Special Projects

SA discusses potential changes to CTIS curriculum at town hall

The Student Association discussed possible improvements for the Critical Thinking in Sexuality curriculum in a town hall hosted on Nov. 30. Among the improvements discussed was having the course, which is mandatory for all freshmen, taught later in the semester.

Rice mandates COVID vaccine for all employees

Rice announced that all faculty and staff are now required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, in an email sent on Nov. 19 by Kevin Kirby, chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee. According to the policy’s document, the new vaccination policy comes after President Biden issued Executive Order 14042, which mandates that all federal contractors require their employees or anyone connected with a federal contract to be fully vaccinated by Jan. 4, 2022, unless granted a medical or religious exemption. 

Rice implements $15 minimum wage for employees

Rice University will institute a $15-per-hour minimum wage for regular and temporary staff as announced in President Leebron’s address to the faculty senate on Oct. 21. This change will be implemented in the upcoming 2023 fiscal year, taking effect on July 1, 2022. 

New “Sarofim Hall” VADA building to be constructed

Rice University will construct a new building for visual and dramatic arts students and faculty, named Susan and Fayez Sarofim Hall. The building will be situated adjacent to the Moody Center for the Arts. The $25 million building will be a 50,000-square-foot facility, joining the Shepherd School of Music’s Alice Pratt Brown Hall and the Brockman Hall for Opera as part of a Rice arts district. The district aims to serve as a resource for Rice students and faculty and the Houston community, according to the Rice News article.

Campus sees handful of bike, scooter thefts this semester

There has been a recent rise in the number of reported electric scooter thefts on campus, according to Rice University Police Department Chief of Police Clemente Rodriguez. There were a total of five reports of electric scooter thefts this semester, with four occurring in November.

SA unanimously passes resolution to relocate founder’s statue

The Student Association unanimously voted to pass a resolution to relocate the Founder’s Memorial at the Nov. 29 Senate meeting. The resolution calls for the University to relocate the William Marsh Rice statue by the end of the 2021-2022 academic year.

Women’s cross country stumbles at NCAAs

The Rice women’s cross country team fell short against the stiff competition of the NCAA Cross Country Championships Saturday morning. Racing at the Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, FL, the Owls placed last out of 31 teams, in the program’s seventh overall appearance in the cross country championships. 

Déjà vu all over again: Volleyball falls to WKU again in C-USA final

The third time wasn’t the charm for Rice volleyball on Sunday, as they fell to No. 18 Western Kentucky University in the Conference USA title match for the third consecutive year.

Volleyball advances to C-USA final

Rice volleyball took down Middle Tennessee State University on Saturday in straight sets to advance to their fourth straight Conference USA championship game, where they will face No. 18 Western Kentucky University. After the win, head coach Genny Volpe said that the team is playing some of their best volleyball right now as they look to clinch a spot in next month’s NCAA tournament.

Thanksgiving Dining

When the serveries close for Thanksgiving, these restaurants will remain open. 

Thank you, Leebron...

Volleyball looks to reach Conference USA hilltop

After going 17-5 during the regular season, and undefeated in conference play, Rice volleyball enters the Conference USA tournament on Friday as the No. 1 seed in the C-USA West on a 12-game win streak. On Friday, the Owls look to build upon their momentum in the first round, when they play the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. 

11-17-21 Crossword: "Tug of War"

Forbes wins regionals, Women’s XC qualifies for NCAAs

Sophomore distance runner Grace Forbes followed up her conference title with a first-place finish at the NCAA South-Central Cross Country Regional on Friday in Waco, TX, helping the Rice women’s team to a second place finish. The result earned them a spot in this Saturday’s NCAA championships for just the seventh time in program history. 

Rice’s athlete-students

Varsity athletes aren’t the only Rice students who compete in sports at high levels. The Thresher talked to three students who participate in national competitions in sports that Rice doesn’t offer, on how they started their sport, their training and what their sport means to them.

Edmonds starts with split

Rice women’s basketball kicked off their season under first-year head coach Lindsay Edmonds last Tuesday night with a win against St. Edward’s University, before dropping their second game of the season to University of Louisiana, Lafayette on Saturday. These were the first games in charge of the Owls for Edmonds, who spent her last eight seasons as an assistant at North Carolina State University. 

Men’s Basketball falls in bayou battle

On Friday, Rice Men’s Basketball traveled down the road to the Fertitta Center to face off against No. 15 University of Houston. In the first battle between the Cougars and the Owls on the court since 2019, Houston emerged victorious 79-46, extending their winning streak against the Owls to seven.  

Review: ‘Passing’ is a must-see product of its actors’ skill and excellent direction

Early in “Passing,” the movie’s protagonist Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) declares, “I have everything I’ve ever wanted.” This is a pretty good sign that Redfield, in fact, does not have everything she has ever wanted. At first glance, Redfield has a picturesque life: two children, an attractive doctor husband and a maid to tend to their beautiful house. But through a well-constructed slow burn plot, “Passing” reveals that Redfield has merely repressed her discontent. 

Budget Bites: Rosalie Italian Soul

Budgeting as a college student can be difficult, especially when it comes to finding places to eat. Ordering in can lead to hefty delivery costs and fees, and cheap fast food can become repetitive quickly. Although at first glance, the price of the menu may appear comparatively steep, Rosalie Italian Soul offers a number of finds for both lunch and dinner under $20. 

Review: ‘Red’ breaks records, hearts

We witnessed “Red’’ begin again on Nov. 12 as Taylor Swift released “Taylor’s Version,” her second re-recorded album. Swift started re-releasing her music with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” in April of this year in an ongoing effort to reclaim the rights to her music. While Swift has publicly expressed disappointment and frustration with the conflict over the ownership rights of her first six albums as an artist, her re-recordings have opened opportunities for milestones in her career and the music industry as a whole.