Arts and Entertainment

Students and faculty reflect on poetry in celebration of National Poetry Month

The Rice Thresher asked students and professors who identify as poets themselves about their thoughts and interactions with this literary art. 

Where to find Houston’s best hot chicken sandwiches

When the Hoot brought the Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich to Rice in 2019, students formed a line that ran past the info desk to wait for it. Hot chicken is no recent phenomenon. The fried chicken, floured, fried and covered in a spice blend, hails from Nashville, Tennessee. Students may not realize that Houston’s hot chicken scene extends well beyond Popeyes, from food trucks to brick-and-mortar stores. The two of us, the Thresher’s self-proclaimed hot chicken connoisseurs, decided to venture beyond the hedges in search of the best Nashville hot chicken sandwich in Houston. 

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Apr. 28

Capturing the Rise of Rice RAW.photography

This past month, RAW originally intended on collaborating with Rice Campanile to hold another photography competition open to all Rice students. However, the competition is currently placed on hold in order to give students more time to send in their submissions, as the organization is conscious of student’s workloads and adjusts its events to allow as many people as possible to submit.     

Review: BROCKHAMPTON Opens Up with ‘ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE’

ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE” marks BROCKHAMPTON’s first return to the studio since their 2019 project “GINGER” and a series of informally recorded tracks released throughout the pandemic. “ROADRUNNER” includes deeply personal themes for BROCKHAMPTON’s members, backed with some of the group’s cleanest production and elements such as guitar flourishes. Though this new project may isolate fans who prefer a more rap-influenced style from the self-proclaimed boy band, “ROADRUNNER” sees the group’s most cohesive fusion of pop and hip-hop. 

Black Art at Rice: Jones Business alumna April M. Frazier Documents Life, Family and Hidden Stories

Ten years after graduating from the Jones Graduate School of Business and starting her photography company, April M. Frazier reflects on her journey into photography — an unconventional path, in which she spent 15 years working in the oil industry. Although Frazier’s portfolio showcases everything from street life in Jamaica to Bruno Mars at the Super Bowl, she finds the most fulfillment from uncovering her family history. By reintroducing her family photos into the historical narrative, Frazier hopes to illustrate authentic African American stories for future generations.   

Rice Media Center confirmed to be torn down by end of 2021, film and photography professors reflect on goodbyes, transitions and expectations

University administration has confirmed that the Rice Media Center will be torn down by the end of this calendar year after stating an uncertain timeline last September. Kevin Kirby, vice president for administration, said an architecture firm named Diller Scofidio + Renfro has been selected for the new building, and the design process will start in August of this year. The building will be ready to open in about three years.

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Apr. 21

Review: Taylor Swift reclaims her artistry with re-recorded album “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”

Fans got their first taste of Taylor Swift’s re-recorded album, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” when a snippet of “Love Story” was used in Ryan Reynolds’ Tinder commercial last December. The full album was released on April 9 and includes remastered versions of every song from the platinum edition of Swift’s 2008 album, “Fearless,” along with six unreleased songs “from the vault” that were cut from the original project. The re-release is largely unchanged from the original in terms of her familiar vocals on fan-favorite singles like “You Belong With Me.” Still, the album epitomizes the singer-songwriter’s artistic growth over the past decade and serves as the first step to Swift regaining ownership of her music, making “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” a worthwhile listen for returning fans and new listeners alike.  

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Apr 14.

KTRU Outdoor Show brings music, art to campus scene and virtual screens

As the close of the semester approaches, KTRU wants to help end the academic year on a high note. KTRU’s annual Outdoor Show will round out the end of the semester — albeit in a different format than what we have seen in years past. On April 24 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., the Rice community will have the chance to gather in the central quad — distanced and masked — for what Katelyn Landry, this year’s organizer for ODS, called a “mini music and art festival.” This year’s show will consist of screenings and livestreams of artists’ pre-recorded sets, an art installation, Houston food trucks on sight and an opportunity for the Rice community to connect with each other through music and art whether in-person or virtually. 

5th annual Houston Latino Film Festival displays Latinx diversity, tackles timely issues

The 5th annual Houston Latino Film Festival, which ran from March 19-28, featured films from all over Latin America and the United States, highlighting and promoting Latinx culture to the Houston community. The festival, which was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, showcased its selection of both feature and short films over virtual streaming platforms and in-person drive-in theater venues.  

Texas on his mind: Remembering the literary legacy of Larry McMurtry

Prolific novelist, screenwriter and Rice University alumnus Larry McMurtry died at his home in Archer City, Texas on March 25, 2021. McMurtry’s novels are known for their striking realism and ability to present the complexities of life in Texas. As an author, McMurtry gained international acclaim and a particularly devoted Texan following. Many of the novels he penned could be considered Texan and Western classics, all written on a typewriter — a method he held onto despite the rising popularity of computers during the digital age. In memory of McMurtry — who proclaimed himself a “minor regional novelist” despite his widespread and enduring acclaim — here are a few of his most influential works that capture his lasting impact on the literary world.

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Apr. 7

Rice Design reflects on its inaugural year and lays out its legacy

Launching a new club during a virtual semester requires creativity, dedication and attention to detail. Luckily for Rice Design, their founders, board and members embody these very traits. Rice Design has a mission to connect, educate and celebrate digital designers on campus. In its inaugural year, the club has managed to recruit new members, host design contests, facilitate panels and launch its own merch.  

Chemtrails and Controversy: Lana Del Rey’s newest album fails to impress

One would imagine that it would be hard to release a record that could top the monumental critical success of Lana Del Rey’s last album “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” They would be right. Her latest project, while a valiant effort to return to Del Rey’s roots and explore storytelling à la Taylor Swift’s “folklore” or “evermore,” fails to live up to its predecessor and doesn’t quite have that same social context to hit the cultural impact that Swift’s work had. And that isn’t even considering the mess of controversies Del Rey has entangled herself in since “NFR!” While Del Rey’s seventh studio album “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” satisfies fans of the singer’s more stripped down sound, the project doesn’t hold a candle to its Grammy - nominated predecessor and unfortunately can’t escape the shadow of Del Rey’s recent controversies. 

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Mar. 31

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Mar. 24

Predicting the 2021 Academy Awards

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released their nominations for the 2021 Oscars and for the first time in a long time, I am pleasantly surprised. While there’s always room to improve, this year’s list is actually both one of the most diverse ever — with several nominations making history — and one of the most quality, at least in my opinion. After seeing how my Golden Globes predictions shored up against the results,  I have an updated list of who I think will and should win, as well as who I think was snubbed and who maybe should have been, some of the biggest categories at the Oscars.

Sid Rich Theatre’s original radio play ‘Space Axed’ embraces spontaneity

Nafisa Istami wanted to put on a play with members of Rice’s theater community, and she knew exactly what she had in mind: a murder mystery set in space, with audience interaction that dictated the ending. Despite being planned as a traditional play in Sid Richardson College’s new building’s theater space, the final product, “Space Axed,” is a live radio play by Sid Rich Theatre that met all of Istami’s expectations and more.