Special Projects

Review: ‘Bottoms’ is a welcome addition to the high-school comedy canon

It’s uncomfortable how rarely straightforward comedies are released in theaters these days. This is not to say that the cinema is devoid of comedy, as quipping has become an inescapable part of just about every blockbuster of the last decade. Rather, it feels that jokes are either buried within CGI battles or relegated to scripts likely created or, at the very least greenlit, by AI. But “Bottoms,” Emma Seligman’s new raunchy teen satire, is bringing real comedy back to theaters. 

Review: ‘Zach Bryan’ makes the deeply personal universal on eponymous album

Zach Bryan straddles the lines between country, rock and folk on his eponymous album. A follow up to his two-hour long 2022 major-label debut, “American Heartbreak,” and his “Summertime Blues” EP from the same year, “Zach Bryan” proves that Bryan is nowhere close to running out of ideas.

A celebration of diversity launches on the edge of campus

Contrasting the modern brick and tile of the Moody Center for the Arts and directly opposite the bland facade of the Rice police department lies a bright and organic structure — the first traditional mudhif ever constructed outside modern-day Iraq. Opening Sept. 9 with an event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the mudhif is a product of the Senan Shaibani Marsh Arabs project.

Rice researchers talk media bias, nuance

Sifting through the cacophonous jumble of information available at the tap of a screen can be a daunting task. Modern online socialization means the news we receive is never-ending, multifaceted and sometimes dangerous. What are the implications of the rampant accusations of biased journalism and misinformation in today’s academic climate? Researchers at Rice have some ideas.

Hot clubs in your area

The Rice Memorial Center was packed with over 350 booths and crowds of students scanning GroupMe QR codes on Sept. 1. The Student Activities Fair boasted clubs of all kinds. The Thresher has compiled a list of new and returning clubs for anyone on the hunt for another extracurricular activity.

Late-night dining at Rice is hard to come by. Sid Richardson College just made it easier.

With the serveries closed and the Hoot only open for some of the week, late-night dining at Rice quickly becomes limited. But a new initiative at Sid Richardson College has set its sights on changing that.

Linsey Sainte-Claire wants to share her knowledge

Linsey Sainte-Claire left home at age 15. She moved from her native French Guiana to attend school in Paris, France in hopes of receiving a better education than she could get in the Caribbean.

09-06-2023 Editorial Cartoon

Slow start clips wings of Rice Volleyball in loss to No. 15 Baylor

The No. 18 Rice Owls fell to No. 16 Baylor Bears on the road Friday, losing three sets and winning one with scores of 25-13, 25-14, 24-26, and 25-23. The Owls’ late comeback attempt was not enough to overcome the early deficit, dropping the Owls to 2-2 on the year, their second straight loss. 

Lack of leadership, defensive errors see soccer lose this weekend

Rice soccer lost both their games last weekend to the University of Houston and Loyola University Maryland, dropping to 2-4 to start the season. Despite winning two games in a row last week, tallying a combined seven goals, Rice scored just one and conceded four in their most recent bouts. 

Tommy McClelland still picks up the phone

At Louisiana Tech University’s first football home opener in 2014, fireworks lit up their field — but not for them. In the last eight minutes of the game, their opponents from Northwestern State University had scored 10 points, then sealed their 30-27 victory with a tie-breaking 50-yard field goal. Not anticipating a loss, Louisiana Tech had pre-planned fireworks to celebrate their home opener.

Rice Pride extends honorary membership to Texas public university students

As Texas closes the doors of queer resource centers at public universities across the state, Rice Pride is opening theirs. On June 14, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law banning diversity, equity and inclusion offices and initiatives at state-funded universities in Texas, as well as the hiring or assignment of an employee to conduct DEI office duties. 

Owls horned down by Texas, lose 37-10 in season opener

Rice football led the University of Texas Longhorns for exactly 2 minutes and 40 seconds on Saturday when the teams met for the 97th time. Being ahead may have been unfamiliar, but the final result was not — Rice lost to Texas again, this time by a score of 37-10, for the Owls’ 75th loss against the Longhorns.

A despondent fan’s guide to Rice football

On Sept. 2, the Owls played their first football game as members of the American Athletic Conference. They lost to their 109-year rivals the University of Texas at Austin, just like they have in every meeting but two since 1963. In that time, much has changed about how those teams relate to each other: Texas is in a “power five” conference, and Rice is not; Texas has won four national championships, and Rice has won none. The Owls have gone from playing the Longhorns in a mid-October rivalry match to being a season-opening tune-up game. 

Faculty and students continue adapting to endemic COVID-19

The first two weeks of classes have seen a rise in COVID-19 cases among the campus community. The number of positive cases is unknown as Rice stopped collecting data and phased out Crisis Management’s COVID resources.

Flu shot mandated for fourth year, Oct. 27 deadline

Students are required to have their seasonal flu vaccination prior to the start of spring class registration, Oct. 27. To facilitate this process, the university is holding vaccine clinics Sept. 14, 19, 27 and Oct. 5, according to a campus-wide email sent by Student Health Services Aug. 28.

Baker Christmas to become college-only

Baker Christmas, formerly a campus-wide public party, will now be Baker-only, according to Baker College President Jonah Wagner. A new Baker public is being planned for the spring semester.

Mikki Hebl receives Women in Leadership award

Michelle “Mikki” Hebl was awarded the Advancing Women in Leadership award by the diversity, equity and inclusion division of the Academy of Management, acknowledging her contributions to education to help the development of women in leadership. Hebl is the Martha and Henry Malcolm Lovett Chair of Psychology and a professor of management at the Jones Graduate School of Business.

Graduate students discuss frustration with new dining plan

Housing and Dining launched new dining plan options for graduate students this year, accommodating 300 graduate students during the 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 pm lunch period and 600 graduate students during the 2 pm to 4 p.m. “munch” period.

Rice needs a competitive season opener, not a blowout

Rice football kicked off its season with yet another rout at the hands of the University of Texas Longhorns, losing 37-10. At least it wasn’t 58-0.