BSA, HACER help kick off O-Week with new student receptions

President Leebron visits with new students at the Aug. 11 HACER reception in Herring Hall.

The Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice (HACER) invited incoming Hispanic and Latino freshmen to a mixer Aug. 11 in Herring Hall. Students were greeted with boxes of fresh-baked pan dulce, colorful T-shirts and HACER representatives sharing information about the club’s outreach and cultural activities, which include popular annual events such as Ritmo! and Latin Pub Night.

Later, inside Herring Hall’s auditorium, students were greeted with remarks by staff and faculty including Rice President David Leebron, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, Student Association President Ariana Engles and Richard Tapia, University Professor, the Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering and a professor of computational and applied mathematics who was the first Latino to receive the National Medal of Science. (Photos by Liseth Perez-Sanchez)

Professor Tapia alongside David Medina ’83, director of multicultural community relations at Rice, and Lovett College senior Arlen Suarez, co-president of HACER.

Rice’s Black Student Association hosted a reception for incoming students Aug. 11 in Herring Hall. Reginald DesRoches, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering; Yvette Pearson, associate dean for accreditation and assessment at the George R. Brown School of Engineering; and associate professor of history Alexander Byrd were among the faculty and staff who gave remarks.

Afterward, breakout sessions were held for both parents and students, followed by a “home life” panel with speakers including Chief of Police James Tate and representatives from Housing and Dining, the Office of the Registrar and the Office of Multicultural Affairs. (Photo provided by Summar McGee)