Rice previously accepted 491 students from the ED I and QuestBridge cycles and 158 from the inaugural ED II cycle, with 13.2% and 6% acceptance rates respectively.

Last year's class of 2028 had a 7.5% rate, marking the fifth year of decreasing rates since 2020.

This year's admission cycle is the end of a five-year plan announced in 2021 that plans to expand the undergraduate student body to 4,800, a 20% increase. A new residential college is set to be opened in fall 2026.

Sofia Castillo, a newly admitted student from Geronimo, Texas, said she plans to major in mechanical engineering as the first in her family to attend college.

"I'm beyond honored to be accepted into Rice University-my dream school! As a first-generation student, this means everything to me and my family," Castillo wrote in a message to the Thresher. "Thank you, Rice, for believing in me and opening the door to a future I've worked so hard to reach."

Eniola Ajanaku, from Mansfield, Texas, said she was surprised when she was accepted but that it relieved some of the stress of this year's college application cycle.

"I was actually on call with my friend, Kairon, who I met through the [Seeking Opportunities At Rice] program so it was like a full circle moment! We both received the Trustee Distinguished Scholarship so that added even more excitement," Ajanaku wrote. "I just remember feeling so welcome and at home during SOAR and I immediately knew it would be a great fit for me."

Kate Read of Princeton, Texas, plans to major in psychology and said she was shocked to see she got in.

"After months of waiting for the decision, it is such a relief to see the hard work paid off," Read wrote in a message to the Thresher.

During the anniversary, President Reggie DesRoches discussed some of the additional programs that Rice will be creating through research partnerships with other institutions such as the University of California, Davis and Georgia Institute of Technology.

"We made a graduate fellowship for graduate students who demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion," DesRoches said when discussing a research partnership with UC Davis.

Aside from expanding research efforts, DesRoches said he wanted to work on providing resources for underrepresented engineers and fostering a multidimensional space for engineers to collaborate and thrive in.

"[The goal is] acceleration and advancing innovation to make the world better for everyone," DesRoches said.

George R. Brown School of Engineering was founded in 1975 and comprised four engineering concentrations: civil, chemical, electrical and mechanical. Fifty years later, the school has expanded to nine concentrations, as well as increasing the number of labs and makerspaces available to the Rice community.

Some of the speakers included Chris Hyams, the CEO of Indeed.com, Suman Khatiwada, the co-founder and CTO of Syzygy and Tomeka McLeod, the vice president of US bp.

Earl Vanzant '61, who received a degree in chemical engineering before the George R. Brown School of Engineering had been officially established, said his time at Rice strongly impacted his career path.

"I lived on campus all five years," Vanzant said. "I was around a lot of other people and got to know them. I still stay in touch with a few of them."

DesRoches said he hopes to grow the influence and prestige of the engineering school in the future.

"We've built a legacy of impact and world class education," DesRoches said. "So here's to another 50 years and many more.

Basma Bedawi, an Outdoor Show director, said the decision to move the event indoors was made just two days before the festival.

"We decided Thursday morning because the forecast kept changing," said Bedawi, a Hanszen College senior. "Our primary concern was protecting equipment and ensuring performers could safely set up. It was stressful, but the team adapted really well."

Bedawi said logistical hurdles included quickly rearranging performances, craft stations and vendors to fit within Rice Memorial Center's Grand Hall and Ray's Courtyard.

"Our biggest concern was making sure everything still felt cohesive and fun indoors," Bedawi said. "Luckily, no bands or vendors dropped out because of the shift."

Outdoor Show volunteer Anuska Santra said the transition to an indoor festival was relatively smooth despite the quick turnaround.

"The Grand Hall already had a stage, so it worked out quickly," said Santra, a Sid Richardson College senior. "We moved tables around, made decorations like CD garlands and arranged vendor setups indoors. Most things transitioned pretty seamlessly."

The musical lineup continued as planned, featuring indie-pop headliner Laundry Day alongside local artists ORION 224, Alan Warhol and pinkie promise. ktru DJ Stella Shrinsky-de Armas said the festival's indoor location did little to dampen attendee enthusiasm.

"It maybe feels a little less exciting indoors, but it's still obviously a great event," said Shrinsky-de Armas, a McMurtry College freshman. "The goal is not only live music, but specifically local live music. It's important to show people how vibrant our local scene really is."

Brown College junior Emmanuela Akwar said the indoor setting had its advantages, including relief from Houston's heat and humidity.

"I was thinking how nice it was to be inside with the air conditioning," Akwar said. "It still felt cozy with everyone sitting around on blankets."

Akwar added that interactive elements such as temporary tattoo booths, scrapbooking stations and official merchandise sales enhanced her overall experience.

"I bought two Laundry Day shirts because I've been a fan for years," Akwar said. "I also got a temporary tattoo and participated in the scrapbooking activity. It was really fun."

The festival also drew attendees from beyond Rice. University of Houston student Nathanel Manzano said this was his first time attending a ktru event.

"I've been wanting to explore Houston's underground music scene, so this was really enjoyable," Manzano said. "The only downside indoors is sometimes it's harder to clearly hear the artists' lyrics."

The festival's associated Archi Market took place in Ray's Courtyard, continuing to showcase Rice student creativity. Santra said the market was popular among attendees.

"I stepped outside briefly and saw a lot of familiar vendors," Santra said. "There was cool vintage clothing, delicious Greek food and even a vendor drawing portraits in five minutes. It was great as usual."

Bedawi said the event emphasized the importance of flexibility and community.

"You can't control the weather, but you can control your reaction to it," Bedawi said. "I'm grateful to our team for adapting so quickly. It's my last show as director, and I'm proud that we pulled off a successful event despite everything."

The Owls welcomed the Pirates back to Reckling Park for the first time since 2016 for their first home conference series of the 2025 season. Rice entered the series with a 6-20 overall record and a 1-2 record in American Athletic Conference play, while ECU boasted a 15-10 overall record and was undefeated in the AAC.

Rice has faced difficulty winning games against ECU in the past. In their last matchup of the 2024 season, Rice overcame an early 7-1 deficit to come within one run by the bottom of the sixth inning, but were unable to keep ECU from scoring in the seventh, ultimately falling 8-7.

With Rice taking three losses last weekend, ECU extended their winning streak over Rice to eight.

ECU holds the NCAA record for the most tournament appearances without a World Series appearance and has finished in the top slot in AAC standings every year since 2021.

Led by new head coach David Pierce, the Owls played a strong Friday game. Junior pitcher Davion Hickson posted the longest start of the season. Through those eight innings, he threw nine strikeouts - the most by an Owl this season.

Pierce said Hickson's stillness between pitches is one of his defining characteristics.

"He competed really well," Pierce said. "He was locked in, and he gave us a chance to win. That's what you look for from a Friday night starter, a guy that's going to go out there and compete to give you a chance to win."

Freshman outfielder Blaine Brown kept the Owls in contention with a late sixth-inning homer over the right wall, lowering the four-run deficit to two. This was his second home run of the season and extended his hitting streak to eight games.

After Friday night, Pierce said he wanted to see the team put more pressure on ECU to force them to make mistakes.

"You look at these close games and one team doesn't make the mistakes that the other team makes, and that's the difference in the game," Pierce said. "Until we do that, guys are going to have their best outings against us."

During the Saturday game, Rice took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, then redshirt freshman Colin Robson scored again in the seventh, extending the lead to three.

Senior pitcher J.D. McCracken held ECU scoreless for seven innings before letting up three runs in the eighth and ninth innings, tying the game. ECU ultimately scored two more runs in the eleventh inning, clinching their second win of the series.

In the final game against ECU on Sunday, the Owls trailed five runs until junior pinch hitter Jacob Devenny fired a three-run homer. Freshman shortstop Michael Zito later scored the fourth run, and senior outfielder Tobias Motley brought in the fifth run with a solo home run in the eighth inning, bringing the Owls within three runs.

The Owls loaded the bases in the ninth inning, approaching a tie game, but the Pirates ultimately ended the game by catching Zito's fly ball in the left field.

Since Pierce joined as head coach following José Cruz Jr.'s firing March 13, the Owls have played nine games, and continue to hold a losing record. Despite this, Pierce said he appreciates how the players have positively responded to his leadership.

"I'm so impressed with their attitude of really wanting to be pushed, and I think they're going to continue to respond," Pierce said. "Even though we lost, I still saw a lot of fight."

Pierce said there is a lingering awkwardness within the organization due to the nature of his hiring. Pierce said that while it was an unconventional move to start immediately, he felt there was no time to waste.

"It's just kind of uncomfortable for people," Pierce said. "[I'm] trying to make people as comfortable as possible. I'm a fast learner when it comes to baseball, and this is what I came to do, so my goal is to try to fast forward this progress as quick as possible."

Rice will face the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley April 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Reckling Park.

Sam Balakrishnan, a McMurtry College junior, said she was excited about the Rice-branded merch.

"Everyone should be able to represent their school, especially Rice because we have such a culture of care. I would like to see more programs in the future," Balakrishnan said.

The SA created the program in 2024 because they were concerned that current students were paying the same price for merchandise as regular visitors to the bookstore, according to SA President Trevor Tobey.

"We met with [Housing and Dining], and, ultimately, it ended with us having that discussion, and we ultimately got the discount," said Tobey, a Hanszen College junior. "I'm hoping it's just a starting point for more."

Tobey said he wants the program to be a start in making the bookstore more accessible for students.

"I'm hoping that it will incentivize students to get stuff from the bookstore and make shopping there more affordable … I think this is almost a pilot program for more to come," Tobey said.

Tobey says the program fits well with their mission of making bookstore items more affordable to students. He also said that by making the merch more affordable, the program will increase student spirit at Rice by creating more engagement with culture and ensuring that the administration can support Rice teams on campus.

According to Julia Gartrell, the artist behind the installation, the work is titled "Repair Station," and represents a collaboration between the Moody Center the Arts' Platform series and the Humanities Research Center, whose 2023-2025 theme is "Repair."

Gartrell said she imagines students will use the repair station materials to mend everyday objects, such as torn pieces of clothing. However, the artist also intentionally infuses a theme of unconventional repair into the installation.

One such example is found in the color of all the materials provided: a bright, almost fluorescent yellow, which will cause the repairs to stand out rather than blend in, Gartrell said.

"Yellow is this color of alert and safety, it's very intentionally visible," Gartrell said. "It highlights the repair, it's going to be a very present thing … I like that it will start to trickle out along campus."

Gartrell's sculpture was inspired in part by her 'Radical Repair Workshop,' a traveling interactive repair shop and gallery operating out of a renovated vintage camper.

Gartrell started the workshop in 2020, and her emphasis on unconventional repair was a consistent theme throughout the project.

"Everyone has some kind of relationship to repair, and we hang on to things that are broken," Gartrell said. "Part of the goal of my project was to get people talking about those things, and [to do] some repair that was functional but also, for things that were beyond functional repair, figuring out a way to memorialize the item."

One such notable 'repair' came at a ceramic repair workshop series Gartrell did at Duke University, where a student brought a broken sculpture that had belonged to a deceased relative.

"She was really tormented by having this thing, by it being broken and feeling unfinished," Gartrell said. "And so she smashed it to smithereens, and then took all those pieces and re-fabricated a new item. It was really cathartic for her."

Gartrell's formal artistic training is in sculpture, but she said much of her research and interest in repurposing or mending objects was inspired by her ancestry.

"In grad school I did a lot of research into Appalachian craft," Gartrell said. "My dad's side of the family [was] in rural Georgia - subsistence farmers. If you're really isolated, really rural, really poor, there's a creativity that comes along with that."

Traditional craftsmanship, born out of necessity, is a skill that Gartrell said she believes is dying out in a contemporary age of consumerism.

"We live in an insane time where there's no limitations on materials or things," Gartrell said. "What happens when we're skipping multiple generations who don't know how to sew a button on?"

These themes connect to the physical elements of Gartrell's installation, which she said reflects her vision of a society where publicly-subsidized repair stations are commonplace.

"Tile is this really ubiquitous material: you see it in subways, you see it in bathrooms, you see it in public parks … I wanted it to be plausible that a city parks and rec would be able to manufacture one of these things," Gartrell said. "What if the concept of the repair was something that was supported publicly?"

Gartrell's "Repair Station" will be on view at Rice through May 10.

Alongside the materials provided, the sculpture includes QR codes to a variety of mending tutorials, as well as videos documenting the history of cultural craft - which she hopes will inspire students to think differently about their broken or worn-down objects.

"It is so nice to sit and fix something and say 'hey, I did that,'" Gartrell said. "I think part of the purpose of being on a college campus is to shake people up a little bit. A lot of people are doing a lot of heavy academic lifting, and sometimes just the act of doing something with your hands can unlock some new idea."

"I thank God for … an opportunity to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the country," Fisher wrote in an Instagram post.

She also expressed gratitude for her coaches, teammates, family and the Rice community for their support.

Fisher, a four-year starter for the Owls, averaged 12.6 points, 2.1 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game during her final season at Rice.

During the semifinal round of the American Athletic Conference tournament March 11, she accumulated 18 points and nine boards while sinking a 3-point shot and going 3-for-3 from the foul line. She earned a spot on the AAC All-Conference First Team one year after being named All-Tournament MVP.

The WNBA Draft will be held April 14 in New York as 13 franchises make 38 selections over three rounds.

Baseball vs. Texas Southern University

March 26 - Rice 12, TSU 3

Men's Tennis vs. Tulane University

March 28 - Rice 4, Tulane 2

Baseball vs. East Carolina University

March 28 - Rice 2, ECU 4

March 29 - Rice 3, ECU 5 (F/11)

March 30 - Rice 5, ECU 8

Baseball at Sam Houston State University

April 1 - Rice 9, Sam Houston 1

What's next from April 2 to 8

Baseball vs. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

April 2, 6:30 p.m. - Home on ESPN+

Women's Soccer at Houston Christian University

April 3 - Away

Men's Track and Field at Tom Tellez Alumni Invitational

April 4-5 - Away

Women's Track and Field at Tom Tellez Alumni Invitational

April 4-5 - Away

Men's Tennis vs. University of North Carolina at Charlotte

April 4, 11 a.m. - Home on PlaySight

Women's Tennis at University of South Florida

April 4, 12 p.m. - Away on YouTube

Baseball at Tulane University

April 4-6 - Away on ESPN+

Women's Tennis at #46 Florida International University

April 5, 12 p.m. - Away

Men's Tennis vs. University of Texas at San Antonio

April 6, 11 a.m. - Home on PlaySight

Women's Tennis vs. #54 Wichita State University

April 8, 10 a.m. - Home on PlaySight

Baseball at University of Houston

April 8, 6:30 p.m. - Away

Jim Bevan, head coach of the women's team and in his 39th season with the program, said the meet gave the teams a relaxed return to the season.

"It was a very low-key spring break meet," Bevan said. "We didn't run everybody. It was just something to break the cobwebs off."

The coaches of the men's and women's teams said both are striving for success.

John Warren, head coach of the men's team in his 30th year with the program, said he hopes to see his athletes place top three in the American Athletic Conference, make the national meet and play to their strengths.

Bevan said he has similar competitive goals and wants his athletes to reach their full potential.

"We're all working towards finishing as high as we can at conference and getting as many people as we can into nationals," Bevan said. "We want to get maximum development and stay healthy."

Both teams face significant competition within the AAC from universities with strong programs like the University of South Florida, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Tulane University and the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Warren said the men's team hopes to use their strong throwing lineup to gain an advantage over other AAC programs.

"We've got Jack Greaves, Aryan Padaruth and Gus Henry in the javelin," Warren said. "Freshman Juan Marais is just phenomenal at the discus. We throw in [sophomore] Daniel Sowell. We throw in that combination of guys in discus and shot; that's our strongest area."

Warren said his primary vision is ensuring his team can use its strengths to make up for any potential deficiencies.

"When there's 21 events, you're going to be weak in one," Warren said. "Our weakness is probably going to be in the pure sprints. The goal is to try to not be weak in any area, but we have to give up in certain areas to cover others."

As for runners, Warren mentioned juniors Gus Gannon and Christian Edgar. Last season, Gannon placed second in the AAC in the steeplechase and the 1500.

Warren also expressed high hopes for Edgar, who he said has improved in the 110 hurdles and as a leg on the 4x400.

The women's team also enters the upcoming season with a roster of medalling athletes.

"Right now, we've got perhaps the best sprinter we've ever had at Rice: Saniya Friendly," Bevan said. "She broke our school record in the 60, and we anticipate her doing great things on the outdoor track. Riana Green is going to make a breakthrough in the 400 and maybe the 400 hurdles this spring."

Junior Amelie Attenborough, who runs the 800 and the mile, said the distance runners are also gearing up to win.

"We've definitely got a lot of young talent this year, which is really exciting," Attenborough said. "That, partnered with a bunch of really experienced and high-performing athletes, can be a really powerful combination."

Bevan said he has high expectations for his field events as well.

"Alice Taylor was fifth in the nation at one time last year, and her twin sister, Josie, is an All-American high jumper," Bevan said. "Elena Siemens is a senior pole vaulter who I think is ready to have her best season."

Bevan also said the team is ready for a successful season.

"This is like the fourth lap of a mile," Bevan said. "We're getting ready to come down the home stretch, and holding rest, studying and training together for the next five weeks is a big deal. So this is kind of like it's time to kick."

Both coaches also had words of encouragement for their teams as they begin the season.

"You're here for two reasons: academics and athletics," Warren said. "Focus on those primary things, and everything will be great."

The Owls will host another home meet April 26 at 6 p.m.

Score: ★★★★½

When I think of "Invincible," I immediately picture Mark Grayson at the emotional center of his universe, much like Spider-Man anchors the Marvel world. Mark is a hero deeply shaped by tragedy, yet driven by a seemingly impossible desire to remain good. Despite pure intentions, his efforts often backfire spectacularly. And ultimately, despite his reluctance, he faces uncomfortable truths about what it genuinely means to be heroic.

"We can either be the good guys or the ones who save the world" encapsulates the ethical dilemma that pulses throughout the third season of "Invincible." Spoilers ahead.

"Invincible," created by Robert Kirkman and streaming on Amazon Prime Video, is an adult animated series following Mark Grayson's journey into superheroism under increasingly harsh realities. Season three zeroes in on Mark's conscious refusal to kill and his turbulent relationship with the powerless yet brutal Cecil Stedman. The entire season meticulously explores the ethical tension between moral purity and practical necessity through the ongoing friction between Cecil's pragmatism and Mark's idealism. By the season's end, we're left grappling with the unsettling consequences of wishing for a protagonist too pure to face the harsh realities of heroism.

"Invincible" excels precisely because it uses graphic violence, death and compelling character arcs not simply for shock value (especially Rex Splode) but to underscore profound questions about heroism itself. Season three's latter half, particularly during the harrowing Invincible War, brilliantly reveals that our Mark is the only "good Mark" amid countless alternate realities. Ironically, in a show filled with fantastical powers and extreme gore, Mark's unwavering resolve to remain heroic is the most unrealistic element. However, this resolve holds his universe together realistically and admirably.

The season's climax features Mark's battle against Conquest and is unflinchingly brutal, capturing in its sheer violence the essence of Mark's internal struggle. It demands audiences confront the uncomfortable truth about heroism: victory often carries an unbearable cost, and survival might mean losing the innocence you fought desperately to protect.

When Mark momentarily loses himself after his girlfriend, Atom Eve, appears to have been murdered by Conquest, viewers watch a hero confront a harsh reality: sometimes protecting loved ones means crossing lines he swore never to cross. Steven Yeun delivers an extraordinary vocal performance as Invincible, turning lines that could easily seem melodramatic into raw, devastating battle cries. Paired with Jeffrey Dean Morgan's chilling and haunting delivery of Conquest's monologue, the series reaches its emotional and narrative pinnacle.

If there's one critique, it might be that the season reserves most of its intense action for its latter half. However, it's impossible to genuinely fault it when we're gifted two extraordinary, near-perfect story arcs back-to-back. Every second kept me captivated, convinced I was witnessing storytelling at its finest. It's more than just great television - it's a powerful meditation on heroism, loss, and resilience that solidifies "Invincible" as one of the greatest superhero stories ever told.

I am convinced that this season of "Invincible" will be studied extensively for the compelling ethical questions it poses to audiences: What does it truly mean to be a hero, and at what point - if ever - is killing justified? Mark Grayson's painful journey this season perfectly frames these moral dilemmas, setting the stage brilliantly for what's to come. With the looming promise of the full-scale Viltrumite War next season, anticipation couldn't be higher. There's no doubt the future will push Mark even closer to his breaking point, demanding sacrifices and forcing choices he never imagined he'd make. But that's simply what it means to be "Invincible."

Score: ★★★★

Even if you weren't annoying in middle school, the first thing that probably comes to mind when you hear the name Daveed Diggs is "Hamilton." But before Diggs made his debut as Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette on Broadway, he was creating dark and mechanical soundscapes as the lead vocalist of the experimental hip hop outfit "clipping." along with fellow musicians William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes.

clipping.'s music couldn't be further from that of "Hamilton": it's abrasive, raw and oftentimes politically radical. The group has always had an electronic dance element to their sound, but on their newest project "Dead Channel Sky," EDM pulses take center stage across nearly every track. In imagining a radical future both musically and sociopolitically, the trio serves up a rave that champions the great equalizer: dance.

Diggs sets the tone on the ominous opener, pulling listeners into the album's glitchy cyberpunk world. He lays out the central themes of media overconsumption, technology's dehumanizing effects and a call to rebellion. It's a landscape reminiscent of a William Gibson novel - a clear inspiration for "Dead Channel Sky."

"Dominator" begins a three-track run that stands as some of the album's best material. Driven by the same brand of techno music that powered Charli XCX's "365" remix with Shygirl, "Dominator" continues to illustrate the dystopian world of "Dead Channel Sky" with lyrics like "Ads up in the sky so you can see them when you're on your back / You might almost see the day too with the sun ray through satellites that have replaced the clouds."

Diggs is someone who knows how to write provocative and memorable lyrics. There are few better examples than his work on "Change the Channel." With one-liners like "asbestos is best for breakfast," Diggs illustrates the atmosphere of the album's dystopia with aplomb over aggressive breakbeats and basslines.

"Run It" is similarly vivid, featuring a bleak image of a drug-fueled fever dream in blazing Detroit techno. "Run It" exemplifies the '90s EDM influences throughout this project, illustrating how this album uses the electronica of the past to capture the sounds of the future.

The next song, "Go," exemplifies the main problem with this project: there are too many tracks that contribute very little to the project as a whole. "Go" functions best as an outro to "Run It" and is too slight to be memorable as anything but that.

The album gets back on track with "Code" and "Dodger." The latter track tells the story of an authoritarian world overly reliant on technology and a hacker that strives to rebel. The track examines the complexity and necessity of rebellion while heavy, uptempo breakbeats contribute to the sinister atmosphere of totalitarian suppression and control.

"Keep Pushing" is probably the least EDM (and fittingly the least cyberpunk) of the project's highlights, harkening back to Diggs's West Coast background in its production. On this track, Diggs weaves a narrative that tackles capitalism, addiction, violence, systemic inequality and societal amnesia.There's a string of hope and resilience here that is peppered throughout the album.

"Mirrorshades Pt. 2" continues this theme of resilience and rebellion. From "The Matrix" to "Nemesis," the mirrorshades are one of the most common motifs of the cyberpunk canon. By shielding the eyes - and therefore the intentions - of revolutionaries, they are a symbol of uprising. "Mirrorshades Pt. 2" is the album's party track and makes revolution against cyberpunk totalitarian regimes sound downright sexy.

After an interlude and a great Aesop Rock feature that explores the allure of virtual worlds, "Dead Channel Sky" reaches its conclusion with "Ask What Happened."

"Ask What Happened" intricately includes historical references to the Vietnam War, Iran-Contra affair, Central Park 5 and Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. Mentions of "railroad tracks," "punch cards," and "phreaking phones" evoke historical moments where technology was re-appropriated or "hacked" to challenge societal norms. It's the most thematically dense of the project's tracks, and plays over an ominous and sparse piece from Hutson and Snipes, forcing its listener to pay attention to Diggs's words.

"Dead Channel Sky" is clipping.'s bold foray into an electronic realm - equal parts harsh sonic landscape and vibrant EDM infusion. The project occasionally stumbles with forgettable interludes, but its strongest tracks blend dystopian imagery, incisive social commentary and immersive storytelling into a cohesive vision of future rebellion. Ultimately, "Dead Channel Sky" cements clipping. as architects of a uniquely unsettling and prescient sound, further proving they remain essential voices in modern experimental music.

"[Playing with an orchestra] really lit me up in a way I didn't think was possible," said Butler, a Jones College senior.

According to Butler, she chose Rice both for its renowned orchestra program and the unique community of music students.

"A lot of [programs], especially the ones that are this high a level, are very cutthroat and competitive," Butler said. "I find the environment actually really collaborative. We all realize that we're all good, and we're all just trying to lift each other towards our goals."

This aspect of community aligns with Butler's philosophy towards playing the violin. She said she believes that every musician has their own cocktail of strengths and weaknesses and something to share with their peers.

"I love playing more lyrical pieces where I can dig into the nuances of each note," Butler said. "I get a little more insecure when it comes to faster, more technical playing, whereas a lot of my peers excel at that, so I can look up to them in that regard."

A highlight of her Rice experience, Butler said, was participating in Shepherd's "Just for U Music Program," a community outreach initiative. As part of this program, Butler and fellow Jones senior Zev Malina were given the opportunity to create a musical presentation for middle school students. "Playing for kids, I find, is just a totally different experience than playing for peers and adults because it's just so low pressure," Butler said. "The kids will be impressed no matter what you do, and seeing their lit-up faces and smiles, it makes it feel like it's all worth it."

Another aspect of Rice that Butler said has benefited her is the opportunity to have friends outside of Shepherd.

"They're some of my most cherished friendships," Butler said. "When you're in the environment at Shepherd all the time, it's easy to feel like just another cog in the machine, but when you go outside … having people who think what you do is really cool is sometimes a much-needed ego boost."

Kathleen Winkler, the Dorothy Richard Starling Professor of Classical Violin and Butler's studio professor and mentor, said Butler has been an exceptional student throughout her time at Rice.

"As a violinist, she is a remarkable blend of talent, passion, temperament, and resilience," Winkler said. "As a person, she is as authentic as they come, always speaking her truth with kind conviction. Katie's effervescent personality is recognized and admired by all who meet her." Looking toward the future, Butler said she hopes to start a master's program on the East or West Coast and make connections in a place outside of Houston.

"I've been in Houston all my life," Butler said. "I was born and raised here, so that means I've made a lot of great connections, but I'm really looking forward to establishing a new life in a different city."

Reflecting on her time at Rice, Butler said she would encourage current students to remember themselves while focusing on their passions.

"As a musician, especially at Shepherd, it's really easy to let your identity, like 'Katie the violinist,' take over your whole personality," Butler said. "I find that now that I've started doing other things, like camping and tennis, that has benefited my music in ways that I couldn't access being 'Katie the violinist' all the time."

Over the three years I have been writing for the Thresher, I consider myself lucky when I'm able to review just one movie directed by one of my favorite filmmakers. Steven Soderbergh is the exception, somehow releasing two movies - "Presence" and "Black Bag" - in just two months.

"Presence," released earlier this year, shocked me, as the film's craftsmanship significantly elevated its tacky horror premise. "Black Bag," on the other hand, was unsurprising in the best way, meeting my high expectations set by the film's excellent trailers.

The film follows George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), an MI6 spy tasked with investigating a group of his coworkers, one of whom has supposedly leaked top-secret code with the potential to destabilize a government. Woodhouse, however, is faced with an immediate difficulty - his primary suspect is his wife and fellow MI6 operative Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett).

If you aren't sold on the idea of Fassbender and Blanchett playing married spies in an Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit, you probably don't like movies and should stop reading my reviews. Fortunately for the rest of us, "Black Bag" lives up to that premise. The film channels the trademark slickness and deceitfulness of Soderbergh's classics ("Ocean's Eleven," "Out of Sight") while benefiting from the sharpness and economy of his more recent pictures.

This latter element can likely be attributed to the screenplay by veteran David Koepp, who has served as the sole writer for Soderbergh's last three feature films. Koepp's latest mystery interrogates how workplace stress interacts with romance. "Black Bag" is simple but makes all the right moves, maintaining intensity throughout by constructing fascinating ensemble interactions.

Fassbender and Blanchett have a chemistry that extends beyond physical space. They portray a fiery, romantic interiority, contrasting their cold outward appearances. These characters firmly control the screen, but somewhat disappointingly, they feel a bit too familiar with other roles in Fassbender and Blanchett's respective catalogs ("The Killer" immediately comes to mind).

Outside the leading duo, the other suspects embroiled in the plot bring a needed depth to the production. Tom Burke is delightfully scuzzy as a managing agent, Marisa Abela balances intuition and naïveté as a satellite communications worker and Regé-Jean Page and Naomie Harris portray a surprisingly realistic dysfunctional relationship that foils the film's main characters.

Having great performances locked into a well-crafted script is enough to make "Black Bag" worthy of recommendation, but Soderbergh's filmmaking, once again, steals the show. Nothing feels accidental: The lighting always has a gorgeous blue tint or warm glow, the characters move with dramatic precision and each scene is structured to mount tension without overplaying its hand.

Best of all, everything I have described is done in 90 minutes. The pacing is sublime compared to the inflated runtimes that define most movies in cinemas today. "Black Bag" is a must-see because it stands in opposition to overstuffed, underdelivering films. It's a mysterious, sleek and - most importantly - original thriller made by one of the greatest working filmmakers. See it before Soderbergh somehow releases another movie this year.

Directed by Jonathan Gonzalez, director of education at Main Street Theater, the production combined nostalgic charm with modern humor, exploring mature themes such as drugs, relationships and Satanic cults through comedic hijinks.

Helena Kotschoubey, a Brown College freshman who played the ensemble-encompassing role "Everyone Else #2," said the play begins with familiar cartoon tropes before quickly taking a dark comedic turn.

"The show starts as this cute teenage mystery-solving gang catching goofy villains, but tragedy strikes - they lose their 'Scooby-Doo,'" Kotschoubey said. "It then flashes forward 15 years, and they're washed-up adults who reunite to solve the mystery of their dog's murder."

Jordi De Jong, a Jones College sophomore, portrayed the other half of the ensemble as "Everyone Else #1." She said playing multiple roles required sustained creative energy.

"Playing ensemble characters meant constantly shifting between silly personalities," De Jong said. "Every time we're on stage, we have to find new ways to make each character distinctive."

Gonzalez said Rice's curious students enriched the comedic experience.

"Rice students approach theater intelligently and analytically," Gonzalez said. "They combine structured approaches with spontaneous improv, which makes for great theater."

Set designer Rob Kimbro '95 described his vision for the colorful set that immediately evoked nostalgia.

"Since it's a 'Scooby-Doo' parody, I wanted a colorful set that evoked that cartoon world - something playful, bright and flexible for the actors," Kimbro said.

Meara McCarthy, a Duncan College sophomore who portrayed the character of Gwen, said the rehearsal process was especially joyful.

"I've laughed harder in rehearsals than I have in years," McCarthy said. "The joy behind the scenes has been incredible."

Audience members praised the show's energetic performances. Nadia Thieriot, a McMurtry College junior, said she enjoyed how engaging the production was.

"I had a wonderful time," Thieriot said. "The show was hilarious, and I loved how interactive it was - especially the moments when actors engaged directly with the audience."

John Israel, a junior at Hanszen College, said he particularly enjoyed the references to the original cartoon.

"The show was silly, goofy and highly entertaining," Israel said. "My favorite part was the chase scene - it captured that classic 'Scooby-Doo' feel perfectly."

Producer Kyra McKauffley said the Rice Players carefully selected "The Solve It Squad" to resonate with Rice students' experiences and sense of humor.

"We chose this play because it resonated with our generation who grew up watching 'Scooby-Doo,'" said McKauffley, a Martel College senior. "Seeing the audience enjoy and laugh at our show validated all our hard work."

Despite the comedic elements, Kimbro said the production also represented the Rice Players' ongoing commitment to highlighting student-led artistic expression at a STEM-focused university.

"Rice Players has always been a diverse group of students - engineers, humanities majors, all collaborating to tell stories," Kimbro said. "Artistic practice complements STEM by teaching empathy and storytelling."

Thieriot said she has attended multiple Rice Players productions to support the importance of student theater.

"Student-run theater like Rice Players is crucial - it gives students a voice, agency and keeps the arts alive on campus," Thieriot said.

Students are making adjustments to chugging strategies, time trials are underway and volunteers for activities are being rallied.

Planning for this year's Beer Bike began the day immediately after the 2024 event ended. The Rice Program Council's Beer Bike coordinators are the team behind it.

Wiley Liou, the Beer Bike committee co-chair, said the team's work continues during the summer.

"Throughout the summer, our focus is on setting dates for our countless meetings, getting our website and social media prepared, preparing our budget for the event and detailing the tasks each member will take on," said Liou, a Baker College junior.

Roles such as area coordinators and external track coordinators make up the procession of Beer Bike to ensure each aspect of the event is covered.

Marilyn Gan, the Beer Bike concessions area coordinator, said the team worked hard to refine each detail from enacting safety measures to finalizing the budget well before fall semester started.

"I contacted various vendors and juggled quotes, until I was able to finalize everything. After spring break, I passed things over to Heather [Associate Director of Student Engagement] to wrap everything up," said Gan, a Sid Richardson College freshman. "Now, I'm working on various instructions and things like allergen information sheets."

While Beer Bike planning is a year-long effort, Liou said the final month is the last stretch where things get truly chaotic.

"The final month before Beer Bike basically becomes a full-time job," Liou said. "I worked on assigning and contacting the nearly 150 volunteer shifts to make the event successful and on schedule. With roles ranging from breathalyzing to concessions, we're extremely grateful for everyone who is giving up their time on Saturday to make everything run smoothly."

This year, volunteer recruitment saw an unexpected surge in participation with new incentives like fine reductions.

"We were asking for 10-12 [volunteers] per college, but ended up receiving 32 responses from one college, some actually being racers as well," Liou said. "We ended up having to turn down some volunteers, which I don't know if that has been done in the past.

"These last weeks before Beer Bike are when the RPC teams' routines get thrown out...this organized chaos really embodies what Beer Bike is all about," Liou said.

To ensure all volunteers and Beer Bike staff are prepared for race day, the coordinators conduct drills and practice runs, enlisting Student Center workers to act as first-time Beer Bike attendees. Liou said the drills were a moment of unexpected laughter.

"It was both entertaining and informative to see all them imitate first-year attendees not knowing where to go as we tried to breathalyze and 'check' them in," Liou said.

Gan said the long hours, stress and last-minute changes are all part of the Beer Bike experience.

"Being a coord has forced me to step out of my comfort zone. Serving as a Beer Bike coordinator has been so many roles wrapped into one, balancing responsibilities in graphic design, media management, event planning, public relations and recruitment," Gan said.

For Gan, the reward is simple: "Bragging rights."

Students are making adjustments to chugging strategies, time trials are underway and volunteers for activities are being rallied.

Planning for this year's Beer Bike began the day immediately after the 2024 event ended. The Rice Program Council's Beer Bike coordinators are the team behind it.

Wiley Liou, the Beer Bike committee co-chair, said the team's work continues during the summer.

"Throughout the summer, our focus is on setting dates for our countless meetings, getting our website and social media prepared, preparing our budget for the event and detailing the tasks each member will take on," said Liou, a Baker College junior.

Roles such as area coordinators and external track coordinators make up the procession of Beer Bike to ensure each aspect of the event is covered.

Marilyn Gan, the Beer Bike concessions area coordinator, said the team worked hard to refine each detail from enacting safety measures to finalizing the budget well before fall semester started.

"I contacted various vendors and juggled quotes, until I was able to finalize everything. After spring break, I passed things over to Heather [Associate Director of Student Engagement] to wrap everything up," said Gan, a Sid Richardson College freshman. "Now, I'm working on various instructions and things like allergen information sheets."

While Beer Bike planning is a year-long effort, Liou said the final month is the last stretch where things get truly chaotic.

"The final month before Beer Bike basically becomes a full-time job," Liou said. "I worked on assigning and contacting the nearly 150 volunteer shifts to make the event successful and on schedule. With roles ranging from breathalyzing to concessions, we're extremely grateful for everyone who is giving up their time on Saturday to make everything run smoothly."

This year, volunteer recruitment saw an unexpected surge in participation with new incentives like fine reductions.

"We were asking for 10-12 [volunteers] per college, but ended up receiving 32 responses from one college, some actually being racers as well," Liou said. "We ended up having to turn down some volunteers, which I don't know if that has been done in the past.

"These last weeks before Beer Bike are when the RPC teams' routines get thrown out...this organized chaos really embodies what Beer Bike is all about," Liou said.

To ensure all volunteers and Beer Bike staff are prepared for race day, the coordinators conduct drills and practice runs, enlisting Student Center workers to act as first-time Beer Bike attendees. Liou said the drills were a moment of unexpected laughter.

"It was both entertaining and informative to see all them imitate first-year attendees not knowing where to go as we tried to breathalyze and 'check' them in," Liou said.

Gan said the long hours, stress and last-minute changes are all part of the Beer Bike experience.

"Being a coord has forced me to step out of my comfort zone. Serving as a Beer Bike coordinator has been so many roles wrapped into one, balancing responsibilities in graphic design, media management, event planning, public relations and recruitment," Gan said.

For Gan, the reward is simple: "Bragging rights."