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September 15, 2006 > Lifestyles > Tupper urges campus unity

Tupper urges campus unity

By Jackie Ammons | For the Thresher

Student Association President Althea Tupper wears many hats — and has matching purses and sunglasses for most of them. She is a Manhattan native, a Baker Institute intern, a sociology and political science major, a Hanszenite, a former Orientation Week coordinator and the head of Rice’s undergraduate governing body.

Tupper is a Hanszen College senior whose petite stature belies a vivacious and perpetually caffeinated personality. She can be spotted with an ever-present Starbucks cup and a smile — and her gregarious greetings belie her Big Apple roots.

But she has a decidedly East-Coast work ethic, cramming an almost obscene amount of extracurricular activities into every New York minute. In addition to SA and Baker Institute duties, she works as a senior admissions interviewer, Rice Women’s Resource Center volunteer, Impact Rice coordinator and career adviser.

Tupper’s diverse interests have few common threads, but they all reflect her interest in the quality of undergraduate life. She said she hopes to improve students’ experiences by creating a more unified campus atmosphere.

“I just wanted to unite the SA and make sure things were getting done,” Tupper said.

Other SA executive committee members share her goals. Internal Vice President Laura Kelley said Tupper has energized the organization and made it more industrious.

“I think she is very on top of the organization of SA and her vision of a more unified Rice,” Kelley, a Brown College junior, said. “Her enthusiasm has really rubbed off on the rest of the SA, especially the executive committee and the senators, and I think it’s going to be a productive year.”

Tupper has plans for concrete changes to student life activities that include improving homecoming.

“My vice presidents, my executive committee and I have been working on homecoming — which has primarily been an alumni event — but it’s going to be an undergraduate event [this year],” she said. “Hopefully, we are going to have this big pep rally outside the stadium before the game.”

Tupper is still early in her term, but some students are responding positively to her leadership — when they hear about the SA’s projects and events. Sid Richardson College sophomore Will Pryor said he looks forward to seeing the SA market itself to students more.

“I think that Althea has done a really good job of making the SA a more transparent organization, one that students can approach,” Pryor said. “They need to publicize what they are doing more.”

Tupper said publicity is top priority.

“We are trying to make the SA name more visible,” she said.

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