Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916
Thursday, March 27, 2025 — Houston, TX

Features

FEATURES 3/25/25 10:13pm

Rice startups talk tech challenges, time concerns

By Noa Berz

It seems like everyone at Rice is creating an app these days. Some might remember Bonfire and Diagnos, or perhaps the more recent Nudge, but with many of these services now off the app store, one has to ask — Is Rice really an ideal environment for student-led startups? 

FEATURES 3/25/25 10:08pm

Lecturer Oz Ocampo talks sports scouting, leadership

By Will Patel

Before he scouted future All-Star pitchers internationally, Oz Ocampo was a college student studying abroad, searching for his career path. While in Buenos Aires, he watched the Superclásico, a fierce rivalry match between Argentina’s top soccer clubs. After Boca Juniors, his newly adopted team, won, he realized he wanted to work in baseball.

FEATURES 3/25/25 10:06pm

Elisa Gabbert on writing through disaster

By Chi Pham

Memory deceives. Perception distorts. For Elisa Gabbert ’02, the ubiquitous condition of our times is ‘unreality’ — modern society’s tendency to process catastrophe as media spectacle and bury anxieties beneath routine. In her 2020 essay collection “The Unreality of Memory,” she dissects why tragedy leaves us scrolling, watching and forgetting.

FEATURES 3/12/25 12:00am

Rice Rally fights for school spirit

By Abigail Chiu

If Rice students show up for sports games, they’ll love them — the trick is to keep them coming back. This is something Hannah Wixom and Morgan Toran, two of the three co-presidents of Rice Rally, agree on.

FEATURES 3/4/25 11:00pm

May your costume trick or tr(eat) at Hanszen Halloween

By Sophie Garlick

It’s time to make a public appearance, and Hanszen College’s Halloween public, or Halloweekend pt. 2, is just the place to do it. March can be just as frightening as October was, and not just because of midterms. If you’ve already donated, recycled or sold your Halloween costume for parts on Depop, we’ve got your back. 

FEATURES 3/4/25 10:59pm

Sports Law Society connects contracts and catches

By Aisha Khemani

Breaking into the sports industry can feel like trying to score a touchdown without a ball. Rice’s sports management program, ranked #1 in the country by Niche, offers a specialization in sports law that allows undergraduates to explore the legal side of the field. 

FEATURES 2/25/25 11:34pm

Promotions of the past: Thresher ads over time

By Nithya Ramcharan

With its first issue published in 1916, the Thresher has featured a variety of ads whose trends reflect changes in our recent history. Among countless ads for clothing, cigarettes, Coca-Cola and banks, there are a few gems in the mix. See below for some examples spanning a century. 

FEATURES 2/18/25 10:57pm

Students react to Trump’s second term

By Noa Berz

Donald Trump’s second presidency is off to an unprecedented start, with over 60 executive orders signed as of Feb. 12. Students shared their opinions, thoughts and worries about the new policies in action. 

FEATURES 2/18/25 10:31pm

LILIE’s annual venture challenge takes flight

By Hugo Gerbich-Pais

At the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, pipettes and petri dishes are swapped for market research and poster presentations for pitches. The lab’s work this academic year culminates at the Napier Rice Launch Challenge Championship hosted in the RMC Grand Hall on April 22, said executive director Kyle Judah. 

FEATURES 2/4/25 10:53pm

Dancing with the Owls

By Amelia Davis

It can feel hard to fit in exercise as a student outside of joining an intramural sports team or running Baker 13 in an effort to recoup some high-school sprinter glory. However, though the dance community at Rice may be subtle, its offerings are vast and diverse. 

FEATURES 1/28/25 11:03pm

Food for thought: Introducing college Food Ambassadors

By Amelia Davis

If you have ever seen — and then promptly ignored — the QR codes posted around the Rice serveries that invite students to leave feedback, the purpose of the Food Ambassador program should be clear to you. While the QR code signs may fade to the back of one’s subconscious, a familiar face might have more success. 

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