VOLUME 104, ISSUE NO. 18 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 FEATURES Candidates argue efficacy Chinese of SA at Thresher debate international RYND MORGAN students talk ASST. NEWS EDITOR Student Association internal vice president candidate Kendall Vining and write-in IVP coronavirus candidate Ashley Fitzpatrick debated the functions of roles within the SA and the SA’s relationship to the student body, and presidential candidate Anna Margaret Clyburn discussed similar issues in the SA Election Town Hall and Debate on Monday, Feb. 17, hosted by the Thresher. outbreak During the debate, Fitzpatrick said that she would be prepared to stand up to and confront Rice administration when their interests conflicted with the student body’s KELLY LIAO interests. Fitzpatrick, the Martel College SA senator, said that she had experience THRESHER STAFF directly confronting administration figures such as Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and would be willing to confront entities like the Rice Management As Chinese families around the Company, even if it meant that the administration might disown the SA as a world prepared for the Lunar New legitimate campus body. Year, the Chinese city Wuhan, with “If anything, I think that that would make the SA stronger,” Fitzpatrick, a a population of 11 million, prepared sophomore, said. “I am very much prepared to continue to stand up for the for something darker: announcing a student body.” quarantine to contain the unexpected Vining, a former Martel New Student Representative, said that she outbreak of the novel coronavirus. would be willing to confront power structures within the SA itself by Fears for family back home put a reforming the NSR role to empower students in that role. damper on celebrations at Rice. “I’d often feel very intimidated [as an NSR] in Senate to not express Lingyin Wu, a Chinese international my opinion … [voting members] were seen as a higher [authority] figure, student from Wuhan, said her family because they had a vote, because of the title that they held,” Vining, canceled plans to visit each other also a sophomore, said. “I don’t believe NSRs should be forced to during the Lunar New Year holiday have an official vote ... but I want NSRs to have an opinion vote, and remained home for weeks because where they still engage in the process of typing in what they of the virus. Her cousin’s family, who think that their college truly wants.” remained in Wuhan, is still struggling Fitzpatrick said that her reforms of the NSR program to get ahold of necessary supplies. would involve delaying applications for the role “Although there are some community until after new students had the opportunity workers designated to support the to learn more about the SA Senate and what daily purchases of essential food and projects they might want to pursue in medical supplies, I am worried about student government. their living quality and mental health “Instead of just needing to put them because being trapped in an apartment on any project on any committee, we with limited food supplies can be can delay that start of the NSR program, extremely depressing,” Wu, a Martel let them figure out what they want to College senior, said. do,” Fitzpatrick said. SEE SENATE DEBATES PAGE 2 CHANNING WANG / THRESHER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TINA LIU For many Chinese international students, although we cannot go back home, our hearts are always with people in Wuhan. Fayin Zhu POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER Another undergraduate student from Wuhan said he talks to his parents on a daily basis. They told him that since the city is currently under lockdown, food supplies are directly sent from local markets to their home, so they don’t need to leave the residential complex. (Editor’s note: This student’s identity NEWS has been anonymized to protect them from possible repercussions). Fayin Zhu, a bioscience Andrew Manias, Martel College senior, dies at 25 postdoctoral researcher from Wuhan, RACHEL CARLTON grieving a life that has been cut short in person I’ve ever met … and one of the said he is pleased with the efforts the SENIOR WRITER its prime,” Wells said. “We grieve not only clumsiest.” government has made to contain the the loss of Andrew in our lives; we grieve After a number of stories, many of which virus, like setting border checkpoints Andrew William Manias, a Martel College the loss of his gift to the world. The loss were met by laughter from those who knew and banning cars from leaving or senior, died Feb. 9 at age 25 in Houston, Texas of his potential and his promise. There is Andrew Manias well, Hayden Manias closed entering the city. after contracting pneumonia. While at Rice, nothing that any of us can say on this day his remembrance with words for his brother. “The efforts to tackle the virus would Manias was a history major and served on the that will take away the shock and the pain “It’s hard for me to accept that I won’t not be successful without residents editorial board of the Rice Historical Review. of Andrew’s death.” hear or see your amazing quirks again, carefully following the government’s The campus was notified of Manias’ because those are the things I’ll miss the orders and staying at home,” Zhu said. death on Feb. 12 by Dean of Undergraduates most,” Hayden Manias said. However, Zhu said he is concerned Bridget Gorman, who wrote that he was set to about a shortage of medical supplies at graduate this semester. local hospitals. “I hope that each of us will take a It’s hard for me to accept Zhu said his friends and family in moment to remember Andrew and be glad that I won’t hear or see Wuhan have told him that many frontline for his positive spirit and presence in our your amazing quirks again, medical personnel are overworked community,” Gorman wrote. and frustrated with the ineffective Gorman was among the attendees at because those are the emergency relief distribution. Manias’ memorial service on Feb. 15. The things I’ll miss the most. “I hope the government can service took place in the Jasek Chapel of Hayden Manias accelerate the reallocation of medical Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors supplies and provide adequate support and opened with “Ticket to the Moon” by BROTHER OF ANDREW MANIAS for the health workers on the battlefront Electric Light Orchestra, a nod to Manias’ of the epidemic,” Zhu said. love of astronomy and one of his top 25 most Hayden Manias, Andrew’s younger Local news reported that many frequently played songs. brother by 22 months, shared a number of hospitals are experiencing a shortage of Reverend Steve Wells of the South personal anecdotes to relatives, friends and respiratory masks, according to Wu. She Main Baptist Church presided over the family in attendance. said her friends back home are helping service, guiding attendees through hymns, “Andrew was truly the nicest person I’ve with organizing and transporting the scripture and reflections on Manias. ever met,” Hayden Manias said. “He was COURTESY THE MANIAS FAMILY donations of medical supplies to local “There is a pain that comes with [also] the most inquisitive and intelligent hospitals. SEE MANIAS PAGE 3 SEE CORONAVIRUS PAGE 4 2 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 THE RICE THRESHER Ruth Simmons Kraft Hall problems SA platforms Former trustee gives talk on racial Students with disabilities face Learn more about the candidates injustice, calling for university action, issues entering Kraft Hall due to for all the positions. Voting as part of President’s Lecture Series. delays in installing automatic doors. begins this Thursday. NEWS See more at ricethresher.org See more at ricethresher.org See more at ricethresher.org FROM PAGE 1 should be doing it internally first,” Vining on issues that affect not only Rice students said. “I want to increase the SA’s presence in but also different people in Houston, like the Senate Debates the actual college government.” Third Ward,” Fitzpatrick said. “There’s still a Fitzpatrick said the goal of giving the SA long way to go, but I think that we’re doing Heard at In a particularly contentious moment, Fitzpatrick responded to Vining’s discussion Senate a presence within college government pretty good so far, and that with changes of her background as a member of the group is already fulfilled by the senator position, with the way the SA operates, we can do in charge of researching alternatives to the and does not need to be expanded further. even better to represent students.” the Rice Emerging Scholars Program and ways “College government right now is very During the presidential town hall, Martel to expand the program. Vining said that she separate from the SA, and I think that’s President Anna Margaret Clyburn declined and the rest of the group submitted their something that people actually kind of want to comment on which IVP candidate she Debates: research for the Survey of All Students and to see happen more,” Fitzpatrick said. preferred, but said she looked forward to solicited responses through that platform. At the end of the debate, the IVP working with either candidate. Fitzpatrick responded, saying that as a RESP candidates discussed whether or not the Clyburn also discussed her concerns student she was not able to share her input SA Senate was still representative of or with being the only presidential candidate, with the group. relevant to the student body. Vining said that a situation she said may have stemmed from I’m open to working 40 “I thought that it was odd to me that this the SA Senate needs to improve its efforts the increasing demands of the role.