Special Projects

Students discuss adjusting to new dining policies

Starting this semester, Rice Housing and Dining implemented significant changes to their dining policies, including an additional meal period, additional 25 meal swipes for the full meal plan and a required additional swipe for any entree plates after the first entry, without any changes to the price of the meal plan beyond what was previously budgeted for the 2022-2023 academic year. These changes were cited as being in response to the Student Association Resolution to Structurally Address Disordered Eating Patterns in the Rice Community. However, differing opinions exist about whether the changes address the concerns that prompted them.

New Rice Global Paris Center houses university’s first satellite campus

Rice is opening its first international campus in Paris, which aims to be fully operational midway through next spring semester. The Rice Global Paris Center will be Rice’s hub in Europe, expanding education and research opportunities for students and faculty alike and facilitating strategic collaborations with global partners. 

Bike thefts continue to plague campus, but remain below 2019 levels

Rice University has seen a rising amount of bike theft on campus since the start of this year, according to Clemente Rodriguez, the chief of police and director of public safety. Rodriguez said 36 bike thefts were reported so far this year, the highest number since 44 were reported in 2019.

Soccer beats HBU, loses ‘Bayou Cup’ to UH

Airfare was kept to a minimum over the weekend, as the Rice soccer team played a pair of games against crosstown rivals. The Owls got their second win of the season last Thursday when they beat Houston Baptist University 1-0. On Sunday, the Owls fell to the University of Houston 3-1, in a match that should henceforth be referred to as the ‘Bayou Cup.’ According to head coach Brian Lee, the year is still young, and he’s enjoyed seeing newer players step up when they’ve been called on.

Volleyball loses five set back-and-forth battle with No. 18 Oregon

After receiving the 30th most votes in last week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, the Rice volleyball team narrowly missed an opportunity to cement their top-25 status in a  nail biting loss to No.18 University of Oregon . After winning the first set, the Owls fought off an Oregon comeback to force a fifth set, where they lost 15-11. Following the loss, head coach Genny Volpe said that she was pleased with the performance against such a high caliber team.

Pick 66: Tipped passes, turnovers and tackling woes doom Owls in opener against No. 14 USC

At least they might be the answer to a trivia question someday. The Rice football team lost their opener to No. 14 University of Southern California on Saturday by a score of 66-14. But if new Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley leads the fallen powerhouse back to its former heights as is widely expected, maybe some lucky fan ten years from now will win a round of shots for the table by remembering that his first opponent was the Owls.

Shadows of anonymity: Fizz should fizzle out

Shortly after arriving at Rice for the fall semester, I noticed a piece of purple paper peeking out beneath my room’s door frame. “An app just for Rice Students!” announced the cardstock. The ad was for Fizz, a social media app launched by two Stanford University students my equal in age at their university just one year ago. Wary but curious, I downloaded the app. 

The new meal swipe plan needs to be clarified

Over the summer, Rice Housing & Dining announced significant changes to the dining schedule and meal plan that went into effect at the start of the semester. The most notable change was the addition of a new meal time, affectionately known as “munch.” The other adjustment implemented the following change: “Re-entry to ANY servery requires a student to swipe to receive up to two entree plates again.”

Weekly Scenes and Screens, Sept. 7

These coffee spots are grounds for a caffeine run

The Thresher likes coffee, and we’ve written about our favorite Houston spots before. That said, there are still a latte of great finds beyond the hedges. To avoid the risk of giving you déjà brew, here are some new coffee shop finds you might not have heard of yet.

Bookstores you’re bound to love

Now that school is officially in full force, students have been hitting the books. However, there are plenty of literary worlds waiting to be discovered beyond the rigid spines of our Organic Chemistry textbooks. Now is the perfect time to check out the local independent bookstores hidden around Houston. Whether you have specific titles in mind or want to help support your community, there’s a store for everyone.

Review: ‘Rings of Power’ is a solid albeit muddled start

It’s safe to say that in regards to the high expectations surrounding it, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has proven to be a solid start for the next story to come from the world of Tolkein. Though not immediately gripping like HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” the first two episodes of “Rings of Power” effectively build the foundation of the plot while presenting some of the best visuals I’ve ever seen from a television show.

Review: Kenny Beats exhibits his producing prowess on ‘Louie’

Kenny Beats is one of the best producers working in hip-hop today. The producer’s status as a go-to collaborator for many of the genre’s innovators (with Vince Staples, Denzel Curry and Rico Nasty, to name a few) is certainly enough to prove this lofty endorsement. With “Louie,” Kenny proves that his success is not a result of his clients’ star power but rather because of his ability to converge seemingly conflicting sounds and confidently use authentic instrumentation.

Kanisha Feliciano makes Broadway history

This summer, Rice alumna Kanisha Feliciano graced the storied Broadway stage, performing as the first Latina and second Black woman to play the leading role of Christine Daae in Broadway’s longest-running musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.” Feliciano said that the experience was a dream come true.

Senior Spotlight: Hunter Brown just tries to have a decent time

Hunter Brown lives for three things: pad thai, melodica and a “good fucking time.” “Have you ever seen a piano that you blow into? That’s the melodica,” Brown, a McMurtry College senior, said. “It truly is the Swiss Army knife of musical instruments. And I’m going to say, it’s my favorite pastime. I can spend an hour just blowing into that.”

Amid a move, a second start for Rice’s Holistic Garden

When the Betty and Jacob Friedman Holistic Garden moved last semester from behind the Moody Center to behind the Gibbs Recreation Center, it provided an opportunity for more cross-campus connection with the space. Joe Novak, the garden’s director, said he noticed an uptick in the amount of visitors in the Holistic Garden since May.

Off campus spots to visit with your next METRO ride

At any given time throughout the night, you’d be hard-pressed to find available seating at Agora. A Greek marketplace-themed cafe situated in Montrose, Agora is open until 2 a.m. Its coffee, eccentric interior decorations and late hours attract hosts of Rice students looking for an enjoyable spot to spend time outside of the campus hedges.

JFK 60th Anniversary Event Calendar

Review: ‘Three Thousand Years of Longing’ attempts flimsy romance

Seven years after “Mad Max: Fury Road,” filmmaker George Miller returned to cinemas this past Friday with “Three Thousand Years of Longing,” a film distinctly opposite from the genre work Miller is known for. While Miller’s  tendency to capture excitement is present in the film, this is a new territory for the director. “Three Thousand Years” is a romance-fantasy drama centered around Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton) who discovers a genie (Idris Elba) while on a trip to Istanbul. This heady and almost saccharine premise about the power of storytelling is a great setup for a blissful drama, but ultimately becomes messy as Miller’s style and writing are antithetical to the romance at the core of the story.

‘ones & zeros’ powers digital and interpersonal connection

Created from plywood, corrugated plastic, Arduino circuits and LED strips, “ones & zeros” was created by senior architecture students Peyton Chiang, Joseph Hsu, Olivia Malone and Jeff Xia for Archi-Arts. The large-scale, interactive exhibition goes on display Wednesday, Aug. 31 at 5 p.m. in the Sewall Courtyard as Sleepy Cyborg’s first fall exhibition, slated to run until Oct. 9.