Special Projects

Thresher Declassified: ACL Survival Guide 2022

It’s been a year since my last ACL survival guide of dubious quality, and I’ve returned with another to prepare all wannabee Austinites and music lovers for one of the largest music events Texas has to offer. This music festival spans two weekends, eight stages and features over 100 musical acts and a long list of food options. The 2022 festival dates are set for the weekends of Oct. 7-9 and 14-16, and one-day tickets are still available for purchase.

Rice professor’s film explores environmental crises in Bellandur Lake

Environmental crises are not typically portrayed as slow in the media, but Sindhu Thirumalaisamy’s award-winning 2019 documentary film, “Kere mattu Kere,” or “The Lake and The Lake,” stands as a counterpoint to the standard environmental activist narrative.

Brochstein Pavilion’s new art reckons with ugly history via an idyllic view

Sometimes, obscured messages come billboard-sized. Brochstein Pavilion’s newest wall art debuted last Friday for the Moody Center for the Arts’ fourth iteration of their Off the Wall series, a partnership between Moody and the Glassell School of Art’s Core Residency Program. 

‘R2: The Rice Review’ to host open mic

This Thursday evening, Rice community members will gather in Ray Courtyard to celebrate their peers’ artistic talents and share their own. Performances, some scheduled and some impromptu, will run from 8 to 10:30 p.m. and will include music, poetry, comedy and other ways Owls are spreading their creative wings.

New approach might make volleyball more dangerous

The idea that losing a key player can make a team better – often called “addition by subtraction” – has been at the center of many a hot take over the years. At first glance, the Rice volleyball team would appear to have a case of addition by subtraction on their hands this season. After losing their all-time kills leader, outside hitter Nicole Lennon, the team has somehow gotten better this season.

Soccer’s new system might be key to a tournament run

Although Rice soccer is coming off three straight wins to start conference play, their struggles early in the season are notable enough to cast doubts. While the Owls went up against and lost to some of the best teams in the NCAA, such as No. 8 Florida State University and No. 23 Southern Methodist University, they also struggled against much weaker opponents such as Samford University and Loyola University Maryland. Formation changes and familiarity with the system seem to be having a positive impact on the quality of play at the start of conference play, but will it be enough to guide them past the Conference-USA and toward the NCAA Tournament glory seen less than two years ago?

Anota Adekunle redefines what it means to be a middle blocker

The middle blocker position is known for what its name implies: blocking the middle. Middle blockers are usually the first line of defense, quickly reading and blocking up the opposing team’s attacks. But Anota Adekunle, a fifth-year senior from Humble, Texas, transcends the typical middle blocker role by adding a strong offensive presence in addition to her defense. When asked about the position she’s played since middle school, Adekunle said that the middle blockers’ role is usually to act as a distraction on offense.

Close but no Bucket: Owls lose back-and-forth battle with UH

Rice football lost their seventh-straight Bayou Bucket Classic to the University of Houston on Saturday night by a score of 34-27. The back-and-forth affair with the Cougars dropped the Owls to 2-2 on the year. Head coach Mike Bloomgren said that regardless of the result, he is very happy with the effort his staff and players put into the game.

Extra, extra! Student-athletes grapple with unexpected year of eligibility

News of the COVID-19 outbreak is a flashbulb memory for many people who can recount the exact moment they first heard the news. For senior infielder Benjamin Rosengard, he was incredibly saddened when he first heard the news that the outbreak had canceled his sophomore baseball season at the University of Chicago. 

SA resolutions introduced on reproductive health, disability accommodations

At the Sept. 26 senate meeting, students presented two resolutions: one for the creation of a student reproductive health coalition and one for improving the accessibility of disability accommodations. If passed, the first bill would establish the Student Reproductive Health Coalition, a task force that would meet at least once a month throughout the academic year. 

Rice community celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

The Office of Multicultural Affairs and student groups like the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice have come together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, a national acknowledgment of Hispanic culture which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. There will be cultural events across campus to commemorate the month.

HackRice returns in-person for year 12

The twelfth annual HackRice was held in-person this past weekend for the first time since 2019. Anthony Yan, one of three student directors, said that while engagement was slightly lower than previous years, the event ran successfully.

Rice breaks ground on Cannady Hall

Construction broke ground earlier this month for the new School of Architecture building, a 22,000 square foot structure that will sit adjacent to the current architecture hall.  In 2019, Rice announced the building would be named after Professor William Cannady, who has been a faculty member at Rice since 1964. 

Kinder receives $50 million grant

The Kinder Foundation announced a $50 million grant to Rice’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research on Sept. 23. According to Director of the Kinder Institute Ruth López Turley, the institute focuses on five main areas of research — housing and neighborhoods, economic mobility, community health, education and population research — and utilizes a holistic approach to solve societal challenges.

Proofpoint digest implementation brings mixed reactions

Rice expanded Proofpoint Digest, an email filtering system that quarantines emails suspected to be spam or bulk into one single daily digest, to the undergraduate community this fall, leading to mixed responses within the student population.

HackRice: A Rich History

09-28-2022 Crossword Solutions

09-28-2022 Crossword: "Latiné Libations"

Diving into the DEEP with Rice’s Data Science Club

Data Education and Exploration Program is an annual data science showcase competition put on by Rice’s Data Science Club, open to all levels of coding experience. According to Vinay Tummarakota, president of the Data Science Club, the program consists of a semester-long workshop series that alternates between lessons where senior Data Science Club students teach curriculum, and application-style workshops where mentors help students apply skills learned the week before. Over the course of the fall semester, student teams develop projects on their chosen data set, and eventually present in a final showcase.

Explore these Houston attractions from new heights

Check out Houston from a new perspective by visiting some of the city’s best rooftops scenes. These venues offer varieties of activities to keep their visitors entertained throughout the day, with sunrise yoga at Skylawn, midday swimming at Marriott Marquis or night-time dancing at one of the many rooftop bars. Browse through some of the following recommendations to explore Houston from above.