VOLUME 104, ISSUE NO. 19 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020 living OC? CHECK OUT OUR 2020 HOUSING GUIDE FOR TIPS AND TRICKS SEE INSERT ON PAGE 7 SPORTS Women’s 2020 SA ELECTION RESULTS T&F wins first PRESIDENT indoor title in ANNA MARGARET 10 years CLYBURN MICHAEL BYRNES SPORTS EDITOR Martel College junior, current Martel president and former SA senator Last weekend, the Rice women’s track and field team won the Conference USA Indoor Championships for the first time in 10 years, and only the fourth time in the history of the program. Freshman Grace Forbes — a two-time C-USA Female Track and Field Athlete of the Week honoree this season — continued her superb indoor season with two first- place finishes in the mile and 3,000-meter SA EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS races. Forbes set a personal record in the mile with a time of 4:40.05, more than eight seconds faster than the second-place internal vice president % vote: treasurer finisher, and won the 3,000-meter by 22 seconds in 9:21.19. Over the indoor season, KENDALL VINING 67.73% JOHN COOK Forbes’ mile time ranks her No. 36 in Division I and tops among freshmen. ASHLEY FITZPATRICK 29.32% Senior Michelle Fokam, a three-time participation rate: 28.4%* NCAA All-American and the 2018-2019 C-USA Female Field Athlete of the Year, also starred for the Owls, setting a program secretary *based on most participation (RPC record in the triple jump to notch the race) eighth conference title of her Rice career, SAVANNAH PARROT and posting a second-place finish in the long jump. Fokam’s 13.32-meter jump was just over half a meter short of the all-time C-USA meet record, and came on her sixth and final jump attempt of the night. RICE PROGRAM COUNCIL RESULTS Redshirt senior Hannah Jackson led the way for the Owls’ sprint team with a victory in the 200-meter dash — her fourth career president percentage of the vote: C-USA title, and third in the 200-meter race. Jackson’s 23.57 time was her fastest of SAMANTHA McCLENDON 62.74% the 2020 indoor season. WILL LEDIG Freshman Tara Simpson-Sullivan 35.93% earned a victory and broke her own school record with a 19.45-meter weight throw. Senior Zinedine Russell took first infographic by tina liu place in the pentathlon for the Owls’ sixth individual victory. FEATURES The win was celebrated by team members on social media. Senior Khayla Patel, who finished Getting out the vote: Students prepare for primaries fourth and set a personal record in the ELLA FELDMAN Rice Memorial Center, much to the dismay of make things accessible for people who might 5000-meter race with a time of 17:03.54, FEATURES EDITOR leaders of political organizations on campus. not have transportation or might have so tweeted, “Grateful for this team and To Carolyn Daly, the external vice many classes that they don’t have the time to the opportunity to contribute to our Next Tuesday, voters across Texas will president of Civic Duty Rice, the lack of a get to the polls,” Daly, a junior at McMurtry Conference title. Outdoor here we come!!!” head to the polls to select party candidates polling location on campus isn’t only about College, said. “But it also shows that the Overall, the Owls won the conference for the presidency and several statewide and accessibility — it sends a message about county is valuing youth voters.” meet with 110 points, seven points ahead local races. They’ll be joined by voters from how much political parties value their Civic Duty Rice, a nonpartisan civic of second-place Middle Tennessee State 13 other states, making March 3 this election youth voters. engagement club, is one of three student-led University. Forbes, Fokam, Jackson, year’s Super Tuesday. However, not a single “It’s really important to have a voting political organizations that make up the Rice Russell and Simpson-Sullivan all earned one of those voters will be headed to the location on campus for students, just to Vote Coalition. The coalition, which includes First Team All-C-USA nods for their the Rice College Republicans and Rice Young performances over the weekend, and head Democrats, worked with the administration coach Jim Bevan was honored with his to organize shuttles to take students to third-career C-USA Indoor Coach of the TUNE IN TO PRIMARIES COVERAGE nearby polling locations on Thursday for Year award. early voting and on Election Day. They’ve On the men’s side, the Owls secured a 553 students responded to our primaries poll. To see also collaborated on voter registration and No. 5 finish, led by a team victory in the who people are voting for, flip to page 15 information efforts. distance medley relay featuring freshman The lack of a polling location on campus Elliot Metcalf, sophomore Keegan Why doesn’t Rice have a polling station on campus? We isn’t the only issue student organizers have O’Connor, junior Jason Bugg and junior asked the Harris County parties and Rice administration. faced regarding the primaries. Daly said Alex Topini. Civic Duty Rice has found it challenging to The men’s team will begin its outdoors Flip to page 2 shift some of the focus on campus from the season on March 19 at the Houston Spring national election to local ones. Break Invitational, while the women’s team How are students getting out the vote? To read our “It’s really important for students to be will begin its outdoor season on March 20 feature on student organizational efforts, flip to page 15 informed on more local and state issues at the Roadrunner Invitational, where the too, because those have a huge impact in men will also compete. Members of both Local elections? To read our editorial on why local students’ daily lives whether they realize it or teams could also qualify for the NCAA elections matter and how to prepare, flip to page 6 not,” Daly said. Indoor Championships on March 13 and 14 SEE POLL PAGE 15 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 2 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020 THE RICE THRESHER NEWS On-campus primary polling location moved off campus RISHAB RAMAPRIYAN students who had volunteered to work the NEWS EDITOR polls,” Marshall said. PRIMARY VOTING Following repeated occurrences of this Student groups are expressing concerns issue, Marshall said that Rice requested over the lack of an on-campus polling political parties and county officials keep the Transportation to off-campus voting locations: location for the upcoming March 3 primary Ley Student Center polling place open for election. These concerns follow a decision campus voters, but also open nearby polling 1. Thursday, Feb. 27 (Early Voting): From 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., an by county party officials to not hold a polling places to serve off-campus voters. early voting shuttle will run between the Ley Student Center location at Rice due to accessibility concerns Marshall said that for the upcoming and Fiesta on Kirby. for non-Rice voters. March primary, Rice was notified with “very Lila Greiner, media relations director for little advance warning” that Rice would be 2. Tuesday, March 3 (Primary Election): From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the Rice Young Democrats, said the loss of the only polling site and nearby sites would a voting shuttle will run continuously between the Ley Student an on-campus polling location at the Ley be closed. Center and the nearest off-campus primary voting site at Poe Student Center, combined with issues of voter “We reminded county officials about suppression during the mayoral election last the parking problems faced by off-campus Elementary School. semester, sends a message that Rice student voters coming to Rice, and immediately infographic by Dan helmeci voter rights do not matter. offered another additional voting site at the “Rice students are markedly less likely Greenbriar building, which has good adjacent an on-campus polling place to “pressure the efforts of Rice Vote Coalition in to vote when polling locations are moved parking for off-campus voters,” Marshall coming from the Harris County Republican providing transportation and publicity for off campus,” Greiner, a Will Rice College said. “[County officials] chose to reopen the Party,” Nisha Randle, the Harris County upcoming elections. sophomore, said. “As Harris County allows Poe Elementary polling site but not open the Democratic Party communications director, “The administration, especially Public voters to vote at any polling place, the polling polling place on the Rice campus so, from said it was due to the parking issues Affairs, have been very helpful in supporting center in the [Ley Student Center] was a combining precincts onto our campus, they mentioned by Marshall. the Rice Vote Coalition’s efforts to make wonderful resource for students and staff turned to combining precincts at a location The Rice Vote Coalition, a group started by voting more accessible for students, which alike, one that we have been robbed of this off-campus.” the Office of Public Affairs more than 20 years we’re very grateful for,” McCain, a Duncan election.” Genevieve Carter, communications ago, is composed of student leaders from Rice senior, said. “They’re providing funding for Greg Marshall, director of university director for the Harris County Republican Young Democrats, College Republicans and the shuttles, as well as helping us reach out to relations, said county election officials had Party, echoed Marshall’s concerns about Civic Duty Rice. the President’s office and other departments initially planned to have an on-campus the inaccessibility of Rice’s polling location.