Special Projects

Baseball upsets Tech, bats go silent against A&M and TCU

The Rice baseball team got a statement win on a big stage, beating No. 24 Texas Tech University 3-2 on Friday to open the Shriners’ College Classic at Minute Maid Park. But the rest of the weekend didn’t go as planned, and the Owls dropped games to No. 15 Texas A&M University and No. 10 Texas Christian University in lopsided fashion, bringing their record to 4-7.

03-08-2023 Crossword Solutions

03-08-2023 Crossword: "Slippery"

Review: ‘Good Riddance’ cements Abrams’ sad girl persona

Gracie Abrams’ title of bedroom pop princess isn’t up for grabs. After breaking out with “minor” and “This Is What It Feels Like,” Abrams settles into a comfortable tonal register in “Good Riddance.” Her debut studio album is her second project with producer and co-writer Aaron Dessner. Throughout the 12 tracks, the pair holds onto Abrams’ one-note sad girl persona in delicate string riffs and quiet confessions. “Good Riddance” succeeds most when Gracie gives us something to cry to. 

Predicting the 2023 Academy Awards

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Oscar season. The 95th Academy Awards will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel for the third time and broadcasted on ABC on Sunday, March 12 at 7 p.m. CST. This was a year of fantastic blockbusters, indie word-of-mouth hits and passion projects from Hollywood legends. Without further ado, here’s what you can expect from this year’s Academy Awards. 

ThresHER’s Most Influential: A guide to women-created art

Spring break is within reach, and what better way to spend a week off during Women’s History Month than by consuming women-created media? To guide you in your period of cultural enlightenment, the Thresher compiled some of the most influential artists and creators across music, fashion and literature who identify as women. Since we’re nothing if not thorough, listen to our playlist of women artists as you check it out. 

Trailblazing directors to watch out for

While the male-dominated structures of film industries around the world have worked against women becoming successful, female directors throughout history have created some of the greatest films in history despite the barriers they experienced. Today, the number of women-identifying filmmakers helming acclaimed films have grown thanks to growing support for, and acceptance of, women behind the camera. In that spirit, here is a list of trailblazing women-identifying directors to watch.

Snap a pic with these female photographers in HTX

Are you a senior looking for graduation photos to commemorate your last few months at Rice, in need of a LinkedIn headshot to replace that old high school photo or just want some Instagram-worthy golden hour pictures? These six photographers in the Houston area who identify as women are sure to have you covered this Women’s History Month.

Rice art professor Fabiola López-Durán designs her own path

Fabiola López-Durán didn’t always want to be a historian of art and architecture; in fact, she was first trained as an architect at Universidad de Los Andes in Venezuela. 

“Top Chef” finalist Evelyn Garcia talks KIN, college and her grandparents’ cheese

Growing up, Evelyn Garcia was surrounded by two things: family and food. Now, the “Top Chef: Houston” finalist serves her grandparents’ Salvadoran cheese at Jūn, her brand-new restaurant, in hopes of uniting customers through food.

SEXISM REPARATIONS CONTRACT

The Student Association is DEAD, long live the Student Association!

The Student Association in this past year has been disappointing to say the least; the discourse and lack of engagement I have seen reflects that disappointment. The Student Association’s reckoning has been a long time coming. The organization is in need of urgent reform in order to be more receptive to all the students it represents.

Rice should expand free laundry detergent sheets program

Over the past year, Rice has piloted a partnership with Generation Conscious, offering zero-waste and toxic-free, refillable laundry detergent sheets to students during a pilot program at Hanszen College. The program consists of a central dispenser, in which students can refill a reusable container with 10 individual sheets at a time. These sheets are packaging free and plastic-free, and require 97% less water and 95% less carbon to produce and distribute than the average leading detergent. 

RWRC presents possibilities for campus

The Rice Women’s Resource Center is now officially a blanket tax organization, joining the ranks of the Thresher, Rice Program Council and University Court, among others. RWRC will now receive funds from the $85 “blanket tax” that each student pays with their tuition. With their new designation, RWRC needs to expand the resources they offer to meaningfully reach every student they’re meant to serve.

Danish delegation visits Rice business school

The Jones School of Business hosted a delegation from Denmark for a roundtable discussion about innovation at Rice and the potential for collaboration between the university and Denmark. Guests included the Danish Minister for Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs, members of Parliament’s committee for business and representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When novelty fades: Rice responds to ChatGPT with mixed reviews

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot, has raised concerns in academic institutions over its implications for plagiarism. Rice University’s students, faculty and administrators alike respond to whether ChatGPT has a place in higher education.

Professors discuss new Congress on BISF panel

The Baker Institute Student Forum hosted a panel discussing the 118th Congress, and how that will be affecting public policy in the United States and abroad. Joseph Cozza and Joe Barnes, two faculty members in the political science department, served as panelists.

An im-press-ive acquisition: Rice procures replica of William Blake’s printing press

Rice University is now the home to a functional star-wheeled, copper plate, rolling press that the prominent, Romantic-period English poet William Blake used to create some of his famous pieces. The printing press, housed in the Woodson Research Center at Fondren Library, is the only functional replica in North America. 

CDOD hosts conversation on Fizz

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion hosted a conversation about Fizz, an anonymous social media platform, as a continuation of the Critical Dialogues on Diversity series. Panelists spoke about the dangers of anonymity, impacts on the culture of care and how the conversations on the app are representative of the student body as a whole.

Dilf disrupts: Fake candidate siphons votes in otherwise uncontested election

Solomon Ni will serve as the next Student Association president, receiving 67% of the votes in the formally uncontested presidential election. “Dilf Hunter,” a fake candidate created by the Thresher Backpage, received 22% of the vote in a satirical write-in campaign, and 10% went to other write-in candidates.