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Arts and Entertainment

A&E 1/18/22 11:35pm

Review: Hanya Yanagihara’s 'To Paradise' — It took me there

By Hugo Gerbich-Pais

The first man will never have to work in his life, in fact he is so wealthy he can leave everything to chase love. The second man is a broke paralegal who fled from his homeland and is now dating his wealthy boss. The third is a successful virologist, whose very success has trapped him instead of freeing him.

A&E 1/18/22 11:30pm

Review: Earl Sweatshirt embraces lush production and a newfound openness on ‘SICK!’

By Jacob Pellegrino

Earl Sweatshirt’s “SICK!” sees him use his shortcomings as fuel for a personal rebirth and desire for self-improvement. A lot has changed for Earl since his 2019 EP, “FEET OF CLAY.” At that time, he had been struggling with alcohol addiction and “an endless loop of self-harm and isolation.” Now, he has been working towards recovery by reducing alcohol and drug use while trying to be a good father to his young son.

A&E 1/18/22 11:28pm

Review: The Lumineers embrace an undercurrent of hope on ‘BRIGHTSIDE’

By Jacob Pellegrino

In late 2019, The Lumineers released one of the best albums of that year, “III,” an intimate portrayal of the long-reaching effects of addiction on a family. Accompanied by a video series, the album was deeply cinematic and emotional in a way that stayed with listeners. As the title might make you guess, “BRIGHTSIDE” is a very different animal. Their new album always has an undercurrent of hope and redemption, even in its darkest moments. It also veers from the conceptual nature of “III,” while still having a unity and focus that leads to a consistent listen.

A&E 1/18/22 11:27pm

Change your scenery: study spots a short trip from Rice

By Disha Baldawa

Tired of never finding a seat at Chaus and always losing your favorite study spot at Fondy to someone else? Don’t want to study in your room but don’t know of places outside where you can do so? Look no further for a list of cafés, restaurants and more near Rice to explore for a change of pace while attempting to get through work this semester. 

A&E 1/18/22 11:21pm

Black Art at Rice: Talking with one-man band David Ikejiani

By Emily Ma

David Ikejiani, a Duncan College senior, is a one-man band — he sings, plays instruments from the saxophone to the ukulele, and writes his own music. On top of all this, he has also forged his own community of fellow musicians and artists in the Rice Music Collective and works tirelessly to ensure that students can come together in a shared creative space. He reflects upon his own musical journey, the challenges he has faced in balancing rigorous academics with music and his advice for other Black students to find support and community. Ikejani is currently working on releasing an EP.

A&E 1/11/22 10:50pm

Review: The Weeknd’s ‘Dawn FM’ is a purgatorial meditation on love and lust

By Jacob Pellegrino

There’s something surreal about seeing someone you listened to when you were younger perform with white hair and wrinkles. While this experience is typically reserved for people who have long graduated college, The Weeknd’s album cover and videos for his new album “Dawn FM” artificially accelerate this. To promote the album, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) staged a livestream via Amazon of the album being played for a live audience where he stood in the center of a neon-lit platform, dancing and reacting to the music. Like his previous Super Bowl performance and the music video series for “After Hours,” he committed to the character created on the album cover, performing with the aged face and white hair seen on the promotional imagery.

A&E 1/11/22 10:48pm

Spring into the arts (at the last minute)

By Sara Davidson

With the spring semester upon us, those who are still short on hours or want another class to add to their schedule can rest easy. Below are some open arts-related classes which range from visual arts to film to music. These classes have something for everyone and accommodate a variety of skill levels, allowing students the chance to try things that might have otherwise been out of their comfort zone. As we spend the first two weeks on Zoom dreaming of classes with available seats, here are several to consider during the add/drop period. 

A&E 1/11/22 10:32pm

Houston artists to look out for in 2022

By Jacob Tate

Despite what revisionist hipsters may tell you, Houston has always been the heart of Texan music. Zydeco came from the wards, Southern rap came from the Southside, Texan folk came from Anderson Fair and Beyonce came from the suburbs, but we still claim her. If anything, the last few years have shown us that Houston brings musical chops to the national level with Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott and Lizzo repping to various degrees. While Houston has its own accepted canon of local music, there are many new artists making a name for themselves across the scene. Here’s a few of our favorites to check out in 2022. 

A&E 1/11/22 10:28pm

Familiar movies for comfort during an unfamiliar semester

By Eli Mendoza

As the semester starts up again, COVID guidelines wax and wane and everything else changes in your life, it might be easy to feel overwhelmed. One way to manage this stress, though, is through activities that don’t take lots of brain power and bring you back to a familiar, calm state of mind. Watching movies is one way to do this that can be done alone, with friends, in comfort or – if you must – while doing some homework. But what to watch? There are so many streaming services through Rice alone (don’t forget your free HBO Max, Kanopy, and Philo!). Perhaps you can never see Mamma Mia too many times, but you need some variety. Here are some good PG-rated comfort movies available on multiple streaming platforms.

A&E 1/11/22 10:24pm

Senior Spotlight: Alfonso Pelaez Rovalo explores what it means to be unique

By Michelle Miao

From watching his mother paint and sculpt to aspiring to become a National Geographic photographer since childhood, Alfonso Pelaez Rovalo has always seen art as an integral part of his life. Rovalo entered college majoring in architecture and later double majored in studio art after being inspired by his fellow classmates to explore art at Rice. Art in Rovalo’s life has a solid foundation, but as of yet, no definite ending.

A&E 12/13/21 3:12pm

Shows to watch this winter break

By Zeisha Bennett

In need of a new show to watch after watching Grey's Anatomy for the fifth time in a row? Here are options for your new procrastination session, spread across various streaming services in case your sister-in-law stopped paying the Disney + subscription.

A&E 12/13/21 3:03pm

Album highlights from a year filled with new music releases

By Jacob Tate

The album rollouts of 2021 started off as little more than a trickle — a result of artists holding back albums for a post-COVID world in which they could tour. But once the dam started to crack, it burst wide open. It felt like every other week was a massive album event, a reminder of the power of dropping multiple songs at once despite the last decade of proclamations that the album was dead. Here’s some of my favorite albums from the past year:

A&E 12/13/21 3:01pm

Songs that made 2021

By Jacob Tate

Through an undoubtedly up and down year, the only consistency has been massive smashes of songs. Pop saw a trio of Olivia Rodrigo anthems and the triumphant return of Lil Nas X bump out of radios while critical darlings made their own mark. While the pandemic loomed over last year's releases, no clear theme seemed to be present throughout  2021 song releases, allowing for a wide berth of tracks. Here’s some of my favorites:

A&E 11/30/21 11:47pm

Review: ‘Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley’ is a holiday delight

By Morgan Gage

Main Street Theater’s production of “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley” is a play that serves as a sequel to Jane Austen’s classic “Pride and Prejudice.” Lauren Gunderson’s clever script showcases the Bennet sisters once again, this time spending Christmas together at Pemberley. This farcical romantic-comedy focuses on awkward middle sister Mary Bennet (Chaney Moore) as she finds love with Mr. Darcy’s equally awkward cousin, Arthur de Bourgh (Aaron Alford). Main Street Theater presents an excellent production of the show with very few missteps and is only a walk to Rice Village away from campus. Performances will continue through Dec. 19 with $10 student tickets. 

A&E 11/30/21 11:46pm

Review: More risk, less reward than expected from Adele’s ‘30’

By Imogen Brown

Adele’s fourth studio album “30” is a vulnerable amalgamation of jarring rhythms and soulful influences. Released on Nov. 19, “30” generated widespread critical acclaim for its candid, emotional narration of Adele’s divorce from Simon Konecki. Despite her previously established reputation for a rich vocal range and expressive, emotional lyricism, listeners and critics alike have lauded the new record as Adele’s greatest musical risk to date. A poignant account of the turbulence of family, love, fame, and heartbreak, “30” reiterates Adele’s timeless ability to storytell in a way that touches the hearts of fans everywhere. 

A&E 11/30/21 11:44pm

Holiday sights around Houston

By Disha Baldawa

It is beginning to look a lot like the holiday season with the lit up Christmas tree at Fondren, Mariah Carey playing at the President’s barbecue and lights wound around trees in Rice Village. To reel in the Houston winter vibes, look no further for a list of holiday attractions to visit during dead days to avoid studying for finals.

A&E 11/30/21 11:41pm

Senior Spotlight: Catherine Hettler carves her own path

By Michelle Gachelin

From drawing on the walls of her childhood home to creating sculptures inspired by modern psychology experiments, art has always been a part of Catherine Hettler’s life. She knew she would continue to create art in college, but came into Rice undecided in her major. It wasn’t until she took Beginning Sculpture and Introduction to Psychology classes as a freshman that she decided to double major in Studio Art and Psychology. Now, she’s finally finding her voice.

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