wait to help anyone who is interested get involved with student government. If you have
any questions or concerns about the Student Association or have an idea that you need help with, I would love to talk! Get ready for an
amazing O-Week and first year, JIBA!!!

Isaac Che ‘22 and Jay Shishler ‘23 | Treasurers

Hello beautiful people, welcome to Jones! Like any household, Jones needs a budget to make sure we spend money where it matters
most, which is one of the most important parts of our job. We help ensure that everything goes smoothly by creating the budget,
funding all of our wonderful events, filling out reimbursements, and keeping tabs on all spending happening at the college. We can
get you reimbursed when spending Jones money, with our approval of course, and even fund some of your exciting new ideas using
the JIBA fund (please ask more about this)! We have too much knowledge about accounting, finance, and what some may call profes-
sional gambling (stock and cryptocurrency trading) so be sure to ask us about this too! Whether it’s during O-Week or any day after,
one of us will always be around to answer any and every question you have so feel free to ask!

Elizabeth Fessler and Jackie Huang ‘24|Secretaries

Hey new students! Welcome to Jones College! We’re your secretaries, and we are here to keep you in the know about all things Jones!

We send out the Bru’s News (named after Bruin, our RA Kerri’s adorable dog!), a weekly newsletter keeping you guys updated on up-
coming Jones, Rice, and Houston events and opportunities. We also keep you guys updated on the happenings of Jones Cabinet and
Pre-Cabinet meetings, so you’ll be in tune with what your Jones College government is up to.

Please reach out if you have questions, comments, or anything you’d like to have featured in Bru’s News (or if you just want to say hi) -
we cannot wait to meet you all!!! Get excited for O-Week and JONESSSS!!! JIBAAAAAA!!!!!

IShaan Rischie ‘22 |Parliamentarian

Hi friends!!! As your Parliamentarian next year, I’m responsible for maintaining the official copies of the Jones College Constitution and
By-Laws. I work closely with all the other members of Cabinet to ensure that we are following constitutional procedures and that our
governing documents are updated to reflect the ideals of the Jones College community, which includes you now. With each new Class
of Jonesians, our values as a community will continue to evolve, and it is my job to listen to your concerns and to help y’all propose
amendments to our Constitution for the betterment of Jones. Please feel free to let me know if you have any ideas for amendments or
questions about our Constitution, and I’m so so SO excited to meet y’all during and after O-Week! Welcome to Jones!!

This is your 2021-2021 Exec Cab! They help lead Jones, but they need your voices to make it better. The best
way to do that is to come to CABINET meetings held every other Thursday. Snack are provided and you get
to speak your mind on important topics, learn more about what’s happening at Jones and Rice, and more!

65

Additional Jones Positions

Appointed Positions

Ambiance Coordinators: Maintain the Ambiance budget, recommend and implement permanent improvements to Jones
Associate Justices: Appointed by the Chief Justice to assist with maintaining order in Jones
Beer Bike Coordinators: Plan and host Jones JIBA Week Events, including activities on the actual day of Beer Bike
Bike and Chug Team Captains: Recruit team members and lead training sessions for Beer Bike each year; elected by the Jones bike and chug teams
College Night Coordinators: Appointed by the Social Coordinators to organize and plan a day full of fun events and aimed at celebrating Jones College each semester
Community Involvement Coordinators: Coordinate community service opportunities for Jonesians
Cultural & Arts Coordinators: Plan events that broaden the cultural experiences of Jonesians
Elections Coordinators: Run Jones elections (speeches, the voting process, etc.) according to the Jones Constitution By-Laws
Food Representatives: Jones’ voice to communicate food preferences, needs, and issues to the serveries
Historians: Maintain Jones picture archive and historical records, submit items to be preserved to Rice’s Woodson Research Center
IT Ambassador: Assists with any questions regarding technology at the college, including printing and wifi
Merch Representatives: Design, produce, and sell awesome Jones merch!
Parliamentarian: Non-voting member of Cabinet, keeper of the Jones Constitution and official vote recorder for cabinet
PR Directors: Publish information on Jones and campus-wide events such as: monthly birthday poster, Rice Program Council events, etc.
Sports Coordinators: Fosters Jones participation in Intramural and College sports
Student Maintenance Rep: Ensures college facilities are well-maintained and can loft beds
Webmaster: Maintains the information and aesthetic of the Jones website

Peer Resources How New Students Can
Get Involved
Academic Fellows: Upperclassmen who are well adept at specific course subjects and hold office hours to offer aid to
whoever should need it Although elections and appointments for most
Peer Academic Advisors (PAAs): Liaisons for the Office of Academic Advising, PAAs are students at each college that positions are held in the spring, New Students can
have been broadly trained in numerous areas of academics here at Rice get involved starting in early fall by:
Peer Career Advisors (PCAs): Ambassadors to undergraduates that play a valuable role in supporting the Center for Ca- Running for Floor Representative
reer Development, and can help you with: resumes/cover letters, job and internship basics, etc. Applying for Socials Committee
Rice Health Advisors (RHAs): Work closely with the Rice Counseling and Wellness Centers in order to provide direct sup- Applying for Committee of Alumni and Associates
port to the college concerning anything related to wellbeing; RHAs are also stocked with: bandages, pain relievers, ear Applying for Kitchen Committee
plugs, condoms, cough drops, tampons, pads, cool packs, heating pads, antacids, and thermometers Applying for Community Involvement Committee
STRIVE Liaisons: Students Transforming Rice Into a Violence-Free Environment (STRIVE) liaisons are trained students Applying for Diversity Council
who address sexual and domestic violence on campus by hosting prevention activities and supporting students by pro- Applying for Culturals Committee
viding information about resources available Applying for Beer Bike Committee
Applying for Historian Committee
Elected Positions Applying to be a New Student Representative (NSR)
Applying to be a Rice Health Advisor (RHA)
Floor Representative: Elected in the first few weeks of each semester to represent each floor in Cabinet

Honor Council Representative: Represents Jones in the Honor Council and participate in Honor Council cases

O-Week Coordinators: Spend nine months preparing for the arrival of New Students like you!

Rice Program Council (RPC) Representative: Coordinate events and serve as a liaison between RPC and each residential
college

Room Draw Coordinators: Govern procedures for students choosing on-campus rooms each spring

Social Coordinators: Organize all levels of social events at Jones and ensure they follow campus-wide policies

U-Court Representative: Serve as a liaison between the University Court and each residential college

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Jones Speak

In your Owlmanac, there is a section on Rice vernacular known as “Rice speak.”
These will help you to quickly pick up the seemingly new language spoken by Rice

students. Additionally, there are several words and phrases Jonesians use that
you’ll learn soon enough! Below are some essentials.

Achard Courtyard: This is a fancy, well-furnished, and Goat: Jones’ unofficial mascot, mainly because they’re
well-lit concrete patio outside of Jones Central named adorable (and because Jones is the Greatest Of All
after previous Jones Magisters (also known as “the Time).
quad”). Ironman/Ironwoman: One who both chugs and bikes
Birthday Bash: An all-day, outdoor party held in the at Beer Bike. At Jones, certified badasses.
spring to celebrate the birthday of Mary Gibbs Jones. Jabberwocky: Jones’ official mascot. A fierce monster
Attractions have included a petting zoo, face painting, that strikes fear into our enemies. A perfect fit for
and pony rides. It’s the birthday party you always wish Jones!
you’d had when you were a kid! JIBA: Traditional Jones cheer, meaning “Jones Is Bad
Brick Quad: The basketball court between Jones and Ass!” Pronunciation: JEEE-BUH.
Brown college. JIBAby: The youngest Jonesian - Owen, the son of our
BTJ: What Jonesians shout to other Jonesians when former RA’s and current Duncan RA’s Ian and Allison.
a party/event starts to get boring. Stands for “Back to Even though they are now at Duncan, they’re still Jo-
Jones.” nesians at heart, and Owen will forever be our JIBAby.
Cabinet: The governing body of Jones College. Meet- (even though he is now 7)
ings are held every other week. If you like this, or just Jones Quad: The large grassy area that lies between
want some good food and a study break, come on Jones North and South. Most Fridays, it comes to life
down! with games, music, and tons of fun!!
Commons: First floor of Jones central, where we Jone- Jones Public: Jones’ annual public party that is held
sians eat our meals. Adorned with banners depicting in the commons. Themes have included: Jungle and
our Beer Bike prowess. Cabinet meetings are held Inferno.
here. Knuckle: The outdoor porches that connect Jones
Fairy Fountain: The fountain between Jones and Central to Jones North and South.
Brown. If you’ve got a birthday (even a half-birthday), Martel Dorm: Our neighbor on the North side of cam-
you’re going in. pus. Still not a college.
FITQ: Fun In The Quad! Usually on Friday afternoons, Satellite Servery: The area on the first floor of Jones
you can come out to the quad to enjoy food, games, between the commons and Jones North, containing
and the company of your friends after a week of class- smaller tables than the commons and bathrooms.
es. PDR: Private Dining Room. It’s off to the side of the
Floor Olympics: A fierce competition between the Jones Commons, go to Jones College website to re-
floors of Jones. Competitions run all throughout the serve the space!
year. Only one can reign supreme! Vator Lobby: The largest floor lobby on each floor.
Named because of their proximity to the elevators.

67

Jones Culture & Traditions

Now that you know a bit about Jones history and lingo, here’s a little more about those traditions and culture that make Jones the winningest college!
As you might have heard, Rice has its Culture of Care, but Jones has its own unique Culture of Care, which makes up the core of Jones. Jones is a family
with an unbreakable foundation of compassion, trust, and victory. No matter what your background and ideas, you can find a home here. And if it’s not
your vibe, that’s alright! Part of our Culture of Care is one of acceptance and camaraderie. Wherever you are and choose to be, Jones will always have
your back and celebrate with you -- whatever the occasion calls for! Speaking of celebrating and winning, here are a few traditions we have kept going

throughout the years, some of them being recent additions!

Associates’ Night: Held once a semester; a fancy Jones Inferno: Our annual public party. There have
dinner to celebrate our associates. Each one has been many past themes for our public, but the theme
a theme, and the commons will be decorated “Inferno” was created two years ago and revamped the
accordingly. As much as Jones likes to win, we public’s reputation, reaching record high attendance
also know how to keep it classy. rates both years.

BEEEEER BIIIIIIKE: Jones wins again. And again. Jones Victory Party: Regardless of Jones’ place in the
Without a doubt. There’s nothing left to say. races, we always win. On the night of Beer Bike day,
after the races, we hold our annual Victory Party to
Bru’s Birthday Paw-ty: Bruin (AKA Bru Bru) celebrate Jones and Beer Bike. What a way to end the
is Kerri’s dog (one of our RA’s). Kerri throws a day.
birthday paw-ty for Bru every year in the quad,
and everyone’s invited! Le Krewe de Jones: Another newly-created tradition!
A full-blown Mardi Gras party in the quad featuring a
Floor Olympics: Staying true to our -- you guessed it -- Mardi Gras themed relay race and
competitiveness, Floor Olympics features a delicious food! Did I mention crawfish?
series of events that all floors compete in to
win the most points. Events include Freshman Mary Gibbs Jones Birthday Bash: Of course we
Hunger Games, dodgeball, volleyball, esports, celebrate the birthday of our namesake! As stated
and cooking! before, it’s an all-day, outdoor party held in the spring to
celebrate the birthday of Mary Gibbs Jones. Attractions
Holiday Party: Jones ends the last day of fall have included a petting zoo, face painting, and pony
semester classes with a party to celebrate all rides. It’s the birthday party you always wish you’d had
the hard work everyone has put in throughout when you were a kid!
the semester. And what good is a Jones party
without winning? The Holiday Party includes a Study Breaks: College classes are tough. Sometimes you
show in which each floor (and even the A-team) need a little time to relax and have fun. Many people
does a skit -- anything from singing, to dancing, host study breaks throughout the year! Some include:
to acting -- and the winning floor gets a $100 Kerri’s JIBAchelor/ette Watch Parties in the movie room,
prize! Game Nights in the PDR, food, facemasks, etc.

68

Jones Floor Culture

One of the best things about Although all years live on
Jones happens to stem from its each floor, the freshmen
unique architecture. The floors are play a large role in building
set up in a way that encourages
individual floor cultures through culture. How will you
centralized floor lobbies. So, in contribute to your floor
addition to our Jones-wide culture,
each floor has its own vibe that the culture?

students living there create.

Floors:

1 North 1 South
2 North 2 South
3 North 3 South
4 North 4 South

69

The year 1957 saw the creation of two of the most venerable and lasting institutions at Rice. The first is the
college system, which began with a mere four colleges and grew to become a cornerstone of Rice life, with
eleven colleges. The second is the stuff of legends. In the waning weeks of the school year, a grueling test
of speed, endurance, and gag reflex took place on the campus of Rice University. Nothing like it had ever
been seen before or since. More than 50 years later, this event lives on as the richest tradition at Rice and the

enduring contest of college rivalry and
spirit. It is called Beer Bike. BEER BIKE!!
These are words that you may have heard
before but are not really familiar with. It
is, at its core, a relay of ten bikers on each
of the three teams: men, women, and
alumni. These bikers are joined by a team
of ten chuggers, who stand on a platform
near the bike pit as each bike comes in and
must chug 24 (or 12, for women) ounces of
water before the next biker can leave the
pit. This book doesn’t have enough room
to explain the full experience of Beer Bike
(just the pit manual is several pages long),
but here are a few details of what makes
the event, and the whole year leading up
to it, legendary.

BEER BIKE:

JONES WINS AGAIN!

70

The Race and Victory The Jones Bike
and Chug Teams are always in need of fresh talent
The starting chugger makes the climb and enthusiasm! EVERYONE should come out and try both biking and
to the top of the Jones chug stand. As chugging: many Jonesians who were sure they would be horrible end up being the
they stand, perched above awaiting fastest members of the team. Be on the lookout for practice times from your Bike and
the starting gun, they stare down the Chug team captains as soon as the school year begins. It’s never too early to start
length of the chug can -- the most preparing for victory. It’s time to bring out the brooms and sweep (win all
sacred 12 or 24 ounces of liquid in all
creation. They loosen their throat and three races) for Beer Bike 2021!
bring the can to their lips, thirsty for a
win. You are about to witness one of the Legacy
greatest moments in sport. As the gun
goes off, the chugger raises the can and Jones has been winning Beer Bike since 1975,
sucks down the liquid in a flash (the and will continue to do so. Here are some of
record is 1.7 seconds for anyone who our more recent wins. 2001 and 2002 brought
wants to start practicing now), and the Jones a victory in both the men’s and women’s
race begins. As the chugger finishes, races. In 2005, we finished a close second in
the pit crew launches the bike out of the women’s race and won the men’s race,
the pit and the biker is off, probably crushing every opponent by over half a lap.
coming out of the first turn near or A feat we repeated in 2006. 2011 brought yet
over 30 mph! As each biker crosses the another men’s race victory. 2014 was a glorious
final turn back into the pit, another year, as the women dominated the race and
brave chugger steps up to the table to emerged triumphantly. 2015 was even better,
complete their chug. One after another, as both the men’s and women’s teams tasted
each biker makes their laps around the victory. 2016, Beer Bike was a Beer Run due
track and waits for the next chug to to rain. We won all 3 races without coming in
begin. As the eighth biker winds around first for any of them. 2017, our men’s team was
the final stretch, the crowd begins to easily victorious. Winning without finishing
cheer even more loudly. They chant the first, our women’s team biked with fervor,
biker’s name as they hurtle toward the not too far behind from first. 2018 saw Jones
finish line. Victory is ours! The race is women and alumni sweeping their respective
over, and everyone breathes a sigh of races while coming close in men’s. In 2019, our
relief. When the results are announced, women’s team won by a WHOLE lap, bringing
the winning team (that’s us!) takes a a victory home as our men’s team competed
triumphant victory lap around the track in a victorious Beer Run. Most recently, after
and then heads back to Jones. The a year of no races due to the pandemic, the
race is over, but the celebrations will Men’s team casually grabbed 1st place, with
last long into the night and for years to our women’s team placing 2nd. So when you
come. get here, keep Beer Bike day in mind. Think
Victory. Think Winning. Because this day will

come around sooner than you expect.

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Training: For the Love of Jones! Riders of all speeds and skill levels come

While Beer Bike takes place on a Saturday in out regularly to bike with each other for fun

either late March or early April, training and the love of Jones. A couple of weeks

begins the moment you take your first step into before the race, things really begin to warm
up as all of Jones College gears up for their
Jones. During O-Week, fellow Jonesians will shot at eternal glory. A Beer Bike theme is
demonstrate a chug. You may ask yourself, why
chosen, shirts are printed, and the gears
is that person consuming obscene amounts begin turning in the dark corners of people’s
of liquid at lightning speed? You will only hear
minds for jack (prank) ideas. Oh, and they
one answer: For the Love of Jones! start collecting trash cans. LOTS of trash

Later, things will start to get serious as you cans. These trash cans will soon store 15,000

hear the call of CHUG PRACTICE echo from or so water balloons for the water balloon

the commons. Everyone is invited to try! On fight on Beer Bike Day. At all hours of the

sunny afternoons, people will begin assembling night, random Jonesians may be found
outside for the ever-important BIKE PRACTICE. filling balloons in incredible numbers. These
balloons are then stored in safe areas to keep
The same applies here: even if you’ve never
ridden a bike before, come out and try. There’s them away from the devious, destructive
no need to even own a bike -- Jones will provide minds of the other extremely competitive
colleges.
you with one, and they’re all high-quality.

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JIBA Week The Big Day

The week leading up to Beer Bike, officially It is Saturday. The time is now. Imagine all
called JIBA Week, begins the main phase of your favorite holidays combined into
of open intercollegiate jack (prank) season. one day. Everyone gets a wakeup call by
Armies of Jonesians can be found keeping 7:00 AM (sometimes even earlier) as people
vigil through the night to protect Jones pound on doors and blast ridiculous music
and its precious water balloons. Other throughout Jones College. People roll out of
Jonesians will be roaming campus at bed and into their Beer Bike shirts to
obscene hours creating mischief and prepare for victory. The first call to order is
spreading JIBA pride -- it just might be to celebrate the day with your fellow
you! The night before the race, Jonesians Jonesians and come to the commons for a
of past and present gather from far and brief but festive breakfast. Grand pictures of
wide to dye their hair and paint their nails the entire college are taken from the
green and purple. They also partake in knuckles (Jones College balconies) as
Mullets at Midnight, an aptly named Jones speeches and battle cries ring out. Some
haircutting tradition. The bike teams can of us go to the Color War in the South
probably be found shaving their legs, Colleges, and we all come back to paint
meditating, and resting up for the big ourselves in the colors of Jones. Once this
event. Everyone in the college heads to bed is done, we all head for the water balloon
earlier than usual. The next day, we come fight. Once we arrive at the Founder’s
face-to-face with our collective destiny. Court, the other colleges charge us
foolishly, only to be destroyed in a volley of
water balloons. Jones always dominates

since the other
colleges’ supplies
invariably dry up
long before Jones is
finished. The cheers
begin to rise as we
slowly make our way
to the immortalized
Beer Bike track. Each
college assembles
on the bleachers and
waits for the races to
begin, for the chance
at eternal glory!

73

Words of Wisdom
from the desk of Dr. Richard Stoll

Like Dr. Stoll, a legendary Jones Associate and long-time Beer Bike pit crew coach, these words of wisdom
have become an immortal and permanent fixture at Jones. Dr. Stoll has been named Jones Associate of the
Year so many times that the award now bears his name. This article has been reprinted in O-Week books
over the tenure of several different Rice Presidents. In other words, your grandchildren will probably read

this article in their O-Week books without a single word being changed.

Several years ago the Student remarks to you. What I tried to do was place out of my language requirement,
Association invited me to address to provide some practical advice to new so I didn’t have to get up that early (or
the freshman class, and this year, the students by talking about some of the so I thought). Now, my roommate didn’t
O-Week Coordinators at Jones have more common problems you are likely to like having a class that early, and in fact
asked me to write a copy of my face. I was not an undergraduate at Rice. he didn’t go very often; so far so good.
On the other hand, I was an undergraduate But every night, just on the off chance
74 someplace, and I have known a number of he would get an urge to go to class (or
undergraduates here so my observations if there was a test), he would set his
may be of some help to you. alarm for 6:30. I have no idea where he
got the clock from, but I bet there aren’t
ON ROOMMATES many in existence that have a used horn
from a German U-boat as an alarm.
The most immediate change in your But the most amazing thing to me is
life will be the immediate presence of a that although the alarm would wake
roommate. Most pairs of individuals get me up every morning, he managed to
along reasonably well, although they sleep through it most of the time. So
may not become the closest of friends. cheer up; if I can survive that, you can
However, there is one thing you should be survive whatever your roommate does to
aware of – it’s not the fault of the people bother you. Remember that you’re doing
who paired you up, or anybody else for something to her or him that is just as
that matter. There is some sort of law annoying.
that says that each roommate must do at
least one other thing that drives the other ON THE COLLEGE SYSTEM
up the wall. When I was a freshman, my
roommate had an 8 a.m. French class five Even though you’re not on campus yet,
days a week. I had been lucky enough to you’ve probably heard a lot about the
college system and how wonderful it is.
Certainly, it’s one of the most

unique parts of Rice. You may be a little You’ll find that no matter how hard you recover from the situation. After all, if
skeptical about it, but it does live up study, there will always be someone who you knew a lot more, you wouldn’t be
to its advance billing. Most students studies harder. That may be frustrating a New Student; we’d make you Juniors
enjoy their colleges and develop a to some of you, but what is even worse, and skip O-Week.
strong sense of loyalty to them. If you no matter how hard you study, there will
don’t believe me, wait until spring always be someone who studies a lot less Another difference between college
when chugging practice begins for the but does better. Just relax and get on with and high school is the number of hours
Beer Bike race (one of your Advisors your work; you’ll feel a lot better. you are in class. Combined with the
will explain to you what Beer Bike is). lack of feedback, this can lead to some
Chugging involves swallowing, as fast One of the biggest differences between bad judgments about schedule. An
as possible, a large amount of water, (or college and high school courses is the experience with an advisee of mine had
if you’re of age, lukewarm, flat, boiled, lack of feedback. You may have a number in the fall of her freshman year a few
salted beer). All this to win a race for the of courses in which you take a couple of years ago: “This is great; none of my
college. exams during the term, write a paper, and courses meet more than three times
take a final. You can go for weeks at a time a week, so I arranged my schedule to
ON CLASSES AND COMPETITION without getting anything graded. And you have all my classes between eight and
feel that you’re doing fine, understanding noon. Then I can eat lunch, study for a
So much for the college system; let’s talk the material; maybe you can let a course couple hours and have the rest of the
about pressure. A number of students slide a bit while you work on a paper for day free.” As an Advisor, I’m generally
feel that they are under some pressure another course. Then, you get that first willing to let students make their own
to get good grades. But most of this is hourly exam back and you, who never decisions, and then try to help them out
self-generated. Honestly, no one here had a grade below a B in your life, end up if they run into difficulty. So I told her I
and no one at home is going to think with a 17. Quite a shock, to say the least. didn’t think she would like her schedule,
badly of you if you don’t get straight As, The moral of the story is to avoid letting but I would sign on the condition that
and there is no reason to think badly of a course slide too far. And if you think if she decided to radically change her
yourself. As far as the competition goes, you’re getting into trouble in a course, let schedule, I could tell her “I told you so.”
you should understand that everyone someone help you: a classmate, an Advisor,
here is smart. In high school, you were a professor. Pick the person you feel most Two weeks later, looking like she had
probably a lot smarter than some comfortable with, but go to them and get slept a total of six hours since the start
number of your classmates, but they’re the help you need. of classes, she came to me with a full set
not here. You are now in class with of course changes. I told her so. You’ll
people of your own ability, so the kind But if you do get that 17, remember that find that you’ll be adjusting to many
of cushion that you had in high school you are not the first person to have it different things in your first few months
is going to be a lot smaller here. You’ll happen. I see a lot of transcripts, and a at college, and there’s less time to study
probably find that however well you’re number of students have bad grades than you think. As I said, you learn a lot
doing in your own classes, there’s always during their first year and still go on to be in your first year, and sometimes the
someone doing better. But the reverse successful. There’s no reason why you can’t learning is by mistakes. By the way, the
is also true, too; however badly you do, same advisee graduated cum laude.
someone else will do worse.
75

ON BAD COURSES AND FUTURE the world. Nor is it an embarrassment. spend the rest of their lives at age
CAREERS 17? You can take a wide variety of
4. Nothing’s going to change, and you courses and search around until you
No matter how carefully you plan your should stick with the course. I don’t think find something you want to do. Take
schedule and how many people you this possibility is mentioned as often as it advantage of this; most people find
consult, you’re going to find that some should. You may feel that any course you something that attracts their interest
of your courses are disappointing. This take should be fun or stimulating, but and live (relatively) happily ever after.
may or may not be related to how well unfortunately tthat’s not always the case. Now, for those of you that have some
you’re doing in them. When you do idea of what you want, your schedule
encounter a course you don’t like, you “Dropping a course is not, repeat will be easier to plan, and you’ll probably
should talk to a few people, especially not, the end of the world. Nor is it an feel you have a better sense of direction.
some students that have taken the But you may also find that things are
course before. After you talk to them, embarrassment.” not what you expect, and that you begin
you’ll reach one of the four conclusions: to question your career goals. This, too,
To illustrate, let me talk about difficult is normal. It is perfectly okay to change
1. The course will change. Maybe undergraduate course: organic chemistry. your major and/or career plans. In fact,
the beginning material is just not as Now, I have nothing against chemistry after if you find something that you feel is
interesting (or easy) as the rest, maybe all, a former Rice president, Norman Hacker better for you, I insist that you change.
the prof gets better as the course goes is a chemist, and he hired me. It was
along, etc. In this case, you should stick difficult as it required memorization that There are a few circumstances in which
with the course. one is not used to. So why did students a student can’t change a major; a friend
take this course? It was considered a of mine who was a counselor at another
2. You will change. As I mentioned necessary course for everyone who wanted university has an interesting experience
above, you’ll be making a lot of to go to medical school. Despite struggling with this situation. He was advising an
adjustments during your freshman year. and putting in extra hours for the class, international student about his schedule.
When you’ve got a better idea of what students stuck it out because they wanted The student was trying to be a Pre-
is necessary to do well in a college-level to be doctors. And occasionally you may Med major, but was running into a few
course, your ability to do this work will find yourself in a similar situation. difficulties. In every course he had ever
improve. During your senior year, when taken towards the major, he had done
you look back on this first semester, As far as a career after Rice is concerned, poorly. In fact his highest grade in any
you will be amazed at how much work this incoming class can be divided into of these courses was a D. Don’t even
you can get done in a limited amount two groups: those that have some ideas of think about what his worst grades must
of time (like before you go off to some their major and what they want to do after have been. On the other hand he had
intellectual activity later in the evening). college, and those that don’t. I’d guess that taken a number of courses in English
So stick with the course. the freshman class is probably split about and Literature and had done no worse
50-50 into these groups. First a few words than a B. It is rare that a counselor in
3. Nothing’s going to change, and you to the undecided. You’re normal. Why one conversation can cause a dramatic
should cut your losses. You can probably should we expect people to know how they improvement in a student’s well-being,
take it again later, maybe it will be want to and this was my
easier for you then. Dropping a course is
not, repeat not, the end of

76

friend’s big chance. The conversation don’t want you to simply consume
went roughly as follows: what we teach. Don’t accept what you
read and what you hear uncritically.
Counselor: “What are you planning to We can supply you with the basic
take next semester?” building blocks, but you’ve got to put
Student: “Two courses in chemistry, them together. When you leave Rice, it
one in biology, and one in math.” will be your ability to make judgments
Counselor: “Why are you doing this?” and solve problems that will be the
Student: “I have to be a doctor.” key to your future. Unfortunately, some
Counselor: “Well, judging by your past students only learn how to absorb or to
grades, you’ll never make it to medical criticize. Try to learn both.
school. Why don’t you just major in
English?” THE BOTTOM LINE
Student: “I have to be a doctor.”
Counselor: “Many students feel that So much for my words of wisdom. Don’t
they have to become doctors, but it’s worry if you don’t remember most of
just not for everyone. You really should this; if it’s worthwhile, you’ll experience
try another major.” most of it on your own soon enough.
Student: “You don’t understand. If I Just remember that if you do encounter
don’t stay Pre-Med, my parents will difficulties, there are plenty of people
have my student visa revoked, and I’ll here to help you: your classmates, your
have to go back home.” Advisors, and your faculty associates,
as well as your professors and the
My friend signed the schedule; if the Magisters. But most of you will find
student did go to medical school, I that you can get yourself out of trouble
suspect it was in Grenada. But other than almost as easily as you can get yourself
this very unusual type of situation, you into it.
don’t have to stay with a particular major.
There is one thing I do want you to
WHAT THE FACULTY WANTS FROM YOU remember from this little talk. No
matter what you do to yourself during
Let me say a few words about what the your first year at Rice, there is absolutely
faculty wants from you as students; two no way to ruin your life. You can get
things. First, there is a certain body of yourself more miserable than you ever
material in a course that we want you believed possible, you can get yourself
to master: formulas, definitions, key into debt up to your ears, you can do
concepts, and ideas. But second, and poorly in your classes, but you cannot
more important in the long run, we foul up your life beyond recovery. Good
luck and welcome to college!!

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Part 4:
A Note to Students...

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A Note to Student Athletes

Dear Student Athletes,

Welcome to Jones! We couldn’t be more excited to have you as a part of our family at Jones as you enter this next chapter in your
life! While the transition from high school to being a Division I student-athlete can be challenging at times, always know that we,
your advisors and the whole Jones and Rice community are all here to help you along your journey at Rice! Being a student-athlete
at Rice is demanding both academically and athletically, but the opportunity to compete as a Rice Owl is a truly unique experience
filled with memories, stories and relationships that will last a lifetime.

Although at first the 6am lifts and practices may seem challenging, there is nothing quite like the pride you feel when competing
for Rice. Being supportive of their athletic teams, the Rice community, and Jones especially, will show out in full force to the field
and court to cheer you and your teammates on during your athletic competi-
tions. As Jones has the reputation of being the winningest college, it will come
as no surprise that your fellow Jonesians will be the loudest and biggest sup-
porters on and off the sidelines.

While you will make some of your closest friends on your respective teams, we
highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and interacting with
Rice’s diverse community. We encourage you to take advantage of Rice’s unique
blend of resources, people and opportunities, and to pursue any personal en-
deavors both on and off the field. Whichever path you may choose to follow at
Rice, always know that you will have the unconditional support of teammates,
coaches and Jonesians every step of the way!

We are ecstatic to have you join the Jones family, and can’t wait to see all of the
incredible things you will achieve during your time at Rice!

See you soon!
Sincerely,

Imogen Meers (Women’s Swim), Jones ‘24
Reed Myers (Men’s Basketball), Jones ‘23

79

A Note to FGLI Students

Dear Jones FGLI New Students,

Congrats on starting your college journey and for getting into the best college on cam-
pus, Jones! We, the Jones First-Gen/Low-Income (FGLI) advisors, are so proud of you all
and excited to meet you soon. As FGLI students ourselves, we might understand some of
the feelings you are feeling now. However, we are here to tell all of you guys not to worry -
there are so many resources and support systems here designed to help you during your
college career. We hope that, as you read our letter and get to meet us, you’ll get to see
how amazing your time at Rice will be.

You made it this far, about to attend one of the best universities in the nation surrounded
by amazing faculty, students, and peers. But, in the midst of all of these great people, you
might find yourself doubting whether or not you actually “fit in” with the rest of your friends, given that everyone here comes from
incredibly vast and different backgrounds. First things first - you are not alone. Rice recognizes and embraces the diversity of its
students, so know that there will always be people looking out for you along the way. Going to college is an amazing accomplish-
ment, but transitioning to college life can have its ups and downs. All of us are available to help you, so please never hesitate to ask
for advice if you have any questions!

Aside from us, Rice also has campus wide resources for First-Gen/Low-Income students that include the Magister’s Fund (available
at every residential college), Student Success Initiatives, and the Wellbeing and Counseling Center. Asking for help can be scary
sometimes, so don’t be afraid to ask any of us for more information about any of them. Take advantage of these departments, and
know that everyone involved will try to make your transition to Rice as easy as possible. You’ll learn more about how Rice supports
FGLI students at O-Week, but in the meantime, know that help and advice is always available. These resources are here for you!

Every student here brings a unique perspective to our campus, so know that you absolutely belong here! And, as you’ll later on see,
Rice and Jones is here to support you in every way they can and to ensure that you are comfortable. We’re so proud of you and we
can’t wait to see the amazing things you’ll do at Rice. So give yourself a pat on the back for getting into an amazing university and
get ready to be a part of the winningest college on campus! We’re so excited to meet you!

Linh Nguyen, Jones ‘23
Meg Niu, Jones ‘22

80

A Note to Transfer Students

Welcome to Jones and to Rice! We are so excited to meet you and get to know you.

First, we want to congratulate you for transferring to Rice University – we know how hard you’ve worked to get here, and how tough of a decision
it can be to start somewhere new. As transfer students, we know how it may feel going into a week-long orientation after you’ve already been to
college. But trust us, it’s going to be worth it!

O-Week is an incredible, unique experience that is truly like no other. Sure, you will learn the basics of college life again, but you will also learn
about the amazing community here at Rice. You’ll have an opportunity to meet your classmates, get to know your residential college and its
traditions, sign up for courses, and more. With all of the fun activities during O-Week, even if it sounds corny, you will make memories that last a
lifetime.

As a transfer student, it can be difficult to navigate new friendships at Rice. Do you try to make friends with the freshman you matriculate with
or do you try to make friends within your class? One thing to know about the culture at Rice is that there isn’t a divisiveness between classes.
Once school starts, you can be fully accepted by the students in your own class. We urge you, however, to not discount the freshman as potential
friends. O-Week provides a lot of opportunities for bonding experiences and many of us transfer students have found lifelong friendships with the
freshman with which we matriculated.

We’re so excited that you’ve chosen Rice and even more excited that you’ll be a part of Jones! The residential college system is unique to Rice,
making the Jones community your family on campus. There will always be Jonesians happy to help you out with anything - don’t be afraid to ask!
Outside of Jones, there are plenty of opportunities to meet students from other colleges and get involved in a wide variety of student organiza-
tions across campus.

Transferring to a new university can be an incredibly difficult decision and we applaud you for your courage and determination. Your fellow trans-
fer students will always be available for questions, advice, feel free to ask us anything! The transfer credit process can be confusing and difficult
to manage. We have found it helpful to use Jones’ transfer advisors as a resource during and after O-Week. This process can be especially difficult
when transferring from a quarter system university, so we really recommend
talking to your transfer advisors and the Office of Academic Advising to help
navigate this process. Other helpful resources for transfer students include
the Transfer Student Association and Peer Academic Advisors (PAAs). Adjust-
ing to a completely new environment can be stressful at times, but having
gone through this process ourselves, we know everything will work out in the
end. No matter what, where you’re starting or when you’ll graduate, you’ll
have an extensive support network all across campus.

We hope you’re just as excited as we are and we can’t wait to meet you at
O-Week! Rice is so lucky to have you and you have some amazing experiences
coming your way. Welcome to Jones!

Skye Fredericks, Jones ‘24
Lauren Frey, Jones ‘22
Meg Niu, Jones ‘22

81

A Note to LGBTQ+ Students

Dear LGBTQ+ Students,

Welcome to Jones, the best college at Rice! We want y’all to know that Jones and the Rice community is an awesome,
accepting environment regardless of who you are or how you identify. We are Anthony, Douglas, Sarah, and Skye, some
of your advisors who are part of the LGBTQ+ community at Rice. We’re so excited to welcome you to campus and can’t
wait to meet you!

Whether you identify as LGBTQ+, questioning, or are an ally, there are plenty of opportunities for you to interact with and
learn more about the community here. Rice has a huge, vibrant LGBTQ+ community. In fact, around a quarter of Rice
students don’t identify as straight. Though we don’t represent all of these students, we have a lot of experiences and a
diverse array of backgrounds to share.

Of the four of us, a few came to college after being out in high school and quickly engaged in the community. Others
discovered themselves well after O-Week and took longer to find their place in the community. Some of us decided
to announce their coming out to others, and some just started engaging in the community without explaining them-
selves. Being LGBTQ+ looks different for everyone, and it’s totally okay to go at your own pace and not have everything
figured out!

You’ll find that there are tons of resources at Rice and Jones to support you as you find your place here. Rice PRIDE, for
instance, has been an incredible resource for us. It’s a group for all LGBTQ+ undergraduate students that holds social
events, engages in advocacy, and discusses issues affecting our community. It has a helpful GroupMe page you can join
to get information on LGBTQ+ events at Rice and chat with the community. Additionally, the Queer Resource Center
(QRC) is a space in the student center where you can go to meet other queer students and seek resources when you
need them (they also have cool stickers!). And don’t be afraid to reach out to the Jones A-Team, the counselors in the
Wellbeing Center, and your professors about topics surrounding gender and sexuality. They’re amazing!

Although every floor on Jones has its own culture, they’re all awesome places to be yourself and
are all welcoming of LGBTQ+ students. Both of our Jones RAs are LGBTQ+ themselves, and will
give you advice and support whenever you need it. We have several Jones events on queer top-
ics such as a Queer Panel (a Q&A session with LGBTQ+ Jonesians) that are helpful and fun! Jones
has been a safe and comforting place for us. We’re confident it will be for you too.

Feel free to ask us any questions about being LGBTQ+ at Rice, even if it’s well after O-Week!
We’re looking forward to being there for y’all and hope we can make you feel at home at Jones.
Have a nice rest of your summer and get ready for the greatest week ever!

Anthony Nguyen, Hanszen ‘22
Douglas Graham, Jones ‘22
Sarah Preston, Jones ‘23
Skye Fredericks, Jones ‘24

82

A Note to International Students

Hey incoming Jonesians!

Welcome to Rice and the winningest residential college on campus! We’re Mahmoud, a senior from Amman, Jordan, Diep, a junior
from Hanoi, Vietnam, and Imogen, a sophomore from London, UK. We’ve all experienced the excitement and blend of emotions
going into our first year at college, so we know how you might be feeling right now. We also had to experience the transition of
having to move really far away from home, so we also know how that may add some pressure to the overall transition, but your
advising teams are here to help make the transition smooth and enjoyable! Here’s a couple of things we’d like to share that will be
helpful for your transition to Rice.

You’re not alone! Not only are there lots of other international students at Rice but there are also many faculty and staff all over
campus that are always willing to help. Although the move to a new country with a new culture may seem daunting at first, there
are many resources at Rice to make the transition much easier. If you ever have any questions about immigration, taxes or even
just how to get a US phone number, the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) is a great place to start. They are a
very friendly team that are always just an email away and really put the time in to make the Rice experience extra special for their
international students!

Besides your friends at Jones, there are also great communities on campus and opportunities to create new friendships. You can
meet other people in your community through cultural clubs or other international students through OISS-organized events or the
international students club, RISA (Rice International Student Association). Domestic Rice students are curious scholars, and they
would love to learn about your culture in exchange for their share of the American culture with you, so sharing is super encour-
aged!

Lastly, whenever you have any problems, we and other
O-Week advisors are here for you, so please do not hesi-
tate to reach out to us, and we are here to listen and help
you whenever we can!

Mahmoud Al-Madi, Jones ‘22
Diep Hoang, Jones ‘23
Imogen Meers, Jones ‘24

83

Baker Will Rice Hanszen

Wiess Jones loves all of Brown Lovett
Sid Rich Rice’s residential McMurtry Duncan
colleges, but we
especially appre-
ciate our amazing
2021 campus-wide
O-Week Coordinat-

ing Team!

Martel

84

Contact Information

O-Week Coordinators College Coordinator Magisters

Official O-Week Email Michelle Bennack Jason Hafner
haf [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]

Christian Metoyer Jennifer Trotter
[email protected]
(713) 585-6219 Residential Associates [email protected]

Thomas Gill Kerri Barber
[email protected] [email protected]
(952) 426-8085
James Atkins
Tiffany Vuong [email protected]
[email protected]
(512) 940-3881 Ryan Hanna

85

Acknowledgements

To our College Coordinator, Michelle Bennack - Where would Jones College be without our most amazing College Coordinator holding it together? We are
so grateful for you letting us turn your office into our own work space and personal sanctuary to talk, laugh, and celebrate every moment of coordinating
O-Week together. We cannot thank you (and Beau) enough for always bringing a smile to our faces and being such an invaluable part of our support sys-
tem, whether we need your advice or just want the comfort of your endless supply of candy and hot chocolate. We love you more than you know and can’t
imagine Jones without you!

To past O-Week Coordinators, Andrea, Anna, Leslie, and Max - Thank you for always letting us bombard you with questions and for setting a solid foundation
for us to build upon. Most importantly, we are grateful for your constant and excited encouragement, from supporting our new ideas to making us laugh
when we think we’ve made a mistake. You have left us with very big shoes to fill.

To our College Magisters, Jason Hafner and Jennifer Trotter - Thank you for always making yourselves so available for us and for all Jonesians, especially
during this past year and all of the unexpected changes that came with it. Your commitment to the wellbeing of the Jones community is incredibly clear to
everyone, and we hope that we can live up to your example when showcasing Jones College’s unique spirit and compassion to the New Students.

To our wonderful RAs, Kerri Barber, James Atkins, and Ryan Hanna - Wow, what did Jones do to deserve getting not one, but now three of the best RA’s
across campus? Everybody already knows that Kerri is a fantastic human, we’ve gotten to know James to be just as awesome over the past year, and are
beyond excited for everyone to discover the same about our fabulous new RA Ryan! We are continuously inspired by your passion and energy. You three truly
embody the quirky fun and unconditional love that makes Jones our “home away from home” and can’t wait for you to continue sharing that love with all
of the Jonesians next year, new and old!

To Araceli Lopez, Ishaan Rischie, and Jordyn Wainscott - We have relied on your guidance throughout this entire process in order to make DreamWorks
StudiO-Week all that we have envisioned it to be. Despite the unique challenges you faced with your coordinating experience under the pandemic, you
have continued to fill so many roles above and beyond anything we could ask for - our rock for support, our sounding board, our mentors, and, above all, our
friends - and we are thankful for all you have done for us and for O-Week this year.

To the most incredible Advisors of all time - There’s literally nothing we could say that could adequately sum up how much we love and appreciate each and
every single one of you! Despite all the uncertainty that we have been living in, you all have never failed to impress us with your enthusiasm, your thought-
fulness, your flexibility, and your general willingness to put up with our ~energy~ and obsession with DreamWorks memes. We have so much faith in you all
and know that you will be amazing resources and friends for the New Students!

To our Family and Friends - We are so, so, so thankful for all of your unexpected acts of kindness, support, and love. With your encouragement and your
understanding, we have been able to wholeheartedly commit ourselves to organizing the best possible O-Week over these past nine months. Y’all are our
Day 1’s, and you mean the world to us.

To our fellow Coordinators - We are excited to take on the task of reinventing O-Week 2021 with you. We have so much love and respect for our 2021 O-Week
Coord Team! Getting to know each and every one of you throughout this process (both remotely and finally in person for the whole summer!) has been an
amazing experience and we cannot wait to see all of your hard work pay off in your own O-Weeks!

To Jones - Thank you for giving the three of us the chance to introduce our new Jonesians to their new home and to leave a lasting impact on our college as
a whole. Jones has given us the most welcoming home and the best second family that we could’ve asked for, and we are thrilled to provide the same for
this incoming class of Jonesians. We will forever treasure our time coordinating DreamWorks StudiO-Week, and we hope you feel our overwhelming love
for Jones College. JIBA!

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87

Jones O-Week 2021

88