Random questions about Rice life

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
1

<p>Hey, so i'm touring a bunch of colleges right now, and it made me wonder a few things about Rice. All these questions are pretty minor, but thanks if you can answer any.</p>

<p>1) Are there any nearby colleges that Rice students interact with? University of Houston? And if so, what is the extent of this interaction? Do students ever go to events there or have friends there?</p>

<p>2) Does Q&A (queers and allies) sponsor any large events? How often do they meet? Do you know how big they are?</p>

<p>3) Is there a good running place nearby? Do a lot of students run/work out regularly?</p>

<p>4) How often are there parties worth going to?</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>1) The University of St. Thomas and the University of Houston are located pretty close to Rice. UH and Rice are longtime rivals for sporting events, but the rivalry between the two schools pretty much ends there because they are so different. However, Rice students often have friends at UH and attend some events there. </p>

<p>2) Q&A sponsors the annual charity drag show held in the undergraduate pub on campus, helps out with trainings for Rice’s Ally Program, and works with Rice’s float in the Houston Pride Parade. It’s worth noting, too, that the Pride float is also a university-wide undertaking - the upcoming parade (06/23) is advertised in the university’s official events calendar on the Rice home page. Q&A members also have access to the larger LGBT groups at UH and attend events there.</p>

<p>3) On Rice’s perimeter there is a nearly 3-mile crushed-granite pathway shaded by double rows of live oak trees that is frequented by joggers at all times of the day. Our Rec center has over 100,000 sq ft of recreation and workout space. There’s lots of cardio equipment (with flat-screen tvs attached), resistance training equipment, and pretty much everything you need to stay in shape. Students are there during all hours, but of course some times are less popular than others (e.g. my fave 6am slot, haha).</p>

<p>4) Deciding whether a party is “worth going to” depends on your personal tastes, but there are public parties, college nights, private parties, or other celebrations to stay entertained most weeks. For me, one of the great things that make the themed public parties on the weekends often worth going to is the opportunity to walk over to another college with a group of friends to party while wearing togas or '80s outfits or whatever. haha Good times.</p>

3

<p>Oh, and I believe Q&A meets weekly. As for the size, the Q&A Facebook group currently has 147 members. But, like every club, there is a disparity between the total number of members and the number of people who actually attend weekly meetings. You can contact the officers or admins for more specifics.</p>

<p>The link to the Facebook group:
<a href=“https://www.facebook.com/groups/4887449235/[/url]”>https://www.facebook.com/groups/4887449235/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

4

<p>Wow, thanks for the really quick/in depth response, exactly what I’m looking for. Ugh, I’m really excited for my trip.</p>

<p>I thought of one more question:
5) What is the area right outside of Rice like? In terms of how many restaurants there are, ect., and how far it is/ how nice it is. Also, how far is Rice from any bad neighborhoods, one of the schools I just looked at was basically a gated community in the middle of a ghetto, and I didn’t like that.</p>

5

<p>5) The area around Rice is wonderful. Two blocks from the southern edge of the campus is Rice Village, which is a walkable 16-block area that boasts over 70 shops and dozens of restaurants, clubs, and bars. In addition to traditional American restaurants, there are three French restaurants, two Japanese, two Makati, two Chinese, two Italian, a Mexican, two Spanish, a Mediterranean, a Vietnamese, an Indian, and three Thai restaurants. (This info can be found at the Village’s website)</p>

<p>The eastern edge of campus is bounded by the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical center in the world. In addition to plenty of hospitals, clinics, and two medical schools, it also has restaurants like Chipotle, WanFu, Starbucks, etc. There are also two MetroRail stops adjacent to Rice. </p>

<p>Near the school’s northern entrance is Hermann Park and the Museum District, which features the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Natural Science (awesome exhibits, films and planetarium shows). Hermann Park has the Miller Outdoor Theater and the Houston Zoo is there too.</p>

<p>On the western side are the stately homes of the residents of West University Place. Because of the very high levels of education and prosperity of its residents, West U is ranked by Business Journals as one of the best places to live in the country, with the highest quality of life of any of the 1,146 communities examined in the southern US.
(Methodology: [Methodology</a> for On Numbers’ quality-of-life ratings - The Business Journals](<a href=“http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2011/12/methodology-for-on-numbers-quality-of.html]Methodology”>http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2011/12/methodology-for-on-numbers-quality-of.html))</p>

<p>So, Rice definitely isn’t in a ghetto. haha That’s not to say that it’s impossible for people with ill intentions to get to Rice, of course. Since Houston is the 4th largest city in the country, there will be some miscreants. But while incidents at/near Rice have occurred before, they are very rare. The campus itself is the most policed piece of property its size in the state. With its wonderful surroundings and beautiful campus, Rice’s position is one of the best possible ones for any university. We’re super lucky.</p>

6

<p>Just to add to the running question since being limited to a 2.9 mile loop around Rice would be sad. There is also Hermann park right across the street from Rice. It’s a little more than 2 miles and goes around the zoo and through the golf course. You can also run along the bayous of Houston. You can get to one just which is just over 2 miles away from Rice. One side is paved and the other side is thin grass and dirt. It goes on and on for miles. If you end up coming to Rice you’ll want to either run before 9am or after 10pm until October b/c it is simply too hot and humid.</p>