The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Le cinéma et l’art

Deflating Grades

Prepare for the upcoming visual and dramatic arts art and film showcase

STAT department should reconsider anti-grade inflation policies

see A&E p. 6

INSIDE

Rice Fight Never Die

SJP records judicial meetings in response to student concerns

Remember the athletic highlights of the 2014-15 Rice Owls in our Year in Review

see Ops p. 5

See Sports p. 9 See P. 2

student-run

volume 99, issue no. 26

5% refused to answer

15%

28%

Amber Tong

spiritual and religious

17% spiritual, not religious

Assistant News Editor NOT RELIGIOUS

RELIGIOUS

Religious minorities

40%

Christian

40%

Non-religious

5% religious, not spiritual religious, 48% not not spiritual

NOT SPIRITUAL

In light of the implementation of grade collaring policies in certain introductory courses, the Student Association hopes to initiate a discussion regarding departmental policies against grade inflation in the fall, according to Sid Richardson College senator Justin Onwenu.

Onwenu, a freshman, said he noticed the issue in a statistics class, the syllabus of which stated that only the top 40 percent can receive an A, and felt a need to discuss it.

The spring 2015 syllabi for Elementary Applied Statistics (STAT 280), Introduction to Statistics for Biosciences (STAT 305), Probability and Statistics (STAT 310) and Methods for Data Analysis (STAT 385) all state that no more than 40 percent of the classes will receive a grade of Aplus, A or A-minus.

According to the STAT 280 and 305 syllabi, “This policy is meant to help [ensure] similar grades across sections taught by different instructors and is being implemented in a number of introductory classes in the department of statistics.”

However, according to the course offering page for fall 2015, there will be only one teacher for all STAT 280 and STAT 305 classes.

“I was shocked,” Onwenu said. “I brought it up to [the Student Association], and everyone was on the same page in feeling [that] grade inflation policy is an issue that is important — and I know a lot of universities are dealing with it — but it’s how you go about it that’s important.”

According to Onwenu, the policy is problematic because it may discourage collaboration and engender negative competition.

“The goal is to learn as much as possible and if we can work together and collaborate, that’s good,” Onwenu said. “But if I see you as competition, [I might think,] ‘Oh I’m not going to help you [as you may] get above me and I may be knocked down a grade level.’”

The long-term focus should be on learning instead of besting fellow students, Onwenu said.

“Students don’t have a problem with increasing difficulty of classes; students have a problem with a cutthroat environment,” Onwenu said.

“I’m worried the statistics department policy [...] has the potential to disrupt Rice’s collaborative sort of environment.”

Onwenu said the statistics department probably implemented the grade-collaring policy in response to a legislation passed by the Faculty Senate in April 2014.

“Two years ago, the SA and the Faculty Senate launched a working group [and] conducted a tremendous amount of research in terms of how Rice compares to other universities, and how our 0see INFLATION, page 4

wednesday, april 22, 2015

According to 1,991 students’ responses...

SPIRITUAL

SA starts discussion on grade policy

since 1916

Student responses included...

Christian groups on campus could proselytize less.

I do not think that religious intolerance is really an issue at Rice. But I think it is important to continue to address it to ensure that it does not become an issue.

I have been made fun of or called out for multiple occasions by non-religious students.

32%

20%

43% never do

pray often

attend service nearly every week

94%

57%

26% never attend

say they are always say they always treat people of other religious treated with respect from people of other religious faiths with respect faiths

Religious diversity survey reveals student opinions of tolerance at Rice Drew Keller News Editor

Rice University’s Boniuk Institute released the results of a campus-wide survey of undergraduates about religion and religious tolerance at a presentation last week.

Boniuk Institute Director and sociology professor Elaine Howard Ecklund led the implementation of the study, assisted by Laura Johnson, the Institute’s associate director of operations, and several student research assistants.

According to Johnson, the sur-

vey was the first thorough effort to understand religious diversity at Rice. Johnson said the impetus for the study was donor and founder of the Boniuk Institute Dr. Milton Boniuk. “[Boniuk] was really eager to gain a better understanding of what’s going on [at Rice], because it’s sort of seen as a very diverse and tolerant place,” Johnson said.

“So let’s look below the surface and see what’s really going on.”

Johnson said many of the survey’s results were expected, such as the fact that religious students had more positive feelings toward

their own religions. However, she also said the study led to some important conclusions.

“Understanding where tensions are on our campus will help inform a more productive dialogue around religious tolerance,” Johnson said.

According to a presentation of the survey’s results given by the Boniuk Institute last Thursday, Rice’s student body is dominated by two main groups: Christians and the non-religious, each of which makes up approximately two-fifths of the population.

According to Lovett College sophomore and Junior Interfaith

Week Coordinator Bridget Schilling, many students see a divide between religious ideas and their education at Rice.

“I think that the idea of a conflict between religion and science is pretty prevalent on campus, especially because we have such a large population of STEM majors,” Schilling said. “It can be easy to think that religion and science are in conflict, especially with some vocal religious groups in the US being so visible, but I think that we should have a greater discourse surrounding the relationship.”

0see DIVERSITY, page 4

ECON, MTEC curricula undergo major restructuring Sana Yaklur Thresher Staff

The economics and mathematical economic analysis curriculum is undergoing extensive changes for the 2015-16 school year and beyond, according to Chair of Economics George Zodrow. The changes will be mandatory only for students matriculating in and after 2015.

The changes include a new introductory course, removal of the Ordinary Differential Equations and Linear

Algebra (MATH 211) requirement and renumbering of upper level courses.

There is also a new honors program as well as new math, statistics and advanced course requirements.

The economics department’s undergraduate committee developed the changes over the course of the 2014-15 year, according to Zodrow. The committee took into account input from ECON faculty and students, and tentative proposals were presented to the faculty and a student advisory board appointed by the Student Association.

The department approved the finalized changes in February.

According to Zodrow, these changes are a part of the Rice Initiative for the Study of Economics, which is a program focused on improving the teaching and research of economics at Rice. RISE is led by Economics Department Chair Antonio Merlo. Zodrow said the goal of the restructuring was to meet students’ needs more successfully and provide comprehensive preparation for continued schooling or careers.

“In particular, the reforms are designed to more clearly delineate our two majors, with an enhanced ECON major available to all students and an MTEC major that is designed for students who wish to pursue graduate study in economics or obtain a position in the private or public sectors that requires advanced analytical and quantitative skills,” Zodrow said.

A number of major changes will be implemented, Zodrow said. One is a new introductory course for the major.

0see ECON, page 2

2

NEWS

wednesday, April 22, 2015

the Rice Thresher

SJP, not students, permitted to record meetings Drew Keller & Jaycey Parham News Editor & Staff Writer

Rice Student Judicial Programs has implemented two changes to its disciplinary meetings in response to student leader concerns over transparency: Starting in December, SJP has begun recording its proceedings and often includes a second official in the meetings.

SJP Director Lisa Zollner, who arrived at the department in 2013 along with Student Conduct Officer Emily Garza, said input from college presidents and chief justices influenced the new policies. Despite the changes, however, students still will not have the right to record meetings. This is in contrast to Texas law, which states that recordings require consent from only one party being recorded.

If students believe SJP is bad, they may decline to seek out SJP as a resource.

Lisa Zollner SJP director

Garza said this change will improve the adjudication process, particularly during factually complex cases that may involve

many witnesses.

“Having the audio recordings for factually complex cases is very beneficial in terms of getting all of the facts straight and in a more time efficient manner,” Garza said.

“If there’s a case that involves, say, 10 witnesses, it’s helpful to have the recordings in order to review facts.”

Both directors said the audio recordings are not shared outside the SJP office. Because the change is recent, there has not yet been a decision about how long the recordings will be retained. According to Zollner, student disciplinary files are retained for 10 years after the involved student graduates, but the audio recordings are not a part of these files.

“SJP is working with General Counsel to determine a retention schedule for the recordings,” Zollner said.

Zollner said another change, made this academic year, is that when possible both she and Garza will be present during meetings with students. This change was also aimed at alleviating campus-wide concerns about SJP proceedings.

“Recently, there have been negative rumors toward SJP,” Zollner said. “Some students come into our office expecting the worst. Having two people rather than just one person present is a response to concerns voiced by students.”

Zollner and Garza both said SJP’s primary concern is to keep the Rice community safe and this includes being a resource for students who feel they have been victimized.

“The true risk of the rumors about SJP is that they will scare students away from SJP’s services,” Zollner said. If students believe SJP is bad, they may decline to seek out SJP as a resource. This is a risk Rice students should not accept, and a risk students should actively work to guard against.”

NEWS IN BRIEF Mackowiak wins Goliard for stars Stargazing sophomore Mitch Mackowiak was recently awarded the Goliard Scholarship, a $2,500 travel grant described by the Goliard Board as a “whimsical effort … to encourage an international understanding in Rice University’s leaders of tomorrow.” In a proposal titled “Look up and try not to trip: stars and hills in Houston’s opposite” he submitted as his application, Mackowiak, a Lovett College sophomore, detailed his plans to “hang out with the sky” for at least two weeks in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile.

According to its website, the Goliard Scholarship stems from the definition of a Goliard as a wandering student in medieval Europe “disposed to conviviality, license and the making of ribald and satirical Latin songs.

Mackowiak, an architecture major, said he felt he had stumbled upon a gem of a scholarship when he found the prompt, which merely asks, “Where would you go with $2500, and what would you do?”

“The magic of the question lies in its asking,” Mackowiak said. “Even if you didn’t get the Goliard, you might still follow that proposal

0ECON FROM PAGE 1 “We are creating a new course, ECON 100, Principles of Economics, which will provide a non-technical intuitive introduction to microeconomics and macroeconomics,” Zodrow said.

MTEC majors who matriculate in 2015 or later will no longer be required to take Ordinary Differential Equations and Linear Algebra (MATH 211) because the material from MATH 211 that MTEC majors need to know will be covered in Mathematical Economics (ECON 308, formerly ECON 401), a prerequisite for Econometrics (ECON 310, formerly ECON 409) and Advanced Topics in Microeconomics for MTEC Majors (ECON 305), according to Zodrow.

Also, core courses for ECON and MTEC majors are being renumbered, according to Zodrow. The core courses are Microeconomics (ECON 200, formerly ECON 301), Macroeconomics (ECON 203, formerly ECON 303) and Applied Econometrics (ECON 209, formerly ECON 309).

“The renumbering of these courses does not imply they have been diminished in any way,” Zodrow said. “[It] simply recognizes these critical courses provide the basic foundational principles required as preparation for our upper-level courses and should be taken early in a student’s progression in either major.”

However, Zodrow said for students who had taken these courses before the 2015-16 school year, the courses would still be listed as 300-level courses on their transcripts.

Both ECON and MTEC majors will now be required to take two semesters of calculus. Previously, ECON majors only needed one. According to Zodrow, this change will provide better preparation in mathematics for the core and elective courses. Additionally, ECON and MTEC majors must now enroll in a higher-level statistics course, Probability and Statistics (ECON 307/STAT 310).

ECON and MTEC majors will now need to take courses on advanced microeconomic topics.

ECON majors will have to take Advanced Topics in Microeconomics for Economics Majors (ECON

Mitch Mackowiak when you do get an opportunity to travel.”

Mackowiak said he is considering pursuing a nocturnal lifestyle in Atacama, although he does have additional plans to explore Santiago and camp in the Andes. However, he will keep his belongings to a minimum.

“I need to find some astronomer’s binoculars, a nice camera and as much Spanish as I can pick up in a little more than two months,” Mackowiak said. “Otherwise, [I’ll bring] as little as I can.”

300) while MTEC majors will take the more quantitative Advanced Topics in Microeconomics for MTEC Majors (ECON 305).

“ECON and MTEC majors will be required to take a new course [on] advanced topics in microeconomics critical to an understanding of recent developments in modern economics,” Zodrow said. “As a result, these quantitative tools courses should be taken earlier in a student’s career than has often been the case in previous years.”

According to Zodrow, all MTEC majors must take one of the two new capstone courses based on analysis of current research topics in economics. The prerequisites for these courses provide insight into this subject. The last change is a twosemester honors program in economics.

“This program will guide students through the research process and culminate in the authorship of a high-quality research paper,” Zodrow said.

MTEC majors would obtain more advanced analytical and quantitative skills through the Applied Econometrics, Econometrics and Mathematical Economics courses taken earlier in their college careers, as well as through the new capstone courses, Zodrow said.

“We believe all of these curriculum changes will provide students with a more comprehensive knowledge of economic principles and applications as well as a deeper understanding of the process of research in economics,” Zodrow said.

Economics major Jenny Ren said despite the new changes, she will opt to continue with the previous curriculum.

“You can choose which general announcements [to] go under, and it would be too much of a hassle to pursue the new track [as] I’ve already taken some of the old classes,” Ren, a Jones College freshman, said. “I am looking forward to the changes this program will bring and hopefully it will create new opportunities in the department.”

Martel College junior Cathy Hu said while the changes do not affect upperclassmen, it’s interesting to see things being improved.

“In the past, depending on what professors you have, you’d have a very different experience as an ECON major.” Hu, an economics and sociology major, said. “It would definitely be more rigorous and standardized [after the changes].”

wednesday, April 22, 2015

NEWS

the Rice Thresher

3

Alumni vote RSVP maintains $17,500 surplus in Shamoo for anticipation of structural changes Excellence in Teaching award Jieya Wen

Thresher Staff

Andrew Ta

Editor in Chief

Recent Rice University alumni voted professor of biosciences Yousif Shamoo as the 2015 recipient of the George R. Brown Prize for Excellence in Teaching.

Alumni who graduated two, three and five years ago were asked to nominate professors, according to Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson. The professor with the most votes receives the excellence in teaching award, Rice’s top award for teaching. Nine others, chosen by the University Committee on Teaching and the Center of Teaching Excellence based on number of votes, class size and subject, receive awards for superior teaching. All faculty, include nontenure-track and lecturers, are eligible for the awards, which also carry a monetary prize.

Shamoo, who teaches Biochemistry I (BIOC 301) and II (BIOC 302), previously received the award for superior teaching in 2009, 2011 and 2013, but said he never expected to win the top prize for excellence in teaching.

“Biochem is such a hard course; I’m always surprised and honored,” Shamoo, who is also the vice provost for research, Wiess career development chair and director of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering, said.

Jones College junior Felix Yang said he was unsurprised Shamoo earned the top prize, and that he completely deserved it.

“He’s a bro,” Yang, who is currently in BIOC 302, said. “He’s engaged and [cares] about what he teaches and the students he’s teaching.”

Shamoo said he was flattered by the award.

“This award comes from our alumni and that is especially gratifying,” Shamoo said. “It means that when they get to grad or med school they value all our hard work together. Many of my students are pre-meds and too often they are portrayed in an unflattering light, but my students have real discipline and passion. I’d put my undergrads up against any school!”

According to Shamoo, his teaching methods are tried and true.

“I am unabashedly old fashioned,” Shamoo said. “There is a huge amount to know for this course series. It is a lecture course and I try to keep things funny and insightful despite the pressured nature of the course for my students. It would be very easy for the course to go off the rails.”

Jones College senior Kevin Li said Shamoo was his favorite teacher in the biochemistry department.

“He lets students punch him in the arm every year to demonstrate the effects of hemoglobin breakdown,” Li said.

All 10 recipients will be honored on April 28, at Rice’s Teaching Award Ceremony.

“Amongst the hallmarks of the Rice Education are the excellent faculty and close relationship of the faculty with their students,” Hutchinson said. “The faculty enjoy honoring their students at the end of the year, and this is the best opportunity for the students to honor their faculty. These awards are highly coveted and highly prestigious. All the faculty who receive them feel very honored.”

A number of other awards are given out at the event. The George R. Brown Certificate of Highest Merit, awarded for earning multiple George R. Brown prizes for teaching, will be given to professor of psychology Michelle “Mikki” Hebl. The Nicholas Salgo Distinguished Teacher Award, voted on by current juniors and seniors, will be given to professor of bioengineering Ann Saterbak.

Yousif Shamoo

The Blanket Tax Committee found all blanket tax organizations in good standing under the new policy for the current fiscal year, according to Sai Chilakapati, chair of the Blanket Tax Committee. This includes the Rice Student Volunteer Program, although the organization has nearly $18,000 in rollover from its current fiscal year and is anticipating major structural changes.

“The student initiative funding is calculated based on our estimate of how many students are expected to be at Rice University next year,” Chilakapati, a Hanszen College sophomore, said.

“This number was estimated based on Dean [Hutchinson] and his office’s estimate of 3,850 [students]. We then took a low-ball estimate at 3,800 as our estimation of number of students to be on the safe side.”

The estimated blanket tax for the next school year is $323,000, to which every undergraduate student will contribute $85. Under the new blanket tax policy, $11,434.09 from the total blanket tax fund will be student initiative funding. The total student initiative funding is $30,316.09, combined with $18,882 rollover from the Honor

Council. Honor Council was asked to return the rollover as a part of last year’s Blanket Tax Contingency Committee review.

In contrast to past years, under the current blanket tax process, an organization is found in good or bad standing based on the amount of surplus, rather than rollover, Chilakapati said.

Under this process, actual surplus should not be more than 125 percent of budgeted surplus.

“We are concerned with the relationship between budgeted and actual surplus,” Chilakapati said. “For example, I requested $1,000 and my gross expenses that I expect to have is around $800 and my budgeted surplus is $200.

If you only spend $600, your actual surplus will be $400. If they have $400 surplus, we would ask them to return $400 minus $250, $150.”

Some blanket tax organizations, such as Rice Student Volunteer Program, have rollover from the current fiscal year. RSVP has a rollover of $17,487. However, Chilakapati said the Blanket Tax Committee did not request RSVP to return the excess rollover, because the organization is undergoing major structural changes that may lead to an increase in spending.

“Constitutionally speaking, the new blanket tax process was created with a ‘forward-looking’ approach,” Chilakapati said. “As such, without

knowing whether these changes that RSVP is making will result in an increase in spending or decrease, we were not prepared to make a decision to get back part of the rollover at this time.”

According to Kalian Shi, RSVP external vice chair, RSVP is planning on several ways to efficiently use its funding, which includes providing funding and collaborating with 35 other service organizations on campus.

“We formed a new team of students called the RSVP think tank,” Shi, a Lovett College sophomore, said. “We will work specifically towards improving student development in three respects: establishing a greater degree of student autonomy, creating more effective student engagement techniques and devising a system that teaches leadership skills to students.”

Former UCourt Chair Brian Baran said he agreed organizations should have the right to maintain reserves, but within reason.

“The anticipation that money will be needed in the future for unspecified purposes is not sufficient to justify keeping it from the student body,” Baran, a Duncan College senior, said.

“The purpose of the flexibility of the new blanket tax process is that an organization can ask for the money during the annual budgeting process when it knows what it plans to do with it.

Real food revolution prepares for seventh year of Farm to Fork dinner Isabella Bender Zevallos Thresher Staff

The upcoming spring 2015’s Farm to Fork Dinner has an expected attendance of over 80 students and discussion leaders, thus maintaining the success of the semesterly event that is now in its seventh year. Rice University’s Real Food Revolution, an organization which seeks to increase awareness in regards to local foods, is hosting the dinner on April 25.

Incoming Real Food Revolution Co-President and Sid Richardson College junior Kathryn Hokamp outlined the details of the event, which will feature a meal cooked by a chef on campus and food from local farmers and the Rice Farmer’s Market.

“We’ll bring in discussion leaders from around the Houston area,” Hokamp said.

“We’ll ask farmers, people in food policy, people who write about food, who cook food, who have promoted gardens in Houston, [...] people who are involved in the local foods movement in Houston.”

Belle Douglass, who is co-president with Hokamp, said the discussions serve to provide students with additional information on local foods and where food comes from.

“We like the conversations to be just that, conversations,” Douglass, a Martel College junior, said. “We have found that the best way to really facilitate discussion and learning is by making the discussions casual and allowing the students to ask questions and be engaged with the discussion leaders.”

Hokamp said that while a number of discussion leaders have yet to confirm their presence, there will be representatives from MD Anderson’s Gardening Project, Plant it Forward and Last Organic Outpost. Richard Johnson, head of Sustainability at Rice and

the official club sponsor, will also be attending, and the management team of the Farmers Market will serve as discussion leaders.

According to Hokamp, the event has a threepronged purpose.

The first thing is to expose the students and chefs to the opportunities of local foods in Houston ... There is a huge agricultural presence that people just don’t know about.

Kathryn Hokamp Real Food Revolution

“The first thing is to expose the students and the chefs at Rice to the opportunities of local foods in Houston, to the diversity and amount of local foods in Houston,” Hokamp

said. “There is a huge agricultural presence that people just don’t know about.”

Hokamp said the second goal of the event is the education about the activism going on in food policy for students. Additionally, Hokamp said they hope the event will allow networking with students and between discussion leaders to possibly help students find jobs.

Douglass, said this dinner will feature Edward Castillo, the executive chef at West Servery.

“We are so excited to work with him and sample his delicious food,” Douglass said.

“Some of the produce will be coming from as close as the Martel and Wiess gardens, [and] the furthest the food can come from is a 200mile radius from campus.”

While this is Real Food Revolution’s biggest event of the semester, Hokamp said the group puts together food stands on a regular basis, from which Rice students can take for free some local food items that Real Food Revolution brought from the Farmers Market or harvested from the Rice gardens. Hokamp also alluded to the possibility of a farm visit to either Cellar Farms or Sullivan Happy Hearts Farms at the end of the semester or during this summer, depending on student interest.

Farm to Fork Dinner will be held in the Duncan commons, starting at 6:30 PM, $10 for a meal and $15 for a meal and T-shirt. This year, Chef Ed (West servery) will be the guest chef.

See the Facebook event for more information.

4

NEWS

wednesday, April 22, 2015

the Rice Thresher

Deans discuss tech in music, architecture Mengjia Liu

Thresher Staff

Dean of the Shepherd School of Music Robert Yekovich and Dean of the School of Architecture Sarah Whiting discussed the impact of technology on their disciplines at a Scientia colloquium on April 14.

According to Yekovich, the development of virtual instruments and electronically produced sounds has dramatically transformed the music market and pushed musicians to find new ways to adapt.

“It’s far more cheap and cost-effective to have a computer playing the score for a film than to have 90 or 100 musicians sitting in a recording studio,” Yekovich said. “As a result, many musicians have had to learn computer-based skills, such as how to orchestrate, arrange, record and edit, in addition to knowing how to play their instruments.”

Virtual instruments have also changed music composition and the way professors teach composition, Yekovich said.

“When I write a string quartet, I can now sit with my computer and hear every note I write in real time on all four instruments,” Yekovich said.

“When students go to lessons, they come in with their computer and whatever the piece has been scored for is played in real time.”

Yekovich said he believes human performance and human interaction are still many years from being replaced by machine sounds despite these technological advances.

“We still contend that human performance and the kind of experiential learning that is derived from that remains central to our musical endeavor,” Yekovich said.

According to Whiting, a current challenge in architecture is how to convince people to invest in architecture or push architecture forward instead of imitating designs from the past.

“Architecture is experienced in a state of distraction, and the public doesn’t really pay that much attention,” Whiting said. “We need to do is teach students how to make evaluations of their own and make those arguments convincing for a broader audience. If you don’t do that, you can end up repeating the past in a false form.”

With new technology, architects can develop more sophisticated models, Whiting said.

“Through these softwares, you can form more realistic environments where the imagination is rendered almost real,” Whiting said. “It’s opened the possibility for us to work digitally to create complex relationships among components.”

Architecture is experienced in a state of distraction, and the public doesn’t really pay that much attention. We need to teach students to make evaluations of their own.

Sarah Whiting School of Architecture

Architecture student and lecture attendee Neha Sahai said she wishes the deans discussed experiential learning in more depth because the school does a great job balancing the technological side with the experiential learning.

“Our fields are very based on experiential learning, and technology is a very integral part of our education,” Sahai, a Will Rice College sophomore, said. “For example, we take technology classes for two years in which we learn about structural systems and the basic mechanics behind constructing buildings. So it’s a huge component to the education and lets us push the boundaries with designing.”

marcel merwin/thresher

Teacher

Students, faculty and community members paid a visit to the 2015 Engineering Design Showcase on April 16. The showcase featured a competition where students won prizes for innovative designs.

0INFLATION FROM PAGE 1 grading policies and distribution of grades are at Rice,” Onwenu said.

The report Onwenu referred to was the Final Report, published in March 2014 by the Working Group on Grade Inflation, which stated, “Every academic program that offers 100- to 300- level courses will have a faculty-wide discussion about grading practices [...] at least once every five years. [...] Each department and program should decide how to frame the discussions of grading in the courses their faculty teach.”

While the subject matter is not new, Onwenu said it is crucial to keep the conversation going to ensure the spirit of the legislation translates well into implementation.

“Grade inflation is a word that’s just been thrown around — faculty is probably tired of discussing it,” Onwenu said. “But now is the time that the policies are now being implemented. [...] We are finally seeing the effects of it.”

Baker College freshman Leah Rubin, who is in STAT 280, said making an introductory course difficult seems contradictory to its purpose.

“It is supposed to be an [introductory] lowlevel class, so to collar the grades doesn’t make sense,” Rubin said.

Fanny Huang, a Baker College sophomore, is currently taking Applied Probability (STAT 331), which is not affected by this policy. However, she said the grading policy should not have a huge impact on individuals’ performance.

“I’ll just do my best,” Huang said. “And no matter what [grading] scale the professors use, I believe I’ll get the grade I deserve.”

Faculty Senate speaker James Weston said the statistics department has the autonomy to configure its own policy, independent of the Senate.

“Academic assessment standards belong to the faculty, [not] the Faculty Senate,” Weston said. “Our constitution does not provide any regulatory authority over grade distributions at the class, department or university level.

What standards statistics decides to set are up to them.”

Marina Vannucci, chair of the statistics department, could not be reached for comment.

courtesy laura johnson

Students, faculty and staff discussed Ecklund’s findings in the first comprehensive survey conducted on religious diversity at Rice University.

0DIVERSITY FROM PAGE 1 While the study found that 88 percent of students felt Rice was a safe space for their religious beliefs, it also revealed that a minority of students did not feel completely supported. For example, the presentation said 38 percent of Hindus and 29 percent of Muslims felt campus facilities for their religions were inadequate, compared to only 6 percent of Christians.

President of the Rice Muslim Student Association Zaid Bilgrami said he was grateful Rice has a prayer space for Muslims in the Rice Memorial Center, but that more resources are needed.

“I strongly believe that the facilities as they are not sufficient,” Bilgrami, a Baker College junior, said. “Muslims who try to use the room often find themselves unable to use the room for a variety of reasons. … The best permanent solution would be a separate ‘meditation room’ that Muslims at Rice can use for their daily prayers.”

According to Johnson, the student population views certain Christian groups most negatively.

“If you look around the world, groups that face discrimination are often in a religious minority, such as Hindus or Muslims or Jews,” Johnson said. “But on this campus, the groups that tend to be the most negatively viewed are Evangelical Christians and Mormons.”

Ecklund said the Boniuk Institute is cur-

rently working on spreading awareness of the survey results, as well as creating a report for the administration. According to Ecklund, the study should help spur changes that increase religious tolerance on campus.

“Such efforts could include spearheading events that will foster a dialogue around these issues across campus,” Ecklund said.

“We are certain that the student body will benefit greatly from the knowledge we’ve gained through this research and we hope that the survey is a launching pad for future conversations around religious diversity at Rice.”

Bilgrami also said there is a need for further dialogue on religion.

“Tolerance is a low bar,” Bilgrami said.

“A deeper understanding and appreciation of other viewpoints is missing from Rice.”

5

SJP’s hold over UCourt thwarts student governance Grade collaring policies have no place at Rice The Student Association plans to begin a discussion in the coming fall about departmental grade inflation policies. These discussions come on the heels of legislation passed by the Faculty Senate in April 2014, which called for faculty-wide discussions about grading standards every five years, among other stipulations (see p. 1).

The Thresher supports this renewal of discussion on a subject matter that continues to affect many students at Rice, especially now that the department of statistics has implemented a blanket policy of no more than 40 percent A’s in many of its introductory classes.

While it is understandable that a large proportion of high grades in a certain class may be cause for concern, The Thresher maintains the opinion presented in our April 23, 2014 editorial that collaring grades as a response to grade inflation is not an appropriate response.

By instating a policy where only a certain percentage of students can achieve high grades regardless of how many points they accrue throughout the semester, instructors engender a system that directly contradicts the spirit of positive collaboration so frequently touted by Rice.

If individual professors, departments or the administration wish to see a more even grade distribution, then perhaps looking at course rigor or taking a more nuanced approach is in order. Considerations for major requirements, distribution credits and class content should be made to help determine a change in grading scale, not the performance of the current grading scale.

Collaring grades is an arbitrary punishment to students that not only negatively impacts Rice’s academic environment of positive collaboration, but also does not address the root of any alleged problems with inflation.

If too high a percentage of students receives A’s, the grading scale should not be the first place the faculty looks for a solution. The Thresher recommends investigating the content of the courses to see if it is appropriately rigorous for Rice students.

The Thresher believes the statistics department’s turn to grade collaring is a precedent other departments should not follow.

Princeton University recently repealed their grade deflation policy after 10 years, citing how it adversely affected students’ willingness to take risks in course selection, damaged the academic atmosphere and discouraged students from applying to the university. There is no reason a similar policy should be implemented among Rice courses.

The Thresher encourages each academic department to consider student feedback in the implementation of grading policies, and to give significant thought to the potential negative consequences of such policies.

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff.

All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece’s author.

Editorial Staff Andrew Ta* Editor in Chief Yasna Haghdoost* Managing Editor Miles Kruppa* Senior Editor news Anita Alem* Editor Drew Keller* Editor Andrew Ligeralde Asst. Editor Amber Tong Asst. Editor Justin Park Designer

UCourt was not what we thought it would be.

Nor was it what Rice pretends it is.

When we applied to be new student representatives, we wrote that University Court allows students to “play a major role in shaping Rice into what we want it to be,” “maintain the integrity of the university” and “promote responsible decisions” by students. Maybe our wording was a little off, but even as new students, we got the idea: The point of UCourt should be to give students a voice in Rice’s judicial process. But as UCourt has matured, it has begun to collide with the rock wall of reality; Rice restricts us to operating in such a narrow space that our voice can hardly be heard.

We have both been on UCourt for the last four years; between the two of us, we’ve served in every position, from new student representative to chair.

From this vantage point, we want to communicate both UCourt’s potential and the serious pitfalls of the current UCourt-SJP power dynamic.

For a little background, UCourt adjudicates cases under the Code of Student Conduct (analogously to Honor Council, which administers the Honor Code) and operates under Student Judicial Programs. UCourt was essentially re-established in the fall of our freshman year (2011) and has since come a long way.

UCourt is an impressive organization in its mission. It provides students the chance to have their cases heard by peers who understand both what the Rice community means and the integrity it relies on. In our time here, UCourt has heard cases with consequences as serious as suspension and had long, serious, straining conversations about the conduct we should expect from Rice students in each case that has come before us.

But UCourt’s ability to be a prosocial organization is restrained by its institutional limits.

UCourt is dependent on SJP for case referral and its very existence, so while it would like to, it can rarely operate as a true voice for the student body, whether by advocating on broad issues or by reviewing specific cases.

“You can always appeal to UCourt” is the message students are supposed to hear when they meet with SJP. But that’s not true. In reality, you have the right to bring your case to UCourt — unless SJP doesn’t want you to.

None of this comes from Yik Yak; we’ve seen it year after year. UCourt operates as a functional judicial panel but lacks jurisdiction over or knowl-

opinions Mitch Mackowiak* Editor sports Maddy Adams Editor Evan Neustater Editor Sarah Nyquist Designer art Carrie Jiang Art Director Marcel Merwin Photo Editor Jake Nyquist Photo Editor Jessica Kelly Asst. Photo Editor Claire Elestw ani Illustrator

edge of cases until SJP chooses to refer them or allow students to appeal. There are legitimate privacy reasons to limit the information available to a student panel, but SJP frequently interprets these so broadly it seems the real intent is less to protect privacy than to prevent us from weighing in on cases and campuswide issues where it worries our answer may not be one it wants to hear.

Which brings us back to the central problem: UCourt is stuck sitting at the little kids’ table. For example, in the 3.5 years prior to the semi-announced Code of Student Conduct overhaul this winter, SJP made unannounced changes to the Code at least 10 times. UCourt was not consulted on changes where a student perspective would have been relevant, but that pales next to SJP’s failure to even tell us the document we adjudicate under had changed.

That experience represents the larger issue with the SJP-UCourt relationship. SJP treats UCourt as a student relations operation and a pawn. It often seems that SJP uses us to ease its workload by referring cases only when it feels comfortable with what our perspective might be — and, in doing so, it can pretend students have genuine input. That’s not to say UCourt is always expected to agree with SJP (it empirically doesn’t), but that SJP only gives us the chance to disagree on select cases.

Even when cases are referred to UCourt, its influence is limited. Rather than having free rein to consider situations, their social meaning and appropriate responses from a student perspective, UCourt is often confined to a framework dictated by SJP and SJP’s own view of the charges and sanctions that fit the facts and students involved.

For students found in violation, UCourt must determine an appropriate sanction, but SJP unilaterally sets the baseline for what is “appropriate.”

Base fines, the starting point from which the Court can move up or down based on the specific case, are set by SJP and often change (read: increase) suddenly. Even if the changes are not arbitrary, they seem like it. We’re lucky to be told there was a change, much less to get an explanation.

But this is much bigger than a question of the exact amount of the fines. We have long believed that fines are rarely appropriate except to repay actual damages. Despite a lack of evidence that fines educate or deter, Rice fines students left and right.

(Fines also present a social justice issue; the same dollar amount has a disparate burden.)

“Thanks, SJP!” arts & entertainment Sophie Newman Editor Kaylen Strench Editor Walden Pemantle Editor copy Jasmine Lin Editor Julianne Wey Editor backpage Reed Thornburg Editor * indicates member of the Editorial Board

The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper at Rice University since 1916, is published each Wednesday during the school year, except during examination periods and holidays, by the students of Rice University.

Letters to the Editor must be received by 5 p.m. the Friday prior to publication and must be signed, including college and year if the writer is a Rice student. The Thresher reserves the rights to edit letters for content and length and to place letters on its website.

We firmly believe SJP and UCourt should aim to educate and rehabilitate. It is harder to design effective educational sanctions tailored to each case, but it’s better to work toward doing so than to continue fining students out of ease and inertia.

This issue is also an example of when UCourt officers asked to discuss a major topic with SJP and were promptly shut down.

Finally, UCourt’s decisions are only recommendations until SJP accepts them. While decisions are rarely overturned outright (as opposed to through the appeal process, an integral part of any judicial system), the possibility always looms, inevitably constraining the views we can provide.

All of this puts UCourt at the mercy of fickle university politics, which is the last place a judicial panel should be. UCourt cannot currently serve as a check on SJP’s power; it’s been made clear throughout our time here that we are not in a position to hold SJP accountable.

This is a classic case of a lopsided power dynamic, and it’s a shame that it’s between two organizations that could do a lot of good for the Rice community by working together.

To be clear, we are not bringing into question our previous case decisions; we believe our perspective has been beneficial in the cases we’ve been allowed to hear. Our goal in writing this is instead to improve the overall system in which UCourt operates.

Like most graduating seniors, we didn’t want to take all our institutional knowledge with us, but we could’ve never written this piece while we were in office. Now, we worry that we waited too long to say anything, and that if the student body doesn’t continue to advocate and enthusiastically call for change, the status quo will prevail.

So it is on you, students and UCourtiers alike, to be mindful of the difference between what UCourt is, and what it could be.

Brian Baran and Zelia Rosenzweig are Duncan College seniors and the former UCourt chair and treasurer, respectively.

cartoon by yasna haghdoost and carrie jiang

Editorial and business offices are located on the second floor of the Ley Student Center: 6100 Main St., MS-524 Houston, TX 77005-1892 Phone (713) 348-4801 Email: thresher@rice.edu Website: www.ricethresher.org Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece’s author.

The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA and CNBAM © Copyright 2015

arts

ENTERTAINMENT

6

Afghan Village serves Middle Eastern specials Walden Pemantle A&E Editor

With all the good Middle Eastern food around Houston, it seems unlikely that Afghan Village, a small Afghani restaurant in a Gulfton strip mall, could be a standout.

The quiet dining room is mostly filled with families and regulars. Larger crowds occasionally appear for the lunch buffet, but for the most part, a unique calm pervades the restaurant. It’s the kind of place where, when the waitress asks, “How did you hear about us?” she seems genuinely curious.

But if Afghan Village’s vibes cause any misgivings, the food will come as a pleasant surprise. Serving consistently good mainstays of Middle Eastern cooking, as well as a number of dishes unique to Afghani cuisine, Afghan Village is a hidden gem and a great addition to Houston’s portfolio of Middle Eastern restaurants.

Afghan Village Address: 6413 Hillcroft St. 77018 Price range: $$ Website: theafghanvillage.com

Recommended Dishes Shinwary Kebab, $13 Broiled lamb ribs crusted with pepper Mantoo, $10 Ground beef dumpling with yogurt and mint sauce

courtesy mckenna mitchell

Pictured above: McMurtry College senior McKenna Mitchell’s photographs, taken on a summer solo trip to Iceland after winning the Parish Fellowship for summer travel. Her artwork will be displayed for the first time in the Matchbox Gallery, which opens to the public on April 23.

Rice welcomes annual student art show Sophie Newman A&E Editor

Transitioning from the safe, comfortable classroom setting to a job in the real world is tough for all students, but especially for artists who plan to market their work professionally. They not only have to invent original, relevant ideas for independent projects, but they also have to learn how to successfully curate their work.

The visual and dramatic arts senior studio is a class that attempts to give majors the opportunity to build skills necessary for success in the art world. Over the course of a year, students develop an idea for an independent project, gather materials, build their work and eventually decide how to present their final projects to the public.

On Thursday, April 23, 13 students from the VADA department will debut their final pieces in Sewall Hall. The display will represent a year of toil to create something that pleases professors, peers and art critics alike — something that is not only true to the students’ personal interests, but potentially marketable to the art world at large.

Staging the Show The process begins with a simple idea or in-

THE WEEKLY SCENE The editors’ picks for this week’s best events. Time to explore the wonderful world of Houston.

terest. John Sparagana, chairman of VADA and professor of this year’s senior design class for visual arts majors, said forming a valuable idea can take as much, if not more time, than creating the project itself.

“One person may have a tremendous amount of material output, and some person may have far less, but the person who has far less got on to something very meaningful,” he said. “To my mind, that’s a real measure of this class: that each student have an experience generating their own interests and investigations.”

Although the professors are available to provide feedback to students, they try to take a hands-off approach to teaching the class. Tish Stringer, lecturer, film program manager and professor of this year’s senior studio for VADA film students, said her role is more a function of creating space for her students than it is supervising them.

“Basically you’re facilitating their development of a project, which is just creating time for them to develop a concept,” Stringer said. “You love to think of yourself as a mentor, but basically I’m just making space for them to explore.”

Aside from encouraging students to explore their own interests, senior studio is also designed

to help students get a glimpse of the professional art world.

“What I’m most excited about is the aspect of professional development for them,” Stringer said. “I require them to submit works to festivals, and I require them to make a website. Basic things like having a portfolio and knowing how to submit an art proposal are really important skills.”

For Sparagana, the most rewarding part of the process as a professor is witnessing the transformation of students and their work throughout the course of the year.

“One of the things that is always exciting is when I realize that everybody has actually crossed that threshold of generating their own independent work,” Sparagana said. “I’m always doubting it throughout the year … and I start to have a crisis of faith, but every year that I’ve taught this class there’s a turnover point where I realize that they have crossed that threshold and it was a transformative experience.”

A Diverse Range of Work Such freedom produces a wide range of projects. For one film student, Amiri Boykin, this freedom means going beyond the traditional 0see VADA, page 8

The most noticeable difference between Afghan Village’s cuisine and other Middle Eastern restaurants is the Kashmiri influence. Fans of Indian specialties like aloo paratha will appreciate Afghan Village’s bolani, a flatbread “turnover” filled with leeks, potatoes, onions and herbs.

Other Indian influences come through in the multiple dishes served with palak, a spiced blend of wilted spinach that looks unappealing but makes a great accompaniment for the rice and flatbread that many dishes come with. The complimentary flatbread also comes with bouranee baunjan, a smoky and tangy mix of eggplant, tomato and yogurt. The small selection of appetizers is consistent and on par with other Middle Eastern restaurants, but Afghani Village’s biggest draw is its entrees.

The majority of the entrees are kebabs served with a heaping plate of sweet longgrain rice with raisins and candied peppers. Nearly all the kebabs on the menu are cooked perfectly, trapping in the moisture of the meat to avoid the dry chewy texture that sometimes results from their cooking method. The chicken and shinwary lamb kebabs are especially flavorful. The chicken is basted in an orange tomato-based sauce similar to Indian tandoori chicken.

The shinwary lamb chops are marinated in a blend of peppercorns, spices and vinegar and crusted in more pepper before broil0see AFGHAN, page 8

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

BEER WEEK

BENNETT/GAGA

TICKET HUNT

Restaurants, bars and beer distributors across the city are hosting a weeklong happy hour for thirsty Houstonians. Participating venues will be hosting a range of events from half-price beer nights to beer dinners with limited edition brews until Saturday, April 25.

Have one last hurrah before finals begin. New pop will meet classic crooning in the Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga concert, starting 8 p.m. at the Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion. The unexpected duo will perform songs from their new album, Cheek to Cheek, as well as some of their classic hits. The concert is Friday, April 24.

Come out to Sam Houston Park for an old-fashioned scavenger hunt.

Find a teammate and snap pictures of the items on the list. The real fun is in the hunt, but winners will receive tickets to Houston music festival Free Press Summer Fest. The event is Saturday, April 25, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Yearning to hear a classic biblical tale told over wailing electric guitars? The chart-topping rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, is coming to Houston. Bayou City Theatrics will perform the show at the Kaleidoscope Theater until Sunday, May 3.

Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion 2005 Lake Robbins woodlandscenter.org

Sam Houston Park 1100 Bagby heritagesociety.org

The Kaleidoscope 705 Main Street bayoucitytheatrics.com

Around Houston houstonbeerweek.com

wednesday, April 22, 2015

the Rice Thresher

A&E

7

8

A&E

wednesday, April 22, 2015

the Rice Thresher

WHAT’S HIP RIGHT NOW ART:

Infinite poetry

FILM:

‘Rocky Horror’ remake

by sophie newman

TECH: Affectiva

TRENDING:

Lilly Pulitzer frenzy

courtesy 20th century fox

courtesy library of congress

In a phrase: 75 years of melodic poetry reading in one place.

Where to find it: loc.gov.

Romantics, rejoice — April is National Poetry Month and the Library of Congress has just introduced a new way to celebrate.

In honor of the holiday, the institution has released its new Archive of Recorded Poetry and Literature. The downloadable collection currently includes 50 top-notch recorded poetry readings that span over 75 years, and there is more to come. No longer will you have to scour the library or the interwebs for poems; now, you can have smooth-talking writers like Robert Frost and Gwendolyn Brooks recite them in your ear as you lift weights at the Rec Center or code away on your CAAM assignment.

If that’s not enough to pique your interest, the archive also includes interviews with poets about their own masterpieces or their peers’ work. In addition, visitors can stream literature readings from famous authors such as Vonnegut or Cheever. The archive will be updated every month, so listen away.

In a phrase: Rocky Horror meets High School Musical.

Where to find it: Details are sparse, but will probably air on television sometime next year.

Speculation is circling around the recent announcement that Fox will be remaking everyone’s favorite cult classic Rocky Horror Picture Show. Details are sparse, but Hollywood Reporter claims it will be pre-taped and aired on Fox in time for the 1975 film’s 40th anniversary.

The other known tidbit is that the film will be directed by Kenny Ortega of High School Musical fame, which has spurred a wave of ambivalent reactions across the web. News that the original film’s producers, Lou Adler and Gail Berman, will join the project has assuaged some worries that Ortega will Disney-fy the musical.

This is Fox’s second attempt to remake the classic — there was talk about the network picking it up 10 years ago for its 30th anniversary, but the project never came to fruition. The decision to go through with the production this time around may have something to do with Fox’s growing affinity for remaking musicals. The Rocky Horror announcement closely follows Fox’s wild success with musical show Glee and news of a Grease remake starring Vanessa Hudgens and Julianne Hough.

courtesy affectiva

In a phrase: Computers that know when you’re sad.

Where to find it: Hasn’t hit the mainstream market yet, but it’s just a matter of time.

Computers have already gained the capability to play several roles in your life — library, secretary, personal assistant, dietician.

Soon, however, it seems that your Macbook may also be able to take the place of your psychiatrist. New software program Affectiva, a start-up that grew out of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, uses algorithms to recognize emotions through facial expressions with 90 percent accuracy.

The possible applications of such a program are endless: Experts say software may be able to detect psychiatric disorders more objectively than well-trained physicians or identify if a driver is stressed or tired to help prevent car accidents. The only concern is that these programs are a little creepy. Some critics claim the technology could be used to collect “emotional” data and use it to exploit consumers: There’s a fine line between cool new tech and Big Brother.

0 VADA from page 6 short film medium to create a film installation.

For his senior studio project, Boykin, a Jones College senior, has decided to showcase a mashup of the classic kid’s show, Arthur, and the adult cartoon, Arthur.

Boykin is interested in the threads that carry on from childhood into adulthood.

“Ultimately, I think that most adults are either hardened children — they’ve never really let go of the things they’ve wanted most as a child, or they’re adults who’ve never had a childhood, so their outlook on life has always been bleak,” Boykin said.

walden pemantle/thresher

0 AFGHAN from page 6 ing. The pepper crust gives them a straightforward but satisfying flavor and locks in the moisture that makes Afghan Village’s meats so tender. Aside from the kebabs, Afghan Village serves a few specials specific to Afghani cuisine, the best of which is the mantoo. The dish is comprised of onion-and-beef dumplings tossed with housemade yogurt, topped with a chickpea-and-meat sauce and sprinkled with dried mint. The dish is a barrage of tastes but the flavors never clash; the tangy dumplings compliment their spicy beef filling, the mint adds an herb flavor to the yogurt and the chickpeas add an earthy

flavor to the meat sauce. The one exception to the entrees’ success is the gosfand lamb kebab. While its flavor is not particularly bad, it is under-seasoned. The dish relies too heavily on the lamb’s flavor, leaving it bland and dried out compared to the other kebab meats.

Occasionally, homemade baklava and Afghani green tea can be ordered after the meal, but both depend on availability. Overall, Afghan Village is a quaint and satisfying alternative to more bustling Middle Eastern restaurants like Istanbul Grill and Aladdin.

The food’s quality and price are fairly similar to competitors, but the delicious kebabs and unique Afghani dishes endear it to patrons as an understated and overlooked gem of Middle Eastern cuisine.

WRITE FOR THRESHER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT kes11@rice.edu

When you’re working on art, what you’re basically doing is having a conversation with whatever you’re making.

Lydia Smith Duncan College senior

Although students have a nearly limitless field to explore, such freedom comes at the cost of comfortable structure. Julia Klineberg, a visual arts student whose project will feature largescale portraits, said working without a schedule can be more difficult than it seems.

“One of the difficulties I’ve had this year is planning ahead for change,” Klineberg, a McMurtry College senior, said. “The hardest part is molding your original idea and risking that change in order to possibly produce something better.”

Pursuing one project for a year also requires a great deal of confidence in an idea. For Lydia Smith, a visual arts student whose final project will feature Tyvek, a housing wrap material, the process can initiate self-doubt.

“When you’re thrown into a year of independent study, there’s a lot of self-doubt that

courtesy lilly pulitzer

In a phrase: Crazy basic girls mob popular retails stores.

Where to find it: Target, if there’s any left.

If you don’t know what Lilly Pulitzer is, just think ultra preppy, neon-pink-andgreen dresses and skirts. The brand has traditionally had a reputation for being overpriced and difficult to procure, so when news broke that a more reasonably priced line was coming to Target, 16- to 30-year-old females everywhere jumped with glee.

Despite the hype, however, no one could have predicted the response when Target launched the line on Monday, April 20.

Hundred-person lines accumulated outside Target stores across the country like it was Black Friday, and shoppers crashed the website in record time. The good news is that Target has clearly found a winning product, but whether they can keep up with demand is yet to be determined.

happens,” Smith, a Duncan College senior, said. “The field is so open, and there’s all these limitless possibilities, but at the same time, narrowing down and figuring out what you want to do for a full year is extremely challenging and scary too.”

After students settle on an idea, they must also learn to incorporate feedback from peers, professors and visiting artists into their work without sacrificing its integrity.

“There’s a healthy balance of critique,” Smith said. “When you’re working on art, what you’re basically doing is having a conversation with whatever you’re making. Learning how to take in criticism but also understanding how to still be true to yourself is a skill that people have really developed over the past year.”

Between Art and Science Thursday’s event will feature more than just senior design projects. Alongside the VADA majors, earth science major McKenna Mitchell will debut her photographs, taken on a summer solo trip to Iceland, in the Matchbox Gallery.

Inspired by a photography earth science class, “Visualizing Nature,” Mitchell applied for and was awarded the Parish Fellowship for summer travel to take pictures of natural geologic formations in Iceland. After nearly a year and a half of mulling over the photos, Mitchell, a McMurtry College senior, is now putting them on display for the first time.

Mitchell believes that artists and scientists are pulled toward the same subject matter, although they approach it in different ways.

“I really believe that artists and scientists are drawn to describe and produce work because of the same interests,” Mitchell said. “So for a really beautiful glacier, scientists would want to know what’s going on geologically, and an artist would just paint it, but it’s the same subject.”

Mitchell also sees similarities in the methodology between artists and scientists.

“I also think that the process of fieldwork is very similar,” Mitchell said. “You have to be really well-planned, to have all of your equipment ready to go, sometimes you’re really alone, you have to research a lot and really engage with the subject.”

The senior student work, the Matchbox Gallery opening and the annual undergraduate student film showcase will all debut Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The festivities will begin at the Rice Media Center and progress to Sewall Courtyard, where there will be drinks, a food truck and a disc jockey. For specific details and times see events.rice.edu.

Sports is on Twitter. Get the scoop at twitter.com/ThresherSports

2014-15 OWLS

9

YEAR IN REVIEW

Soccer wins C-USA championship Evan Neustater Sports Editor

Following an 11-3-3 regular season, the Owls culminated their season by shutting out all three of their opponents in the Conference USA tournament and earning the program’s third conference title. After defeating the regular season champions University of North Texas 2-0 in the championship match, the Owls secured a spot in the NCAA tournament. Although the team went on to lose against the University of Texas, Austin in the first round, the team’s 14-4-3 record marked one of Rice’s best seasons in program history, and included victories in seven of their last eight games, five of which were shutout performances. Senior goalkeeper Amy Czyz was named the Owls’ 2014 Player of the Year after setting new school career records for minutes, saves and shutouts. Czyz closed out her collegiate career making 80 career starts, tying for the school record.

Clark Qualifies This semester, senior swimmer Casey Clark swam in the US Olympic Trials. The Owl qualified for the next round after posting a 1.00.42 time in the 100-meter butterfly. Despite qualifying for the next stage of the Trials, Clark said she does not plan on continuing her swimming career. She currently sits atop the Rice swimming record books with individual school records in the 100-yard freestyle, 100-yard backstroke, 200-yard freestyle, 200yard butterfly and in her favorite event, the 100yard butterfly.

photos by jake nyquist, donald page, john deal, erik williams, rice athletic communications, hawaii media source, aaron hou

Men’s Tennis falls just short

Bowl victory in Hawai’i

Rhoades knows

Tennis three-peat

The Owls entered the Conference USA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, but could not overcome the University of Texas, San Antonio, losing 4-2 in the championship match. Rice previously defeated the University of North Carolina, Charlotte in the semifinals of the tournament, held in Norfolk, Virginia. Rice finished the season with a 12-14 overall record and will look to build upon last season as the team will return all but one member, senior Srikar Alla, of the roster next season.

After posting a 7-5 regular season record and finishing second in the West Division of Conference USA, the Owls defeated Fresno State University 30-6 in the annual Hawai’i Bowl. The bowl victory marked Rice’s eighth victory in their last 10 games, and Rice earned its second bowl victory in three years and its 18th win over the last two seasons, the best two-season stretch in school history. The team will look to reload around rising senior quarterback Driphus Jackson, who will look to build upon his first year starting.

After winning only 12 games from 2012-14, Rice posted a 12-20 regular season record and a victory in the first round of the Conference USA tournament under first-year head coach Mike Rhoades. Senior forward Seth Gearhart led the Owls and ranked seventh in C-USA with 15.3 points per game en route to earning second team all-Conference USA honors this season. He notched a career-high 31 points in the win at Western Kentucky University and topped it a week later with 32 points in the Owls’ win over the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Rice closed its opening season in the George R. Brown Tennis Center by defeating Marshall University 4-1 in the Conference USA Championship match. The championship victory marked the team’s third consecutive conference title, and Rice’s second C-USA title of the year. Senior Natalie Beazant, ranked No. 21 in singles, helped lead the team to its title victory after winning her tiebreaker set in her match against Marshall. Rice finished their regular season and conference tournament run with a 16-8 overall record.

Baseball looks Volleyball for 20th straight makes finals Currently sitting at 26-16 overall and 14-7 in Conference USA play, the Owls are looking to secure their 20th straight conference title. Despite starting off winning 15 of their first 21 games, the Owls currently sit in third place in C-USA, behind Florida Atlantic University and Middle Tennessee State University. Rice will look to rebound and climb up the conference standings in part with effort from preseason Player of the Year senior John Clay Reeves and preseason Pitcher of the Year junior Blake Fox.

Baseball takes weekend series Michael Kidd Thresher Staff

Rice vs. UTSA

2-1

The Rice University Owls baseball team completed a four-game homestand against two in-state rivals, the University of Houston and the University of Texas, San Antonio. Beginning on Tuesday afternoon, Rice defeated No. 25 Houston 11-0 to even up the Silver Glove Series at one apiece and snap a four-

game losing streak against the Cougars. After heavy thunderstorms postponed Friday’s opening matchup against UTSA, the Owls won both games of the Saturday doubleheader but fell in Sunday’s contest. Rice finished 3-1 on the week and is now 26-16 on the year (14-7 in C-USA).

In the first game against UTSA, Rice junior starting pitcher Kevin McCanna got off to a clean start after allowing three singles through his first 4.0 innings of work. Meanwhile, third-inning RBI singles by senior left fielder John Williamson and junior catcher Hunter Kopycinski gave Rice the early 3-0 advantage. In the following inning, a costly error by UTSA allowed Rice to score two more

runs and Rice went up 5-0. However, UTSA battled back in the top of the fifth inning by scoring four runs, which forced McCanna to leave the game after 4.2 innings of work.

With Rice leading 9-6 headed into the ninth inning, the Roadrunners plated two runs to cut the deficit to 9-8. Rice then stranded the tying runner at second base to hold on for the 9-8 final and grant junior Matt Ditman the win.

The final game of the doubleheader began 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first game and UTSA jumped out to a 1-0 advantage against Rice junior starting pitcher Jordan Stephens. The offense responded in the 0see Baseball, page 10

Despite finishing with one of Rice’s best seasons in its history with a record of 23-10, Rice volleyball lost in the Conference USA title match 3-2 to Western Kentucky University.

Sophomore Sara Blasier helped lead the Owls in their season, and finished No. 27 in the country in assists per set. Additionally, senior middle blocker Jillian Humphrey was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention for her performance over the course of the season.

Men’s tennis falls in finals Kevin Mohanram Thresher Staff

Despite entering the Conference USA tournament as the No. 1 seed and favorite to win, the Rice University men’s tennis team could not overcome the University of Texas, San Antonio in the championship match. Rice bypassed the first round with a bye and defeated the University of North Carolina, Charlotte 4-2 in the semifinals. UTSA automatically earned a spot in the NCAA tournament with their 4-2 win.

0see Tennis, page 11

10 SPORTS

wednesday, April 22, 2015

the Rice Thresher

Women’s tennis wins third straight championship Juan Saldana Thresher Staff

Somehow managing to escape the poor weather, the Rice University women’s tennis team won their third consecutive Conference USA title this weekend.

The No. 30 Owls finished their first year at the new George R. Brown Tennis Center with a conference championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. The Owls, seeded first, shut out the University of North Carolina, Charlotte 4-0 in their first match on Friday. The next day, they proceeded to put down Florida International University 4-1. Sunday morning, the Owls outplayed no. 2 seed Marshall 4-1 in the conference final.

In their first match on Friday, the Owls showed their dominance quickly by blanking the Charlotte 49ers. After winning the doubles point, the Owls got their second point of the day from senior Natalie Beazant when her opponent, Victoria Pahlett, retired early due to injury. The Owls completed the shutout with singles victories from sophomore Katherine Ip and freshman Savannah Durkin, who won their singles matches while only dropping a combined three sets.

The Owls continued the momentum on Saturday against Florida International, beginning with a doubles performance that resulted in 8-1 and 8-2 wins. Despite Beazant dropping a match on court one, the Owls followed up with straight set wins from Durkin and junior Solomiya Zinko. Then, for the second straight year, Ip delivered the clinching point to send the Owls to the conference final.

On Sunday, the Owls faced No. 60 Marshall in the conference finals. After once again winning the doubles point, Durkin added the second point of the day with a straight set victory over freshman Mairja Bojicevic, 6-3, 6-2. This completed her 10th straight victory, including an undefeated conference tournament. Marshall then cut into the Owls lead with a 6-1, 6-2 win over senior Liat Zimmerman. After fighting her way back in a tough first set, Beazant got the win against sophomore Derya Turhan. Finally, Zinko finished her match with a 7-5, 6-0 win that gave the Owls a 4-1 win and their fourth-ever conference championship.

The final day was marked by singles matches featuring constant lead changes. Head Coach Elizabeth Schmidt said momentum shifts in the first sets were a primary reason for the win.

“There were quite a few momentum shifts in those singles for sure,” Schmidt said. “[Beazant] won her first set and Lindsey [Hodge] came back and won her first set at the same time that Katherine [Ip] came back in her second. We started out fast in a couple courts but so did they. I think the huge thing was winning close first sets. That was

when momentum shifted, but even when momentum shifts, you have to do a good job capitalizing on it.”

Beazant, ranked No. 21 in the country in singles play and playing her final home match, said she was ecstatic with the team’s conference championship to cap off an impressive weekend of play.

“It’s been a long weekend with some really tough matches in there,” Beazant said. “We had played Marshall before and I am really excited that we have been able to get the third [championship] in a row.”

This year’s conference championships allowed the Owls to celebrate their victory at home for the first time. Schmidt praised the fans who came out to support, and said it offered a great advantage to the Owls.

“It was really awesome to be able to play in front of our home crowd,” Schmidt said. “The support was fabulous and really helped us. It gave us an energy and it’s fun to be able to share this with all the people who have been a part of our program over the years. They pushed us through today and I am just really happy to share this with the Rice family right here on the Rice campus.”

Schmidt said she points to this third straight conference title as a standard of excellence that the team is setting as they continue to set higher expectations every year.

“There are a lot of different people that have gone into these three championships,” Schmidt said. “Each team has a unique personality and every championship is a little different but winning breeds winning. The more you can win, the more people feel confident and the expectations get higher.”

As the team now looks to wait a week before finding out who their next opponent in the NCAA tournament is, Schmidt said her team needs to enjoy the moment before moving on to prepare for the next challenge they will face from tough national competition.

“First, we’re going to enjoy this championship that they worked really hard for,” Schmidt said.

“We need to get physically and mentally rested and then we’ll be back on the practice court.”

Even though both Beazant and Schmidt stressed the importance of taking the NCAA tournament slowly and one match at a time, the team has an unofficial goal — to have the seniors miss their graduation. The round of 16 in the NCAA tournament will be held in Waco, Texas on the same day as Rice’s commencement on May 16.

“We want to take it match my match,” Beazant said. “We want to make it to Waco so hopefully we’ll be there during graduation, and not at graduation.”

Rice vs. Charlotte

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jake nyquist/thresher

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Rice vs. Marshall 0from BASEBALL page 9

Senior catcher John Clay Reeves took a ball during a 7-1 loss against the University of Texas, San Antonio. Despite the loss, Rice took the series two games to one. Rice is now 26-16 on the season.

Rice vs. FIU

third inning on RBIs by senior infielder Ford Stainback and sophomore right fielder Charlie Warren to take the 2-1 lead. A home run in the next half-inning by UTSA tied the game up at two runs apiece and the back-and-forth action continued until the sixth when Rice sent nine men to the plate and scored five runs to take an 8-2 advantage. A bases-loaded single by senior catcher John Clay Reeves plated two runs while RBIs by senior left fielder Kirby Taylor and junior first baseman Connor Teykl accounted for the other runs. Rice held on 8-2 and the pitching trio of Stephens, freshman Glenn Otto and junior Austin Solecitto combined to strike out 15 batters.

In the Sunday finale, the Owls poised to strike early after back-to-back first-inning singles from Stainback and Warren. However, UTSA freshman starter Chance Kirby worked out of the jam to keep Rice off the board. He then went on to throw a complete game and stifled the offense, allowing just one run during nine innings. Meanwhile, junior starter Blake Fox kept the Owls in the ballgame for most of the afternoon. Despite the loss, Fox allowed four runs on five hits through 6.0 innings while striking out six batters. The Owls could have ended UTSA threats on two occasions, but defensive miscues ended up leading to five of the seven runs scored by UTSA. Rice lost by a final score of 7-1.

According to Rice Pitching Coach Patrick Hallmark, the coaching staff was happy with the team’s performance despite the loss.

“We know that 3-1 is always a good week especially with having Houston on our schedule and a doubleheader which are always tough,” Hallmark said. “[Sunday’s] pitcher shut us down a little bit but for three out of the four games we really hit the ball well and the pitchers pitched really well so we are pleased.”

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jake nyquist/thresher

The Owls have only three games scheduled over the next 15 calendar days as the end of classes and finals approach. Hallmark said the extra time should allow the team to complete their academic obligations and then focus solely on baseball.

“I think [the layoff] will help more than anything to get the academic load off,” Hallmark said. “Work is always heavy during this time of year with lots of tests, final exams and projects going on. It [will] be nice to get the last round of projects and papers done so the guys can relax and get to focus more on baseball.”

Otto saw a combined 6.0 innings of work this week against Houston and in the second game of the UTSA series. He struck out 12 batters and allowed just one hit in those outings.

According to Otto, his pitches simply seemed to work.

“I was trying to stay down in the zone and really throw strikes to get ahead of hitters and by doing that. … The outcome was good,” Otto said. “I hope I can continue to keep it going throughout the rest of the season and contribute to the team anyway I can.”

Otto, along with many of his teammates, said he realizes the three games at Western Kentucky University this weekend are crucial going into the off-week for final exams.

“We all know how important these next three games are and not only them but the rest of the games in terms of getting back on top in conference and doing what we and everyone else wants us to do,” Otto said. “We are to the point of the season where every game is crucial and we just need to focus on playing good baseball these next three games and here on out.”

The Owls will travel to Bowling Green, Kentucky this upcoming weekend to face the Western Kentucky University in a three-game conference series. Following the series, Rice will not take the field again until May 6 once the final exam period is over. First pitch for Friday’s matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m.

wednesday, April 22, 2015

SPORTS

the Rice Thresher

Night of the Owl showcases student athletes Savannah Ezelle For the Thresher

This is a column written by Savannah Ezelle. The opinions expressed in the column are solely hers.

Student athletes gathered in Tudor Fieldhouse for Night of the Owl, an annual event celebrating their athletic and academic achievements. As part of Rice Rally Club, I got the opportunity to support my peer students in a rare, off-the-field context I don’t normally see them in.

Not really though, because I see athletes in an off-the-field context all the time. I sit next to them, I talk to them and I’m often stuck with them in Fondren frantically trying to complete a lab due the next day. The people I exchange looks with when a professor goes overtime are the same people I supported last year as a cheerleader, and the same people I continue to support today on Rice Rally Club.

You see, this is a problem I think many Rice students have. We see either the stu-

0from TENNIS page 9 Even though Rice lost to UTSA in the regular season, the Owls managed to earn the first seed in the tournament.

Rice faced off against Charlotte on April 18 and in the C-USA semifinals on April 18 in Norfolk, Virginia. Singles victories from sophomores Max Andrews and David Warren and junior Adam Gustafsson helped seal the victory. Freshman Jamie Malik and junior Gustavo Gonzalez were defeated in their singles matches. Senior Srikar Alla did not need to finish his game due to the Rice victory.

The doubles pairs of Warren and Andrews and Gustafsson and Gonzalez also won their games. Malik and sophomore Zach Yablon, however, lost their doubles match. Head Coach Efe

dent or the athlete depending on the situation; we need to start recognizing both. Let’s be honest, Rice, we need to start recognizing athletics period.

We need to always support each other in our endevors, whether athletic or academic.

We have great teams and we have great athletes, something that this year’s Night of the Owl has further proven to me. In addition to an exhaustive list of athletic victories, the Owls boast immense academic achieve-

Ustundag said winning the doubles point was a pivotal development in Rice’s victory.

“We knew going in that Charlotte was going to battle us every step of the way, but the key would be the doubles point,” Ustundag said.

“Even with that, we got off to a fairly shaky start.

We got down breaks on all three courts, and maybe some of that was just nerves. But we got past that and turned it around to set the tone for the rest of the match.”

On Sunday, April 19, Rice lost the Conference USA title game to UTSA. Unlike on Saturday, the team could not win the doubles point. The teams of Malik-Yablon and Gustafsson-Gonzalez lost their doubles matchups. Warren and Andrews did not finish their game.

In the singles portion of the matches, Alla, Malik and Gonzalez each lost to their opponents.

Despite victories from Andrews, Gustafsson and Warren, Rice could not pull away for the victory

ment. The women’s cross country team was recognized for its average cumulative GPA of 3.748, the highest of any team in Rice’s history. Additionally, over 40 student athletes won the 2014-15 Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal, awarded to those with a 3.75 cumulative GPA or better.

Also, each player on the volleyball team has completed an average of 21.2 hours of community service. Let me put that in perspective — that’s more hours of community service on top of practices, games, classes, homework, research, labs and workouts than hours of sleep I get during finals. These 21.2 hours don’t factor in how the volleyball team serves as role models to countless girls around Houston; if you want to see the smallest Owl fans, come to a weekend volleyball game. Those are some happy and invested children.

Additionally, Night of the Owl lauded individuals. Gabe Baker, a redshirt senior safety on the football team, won the prestigious O.J. Brigance Courage Award for the second time. Baker can also add the Bob and Conference USA title. Ustundag said losing the doubles point was key in the loss and that UTSA simply outplayed them.

“UTSA was just better than us in doubles today,” Ustundag said. “We were better on three singles courts and they were better on the other three, but we could not overcome the loss in doubles. They were the better team today.”

The Owls’ overall record for the season is 1214. Alla is the only graduating member, and the tennis team will look to reload and improve upon their success for the 2016 season.

Rice vs. UTSA

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Quin Award to his already impressive list of successes, including serenading a Hawaiian airport with his cello after the Hawai’i Bowl.

Natalie Beazant of the women’s tennis team won the Joyce Pounds-Hardy Award for her “efforts in sports, in the classroom and in the community.”

The main question, then, is why Rice students often don’t recognize the achievements of student athletes. Why does the Rice community often belittle athletics and why do some Rice students actually take pride in their apathy concerning athletics that aren’t intramurals?

We need to support each other in our endeavors, whether athletic or academic.

We must realize that others might walk different paths, and that there’s more depth to those around us than we often assume if we go by superficial clues, such as a jacket or Gatorade bottle. As members of the Rice community, we play different positions with different degrees of visibility, but we are a single team. We huddle, we break and, on or off the field, we play together.

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BACKPAGE

Snapple Cap Fact Award for the Distribution of Probably Incorrect Information SA Discussion Forum on Title IX

The Rolling Stone Award for Excellence in Journalism Michael Portal for his trenchant satire at the Rice Mockingbird

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If a party happens in a quad and no one is there to attend it, did it happen?

Baker College’s Fall Music Festival

The Kony 2012 Award for Short-Lived, Lackluster Internet Activism Yik-Yaktivists Cheer Battle Protest

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

The Jumbo Award for the Improvement of Diplomatic Relations with Tufts University

Kangaroo Jack 2: G’Day USA Award for Kangaroo Court Administration

Rice Senior Gala 2015

Lisa Zollner, J.D.

The King Xerxes’ huge gold throne that’s pulled by a thousand Grecian slaves award for conspicuous consumption (formerly the New Deal Award for Fiscal Necessity)

The Oscar for Best Supporting Actress Ms. Oscar

Honor Council Changeover Dinner

The Don Draper Award for Excellence in Advertising The KnOWLedge Campaign

The Insane Clown Posse Award for Lighthearted NonTerrifying Costuming (presented by Faygo) Campus Clowns

Vladimir Putin Very Legitimate Election Award Rice University Student Association

The Party that People will be Amazed Ever existed 20 years from Now Sid Schoolgirls

Vladimir Putin Award for the Cultivation of Free Speech Dean Hutch for his handling of O-Week Cheer Battle

The “I’m comin’ Straight Outta Compton with a loose cannon / Smoke big green, call it Bruce Banner / Watch your manners, at last another blast from the top notch / From way back with / the pop rocks, I pop lock witcha / Picture this, Dr. Dre twistin with Tha Liks / And Hittman bought a fix / Don’t trip, it’s a Time Bomb in this bitch / Here it tick tick tick tick (BOOM) / Wait a minute it’s on, I tell it like a true mackadelic / Weed and cocaine sold seperate, check it / From sundown to sunup — clown done run up / The Aftermath’ll be two in your gut” award for glock poppin Outer Loop Paintballer

I can’t believe it’s over. It has been a privilege to write the Backpage over the last two years, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. I hope this tradition continues to live on long past many others — I think it’s a particularly important one. Special thanks to Andrew Stout and Dennis Budde who helped so much. The Backpage is satire and was written by Reed Thornburg. For comments and concerns, please email turnt@rice.edu.

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