Special Projects

Franklin wins SA presidential election, Gupta to serve as next IVP

Gabrielle Franklin will serve as the next Student Association president after winning a close election — 50.8 percent to 49.2 percent of the vote — against Madison Bunting.  A total of 1124 ballots were casted for the presidential election, with a voter turnout of 26.81 percent, up marginally from last year’s 24 percent. 

Men’s tennis goes 1-2 at ASU 8-team tournament

The Rice men’s tennis team went out west over the weekend to take part in Arizona State University’s 8-Team Tournament, where the Owls took one out of their three matches. According to head coach Efe Ustundag, the matches provided a learning opportunity that his team can take with it following the tournament. 

Build Your Campus Housing

03-02-2022 Crossword: "Mardis Gras"

03-02-2022 Crossword Solutions

Baseball drops 2 of 3 to Lamar in first home series

Rice baseball lost their first home series of the season last weekend, with Lamar University coming into town and taking the first two games of the series, before the Owls avoided the sweep on Sunday afternoon to claim their first home victory of 2022. Their record now sits at 2-5 on the season.

MBB celebrates Senior Day with OT win over Southern Miss

For once, the Rice men’s basketball team can count themselves lucky to not be ranked among the top teams in the country. On Saturday, when each of the top-six ranked teams lost on the same day for the first time ever, the Owls pulled ahead of the University of Southern Mississippi in overtime for a 77-72 Senior Day win. After the game, head coach Scott Pera said that he was happy with how the team fought to get the win for the seniors.

Hayon breaks meet record as swimming takes 2nd at C-USAs

The Rice women’s swimming team took second place at the Conference USA championships last week behind Florida International University. In addition to the No. 2 finish, the Owls had several top performances throughout the competition, as their seven gold medals beat the previous program record of six from 2014. After the meet, head coach Seth Huston said he was proud of his team’s performance and their preparation for the event.

High-flying freshman Josie Taylor is already breaking records

Freshman high jumper Josie Taylor might be the new kid on the block for the Rice women’s track and field team, but she’s already breaking Conference USA meet records. Taylor, who is from Cambridge, Waikato, New Zealand, is finding herself right at home in her first year, which may be surprising considering Taylor had never been to the United States before she moved to Houston this past fall.

Women’s tennis beats UTSA in C-USA opener, falls to No. 7 A&M

Fresh off of a 4-0 sweep of Louisiana State University, the Rice women’s tennis team entered their first conference match of the season on Friday against the University of Texas, San Antonio. The Owls, who recently ranked No. 57 by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, split their weekend matches, defeating the Roadrunners 5-0 and falling short against No. 7 Texas A&M University 1-4.

Weekly Scenes and Screens, Mar. 2

Review: Dave’s Hot Chicken heats up Rice Village

Dave’s Hot Chicken opened in Rice Village this past weekend, and alongside free shot glasses and temporary tattoos, they delivered some fiery sliders and tenders. The location is adjacent to Velvet Taco at 2525 Rice Boulevard and has plenty of Rice decor on their walls to appease their majority customer base. 

Rice Music Collective fine tunes their sound

Last semester, the Rice Music Collective created the Tiny Nest Concert, compiling the talents of 25 student artists under soft purple lighting in an intimately staged apartment off-campus. A play on NPR’s Tiny Desk, the video series of 22 musical performances was released over a period of six weeks. Since then, the club has continued to attract attention from musicians and non-musicians alike as they arrange events to showcase student talent. This week, the Thresher caught up with some former Tiny Nest performers to hear about how they became involved with music, their experiences in the club and the projects they’re currently working on. 

John Devereaux talks ‘Hamilton,’ returning to Houston

Houstonian John Devereaux is taking the stage at the Hobby Center as a member of the ensemble and a swing for the production of “Hamilton.” Running at the Hobby Center through March 20, the show has brought Devereaux back to his home city and the theater where his interest in theater was sparked.

Boiling to the Brim: Crawfish eateries to visit in Houston

Review: ‘Love Sux’ is a delightful return to Avril Lavigne's pop-punk form

Listen up, everyone, because the princess of pop-punk has done it again. Avril Lavigne released her seventh studio album, “Love Sux,” and it’s everything I wanted and needed. It literally transported me back to my angsty early teenage years, but this time I can actually relate to her problems. I might have been sick in bed before listening to this album, but it had me up dancing around my room even before the second song. Even at 37, Lavigne’s vocals are as strong as ever and feel like they were plucked from the 2000s. A far cry from the slower ballads in her often forgotten 2019 album, “Head Above Water,” which even I only listened to in the midst of writing this review, Lavigne’s “Love Sux” experiences a delightful return to her pop-punk form. 

Black Art at Rice: Mignote Tadesse discusses motivation and art

Mignote Tadesse, a Lovett College junior, aims to incorporate more life and human experiences into her art, primarily working with oil paint on landscape images. Throughout her creative process, she draws inspiration from a wide range of sources, from Monet to her family portraits, and reflects on balancing art with her classes and schedule as a pre-med student.

Volunteer opportunities within and beyond the hedges

Community service can look different for everyone – on campus vs. off, remote vs. in-person, weekly vs. a one-time commitment  – and something great about Houston is that it has many opportunities that Rice students can partake in. From delivering meals to donating blood, volunteering is an enriching way to fill our time, step away from studying and get involved in the communities around us.

Black at Rice: Karen Murambadoro finds empowerment on campus

Where Karen Murambadoro’s family is from, people don’t really talk about neurodegenerative disorders. According to the Duncan College junior, her own family’s history of these disorders has propelled her to learn more about them by majoring in neuroscience.

Letter to the Editor: An invite to our new President to sit with us

Responding to the Rice Thresher reporter Bonnie Zhao reporting on the relocation of the WMR statue on January 25, 2022 “Rice to move Founder’s Memorial within Academic Quadrangle”