Special Projects

Satterfield appointed special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues

President Joseph Biden appointed David Satterfield, the director of the Baker Institute for Public Policy, as the special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues Oct. 15. Satterfield said he will continue to serve as the Baker Institute’s director through his “temporary mission” as special envoy. According to the U.S. Department of State, Satterfield will “lead U.S. diplomacy to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.” Satterfield will arrive in the Middle East shortly, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Don’t miss these ACL eats

Aside from an impressive slate of artists to see over the next two weekends, you can’t miss the food at Austin City Limits. From sweet treats to savory eats, there’s sure to be something for every friend you’re going with. Here are some ACL dining options you won’t want to miss. 

william cordova explores infinite possibilities at Brochstein

An array of small, colorful squares — each a starkly different shade from its adjacent counterparts — cover Brochstein Pavilion’s south-facing wall. william cordova created this public art installation, titled “2800 dowling-wasi-sangarara,” as the newest piece in Rice’s ongoing art series, “Off the Wall.”

University Court rules Student Association constitutional amendment unconstitutional

University Court made a unanimous ruling in a preliminary investigative hearing Saturday, Sept. 30, stating that the Student Association violated its constitution during its constitutional amendment ratification on April 23. 

Thresher Declassified: ACL survival guide 2023

Wake up, babe, the newest edition of the Thresher Declassified: ACL Survival Guide just dropped. In what’s becoming a yearly tradition, the Thresher is here to give you the low-down on all things Austin City Limits in case you don’t feel like getting your information on the festival’s website. We just know you’d be lost without us, so here’s all you need to know to survive this year’s ACL. 

10-04-2023 Crossword Solutions

10-04-2023 Crossword: "meh."

Life Hacks for the Economical Owl

10-04-2023 "Owl-American"

Volleyball continues to truck through the AAC

Going into last Friday’s match against the University of Texas at San Antonio, Rice Volleyball had won 15 of their last 19 sets. At the end of their victorious home stand against the Roadrunners, the Owls had improved that to 21 sets out of 25, extending their win streak to seven games and preserving their undefeated status in conference play.

Men’s XC place sixth, Women’s XC finish 21st in weekend races

The men’s and women’s cross country teams were in action last weekend, with the men’s team traveling to the University of Arkansas to run in the Chile Pepper Festival while the women’s team competed in the Live in Lou Classic hosted by the University of Louisville. 

Tennis confident after weekend tournament play

Last weekend, the men’s and women’s tennis teams returned to the court to compete in the International Tennis Association Men’s All American Championships and the Houston Invitational, respectively. These early fall tournaments helped the teams get in more competitions in preparation for the ITA Texas Regionals Tournament in Fort Worth later in the fall.

Football wins its first-ever AAC game, defeats ECU 24-17

Sporting Columbia-blue Houston Oilers-themed throwback jerseys, Rice secured a 24-17 win in their American Athletic Conference home opener against East Carolina University on Saturday. While the Owls only trailed for five minutes in the first quarter, the game was close the entire time as both teams fought for their first AAC win of the season.

10-04-2023 Weekly Scenes and Screens

Review: ‘PAW Patrol’ needs quality control

The evolving relationship between children’s TV and the silver screen is quite fascinating. After all, it is quite challenging to turn formulaic episodes into a two-hour action-packed extravaganza. Still, we can all recall watching our favorite protagonists make a seemingly magical leap from our TV sets to the theaters, with our child-sized minds enamored by animations, explosions and whatnot. 

ACL artists to look out for: Weekend One

While headliners like Kendrick Lamar, the Lumineers, Hozier and Kali Uchis are sure to draw the most major crowds at Austin City Limits this year, each day’s lineup is full of other lesser-known artists you can’t miss out on. From up-and-coming voices in R&B to experimental, new-age pop music, we’d be wrong to not let you know about some of the incredible artists at ACL for weekend one only. 

Not your average marching band. Not even a marching band.

John “Grungy” Gladu is the Marching Owl Band’s longest standing member, and he was never even a Rice student. Celebrating his 51st year as a MOBster this year, Gladu joined the MOB in 1970 at the recommendation of his own band director at Houston Baptist College, now Houston Christian University. Despite spending his first season doing menial tasks and dirty work, he said he was hooked after his first game on the field.

Alumni point future engineers towards the stars

Of the 30 mechanical engineers in John H. Scott’s 1982 graduating class at Rice, four would end up at the level of department head or higher at NASA. Scott himself was among them; now the principal technologist for power and energy storage, he noted that many of his classmates wound up in similar leadership roles.

Rice’s properties: down to Earth and out of the park

Many Rice students know that the university owns and leases some of the land in Rice Village. Lesser known, however, is the scope of Rice’s extensive and occasionally eccentric real estate holdings, which cover everything from the basics to the land that holds a women’s clothing retailer in the Rice Village, the Impeccable Pig.

Laura Correa Ochoa connects her students with revolution

In her syllabus for her course HIST 237 Radicals in the Americas, Laura Correa Ochoa poses a question: “What worlds were radicals in the Americas imagining and building?” Ochoa said her mission is to bring to light the role racial inequality has played in the recent history of Latin America and the Caribbean, especially in her birthplace of Colombia.