Special Projects

Hundreds of students rush to get vaccinated after Rice receives last-minute vaccine doses

Rice students, staff and faculty dashed to the East Gym amidst the ongoing winter storm to claim one of the hundreds of Moderna vaccines administered on campus Monday afternoon. Harris County Public Health gave the vaccines — which would have otherwise gone to waste due to a power outage at their building — to Rice and other institutions that were already equipped to administer the vaccines. 810 vaccines were distributed to Rice’s campus, according to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo.

Harris County Health gives 800 doses to Rice amidst winter storm

Rice University received 800 Moderna vaccines that must be administered by 5:00 p.m. today, according to Rice’s Crisis Management Team. Due to the weather and unsafe road conditions, these vaccine doses are designated for those who are already on the Rice campus. Vaccines will be given at the East Gym beginning at 11:15am. 

2021 Candidate Statements and Headshots

Sara Tirschwell, Rice Alumnus, Announces NYC Mayoral Campaign

Sara Tirschwell (Baker College '87) recently announced her New York City mayoral campaign as a Republican candidate. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Tirschwell pursued a 30-year career on Wall Street as a loan trader and hedge fund manager specializing in troubled businesses. 

New international students rush to find in-person class to fulfill visa requirements

New international students rushed to find at least one in-person class that would begin at the start of the semester to satisfy visa requirements, after most of the classes that had an in-person section pushed back their in-person component to start on Feb. 15. 

The Official Backpage Guide to Valentine’s Day Gifts

Decrease in COVID-19 positivity rates prompts earlier move-in dates and lifting of restrictions

Over the past two weeks, COVID-19 cases on Rice’s campus have been decreasing after a spike in positive tests from late December until the third week of January. In response to this decrease, undergraduates were allowed to move in on campus one week earlier, on Feb. 6 and 7, without needing petitions. 

Rice extends the test-optional policy for the Class of 2026 undergraduate applicants

Rice’s Office of Undergraduate Admission extended the test-optional policy into the 2021-2022 application cycle, according to their website. Vice President of Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva said that Rice’s test-optional policy gives students the option to decide whether or not to submit their scores since the pandemic continues to restrict students’ access to testing.

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Feb. 10

The Ultimate Guide to Celebrating Valentine’s Day in COVID Times

Love is in the air, but so is the novel coronavirus. Thus, everyone’s favorite Hallmark-sponsored holiday is going to look a bit different this year. It may seem like the only option for Rice students is to buy your special someone a fancy latte from Brochstein or take a romantic couple’s walk to Reckling Roost for a LAMP test, but we’re here to broaden your options. Whether you’re looking for a socially distant picnic date, cupid-themed photoshoots or even just sending yourself a well-deserved box of chocolates, there’s something for everyone this Valentine’s Day. Check out our guide down below for date ideas, local events, florists and chocolatiers.  

Owls sink against UH

Rice swimming lost their first dual-meet of the calendar year last week, falling to the University of Houston 168.5 to 91.5. The Owls failed to capture first place in a single race during the meet, but there were still some bright spots, according to head coach Seth Huston. Senior Ellery Parish took second place in the 500-yard freestyle, and sophomore Madison Howe claimed second in the 100-yard butterfly.  

Soccer tops McNeese in season opener

Rice soccer concluded their first game of the season on Sunday, beating McNeese State University 2-1 on Holloway Field. The Cowgirls got off to a strong start, finding the back of the net in the first minute of the match. But following the intermission, the Owls were able to score two unanswered goals that propelled them to victory. Head coach Brian Lee said his team recovered well from their initial shaky footing. 

Captain Friend Shoots His Shot with the Entire Rice Campus

Volleyball opens conference play with sweep of LA Tech

The Rice volleyball team began conference play with back-to-back matches against Louisiana Tech University on Sunday and Monday, winning both in straight sets. The wins improve Rice’s record to 3-3 on the season, and give them a strong start to conference play. According to junior setter Carly Graham, the team came into the series energized, and it showed on the court. 

Battle of the Birds: Owls sweep Golden Eagles

The Rice men’s basketball team won both their weekend games against the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. The Owls now have a 12-8 overall record with a 6-6 record against Conference USA teams, ranking No. 4 in the conference’s West Division.  

‘My college career fizzled out’: Three alumni talk graduating a semester early

Although many Rice seniors are eyeing their May 15 graduation date, Emily Duffus (McMurtry College '20) transitioned from student to alumnus sooner than she had expected. Instead of settling into a new semester’s schedule these past few weeks, she has been working full time at a mobile urgent care in Houston as a medical technician and part-time as a contact trader with Rice Crisis Management. She spends her time driving around in an SUV with a nurse practitioner to address patients’ medical concerns in the comfort of their own homes. Duffus is one of various Rice alumni who decided to graduate early last fall after the pandemic turned their senior year plans upside down. The Thresher checked in with three graduates to see how their transition out of Rice has gone.  

An Open Letter to O-Week Coordinators: Recruit More Transfer Advisors

I can’t remember my Orientation Week. It’s not a blur of happiness or a general lack of memory on my part. It’s a malaise of stress and not knowing my place. Coming in as a transfer, I felt simultaneously alienated from my O-Week siblings and my O-Week parents, too old to feel the freshman excitement but too inexperienced to engage with established Rice students. I had no model of what I was supposed to be or even could be — transfer students received maybe an hour of transfer-specific programming, and I only had one conversation with a transfer co-advisor who I never saw again.  

Sprinkle days are replacing spring break — so take an actual break

In a normal spring semester, we get spring break. This year, we get five “sprinkle” days instead — random weekdays dispersed throughout the semester on which no class occurs and no assignments can be due. The idea is to give Rice students their well-deserved days off without encouraging unnecessary travel. As Christopher Johns-Krull of the Academic Restart Committee wrote to course instructors, “it is intended that, to the extent possible, these be real breaks for students and instructors.”

“Artists and the Rothko Chapel: 50 Years of Inspiration” to open at the Moody Center

The Moody Center for The Arts’ spring 2021 exhibition, “Artists and the Rothko Chapel: 50 Years of Inspiration,” will open to the public Tuesday, Feb. 16. A celebration of the legacy and influence of the Rothko Chapel, the two-part show includes a restaging of “Marden, Novros, Rothko: Painting in the Age of Actuality,” a 1975 campus art exhibit held in response to the chapel, as well as contemporary abstract works that reflect the chapel’s influence on artists today. 

2-10-21 Crossword #1: "Dragon Tales"