Special Projects

If the SA wants to be taken seriously, campaigning can’t be a joke

Student Association elections at Rice routinely garner little attention, often struggling to break 25% turnout, which the Thresher and years of SA representatives have called problematic for the health of our student government. With the recently proposed election timeline cutting campaigning to just one week, we’re worried this year we might manage to reach a new low.

Letter to the Editor: Rice isn’t pro-choice until it supports both choices

A choice, by definition, must be between two or more possibilities. As I read about Rice’s Reproductive Health Working Group in the Thresher’s Nov. 30 Special Project, I’m struck by the fact that only one response to student pregnancy was presented. Reproductive health is not limited to contraceptives and abortions, but also includes prenatal, postnatal and maternal care and it is critical that the RHWG include these elements in their priorities. For Rice to be pro-choice means that it supports students regardless of their choice, and while some might choose to procure an abortion, others may choose to keep their child. 

CoCgate: A Rice Cost of Attendance Breakdown

Rice astronomer and colleagues discover newborn stars

Rice University professor Megan Reiter and her colleagues discovered a previously undetected cluster of newborn stars some 7,500 light years away from Earth. The discovery, published in the December issue of Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, was made possible through observations by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Rice trustee Huda Zoghbi recognized for research on genetics, brain disorders

Rice emeritus trustee Dr. Huda Zoghbi is a co-recipient of the 2022 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience. She and her colleagues received this award for the discovery of genes involved in serious brain disorders.

Rice lands transfer QB JT Daniels, a former 5-star, to cap highest rated recruiting class in years

Quarterback JT Daniels, a former five-star recruit who has started 29 games across stints with the University of Southern California, University of Georgia and West Virginia University, will transfer to Rice. Daniels joins an incoming class that ranks No. 80 in the NCAA according to 247Sports’s composite rankings, as of the start of the early signing period on Wednesday. According to head coach Mike Bloomgren, Daniels is one of the best quarterbacks he’s ever recruited going back to his time as offensive coordinator at Stanford University.

Rice’s defense gored by Southern Miss in LendingTree Bowl loss

Rice’s 38-24 loss to the University of Southern Mississippi in the LendingTree Bowl on Saturday was listed on ESPN as NCAA Football: Rice vs. Southern Miss. But according to the Owls’ head coach Mike Bloomgren, the broadcast could have just as easily had a different name. “The Frank Gore [Jr.] show,” Bloomgren said. “We know how impressive Frank is, what a great athlete, what a great runner he is, and I thought he was phenomenal.”

Thresher staff bowl game predictions, featuring a special guest

In honor of Rice’s first bowl game appearance in eight years, we’ve collected predictions from our staff and one very presidential guest.

MBB loses OT thriller to No. 7 Longhorn’s on day of UT coach’s arrest

Late in the first half of Monday night's game against the No. 7 seed University of Texas, it looked like Rice volleyball might not be the only Owls to defeat a top-ranked Texas team. Up 33-23 with under two minutes remaining in the first half, the Rice men’s basketball team looked poised for their first win over a top-10 opponent in 40 years. That dream was for naught, as the Longhorns won a tight overtime battle, 87-81. After the game, head coach Scott Pera said he was disappointed in the outcome but proud of his players and their fight. 

Bloomgren returns as head coach for 2023 season

Mike Bloomgren will return next season for his sixth as the head coach of Rice football, an athletic department official confirmed Saturday. While Bloomgren’s initial five-year contract was set to expire this year, the official said that he is under contract for the upcoming year after signing an extension in 2020. The total length of the extension is unknown.

Volleyball loses heartbreaker to Baylor in second round, ending season and NCAA tournament run

Rice volleyball’s season came to a close on Friday, as the No. 5 seed Owls lost a five set thriller to No. 4 seed Baylor University in the second round of the NCAA tournament (25-16, 22-25, 23-25, 25-14, 11-15). The loss ended the Owls tournament run and hopes at their first Sweet Sixteen berth in program history. After the game, head coach Genny Volpe was proud of her team despite the loss.

Football to face Southern Miss in LendingTree Bowl

It might not have been how they planned it, but Rice football is going to a bowl game. The Owls will take on the University of Southern Mississippi in the LendingTree Bowl, in Mobile, Alabama on Dec. 17. After finishing the season 5-7, one win shy of the mark needed to secure eligibility, Rice got an invite anyway when not enough teams reached six wins to fill every bowl game. The Owls topped all five-win teams in the tiebreaker, an academic performance metric called Academic Progress Rate. 

No. 20 Volleyball tops Colorado in first round of NCAAs, set for rematch with No. 17 Baylor

In the first round of the 2022 NCAA tournament, the No. 5 seed Rice defeated the University of Colorado Boulder in four sets to advance to the second round. After the 3-1 victory, head coach Genny Volpe was thrilled with the team's win against a tough opponent.

Review: MAX elevates House of Blues energy through the roof

Pop powerhouse MAX’s performance at Houston’s House of Blues on Nov. 10 was nothing short of electric. Although I was a relative newcomer to MAX’s music, I already knew and liked his songs “Still New York” and “Love Me Less (feat. Quinn XCII),” the latter of which was included on the setlist.  

Special Project: Abortion through the ages

The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, ending 50 years of constitutional protections for abortion in the United States. Abortion in Texas is now illegal in almost all cases. Students at Rice sought abortions before Roe, during its reign and will continue in the wake of Roe’s fall. The Thresher talked to alumni from the 1950s through the 2010s to build a timeline of relationships, sex and abortion at Rice.

11-30-2022 Crossword Solutions

11-30-2022 Crossword: "Winter Wonderland"

World Cup fever infects campus

The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 began Nov. 20 and has brought much of the world to a halt with each game. From last-second winners to amazing goals and seat-clenching upsets, the drama has been high and the world has been captivated by it. Students at Rice are no exception, with a number of watch parties taking place everyday to celebrate and give students a place to cheer on their favorite countries and players. The Pub at Rice has streamed many of the games and has been a hub for many soccer fans in the past week, according to Will Rice College senior and head bartender Jonathan Lloyd.

Deck the halls with these holiday activities

If you are looking to explore Houston in its peak holiday season, want to escape campus during dead days or would just like to unfreeze your inner Mariah Carey, look no further for a list of holiday attractions around campus this December. 

‘Flipping over the rock’: Remembering students' fight against sexual violence

Three years ago, the Rice campus was enveloped by protests and discussions over the state of the university’s sexual assault policies. Partially lost to the mists of time and overshadowed by the pandemic a few months later, these protests are largely unknown to today’s student body after the numerous social disruptions these last few years have seen.