Special Projects

Swimming bests Incarnate Word, wins fourth straight

The Rice swim team defeated University of the Incarnate Word to win their fourth consecutive dual meet Saturday afternoon in San Antonio. The Owls won 10 out of the 14 events, easily defeating the Cardinals with a score of 182 to 79. In total, seven different Owls took home first place in individual races with numerous Owls finishing in the top 3. Rice also swept the 200-yard freestyle, securing each of the top-five places.

‘Solidarity, not charity’: Rice Mutual Aid encourages community to support itself

The beginning of a semester can get costly. There’s the gas or the plane ticket it takes to get to campus. Sometimes there’s moving, which can mean lease application fees, security deposits, furnishing and more gas. Then there’s the cost of textbooks, school supplies, technology, granola bars, coffee and anything else that students need to get through the semester. These costs — and the immense barriers they can pose to some students — aren’t always talked about. Rice Mutual Aid, a student-organized mutual aid network, is trying to change that. 

1-26-21 Crossword #1: "Disney XD"

Body Worlds stuns audiences with vivid human anatomy displays

Pre-med students, look no further — the perfect human anatomy class is on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. “Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life” is an exhibition that reveals the inner workings of the human body, and illustrates how various healthy and unhealthy lifestyles can impact our bodies. Now making its third return to Houston, the exhibition displays more than 100 real human specimens, including skinned corpses and human organs.

Instructions for an Accessible Vaccine Alternative

Let’s heal how we talk about food

How should we discuss food, then? I don’t want to be misunderstood as advising against all food-related conversations. I feel quite the opposite: eating is one of humanity’s oldest social rituals. It’s meant to bring us together. We’re at our best when we engage in conversations that center the enjoyment of food rather than its nutritional content. 

Douglas Brinkley, Rice history professor and CNN commentator, talks using history to navigate the Trump era

While the world watched the windows of the U.S. Capitol being smashed and offices of U.S. Congresspeople being vandalized with violent and unwavering conviction in the historic Jan. 6 riot, one of Rice’s own was on call with journalists and TV anchors for hours.

96 percent of student petitions approved for early on-campus arrival

Of the 550 petitions submitted by students to the Office of Undergraduates, 528 were approved for early arrival prior to Feb. 15, according to Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman. While most of these students will be moving back to campus by Jan. 25, Gorman said 33 will arrive later, between that date and Feb. 15. 

Review: Pixar contemplates life and death in visually stunning "Soul"

I am glad that this film came at the end of 2020, a very troublesome and unpredictable year that undoubtedly made people around the world acutely aware of loss and mortality. “Soul” inspires us to contemplate ourselves and those around us, while offering an excellent jazz soundtrack and visually stunning landscapes and skilled voice acting. 

Students cannot return to campus and all classes are remote until Feb 15

Undergraduate students will not be able to return to campus until Feb 15, according to an email from President David Leebron sent out this morning. The email also states that all classes this semester will begin in an online format and that Rice will move to Research Stage 2 in which essential on-campus research will be able to continue but with added safety protocols. 

The strangest of football seasons ends quietly

During a season with a missed quadruple-doink field goal and a victory over a top-ranked team in the nation, the Rice football season is officially over after a 21-16 loss to the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Finishing with a 2-3 record, the Owls were one win shy of a bowl game bid. 

Record number of students apply for early decision at Rice

On Dec. 10, Rice admitted 421 students through the Early Decision program, a 16 percent acceptance rate, according to Vice President of Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva. This year, Rice received its highest ever number of applications for this round of admission, narrowly beating the previous record set in 2018, with 2,635 applying to join the class of 2025. 

Women’s basketball starts season strong, knocks off Texas Tech

The Rice Women’s Basketball team is just three games into the 2020-2021 season, but their year is already off to a promising start. The Owls are 3-0 and are beating their opponents by an average margin of 20 points per game. 

Re-return to campus — but to what end?

The first wave of COVID-19 erupted in the U.S. in early 2020. Rice responded quickly: During March 9-15, classes for the week preceding Spring Break were canceled, students were instructed not to return to campus after Spring Break, and instruction after Spring Break was made fully remote. This quick reaction to the pandemic was typical of many organizations and localities all around the country, as it became clear that social distancing was then the only effective way to slow down the spread of the disease. This seems to have worked and, by early May, the first wave was somewhat subsiding. The Rice administration then tasked the Academic Restart Committee with the mission of “Return to Rice.” 

Football trounces No. 15 Marshall

On a cold and gloomy Saturday in Huntington, West Virginia, Rice football came in and delivered a stunning upset to the Marshall University Thundering Herd. Despite being favored by three touchdowns and being ranked No. 15 in the country, the Herd was held in check by an Owl defense that allowed zero points on the afternoon and, with five interceptions, propelled the Owls to a 20-0 victory.

Let’s reevaluate music as a social resource

To be sure, a poetic analogy between music and our differences will not resolve any issues directly. It can, however, remind us of our shared humanity. It can get us back in touch with our nature as social animals. It is a nature that is often oppressed by the individualism in our capitalistic society that encourages competition, putting too much focus on the dissonances for our own good. 

From cooking to Cuba: Eight classes you should take before you graduate

From garden-fresh fruits and vegetables to classic films and a spring break field trip to Cuba, Rice University is home to an assortment of interesting classes. With input from the Rice community, the Thresher has compiled a list of eight classes students should consider adding to their schedules while they’re at Rice — no matter what their major or interests.

Owls dominate in the water on Senior Day

Rice swimming won their first meet of the season last weekend, winning 15 of 21 events over the two-day meet and handing Tulane University a 245-146 loss. This was the final home meet of the season, and the final home meet ever for the seven seniors on the team. 

Football falls to North Texas

Rice lost to the University of North Texas on Saturday by a score of 27-17. The loss dropped the Owls’ record to 1-2 on the season. Meanwhile, the Mean Green improved to 3-3 with their win.

Faculty Senate approves extension of drop deadline to Jan. 13, Leebron discusses spring planning

The Faculty Senate voted on Nov. 18 to extend the drop deadline for fall classes to Jan. 13 for continuing students and Jan. 6 for December degree candidates, according to Speaker of the Faculty Senate Christopher Johns-Krull.