Special Projects

Owls on the run: Rice’s Houston Marathon history

Since 1972, runners have laced up to take on the Houston Marathon in the brisk chill of a January morning. Among them ran Rice students, faculty and alumni weaving their own history into the race one stride at a time. 

Dancing with the Owls

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. 

Help undocumented students close to home

President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders increasing border security measures and altering the daily lives of undocumented immigrants. The orders include expanding the use of immigration detention, bypassing immigration judges to fast-track deportations and auditing current federal programs that support allegedly removable immigrants. 

Late-night car thief runs from police near OEDK

Students received an alert Feb. 2 near midnight from the Rice University Police Department regarding an active investigation. According to the email, RUPD and the West University Place Police Department were pursuing a male suspect driving a stolen vehicle who then ran, barefoot, to evade police near the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. The area is no longer being investigated. 

Meal swipe donations reach a record high in third year

Students donated 16,095 meal swipes to off-campus students this semester, almost double last spring’s 8,224 swipes, according to Student Association President Jae Kim. 

New developments coming to Rice Village, Third Ward

What do a Third Ward affordable housing development and a luxury condominium have in common? They’re both part of Rice’s investment portfolio. 

In the shadow of NOD: New Wiess public met with mixed reviews

Wiess College hosted Masks After Dark on Jan. 25, its inaugural new public, which debuted months after administration permanently canceled the Night of Decadence. NOD, Wiess’ themed underwear party, had run for five decades — and was so risqué, it allegedly garnered Playboy attention — before excessive drinking and hospitalizations drove the party to its early death in October 2023.

Proposed amendments revamp constitution

The Student Association Constitutional Revisions Committee announced four potential constitutional amendments at a Jan. 27 Senate meeting. The amendments include correcting typos, restructuring the blanket tax allocations process, clarifying election rules and potentially reshaping the power structure of the Senate. 

Future of Rice research uncertain amid possible federal funding freeze

The White House announced a pause on all federal grants and loans Jan. 27. The freeze was slated to go into effect Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. EST — just minutes before the clock hit, a federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze, effective until Feb. 3.

‘Breath(e)’ brings climate conversations from California to the Gulf Coast

A 3D-printed sculpture of the Houston skyline is slowly being eaten away by plastic-consuming enzymes at the Moody Center for the Arts. The piece is part of the center’s newest exhibition, “Breathe(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice,” which opened Friday, Jan. 24.

Rice Marriage Pact returns for third year

This year’s iteration of the Rice Marriage Pact opened Wednesday, Jan. 22 via email. Matches will be released later this week, according to Allison He, Marriage Pact coordinator. The questionnaire closed at 5 p.m. on Tuesday after a one-day extension due to a “lopsided” respondent pool that would leave 52 heterosexual men unmatched. According to He, 2217 students filled out the survey total.

SA announces election timeline

The Student Association’s director of elections Natalie Wang announced the election timeline in a senate meeting this Monday. Campaigning begins on Feb. 12 and ends on Feb. 26, with the voting period open for a week afterwards. Election results will be announced March 6 around noon.

01-29-2025 Crossword Solution

01-29-2025 Crossword: "Vending Machine"

Marriage Pact Plus+

01-29-2025 Score updates & what’s next

Scores from Jan. 22 to 28

Meeting Petro Kuzmenok

Petro Kuzmenok, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, competes for the tennis team. He is majoring in mathematical economic analysis.

Basketball game marks first-ever Rice Athletics Spanish broadcast

Rice took a historic step by launching its first-ever Spanish-language broadcast for the men’s basketball game against Tulane University Jan. 25. This milestone event, held as part of ‘Latin Day,’  marked an effort to engage Houston’s Spanish-speaking community and make Rice Athletics more accessible.

Review: Central Cee’s “CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS” is polished but predictable

Central Cee’s “CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS” is both a testament to the UK rapper’s rapid ascent in the global rap scene and a reminder of his limitations. Serving as his first major-label release under Columbia Records, the album arrives with significant anticipation, following the success of tracks like “Sprinter” and “Doja.” While “CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS” delivers polished production, a handful of standout features and some unexpected surprises, it ultimately feels held back by repetitive flows and familiar themes.  

Review: “Presence” is a ghost story that floats above formulaic Hollywood drama

Does any director love making movies more than Steven Soderbergh? Since 1989, Soderbergh has made 33 feature films using every genre, style, and piece of technology possible. Despite the fact he worked his way up through the independent film space to direct some of the biggest middlebrow studio films of the last 30 years (Ocean’s Eleven, Erin Brockovich), he still seeks out new challenges and technologies to sharpen his craft. What other filmmakers have the audacity to film not one but two of their movies on iPhones instead of cutting-edge cameras?