Special Projects

Fondren Library partners with two new publishers to decrease research publishing costs

Fondren Library announced they reached two new agreements with the Association for Computing Machinery and the Royal Society for Chemistry in an email Feb. 11. According to the email, these agreements will expand the accessibility of Rice publications and alleviate the financial burden within Rice research. 

LGBTQ+ student leadership group started by PRIDE, DEI

The Lav Team, an LGBTQ+ leadership and outreach student organization, will be launching its pilot program co-created by Rice PRIDE and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 

Alt-rock band bôa to headline Moody X-Fest

The third Moody X-Fest will host English alt-rock band bôa as the headline act. The festival on April 25 will be bôa’s first stop in the U.S. in 2025, before they continue their Whiplash tour in Dallas.

Startup incubator unveiled in Ion District

The Rice Nexus in the Ion building was opened to the public Feb. 14. The Nexus will assist selected faculty, student and alumni startups with office space and industry mentorship, free of charge.

Rice testifies for lawsuit against ‘devastating’ federal funding cuts

Rice joined 70 other universities supporting a lawsuit against the National Institutes of Health, which may reduce research funding by billions of dollars. A Feb. 7 NIH memo announced a drastic cut to indirect costs, which covers overhead for research institutions; including funding for lab spaces, water and power bills and paying subcontractors, according to testimony from Provost Amy Ditmtar.

Federal grant cuts jeopardize $4 million of research funding

Rice could lose up to $4 million in research funding due to cuts to National Institutes of Health grants, according to analysis by the New York Times. On Feb. 7, the NIH proposed a drastic slash of funding for indirect costs, which include administrative and lab upkeep. The proposal was blocked by a federal court Feb. 11. 

U.S. Senate flags $9 million of Rice research grants as ‘neo-Marxist,’ ‘woke nonsense’

$9 million of Rice’s funding from the National Science Foundation has been identified by the U.S. Senate as “woke DEI grants” that promote “neo-Marxist class warfare propaganda.”

Students react to Trump’s second term

Donald Trump’s second presidency is off to an unprecedented start, with over 60 executive orders signed as of Feb. 12. Students shared their opinions, thoughts and worries about the new policies in action. 

6% of students admitted in first-ever ED II round

Rice’s inaugural round of Early Decision II saw a single-digit acceptance rate, admitting only 6% of its 2,513 applicants on Feb. 7, said Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment. A total of 36,749 people applied to Rice this admissions cycle, including applicants across the ED I, ED II, regular decision and QuestBridge National College Match programs.

02-19-2025 Crossword Solutions

02-19-2025 Crossword: "Flower Girls"

This Week’s Backpage Missions

02-19-2025 Owl-American

"It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Chuck Pool!"

Can’t call it a comeback: MBB continues to lose close games

Rice men’s basketball lost another conference matchup Saturday, falling 81-78 to Tulane University on the road. The Owls won their first two conference games after AAC competition began Jan. 1, but they’re 1-10 in the 11 games since then.

Communications veteran Chuck Pool powers Rice sports

In an office nestled near the elevator on the ground floor of Tudor Fieldhouse, Chuck Pool taps away at his keyboard, vowing to answer a few more emails before fielding questions from the Thresher. This is standard practice for Pool. The assistant athletic director and head of athletic communications has seemingly put Rice’s interests ahead of his own for decades.

Review: Drake and PartyNextDoor’s “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U” is lackluster damage control

Drake and PartyNextDoor’s “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U” is an embarrassment — 73 minutes of recycled ideas, lazy songwriting, and some of the worst attempts at experimentation Drake has ever put on wax. It's a bloated mess of an album, proving that just because two artists have chemistry doesn’t mean they should make an entire project together. But the biggest issue isn’t just the lackluster music — it’s the fact that this album is Drake’s first release after his career-altering loss to Kendrick Lamar. Instead of delivering something impactful, he gives us limp attempts at reassurance and 21 half-hearted party songs.  

6 romance novels to read if you’re feeling lonely after Valentine’s Day

Spend Valentine’s Day scrolling through others’ couple posts? Date stood you up? Here are a half-dozen romances to help ease the ache in your heart.

‘¡Ritmo!’ 2025 brings art, soul and celebration to campus

The Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice hosted its annual ¡Ritmo! showcase Feb. 3, filling the Grand Hall with music, dance, poetry and Latine culture. This year’s event, themed “Arte y Alma (Art and Soul),” brought students together by highlighting the connection between artistic expression and cultural identity.

Review: ‘Brave New World’ is the Marvel universe at its worst

With each passing year, I have begun to question my undying allegiance to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I have seen every single film in theaters since 2011’s “Thor”; I was there at opening night for “Infinity War,” and inevitably, I will be seated front and center for, at the very least, “Fantastic Four” later this year.

Review: “Companion” is defined by its twist

Talking about “Companion” is nearly impossible without spoiling the movie. I know this to be true because the film’s own marketing spoils its first-act twist. If you enjoy horror-tinged thrillers, I recommend you stop reading and go see “Companion” - it’s nothing mind blowing, but it is a solid, if shallow, movie.