File - Duncan College

A Note From
Your O-Week
Coordinators
Welcome New Students!
For those of you who have not figured it out already,
our names are Bradley Hamilton, Crystal Lin, and Jeremy
Reiskind (#BCJ), and we are the Duncan O(rientation)-Week
Coordinators this year.
Many of you are probably wondering, “What does it mean
to be an O-Week Coordinator?” Each of the 11 residential
colleges has an amazing team of 3 O-Week Coordinators who
are responsible for planning the week that you will spend on
campus prior to the start of classes to get to know other students
within your class, as well as upperclassmen who you will come
to know as your Advisors. Over the course of O-Week, you
will have the opportunity to build bonds and relationships
with other matriculating Duncaroos (members of the Duncan
community since our mascot is the kangaroo), develop the
foundations of your college support system through your
O-Week groups and Advisors, explore the vast amount of
academic opportunities available to you on Rice’s campus,
develop your fall semester class schedule, and learn about the
culture of not only the great school that is Rice University, but
the incredible residential college that you will call home for
your time at Rice. Each O-Week, the Coordinators select a
theme that resonates with their collective mission and vision
for the week. You will come to see in the ‘Theme Explanation’
that our theme for this year is GLO-Week: Time to Shine.
GLO-Week is meant to show that there is a place for every
one of you to shine in your individuality within the Duncan
and Rice Community. College will be an adventure, but we
hope to set you up for success to shine in every step you take.
Your Advisors, as well as the Coordinators, will be there
every step of the way to help you in this adventure. Each New
Student will be placed in an O-Week group with 9 to 11 other
students and 4 Advisors. Advisors will be your main source of
contact and first physical introduction to Duncan on August
14th when you arrive on campus. Throughout the week, your
Advisors will be there to provide whatever support you need
to make a smooth transition into this new environment.
This role will extend well past O-Week into your Freshman
year, and, in many cases, continue through the remainder of
your college career. Your Advisors were handpicked for this
purpose, and we wholeheartedly believe they will put their
best foot forward to make a positive impact on your college
experience. I guess what we are trying to say is that, while you
may not know very many people matriculating into Rice with
you, you are never alone. From this point forward, you have a
team of 33 Coordinators, 48 Advisors, and an A(dult)-Team
made up of 9 adults and 4 kids wishing you all the success in
the world as you start your college journey.
Right about now, I think we are having the same thoughts
as you: “another acronym?” If you look on later in this book,
you will find a whole list of great acronyms to prepare for your
Rice Career that will more than likely be full of unnecessary
acronyms. The A-Team is comprised of the College Masters,
the Head Resident Fellows, two sets of Resident Associates,
and the College Coordinator; all of whom give introductions
and job descriptions in the following pages.
With all of this, we simply want to say welcome. This may
be the first time you hear this, but it will most certainly not be
the last, so thank you. Thank you for allowing us the privilege
of being the first to say to you: Welcome to Rice. Welcome to
Duncan. Welcome Home.
Somos Equipo Somos Familia,
Bradley, Crystal, & Jeremy
i
Bring Your Glow
Bring one item that you feel represents
you right now. This could be a letter to
yourself, a favorite book, poster of a band,
photo, etc. We’re going to ask you for it at
the end of O-Week, so you will also have
time during the week to find or make an
item! You might not see it for a few years,
so be sure it’s not something you will need
during your first few weeks at Rice!
ii
Duncan College
Contact Information
Any questions, comments, or concerns regarding
Rice University, Duncan College, O-Week, or general student life
Please contact your Duncan College O-Week Coordinators first!
Duncan College O-Week Coordinators:
duncaroos@gmail.com
Bradley Hamilton: bgh3@rice.edu
Crystal Lin: yl83@rice.edu
Jeremy Reiskind: jdr5@rice.edu
+1 (469) 834-9590
+1 (832) 692-6992
+1 (727) 656-0366
Duncan College Masters:
Caleb McDaniel: wcm1@rice.edu
Brandy McDaniel: bm19@rice.edu
Head Resident Fellows:
Jenifer Bratter:
Noe Perez:
jbratter@rice.edu
Noe.Perez@rice.edu
College Coordinator:
Vicki Woods:
vwoods@rice.edu
fax:
Duncan College President:
David Doucet:
dpd3@rice.edu
+1 (713) 348-4647
+1 (713) 348-2790
+1 (409) 626-1444
iii
Table of Contents
O-Week
iv
1
Team Bios
4-16
Duncan
19
Your Support Team
20-23
Resources
37
FAQ’s
O-Week
What is O-Week?
O-Week is your one-of-a-kind, week-long welcome to all things Rice University and
Duncan College that gives you an academic and social foundation for both your first year
and the rest of your college career! See page 2 for more information.
What can I expect to do during O-Week?
O-Week is filled with all sorts of events and activities! It’ll be a busy and crazy week, but
you can expect to spend a lot of time preparing for the academic year as well as hanging out
with your O-Week group. Read this book for more information.
Who do I meet during O-Week?
You will meet so many people who want to help you adjust to life at Rice and Duncan.
These include not only your Advisors and Co-Advisors, but also students who will help
you plan your classes and more! O-Week also gives you an opportunity to get to know the
Duncan A(dult)-Team and even professors and staff members across campus. They will
remain as resources for you throughout your time here at Rice and even beyond.
Duncan
What will my room look like? My bathroom?
Most new students get a double with an attached bathroom. See pages 27-28 for more
information.
What should I bring with me? What should I talk to my roommate about?
Lots of things, but we have a packing list for you! See pages 43-44 for more information.
Houston
What is it like living in Houston?
We are incredibly lucky to be located in Houston! There are many wonderful things this city
has to offer. See the Owlmanac for more details.
What is there to do in Houston?
Great food and lots of semi-free stuff (especially as a Rice student)! See the Owlmanac for
more details.
v
What is O-Week?
O-Week is your one-of-a-kind, weeklong welcome to all things Rice University
and Duncan College that gives you an
academic and social foundation for both
your first year and the rest of your time at
Rice!
O-Week, designed to be 50% academic
integration and 50% social integration,
includes a wide range of events and
activities that many alumni cite as a
week of learning and introductions. This
transitional, slightly summer-campy week
is packed with everything from first-day
move-in to class registration, ice breakers,
late-night food, and (slightly) ridiculous
traditions.
Because Rice is no ordinary university,
getting an introduction to all the quirks
and institutional secrets takes a full
week! Though O-Week might not be
representative of the rest of the year, it
sets the tone for your college experience,
and between petting zoos and academic
planning, you’ll get a sense of Rice culture
and community. It’ll be your first chance to
settle into your new home here on campus.
1
Throughout the week, you’ll meet not
only hundreds of other New Students,
but also returning undergrauates, faculty,
and staff who will be resources to you
for your entire career at Rice. You might
be surprised to learn there is a support
system army awaiting you at Rice:
The first ones you’ll meet will be your
O-Week group, including its Advisors
and Co-Advisors, but after you’ll meet
us (the Coordinators!), the Masters,
Resident Associates and Fellows, College
Coordinator, and Duncan Associates.
O-Week will be when you may begin to
believe in SESF (Duncan’s motto: Somos
equipo, somos familia) and its importance
to our college: that we work together,
live together, and learn to support each
other in our efforts as both undergraduate
students and as people.
This may sound like a lot, but we will
ensure that you get time to settle in.
O-Week makes the goodbyes and your
beginnings at Rice and Duncan that much
easier.
What is an O-Week group?
Who are these “Advisor” people?
An O-Week group is a group of four
upperclassmen (sophomores, juniors,
and seniors) who were selected by your
Coordinators (pictured above) to guide you
through O-Week and to help you throughout
the year. You’ll have three Advisors from
Duncan and one Co-Advisor from another
college! We’ll call them all Advisors to make
things easier. What your Advisors can do for
you:
- Give you a tour of campus
- Help you pick your classes
- Introduce you to their friends
- Eat servery meals with you when you forget everyone’s name
- Give you great advice
- Generally make your first year (and more) easier
- Provide the initial foundation for the
incredible support system you can and will
build throughout Rice
Theme Explanation
One of the greatest aspects of Rice is the diversity of the student population seen all across campus. This
is seen in not only physical diversity but also in diversity in backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and interactions with the communities that our students come from. Because of this, matriculating into O-Week can be
a social shocker for students as they attempt to find where they belong, while remaining true to the values and
beliefs that matriculated with them on the first day. As a coordinating team, we have all been through this search
for ourselves, and we want you to know that there is a place for you. While you may not find this exact place in
the one week we call O-Week, we hope you feel like you can shine in your individuality. Your individuality and
uniqueness are what make you special. These characteristics are also exactly what make you a valued member of
the Duncan Community. You will soon find that the Duncan Community is an accepting community, a community for everyone. As soon as you were placed into Duncan, you were accepted into the Duncan Glow, the Duncan community. This glow is something that is never turned off, something that will continue to shine no matter
how far you may end up away from Duncan. It will shine in times of triumph, it will shine in times of failure, in
times of happiness, in times of sadness, because this is your new home. No matter how far you move from home,
a family will always think of you and keep you in their hearts.
Welcome to Rice. Welcome to Duncan.
Welcome Home!
2
Advisor A member of Duncan College selected by your O-Week
Coordinators to facilitate your week- and year-long welcome into
Rice University. Rumored to wear matching T-shirts and to shout
greetings at incoming New Students from Duncan College’s curb
on move-in day.
Matriculation Takes place on your first night on campus on
Sunday, August 14. Starts with dinner and remarks at Duncan
College, includes speeches from various important people at
Tudor Fieldhouse, then concludes with a procession through the
Sallyport. Rumored to be pretty magical. (See picture above.)
Associate A member of the Houston community, Rice faculty,
or Rice staff who is associated with Duncan College. Will come to
campus frequently, and will host O-Week groups during O-Week’s
Associate’s Night.
O-Week Abbreviation for Orientation Week. Refers to all activities
and people who participate in orienting new students to Rice
University between Sunday, August 14 and Saturday, August 20.
Associate Mentor A Rice faculty or staff member who is
assigned to an O-Week group for the first year to provide both
academic and social support.
Campus-wide Any activity or event that includes all New Students
from all residential colleges at Rice University, planned by Student
Success Initiatives and all 33 O-Week coordinators.
EX: Matriculation (see “Matriculation”) is a campus-wide event.
Co-Advisor A member of another residential college selected by
the Coordinators to facilitate your week- and year-long welcome
into Rice University. Rumored to all wear matching T-shirts and to
shout greetings at incoming New Students from Duncan College’s
curb on move-in day.
Coordinator A current undergraduate and member of Duncan
College selected in a team of three to plan, organize, and execute
your O-Week- and first-year welcome to Rice University. This
year, see: Bradley Hamilton (2018), Crystal Lin (2017), and Jeremy
Reiskind (2017). Rumored to dance a lot and be very enthusiastic
about all things.
Diversity Facilitator A current undergraduate selected to be at
a residential college to manage the campuswide diversity workshop
during O-Week. This year, see: Raena Panicker and Ramee Saleh.
Duncaroo You! Member of Duncan College. Contacted via a
collegewide email addressed to duncaroo-l@mailmain.rice.edu.
Student Success Initiatives An office at Rice dedicated to
making undergraduates’ first years awesome. Headed by Shelah
Crear with Assistant Director Chris Landry. Sometimes abbreviated
to SSI.
Jack A clever, non-destructive prank pulled on another college.
Happens only during O-Week and Willy Week.
3
O-Week
Speak
O-Week Group A group that includes at least two Advisors,
one Co-Advisor, and potentially either a Chief Justice, Diversity
Facilitator, RHA, PAA, photographer, or videographer.
PAA Abbreviation for Peer Academic Advisor. A Rice student
selected and trained in many academic areas who can help all New
Students with class selection.
RHA Abbreviation for Residential Health Advisor. A member of
Duncan College selected and trained in basic first-aid and mental
health situations. At O-Week, see: Manlin Yao.
SESF (OR #SESF) Abbreviation for “Somos equipo, somos familia.”
Duncan’s official motto was started by the first Duncan College
Master Luis Duno-Gottberg, and is Spanish for “We are a team, we
are family.” SESF embodies the best of our residential college: That
we work together, live together, and learn to support each other in
our efforts both as undergraduate students and as people.
Session Refers to any event during O-Week that will teach you
about something you should know or a resource to get to know!
School of [Blank] Refers to your school of academics. There
are seven that will be relevant to undergraduates: the School of
Architecture, George R. Brown School of Engineering, School
of Humanities, Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business
(undergraduates can take classes and receive a minor from the
School of Business), Shepherd School of Music, Wiess School of
Natural Sciences, and School of Social Sciences. It is important to
note that some majors are interdisciplinary and require classes in
more than one School (EX: Cognitive Science).
SMR Abbreviation for Student Maintenance Representative. The
SMR is in charge of helping all students at one residential college
do the smaller things, such as resetting your AC or changing the
height of your bed. Your 2016 - 17 SMR is Nick Leisle.
Upperclassmen
Any returning undergraduate. Returning
students refers to any upperclassmen not involved in O-Week.
The O-Week Coordinators
Bradley
Bradley Hamilton, 2018
Who is this handsome devil you see all
around campus? Why it’s your O-Week
Coordinator! When he isn’t getting down
on the dance floor to the latest Beyoncé
hit (yes, he does know all of the words and
moves), Bradley can be seen in business
formal attire, busy directing the Gateway
Study of Leadership program. Blink again,
and he is back across campus in shorts and
a t-shirt, coordinating the Young Owls
Leadership Program to mentor high school
students. While we are still not sure how
he manages it, you can also expect to see
him on every adventure and at every dance
party. On top of being connected all across
campus, Bradley always makes time for his
friends, and you can now consider yourself
one of them. This sassy Coordinator is here
for you through thick and thin, whether
you need an ear or you want to find the
fun.
Crystal
Crystal Lin, 2017
I know what you’re thinking: “Does she
shine?” The answer, in this case, is yes.
For those of you on your way to a STEM
career, you may see her as the shining
TA that helps answer all your General
Chemistry questions. Others might see her
lighting up the already shining commons
with hugs, smiles, and a general optimism
for life! If there is one thing that you can
come to Duncan sure of, it is that this
Coordinator will be there to light every
step of the way through your Freshman
year. Yes, that may come in the form of a
Gen Chem TA, and, yes, that may come in
the form of the exuberant student in the
commons, but, most importantly, she will
be the ear when you feel like you have no
voice, the chalkboard when you feel like
you have no thoughts, the crystal when
you feel like there is no light.
Jeremy
Jeremy Reiskind, 2017
Duncan Wins! Duncan Wins! Why you
ask? Because we have this incredible Senior
Superstar as a Coordinator! When Jeremy
is not devotedly walking to different sports
events to show the support of Rally Club,
the sports organization of which he is
president, you may find him at a Hillel
luncheon or picnic. Needless to say, Jeremy
has a variety of interests, resonant of the
Rice Spirit. What you may not know, is
the only thing that Jeremy loves more
than sports is a fierce competition. It is an
uncontested fact that once he cares about
something he cares forever, including you.
If you ever need anything, not only do you
have caring Advisors, but one of the most
caring human beings on this planet as a
Coordinator: don’t feel lucky, feel loved.
Coordinator biographies co-written by Bradley, Crystal, & Jeremy
4
All Glo’d Everything
Mika Hua, 2018
5
Zoe Parker, 2019
Sarah Siemann, 2017
Andrew Karlson, 2019
Some know him as Music Mike.
Just kidding; while no one has
actually ever called him that, Mike
sure does love music. As a KTRU
DJ, Mike broadcasts his god-like
voice, super chill temperament,
and impeccable song selection
over the Rice Radio airwaves.
While this mechanical engineer
could solve all of the world’s
problems with his electric guitar
and friendly attitude, he’s kept
busy with engineering the coolest
electric vehicle Rice has ever
seen. Since Mike is Duncan’s Tech
Director, we have him to thank
for filling the Duncan quad with
music each Friday and for making
Sensation Rice’s best party. If you
ask nicely and rub his beard just
right, he’ll turn your room into a
party as well! Speaking of facial
hair, Mike hasn’t shaved since first
semester freshman year. As a result, his beard ranks among the top
10 at Duncan (well, top 10 in his
six-man suite at least). Luckily, his
rugged facial hair complements his
love of the great outdoors. If you’re
into camping, hiking, or general
nature shenanigans, this Eagle
Scout will take you adventuring
all over Texas! Get ready New
Students, you’re about to meet the
most rockin’ dude at Duncan.
Hey y’all! You get the pleasure of
meeting one of the sweetest people
in the world - Zoe. This sophomore Environmental Science and
Policy major from Stockbridge,
Georgia, is going to be a force to
help save the world (from non-recyclable plastic of course). If you’re
into environmental conservation
and early bedtimes (and this is
college, so I mean 10 pm), Zoe is
the girl for you. If you ever need
her, try looking for her watching
Real Housewives of Atlanta -I
mean “studying” in Fondren, go
to the football field and watch
her flip across it with the cheer
team, or find her taking care of
her fellow students as a caregiver.
This vegetable-hating vegetarian
is basically a superhero, but her
weakness is her one true love, hot
cheetos. You can always count on
her being there to help anyone out
and maybe even share her cheetos,
and there’s a pretty good chance
her hair will look perfect, too.
Sarah isn’t your typical Southern
girl, at least not most of the time.
To see that side come out all you
have to do is go out to Wild Wild
West where she’ll be more than
happy to teach you how to twostep. Being a local Houstonian,
she knows all the go-to places
for whatever you’re looking for,
whether it be a night out, a bite to
eat, or a small getaway. As bubbly
as can be and full of life, Sarah
is the life of the party. You can
usually find her sitting outside
Coffeehouse or laying by the pool
getting her tan on. She’s not all fun
and games, however, although she
does make Mechanical Engineering look like a piece of cake. When
there’s work to be done or exams
to study for, she cracks the whip
and goes into full work mode.
She’ll lure you in with her carefree
attitude, and you’ll be more than
happy to tag along for the ride. An
amazing friend and listener, Sarah
will be there through thick and
thin. No matter what you need,
a fun night out or a study buddy,
she’s always ready to werk werk
werk werk werk!
If you like to hear about Boston
(he’s never lived in Boston), old
dogs (he doesn’t own an old dog),
being a member of the crew team
(he throws up when he exercises),
or working at the library (this part
is unfortunately all too real), then
Andrew Karlson is the advisor for
you! This Dracut, Massachusetts
native and Computer Science
major brings with him a classic
New England charm, as exemplified when he complains it’s too hot
when he’s wearing all black. Yes,
Andrew Karlson may be a man
of contradictions, but there’s no
contradicting the fact that he’s a
great friend.
Evan Flack & Nick Leisle
(Duncan 2018)
Savannah Lawrence
(Wiess 2019)
Juan Bravo
(Duncan 2017)
Maggie Edmunds
(Duncan 2019)
Double Glo-7
Kevin Zhang, 2019
Yoseph Lee, 2018
Sophie D’Amico, 2019
Luis Pacheco, 2019
Straight outta Sugar Land, Texas,
Kevin Zhang is hard to not notice.
After pumping some iron at the
gym, this rising Sophomore will
shuffle around Duncan with his
sleeves rolled above his shoulders
to show off his “gains” of the day.
As you can probably tell, Kevin is a
very modest guy. I can’t blame him
though. It’s tough to be modest
when juggling a Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering major,
a research position in a lab, and a
profound dedication to being the
coldest basketball player at Rice
University. When Kevin isn’t juggling these responsibilities, he is
serving on the Rice Honor Council
as an Assistant Justice, and as a
Peer Academic Advisor. It may
seem like Kevin is too busy, but he
still makes time for his friends. He
is a very inquisitive, thoughtful,
and caring person, and if you are
his New Student, you will realize
those attributes pretty quickly. It
might be hard to not notice Kevin,
but you will be glad he’s there.
Yoseph Lee, otherwise known
as your friendly neighborhood
Chief Justice, is frequently spotted
double-fisting cups of boba tea as
he rushes across campus to attend
his million and one daily meetings,
grade piles of psychology papers,
and conduct testing for his multiple research labs. In the moments
that he does have spare time, you
might find yourself featured in his
600-second Snapchat stories (this
is not a joke - my phone almost
exploded because of his minute-by-minute account of his trip
to Italy) in the most unattractive
angles known to mankind. However, if you say the word “Chinatown," Yoseph will drop all his
commitments (and snap-stalking)
and rush to fill a spot in your car.
But more importantly, Yoseph will
drop everything to be there for
you, no matter the time of day. He
is the kind of friend we all hoped
we would find in college - he is
always down to go on adventures,
sing along to cheesy musical songs,
or just spend countless hours
talking about everything under
the sun. New Students, get hyped
for Rice, but more importantly, get
hyped for O-Week because you
get to meet the greatest member of
your new family, Yoseph!
Goats. Goat tank tops. Goat tablet
stickers. Goat Instagram posts.
Goat everything. Sophie D’Amico
doesn’t goat to live, she lives to
goat. This sophomore Electrical
Engineering major is not to be
messed with. She’s an ultra-triathlete who excels on both land
and water. Oh wait, she’s also
a gymnast which makes her a
master of air as well. When she’s
not out training for the Ironman
or contemplating what goat t-shirt
to order next, you can find her
promoting religious tolerance with
Rice’s Boniuk Council or conducting neuroscience research. While
this is a mere spoonful of the great
things she is capable of doing,
there is no need to be intimidated.
Sophie is always open and excited
to get to know everyone she meets.
You can usually find her in the
Duncan commons doing work,
yet she is always down to strike up
a conversation or watch random
Youtube videos with you as a study
break. It is a true honor to have her
as part of the Duncan community,
so please go ahead and get to know
Sophie. Perhaps you can learn
the true reason behind her goat
frenzy...
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia
(Shakira, Shakira~) and brought
up in the vibrant city of Coral
Springs, Florida, Luis Pacheco is
a shining star at Hanszen College
and a dashing young man to boot.
You can find this Psychology/Political Science double major watching
his favorite Studio Ghibli movies,
drawing masterpieces (on notebook paper - Picasso’s got nothing
on him), and flagging down people
at flea markets for his psychology
research. Look forward to spotting
him on campus, shining brighter than any diamond with his
signature yellow jacket and radiant
personality. A man who wears his
heart on his sleeve, Luis has an
arsenal of captivating tales that will
either send you into fits of laughter
or make you wonder “who put
these onions here?” Be sure to
keep an eye out for Luis on the
dance floor; you’ll soon find out
that his hips don’t lie. Get ready to
GLO with the one and only Luis
Eduardo Pacheco Garcia.
Jason Barton
(Duncan 2019)
Shruthi Velidi
(Duncan 2018)
Javier Lehtinen
(Duncan 2019)
Stephanie Xiong
(Hanszen 2019)
6
Gloden State Warriors
7
Coby Kaskel, 2018
Andre Liu, 2017
Sierra Cowan, 2018
Horatia Fang, 2019
Andre Liu. Calling Plano, Texas
his home, he’s the sweetest guy
you’ll meet. Standing at 6’ 1”,
Andre might seem a bit intimidating, especially after you hear he’s a
triple major threat. With History,
Economics, and a Business minor
under his belt, he’s a “work hard,
ball is life” kind of guy. He’s super
chill and flexible but passionate.
You might think that he would be
super busy between working at
Fondren or playing Super Smash,
but his time management skills
are pretty on point. And trust me,
if you ever need someone to talk
to, words seem to flow effortlessly
when you’re around him and his
shoulders are great if you need a
hug. His care for people is seen in
every aspect of his life. He cares for
family and friends, leads a small
group (house church) on campus,
and has a passion for the next
generation. This future teacher
is going to impact and change
lives. You’re so lucky that he’s your
advisor because I can guarantee
that he’s always going to be there
for you.
Hailing from San Antonio, Sierra
Cowan is one of the few elusive,
exclusive, and highly sought-after
Baker blondes from the Class of
2018. A Biochemistry major, this
pre-med juggles research with a
plethora of extracurricular activities, including Medical Humanities
and various positions in the Baker
government. Looking for someone
who will stick up for you? Sierra
is your girl. She never backs down
from a challenge. Sierra’s other
talents include knowing all the
words to Taylor Swift’s album
1989, responding to texts within
30 seconds of you sending them,
planning awesome parties (she was
a Socials committee head for Baker!), following every cute French
Bulldog account on Instagram,
and loving Rice more than almost
anyone. If you think you’re excited
about Rice now, just wait! Sierra
will get you so pumped for life as
a student here, you might even be
a little scared of how excited you
are. Sierra is fun and energetic and
above all, a fiercely loyal friend.
Get ready for the loudest, craziest
O-Week you can imagine. Sierra
will not rest until she makes it so.
Let me introduce you to Horatia
“Eats Out Of A Tiny Bowl For
Every Meal Yet Won’t Turn Down
A Piece Of Chocolate” Fang.
Whether changing the world by
storm while leading her Engineers
Without Borders project or killing
the game in a game of pool, this
London-Born Chinese-American
has no limitations. Raised in the
Woodlands of Houston, Texas, fate
wood-land this Sophomore Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
major at Duncan College, where
she has graced the commons with
her butt imprint from sitting in
the same spot every day working
away on her Organic Chemistry
problem sets. This year, you will be
able to find her up on the sundeck
(the 5th floor rooms at Duncan),
waking up early to either go on a
run or watch the sunrise. She will
also be living dangerously close to
the kitchen, so you may be blessed
with many late night cookies. For
real though, Horatia will be there
to laugh, cry, bake, or snack with
you at any time of the day. Just ask,
and I promise she’ll be there.
Are you a cacti enthusiast? Do you
occasionally dabble in all things
coffee? What about a tendency to
be slightly late and forgetful? If you
answered ‘yes’ to any or all these
questions, Jacob/Kobe/Coby is the
perfect advisor for you. Hailing out
of Virginia Beach, this Junior premed is here to show you the ropes
as both a Duncaroo and PAA.
He’ll use his expert knowledge of
Rice academic planning to lead
you to victory in the classroom
and his skilled position as fellow
DuncHunk to guide you through
all things Duncan College, the
best College. Hobbies and interests
include making coffee, drinking
coffee, and buying coffee. He also
enjoys watering cacti, loud music,
and long scenic walks. Really,
Coby is a great guy and I assure
you he will do an adequate job of
Advising you through O-Week and
the rest of your first year.
Solji Jung
(Hanszen 2017)
Haley Kurisky
(Baker 2018)
Iris Gau
(Duncan 2019)
Damon Demar
(Duncan 2018)
Glowbetrotters
Raena Panicker, 2017
Lindsey Hodge, 2018
Noah Reich, 2019
Vinh Tran, 2017
Allow us the pleasure of introducing the one and only Lindsey
Marie Hodge! Hailing from Roswell, Georgia, this Southern Belle,
known as the HODGE HAMMER,
is as likeable as she is successful
in the classroom, never failing to
overachieve as a Sport Management Major. You’ll find Duncan’s
beloved princess trying to talk to
her friends in Spanish, drinking
some bubble tea (rumor has it that
her charismatic bubbliness comes
from drinking unhealthy amounts
of it), or taking a royal nap. But
don’t let her contagious energy
and radiant smile fool you - she’s
a fierce competitor on the tennis
court. As her loyal fans will tell
you, she’s an invaluable member
of the 2015 Conference USA
Women’s Tennis Champions. Look
for her championship ring! She’s as
country as her favorite artist Luke
Bryan, as dominant on the court as
ex-tennis star Lindsay Davenport,
as cute as a baby Sea Lion, and as
fanatical about her Falcons and
Braves as any true Atlantan. We’re
as grateful to have her at Duncan
as you will be to have her as your
Advisor - you’ll find it impossible
to not love and root for Lindsey
“Hammer” Hodge!!!
Noah Reich is an enigma. This
proud Jew hails from New York
City, Chappaqua, or Pound Ridge,
NY depending on when you ask
him. In order to maximize words
on his resume, he is majoring in
Mathematical Economic Analysis
and Computational and Applied
Mathematics, although we aren’t
sure how either of those apply to
his dream of becoming a Family
Guy writer. Family Guy isn’t the
only thing he watches; anything
from cooking shows to Japanese
anime to Bob’s Burgers. Don’t
worry, though, this man does
come out of his room, and he is
often found “balling in the streets”
(playing basketball at the Rec) or
dramatically storming away from
those who do not understand
his references. In all seriousness
though, Noah is the most caring,
hilarious, and hardworking person
wrapped up in a beautiful dad-bod
cocoon ready to inspire each of his
New Students to greatness. It is his
dream that one day, his group will
be able to say, like the great Drake
once said, “my [O-Week] mother
[Noah] made me truly appreciate
women.”
Vinh Tran has numerous gifts,
from a beaming smile to a Jimmy
Neutron-like intelligence. As a
Senior Biochemistry major and
passionate premed, he often hibernates in lab. Vinh also basically
encompasses an academic advisor,
tutor, and teaching assistant all
in one. He’ll probably be able to
answer any of your questions
whether it’s about the existence
of atoms, the hardships of life, or
the best restaurant for lobster in
Chinatown. In fact, Vinh’s bae is
probably Chinatown. They go way
back, since he’s a Houston native.
Just mention “late night” and Vinh
will be the first to RSVP. He’s a
generous giver, the kind of friend
who’ll bring you honey butter
chicken biscuits and fried rice to
cheer you up. But never ask Vinh
about his height - it’s a sensitive
subject. Otherwise, he’s a hilarious,
sassy soul who doesn’t take himself
too seriously. And he’s a man of
his word. If you jokingly challenge
him to a fight at midnight in Martel College, he’ll actually show up.
With a genuinely kind and easygoing character, Vinh is a friend who
brightens up life.
Well-traveled and well-versed in
the ways of the world, Raena Panicker, a rising Senior from Wiess
College, majoring in Cognitive
Science, is a fountain of knowledge and wisdom far beyond her
mere 21 years. While Raena is
commonly known as the eighth
world wonder, it is important to
note that there is no need to be
intimidated by the awesomeness
she exudes. Rather, Raena is one
of the friendliest people on the
face of the planet. A cultured soul,
Raena knows all the best places to
eat in Houston - a dinner with her
is a guaranteed delight, not just for
the food, but also the company.
Blessed with a colorful vocabulary,
any conversation with Raena is
bound to be entirely entertaining.
While Raena is one of the most
hilarious people I have ever met,
she is also one of the kindest. She
constantly offers her aid, selflessly
giving up her time while asking
for nothing in return. So while she
is helping to facilitate diversity in
your O-Week and ensuring you
have the best start to your college
career ever, Raena will also be a
wonderful friend - one of the best
you’ll ever make at Rice.
Melody Yip
(Martel 2017)
Helen Gun
(Wiess 2017)
Sergio Santamaria
(Duncan 2018)
Claire Casey & Greg Van Kirk
(Duncan 2019)
8
Life of Pab-glo
Stephanie Brener, 2017
Cats and crocheting. Usually
these two things are thought of
to describe a nice, older, cat lady.
But think again! When cats and
crocheting are combined with
beatboxing and a capella you get...
STEPHANIE! This artistic
Bioengineering student from Baker
College loves clubs and doing all
the logistics that people usually
hate. Originating from Albuquerque, New Mexico, she has
a passion for helping others and
hanging out with professors (check
out her cool physics videos with
Dr. Hafner). Usually referred to as
2CHAINZ or Uruguay Goddess,
her knowledge of Jewish traditions
(she is going to be in Israel this
summer) and gluten-free challah
baking is unheard of. In fact, she
could talk to you for hours about
being gluten-free and her deep
love of cheese with popcorn. Get
ready to have the best Co-Advisor/
friend/cat lady ever!
9
Christine Diaz
(Brown 2017)
Cole Crawford, 2019
Cole Crawford hails from the faraway land of Dripping Spring, TX,
where there are actually no dripping springs. To avoid discussing
the unusual naming of his hometown, he often claims to be from
Austin instead. In his free time,
Cole likes to collect Starbucks gift
cards and get destroyed in PingPong and foosball. He is decent at
spike ball and pool though. He is
also quite good at building rocket
nozzles and some more complicated rocket science machinery. He
knows how to run fast and throw
and catch a football, which helped
him grab a spot in the champion
Duncan Flag Football team. All in
all, Cole is a hardworking Mechanical Engineer who keeps a perfect
balance between his active social
life and academic prowess. You
should definitely be friends with
Cole, because he has a car and can
drive you to Halal Guys when you
are hungry at night, if you promise
him his favorite Starbucks Caramel
Macchiato.
Aitash Deepak
(Duncan 2019)
Ramee Saleh, 2019
Mackenzie Parker, 2019
It’s Ramee Saleh! This sophomore from San Antonio (voted
San Antonio’s most eligible cool
person in 2014) has a glowing
personality that’s basically made
of cinnamon sugar. You’re workin’
with a SWGS (Study of Women,
Gender, and Sexuality) major with
some serious smarts and some
serious spice. Seriously, this girl
drives the bus to Flavortown. If
you’re lucky enough to be in her
O-Week group, you can count on
a true friend who is always ready
to talk, always ready to eat (hint:
baked brie), and always ready to
dance in public shamelessly. Talk
to her about art! Talk to her about
women! BYOTFC (Bring Your
Own Topic For Conversation)!
You’ll find Ramee on University
Court (so behave), volunteering at
the Women’s Resource Center, or
in the Sid commons most nights.
She can’t wait to meet you!
“Ahhhh!” If you hear this, Mackenzie is probably near by - which
means you are probably in the
Duncan commons. Don’t worry:
she is not in distress; she probably
just dropped her pencil or heard a
story about an awkward situation. Mackenzie is just about the
nicest person you will ever meet,
and she will definitely want to be
your friend! If you want to make
her especially happy, feed her
(non-spicy!) macaroni and cheese
or play volleyball with her in the
quad. Besides being ridiculously
smart and acing all her classes, this
Sophomore Chemistry major loves
to have a good time two-stepping
at Wild West, “not falling asleep”
watching movies, and dominating
at ping-pong in the Game Room.
Mackenzie is always down for an
adventure and loves to be outside
in the sun. Get ready for a week
full of laughter and weirdness
with this loveable, entertaining,
brilliant, and caring friend from
Friendswood, TX.
Sarah Torresen
(Sid 2019)
Sussanah Dittmar
(Duncan 2019)
Oh the Places You’ll Glow
Alvaro Castillo, 2019
Coming straight out of Guatemala City, Guatemala, this 5’2”
behemoth of a man is prepared to
advise you through your first year
at Rice and through life in general.
Alvaro “Hotty from the Guatty”
Castillo is ready to be your friend.
Whether you need someone to
go play squash with at the Rec,
somebody to curl up on a couch
and watch scary movies with (he
screams during the scary parts
BTW), talk about Spanish League
soccer, or just someone to give
you a little life advice, Alvaro will
always be there for you through
thick and thin. Even though, he
is a social butterfly and the life of
any party, he is not afraid to hit the
books. As a sophomore mechanical engineering major, Alvaro’s
favorite classes freshman year were
general chemistry and physics 102.
All in all, I’m sure that Alvaro will
be a great friend to you just as he
has been a great friend to me.
Logan Baldridge
(Duncan 2019)
Jordan Bulanda, 2018
Jordan Bulanda is just your average, basic 14-year-old boy, who
enjoys watching Bob’s Burgers,
kicking soccer balls, and mastering
the art of inhale-exhale burping. Plot twist: Jordan is actually
a 20-year-old girl - but with a
questionable taste in vines and
obsession with early 2000’s movies
like Agent Cody Banks and the
Incredibles. This junior Civil Engineering major (and Sustainability
minor) from St. Louis can usually
be found doing homework in Coffee House, napping in her kingsized mega bed, or playing literally
any intramural sport that Rice
offers. Seriously, she plays soccer,
basketball, volleyball, powderpuff, floor hockey… the list could
go on. If you want to strike up a
conversation with Jordan during
O-Week, good conversation topics
include: the importance of getting
eight hours of sleep a night (every
night), why being a vegetarian
is cool, her crazy stories about
growing up with four siblings, and
literally any reference to any vine
that you’ve ever seen - trust me,
she has seen it too. All jokes aside,
Jordan will be a hilarious and
fantastic Advisor.
Laura Keehan
(Duncan 2018)
Steve Booker, 2018
If you happen to see a half naked
guy running around campus in
the early hours of the morning,
don’t call RUPD. It’s probably just
your advisor, Steve Booker. No, he
is not training for Baker 13 or the
next Beer Run; Steve is a member
of Rice’s cross-country team. He is
also a fierce competitor in “What
are the Odds,” Settlers of Catan,
and KanJam. Steve is a Junior
at Lovett College majoring in
Mathematical Economic Analysis
and calls Albany, New York his
home. His friends know him by his
mixture of dull jokes and not-sopunny puns that always make you
laugh, even though you really don’t
want to. Still, the best part about
Steve is that you can always turn to
him when you need something. He
is a true friend, and I am confident
that, as an Advisor, he will go the
distance for you.
Rachel Peterson
(Will Rice 2018)
Manlin Yao, 2018
Manlin Yao is easily the most indecisive person you will ever meet.
Although this native Houstonian
excels as a Cognitive Science major
with a minor in Poverty, Justice,
and Human Capability, she’s
switched her major about 50 times
over the past 2 years. Rumor says
that Manlin speaks 4 languages
because she couldn’t decide on just
one. Due to her crippling indecisiveness, Manlin spends most of
her day thinking about whether
or not she should go to class and
whether or not she should touch
up her makeup. Two attributes
about Manlin you can always be
certain of is her everlasting love
for Zayn Malik (but not the rest
of One Direction) and her need to
get 8 hours of sleep every night.
When Manlin isn’t sleeping, she
likes to spend her time reading up
on current events, taking BuzzFeed quizzes, and pretending to
do work in the commons. For real
though, Manlin is a great friend,
always there if you need someone
to talk to, and has an endless supply of ramen and Easy Mac. Get
ready for a Level 10 swag O-Week!
Darren Corprew
(Duncan 2018)
10
Runnin Thru the 6 with My Glos
Will Bower, 2018
Rebecca Lee, 2019
Claudia Xian, 2019
Bridget Youngs, 2018
Hailing all the way from the great
city of New Orleans, this Louisiana gentleman is the definition
of Southern comfort. When he
isn’t killing it on the field with
Rice’s Club Baseball team, you can
almost definitely find him in his
room playing an intense game of
Counter Strike or Rocket League.
If you walk to his room and hear
yelling, worry not because it is
just him getting excited due to a
perfectly level competitive spirit.
However, Will’s excitement is not
simply limited to video games and
sports. Everytime Will’s incredibly
good looking roommate, Bradley
Hamilton, walks into the room, he
is promptly greeted with a genuine
and passionate “Hey babe” making
even the worst of days a day that
you will smile. He will always be
there, he will sometimes be fair, but
he will never be square. Because
that’s who William Bower is: the
easily excitable, super athletic,
Powderpuff Coaching Duncaroo
everyone wishes they had as an
Advisor.
GET READY DUNCAROOS, it’s
power hour every hour with the
one and only Will Bower!
Start with an intelligent, beautiful,
and amazingly outgoing person,
then add in some crazy mad
cooking skills, a singing sensation, and a powderpuff/tennis/
golf allstar… aaand VOI-LA! You
get the one and only Rebecca
Lee! Known to us as Becca, this
sophomore Computer Science and
Electrical Engineering Major from
Plano, Texas is also pursuing the
Rice Certificate in Engineering
Leadership, so needless to say, she’s
crazy smart and we all want to be
her. If anyone could defy gravity,
it would be Becca. When she’s not
busy working at the OEDK or finishing a Computer Science project
in the commons, you can find
Becca sipping on boba, watching a
terrifying horror movie, or making
mac n’ cheese and cookies for people getting out of the physics final
(did we mention she’s the nicest
person ever?). Often, a wild Becca
can be spotted penny-boarding
around campus or hanging out
in the Game Room playing pool.
Also, she has the best bean bag, so
basically if you’re in her O-Week
group, you will have the best naps
ever. All in all, Becca is a truly incredible human being whose smile
will make each day a little warmer
and your O-Week a lot brighter.
Classical nocturnes by day, hip
hop by night, Claudia’s super
sweet taste in music is just one of
the first things you’ll notice about
this amazing chica. This girl’s got
hipster vibes and is a perfectionist
of the cat eye, not to mention has
the sweetest smile that’s impossible to miss on the first day of
O-Week. You can for sure find this
harp-playing, piano-playing, dancing queen zumba-ing to her heart’s
content every Wednesday night, or
talking about how fat her cat back
home has gotten. Among the many
other cool things, she’s also Canadian (eh?) and low-key represents
her pride with a little flag pin (but
perhaps not that low-key because
we noticed). However, Claudia
is definitely a chill Austin girl at
heart.This psychology premed’s
got the heart of your typical soccer
mom (as you will see when she
drives you around in her minivan),
and the exterior of a southern
belle (seriously though, her outfits
are always impeccable). Though
this well-dressed soccer mom
won’t have every new Duncaroo
in her O-Week group, if she has
you, you’ll have the best O-Week
imaginable.
You’re trekking through the forest
on the way to the first day of
O-Week when you hear a growl
behind you. It sounds fierce but
have no fear! It’s just your cuddly
advisor, Bridget “Bridgie Bear”
Youngs! When this bubbly blonde
from San Antonio isn’t watching the Spurs or stalking Kawhi
Leonard, you can probably find
her reading, running, or rocking out in the kitchen cooking
something amazing. Even though
she’s off-campus, her door is
always open for a friend in need.
Plus, she’ll always be at Duncan,
wanting to spend time with her
amazing O-Week group! Although
she is from Jones, this Co-Advisor
will mesh her always winning
ways with the DuncLove spirit to
be one of the best mentors and
friends you could ask for. So don’t
run in fear when you hear the wild
Bridgie Bear growl, she’ll just want
to give you a hug! Get ready for
an amazing O-Week and first year
with this junior as your Advisor.
And don’t forget to ask to meet
her trusty companion, Penny. You
won’t be disappointed.
Bradley Hamilton
(Duncan 2018)
Claire Casey & Neha Goel
(Duncan 2019)
Neha Amaravadi & Juliana Wu
(Duncan 2019)
David Nichol (Brown 2015) &
Gloria Palermo (Martel 2016)
11
To Infinity and Neon
Darren Corprew, 2018
Lucy Fox, 2019
Javier Lehtinen, 2019
Erika Schumacher, 2019
Darren Corprew is the human
embodiment of his hometown
Tokyo - diverse, multilingual, fast,
and of course, #swag. However,
unlike Tokyo, Darren is definitely
not ahead of the latest trends and
events in pop culture, nor is he
in touch with modern astronomy
(“Jupiter is larger than the sun.”
- Darren, c. 2015) or the modern
American political structure (“The
mayor governs the state right?”,
c. 2015). Still, this Junior, pre-art,
Chemical Engineer must really
be intelligent since he’s stuck
around 'til now. Darren definitely
will not teach you about chemical
engineering, but he’s able to recite
the entire Psychology 101 textbook
which he never even bought for
the class. Whether he’s just chilling
or avoiding having to study, you’ll
find Darren in the commons until
4AM on some nights, or you’ll
spot his backpack next to 10 apples
and 5 cartons of milk because
#gainz. Even though he might
seem like he’s all muscle, Darren is
all about vibes. He loves feel-good
music and having a good time.
Get ready for a “Level 10 swag”
O-Week with Darren!
Congratulations - Lucy is your
Co-Advisor! Hailing from Palo
Alto, California, this Sophomore
Comp Sci major is Silicon Valley
approved, and she’s as fun as they
come. Her tremendous love of
fresh food makes her a servery-hacks master, and her bubbly,
smart sarcasm makes her the
perfect dinnertime conversationalist. Catch her on the field, though,
and she’s pretty tough. Honoring
her half-Irish heritage, Lucy joined
Women’s Rugby team last fall, and
also became an asset to the powderpuff team of her home college,
Wiess. Join her for a run, or lift
with her at the Rec, and you’ll find
she’s the perfect workout buddy.
Wanna meet lots of cool people
around campus? Look no further
than Lucy. Her roots are at Wiess,
her heart is at Duncan, and this
semester, her room is at Jones. As
you’ll soon find, there are tons
of friendly people at Rice, and
Lucy is especially well-equipped
to help you meet them. If you’re
intimidated by her impressive level
of cool, worry not; Lucy is sweet,
caring, and so thoughtful. Quite
frankly, she’s the best friend in the
world. Get excited for a marvelous
O-Week with Lucy by your side!
Javier Lehtinen may be quiet at
first, but once you get to know
him, he becomes an arsenal of
one-liners and well-placed quips.
In fact, everything he says seems to
be meaningful, so every conversation with Javier is guaranteed to
be a good one. Accompanying his
unconventional wisdom is his unconventional sense of humor and
his unconventional dance moves
(be sure to ask him to demonstrate
the “fork in the garbage disposal”
sometime during O-Week). This
Sophomore Mechanical Engineer
is locally sourced, having been
raised right here in Houston. He
enjoys playing recreational tennis
and also sailing with the Rice Club
Sailing Team. Javier is currently
on a service trip in Guatemala as I
write this, showing his kind heart
and his sense of adventure. This
gentle soul is humble and always
calm, in case you’re stressing out
and need somebody to bring you
back down to earth. He’s always
willing to do math homework
with you until 3AM the day before
it’s due, making it a little more
bearable. I could say more, but
his likeable personality speaks for
itself - be sure to get to know Javier
during O-Week!
Erika Schumacher, born and
raised in Atlanta, Georgia, is a
feisty but easy-going sophomore
Dunacroo with a passion for
coffee, board games, and books.
You should probably wait for
her to have a cup of coffee in the
morning before trying to talk to
her, or you may end up on the
receiving end of some mild sass.
Majoring in English and at least
one other unknown major, Erika
would rather stay in school than
face the big scary world of adult
life. As a young novelist, she loves
writing intense story lines, and has
recently devoted her time to being
an awesome Game Master for a
Pathfinder campaign. When she
is not working or writing, you can
often find her in the Green Room
hanging out with friends, where
she may try to convert your music
tastes to exclusively J-Pop and
movie soundtracks. As the current
head of two Duncan committees
(New Student Committee and
Associate’s Committee), Erika is
deeply involved in Duncan life
and loves to help those around
her. As a Peer Academic Advisor,
she’s devoted to taking time out of
her day to talk with anyone about
academics or life plans or really
anything.
Manlin Yao
(Duncan 2018)
Hannah Campo (Wiess 2019) &
Kaelan Cuozzo (Sid 2019)
Sophie D’Amico
(Duncan 2019)
Aaron Shaw
(Duncan 2019)
12
Ultralight Team
Chinonso Ukeje, 2017
Alberto Maldanado, 2018
Alexa Rangel, 2017
Anthony Charletta, 2019
Born in London, UK, raised in
Skokie, IL, and now living in New
Brunswick, NJ, Chinonso Ukeje
requires many commas in this
first sentence. Her friends forgive
her for being a Senior premed
majoring in Biochemistry, and try
their best to drag her out of the
library - not always successfully.
But don’t be scared by her quiet
nature or strange catch phrases,
she’s truly an amazing person
once you get to know her. Few
people genuinely care for others
like Chinonso does. She randomly
brings you cookies, sticks a bunch
of encouraging post-it notes on
the door before your midterms,
and accompanies you to get boba.
You are in wonderful hands having
Chinonso as one of your Advisors,
and there could be no better way
to start your years at Rice.
José Alberto Maldonado is a caring
young man. With family roots in
Monterrey, Mexico, this Lovett Junior from Honey Grove, TX takes
care of Rice’s Hispanic students as
co-president of Rice’s Hispanic cultural club. He cares for his fellow
First-Generation college students
as President of Generation College.
He watches out for all students, in
sickness and in health, as a Rice
Health Advisor. He cares for our
world as a Civil and Environmental Engineering Major, a water
treatment researcher, and a Global
Medical Brigades participant. Last
but certainly not least, Alberto
takes care of his many friends
throughout Rice. Need an extra
ear to hear you out? Alberto’s your
guy. Even with his busy schedule,
he never neglects his relationships
and is always willing to celebrate
your highest highs and give advice
on your lowest lows, and will cheer
you on for everything else in between. Alberto already has a long
list of friends and family, but we
know he’s more than willing to add
you to it. So get pumped to find a
great Advisor and companion, in
our dear friend Bert.
Children that are too intelligent
for their age are called child
prodigies. Adults that are too kind
for their age are called naive. But
what do you call someone who’s
sharper AND more compassionate
than their peers? Alexa Rangel.
This lovable ball of joy is more
put-together than your Aunt
Tabatha, sweeter than your Nana,
cuter than your dog, and probably a lot smarter than you think.
Yes, of course, she knows the ins
and outs of Biochemistry and can
tell you off in Spanish, but she
will also sit through hours of life
stories that your friends are tired
of hearing and will never complain
(though she might get hungry).
Your dainty Advisor has a big
heart that will suck you in like a
(non-threatening) black hole. This
senior Biochemistry major from
San Antonio is going to love you
unconditionally, so get ready for
an unshakably faithful companion
to join you on all your adventures.
I’m from Chicago, Illinois and
I am a sophomore majoring in
mechanical engineering! Singing is
one of my greatest passions. I sing
for the Rice Philharmonics, which
is the oldest of Rice’s awesome a
cappella groups (shameless plug).
I’m a nerd at heart and love to play
video games and talk about nerdy
stuff like Game of Thrones or Star
Wars. I used to run Cross Country
and Track and play Volleyball in
high school. Since I’m no longer
an athlete, I try to stay active,
exercise and eat a healthy diet,
since I’m getting old and need to
start thinking about my health. A
few quick fun facts about me (as of
writing this): I still do not have my
driver’s license since Chicago has a
nice public transportation system
and because it’s much easier and
more fun to just be irresponsible
and mooch off of others for rides.
I have a rottweiler named, Zeus,
who is the sweetest dog ever and
attention-dependent. I live two
blocks from the President of the
United States. And last, but not
least, I’ve never held a baby.
Cassie Wang
(Duncan 2017)
Hector Picon & Amy Tao
(Lovett 2018)
Vera Ranneft
(Duncan 2017)
Abril Brugo
(Lovett 2018)
13
Wingardium Leviglosa
Edward Gao, 2018
Sunny Liu, 2019
Iris Gau, 2019
Avery Zaleski, 2017
He’s known as a man’s man. A
champion. A winner. His name
is Edward Gao, and not only will
you be titillated by his magnificent biceps, but you will also fall
in love with his more reflective,
sensitive side: a side that revolves
around EDM, little baby puppies,
and warm Reuben sandwiches.
Hailing from Katy, Texas, Edward
appreciates long squats on the
beach, squats in the gym, and
squats pretty much anywhere as
long as he’s wearing tight pants.
His dream is to flex and rip a shirt
while DJ-ing. Between time at the
gym or DJ-ing a Rice public party,
this Jones junior is also a Chemical
Engineering major and Business
minor, using his knowledge as a
teaching assistant and a research
lead. Edward is ridiculously excited to meet you and will do anything in his power (I mean, look
at those powerful arms!) to ensure
that you have the best experience
at Duncan and at Rice!
Hailing from the beaches of SoCal,
Sunny’s sure to brighten up your
day, whether she’s stocking up on
organic greens to make her next
smoothie or watering her cacti.
Sunny’s always around to talk to
you about the latest book she’s
been reading (they usually have
some deep message), her abiding
love for Kit Kats, Ferrero Rochers,
and yogurt (second to her love
for her own O-Week Advisors),
or the açai bowl she had over the
weekend. Whenever you feel the
need to read some original poetry,
Sunny is the one to go to. Chances
are you’ll probably catch this avid
environment lover coming back
from Coffeehouse or walking out
of Ms. Woods’s office wishing her
dog, Diamond, came in the mail.
She’s the one who always knows
the right thing to say whenever
you need someone to talk to, so if
you’re lucky enough to have her as
your advisor, you’ll be sure to have
an incredible O-Week. PSA: If
you want to get on her good side,
remember that her plants’ names
are Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern (that’s for you, Mortal Instruments fans), Simon, and Thor.
Imagine yourself in a quiet room.
You hear a faint noise coming
from outside that almost sounds
like a nasally dying cat. You
decide to step outside to investigate this mysterious noise. To
your amazement, the noise is
actually the infamous laugh of a
girl who is cheese-grating on a
pennyboard, wearing a backpack
that’s practically bigger than her,
taking snapchats of fat squirrels,
and talking about how much she
loves eating cheese. That’s our Iris
Gau. This Sophomore Computer
Scientist hails from the warm and
friendly town of Santa Barbara,
CA. You can find her on all nights
of the week in the commons till
4 AM with her computer science
crew coding her life away. If you
are ever in need of late night
ramen or a funny YouTube video
to watch, Iris is your hookup (I
am pretty sure she also has a
database of fuzzy animal pictures
on her laptop). With a friendly
smile and welcoming arms, Iris is
the ultimate Advisor. Don’t ever
hesitate to ask Iris for help because
she will always be there for you.
Look forward to an amazing year.
If you’re looking for the person
that has the most detailed knowledge on Harry Potter, look no further, because you have found him.
Half man, half animal, half legend,
the brainy Nebraska native and
puzzle enthusiast is embarking on
his Senior year studying Civil and
Environmental Engineering with
a minor in Sustainability. If you do
not see him diving for frisbees for
Rice’s Ultimate Frisbee team Cloud
9, then you will see him saving our
environment in the Environmental
Club. When he is not in either of
those places, you can find him
camping in the woods or climbing
up walls like a fierce mountain
lion. If you see Avery Zaleski in
the flesh, be sure to challenge him
in a game of chess if you dare,
but be warned you may play all
knight…
Robert Williamson
(Jones 2019)
Juliana Wu & Neha Amaravadi
(Duncan 2019)
Teju Manchenella
(Duncan 2019)
Josh Thomas
(Duncan 2017)
14
You Glo Glen CoCo
Isabel Alison, 2018
Jason Barton, 2019
Nifemi Adebara, 2018
Tejas Kumar, 2019
Don’t be fooled by his Bieber
locks, Sophomore Jason Barton is
the original JB (at least, he claims
he had the hairstyle before Justin
Bieber became famous). Hailing
from the faraway land of Dallas,
Texas, you can often find him
flying around the country engaged
in passionate debate as part of the
Rice Debate Team. When on campus, this giant makes the maximal
use of his towering height on the
basketball court by shooting only
3-point shots. Off the court, you
might engage in deep philosophical discussions about the meaning of life or the psychology of
people. Don’t worry, this double
major definitely has a good set
of ears underneath all that hair.
He has a great taste in music
and a knack for putting together
playlists, especially since he has
zero musical background. He will
also be that friendly ear to listen
to your problems or just some
random conversations you might
have. I can assure you by the end
of O-Week, Jason will make sure
you had a blast, are more cultured,
and maybe you might even see his
prized Justice League pillow.
Meet Oluwanifemi Adebara,
whose name translated in English
means, “God loves me.” In case
you didn’t know, by the time you
get to know Nifemi, you’ll love
her, too. As the only international undergraduate from Nigeria,
Nifemi is not your average girl.
Kudos to you for not just landing
yourself an unbelievably fetch
Advisor but, more importantly,
an amazing friend here at Rice.
Nifemi might seem quiet at first
but please do not be fooled. Her
emotional intelligence is a 99.99%,
which makes her very good with
people. Need to know if that guy/
girl is truly into you? Roommate
troubles? She’s your girl. Bottom
line is, Nifemi will keep it real
with you. Besides from being the
realest, Nifemi spends her time
eating french fries and oranges
from the servery, taking naps, and
spending time with friends. On
top of casually dominating her
academics, you’ll see Nifemi involved as a bomb Treasurer for the
Rice African Student Association,
a dedicated member of the Baptist
Student Ministry, a Duncan Academic Fellow and a Peer Guide.
Translation: she’s got culture, she’s
got faith, she’s got brains, and she’ll
show you the way. What’s not to
like?
Blessing Falade
(Baker 2017)
Meet Tejas Kumar. He hails from
the faraway land of Sugarland, TX.
He is 60% sass, 40% caffeine, and
100% the most aesthetic person
at Rice. Tejas is a Biochemistry
and Visual and Dramatic Arts
double-major, as well as a premed.
Organic Chemistry is somewhat
of a second language to him, so if
you need help with that, you know
who to talk to. He claims to not be
that social, but don’t let him fool
you. No matter where on campus
we go, he seems to know someone.
Ironically, he is one of Sid’s official
Social Committee heads and can
throw an amazing party! Get
hyped for Sid 80s! Nevertheless,
behind all those layers of sassy
remarks is an amazing person
who will definitely help make your
O-Week and the rest of your time
at Rice a wonderful experience.
Please clap.
Isabel Alison. She is the epitome of
the phrase “work hard, play hard”.
While this Chemical Engineer
spends all-nighters during the
week completing problem sets,
it does not stop her from also
never sleeping on the weekends.
She then proceeds to tell you that
“She’s tired y’all,” as if we should
be surprised. Originally from Indonesia, she spent most of her life
in Spring, Texas, before taking her
“talents” to Rice University. Some
of her talents include the following: taking on every leadership
position known to mankind then
complaining about her workload
as she applies for another position,
showing up late to class with a
cup of cereal, and being indecisive
about everything. Despite her indecisiveness that stifles her ability
to pick out food at the servery,
Isabel leads NICA I Engineers
Without Borders and serve as Vice
President of Duncan College. It is
important to note that this CHBE
(Chemical Engineer) is not a chubby CHBE. She ran a half-marathon
and is a regular gym dweller. But
don’t worry! Isabel is an extremely
fun and well accomplished Duncaroo who will make sure that all of
y’all get the most out of your Rice
experience.
Jacob Barrios
(Sid 2019)
Jacob Behling & Darren Corprew
(Duncan 2018)
15
Kevin Zhang
(Duncan 2019)
The Phloatons
Student Director PAA
Sydney Vigran, 2017
Student Director
Diversity Facilitator
Gabriela Balicas, 2017
Student Maintenance Rep
Nick Leisle, 2018
Did you know that Indiana has traditionally
produced the most professional basketball
players per capita? Did you know that Lincoln
authorized the creation of the Secret Service
on the day he was assassinated? I didn’t either,
but Sydney did. Along with her impressive
knowledge of sports, history, and sports history,
this History (go figure) and Political Science
major also knows A LOT about academics here
at Rice. Which makes sense, since she’s the
Student Director of Peer Academic Advising.
Though an Indianapolis native, Sydney has
travelled the world, working in France and
studying in Brazil, India, South Africa, and
Turkey all in past year! Back stateside, she can
be spotted doing research on women in Latin
America for the Political Science Department
or studying Portuguese (she’s learning it to supplement the three languages she already knows,
no big deal). She may be busy, but she still
takes time out for the important things in life:
rooting for the Bengals, Netflix documentaries,
and Bruce Springsteen. Seriously though, you
got lucky here, my friend. Sometimes sassy but
always caring, Sydney’s a great person to talk to
about anything. Whether you want her honest
opinion or just an interesting conversation, you
won’t be disappointed.
Gabriela (Gabi) is a Senior Kinesiology major
and one of the campus-wide coordinators for
the Diversity Facilitators. Hit up this Venezuelan if you want to talk about anything at any
time of day (Late night talks are her specialty.).
She loves to talk about topics ranging from
cultural differences to candy. The diversity of
topics extends to gym stuff. She lifts weights
and is in love with crossfit. She will teach you
what proper squat form is (and for those less
educated on the world of sportz like me, what
a squat is) and will help you navigate the scary
world that is the weight room at the Rec. Don’t
worry if the gym is not your thing, because she
also loves food! She can show you the coolest restaurants and loves to cook for people.
Finally, Gabi likes to travel and has been all
over the country and world. She is in Bolivia
this summer working with a nutrition program
to tackle childhood malnutrition in the country
through the Lowenstern Fellowship. If you
ever feel blabby, crabby, or flabby, don’t worry,
you’ve got Gabi!
Do you like really, and I mean really bad dad
jokes? If yes, you’ll love Nick; if no, you’ll
still love him because there isn’t a nicer guy
at Duncan. His smile and can-do attitude
are so ridiculously contagious, it’s literally
impossible to be in a bad mood if you’re
around him (trust me, I’ve been trying for
the past two years). Nick is a Junior Mechanical Engineering major, but even if you have
anthropology homework, he’d still be down to
help you with it. As the Student Maintenance
Representative, he can help you fix your
room, but he can also fix you killer milkshakes and organize a dope camping adventure. Nick loves to play ultimate frisbee and
is always down to toss the disc. Also, if you
like classic rock or metal, he would 1000% be
down to listen and talk about music all day
with you. Basically, even though you haven’t
met Nick yet, he’s already your best friend
and can’t wait to help you with the transition
to college during O-Week and beyond.
Mehek Gagneja
(Duncan 2017)
Nikitha Cherayil
(Martel 2017)
Pablo Luna & Evan Flack
(Duncan 2018)
16
GLO-Week
TIME TO SHINE
Duncan
17
GLO-Week
TIME TO SHINE
Our history and spirit, sports, government, and more!
18
Welcome from Duncan’s President
HEY DUNCAN!!
Congratulations, matriculating Class of 2016, on being selected to
join the newest, biggest, and best residential college at Rice University. My
name is David Doucet, and I’ll be serving as your Duncan president for this
next year. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to this great community which
will serve as your home here in Houston during your time at Rice.
First, a little info about me: I am a senior majoring in Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering with a minor in Business. I was born and raised
in Beaumont, Texas, home of the world’s largest working fire hydrant. Here
at Rice, along with being Duncan President, I am a member of the Catholic
Student Association and Nocturnal, one of the student a capella groups we
have on campus (if you’re a cool person who likes to sing with other cool
people you should definitely audition in the fall!).
But, that’s enough about me; you’re reading this book to find out more about Duncan and to get an
idea of what to expect for your first year at Rice. Duncan is where you will be when you first feel homesick; it
is where you will struggle through your first round of midterm exams, and it is where you will feel challenged
like never before. However, Duncan is also where you will make your first friends at Rice, where you will
nurture those relationships as you struggle and learn together, and where you will develop bonds that will last
a lifetime. Neither I nor anyone else could adequately describe what you will learn or how you will grow over
this coming year, but what I can guarantee is that you are entering a community that will provide you with
innumerous opportunities and the support you need to pursue your passions, wherever they may lie.
With that, all I have left to say is welcome! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer, and I can’t wait
to meet you when you get here in August.
DuncLove,
David Doucet
Support Team
If you’re new to the residential
college system, you may be surprised
to see these random grown-ups walking around and living in and around
Duncan. So who are these adults?
Masters
A tenured professor and his or her
family take on this position and live
in a house adjacent to the residential
college. As a representative of the
college, they often interface with other
departments around Rice on behalf of
Duncan. Masters also help promote
a variety of cultural and intellectual
interests among the students and aim
to help young professionals grow as
leaders.
Head Resident Fellows
(HRFs)
With Duncan’s large number of
students, Rice decided that HRFs
would be needed in addition to RAs.
19
They live on the first floor of Duncan
in the HRF apartment. HRFs have
O-Week follow-up activities, and are
here specifically to assist with new students’ transition to Duncan. They will
also host study breaks, cookouts, and
cultural-intellectual activities.
Resident Associates (RAs)
The RAs are faculty and staff who
live among the college students at
Duncan. Even though they are considered authority figures by the administration, they are very friendly and are
happy to help you. RAs are not here to
make sure you do your homework or
go to bed on time, but instead they are
another part of the Duncan support
system. With study breaks and games,
the RAs put forth a lot of effort into
making sure you feel welcome and
comfortable in your new home.
College Coordinator
The College Coordinator handles all
the mailing of the college. This means
if you ever get boxes or a letter from
home, it will be in your personal mailbox inside of the College Coordinator’s
office. She is very heavily involved in
the rooming process as well and is
in charge of keeping all the keys in
order. If you lose your key, she may be
disappointed, but she will never stop
loving you.
Associates
Associates are Duncan-affiliatd
adults that live in the Houston community away from Rice. They provide
invaluable resources for cultural engagement, job connection, networking,
and fun. There is a good chance that
an Associate of Duncan will be your
professor in one of your classes or a
boss for a job.
Masters
Greetings from Caleb and Brandy
Welcome, Duncaroos! The McDaniel family is excited to meet you! Having lived at
Duncan since 2012, first as Head Resident Fellows and now in our second year as College
Masters, we view Duncan as our home. We look forward to making you feel at home,
too. As College Masters you can expect to see us around regularly in the Commons, at
Forum, and at special events in the Masters House. In addition to serving as official representatives of the college at the University level, a large part of our job is to get to know
students and to serve as mentors, sounding boards, and resources, so don’t be shy. We’d
love to meet you, learn about your interests, and support your initiatives!
Brandy and Caleb are both natives of Texas (she’s from Pearland, just south of Houston;
he’s from San Antonio). We married in 2000 and moved the following year to Baltimore,
Maryland where Caleb completed his Ph.D. in history and Brandy received her Masters
in Teaching, both from Johns Hopkins University. In 2006, we moved to Colorado,
where Caleb taught for two years at the University of Denver, but we got to Rice as quickly as we could and moved here in 2008. We hope to share with you some of the great
things Houston and Texas have to offer “outside the hedges” of Rice’s campus.
Caleb is an associate professor in the Department of History and teaches courses on
nineteenth- and twentieth-century American history. His particular research interests
are in the history of slavery and abolition, the American Civil War, and digital history.
He likes to listen to jazz, hear live music, drink coffee, discover good restaurants, and
play basketball or golf. He also likes computer programming and is often geeking out at
the “command line” in his spare time.
Brandy is a former high school American and world history teacher and now shares her
pedagogical knowledge to co-teach the COLL 300 course with the Center for Teaching
Excellence. She also coordinates the volunteers for the kids’ school library. In her free
time, Brandy enjoys listening to music that is NOT jazz, reading, walking the outer loop,
watching Rice baseball from the hill, and pinning new popcorn recipes to try for study
breaks.
Our two kids, Ellery and Carter, are also looking forward to meeting you. Ellery is nine
and a fourth-grader in a Dual Language Spanish Immersion program. She’s a total bookworm but also enjoys coding and playing outside. Carter is a super social five-year-old
who loves to hand out good luck stickers to the students at exam time. He’ll be starting
kindergarten in the same Spanish program this fall. Both kids love Duncan and you’ll
see them around at meals in the quad. We also have a cat Shea who looks forward to
ignoring you.
Congratulations on being selected to join Duncan. Stop by and say hi!
We look forward to a great year,
Caleb & Brandy
20
Head Resident Fellows
Greetings from Jenifer and Noe
Hi Duncaroos!
We are looking forward to our second year as Head Resident Fellows for Duncan College. We have lived in Houston for nearly 15 years and met at the University of Texas in
1998, fell in love and moved to Philadelphia. We married in 2002, after Jenifer started
teaching at the University of Houston. In 2006, Jenifer started teaching in Rice's Sociology Deparment, where she's been teaching ever since. She is a transplant from New York,
born and raised in Brooklyn. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Penn State University, and an M.A. and Ph.D in Sociology at the University of Texas.
Noe is a native Texan and grew up in Pearland, just south of Houston. He received a B.A.
in Psychology from the University of Texas and an M.A. in Sociology from the Universtiy
of Houston. He works as an independent research consultant in the areas of education
and health.
We share a lot of interests. He likes cooking, gardening, and fixing up old houses (including their own, which was built in the 1920’s in the Eastwood neighborhood of Houston).
Jenifer likes movies, especially documentaries, enjoying Noe’s cooking, museums, music
and art. We also have two sons, Ricardo and Sam. Ricardo is 11 and is probabaly the
world's biggest fan of American Ninja Warrior. When he's not climbing trees or running,
he's creating origami- please ask him about it, he loves to share his work!
Sam just turned 6 in July and loves meeting new people, especially in the commons so we
hope you like to chat while getting meals. He also loves listening to music, dancing, and
puppies - and Power Rangers and Pokemon! The boys will be startgin 6th and 1st grades
this fall. They have enjoyed living here at Duncan and look forward to getting to know
you all!
We look forward to a great year,
Jenifer and Noe
21
Resident Associates
Greetings from Bojan and Maggie
Hello Duncaroos!
Entering our 3rd year as RAs, we’re thrilled about the opportunity to meet you all. After
all, this is the best part of being an RA – to be able to make connections with amazing
people like yourselves, to share experiences, influence lives and hopefully grow as individuals in the process. We think you’ll soon discover that we’re both very social and love
having friends around.
We both grew up in Poland, and that’s also where we met. After a few months of living
on different continents (Bojan was already living in Michigan), we agreed that we should
not be oceans apart and decided to live together in the US and pursue our passions here.
Bojan is the Assistant Coach for the Rice Men’s Tennis Team. As a matter of fact, most of
his life revolves around tennis and athletics as he’s played tennis competitively since he
was 7, and still competes on a semiprofessional club tour in Germany during the summers. After graduating from Texas Tech University with a degree in Personal Financial
Planning, he decided to stick with his passion and traveled around the world on a tennis
pro tour for a couple of years. The next step was a coaching position at Western Michigan University where he also earned his MBA degree. But when the opportunity came
to move to Houston and coach for the mighty Owls, no time was wasted to make the
decision.
Maggie has a Master’s degree in Public Administration but her true passion and talents
always lay in arts and design. After a couple of years of office work, she has decided to
pursue a career in what she loves, has completed a degree in Interior Design, and now
works as a designer in Houston.
We’re excited to have you over and share some food, drinks and things we enjoy. If it’s a
Sunday, you can be sure there will be some football action on a big screen (Bojan claims
to be the biggest American football fan from Europe). And if you enjoy design, fashion,
and style, you won’t be disappointed either as this is Maggie’s kingdom. Most importantly
though, you can always count on a real conversation and an honest opinion – we value
sincerity and openness above all.
We look forward to a great year,
Bojan and Maggie
22
Resident Associates
Greetings from Rich and Lauren
Welcome to Duncan!
We are Rich and Lauren Spain, RA’s who proudly live on the 3rd floor. This will be
our first full year as RA’s at Duncan and we could not be more excited! Rich went to
ECU for undergrad where he ran track, then to VCU for grad school while working
at U.V.A. He came to Rice 3 years ago and works as a development officer in the Annual Fund. Lauren went to A&M where she was involved in numerous service and
leadership organizations. She currently teaches 10th grade English at Jersey Village
High School in Cypress. In our free time we love to exercise, try new restaurants,
and spend time with our fur baby, Elaine, a 5-year-old Schnoodle. We can’t wait to
meet y’all so please feel free to stop by our lounge anytime!
Welcome,
Rich & Lauren
College Coordinator
I’m Ms. Woods, the College Coordinator for Duncan. I am excited about our new
adventure together, and I welcome the opportunity for everyone in our college to
share in this amazing journey! I look forward to meeting and developing a lasting
relationship with all who pass through Duncan College.
I have worked at Rice for ten years. Prior to coming here, I had the privilege of
working in public education with students, young adults, and professional educators. I am a proud mother of two and grandmother of three.
While here at Duncan, my desire is that each of you pursue your dreams, both
academically and socially. There is no limit to one’s personal success. Believe in
yourself, respect yourself and take the time to learn from others. With each day
that passes, there is an opportunity to gain wisdom from someone or something.
Welcome to the Duncan Family,
Ms. Woods
23
History of Duncan
Founding
In 2007, Charles William Duncan Jr.,
and his wife, Anne Smith Duncan, had
just celebrated their fiftieth wedding
anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan
have always been strong supporters of
Rice, as Mr. Duncan serving as chairman of the Rice Board of Governors
(now known as the Board of Trustees)
and Mrs. Duncan as an active supporter of the Sheperd School of Music. As
part of Rice’s “Vision for the Second
Century” the student body of the
university was set to increase 30%, as
part of this initiative, more housing
was needed. And so, in October 2007,
Anne and Charles Duncan donated
$30 million to establish Duncan College, Rice’s eleventh residential college. The Duncans have a passion for
environmental sustainability (partially
stemming from Mr. Duncan’s position
as Secretary of Energy under Jimmy
Carter), which is the motivation for
our status as one of the first buildings
in Houston to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design) Gold certification.
First Class
Duncan College opened its doors in
2009 to its first matriculating class of
79 students. Seventy-nine students is
not enough to fill all 324 beds available
at the college, so luckily Baker College (Rice’s first residential college),
was in need of renovations and for
the 2009-2010 school year, Bakerites
lived in Duncan with the first Duncan
class. The two colleges were collectively referred to as “BaDunc,” and Baker
and Duncan have been sister colleges
ever since. The large class of Bakerites,
along with a series of campus ambassadors from other colleges, provided the
initial direction and infrastructure for
a young college. Our experience with
the leadership styles of other colleges
led to the setup of our government,
Forum. In this same year, Duncan
threw its first public party, “Sensation:
The Whiteout,” based off of a series of
events in Europe and South America, emphasizing dancing and techno
(which remains a campus highlight to
this day).
Somos Equipos,
Somos Familia
This first year of Duncan also
inspired the phrase “Somos Equipos,
Somos Familia” (Spanish for “We are
a team, we are a family”), the official
Duncan motto. In Duncan’s first Beer
Bike race, tragedy struck as one of
Duncan’s bikers crashed during the
race; Duncan College immediately forgot about the race and rallied to help
the fallen biker. After the race, Luis,
our first College Master, sent an email
to the college lauding the positive
community attributes shown that day,
ending the email with ‘Somos equipo,
somos familia’, beginning the idea that
Duncan. At Duncan you will undoubtedly hear the phrase: “DuncLove” used
to embody this concept, as well as the
social media friendly (#SESF). The Latin rendering of Luis’ words (“Classis et
Germanitas”) is currently immortalized on the Duncan College Crest.
Maturing
August 2010 marked Duncan’s
second year as a college, and its first
year independent of Baker. As by then
only two classes had matriculated to
Duncan, there would have been a void
of juniors and seniors, had there not
been transfers. The previous semester,
involved students at other colleges
around campus were sent invitations to
transfer to Duncan and help develop it
into what it is today. So, Duncan welcomed juniors and seniors from other
colleges at Rice.
The official Duncan dedication
took place November 19, 2010 in the
Duncan quad. Anne and Charles
Duncan, President Leebron, Dean of
Undergraduates John Hutchinson,
Duncan Masters Luis Duno-Gottberg
and Marnie Hylton, and then Duncan President Amber Makhani gave
speeches about how far Duncan had
come, what it would soon do, what this
meant for the university, etc. November 19th is now regarded as Duncan’s
birthday, “Duncan Day,” and the week
leading up to it “Duncan Week.”
Now
Because of Duncan’s position as a
young college, our history is developing everyday. We expect that you, the
new class of Duncaroos, will be active
contributors to the Duncan family,
somos equipos, somos familia.
24
The Duncans
Sensation: the Whiteout
Master Support
25
Dedication
The SWAG-on
President of the Sun God
The Building
26
Duncan College is a U-shaped building with five distinct floors. The ground
floor contains the main public spaces,
including the game room, laundry room,
music room and mailroom. The living
floors are second, third, fourth, and fifth.
New Students live on the second, third,
and fourth floors. Each of the floors has
three hallways, defined alphabetically, e.g
“A-B” hallway, between A and B stairwells.
The fifth floor has the sundeck, which is a
large gathering and hangout place for all of
Duncan.
There is no “New-Student” section
of Duncan. With the exception of the
sundeck, New Students are interspersed
through all the hallways of the second,
third, and fourth floors. Think of the hallway as your support system. Feel free to
prop your doors with a doorstop, or invite
people in. Each hallways will also have either a kitchen (A-B), RA apartment (B-C),
or study lounge, (C-D); these are gathering
places, hangout places, or napping places.
Take advantage of all your hall has to offer,
your hall can’t wait to meet you.
Every college has a “commons”, which
consists of an area that houses the seating
needed for the dining hall. At Duncan, we
are lucky to have a commons culture that
goes far beyond that of most colleges. At
almost any time during the day (and late
into the night), you can find people hanging out in the commons, talking, doing
homework, reading, or eating. For many,
the academic grind of Rice is softened by
a culture that allows for social interaction,
even during periods of high stress and
workload (the Coordinators are frequent
commons culture participants).
27
The Double
Almost every New Student will live in a Duncan double. The Duncan doubles are some of the nicest and most spacious rooms
at Rice. You and your roommate will share your own private bathroom (including shower, toilet, and sink), two large closets, a
spacious living area, and five large windows, facing either the quad or a beautiful view of Rice and Houston. Each room also has
its own thermostat and energy efficient lighting system (in some rooms, your lights will turn off automatically if the sensor doesn’t
detect motion after a long time).
Living with a roommate can, at times, be challenging for anyone, but this challenge is mitigated by the fantastic facilities. The
furnishings are modular, and the number of room layouts are endless. You can divide the room, so that each of you has your own
side, or you can bunk your beds to make room for a couch and television!
In the end, Duncan has incredible facilities, and you will love your private bathroom by the end of the year.
28
Game Room
Green Room
Laundry Room
Sundeck
As a favorite location for many a contested
foosball or ping pong tournament, the game
room provides solid activities for the competitor in you; while also providing comfortable
couches, board games, and a large television
and pool table. Recently, the Improvements
Committee has added a foosball table! Drop
by for a solid study break or to decompress
after a long day of classes.
Even though laundry is included in tuition
and fees (no scrounging for quarters!), it’s existence serves as a constant reminder of adult
responsibility. Bring high efficiency detergent
and stop by before you reach your last pair of
underwear!
29
The green room comes in two main flavors,
the first is the “problem set due in two hours”
studying flavor, and the second is the “playing
board games and Wii with friends” flavor. On
different nights, the green room has a different personality, but no matter the night, it is
always a place for friendship.
The Sundeck, often times referred to as the
"fundeck" is a gathering point for social activity at Duncan. With a picturesque view of Rice
and the Texas Medical Center, the sundeck is
a 24/7 place to hang out. The fundeck has tons
of new seating. If you are looking for something to do, there is sure to be someone on the
#sundeckfundeck.
Duncan
Government
This picture has absolutely nothing to do with Forum, but just wow!!
Forum
Every residential college has its own form of government, created exclusively by its members and adjusted to adapt to its needs.
In the early days of Duncan College, we started to have weekly meetings with our ambassadors just to discuss things that we
wanted for Duncan and how we wanted to grow and set up our college. It was called Duncan Forum, and it developed from a
simple meeting to our own unofficial government. Now that we have an official government, we still decide to stick with the name
Forum, because the name reflects the open nature of the meeting and the discussions that take place within it. At Forum, the president (David) goes through the agenda, things are brought up for discussion, and the voting members vote. During this time we
communally put forth our ideas on whatever’s being talked about. Forum is a valuable time for Duncaroos to stay up to date with
the latest Duncan news, as well as be an active participant in college and campus-wide decisions! However, the greatest part about
forum is its ability to serve as a coming together of the community. At Forum, you will meet Returning Students as well as meet up
with your Advisors from O-Week!
Government Positions
President - David Doucet
Legislative Vice President (LVP) - Victoria Johnson
Vice Presidents - Isabel Alison and Vera Ranneft
Chief Justice (CJ) - Yoseph Lee
Treasurers - Evi Liu and Drew Petty
Student Association Senator - Jessica Hartz
The treasurers handle Duncan’s large yearly budget
appropriated by the University.
The Senator assists the president in representing Duncan to
the greater Rice community in the Student Association.
Secretaries - Kari Leigh Brinkley and Greg Van
Kirk (Gregleigh)
Class Representatives -
In charge of communicating with the university, support
team (RAs, HRFs, Masters), and Duncan.
The Vice Presidents (VP) ensure that the committees have
adequate support for their specific responsibilities.
The secretaries handle room reservations and a daily e-mail
with information about Duncan and Rice.
The LVP runs the administrative workings of the college, if
you get an email from her, read it!
The CJ handles all policy enforcement: he’s in charge of party
registration and quiet hour enforcement.
2020 - ?? Could be you!
2019 - Megan Gordon and Neha Amaravadi
2018- Darren Corprew and Rachel Zahn
2017 - Colin Feng and Jeremy Reiskind
The class reps communicate current issues to their class, and
vote as their representatives at Forum.
30
Duncan
Committees
You will soon find out that residential college life is not
only great for academic and community development, but
also for personal and leadership development. Throughout
Duncan, there are multiple ways to get involved, including
joining committees! Committees are student-run, student-led
groups within Duncan that work towards different aspects of the
Duncan Community. Each committee has 2-3 committee heads
comprised of upperclassmen, as well as an unlimited amount of
members based on interest. We look forward to seeing you not
only join committees but also enjoy the awesome events and
initiatives that they hold throughout the academic year.
Socials: Responsible for
throwing Duncan’s two public
parties: Sensation and DuncStep. In addition to this, they
are in charge of smaller scale
events for Duncan, such as
College Night.
Associates: Serves as a liaison
between Duncan’s associates and students. They are
responsible for Duncan Gala
and Associates’ Night, two
formal dinners celebrating the
Duncan Community.
Spirit: Responsible for providing fun activities and further
developing Duncan culture.
This year, they have started a
bi-weekly Friday in the Quad
(#FITQ) and led an amazing
Duncan Week, a celebration
of our building’s namesake.
Tech: Responsible for ensuring that all of the Duncan equipment is running
smoothly at all times. If you
need to check out equipment,
this is where you will go!
You will often find our Tech
Committee setting up the
stacks (large speakers) on the
sundeck to celebrate Friday!
Service: Service works within
the community to give back to
Houston as much as Houston
has given us. Within Duncan,
the Service Committee holds
Housing and Dining appreciation events as well as
WoodsTOKC, a fundraising event in remembrance
of a Duncaroo who battled
Leukemia.
31
Beer Bike: This seasonal
committee builds up later in
the Fall Semester to plan the
greatness that is Beer Bike and
Willy Week, the week leading
up to Beer Bike. Duncan is
well known for its exceptional
Willy Week outdoor activities
that typically feature giant
water slides and petting zoos.
Academics: Responsible for
creating an academic support
system throughout Duncan
with the help of the Academic
Fellows and Peer Academic
Advisors (PAA’s). Their largest
event is DURS: the Duncan
Undergraduate Research
Symposium, an opportunity
for Duncaroos to present their
research to other Duncaroos.
Improvements: Responsible
for the maintenance and
growth of Duncan’s spaces. In
the past year, we have gotten a
brand new TV, new furniture,
and a new foosball table!
Senior: Works with the
seniors to create a memorable
and bonding-filled experience
through their last year as an
undergraduate Duncaroo.
Culture & Arts: Allows Duncaroos to experience a vast
amount of different cultures
throughout the year. This
is done through large scale
events called Culture Nights
as well as foreign movie nights
in the Master’s house.
Merch: Merch, short for merchandise, is responsible for a
lot of the incredible gear that
you will be using in the near
future. Just this past year, we
have gotten kangaroo bottle
openers, coffee mugs, t-shirts,
hoodies, sweatpants, high
socks, and more!
32
Public
Parties
Each residential college has one to two public parties
throughout the year, usually scheduling one per semester.
Public parties are a great opportunity for students to meet
people from other residential colleges and take a break from
the academic rigor of Rice. At each public party, there is a
ton of food including pizza, chips, popcorn, salsa, and more
for all students. To get into a public party, you must have
a Rice ID. If you ever want to bring a friend from home or
another university, make sure you register them as a guest at
least 72 hours beforehand.
Sensation
Inspired by the techno spirit of our college as well as a
connection to Spanish culture introduced by the first
Master, Luis Duno-Gottberg, Sensation is a white out
public party hosted by Socials in which students all
wear white. There are flashing lights throughout the
Duncan Commons, and you are bound to see some of
your favorite Duncaroos! All of the music is done by
students who are passionate DJ’s as well. Who knows?
Maybe one of you would like to play a set at Sensation!
33
DuncStep
Prided with being the only dry public party, meaning
there is no beer garden for those who are of age (21+),
DuncStep is a chance to embrace your Texas spirit. It is
a two-stepping party thrown by the Socials where everyone comes out in their best western attire to two-step.
If you do not know how to two step, worry not because,
each year, a tutorial is given by Duncaroos to make
sure we are all prepared to be the best dancers on Rice’s
campus!
Events and Traditions
Sensation
Donnybrook
Duncan’s much lauded public party is
based on a similar event in Amsterdam.
Armed with nerf weapons, we play capture
the flag in our building!
MNL (Monday Night Lights)
Thirsty Thursdays
The first Monday of every month, we play
ping pong, sing and eat smores in the quad.
On Thursdays, a group of students prepares
milkshakes and fun for all of Duncan.
DuncStep
Sports
Duncan hosts a (dry) country western,
two-stepping party each Fall.
Duncan loves sports, soccer, powderpuff,
biking, flag, we do (and win) them all.
34
35
As always, the Flag Football team dominates the field
Duncan Sports
In addition to Varsity and Club sports, there are also college sports. Each residential college has the opportunity to make a team for
various sports, and we are excited to tell you that for the first year in a very long time, Duncan Sports is on the rise. In the past, we have
been the body behind the chant “Duncan College where the points don’t matter!” However, this has recently (meaning in the past year)
become “Duncan College where the points ARE STARTING to matter.” This has been seen through growing successes in Powderpuff
football, Freshman Flag Football, Soccer, Floor Hockey, and Volleyball. If you like to play sports, this is a great way to get involved and
help your college on its way to the President’s cup: an award presented to the most athletically successful residential college. If you like
to watch sports, this is a great way to see all of your favorite sports played by a multitude of recognizable faces. It is all about the fun, but
getting the win can never hurt!
36
GLO-Week
TIME TO SHINE
Resources
What you need for moving in, Rice Speak, and more!
37
Rice
Speak
Places & Landmarks
45/90/180 A trio of statues situated in the Engineering Quad that
are modeled after their namesake angles. As a result, 180 makes
for an excellent study spot! 45... not as great.
Anderson Anderson Hall. Also known as the 12th residential
college; home of the Archi.
Archi (ar-kee) A student majoring in architecture.
Baker Institute/Baker Hall Respectively, the James A. Baker III
Institute for Public Policy and the building which houses The
Institute.
Bookstore This is where you can go to get all your textbooks for
class, plus lots of nifty Rice paraphernalia. Take your family there
so you can all get Rice gear to show off your school pride.
Coffeehouse A student-run coffee shop providing the best legal
way to artificially increase your study skills on short notice. Located in the RMC.
Cohen House The faculty dining room near Sewall Hall. They
make very good food. If you get the opportunity, eat or work
there.
DMC The Digital Media Center. A technophile’s dream. Lots of
computers to and cool equipment available to check out. Also a
great place to study. Located in the basement of Fondren Library.
Farnsworth Pavilion A room in the RMC across from the help
desk and Ley Student Center.
Fondy Fondren Library. It has seminar rooms, study rooms, and
classrooms. A great place for a quick nap between classes, and it’s
open 24 hours a day during the week.
Hedges Extensive botanical growth found surrounding campus
and in the quad. “Beyond the Hedges” refers to the world beyond
Rice. Students are occassionally challenged to jump over them.
Jones School Rice’s Graduate School of Business. MBA students
are usually only here for a year so we don’t really consider them
true grad students. Not to be confused with Jones College.
Ley Student Center Wing of the RMC that houses the Thresher,
Student Association (SA), Campanile, KTRU, RPC, First Year
Programs, as well as the Academic Advising office.
Media Center Building found near the stadium where film and
photography classes are held. Also houses a gallery space and
theatre with Houston’s only silver screen.
Mudd Lab The university computer center. If you have problems
with your computer, the people here are glad to help out. Also, a
great place to plot large documents or posters.
Outer Loop The path that encircles campus. Great for a jog.
About 3.1 miles long.
Pub Willy’s Pub is located in the basement of the RMC. In addition to selling beer and pizza, they also serve wine coolers, subs,
sodas, etc. Thursday nights are Pub Nights to celebrate the coming
weekend.
Quad, The The central academic quadrangle fixed around Willy’s
statue. Also known as the “academic quad.” Occassionally, this
phrase can be used to refer to the Duncan quad, or the grassy area
right in front of the DuncTank.
RMC Rice Memorial Center, the student center and location of
student advising, the book store, Pub, Sammy’s, and Coffeehouse.
You can use the ATM there, as well as buy postage.
Sallyport The big archway in the middle of Lovett Hall. Tradition
holds that if you walk through it from the inside of the quad between matriculation and graduation you won’t graduate on time.
Sammy’s A cafeteria in the RMC. An option if you want a change
from servery food.
Shepherd School Rice’s School of Music. One of the nation’s top
conservatories, they hold free performances of some kind or other
almost every day.
Valhalla The graduate student bar located underneath Keck Hall.
Allegedly serves the cheapest beer in Houston.
Village, The Rice Village. A commercial area just to the west of
campus. Great, close place to shop and eat.
Willy’s Statue Memorial statue of William M. Rice in the Central
Quad. Commonly used as a meeting spot. In a famous jack, Willy
was turned 180 degrees by some ingenious Wiessmen.
38
Student Activities
Colleges & Duncan
Willy Week The week preceeding Beer Bike is filled with college
activities, alumni, and plenty of jacks.
Campanile (kam-pa-neel-ee)
1. Rice’s Undergraduate Orchestra for Non-Music Majors
2. The Rice yearbook
EMS Rice Emergency Medical Service. Known as EMT’s, they’re
a group of Rice students that provide medical at- tention in an
emergency. You can join them too by taking the EMS class at Rice.
In emergencies, call 713-348-6000.
GSA The Graduate Student Association. We play them in college
sports, and unfortunately they win a lot because there are about
1500 of them, compared to 250-400 for each of the colleges.
Hoot, The A student run business that provides late night food
for Rice students. The Hoot is located outside of Sammy's in the
RMC.
IM Intramural. Informal, low-stress sports played among students. Not to be confused with college sports which are played
between teams representing one of the colleges with points going
towards the President’s Cup.
KTRU (kay-true) The campus radio station which can be found
online at ktru.org or on HD radio at 96.1 HD-2. It is a student operated radio station that plays everything from jazz, to reggae, to
ridiculously indie rock bands that no one has ever heard of before.
MOB The Marching Owl Band. They do not in fact march
nor is any musical ability required for membership, and they’re
the only band around with electric violins and kazoos. They
always put on an entertaining show during halftime filled with
amusing skits, jibes at opposing teams, and zany antics.
R2 The Rice Review. An independent literary magazine published entirely by students.
Rice Players Only campus theatre group not associated with a
college. Usually well worth the ticket price.
RPC Rice Program Council. The organization in charge of all
university-wide social events. It has a large budget and is in charge
of Beer Bike and Screw Yer Roommate.
RSVP Rice Student Volunteer Program. An organization that
runs a lot of community service opportunities in which Rice
students seem to seek to improve the quality of life beyond the
hedges.
SA Student Association. The campus-wide body representing
students. The SA deals with campus wide issues and administrative business.
Thresher Rice’s student-operated newspaper. Famous for the
Backpage and theatre reviews.
Duncaroo A resident of Duncan College.
Dunc Hunks The men of Duncan are known as the “Dunc
Hunks,” extremely attractive members of the Rice community.
Dunc Tank The name of Duncan’s lovely water element situated
just outside of the commons.
Forum Duncan’s governing body, made up entirely of Duncan
students.
Housing & Dining (H&D) The people who are responsible for
administering all the food service and residential buildings on
campus.
NSR New Student Representative. They represent their college in
the SA.
O.C. Off Campus. Both a great place to explore and a great place
to live!
Powderpuff Women’s college flag football. One of the most
intense (and fun) of the college sports as well as a great spectator
sport. Played during the fall semester.
Room Draw The process we use to assign rooms for the next year.
Room Jack The process we use to determine who will live on or
off campus for the next year.
Rustication A harsh penalty in which a student is not allowed on
campus except for classes and tests. This is very, very bad. Avoid at
all costs!
Servery The kitchen where your everyday food is made. Every
college either has its own servery or shares one with near- by
colleges. Duncaroos and Murts share West Servery.
SMR Student Maintenance Representative. This year’s SMR is
Nick Leisle. He is the liaison between Housing & Dining and the
students. He can help you change light bulbs as well as the furniture in your room.
“Somos equipo, somos familia.” Duncan’s official motto that
means “We are a team, we are family”. The ultimate manifestation
of Duncan’s values of community, togetherness, and culture of
care.
Swipe Using your Rice ID to gain access to a building or servery.
Occasionally, somebody who forgot their ID will ask you for a
swipe.
Tetra Points The credit on your meal plan used to buy food at the
Student Center. One Tetra Point = One Dollar. Students received
50 points per semester and they do roll over.
Ubangee (You-bang-ee) Wiess tradition frequently unleashed
upon anyone at any time... run screaming through the Wiess
Commons during the moment of silence for a demonstration.
39
Events & Traditions
Associate’s Night A formal dinner held in the Duncan commons
once a semester to honor Duncan Associates. Dress up and come
eat good food with interesting people.
Associate Faculty, staff, and community members asso
ciated with a college.
Baker 13 A Baker-founded organization whose sole function is
for its members to undress, smear shaving cream on their bodies,
and run around campus leaving a trail of body prints.
Beer Bike A very competitive, inter-college race held every
spring, in which ten bikers and ten chuggers from each college
compete in a life and death struggle for personal and college
pride. Widely held to be much like your birthday to the hundredth power but with lots of college cheers. Get ready to bike or
chug now.
Ironman/Ironwoman Someone who both rides and chugs at Beer Bike. A true American hero.
Sweep To win all the races at Beer Bike. Will Rice has done this five times.
College Night Misnomer. Actually a full day of themed partying
held every semester during which we celebrate our college awesomeness with other Duncaroos. Each residential college has their
own college night.
Convocation The calling together of the college. It is held each
fall to inaugurate the academic year and welcome the new members (YOU!). Like Associates’ Night, it’s a formal seated meal with
good food.
Esperanza Fall formal held sometime in November put on by
RPC.
Jack To pull a prank, usually on another college. The more clever
and over-the-top (without being destructive) the better. Only
happens during O-Week and Willy Week.
Matriculation Ceremony held during O-Week to officially welcome you to Rice.
Screw Yer Roommate A Rice tradition held in the fall in which
roommates set up blind dates for each other who then either have
a good time or struggle to make it through the night.
Academics
Big Three Specifically, chemistry, calculus, and physics. Almost all
science and engineering majors take the big three.
Eight A.M.’s The earliest classes available. If you have trouble
waking up in the morning, you may try to avoid these.
FWIS Freshman Writing Intensive Seminar.
Pass/Fail You can declare this for up to four elective courses (i.e.,
courses that aren’t used to satisfy a requirement for your major).
Only one can be used per semester, but they can be lifesavers. You
only need a D- in a class designated P/F to receive a P. It does not
influence your GPA unless you end up failing the class.
TA A teaching assistant. Depending on the class, the TA may
grade your work, hold review sessions, or meet with you to help.
Common Major
Abbreviations
Spoken AbbrevCourse
Architecture Archi (Ar-kee)
ARCH
Biochemistry & Cell Biology
Bioc (Bye-ahk)
BIOC
Bioengineering
BioE (Bio-ee)
BIOE
Business
Busi (Busy)
BUSI
CHBE
Chemical & ChBE (Chubby)
Biomolecular Engineering
Civil & Environmental Engineering
CevE (Siv-ee)
Cognitive Sciences
CogSciCSCI
CEVE
Economics Econ (ee-con)
ECON
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
EEB/Ebio (ee-bio)
EBIO
Electrical Engineering
Elec (ee-lek)
ELEC
Health Sciences
Health Sci
HEAL
Linguistics LingLING
Mechanical Engineering MechE (Mek-ee)
MECH
Mathematical Economic Analysis
Math-Econ MTEC
Music
Musi (Muse-ee)
MUSI
Philosophy PhilPHIL
Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities
PJHCPJHC
Political Science
Poli SciPOLI
Psychology PsychPSYC
Religious Studies
ReliRELI
Sociology Soci (So-see)
SOCI
Statistics
StatSTAT
Study of Women, Gender, & Sexuality
Swgs (Swiggs)
SWGS
40
TIME MANAGEMENT
As you make your schedule and decide on extracurriculars, you may find that time management will determine whether or not you are able to do everything you
want to. Good time management can allow you to get
involved in something new, or to have that extra “me”
time built into the day. It also allows you to control how
busy your schedule is, how much sleep you get, and how
stressed you feel on a daily basis. It gives you the power
to avoid crises and to form healthier living habits. Now,
this is much easier said than done. So, here are few tips
on how to manage your time at Rice:
Don’t say yes to everything, ever: In your time at
Rice, there will be many opportunities for you to be
involved in clubs, at your college, and hold leadership
positions around campus. One important thing to
keep in mind is to determine how much of your time a
commitment will take. Although titles can be appealing, sometimes the extra stress it will bring ends up
outweighing the good. Before running for a position or
agreeing to take on a task, think about the amount of
time and energy it will take up and evaluate whether it
will end up making your life better or worse.
Read your syllabi: You cannot expect your professor
to remind you of every assignment and when it is due.
You are responsible for reading the syllabus and completing all of the work on it, regardless of whether the
professor mentions it in class. The syllabus is your guide
for the semester, so it is important to read it and know
what’s coming way in advance.
Use a calendar: Whether it is a scheduling book
or your Google Calendar online, a calendar will help
you remember important dates (due dates or dinner
dates) and will help you plan ahead for weeks that may
be harder than others. Laying out your schedule on a
calendar will also help you schedule in time to rest or to
hang out with friends, because you will know when you
have to be somewhere and when you don’t. A calendar
may also help you break down projects and large papers
into smaller tasks and sections over many days.
Prioritize: Prioritizing can be called “life triage.” You
determine which task is in greatest need of your attention and you focus on that one. Now, make sure that
you do not wait until the night before you have three
tests to prioritize, but think about which things can
be done early on and which things can wait. It is also
helpful to categorize tasks that need to be higher quality
41
than others (like investing more work on a mid-term
paper than a daily reading response).
Take breaks: Block out time in your schedule for relaxing, sleeping, exercise, and taking a coffee break with
friends. Although studying is important, taking breaks
can actually help you be more efficient in your work and
keep you healthy. You could also use this time to call
your parents or friends from home!
Know where and when to study: Throughout the
semester, you will find that there are some days where
it may be okay to do a little “social studying,” which is
hanging out with your friends with your books open,
and there are some days where you will need to be in a
private study room in Fondren Library. It is important
to know when it is okay to study at a leisurely pace (i.e.
procrastinate) and when you need to focus. It takes a
lot of willpower to turn down spending time with your
friends for a quiet room by yourself, but it could be the
difference between producing quality work and turning
in something mediocre.
Do work as it comes: Although it is easy to let the
little things slip through the cracks, try to do daily
readings and small assignments for all of your classes by
the dates that they are assigned. Come to class prepared
and study before your review sessions. This cuts down
the amount of studying you will have to do in the days
before your tests.
Prepare for real life: Because you are in a new
environment, living close to so many new people, it is
very likely that you will get sick, so have a sick plan.
Email your professor and TAs. Know where the Student
Health Center is and have a buddy with a car who can
take you to the pharmacy if you need to go. Know that
life happens and not everything you schedule will go according to plan. Give yourself wiggle room in your day,
so that if you miss one day, for whatever reason, you will
not be totally swamped.
See the big picture: Keep your long-term goals in
mind. Why are you studying? Why are you at Rice? Is
what you are doing helping you to achieve your goals?
When it comes down to a difficult decision, think about
what is most important to you, what you value most and
what will help achieve whatever your definition of success is. This will help you stay focused when you need
to, but also know when to put down your books and live
in the moment.
Where to Go
Take the Quiz
Where should you study?
Finding where you study best early can really help with time management! A quick note: Most students change their
study habits in college as they adjust to the rigor of college courses and living in a new place. Don’t take this quiz too
seriously! But check out the places to study all around Rice and Houston.
Do you want to study NO
on-campus?
YES
Can you work with
background noise?
NO
YES
NO
Houston public
library
Do you like coffee?
NO
YES
Are you
interested in
local art?
NO
YES
Do you like boba
(pearl milk tea)?
YES
NO
Do you like to work
around other people?
YES
NO
Fondren
Library
Can you work with
background noise?
YES
Private study room
in Fondren
Teahouse
Agora
Rice Gallery
Path of Tea
Brochstein
Pavilion
Do you like to work YES
outside?
NO
Do you need to be
near food?
YES
NO
YES
Do you like coffee?
YES
NO
Do you study mostly
late at night?
YES
NO
Do you like art?
NO
Rice Coffeehouse
Duncan
Commons
Willy’s Pub
Black Hole
Coffeehouse
42
Moving In
Move-in begins the morning of Sunday, August 14th. You can only move into Duncan College during your assigned move-in
time. If you do not come at your assigned move-in time, we will not be ready for you. That being said, if there is an unforeseen
travel problem or emergency contact the Duncan O-Week Coordinators.
To find your specific move-in time, refer to the Move-in Schedule, which is included with your Roommate Information in your
welcome packet.
What should I bring to college?
Keep in mind that you are not required to bring any of these
items, nor is this everything that you might need. This is a
list to give you an idea of what current Duncaroos have in
their rooms, so that you can consider what you might want
to bring for your room.
Beds:
EXTRA LONG TWIN Bed Sheets
Bed-Side Table (most students use their dresser)
Shower Rack or Shelves
Bath Rug
Small Trashcan (in addition to the 2 provided)
Bathroom:
Laundry:
Laundry Basket or Bag
High Efficiency Laundry Detergent
Hangers
Electronics:
Multi-Socket Power Strips/Surge Protectors
Televisions
Speakers
Extras:
Mirror (hung using 3M Command Strips)
Health Items (medicine, band aids, sunscreen, etc.)
Mini-Fridges
Vaccum (handheld)
Dry Erase/Bulletin Board
Night Light or Small Lamp
Nerf Gun (See Donnybrook)
Your O-Week Book!
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Laptop Computers:
There are computers available all over campus (and in
Duncan), so you don’t NEED your own computer. However,
it can be extremely useful and convenient, and most people do choose to bring their own. You will end up using a
computer quite often throughout the day, whether it be for
emailing, checking OwlSpace, or taking notes in class. Each
room in Duncan has wired high speed internet access (1
port per person), and almost all of campus is equipped for
wireless internet access (including your room!).
Clothing:
There will be occasions to wear nicer clothes (starting in
O-Week!), so don’t leave those out. Be sure to bring good
walking shoes and comfortable clothes. There are also many
times to dress up for themed events, so it may be a good
idea just to bring some themed items. Houston generally has
crazy weather, so be prepared for humidity, unexpected cold,
as well as heavy rains (rainboots are a good idea).
Bikes:
Bikes are not necessary, but they can be convenient. Everything is in walking distance, but bikes make the commute to
class much faster (especially if you have back to back classes
that are far apart). If you do have a bike on campus, be sure
to register it with the Rice Police Department (RUPD) and
get a U-bolt (not a cable lock) to secure it.
The First Day
*This is the general schedule of the first day of O-Week. Please, keep in mind that this
is subject to change. Please refer to this year’s Move-in Schedule (included in your
Welcome Packet) to find your specific Move-in time!
7:00-11:00 AM
New Student Move-in!
Checking in
Meeting the Masters
Setting Up Your Room
11:00 AM-12:30 PM
Buffet Lunch for New Students & Families
Parents must leave campus at the end of lunch
1:00-3:30 PM
O-Week Group Bonding
Get to know your O-Week group
3:30-5:00 PM
Free Time/Get Ready for Dinner
5:00-6:30 PM
“Fancy” Dinner in Duncan Commons
7:00-9:30 PM
Matriculation in Tudor and Lovett Hall
On Move-In Day
You will see lots of excited Advisors ready to help you move. When you get here go
inside, check-in, and start unloading! It is crucial that we unload cars as quickly as
possible so that everyone can move in. Once your car is empty, your family will need
to park it in West Lot. There will be a shuttle to bring your family back to Duncan so
that you can start setting up your room!
What don’t I need?
Items included in your room!
Desk*
Small Set of Drawers*
Chair*
Extra-Long Twin Bed/Mattress*
Dresser (Three Drawers)*
Trashcan* and Recycling Bin
Closet*
6 Shelves (only in double)
Active Telephone Line (no phone)
Wireless Internet
Hard-Wired Ethernet Port
Basic T.V. Cable Package
Shower Curtain
Mirror (in bathroom)
MOVE-IN TIPS!
Label your things
Your Advisors (and sometimes members
of the Rice football team) will be helping
you move in. Putting a label on every bag
with your name and room number will
ensure that all of your things end up in
the right place.
3M Command Hooks and Strips
Use them for hanging mirrors, bags,
umbrellas, etc. and are also approved by
H&D.
Don’t buy over-door hanging
hooks, racks or shelves
The Duncan doors are very tall and also
thick, so most hanging shelves that use
plastic or metal hooks will not fit over the
door or will end up being too short. However, these will fit over the the bed frames
and in the closets if you really want the
extra storage.
Get a Squeegee for your shower
Most showers in Duncan doubles do not
have a lip and can occasionally overflow.
Keeping a small, hand-held squeegee can
help keep the bathroom floor clean and
dry.
Coordinate with your roommate
You’re going to want to contact your
roommate and figure out what the other is
bringing. This way your room doesn’t end
up with two fridges, two televisions, etc.
You are probably really excited to have
an awesome room that you can finally
decorate however you want, but remember it’s someone else’s too! This means you
may have to be considerate of the other
person’s space.
Don’t bring a door-frame hanging
pull-up bar
Unfortunately for you guys and girls who
are hoping to stay swole throughout the
year with your pull-up bar, they will not
fit in your room. The door ways are too
wide and there is not a lip above the doorway for you to hook the bar to. Luckily,
Duncan rooms are compatible with doing
push-ups, sit-ups, and burpees.
*one for each resident
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Where to stay in
Houston
Hotels
Banks
The following is a brief list of hotels that are located near
campus. Many of these hotels offer a special discount to Rice
families. Ask for the “Rice Orientation Week Rate.” Please
note that all information is subject to change. Please call the
hotel to verify rates and availability.
Students will be able to open accounts during O-Week at any
of these banks with branches located near Rice.
Courtyard By Marriot At West University
2929 Westpark Dr. (2.7 mi)
(713) 661-5669
Holiday Inn at Astrodome/Reliant Park
8111 Kirby Drive. (2.6 mi.)
(713) 576-5086
Hotel Zaza
5701 Main St. (1.25 mi.)
(713) 526-1991
Houston Plaza Hilton
6633 Travis St. (0.75 mi.)
(713) 313-4000
Marriot Medical Center
6580 Fannin St. (0.75 mi.)
(713) 796-0080
Residence Inn By Marriot
7710 Main St. (1 mi.)
(713) 660-7993
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites – Medical Center
6800 Main St. (1.25 mi.)
(713) 528-7744
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Bank of America
2302 Fannin St.
(713) 265-2300
M-Th: 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-5pm
Wells Fargo
6631 Main St.
(713) 216-3865
M-Th: 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-5pm
Chase*
7505 Fannin St.
(713) 216-4865
M-F: 8am-5pm
Compass Bank
3646 University Blvd.
(713) 867-1351
M-Th: 9am-4pm, Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-12pm
Washington Mutual
3120 A SW Freeway
(713) 526-9201
M-Th: 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-1pm
*Note: Chase Bank is the only bank with ATMs located on
the Rice campus in Fondren Library and the RMC. These
ATMs also allow for check-depositing. Chase ATMs charge a
$3.00 withdrawal fee for most other ATM cards. If you would
like to avoid this fee it’s recommended to ei- ther open a
Chase account or find a local bank that forgives ATM fees.
How to get to Duncan
By Car
From I-10 East or West, or I-45 North or South, take US 59 South. From US 59, take the Shepherd/Greenbriar exit (approximately
four miles south of downtown). Turn left under US 59 and follow Greenbriar to the light at Rice Boulevard. Turn left onto Rice
Boulevard, and the campus will be on your right! Duncan is at Entrance 23. NOTE: On move-in day (8/14) You will enter campus
on Entrance 21.
Check http://traffic.houstontranstar. org/layers/ for traffic and road closure information.
By Airplane
From Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH):
Follow signs to US 59 South. Once on US 59, proceed south approximately 25 miles and exit at Greenbriar. Turn left under US 59
and follow Greenbriar to the light at Rice Boulevard. Turn left onto Rice Boulevard. Rice and Entrance 21 will be on your right.
From Hobby Airport:
Exit onto Broadway and fol- low signs to I-45 North. Take I-45 North approximately 6 miles to US 59 South. Once on US 59,
proceed south ap- proximately 3 miles and exit at Greenbriar. Turn left under US 59 and follow Greenbriar to the light at Rice
Boulevard. Turn left onto Rice Boulevard. Rice, and Entrance 21, will be on your right.
By Shuttle
Super Shuttle provides service from both airports to Holiday Inn on Main Street, Medical Center Marriott, and Houston Plaza
Hilton, which are all five minutes from Rice. Transportation to other locations is available as well, including Rice campus itself,
but check their website to make sure your destination is serviced. Use the promo code OWLS1 for a Rice discount.
The fare from each airport depends on the destination, but they usually range from $19 to $35. Departures from IAH run
every hour, from 7:15 a.m. to 11:15 p.m. The ticket counter is located in the lower level baggage claim areas, south side exit, just
outside the glass doors of each terminal. The ride usually takes 45 minutes to an hour. From Hobby, the fare is $19 per person.
Departures are every hour, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. The ticket counter is located in the lower level baggage claim area and
the ride takes 30 to 45 minutes. For more information, call (800) 258-2826 toll-free or go to: http://www.supershuttle.com/.
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From DuncCity
with love
To the new additions to DuncCity,
We know this transition may seem a little overwhelming. Just today, you have
received your roommate, two books full of what will soon become very relevant and very real information, and a multitude of other documents that you
will need in order to matriculate to Rice. We hope that after reading this book,
you may not be prepared for college, but you are prepared to put your best foot
forward to start this incredible journey on solid ground.
I know we have said it so many times throughout the course of this book, but
we truly care about each and every one of you and cannot wait to see all of the
successes that are coming in your futures. From this point forward, if you ever
need anything, then we are here for you. Our contact information can be found
at the beginning of this book as we excitedly wait to answer any questions that
you may have for us leading up to O-Week.
We hope you enjoyed this lovely book, and we are impatiently awaiting for
you to drive up to Duncan on move-in day. Enjoy your summer and get ready
to meet your fellow Duncaroos! It’s your time to shine.
#SESF,
Bradley, Crystal, and Jeremy
Your O-Week Coordinators
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