Special Projects

Rice honor council moves online, University Court suspends operations

The honor council, which upholds one of Rice’s longest-standing systems, has been adapting to their new virtual environment for investigative meetings and hearings as a result of Rice’s response to COVID-19. University court, however, will not continue hearing cases in this remote environment. 

Construction continues undeterred on campus

For the students still staying in the south colleges, one noise rises above the rest: the sounds of construction on the new Sid Richardson College building. Although most major buildings on campus have been closed, all construction projects on campus have continued due to their continued classification as “essential” under Houston’s stay-at-home order.

Students remaining on campus adjust to regulations, new ways of living

For the less than 10 percent of the undergraduate population remaining on campus past March 25 campus life in the midst of the pandemic comes with changes to their living spaces, daily routines and the overall atmosphere of campus.

Review: Dua Lipa’s ‘Future Nostalgia’ revitalizes disco and dance when we need it most

The only thing that could pull me out of my quarantine-induced depression and resulting creative rot was the possibility of reviewing the new Dua Lipa album, “Future Nostalgia.” The much-anticipated album (at least within the niche queer communities I reside in) arrived on March 27, a week before its intended release date due to a much-circulated leak that had Dua crying on Instagram Live. Taking it like the absolute queen she is, Dua steeled herself and dropped this absolutely nuclear classic of a 21st century disco album. 

Weekly Screen: Week of April 6

For our lovely readers, you may know that “The Weekly Scene” is a regular fixture of the Thresher’s print A&E section that promotes local arts events both on campus and throughout Houston every week. However, due to campus and citywide restrictions on public gatherings due to the COVID-19 outbreak and our subsequent inability to print issues for the remainder of the semester, the Weekly Scene is sadly obsolete at the moment. Thus, to fill the gap in my heart left by my beloved little column, I’d like to present the Weekly Screen: a short list of TV, movies and videos to check out from the socially-distanced comfort of your home. 

On Frank Ocean, Isolationism and the Vulnerability Paradox

Without a word or warning, elusive singer-songwriter Frank Ocean resurfaced from his sea of isolation this past Friday with the release of two new tracks, “Dear April” and “Cayendo.” Both intimate ballads stripped of rich instrumentation and centered around Ocean’s emotional vocals, the two tracks popped up out of the blue on Ocean’s website in October 2019 in the form of preorder vinyls which  just shipped out last week, coinciding with the songs’ digital release. 

KTRU sustains its sound from a distance with new remote programming

After recently celebrating the restoration of its original call sign letters last fall, KTRU has entered yet another new chapter in its vibrant history: completely remote operations. Rather than surrendering the airwaves to Robo — the station’s “robot” automated system which plays prerecorded music and announcements on loop —  the DJs of Rice Radio have found a way to preserve the human touch that makes KTRU a destination for eclectic music lovers across Houston and beyond. 

Halted Hollywood: Movies you can watch early, and ones you’ll have to wait for

Virtually every traditional movie theater across the country has closed indefinitely by now, which has thrown a wrench into several upcoming movie releases, including highly anticipated blockbusters like Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow” and Disney’s live action remake of “Mulan.” Box Office Mojo says U.S. movie theatres have grossed only $5,000 in each of the past two weeks on average, several orders of magnitude less than this time last year. Films that were scheduled to come out this spring and summer have been pushed back several months, and for those which have not, expect them to be delayed soon. Here are the major delays grouped by production company...

Moments alone: 50 word stories from isolation

As we all exist in isolation from one another, it can be grounding to take a moment to reflect on where we are and how we're doing, and hear the same from others. With that in mind, the Thresher asked for  brief stories from the Rice community about what living in social isolation has been like. Here’s what people told us...

4-08-20 Crossword Online: "Lands of Imagination"

Taylor Swift fans find community through Rice Swifties

March Madness brackets are a familiar sight — 64 teams face off, with one team crowned the winner. But a bracket created by an informal group of Rice students showcases a different competition: a showdown between 64 of pop artist Taylor Swift’s best songs.  

Sign of the Times: ASTR* Mag editors adapt ahead of new issue ‘Yesterday’

 Rice’s budding student-run arts magazine ASTR* will release its second issue online as a result of the campus shutdown. Its editors talk about thriving on chaos and collaboration, and how the current situation has influenced the production of their magazine. 

English professor suspended after microaggressions, ADA disagreements and alleged physical assault

English professor Colleen Lamos has been suspended, which she said was due to complaints of race-based remarks in class. However, Lamos said she believes Dean of Humanities Kathleen Canning used the complaints as a reason to suspend her for disagreements over ADA accommodations — an accusation that Canning has denied.

Rice offers housing for COVID-19 medical personnel at residential colleges, relocates students and RAs

Rice will offer temporary housing for medical personnel who work in nearby Texas Medical Center hospitals at Wiess and Hanszen Colleges, according to an announcement from President David Leebron on Sunday afternoon. 

Rice announces freeze on staff hiring and cancels pay raises for next year

Rice announced that it is implementing a staff hiring freeze effective immediately, according to an email sent to division leads and administrators on Wednesday night. The email, which was obtained by the Thresher, also said that there will be no pay raises for staff for fiscal year 2021. 

Campus evolves with COVID-19

The university's decision making has evolved along with the pandemic it is responding to, with near-constant updates on policies covering everything from travel, academics, campus buildings and housing and dining. Given the rapidly changing situation at the university as the pandemic ramps up in the U.S. and internationally, this article hopes to centralize the information and clarify the current state of university policies in each of these areas. 

‘Tuition increases every year’: VP for Finance Kathy Collins explains Rice’s costs

Last week, Rice announced that undergraduate tuition for the 2020-21 school year will rise by 4.1 percent to $50,310, an increase of $1,980 over the current year’s tuition, following annual trends of the past 10 years. The Thresher reached out to Vice President for Finance Kathy Collins to learn more about the undergraduate costs of attendance. 

Restaurants struggle, shutter dine-in service in response to coronavirus outbreak

Restaurants across Houston have suffered reductions in revenue, some over 50 percent, after Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo suspended dine-in service in the county in an order on March 17 as a response to increased concerns about COVID-19 in Houston. 

SPONSORED: A look into the efforts behind canceled Beer Bike 2020

This infographic was paid for by Rice Program Council in place of a physical advertisement insert.

A call to revive, revamp and maintain Rice culture(s)

When we ran for our Student Association executive team positions and defined our platforms, we did not anticipate the arrival of COVID-19. Due to these unusual circumstances, we as members of the executive team have been rapidly thrust into our roles. We have relayed student concerns to administrators and have made an effort to amplify student voices as much as possible. We have been strategizing how we can best communicate with all of the Rice community during the coming weeks as we resume our virtual classwork. But throughout it all, one question has remained on our minds: How can we establish and maintain an intimate, engaging Rice culture and connection while members of the Rice community are so physically distant from each other?