With no presidential election at stake in 2022, do this year’s midterm elections even matter that much? I wasn’t sure until I saw the complete list of offices up for election in Texas this November. Most notably, the midterm election will determine the next Texas Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, both chambers of the Texas Legislature and all 38 U.S. Representatives.
Rice undergrads often treat "community service" as a box to tick for graduate school applications or a story to impress interviewers. It is easy to conduct our service within the Rice bubble – researching and designing solutions without venturing beyond the hedges to the community members we are trying to help. However, to truly make an impact, students need to identify community needs and find service opportunities that act with, and not on, the community. As we enter the school year and begin scouting volunteer opportunities, we want to share an experience that taught us the value of grassroots involvement.
Residential college life is often considered the cornerstone of the “Rice experience.” Just look at any Rice admission materials or listen to the chants at Beer Bike. College governments, then, play an integral role in representing and serving the students within their residential colleges. From Brown to Wiess, residential colleges host a plethora of committees, including the standard committees across campus and ones that stand out in their singularity like with Hanszen’s cheese committee.
The Rice soccer team will face a tough test this Sunday when they host the reigning national champions, No. 8 Florida State University. After starting their season 1-0-2, with the pair of draws coming against top-20 opponents, the Seminoles have won each of their last two games by a score of 5-0.
Student-run businesses, organizations, graduate students and faculty are among those who continue to experience ongoing struggles with Rice’s transition to ImagineOne, a payment system that replaced Banner last year.
Starting this semester, Rice Housing and Dining implemented significant changes to their dining policies, including an additional meal period, additional 25 meal swipes for the full meal plan and a required additional swipe for any entree plates after the first entry, without any changes to the price of the meal plan beyond what was previously budgeted for the 2022-2023 academic year. These changes were cited as being in response to the Student Association Resolution to Structurally Address Disordered Eating Patterns in the Rice Community. However, differing opinions exist about whether the changes address the concerns that prompted them.
Rice is opening its first international campus in Paris, which aims to be fully operational midway through next spring semester. The Rice Global Paris Center will be Rice’s hub in Europe, expanding education and research opportunities for students and faculty alike and facilitating strategic collaborations with global partners.
Rice University has seen a rising amount of bike theft on campus since the start of this year, according to Clemente Rodriguez, the chief of police and director of public safety. Rodriguez said 36 bike thefts were reported so far this year, the highest number since 44 were reported in 2019.
Airfare was kept to a minimum over the weekend, as the Rice soccer team played a pair of games against crosstown rivals. The Owls got their second win of the season last Thursday when they beat Houston Baptist University 1-0. On Sunday, the Owls fell to the University of Houston 3-1, in a match that should henceforth be referred to as the ‘Bayou Cup.’ According to head coach Brian Lee, the year is still young, and he’s enjoyed seeing newer players step up when they’ve been called on.
After receiving the 30th most votes in last week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, the Rice volleyball team narrowly missed an opportunity to cement their top-25 status in a nail biting loss to No.18 University of Oregon . After winning the first set, the Owls fought off an Oregon comeback to force a fifth set, where they lost 15-11. Following the loss, head coach Genny Volpe said that she was pleased with the performance against such a high caliber team.
At least they might be the answer to a trivia question someday. The Rice football team lost their opener to No. 14 University of Southern California on Saturday by a score of 66-14. But if new Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley leads the fallen powerhouse back to its former heights as is widely expected, maybe some lucky fan ten years from now will win a round of shots for the table by remembering that his first opponent was the Owls.
Shortly after arriving at Rice for the fall semester, I noticed a piece of purple paper peeking out beneath my room’s door frame. “An app just for Rice Students!” announced the cardstock. The ad was for Fizz, a social media app launched by two Stanford University students my equal in age at their university just one year ago. Wary but curious, I downloaded the app.
Over the summer, Rice Housing & Dining announced significant changes to the dining schedule and meal plan that went into effect at the start of the semester. The most notable change was the addition of a new meal time, affectionately known as “munch.” The other adjustment implemented the following change: “Re-entry to ANY servery requires a student to swipe to receive up to two entree plates again.”
The Thresher likes coffee, and we’ve written about our favorite Houston spots before. That said, there are still a latte of great finds beyond the hedges. To avoid the risk of giving you déjà brew, here are some new coffee shop finds you might not have heard of yet.
Now that school is officially in full force, students have been hitting the books. However, there are plenty of literary worlds waiting to be discovered beyond the rigid spines of our Organic Chemistry textbooks. Now is the perfect time to check out the local independent bookstores hidden around Houston. Whether you have specific titles in mind or want to help support your community, there’s a store for everyone.
It’s safe to say that in regards to the high expectations surrounding it, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has proven to be a solid start for the next story to come from the world of Tolkein. Though not immediately gripping like HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” the first two episodes of “Rings of Power” effectively build the foundation of the plot while presenting some of the best visuals I’ve ever seen from a television show.
