The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, October 21, 2015

VOLUME 100, ISSUE NO. 8 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2015

english majors have it tough too Pursue your passions, don’t judge others’

see Ops p. 5

More than 300 students attended the Student Association’s “It’s Up to Us” meeting on Oct. 14 to discuss the results of the Survey on Unwanted Sexual Experiences. Students considered the possibility of creating a mandatory sexual education course, improving Orientation Week programming and encouraging casual, everyday discussions on preventing sexual violence.

confessions of a shopaholic How to have a killer closet on a college student’s budget

see A&E p. 6 head coach’s halftime talk Football head coach reflects on ups and downs of season

jennifer wang/thresher

Silva proposes mandatory sex-ed course Rice shows for first year students, seeks SA approval see Sports p. 8

support at HERO rally Elana Margosis Thresher Staff

Rice University students were among the dozens of volunteers campaigning in support of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, a broad anti-discrimination law, on Saturday at the Rally for HERO. Early voting began on Monday, Oct. 19 and Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

HERO is a measure to protect individuals from discrimination in employment, housing and public spaces based on several characteristics, including race, marital status, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Saturday’s rally was organized

by Houston Unites as part of a grassroots effort to pass Proposition 1, or HERO. Volunteers canvassed door to door and called voters, asking them to commit to voting in favor of HERO, as well as helping them plan when they would vote and secure free transportation to the polls.

Martel College senior Kathryn Hokamp said she became heavily involved with the campaign after experiencing hostile reactions from HERO opponents while volunteering as a canvasser. On Saturday, Hokamp, a former president of Rice Queers and Allies, led a group of canvassers.

“We definitely made some impact [by] educating people about the issues and helping people to remember to vote,” Hokamp said. “The impact may seem small, but we get votes one person at a time, so every little thing we can do matters.”

According to Caroline Duble, Campus Outreach Coordinator for Houston Unites, volunteers spoke with over one thousand voters citywide on Saturday, exceeding the campaign’s goals for the day.

Rice is part of the Greater Houston Partnership, an economic development organization comprised of over 1,200 companies and organizations that has supported HERO since 2014. Rice President David Leebron is among the 44 signatories of a series of full-page advertisements run in the Houston Chronicle paid for by the Business Coalition for Prop 1.

“Rice supports equal rights for all Houstonians,” Rice spokesperson David Ruth said.

0see HERO, page 2

Drew Keller News Editor

Rice University Student Association President Jazz Silva has proposed a mandatory sexual education class for first year students starting next year as a measure to reduce the prevalence of sexual assault on campus.

“There’s a huge, huge lack of sexual education,” Silva, a Sid Richardson College senior, said. “It’s like, ‘How are we not all on the same page?’ Well, we’ve never talked about it.”

According to Silva, the idea grew out of campus dialogue regarding sexual misconduct following the release of the Survey of Unwanted Sexual Experiences results. 24.2 percent of female and 7.4 percent of male undergraduates responding to that survey indicated they have had at least one nonconsensual sexual experience at Rice.

Silva said her proposal will provide continuing education for first year students and help develop community values regarding sexuality. She said the proposal is a starting point for further discussion, and she expects revisions to incorporate student feedback.

“What I want students to be talking about is the spirit of the program,”

Silva said. “Not to get weighed down by the details and the particulars and the numbers. We can’t risk doing nothing.”

Silva’s current proposal calls for new students to be required to attend a weekly discussion during their first semester at Rice. Each section of the class, tentatively entitled “Critical Thinking in Sexuality,” would be capped at 25 students and taught by a graduate student from the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality department.

Silva said each week’s discussion would focus on a different relevant topic in an effort to actively engage students in establishing common values and norms pertaining to sexuality.

She said the course would also play an educational role, reducing the differences in high school sexual education students have experienced.

According to Silva, the scope of the course would be far beyond simply anatomy. The class would focus on three guiding questions: how students view sexuality through their partner’s experience, when consent is needed and how it is given and how Rice’s community can prevent sexual assault.

Under Silva’s original proposal, students would be given letter grades 0see SEX-ED, page 2

MANDATORY SEX-ED CLASS PROPOSAL DETAILS CORE QUESTIONS

How do I think about sexuality through the experience of my partner?

How do I know when consent is needed and when it has been given?

How can the Rice community work to prevent sexual assault?

BY THE NUMBERS 1 credit hour 15 weeks 1 hr/week

25 students/section 40 sections 20 grad student instructors

$2,500 per instructor $50,000 per semester

Farmer’s market food sourcing, weekly menus promote sustainability in serveries Hannah Che

Thresher Staff

As Real Food Week kicks off, students may find themselves wondering about the food sourcing process behind the food prepared in the serveries. A closer look reveals the steps Housing and Dining is taking toward sustainability, including creating weekly menus based on availability of seasonal ingredients and sourcing regularly from the Farmers Market.

Each of the head chefs at the six serveries are responsible for food sourcing, weekly menu determination and independently purchasing food. According to Senior Business Director of H&D David McDonald, menus are often based on a rotational system at other universities, where the food served for each meal is determined months in advance.

McDonald said he was critical of a cycled menu, since problems such as a blight in produce or a recall on a certain item could occur.

“Just look at the current situation: The market is experiencing a massive shortage of eggs that’s severely affected our egg supply,” McDonald said. “So imagine if you had an egg-heavy menu published three months ago, and you didn’t know this was going to happen — you’d have a serious problem on your hands.”

Head chefs research prices, look into reports from seafood and produce companies, talk to local farmers, and based on that information, determine the menus for the next week at their respective serveries.

“Because we know exactly what’s available to us, we don’t have to guess — we can plan and cook based on real time informa-

tion,” Campus Dining Director Chef Johnny Curet said. “The flexibility allows for menu modifications to be made in case of unanticipated food source changes.”

Richard Johnson, director of the Rice Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management, said the system minimizes food waste and maximizes cost efficiency.

“If you have a better sense, in the moment, of what’s going to be available, and where you can get it and what the prices are going to look like, you’re going to make decisions that will be less wasteful,” Johnson said.

The serveries’ primary food supplier is Houston-based Sysco, according to McDonald. Around 20 to 25 percent of ingredients are sourced locally within a 200-250 mile-radius including seafood,

poultry and Blue Bell ice cream.

Due to the limited range of in-season produce in Texas, however, it is difficult to increase the percentage of locally-sourced foods.

“If we were in Salinas, California, I could easily purchase 80 percent of my product from nearby farms,” McDonald explained.

“Here in Houston, a 250-mile radius doesn’t leave us with many options, besides lots of okra and oranges.”

Another food source is the Farmer’s Market, which currently accounts for less than 10 percent of the food purchased by the serveries. The market is owned and operated by Rice, and the chefs began directly purchasing from the market around two years ago.

Hardwick said that H&D has worked hard to streamline the process of ordering and delivery, and 0see FOOD, page 3

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0SEX-ED FROM PAGE 1 based mainly on attendance, but she said a satisfactory/unsatisfactory grading system would also be a valid option. There would be no homework, but failure to attend the course throughout the semester would result in a failing grade. Silva also put forward the possibility of having two sections of the class focused on LGBT sexuality, which any student would have the option of taking.

Silva said she proposed that all sections of the class take place in the fall semester, unlike Firstyear Writing Intensive Seminar sections, because most incidences of sexual assault occur in the fall; according to Silva, September is the most dangerous month with regards to frequency of assault.

Silva’s proposal calls for SWGS graduate students to each receive a stipend of $2,500 to teach two sections each, making the total cost $50,000 a year to implement 40 sections accommodating all new students. Silva said graduate student instructors would not only be a cheap option, with the total cost of the program being less per year than the cost of hiring one new faculty member, but also would encourage student participation.

“There is an inherent generation gap between full-time faculty and students, and there’s not going to be the openness of conversation if you’re talking to somebody who one day might have to write a recommendation,” Silva said. “Are you going to talk about your experiences or underage drinking? You’re probably not.”

Silva emphasized there would be no exceptions to the mandatory nature of the course, including for religious reasons. She said she is

the Rice Thresher working with the Wellbeing Office to determine how to best accommodate survivors of unwanted sexual experiences for whom particular discussions could be triggering, but that a general option to opt out would not be offered.

“This is not a vulgar course,” Silva said. “But if you can’t talk about sexuality in an adult context, I think that’s a problem. If you’re religious, you bring a very diverse perspective to the table, but you still have to be a part of the conversation, because you’re still part of the community.”

Silva said she began to develop her proposal after the release of the SUSE results based on students’ call for education on sexual issues beyond the Project SAFE and Wellbeing sessions of Orientation Week.

Pushing students beyond their comfort zone is necessary to encourage growth, Silva said.

“Students always complain, ‘We’re making everyone so comfortable all the time,’” she said.

“I agree. A fair amount of discomfort contributes to personal growth, and in this situation we can’t afford to do anything else.”

Silva said she developed the proposal with input from Graduate Student Association President Lynn Fahey, and has reached out to student sexual assault working group STRIVE, the Rice Women’s Resource Center, Wellbeing and administration figures such as Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson for feedback.

Cristell Perez, one of the directors of the Women’s Resource Center, said she believes the course will give students the chance to explore their beliefs regarding sexuality and related topics. She said it was important that the scope of the course include more than just sexual assault.

“The promotion of it must include its other aspects of healthy relationships, consent and hu-

man sexuality,” Perez said. “In addition to sexual violence, intimate partner violence is a must to discuss. A standardized LGBT-inclusive course should be taught to everyone, no matter their sexual orientation.”

Hutchinson said he strongly supports Silva’s proposal.

“Jazz [Silva] has taken a great leadership role in organizing the students to assemble these recommendations,” Hutchinson said. “Correspondingly, I can see Rice taking a leadership role nationally in significantly improving the environment and the experiences of our students.”

Silva also said Rice would lead the nation in requiring a sexuality class, which no other college in the country has done.

“It’s very important for Rice to use this as an experiment, so that if it works other universities can implement it,” she said.

Silva said surveys and possibly class essays would be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the course if it is approved.

“The last thing I want to do is promise people this is going to work,” Silva said. “We have to do something. And I’m willing to say that I have zero faith in what we’ve been doing in the past. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing in the past we’re going to have the same results in the future.”

Silva said she plans to submit legislation to the SA supporting the proposal, which will ultimately go to Faculty Senate for approval if student feedback is positive. She hopes to begin the class for students matriculating in fall 2016.

Silva said she was optimistic about the implementation of her proposal or a similar program.

“If we want this, it will happen,” Silva said.

“It’s never been done before, but it’s not a long shot.”

wednesday, October 21, 2015

0HERO FROM PAGE 1 According to the Houston Business Journal, Houston Texans owner Bob McNair, who recently donated $8 million to Rice, has donated $10,000 to a campaign against HERO. McNair said the proposition should be rewritten to encourage more unity within the community.

In 2014, the Houston City Council originally passed HERO by an 11-6 vote. Shortly afterwards, opponents of HERO delivered a petition with around 50,000 signatures to City Hall to repeal the ordinance or put it to a vote on the ballot.

City Attorney David Feldman found several technical issues with the petition. Opponents of HERO filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming Feldman had “wrongly determined that they had not gathered enough valid signatures” to trigger a repeal or referendum.

In January, a judge ruled HERO opponents had not collected enough valid signatures. The opponents appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, and the court ruled in July that the Houston City Council must either repeal the ordinance or include it in the November 2015 ballot.

Although recent polls have found that a majority of Houstonians support HERO, Mark Jones, Chair of Political Science at Rice, said he warned against taking the polls at face value.

“You have to be cautious when people say ‘I’m undecided,’” Jones said. “About three quarters of them actually are hidden ‘no’ votes.

When you take that into account, the polls suggest that this is really neck and neck.”

wednesday, October 21, 2015

Students reflect on jobs at Postmates, Favor Emily Shen

For the Thresher

For hungry Owls waiting for a late-night food delivery, a car pulling up to campus is a welcome sight. What they might not expect is a Rice student behind the wheel delivering their pizza.

Crowd-sourced mobile apps like Postmates and Favor can be found in most major cities, and in Houston where driving is a necessity, these services are highly popular. Several Rice students have taken advantage of the opportunity to work as drivers for these services, including Jones College junior Sam Carroll.

Last semester, Carroll was saving money for an off-campus apartment and felt his job at the Rice Telefund was not enough.

It’s awkward because I have to do this, and you don’t want to look like you [are struggling financially].

Sam Carroll Favor and Postmates driver

“I had gotten to the point where I said, ‘I will wait tables if I have to,’” Carroll said. “It wasn’t the most luxurious thing I’ve ever done ... but it was effective.”

So he began working for Postmates and Favor in addition to the Telefund. Carroll said he found Favor paid better, since it guaranteed an hourly wage and better tips, while Postmates paid based on distance driven. Carroll said he enjoyed exploring the city, but felt that deliveries to fellow students at Rice were often uncomfortable.

0FOOD FROM PAGE 1 these steps have made it easier for chefs to incorporate ingredients from the Farmers Market into their menu.

“Each week, they’ll call in and let us know what they need, and we let them know what we have growing right now or ready to harvest in the future,” Gage Lydahl from Atkinson Farms said. “Besides supporting the Farmers Market, Rice University helps us by purchasing around $400 to $500 of produce weekly.”

The local vendors are limited in production capability and selection, however. McDonald said with the sheer volume of food that is produced for each meal at the serveries, the largest farm vendor at the market would not even be able to supply Rice for a single lunch.

“We try to purchase whatever they have, and as much as they have,” Glenn said. “Some

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the Rice Thresher

“It’s awkward because I have to do this, and you don’t want to look like you [are struggling financially],” Carroll said. “Everyone else seems to not struggle with money and financial situations, or at least it seems that way at Rice, like everyone seems to be doing everything perfectly.”

Martel College senior JJ Allred said he decided to work for Favor during the summer because of the ease of entry into the position. Allred worked the late shift, from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. However, he found 3 a.m. to be an unreliable end time.

“You don’t get off at three; you’re off whenever you’re done with whatever got ordered,” Allred said. “People on weekends get home at 2:40 [a.m.] and they order something, and there’s only 12 people on shift usually, so you get slammed with two orders at 2:40, and then you don’t get home until four in the morning.”

He also said he was suspicious of Favor’s management. Favor deliverers report to their shift moderators when they have a problem with a customer. However, Allred speculated that moderators sometimes gave free orders to friends.

“You can tell they know each other because if you have a problem with a customer, you just text the moderator ‘Hey, this person’s doing whatever,’ and then they say ‘Oh, he’s always like that, just leave it on the door, he’ll pay for it later’ or something,” Allred said.

Payments are not well-documented, and deliverers are not paid until three days after the delivery. Many employees do hundreds of deliveries a week and forget to check specific payments.

Allred said some customers never paid at all.

He recalled one who ordered $200 worth of food.

Allred was excited about the large tip he would receive, but the customer never paid.

“People steal all the time,” Allred said.

Nevertheless, Allred said he feels he was compensated fairly, averaging $10 to $11 per hour.

Both Carroll and Allred said they would recommend their jobs to Rice students who want quick or extra spending money. However, for students who want a more substantial income, Allred recommends looking elsewhere.

“I think I would do it again,” Allred said. “But only as a summer job.”

examples of items we’ve purchased include local honey for National Honey Month and freerange bison meat for tacos at Seibel.”

Manager of Communications Susann Glenn said that purchasing from the local farmers contributes to the sustainability of the local economy, especially in cases of surpluses, when Rice can purchase the excess and freeze it for later use.

“The farmers like that sense of security, knowing that if they have extra product, we’ll take it off their hands — that’s financial stability for them,” Glenn said. “And it means the world to them.”

Real Food Revolution is a student organization focused on increasing support for local foods and sustainable farming practices, and they have partnered with H&D on multiple occasions to host events like Farm to Fork dinners.

Co-President Belle Douglass said she acknowledged the challenges of purchasing locally, but added that there are ways the university can

NEWS IN BRIEF RUPD hosts active shooter response talks, continues trainings In response to recent shootings, Rice University Police Department is hosting lunch discussions on responding to active shooters. RUPD is also continuing its active shooter training response programs, according to Chief of Police Johnny Whitehead.

Whitehead said this program, developed three years ago, consists of a 20-minute instructive video on responding to an active shooter and what to expect from law enforcement.

“It is much easier to plan ahead for what you need to do rather than make decisions when you’re in a panic mode,” Whitehead said. “We want people to understand the active-shooter concept, how to develop a survival mindset, and how to develop a plan of action. “

Whitehead said more than 600 members of the community have been trained to date, consisting of mainly faculty and staff. RUPD will partner with student leadership, the Dean of Undergraduates and the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to promote trainings. “[An FBI report] shows that 45.6 percent of active-shooter incidents occur at places of commerce, like shopping malls,” Whitehead said.

“Incidents at institutions of higher education account for 7.5 percent. I urge students, faculty and staff to take advantage of the very important training we have available.”

The brown bag discussion luncheons will be in the Kyle Morrow Room on Oct. 21, Nov. 5, Nov. 19 and Dec. 3.

Opportunity for meals with undergraduates extended to all faculty Rice launched a new program sponsoring meals between undergraduate students and all faculty members, no longer just faculty associates. Initiated by Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, the goal is to create a platform for conversations outside the classroom.

“We would like to make it easy for faculty to have lunch or dinner with a student from time to time if they are discussing some issue of professional development or academic advising or research interests or maybe something about classwork,” Hutchinson said.

Currently, faculty associates are able to have

lunch with students from their respective colleges. However, this new lunch program, which launched on Oct. 14, provides an opportunity for those members of faculty who might not be able to accommodate the responsibilities of being an associate.

Hutchinson said the program’s success could influence its long-term trajectory.

“If it turns out that this program is immensely popular and that the faculty and students are interacting with much greater frequency, then we will expand the program next year,” Hutchinson said.

Lonestar Scholarship created for Early Decision applicants to Rice The Rice Office of Admissions announced earlier this month that up to 30 students admitted early decision will be eligible to receive the new Lonestar Scholarship, a $10,000 scholarship renewable for four years.

Vice President for Enrollment Chris Munoz said the scholarship aims to alleviate potential early decision applicants’ worries that they will not be considered for merit scholarships. Munoz said early and regular decision applicants are considered equally for merit scholarships.

“We [want] to make it clear to students that

take even more advantage of what Houston and surrounding farms have to offer.

“Our chefs are so talented that the fact that local options change with the seasons shouldn’t be a reason not to buy locally,” Douglass, a Martel College senior, said. “Additionally, buying locally can at times be more expensive than buying in bulk from other sources, so if we want to see an increase in local food then perhaps a change to the way food budgets are structured might help. Setting a required amount to be purchased locally might be an option to explore.”

Another food source is found in the on-campus gardens, a club currently run by Rice Community Growers, inspired by Joseph Novak’s Community Garden course (EBIO 204).

“Although the gardens last year did not produce enough for regular use by the serveries, we did supply the chefs with some herbs — mostly basil, parsley and cilantro, and sometimes lettuce and arugula,” Lovett College ju-

they are not being disadvantaged by applying early,” Munoz said.

Munoz emphasized that all applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships, including the Lonestar Scholarship, and do not need to submit a separate application.

Factors such as interest in research, experience in entrepreneurial activity and leadership may increase an applicant’s chances of receiving a merit scholarship.

Funding for the new scholarship will come from existing resources.

nior Emma Livingston, who had taken Novak’s course, said.

H&D is working on further ways to support sustainability in food sourcing, McDonald said.

Purchasing imperfect produce for use in the kitchens is one initiative in progress.

“Most of these items can’t be sold retail — the quality and taste is just as good, but people won’t buy them in grocery stores because they are oddly shaped, or have blemishes,” McDonald said. “It’s a consumable product that’s not being utilized; if those items don’t get bought from a farm, they will be thrown away.”

Douglass said the weekly menu creation permits chefs to take suggestions into consideration when planning the next week’s meals.

“Housing and Dining takes suggestions [from the Rice Dining website] seriously and the best way to have a voice in what you’re eating is to engage with the people who are making it,” Douglass said. “If you want to see more local food, tell your chef!”

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wednesday, October 21, 2015

the Rice Thresher

Rice looks to improving ex- SA proposes advisory boards periential learning with QEP Isaac Schultz SA Beat Writer

Maurice Frediere Thresher Staff

Rice University has identified experiential learning as the focus of its next Quality Enhancement Plan, according to QEP Planning Committee co-chair Robert Stein. Rice’s reaccreditation process occurs every 10 years and requires a five-year plan to improve all students’ academic experience. The previous QEP centered on civic engagement and resulted in the creation of the Center for Civic Engagement in 2006, which has since become the Center for Civic Leadership.

Stein said a committee formed in the spring of last year developed two proposals; one centered on oral and visual communication and the other on experiential learning. President David Leebron chose to pursue experiential learning.

Stein said while direct implementation of the program has not been determined, the goal is to give students real-world experience.

“Students [should] have an authentic experience,” Stein said. “It could be from involvement in the community, part of a laboratory study, part of a scholarly project, [or] through an internship.”

According to Stein, the QEP additionally aims to improve the pedagogy of the faculty.

“Every four years they zero your group, you go from 18 to 21 [years old] and I just keep getting older,” Stein said. “It is hard for a faculty member

like me to retool. I have probably retooled four or five times over the course of my career.”

Brown College senior Amritha Kanakamedala was the undergraduate representative on the QEP Planning Committee. She said more than 85 responses were gathered from the Rice community online in March 2015.

“We set up a blog page where students, alumni, faculty and staff could propose [and vote on] ideas,” Kanakamedala said.

Stein said students must be involved with the implementation of the QEP and development of curriculum.

“There is a need for the students to express a preference for that type of educational experience,” Stein said. “Students tend not to see themselves as customers but rather [as] receivers of education in a passive way, and this is only going to work if the students have input in the process.”

Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson said the results of the QEP could be larger than initially anticipated. “[The Center for Civic Leadership] was not envisioned in 2006,” Hutchinson said. “As opposed to this plugging into the current curriculum, it’s possible [this QEP] could be the foundation for a very different curriculum.”

The Faculty Senate will present a plan to President Leebron in November with the aim of full implementation by the 2016-17 academic year.

Student Association members introduced the Undergraduate Advisory Board Task Force at Senate on Oct. 14 to revolutionize discourse between students and faculty members by creating student advisory boards for academic departments. The task force will be formed based on the responses to the SA survey published earlier this month. The survey has garnered over 300 responses and is still accepting responses from students.

Sid Richardson College senator Justin Onwenu and Baker College senator Anjali Bhatla, who introduced the bill, said the overall advisory board would consist of a number of advisory boards, each representing an academic department and composed of students from that department, regardless of their involvement with the SA. Onwenu, a sophomore, and Bhatla, a junior said the advisory board aims to improve communication among faculty and undergraduate students, specifically addressing teaching and the long-term academic vision for each department. Additionally, the boards would offer students a structured means of providing feedback to their respective academic departments.

“There are so many different avenues of trying to implement changes within the de-

partment, but there’s nothing centralized,” Onwenu noted. This task force would resolve that issue by creating a formal system through which students could converse with their departments.

Onwenu and Bhatla, would talk to faculty in several academic departments with the intent of eventually having student representatives for each academic department.

“We’re not zeroing in on any particular major at this time,” Onwenu said. “The survey will give us an idea of five to six specific departments we can target in our future discussions with department chairs. The [economics] department advisory board is a success but we recognize the need for more examples or pilots before university-wide implementation is addressed.”

According to the senators, by taking student feedback and various suggestions and consolidating the feedback into a structured process, opinions would never fall on deaf ears. Rather, each comment would be incorporated by members of the advisory board into collaborative conversations with faculty members from the department in question.

Prior to meeting with Provost Marie Lynn Miranda and Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, Onwenu and Bhatla will focus on developing advisory boards in the most popular undergraduate departments, as well as those which reflect the greatest need based on results of the ongoing survey.

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Let me choose my major in peace

Sexual education should include general wellness Student Association President Jazz Silva has created a proposal to implement a mandatory sexual education course for new students in light of the results from the Survey of Unwanted Sexual Experiences (see p. 1). The Thresher commends Silva for positioning Rice as a leader in the national discussion on sexual assault. It is certainly true that the prevalence of sexual assault on campus demands major change, not simply a doubling down on current policies. However, Rice should use this opportunity to address other student health issues as well.

As proposed by Silva, the course will help close the knowledge gap regarding sexuality for incoming students; however, it may be less useful for and thus taken less seriously by students who are already wellinformed, especially given its semesterlong length. Furthermore, many students may face pressing personal wellness questions not related to sexuality.

Instead of mandating a course about only sexual education, the proposed course should address general well-being. This would maximize the benefit of the class to a wide range of students: Every student can gain something from a course on wellbeing within the realms of mental, physical or emotional health. This kind of course would serve to destigmatize conversations about not only sex and sexuality but also about topics such as depression and eating disorders that are equally concerning to college students.

While it is critical to address questions relating to healthy relationships, consent and sexual assault, other health issues should also not be ignored once Orientation Week ends. A mandatory first-year course is an opportunity to effectively combat both sexual misconduct and other serious personal health problems on campus.

Attendance should be mandatory to ensure students do not have gaps in their knowledge. However, for students to truly take the class seriously, it is necessary that instructors emphasize that every student’s commitment to well-being directly affects their peers’ health.

It may be harmful to place a letter grade on this course, as students should be motivated not by the desire to succeed academically, but rather by the chance to contribute to and learn from a meaningful discussion with their peers. A satisfactory/unsatisfactory grade could be a better measure. The course’s grading should reflect that it is not intended to be academically rigorous.

Cementing any sort of reactionary measure without considering all possible options could result in a haphazard solution.

As Silva has said, her proposal is a starting point; we encourage students to remain open-minded and continue the conversation about how to create tangible ways to improve overall student wellness.

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

My friend told me a while back that he encountered an “astounding ass.” He was returning a textbook at a UPS station, and the man assisting him asked him his major, to which my friend responded that he wasn’t sure yet.

“Well, let me give you some advice,” UPS Man said. “Whatever you do, don’t become an English major. I mean, why would you major in a language you already speak and know?”

My friend relayed this experience to me with righteous rage and frustration — probably half of which was for my benefit.

I wasn’t even upset by the story. I mean, recently a Rice administrator literally said on the record, with extraordinary nonchalance, that our incoming humanities majors this year had lower test scores than STEM majors.

I’ve come to expect this attitude, at this point.

It’s so easy to feel the projected stereotypes — English majors aren’t good at math, English majors have it so easy in school, English majors want to publish a novel and become the next J.K. Rowling. It’s always a surprise if someone says, in response to my “confessing” that I’m an English major, “That’s really cool, I don’t think I could ever do that!”

How many times have people I barely know asked me what I was going to do with an English major? How many times have people asked me why I wanted to be an English major? How many times have people asked me if I’m also pre-med or pre-law, as if that’ll somehow justify “what” I am? Why can’t I just be an English major?

Every first club meeting, every casual introduction during which we detail name, college, major, I flinch when I have to follow “CHBE” or “kinesiology pre-med” with plain old “English.”

It’s a knee-jerk reaction of feeling, like I have to explain myself, because apparently being an English major is intrinsically confounding.

It’s not just others’ perceptions; I’ve begun to believe the prejudice myself. I won’t lie — I’ve had more than my fair share of moments of inferiority. When I hear that someone, especially a girl, is majoring in computer science or bioengineering, I feel awe and a strong pinch of jealousy. I always ask myself, “Why couldn’t I do that?”

And I think this feeling of inferiority is especially prevalent at Rice, a school so obviously focused on STEM students, that every English major I meet is a treasure to behold, a rare sympathizer and genuine peer.

Some people think we sit on our butts all day and ponder fictional characters uselessly, that we don’t actually do anything while other students are at lab or research or the OEDK. Yes, the STEM students are incredibly busy — I respect that. They’re brilliant and they do so much in school and the real world. But the fact that English (and really any humanities) majors have shockingly fewer class requirements does not invalidate what we do. We make sure we’re busy, and we choose what makes us busy. Trust me, we’re loaded on the extracurriculars, and our classes take time too, in a different way.

Such critics should be ashamed for shaming us and what we love. What right do they have to criticize the choice we’ve made? Maybe we know something they don’t — something hidden in the (literal) hundreds of books we have to read in school, our analyses, the millions of words we’ve written.

Language built this world. Who cares if we all already know it? In the Old Testament, when the people grew too arrogant and tried to build the Tower of Babel with an intent to reach the heavens, God only had to take away their ability to communicate, and they fell apart, just like that.

English teaches us about people and how to understand them. It teaches us about experiences we have yet to encounter. It teaches us about the many facets of the world about which we would otherwise have no idea.

So before you assume English majors had no other choice and that they are literally incapable of everything else, ask yourself if you’re able to analyze the hell out of a seven-word sentence the way we can, or turn a three-second encounter into a 16-page short story, or even begin to comprehend the world in all its layers and people and confusions.

And before you take to criticism, ask yourself if you love your major as much as English majors love theirs. Very few people these days can boast

they truly know their passions. In the millennial world, where instant gratification (not to mention instant moneymaking) is all the rage and ladderclimbing is considered an absolute necessity, many have lost sight of what they genuinely love.

If there’s one thing I know about English majors, it’s that we all love what we’re studying.

English majors aren’t the lackadaisical, lastresort people some might assume them to be. We didn’t swivel around looking for anything but this and find that we had no choice but to sigh, settle for English. And so what if being purely an English major without a pre-____ track sometimes means having to “wait and see”? There’s nothing wrong with that. People jump from job to job in their 20s anyway, sometimes later than that.

I’m tired of defending my life choice to people. I’m tired of having to cite people like Mario Cuomo, Sting (ha), Diane Sawyer or Steven Spielberg. Do I really have to justify my major based on celebrities’ successes?

I’m not going to make it my mission to critique your or anyone’s major because it’s not like mine.

Major in whatever the heck you want. The point is, don’t shit on *insert major here* because you probably have no idea what you’re talking about.

Trust that it’s nearly the same across the board for any major: If we work hard, we’ll get somewhere. Simple as that. Even if our “somewhere” is not as concrete as “I’m going to be a pediatric oncologist” or “I’m going to be a software engineer,” doesn’t mean it’s not valid. We’ll figure it out. There’s nothing wrong with giving it a little time.

A version of this article appeared in The Odyssey.

Julianne Wey is a Jones

College sophomore and a Thresher Copy Editor

I know how you can find your soulmate

I recently came across a book called “When God Writes Your Love Story,” which I found funny mostly because it conjured the image of God as a hopeless romantic typing up people’s love stories at Brochstein Pavilion. To be fair, “How do I find my soulmate?” is an interesting question — one that I never get asked. I’m the scrawny computer science major who likes to play ping pong, Sudoku and nonograms, so I’m not surprised. But it is a shame because I have the perfect solution, one that I’ve tested personally.

As my COMP 140 professor would say, there are several subproblems you have to address first. Regardless of your religiosity, prayer is a must. Write down all the things you want in a soulmate: smart, funny, attractive, not gullible, etc. Meditate on these attributes and chant, “Leeeeeebs,” under your breath 83 times with increasing tempo and with your eyes closed, obviously. If you start to see visions of a middleaged Jewish man, you’ve gone too far. Never, ever go full Leebron. The last person to go full Leebron founded monotheism.

After becoming spiritually prepared for your soulmate, you must become physically ready.

opinions Mitch Mackowiak* Editor sports Maddy Adams Editor Evan Neustater Editor Sarah Nyquist Designer art Carrie Jiang Director Jake Nyquist Photo Editor Jessica Kelly Asst. Photo Editor arts & entertainment Kaylen Strench Editor Walden Pemantle Editor Samantha Ding Designer

copy Jasmine Lin Editor Julianne Wey Editor backpage Joey McGlone Editor Riley Robertson Editor *indicates member of the Editorial Board

To demonstrate your commitment to your future soulmate, plan on working out at the Rec every free second of your week, as unrealistic as that may sound. As you know, we Rice students blow off most of our workouts anyway, so you have to overcompensate. Also, don’t think that because you walk to all of your classes, you can skip leg day. Don’t skip leg day, ever.

You will also need mental preparedness.

Taylor Swift’s classic “You Belong With Me” is the perfect soulmate primer because if you really believe you are that guy or girl next door, you will be. To mold your mind even more, watch a few hours of Dean Hutch’s Gen Chem video lectures. Hutch’s godly voice will warm your heart, and his chemistry knowledge will help you and your soulmate bond over some terrible chemistry puns. Finally, read the Communist Manifesto because that’s apparently what marriage is like.

If you’ve solved these subproblems correctly, there is one final step before you meet your soulmate. Before the big day, you must collect the tail of a Rice University squirrel or Donald Trump’s toupee (They’re really the same thing right?), a dozen homemade cinnamon rolls

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.

from West servery and the tears of all the freshmen who failed their first midterm. Mix these in a boiling cauldron until you have a neon green slime. It will smell like cinnamon, salt and The Donald’s bank vault. Paint your forehead with this concoction.

Have a few drinks, if you haven’t already, and make your way to the nearest public party.

Dance with everyone you meet because as far as you know, these will be the last moments of your single life. At half past 12, you will meet your soulmate. A slow song will come on. Take a deep breath. Turn around. Your soulmate will be the one with a neon green forehead.

Kenneth Li is a Duncan College freshman

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

Shopping smart on a student budget Thu Nguyen

For the Thresher

Contingency Plan

frankie huang/thresher

Artist Carmon Colangelo discusses a piece in his new Emergency Room exhibition, “Contingency Plan.” The show features eclectic, experimental prints made using discarded material from architectual models. It will be on display in Sewall Hall until Nov. 22.

“Until 20” explores life as student with cancer Ryan Lee

For the Thresher

“What would you do if you knew you were living the last year of your life?”

That is the tagline of “Until 20,” a documentary following the life of James Ragan slated to premiere Oct. 30 at the Austin Film Festival. Ragan, who attended Rice in 2011 at Duncan College, lived with terminal cancer for almost half of his life and passed away in February 2014. Directed by Geraldine Moriba Meadows and Jamila Paksima Rowell, with many contributions from Ragan himself, the film explores how he was able to make the most of his limited time.

At age 13, Ragan was diagnosed with a rare type of pediatric osteosarcoma. Since then, he and his family dealt with the disease the best they could, going through rounds of various treatments at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Co-Director Meadows, who herself undergoes treatment for cancer similar to that of Ragan’s, first met him through an oncologist at the cancer center. Ragan’s sister Mecklin Ragan (Duncan ’13) described her brother’s enthusiastic response when Meadows first proposed to make a documentary on his life.

“We’ve always been a very private family … and James really wanted to do it,” Mecklin said. “We all talked it over a couple days, everybody thought about it, and James still wanted to do it … and that was kind of how it all started.”

For those who knew Ragan, it is virtually impossible not to mention his sheer opti-

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

mism. Despite the toll his treatment placed on him, Ragan always insisted on pursuing his academics and playing golf, among other hobbies. He was even known to enter the golf course with an IV bag supplying his chemotherapy while he played. Co-Director Rowell said he was taken by surprise by how often Ragan displayed positivity despite his circumstances.

“He never seemed sad, he never seemed overwhelmed by this situation,” Rowell said.

“And we would keep asking him questions, and the guy won’t crack.”

On any given day, Ragan could always count on his support team — his family. In particular, his parents played an exceptional role in his life by stepping back from making decisions for him. Mecklin said she admired her parents for granting their son the freedom to take agency of his own life.

“I think it’s very admirable that [my parents] were able to sit back and let their 15-, 16-, 17-year-old son make his own decisions when it came to his care,” Mecklin said. “That’s not something that happens all the time … It’s so much easier to make that decision for your child — I think it took a lot of willpower.”

Rice played a large role in supporting Ragan. His sister noted the generosity and assistance provided by the administration, their college master, professors and golf coach Justin Emil.

Not every day was smooth sailing, and he took time to process his emotions. His sister described a coping mechanism he developed and constantly referred to.

“One of the things James loved to say … was that if you go to MD Anderson, and you’re sitting there more than five minutes, you look to your left and to your right and there’s always someone that has it worse than you do,” Mecklin said.

Ragan’s “glass half full” mentality manifested in his project, the Triumph Over Kid Cancer Foundation, which is a foundation that fundraises for pediatric cancer research and raises awareness for kids with pediatric cancer. Unfortunately, pediatric cancer is a severely unexplored field of research, mainly because pharmaceutical companies cannot afford to invest in rare diseases; some of Ragan’s treatments have not changed for 40 years, while others were not intended for bone cancer or for children. He attended many funerals of the children he had met at the hospital and befriended.

Filmmakers Meadows and Powell knew of the challenges they faced. Not only did they make a conscious decision as to not influence the story while filming, but they also took careful measures to not be manipulative in the editing room. The result was authenticity.

“You cannot make this stuff up,” Powell said. “With documentary filmmaking, you get to share an authentic experience that most people don’t get to experience.”

Struck by a rare disease, Ragan gave the world two even rarer gifts: the documentary on his life and his foundation, Triumph Over Kid Cancer, now helmed by his sister.

“Until 20” will show at festivals this fall and a screening at Rice is scheduled for the spring.

Whenever I advocate being fashionable, people challenge me that fashion isn’t exactly college budget-friendly. In my opinion, those people probably haven’t learned the ways of smart shopping. I hate buying anything at retail price. Any clothing item in my closet can retail from $10 to $280 but I have never paid any more than $180, and that evening gown was an investment. The breakdown can get very detailed, but the average cost of my daily wear and business casual is probably $20 an item.

So where do I start? At the bottom, of course.

Secondhand shops are hopefully old news to everyone here on campus, from the Rice Students Selling Clothing Facebook group to the many Goodwill and thrift stores near campus.

While I don’t go thrifting as often as I should, I always manage to find great deals on designer items or unique pieces when I do. I highly recommend searching for coats and jeans at thrift stores before going to the mall.

For the most part, I like to shop in person because I enjoy the experience of going from store to store, trying new things on, and leaving with my new treasure. I always check to see if there’s a student discount, which is sometimes in-store only. LOFT, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Club Monaco, J. Crew. Madewell and Steve Madden all offer student discounts, though they may vary by location.

Some of these discounts apply for your entire purchase, while some, like Club Monaco, apply to only regular-priced items. For this reason, I don’t always use the student discount if I can find a better deal in the sale section. Always go to the sale and clearance sections in a store first. Yes, those are old collections but trends don’t come and go as quickly as you think, and if something looks good on you, it’ll always look good, no matter what the trends are.

I also try to time my shopping trips with sale weekends. Labor Day, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving (which are separate from Black Friday deals) and winter holiday sales are only a few of the big sale weeks of the year. On top of those sales, if you subscribe to your favorite brands’ mailing lists, you’ll receive emails about their flash in-store sales or “secret” sale weekends.

Of course, they’re always having online sales of some sort as well. Admittedly, I window shop way too much and waste so much time, but sometimes I’ve found an item I tried on in-store but didn’t buy because it was too pricey, only to find it on sale online.

Though I prefer to buy clothing in person, there are some stores that are online only and carry really nice pieces. ASOS offers a student discount online and Everlane has very good quality basics that I prefer over Gap’s. Just make sure you read the return policies, as some online stores can get picky and it could be a hassle to return things that don’t fit — a common problem when shopping online.

My shopping philosophy ends with shopping for pieces that are either unique and stand out, or classics that can be combined with many different pieces to give me plenty of outfit combinations to choose from. This is particularly important for students because you want to be able to maximize the number of outfits you can get out of a small closet space and a small budget.

Thanksgiving month is coming up, which is the perfect time to look for great deals, so good luck shopping!

ZOO BOO

TACOLANDIA

WITCHCRAFT

READFEST

Enjoy some feelings of nostalgia this Friday to Sunday, Oct. 2325 by enjoying the Halloween festivities at the Houston Zoo. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can paint pumpkins, pick up tons of candy and ooh and aah at all of the adorable kiddos decked out in their Halloween costumes.

Start saving room now, because you’re going to need a big appetite this Saturday, Oct. 24.

From 4-7 p.m., Houston Press will host Tacolandia, an outdoor taco sampling event featuring Houston’s best tacos. In addition, the event will feature live music and a cash bar.

Satisfy all your Halloween shopping needs this Friday from 7-11 p.m. at Witch Craft: An After Dark Pop Up Shop. Hosted by Pop Shop America and Milk + Honey Vintage, the event will feature jewelry, horror movie T-shirts, vintage clothing, botanicals, creepy dolls and more.

This weekend, the Next Iteration Theater Company presents ReadFest, a free play reading festival aimed to broaden Houston’s theater audience. From Thursday to Saturday, six different companies will read plays and host post show conversations about the scripts.

Houston Zoo 6200 Hermann Park houstonzoo.org

Buffalo Bayou Park 105 Sabine Street houstonpress.com

Bohemeo’s Cafe 701 Telephone Rd popshopamerica.com

MATCH Houston 3400 Main Street nextiterationtheater.com

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

A&E

the Rice Thresher

WHAT’S HIP RIGHT NOW TECH:

FILM:

Twizy

“Beasts of No Nation”

7

by kaylen strench

APP:

Grammarly

FOOD:

BK’s Halloween burger

courtesy wikipedia

In a phrase: In the words of Alex Davies, “The bastard child of a golf cart and a Countach.”

Where to find it: For now, you must rent them in San Francisco.

It can be difficult to get around in U.S. cities. Now, that may sound like a typical “privileged American problem,” but hear me out.

Buying a car is impractical for many; particularly if your work is walking distance from where you live. Bikes are nice when you need to make longer treks, but carting groceries is a pain and you always get so damn sweaty. Public transportation is often crowded, confusing and sorely lacking in cities like Houston. What is a poor schmuck to do?

Enter Scoot. This little San Francisco company recently bought up a bunch of Frenchmade “Twizys” (see “in a phrase”) that subscribers can rent for $8 a half-hour. Renters can locate Twizys around the city using the Scoot app and simply hop aboard. The little two-seaters are super safe, fit in any parking space and are very user-friendly there’s just one catch: They can’t go faster than 25 miles per hour. Sign up for a cheap, fun, but very slow ride around town.

courtesy netflix

courtesy grammarly

In a phrase: Netflix pisses people off yet again.

Where to find it: Netflix AND your local movie theater.

In a phrase: Spell-check on crack.

Where to find it: iTunes/Android app store; grammarly.com.

Netflix is not very good at courting corporate friends. First, it drove movie rental stores out of business. Then, it pissed off HBO, AMC and Showtime by introducing its own dramas, like “House of Cards.” Now, by streaming its original feature film “Beasts of No Nation” before its theatrical release date, the company has managed to add movie theaters to its list of potential enemies.

“Beasts,” a story about a child soldier caught in war, is not your run-of-the-mill movie. It stars world-renowned actor Idris Elba (“The Wire”), it’s directed by Cary Fukunaga (“True Detective”) and it’s already surrounded by Oscar buzz. In other words, if it had been released in theaters first, it could have brought in hundreds of millions. The winner in this situation? You, my friend. So grab some cheap microwave popcorn, curl up on the couch, and know you’re getting a $17 experience for zilch.

My experiences teaching ninth-grade writing this summer taught me that grammar rules are not intuitive and not automatically upheld, even by Rice students. And let’s be frank here — no one over the age of 15 is going to spend time poring over grammar textbooks to get up to speed.

Fortunately, a better option exists: Enter Grammarly. Using this app, which you can download on your phone or even on your browser, is like having your seventh-grade English teacher leaning over your shoulder as you write (without the bad breath and nasally voice). Grammarly not only spellchecks your work, but it also ensures that it corresponds to the 250 English grammar rules. It even uses its technological magic to ensure you’re not plagiarizing. It’s probably a little annoying, but if you can stand the abundance of Christmas color highlights, your writing might just improve.

the queer agenda PAID FOR BY THE QUEER RESOURCE CENTER

events October 19

Early voting begins. Vote YES on Prop 1!

Asexual Awareness Week begins

October 20

OutSmart Magazine’s Gayest and Greatest Awards Reception

October 26

Intersex Awareness Day

October 27

Discovery Discussions: Dynamic Conversations with Changemakers

October 29 October 31

Queer and Trans People of Color Workshop at UH Queer Lit Book Club at the Montrose Center

featuring Jim Obergefell and Eric Alva at Discovery Green

fact of the day

art from the community The Phallus Poem; Or, I Am Lost During My Feminist Theory Class, but These Are My Notes

by Anonymous

Intersex is a set of medical conditions that feature congenital anomaly of the reproductive and sexual system. That is, intersex people are born with "sex chromosomes," external genitalia, or internal reproductive systems that are not considered "standard" for either male or female. The existence of intersexuals shows that there are not just two sexes and that our ways of thinking about sex (trying to force everyone to fit into either the male box or the female box) is socially constructed.

–Gender Equity Resource Center

the having and being a phallus! the phallus circulating! the signifier! how it circulates through the gaze! the heternorms! regulating the process of identification! we must be the phallus we wish to see in the world. if you want to be featured in the Queer Agenda, please submit your art piece to riceqrc@gmail.com

courtesy burger king

In a phrase: Just look at it.

Where to find it: Your friendly local Burger King.

Now, I personally would not be willing to touch a normal Burger King Whopper. I also realize that could make me seem a little snobbish, but I hope I would at least find some company in my disgust at the fast food company’s newest creation.

BK’s “Halloween Burger” has a black bun, which the company says is a result of baking A.1 sauce into the bread. Numerous food critics who have tried the creation and reported back say, however, that they could not detect a whiff of “thick and hearty” flavor in the bun itself. There’s a black-bunned burger in Japan, apparently, but that’s created by injecting squid ink into the flour, and something tells me BK doesn’t have too much of that on hand. I know it’s tempting, but my advice would probably be to just stay away.

8 Swimming opens season in Florida meets Andrew Grottkau Thresher Staff

courtesy eric espada

Redshirt junior running back Darik Dillard runs in the open field during a 27-26 victory over Florida Atlantic University on Oct. 10. Rice overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to secure the comeback victory. Rice is now 3-3 on the season, including 2-1 in Conference USA play midway through the year.

Football reflects midway through season Aniket Tolpadi Thresher Staff

Redshirt junior linebacker Alex Lyons’ sealed a comeback win over Florida Atlantic University by sacking redshirt senior quarterback Jaquez Johnson on the fourth down, giving his team an inspirational win in what has been an uneven season.

It was the type of exciting, uplifting victory that can change Rice’s season, according to Head Coach David Bailiff.

“I just don’t know if I’ve ever had a sweeter win at Rice,” Bailiff said. “It was just an incredible experience to see the guys’ faces in that locker room and to know how hard we worked at the end to make that happen.”

In many ways, the win over Florida Atlantic was a microcosm of Rice’s 2015 season. There were flashes of brilliance, such as the fourth quarter of the FAU game that Bailiff described as the “best quarter of football we played this year” and the touchdowns Rice scored on their first two drives of the game. There were long stretches of impressive ball control but an inability to put points on the board, as the Owls had a stretch of five drives in which they did not score, despite two of those drives lasting 16 and 11 plays. The defense showed a propensity to give up big plays, as they did in the second quarter with a 94-yard touchdown pass from Johnson to sophomore Kamrin Solomon. Yet amid considerable adversity, Bailiff said there was a team that showed belief in itself and their ability to win games.

“We kept our focus,” Bailiff said. “We kept our attitude, and I’m proud of this team and proud of this coaching staff. Nobody gave up. It’s incredible.”

Heading into the season, the question for Rice was how the team would replace considerable losses on both sides of the ball. The team had lost three starters on the offensive line, their top two receivers in Jordan Taylor and Mario Hull, as well as defensive tackle Christian Covington, defensive end Brian Nordstrom and cor-

nerback Bryce Callahan. Yet despite these losses, the Owls retained their entire coaching staff, and perhaps more importantly, had stability at the quarterback position, with Jackson returning for his final season. Rice was viewed as one of the favorites to win Conference USA, along with Western Kentucky University and Louisiana Tech University. Given these expectations, results to this point have been mixed.

Offensively, the Owls have seen several weapons emerge. Junior running back Jowan Davis and redshirt junior running back Darik Dillard were the established running backs heading into the season, with Davis having run for 956 yards in 2014 and Dillard having averaged 4.9 yards per carry a season ago. In addition to these two players, redshirt freshman running back Samuel Stewart has become a dynamic weapon out of the backfield, with a breakout performance against the University of Texas, Austin where he eclipsed 100 yards rushing. The losses of Taylor and Hull to the NFL figured to be big losses for the team, but redshirt senior Dennis Parks and redshirt junior Zach Wright have been effective in replacing them, with Parks accumulating 381 receiving yards to date and Wright having eight catches for 77 yards and a touchdown in the comeback win over Florida Atlantic.

Despite these weapons, the Achilles heel of the Owls has been turnovers: They have lost nine fumbles and have thrown six interceptions to this point. As a result, Rice ranks No. 116 in the NCAA with an average turnover margin per game of -1.33. Though the offense has established an offensive identity of controlling the ball and methodically moving upfield, their self-inflicted wounds have cost them in some games.

Defensively, results have also been mixed.

The team was able to make the key stops against Florida Atlantic, and played strong games against Wagner College and the University of North Texas according to Bailiff, Jackson and defensive end Brian Womac. That said, the Owls lost considerable depth in their secondary from

a year ago, and that has shown at times this season. In games against Baylor, Texas, and Western Kentucky, Rice has been burned repeatedly by long passing plays, giving Rice the No. 102 pass defense in the country. They have also been unable to generate a consistent pass rush and force turnovers this season, ranking last in Conference USA in sacks and second to last in turnovers forced.

Despite the mixed results on offense and defense, Bailiff said he is confident that his team will get on track and put together the complete football game that they searching for the entire season.

“When we can stay on track as a football team and keep ourselves out of third and longs, we are pretty effective,” Bailiff said. “We were staying on track [against Florida Atlantic], and we will continue to do so.“ By defeating Florida Atlantic, the Owls put themselves in strong position in the Conference USA West division. With a 2-1 Conference USA record, they are tied with Louisiana Tech and Southern Mississippi for the best record in the division. They control their own fate for the remainder of the season, and with a 3-3 overall re0see Football, page 10

Upcoming Games vs. Army

Oct. 24, 11:00 p.m.

Rice Stadium

vs. LA Tech

Oct. 30, 7:00 p.m.

Rice Stadium

vs.UTEP

Nov. 6, 7:00 p.m.

El Paso

The Rice University swim team kicked off its season this weekend by winning two out of three meets against Florida opponents in a two-day competition hosted by Florida International University. In the event known as the Dual-a-Palooza, the Owls defeated the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University on Saturday following a Friday defeat to FIU. Rice kicked off the weekend with a loss to defending Conference USA champion FIU despite wins in the 400-yard medley relay and the 100-yard freestyle. The medley relay team of senior Shelly Patton, freshman Marie-Claire Schillinger and sophomores Kiley Beall and Alicia Caldwell finished in a time of 3:51.35 to beat the Panthers. Caldwell finished first in the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 51.52 seconds.

Florida International, however, won 10 of the 12 events to defeat Rice 133 to 90.

Saturday morning, the Owls faced off against the University of Miami, ranked No. 28 in Division I coming into the meet. Looking to bounce back from the previous evening’s loss, the Owls received strong performances from Schillinger, Caldwell and sophomore Kaitlyn Swinney. Schillinger finished with a time of 1:04.86 to lead a 1-2 Rice finish with freshman Dani Gordon (1:06.45) in the 100-yard breaststroke, and she swam the second leg on the Owls' winning 200-yard medley relay (1:45.33).

Caldwell continued her strong swimming from the previous day with a win in the 200yard freestyle (1:50.33) and a second-place finish in the 100-yard freestyle (51.73). According to Caldwell, her performance in these meets should help her build toward more success throughout the season.

“I was pleased with how I went over the weekend,” Caldwell said. “Being the first meet of the season and coming off a heavy week of training, it’s given me a positive outlook for the next couple of meets.”

Swinney won a pair of events against Miami, finishing first in the 200-yard backstroke (2:03.00) and the 400-yard individual medley (4:25.80). Additionally, the freshman duo of Sydney Franzen and Hanna Huston finished 1-2 in the 500-yard freestyle with times of 4:58.35 and 4:58.52 respectively. According to Caldwell, the performances of Franzen and Huston were among the most impressive of the weekend. “[Huston and Franzen] battled with a tough schedule and pushed through,” Caldwell said.

“They delivered what was needed for the team.”

Overall, the Owls won six of the 11 events against Miami to win 110 to 93. Head Coach Seth Huston said he was happy to win such a tight meet.

“It was a good day today,” Huston said after the meet. “We lost some close races last night [in the season-opening meet vs. Florida International] but came out today and won some close ones with Miami.”

The Owls concluded the weekend by defeating Conference USA foe FAU 139 to 55. The Owls won 10 of the 11 events, with the only loss coming in the 100-yard medley relay. Schillinger continued her momentum from the morning meet by winning her two individual breaststroke events, the 200-yard breaststroke (2:20.71) and the 50-yard breaststroke (29.94).

Hanna Huston also won two individual events, placing first in the 1000-yard freestyle (10:10.32) and the 200-yard freestyle (1:53.77). According to Caldwell, the victory over nationally ranked Miami in the early meet helped the team build confidence for the meet against Florida Atlantic.

“The team spirit coming off the win from Miami was infectious,” Caldwell said. “Everyone really lifted their swimming and pushed each other.”

The two wins put Rice at 2-1 to start the season, including the one win against a nationally ranked team. The Owls’ upcoming schedule, however, is just as difficult. Rice will look to keep up its confidence as it returns home for the Rice Invitational on Friday, Oct. 23 against the University of Houston, the University of the Incarnate Word and the University of Arkansas.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

SPORTS

the Rice Thresher

9

Football win marks turning point

sean chu/thresher

Senior forward Lauren Hughes drives down the field during a 2-0 victory over the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Hughes recorded her school-record 10th assist of the year and added to her already career-record 28 assists. Rice is now 9-5-2 overall and sits in second place in C-USA.

Soccer readies for postseason Michael Kidd Thresher Staff

With a 2-0 record last weekend, the Rice University soccer team positioned themselves for another late-season run towards the Conference USA championship. The Owls competed in two more games this weekend and came away with one win and one tie, stretching their unbeaten streak to four matches.

On Friday night, Rice defeated the University of Alabama, Birmingham by a score of 2-0. The team followed this performance up with a Sunday matchup against Middle Tennessee State University that ended in a 0-0 double overtime tie. The Owls have accumulated 16 points so far in conference and are currently in second place in C-USA with a 9-5-2 (5-2-1) record.

Rice matched up against a UAB team that had just two wins on the season as of Friday night. The Owls scored in the 26th minute when sophomore midfielder Samantha Chaiken elevated to head a corner kick into the back of the net.

The second Owls goal came just six minutes later from senior forward Holly Hargreaves. The Owls had opportunities to tack on more goals as the game went on hitting the crossbar on multiple occasions but settled for the 2-0 victory over the Blazers.

On Sunday afternoon, the Owls hosted the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. In the second half, Rice owned possession time and outshot their opposition 13-2. Despite leading the shot margin 26-13, the match ended in a scoreless draw rewarding each team with one point. All four defenders for 0see Soccer, page 10

As a Florida boy, the afternoon thunderstorm was nothing new. One second I was trying to survive the 95-degree heat and the next I was heading for cover from the lightning. Normally, once the storm passes, life returns to the way it was before.

However, life was very different after the thunderstorm in Boca Raton, Florida on Oct. 10, 2015.

Before the storm, Rice football was losing to Florida Atlantic University. Rice had a horrible third quarter in which it ran 10 plays for seven total yards. FAU scored a rushing touchdown after multiple missed tackles, which gave them a 12-point lead with just under 14 minutes remaining in the game. My Owls looked flat, defeated and ready to return to Texas. Then the storm came, teams returned to the locker room and fans to the concourse.

Then I waited. What team would I witness when the delay ended? A team that still believed it could reach its goal of winning a conference championship? A team that still wanted to go to a fourth consecutive bowl game? Or a team that was ready to pack their bags and start preparing for Army?

I do not know if lightning struck our locker room or what redshirt junior linebacker Alex Lyons supposedly said, but there was a new energy when the team returned to the sideline. The team stopped the two-point conversion to remain down by only 12, but a lot of work was still left to be done in a short amount of time.

Our offense drove down the field, but was unable to convert on fourth down to give the ball back to FAU. The offense was animated on the sideline.

Senior quarterback Driphus Jackson was pacing up and down, wanting at least two more chances to lead his team to victory. And luckily, his defense helped get him the ball back after forcing a threeand-out.

Rice took over at their own nine-yard line with just eight minutes left still trailing by two scores.

After a 60 yard completion to senior tight end Connor Cella put Rice at the FAU 21 yard line, I saw a play I had not seen yet in this game. Rice spread out the wide receivers and ran a designed quarterback draw. With great blocking downfield from the offensive line, and a few swift moves from Jackson, Rice was within one score.

The defense then came up with another huge stop. The big play came on third down when soph-

omore safety Destri White had a huge open field tackle to force a punt. Rice got the ball at our own 17 needing to score a touchdown in under five minutes to take the lead.

The defense was standing on the sideline cheering on the offense. Everyone in South Florida wearing blue and gray had hope that we were going to march down the field and score the game-winning touchdown. The final drive was a work of art. It started with an incredible 25-yard completion to senior running back Darik Dillard along the sideline coming out of the backfield on a wheel route. Rice then rushed six straight plays for 54 yards down to the FAU four-yard line. After a holding call, Rice dug deep into its bag of tricks by trying a jet sweep pass with backup quarterback Nate German, but it was unsuccessful. On the next play, Jackson found Dillard out of the backfield who walked into the end zone to give the Owls the one point lead.

The game was not over, as two minutes still remained on the clock. FAU got into Rice territory after a 29-yard pass on their first play of the drive, but our confidence in the stands and confidence on the field never wavered. Rice forced a fourth and five and Lyons, the man who gave the speech in the locker room during the storm, ended the game with sack to give Rice a much needed conference victory.

There are moments in a year that define or change a season. I strongly believe our season changed with one normal Florida thunderstorm.

We went from a team trying to find an identity to a team that now has confidence and momentum leading into the second half of the season with all of its goals still in reach. And importantly, a team that has a new theme song: ACDC’s “Thunderstruck.”

Jeremy Reiskind

is a Duncan College junior

10 SPORTS

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

the Rice Thresher

0from SOCCER page 9 Rice along with junior goalkeeper Zoe Pochobradsky played 110 minutes in route to recording their third shutout in the last four games.

Head Coach Nicky Adams said she was disappointed the Owls could not connect on offensive opportunities.

“Overall, I thought we battled extremely hard … [I’m] just disappointed that one of the 26 opportunities that we had did not go in but you have to give so much credit to their goalkeeper,” Adams said. “13 saves on the day is huge and she had some legit saves so a lot of credit goes to that kid between the pipes.”

Adams reiterated the importance of finishing opportunities. She said the team has great potential when they can put everything together, including the goals.

“It’s great to see the defense hold up [and

the] shots on goal but at the end of the day you need every unit together and finishing to get some W’s,” Adams said. “We’re brilliant out there when everybody is on the same page, but we have to do it a little more consistently.”

Sophomore forward Nia Stallings said she is excited to now face the University of North Texas, currently ranked first in C-USA with a 6-0-1 Conference record.

“They are always a tough opponent and they come out really hard and physical but we’ll be ready for that and give it right back to them,” Stallings said. “The plan is to go over there and come out with the win.”

The highly anticipated matchup dates back to last season when the two teams played each other on two separate occasions, each in dramatic fashion. On Oct. 12, 2014, Rice and North Texas fought to a 1-1 double overtime draw at Holloway Field. The two squads then faced each other once more in the championship game of the Conference USA tournament where Rice defeated North Texas by a 2-0 final

and secured an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Rice will take the field against North Texas on Sunday at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Games vs. North Texas Oct. 25, 7:00 p.m.

Denton

vs. UTSA

Oct. 29, 7:00 p.m.

Holloway Field at Wendel D. Ley Track

CUSA Quarter Finals Nov. 4 Miami

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0from FOOTBALL page 8 cord, require three more wins to qualify for a bowl game for the fourth consecutive season.

In celebration of a comeback victory over Florida Atlantic, Lyons and his team let out the frustration that came with two consecutive blowout losses, and as the postgame press conference showed, were inspired by a renewed sense of optimism for the rest of the season. Whether the Owls can embark on a winning streak that will turn an up-and-down season into a successful one remains to be seen, but the team is confident in their ability to do so.

The Owls return from a bye week and will look for their fourth win of the season in a home matchup against the United States Military Academy on Oct. 24 at 11 a.m. at Rice Stadium.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

the Rice Thresher

SPORTS

11

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BACKPAGE

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

the Rice Thresher

Welcome families! and gender nonconformists, you realize We hope as you come to visit your sons, daughters them. With a faculty as distinguished as our that without a doubt Rice is the right place for re getting the best education that $58,283 can student body is sleep deprived, you can bet they’ Owlettes have flown to the web to praise all buy. But don’t take our word for it – your little things Rice*. to heart! As one astute junior notes, Food is everything, and the Rice chefs take that chase the playful swirls of Cinnamon you her “At least it’s food,� and he’s not wrong. Whet Puffs type, we’ve got something for you.

Toast Crunch or you’re more of a suave Reese’s to have to eat at Baker.)

(But if you are the Reese’s Puffs type you’re going e probably wondering about their you’r ts, pelle ’ Owls Now that you know about your why our students come back to roost nests. Housing here is second to none, which is offers a unique perspective of Rice. For semester after semester. Each residential college a tower,� and Brown is also “just far.� Such example, “Sid Richardson is the only one that’s ted from this elite student body. And you insightful, provocative commentary is to be expec Johnny and Betty Sue are doing the same, can rest well at night, parents, knowing that little in rooms that “thankfully don’t smell weird.� !? There are some Horned Owls here Speaking of dorms, did someone say floor party l events. In the words of one freshman, that love to use their night-owl traits to host socia e got something for everyone; drinkers, the social scene is “pretty fun, I guess.� But we’v to the Silent Crawl this Saturday.) teetotalers, loudmouths and quiet folk. (Shoutout you want some baby grand-birds in your Last but certainly not least, we understand that like “[Rice students] are not supermodels, own nest one day. You’ll probably hear comments freshman notes, “There’s such things her but let’s face it, neither are you.� But fret not! Anot “don’t come here looking for straight 10s,� and as Rice goggles,� so as long as your baby birds ll be fine. are ready to “heavily lower [their] standards,� they’ ’t covered all of it here. Be sure to check haven inly There’s a lot to love at Rice, and we certa se, the library and a few sitting areas.� We just out some favorite spots on campus like “Coffeehou g to your kids’ class discussions (which, by the hope that once you’ve had your fill of contributin nal, embarrassing stories), you can kick back and way, is heavily encouraged – especially very perso . And , let’s face it, your kids will never tell you the story get a real perspective of what it’s like here since too. her Thres the of can read the rest who knows, maybe once you finish this up, you

e g a p k c a The B Love,

*Quotes are taken from actual Rice students on

collegeprowler.com, and are not reflective of the

views of the Backpage.

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CLASSIFIEDS WANTED TEACH FOR TESTMASTERS! Dynamic and Energetic teachers wanted. Starting pay rate is $20 to $32 per hour. Flexible schedules. We provide all training, all training is paid, and we pay for travel. Email your resume to jobs@ testmasters.com.

Then, if it seems to be a fit we can meet face to face. Must have good references & good gpa a plus. Past experience with children would be good (but not essential). Thank you for your consideration. Lisa Bandy (mom) lisa_gri@ hotmail.com Cell: 832 656-4522

STUDENT/GRADSTUDENT NEEDED for tutoring & driving elementary age children (4th grade boy & boy/girl twins in 1st grade) for a family in the Memorial area (near I-10 & Voss Rd.). Hours needed are 3-7 p.m., Mon. to Thurs. ... And if you’re able to swing it ... a bit later on Thursdays (maybe 10:30pm) so my husband & I could have a date night out ... such a bonus & needed break for us!! $18.00 to $20.00 an hour. Looking for someone that “likes� to teach children in an encouraging way. Ideally guiding them through homework BUT also enriching the experience by trying to make it as interesting & as fun as you’re able.

They don’t seem to have that curious spark for learning they used to have. All 3 have stated in just the last month, “I don’t like school� ...

So disappointing as a parent to hear. And not sure why this year schoolwork has become mundane for them :( . Let me know if you’re interested in helping them gain confidence (through your own enthusiasm for learning) in their academics & helping out our whole family in general. If this schedule will work with yours, let’s have a telephone conversation.

TUTORS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY! Rice Alum hiring tutors for Middle & High School Math, Natural & Social Science, Foreign Language, Humanities, and SAT/ACT prep. Reliable transportation required. Pay $30/hr+ based on experience. Contact 832-428-8330 and email resume to siyengar777@gmail.com.

CHILD FRIENDLY RICE student with strong math background wanted to tutor middle/high school competition math to family by the Rice Village. Transportation can be arranged. Contact dchen_0000@yahoo.com for details.

AV SPECIALISTS NEEDED: Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church (6221 Main across from Rice University) is looking for technologists to help control AV systems during worship and other events. Live theatre or church AV experience is a plus, but not required. If you enjoy working with technology, all the necessary AV training will be provided. Students will be paid for their time. Contact Steven Patterson at spatterson@palmerchurch.org or 713-529-6196.

PHYSICS/CALCULUS TUTORÂ needed for neighborhood high school senior. Walking distance from campus. Call - 713-823-5050.

WE NEED 1-2 female tutors 3-4 times a week.

We have three girls going into 7th grade. We will need help with languages, but mostly the focus will be on math and science. Please call 832-754-3138 20 YEAR OLD female looking for a female voice teacher. Low key, not uptight. For hobby rather than formal performance. If interested, please email emma.sora.rye@gmail.com

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OLD SCHOOL TUTORING is looking for Rice students with strong math skills to fulfill a part time child tutoring position. Oering schedule flexibility and $12-$14 an hour. Located across from Rice! Contact Bob Schmitt at OldschoolASC@gmail.com ü (** '21256 :$17(' ò *LYH D IDPLO\ WKH chance at happiness. Receive $6,000 per cycle.

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