Special Projects

Shops poppin’ up in Houston

Pop-up shops seem to be everywhere in Houston in recent years. These temporary installations do everything from highlight local vendors to showcase businesses from out of town. You might have noticed more pop-ups in recent years, as the trend of these temporary shops continues to rise. Everything from food to clothes to art can be explored in the pop-up world. Here are some of the upcoming stores in Houston that are sure to be “poppin’.”

Seasonal food to try this autumn

November is in full swing, and armed with the ten-minute release of “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” and our fall playlist in your ears, there’s only one thing missing: the perfect fall-themed food. Look no further for a comprehensive list of where to find the best autumnal bites to fall back on.

Must-watch Indigenous cinema: Films to check out this November

Hollywood has a lengthy history of subjecting Indigenous people to negative portrayals and one-dimensional stereotypes. Fortunately, over the last few decades, Indigenous creators have been able to make their own voices heard by showcasing the unique and diverse complexities of their culture through film. Nov. 1 marked the beginning of Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the unique culture of Indigenous people and the perfect time to explore Indigenous cinema, a thriving film genre and a great way to support Indigenous artists. 

11-17-2021 Crossword Solutions

Black at Rice: Ryan Emelle finds community on campus

At Rice, Ryan Emelle has found community in different places. Her residential college is one of them: according to Emelle, the residential college system provides a loving and supportive community. When she was applying to college, Rice’s residential college system stood out, she said.

Owl to Governor: Looking back at Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin’s college years

Before Glenn Youngkin (Will Rice College ’90) was elected governor of Virginia, he was once a Rice student;  double majoring in mechanical engineering and managerial studies, Youngkin also played on the Owls’ basketball team. 

Live music returning to campus

Last school year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, musical groups at Rice were forced to adapt. Adjustments included wearing special masks, using horn covers and rehearsing outdoors. As Rice rolls back COVID health measures this semester, musical groups have been able to practice and perform live music with fewer restrictions. The Thresher spoke with three students from different instrument ensembles to find out how playing music has changed. 

From the opinion editor’s desk: The opinion section is a space meant for the Rice community

As the semester nears its end, it’s time to reflect on the state of the opinion section this fall amidst a near return to normalcy, and to look forward to another semester of opinions. We’ve had a multitude of opinions and editorials published on a wide range of subjects. Still, some people coming to campus for the first time or who did not engage much with our paper while we were working online last year may not be all that familiar with the opinion section. I want to reintroduce the possibilities that the section offers for all of the Rice community.

It’s time to talk about Willy

Last week, the Board of Trustees announced that Reginald DesRoches, Rice’s current provost, will be the next president of Rice University. DesRoches will be the eighth president in the history of the university, and the first person of color and foreign-born person to hold the position. We applaud the Board’s selection of DesRoches, and wish him great success in his new role. But because there are seven months left before the beginning of his tenure, we would like to pen one of our final editorials to President David Leebron and the Board of Directors. It’s time to talk about everyone’s favorite subject — one that has found itself in our news section repeatedly — the statue of one William Marsh Rice. 

Students introduce resolution at SA Senate to relocate WMR statue

Students demanded that Rice University remove William Marsh Rice’s statue from the Central Academic Quadrangle to a new, non-prominent location by the end of this academic year, during the Nov. 15 Student Association Senate meeting. The SA will vote on the resolution Nov. 29, according to SA President Kendall Vining.

Rice to provide vaccine clinic for community members on Dec. 3

Rice will be providing one final vaccine clinic on Dec. 3, partnering with the Houston Health Department to have 400 vaccine slots available for the Rice community. Three previous clinics were held on Nov. 4, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12.

REFS held on Nov. 12 to discuss financing energy transition

The 13th annual Rice Energy and Finance Summit was held at McNair Hall in the Jones Graduate School of Business on Friday, Nov. 12. The goal of the event was to discuss how to finance the transition to renewable energy resources, according to the school’s website and event information.

Policy 440 provides eligible staff with flexible work accommodations

Eligible staff employees will now be able to receive further work schedule accommodations with the passing of Policy 440, signed by President Leebron on Nov. 8. The flexible work options outlined in Policy 440 include remote work, alternative work schedules, compressed workweeks and reduced weekly or yearly work hours. 

BREAKING: Provost Reginald DesRoches to be first Black president of Rice

Reginald DesRoches, Rice’s current provost, will be the next president of Rice University, Chair of the Board of Trustees Robert Ladd announced at a press conference Thursday afternoon. DesRoches will become Rice’s eighth president and the first person of color to hold the role, succeeding current president David Leebron who will step down on June 30, 2022.

Review: ‘Something for Thee Hotties’ is an ode to Megan Thee Stallion’s fans

Megan Thee Stallion has had an eventful last couple of years. From her skyrocketing fame to the loss of both her mother and grandmother in the same month in 2019 to being shot by Tory Lanez and releasing her debut album in 2020, her rapid rise to stardom has not been spared from tragedy. She’s always used her music as a means to address these highs and lows and has a loyal fanbase, the “Hotties,” to support her through them all. It’s fitting, then, that her first major body of work released in 2021 is an ode to these fans, a mixtape of freestyles and unreleased tracks aptly titled “Something For Thee Hotties.” The collection serves as a testament to her immense talent and rapid rise to fame, a project that encapsulates everything that has led her to this point in her career while thanking her fans every step of the way. 

Review: Marvel swings and misses with ‘Eternals’

With a cast full of stars or soon-to-be stars and a director coming off of multiple Oscar wins (Chloé Zhao), “Eternals” was a movie brimming with promise. Unfortunately, audiences were delivered a congested and dissonant epic which struggles under the weight of its ambitions. “Eternals” is not without its strong moments, but this is a movie that got away from Zhao and Marvel. 

Review: ‘Spencer’ reimagines the Princess Diana biopic

It is hard for me to view “Spencer” as anything other than a pinnacle of Kristen Stewart’s acting abilities. Playing Princess Diana Spencer, one of the most famous, most photographed people in the entire world, is a daunting task — and not one that I ever expected to be taken on by Stewart. Considering all of the jokes over the years, whether they be about her stint in the “Twilight” series or her awkward, nervous demeanor in interviews, it was hard for me to imagine the actress taking on such an iconic biopic, especially one that has been done to both great laud and great mocking before. However, it is her performance precisely that makes “Spencer” shine.

Review: ‘Voyage’ is a satisfying finale to ABBA’s decades long career

Mamma mia — here they go again! Forty years after their eighth studio album, Swedish pop band ABBA has reunited for one final hurrah. After the band’s divorce-induced split back in 1982, the world thought they had heard the last of their new music, but ABBA has joined once more for a ten song, “trend-blind” album that chronicles friendship and heartbreak through angelic vocals and classic ’70s disco style. While some fans expressed worries that the band would stray too far from their original sound and it has already received mixed reviews from critics, I think this album is nothing short of a triumph that proves that ABBA has still got it. 

Be Bold

Soccer season of close games ends in penalty shootout

Rice soccer couldn’t survive their sixth straight overtime game last Wednesday morning, as they fell to Middle Tennessee State University in penalty kicks in the first round of the Conference USA tournament. The loss brought an end to a season that began with the Owls’ being nationally ranked entering the year for the first time in program history. According to head coach Brian Lee, while he is disappointed in the way the season ended, he always knew that last season would be a tough act to follow.