Special Projects

Popfancy, Bellaire dessert shop, emerges from humble beginnings

Popfancy, a gourmet popsicle shop, celebrated the grand opening of its first permanent location in Bellaire on Saturday. 

R U MAD? New student group dreams big

R U MAD, the Rice University Music and Dance Team, was born with superstardom in its sights. Founder, director and lead singer Jake Barber had his hopes set high from the beginning. 

Rice and UNT play to shutout draw in double overtime; Owls earn 3rd Seed in C-USA Championships

Rice soccer tied the University of North Texas 0-0 after two overtimes on Friday evening, claiming the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Conference USA Championship. Rice holds an overall season record of nine wins, five losses and three draws; in C-USA play, the Owls have six wins, one loss and three draws. 

Barber Shop Talk: Untangling the mess of NCAA’s new ‘name, image, likeness’ proposal

Last week, the NCAA Board of Governors voted unanimously to allow student-athletes to “benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness in a manner consistent with the collegiate model.” Now, before you get super excited about playing as the Rice Owls in a future EA Sports video game, it is important to note that while the NCAA announcement is a step in the right direction, it is best taken with a grain of salt.

Violations observed in RMC during voting period for mayoral election

Multiple out-of-state students were erroneously asked to provide bank statements or to fill out provisional ballots for the Houston mayoral election today, according to Clara Kraebber and Hannah Kaplan of the Rice Young Democrats.

Faculty, students dedicate Dia de los Muertos to children who have died in ICE custody

Over 50 students and faculty dedicated their celebration of el Día de Los Muertos to the remembrance to the children who have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. The event was held by the today in Rayzor Hall from four to six  p.m. Students were urged to attend the event after photos circulated of students dressed as ICE officers at the Halloween event at Willy’s Pub. The photos caused outrage and responses from administration and student leadership. 

Students dressed as ICE officers for Halloween draw outrage, administrative response

Photos of three McMurtry College sophomores wearing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement costumes to the Halloween event at Willy’s Pub drew student outrage on Twitter last night, leading to responses from university leadership.  The photos show the students in line for Willy’s Pub wearing police uniforms with “ICE” prominently displayed on the back and breast with white tape. 

Re-evaluate your allyship if you went to Evening of Elegance

This past weekend, hundreds of students attended EOE, which is hosted by Chi Alpha. After scrolling through social media feeds dominated by pictures of people in suits and dresses posing with the ice sculpture, one has to think: do people not know what they’re supporting, or do they just not care? 

Crossword solutions 10-30-2019

Student Association to conduct organizational audit

The Student Association Senate presented a plan to conduct an audit of itself at the SA Senate meeting on Monday, Oct. 28. Sid Richardson College president McKinzie Chambers and Martel College Prime Minister Tanner Reese will lead the task force in charge of the audit.

Auto theft occurs near campus, RUPD sends ‘Crime Alert’ email

In an auto theft near campus on Oct. 22 that did not involve any Rice students, a woman was robbed of her car after a minor accident on a section of University Boulevard near the Rice University Police Department building. 

Coffeehouse to celebrate 30th anniversary with public party

In celebration of Rice Coffeehouse’s 30th anniversary, the managers are planning a public party to occur either Dec. 6 or 7. The party will take place within the Rice Memorial Center, and the week leading up to the public will feature multiple events to commemorate the business’s birthday, according to General Manager Mandy Quan. 

Student confronts convicted sex offender at homecoming event

The Homecoming Kickoff Rally, put on by the Student Activities Homecoming Committee in the Central Quad on Sunday, featured a Michael Jackson impersonator who was also accompanied by a self-reported sex offender, according to Aliza Brown.

Rice P/F working group sends out pass/fail survey to students

The Faculty Senate working group that is investigating the use of pass/fail at Rice sent out a survey two weeks ago to all students to gather their perspective on the policy and the various ways in which students are using it. 

Colleges introduce leadership restrictions

Several colleges have already added or are in the process of adding variations of a constitutional bylaw to create a formal process that prevents students on disciplinary probation from running for leadership positions, according to Hanszen College President Landon Mabe.

Students reflect on political atmosphere at Rice

This fall has been marked by a series of political events for Rice students, ranging from the climate action strike to the protests against Baylor’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies in the halftime show. Many of the recent political events at Rice have been varied, reflecting the general political climate at Rice. 

Queer in the Country: Rice students talk LGBTQ+ identity and country music

Leaning into Texas’ big personality is a fun way for Rice students to connect with the state’s lifestyle and aesthetic, as they two-step through the Houston bar Wild West and attend parties like Don’t Mess With Texas and DuncStep. But for some LGBTQ+ students, living in a state with a notoriously poor track record for respecting and protecting marginalized communities can be a challenge in balancing identity. 

Ambushes and serenades: birthdays at the residential colleges

You probably didn’t expect your birthdays in college to be commemorated by a ring on a gong or an involuntary full-body soaking. It’s a far cry from the typical fare. At Rice, the birthday experience gets an upgrade, thanks to the traditions of the residential colleges.

Women’s basketball holding high expectations into new season

Last year, Rice women’s basketball had its most successful season in program history. The Owls won a program-record 28 games (including 21 in a row) and posted a perfect 16-0 record in Conference USA play, the first team in conference history to do so. 

Men’s basketball seeks to bounce back from previous turnover

The men’s basketball season is almost here, with the Owls’ season opener less than a week away. Last season, Rice finished No. 11 in Conference USA and finished 13-19 overall and 8-10 in conference play. Both of those win totals improved from the 2017-2018 season, where the Owls finished with seven wins overall and four in C-USA.