Special Projects

H&D increases residential college ambiance funds

Housing & Dining has increased the ambiance fund from $9,000 to $14,000 for each residential college starting this semester. 

Climate change spurs evolution, Rice biologists discover

A team of Rice biologists have observed the red-shouldered soapberry bug’s rapid evolution in response to Hurricane Harvey on campus. 

Campbell Lecture Series to host Imani Perry in November

Imani Perry, the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at Harvard University and a MacArthur Fellow, will give two lectures at Rice for the Campbell Lecture Series at 6 p.m. Nov. 15 and 16.

Texas politics pose challenge to hiring faculty, DesRoches says

Rice is missing opportunities to hire potential faculty members due to concerns surrounding Texas’s political climate, according to an interview with President Reggie DesRoches published in Bloomberg. DesRoches said Rice is seeking to hire 200 new faculty members, but many professors from the East or West coasts are reluctant to consider moving to Houston.

10-18-2023 Crossword Solution

10-18-2023 Crossword: "Midterm Reese's"

MTV Cribs: Reginald DesRoches

10-18-2023 Editorial: "Owl-American"

Soccer wins first AAC match, drop two over weekend

Rice won its first American Athletic Conference game last week on the road against Temple University but lost to No. 10 University of Memphis and the University of Alabama at Birmingham, bringing their conference record to 1-5 and their overall record to 3-11-1. 

Andrew Sendejo talks NIL, brain health and doing his part

At the end of the last play of his 12-year NFL career, Rice alumnus ’10 Andrew Sendejo lay collapsed on his back at the 31-yard line. He had just sustained a head-to-head collision, knocking him momentarily unconscious, inflicting the second concussion of his age-34 season. 

Upset loss ushers in bye week for Rice Football

Turnovers foiled Rice Football’s attempt to win their fourth consecutive home game. A previously winless University of Connecticut Huskies squad stormed into Rice Stadium, capitalized on the Owls’ miscues and left the home team stunned. Rice’s late fourth-quarter surge wasn’t enough as they lost to UConn 38-28 on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Horrifying Halloween hits: what to watch this fall

One thing is for sure: The numerous scary movies for horror-lovers to watch in October have definitely contributed to the mysterious allure of the holiday. The Thresher has rounded up a few horror movie classics that are sure to have your whole friend group spooked. Fair warning, though, some of these movies are not for the faint of heart — and we wouldn’t recommend watching alone. 

Review: Wes Anderson infuses his style into four Roald Dahl shorts

Wes Anderson is one of the best filmmakers today. This summer he released “Asteroid City” was released, a dazzling yet precise depiction of both grief and the artistic process. Anderson has now collaborated with Netflix, and the streaming service released four short films written and directed by the auteur last week. 

Stale script keeps visually impressive ‘The Creator’ from being memorable

Gareth Edwards is a competent filmmaker. With popular blockbusters like “Rogue One” and “Godzilla” under his belt, Edwards has made the sci-fi action blockbuster his niche. Unlike previous films, though, Edwards had a major role in writing the screenplay for his new movie, “The Creator.” Along with Oscar nominee Chris Weitz, who previously worked with Edwards as a screenwriter on “Rogue One,” Edwards tells a story that attempts to tackle seemingly everything about humanity’s complex relationship with AI, yet accomplishes none of it adeptly.

Lahiri talks ‘Roman Stories’ collection, translation and belonging

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri read from her newest short story collection “Roman Stories” through the Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading series Oct. 15. Following the reading, she spoke on-stage at Congregation Emanu El with Rice English professor and Italian novelist Andrea Bajani, discussing the themes of immigration, otherness and translation present in her work.

Review: Sivan makes us feel the rush

Listening to Troye Sivan’s new album makes me want to go down under. The Australian singer-songwriter released his newest album, “Something To Give Each Other,” Oct. 13, marking his third full-length release. Sivan gives us a blissful, eclectic album that celebrates queer culture and demonstrates that pop music can be lustful, escapist and perfect for the club.

Meet the ACL artist: Gus Dapperton

When Brendan Patrick Rice first started making music on SoundCloud, he went by a variety of aliases. He changed these names based on the sort of sound he was making — everything from hip-hop beats to classical tunes. As he came into his art as a singer-songwriter, he decided he wanted a name that felt more like himself, and Gus Dapperton was born. 

Check out Houston’s Halloween haunts

Houston weather has just started to cool off, signaling the start of autumn. Although midterms may be getting you down, the Halloween season is now in full swing. From costume contests to haunted houses to fun performances, put down the books and check out these can’t-miss events in Houston made for spooky season enthusiasts.

Creating compassion and sand mandalas at the Moody

Monks from the Gaden Shartse Monastery in India constructed a Tibetan sand mandala in a series of rituals Monday, Oct. 16. The opening ritual was held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, and the mandala will remain on public viewing until the dissolution ritual Friday, Oct. 20 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Rice should lead the Southern academic community

President Reggie DesRoches recently told Bloomberg that Rice has been struggling to hire faculty due to perceptions of Texas and its politics. The report by Bloomberg found that many professors and instructors that could otherwise have been hired were turned away by the “conservative political environment,” among other factors.