Special Projects

Housing & Dining launches composting initiative at North Servery, attempts to reach 40 percent recycling goal

In an attempt to increase campuswide sustainability, Housing & Dining has adopted a new composting initiative that includes a composting trial at the North Colleges Servery. Over the past two years, Rice has made multiple updates to the recycling system in order to try to meet a 40 percent recycling rate goal by 2020, according to Richard Johnson, director of the Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management at Rice.

Toxic Tour brings students to polluted sites

On a "Toxic Tour" of Houston, led by the Houston Air Alliance, 15 students visited gas-flares, a polluted section of the Buffalo Bayou and a neighborhood encircled by refineries. The event was hosted by the Green Dorm Initiative and wound through the Second Ward, crossed Galena Park, touched the Buffalo Bayou, circled back toward the Fifth Ward and ended at Manchester.  

Rice Management Company defends Ion

Allison Thacker (Baker ‘96) and Ryan LeVasseur (Wiess ‘01, School of Architecture ‘03) from Rice Management Company gave a presentation to dissuade Student Association members from supporting Senate Resolution #8, a resolution advising that Rice and the Board of Trustees enter into a Community Benefits Agreement with the Houston Coalition for Equitable Development without Displacement at the Student Association Senate Meeting on Jan. 27.

Wickerson to appoint interim parliamentarian

After the resignation of both the Student Association Parliamentarian Freddy Cavallaro and Deputy Parliamentarian Emma Donnelly and with elections around the corner, SA president Grace Wickerson has yet to appoint an interim parliamentarian for the remaining few weeks of the term. 

Rice launches free Coursera courses for Rice students

At the beginning of this semester, Rice launched Coursera for Rice which provides students, faculty and staff with full access to all Rice courses on Coursera for free. This effort is part of the Coursera for Campus program, which provides campus-specific courses taught by professors affiliated with the school.

Swimming readies to face UH and LSU after strong start to season

Rice swimming will look to keep its successful season afloat this weekend with a double-dual meet against the University of Houston and Louisiana State University. This year, the Owls have a 5-1 record in dual meets, losing only to No. 11 Texas A&M University. 

Men’s basketball seeks revenge against North Texas

After a tough weekend that saw the team lose against two Conference USA opponents, Rice men’s basketball will aim to even its season series against the University of North Texas on Saturday afternoon at Tudor Fieldhouse. According to head coach Scott Pera, UNT — which is ranked No. 1 in C-USA — will pose a difficult challenge for the Owls.

Erica Ogwumike: Shooting baskets and video

When she’s not shooting hoops on the basketball court, you can find Rice forward Erica Ogwumike shooting YouTube videos in her room. Although she graduated with her bachelor’s degree from Rice in December, finishing one semester early, Ogwumike continues to play for the Rice women’s basketball team. 

Black at Rice: Selase Buatsi finds her voice

When Selase Buatsi was a kid, she was just like every other kid her age — constantly fighting her parents. As a young girl, Buatsi argued with her parents so often that they told her she’d make a great lawyer. A decade later, Buatsi is now president of Rice’s Pre-Law Society.

2 Down: The paper’s pair of puzzle people

Rice students are great at finding ways to avoid doing their homework. But there are only so many shows available to watch — and rewatch — on Netflix. Luckily, McMurtry College seniors Grant Lu and Sam Rossum have discovered their ideal form of procrastination: writing crosswords when they should be writing papers.

Rice students, alumni channel creativity through YouTube

TikTok may be all the rage, but for students looking for entertainment that lasts longer than 60 seconds, there’s a growing presence of content on YouTube — produced by Rice students and alumni.

Englebretson tackles misconceptions with new Braille research

Although Robert Englebretson has been reading Braille since he was 5 years old, it didn’t occur to him to research Braille until he was selected to serve on a committee to study Braille in 2005.

1-29-2020 Crossword solutions

Homecoming: 27th Houston Iranian Film Festival to conclude at Rice Cinema

Co-founded by Rice Cinema and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, the Houston Iranian Film Festival will return to campus this weekend to conclude its 27th annual iteration with a celebration of Abbas Kiarostami, one of Iran’s most monumental filmmakers.

Moody Center’s ‘Radical Revisionists’ confronts colonial narratives

Last Friday, the Moody Center for the Arts came alive with visitors for the opening reception of “Radical Revisionists: Contemporary African Artists Confronting Past and Present.” The new exhibit, on display from Jan. 24 to May 16, features artists from Africa and its diaspora who challenge Eurocentric narratives of colonialism, migration and identity.

Randall McCabe’s “Works on Paper” captures the simple complexity of nature

Rather than start at the entrance, visitors to artist Randall McCabe’s “Works on Paper 2009-2019” should consider beginning near the men’s bathroom. Next to it hangs the earliest iteration of a shape that appears all over the first floor of the Rice Media Center — a prickly pear cactus.

Keep SA campaign promises realistic

With the start of a new election season, there are only a few weeks remaining for the current Student Association Executive Council to meet goals set at the beginning of their terms. Given the Thresher Editorial Board’s previous endorsement of Grace Wickerson for SA president on the basis of promises they made at the time, we were particularly interested in progress made on those promises.

In a world losing press freedom, Rice should support aspiring journalists

The day before I landed in Rabat, Morocco last September for a semester abroad studying journalism, young Moroccan political reporter Hajar Raissouni was arrested for an alleged abortion and sex outside of marriage.

1-22-2020 Crossword solutions

Food insecurity initiative allows students to donate guest swipes

A new initiative to address food insecurity at Rice allows students to donate their unused guest meal swipes, which will then be allocated to students living off-campus who cannot afford meal plans, according to Student Association President Grace Wickerson.