The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, February 3, 2016

VOLUME 100, ISSUE NO. 17 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016

Objection, your Honor!

Acquitted student: Honor Council needs changes

see Ops p. 5 Modern Love Popular New York Times column expands franchise

see A&E p. 6 Give a hoot Recent efforts to draw spectators not sufficient

see Sports p. 9

Students launch boba business Elizabeth Myong For The Thresher

Bubble tea, or “boba,” a sweet tea-based drink with tapioca pearls, is coming to campus. This past Saturday, the on-campus boba business East-West Tea launched its first promotion in Seibel Servery by handing out 200 free samples in under 40 minutes.

The founders claim that EastWest Tea is better than Kung Fu Tea, and in the coming weeks, students can find out for themselves.

On Feb. 14, East-West Tea will officially launch with an assortment of five flavors: milk tea, taro milk tea, jasmine green tea, Thai tea and coffee at $4 for a 20 oz. drink.

The entrepreneurial venture was founded by five Rice students — Baker College senior Glenn Baginski, Lovett College junior Tommy Bennett, Hanszen College senior David Cooper, Sid Richardson College senior Leo Meister and Jones College senior Drew Sutherland.

Baginski, the head of analytics and strategy, has a background in math, economics, statistics and database consulting. Bennett, the marketing manager, is a tennis athlete studying economics. Cooper, the supply and operations manager, and Meister, the assisting manager, are both studying engineering. Sutherland, the general manager, said he draws from an economics and math background to oversee operations with a military-like approach that comes from his experience in ROTC. The idea for East-West Tea began in the spring semester of 2015, when Sutherland, Bennett and Meister worked on a Marketing (BUSI 380) group project to come up with a new business or product line of an existing business. By chance, the fascination with boba came when witnessing the massive lines of students that would form during Hoot specialty nights or in front of West Servery.

“I was shocked that students that were busy and stressed were willing to wait in lines that were timeconsuming for a drink that cost $4,” Sutherland said. “And what shocked me even more is that they would run out and not supply any more.”

0see BOBA, page 3

Critical Thinking in Sexuality Task Force releases website, video series Drew Keller News Editor

Rice University’s Critical Thinking in Sexuality Task Force launched a new website, Facebook page and video series this week as part of their effort to garner support and student input for a new mandatory course educating incoming students about healthy sexuality.

The task force, which was created by the Student Association Senate in November with a mandate to develop a proposal for the course, is working to gain the Rice community’s backing, according to task force member Angela Masciale, who also serves as president of Hanszen College. According to its website, the task force meets

weekly and will soon begin posting its agenda online.

“It is essential to have the student body behind us in order for the faculty to support us,” Masciale, a senior, said. “Without the students, the faculty will not be convinced. The next few weeks are divided into enhancing student body support and scheduling meetings with the Faculty Senate members to answer the hard hitting questions.”

The task force is chaired by SA President Jazz Silva and includes Graduate Student Association President Lynn Fahey and seven undergraduate students including Masciale. Masciale said Associate Dean of Undergraduates Matthew Taylor advises the group.

Silva, a Sid Richardson College senior who proposed the idea for the course last fall, said the task force has been discussing curriculum possibilities with Wellbeing Office staff and Rice’s Title IX coordinators, but details have not yet been decided.

“We have a ‘rough outline’ of what the semester could look like, but it obviously would be revised by the [Committee on Undergraduate Curriculum] and other stakeholders,” Silva said.

Silva said the timeline specified by her original proposal, which aimed to have the class developed and approved in time for this year’s incoming students, is not certain.

“The timeline is more of a ‘goal,’ but we always have to be aware of

what is possible and reasonable,” Silva said.

Masciale also said rapid creation of the course was not the task force’s top priority.

“We understand that rushing implementation would not be the best way to establish this proposed course,” she said. “We are thinking of thoughtful alternatives.”

In response to a question regarding the implementation timeline and the task force’s plans to present to Faculty Senate or pursue alternative ways of creating the mandatory class, Silva said the task force’s primary motivation is keeping the Rice community aware of the issue of sexual assault.

0see CTIS, page 2

photo courtesy ctis youtube

Brown College senior Samuel Waters passes Abigail Panitz Thresher Staff

The Rice community lost an uplifting mentor and extraordinary voice last Wednesday. Samuel Waters, a Brown College senior and voice performance major at the Shepherd School of Music, passed away Jan. 27 at home in Falls Church, Virginia after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 22 years old. Waters is survived by his parents, James and Claire, and younger brother, Tyler.

In spring 2011, Waters was admitted to study at Rice under Stephen King, the Lynette S. Autrey Chair of Voice at the Shepherd School. Soon after, he was diagnosed with cancer and postponed his undergraduate studies for one year to undergo treatment.

Waters maintained an active presence both on Facebook and his blog, titled Samwisewaters, which he started early last month. His final post, “Heroes of Weakness,” discussed facing death.

“I simultaneously find comfort in the thought that at the end of this fiveyear process I opted to avail myself of every medical option and that I never chose to give in to circumstance; with this knowledge in hand, I can take my next step knowing that I fought the good fight.”

Brown masters Krista Comer and Jose Aranda got to know Waters and his family on a personal level.

“Sam was very talented, and his

voice was heard by many,” Comer said.

Waters received many accolades while studying at Shepherd, including the Frances C. Atkinson Memorial Scholarship in Voice this school year.

Tom Jaber, director of choral ensembles and vocal coach at Shepherd, played the accompaniment for Waters during his audition to the school.

“He was so poised and had a lovely and mature quality for a 17-year-old young man,” Jaber said. “Of course everybody wanted to teach him.”

Waters expressed a zeal for life and helping friends, according to Brown senior Amritha Kanakamedala.

“He was genuinely concerned for his friends’ well-being and would do whatever he could to brighten up our day,” she wrote.

Larisa LaMere, a Brown senior, said she too felt the spontaneous joy he produced.

“I think especially toward the end he didn’t take himself too seriously, and he wasn’t a victim at all,” LaMere said.

Sam Gavenman, a Wiess College junior, was a friend of Waters’. He wrote him a goodbye letter through Facebook describing how he met Waters when Gavenman auditioned at Rice.

“I was so hung up on every word you said, and just how sincerely you spoke,” Gavenman wrote. “I realized that you had convinced me: This was the school for me. Your guidance

through this difficult, but undeniably beautiful field we call music has helped me more than you may ever know.”

Other friends expressed their gratitude at the opportunity to have known Waters.

“He would always tell me that I was special, that my voice was special,” Gloria Palermo, a Martel College senior and voice performance major, said.

“He knew what I needed when I didn’t know; he always gave me guidance when I really needed it.”

“Samuel understood how to love more then anyone I know,” Cory Gross, a McMurtry College senior and voice

performance major, wrote. “Even when he was sick and weak, he still cared about people more than himself.”

LaMere said Waters’ presence was almost divine.

“Regardless of how much struggle there was it was like Samuel attracted these miracles to him,” LaMere said.

“Perseverance and love and light that just shined out uncontrollably even when he was sitting in a wheelchair.”

Students from Shepherd are organizing a memorial service and concert for Waters, scheduled for this spring.

Donations can be made to the Samuel J. Waters Memorial Fund for the Arts.

Sam Waters and Family

2

NEWS

Wednesday, February 3, 2015

the Rice Thresher

Solar decathlon club advances to national competition with plan for eco-friendly home Claire Weddle For The Thresher

Rice University’s Solar Decathlon Club is advancing to nationals after competing in October in Orange County, California. The club’s team is one of just 16 in the world to advance to the October 2017 national competition. Solar Decathlon is an international competition that challenges collegiate teams to design and build solar-powered and environmentally friendly homes.

The majority of students on the team, a group of approximately 160 members, are architecture or engineering majors who make up the architecture and engineering committees, respectively. The third committee is the communications team that works on fundraising the $300,000 budget needed to build the house. Co-President Travis Kwee explained the process of preparing for nationals.

“We kind of rushed into things because we had very little time between when we formed and when the proposal was due in October of last semester,” Kwee, a Baker College sophomore, said. “Now we actually have to build the house in order to submit it to nationals.”

Kwee said the organization is looking at several different sites for the house. The group aims to start construction by November of this year and finish construction by May of 2017.”

Co-President Caroline Brigham said that as an architecture major, she has a distinct leadership role from Kwee, as an engineering major.

“We oversee architecture and engineering a bit separately and then report to each other when we need information from the other side,” Brigham, a Side Richardson College junior, said. “As presidents, we’re trying to keep everyone informed and organized.”

Before the October 2015 competition, the club came up with 11 different designs, and only one was submitted to the competition. A class with course credit for Solar Decathlon is projected to start Feb. 6. The class is being formed by architecture professors in order to bring more organization to the preparation for nationals.

“Last semester we had a very short time to choose one of the 11 designs for the proposal, so we didn’t really give the other designs justice,” Brigham said. “What we’re hoping to do now in this class is to revisit those other great ideas and welcome new ideas. The real motive of this class is to get the whole school involved. Our team is mostly undergrads, but now a lot of grad students and professors are interested in being a part of it. The class is going to give some structure and motivation because now you can get course credit for the work you put in.”

There is a large amount of work to be done before nationals, and Brigham and Kwee

said they are open to new members joining the club. Currently, they are in search of people to join the communications committee.

Brigham said he emphasized that anyone is welcome to join the team, regardless of major or experience.

“We would love more people who have experience in finance,” Brigham said. “We want people who have experience in grant writing or have contacts with corporate firms that might be willing to donate. It would be great to have more support.”

The team said its ultimate goal is to do-

nate the house after nationals to Project Row Houses, a nonprofit organization in Houston’s Third Ward.

“We hope to have a proactive role in the community,” Kwee said. “We’re trying to find a way to have people whose lives are a little bit up in the air to be able to have a secure home they can live in at no cost for as many months as they need to. It can be kind of a transition place. This a really exciting opportunity that I hope people will take to join us and help us build an entire solar powered house.”

courtesy rice solar decathlon

0CTIS FROM PAGE 1

jessica kelly/thresher

Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Pastor Marcus Cosby, University of Chicago Professor Omar McRoberts and Ohio State University Professor Korie Edwards discussed civic and social engagement at the Religion and Public Life Program event “The Black Church and Politics” at Herring Hall on Monday, Feb. 1.

Scholars discuss politics in black churches Anita Alem News Editor

Is it justified to spend millions of dollars on a church serving primarily black neighborhoods when the congregants themselves may be of lowincome backgrounds? As a part of Rice’s Religion and Public Life Program, three African-American scholars, including a Houston-based pastor, discussed the role of black churches in politics and answered community members’ questions like this regarding race relations. RPLP Director Elaine Howard Ecklund moderated the discussion.

Korie Edwards, an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University, explained how civic activism plays out in some black churches.

“Organized efforts by black religious leaders to mobilize the vote reveal that black religious leaders for sure have mobilizing capacity,” Edwards said. “But these efforts in Ohio were in no small part ... motivated by threats to voting opportunities in the state.”

According to Edwards, when in the 2012 election former Ohio State Sen. John Houston attempted to ban early voting, several black churches responded strongly and worked to increase their voter turnout further, inspired by the legacy of the civil rights movement.

University of Chicago Associate Professor of Sociology Omar McRoberts, who studies welfare policy since the New Deal, provided a perspective centered more around federal policy.

“It turns out that particularly for the African-

American churches, the process of federal social policy formation and justification has been an extraordinarily important vehicle of state influence,” McRoberts said.

According to Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Senior Pastor Marcus Cosby, black churches must be engaged in activism due to biblical, ethical and historical reasons. Cosby said his own church is heavily involved in activism and mobilization.

All lives matter, and therefore, black lives matter.

Omar McRoberts

University of Chicago Professor

“When we think about the black church using her voice in the political process, it is most often used to ensure that the disenfranchised, the dispossessed, the oppressed understand that in Christ, liberty has come for every person,” Cosby said. “When the political process disallows that

liberation, then that church, that body of believers must speak out.”

McRoberts’ responded to a question written by Ecklund’s students regarding whether black lives matter or all lives matter.

“Yes, all lives matter, and therefore, black lives matter,” McRoberts said.

Although several audience members applauded this, one community member asked McRoberts to repeat his statement and said he disagreed.

“That’s not the premise of black lives matter,” the community member said. “Black bodies are disproportionately affected by violence and other oppressive systems. Yes, theoretically, all lives matter — that’s a given ... but [that] is dismissive [to black people].”

Other audience members asked about addressing misogyny within black churches and how to encourage more black churches and congregants to be socially engaged, as well as the morality of spending large amounts of money on building churches. With regards to black churches’ response to violence in the past few years against black communities, Edwards said it was important to remember that this is a challenge facing everyone, and not simply the responsibility of particular communities who are affected by racism.

“This is not just an issue for black churches or black religious leaders,” Edwards said. “It’s a civic issue and an American issue that has deep roots in history. We must take responsibility as a society.”

“There are many ways to solve the same issue, so we aren’t taking anything off the table,” Silva said. “At this point, our main goal is to prevent [the] issue from getting kicked down the road and forgotten.”

The task force was originally created by the SA in response to community dialogue following the release of the Survey of Unwanted Sexual Experiences results. The SUSE, which was taken by students at the end of the 2014-15 school year, found that 24 percent of female undergraduates and seven percent of male undergraduates had experienced unwanted sexual contact at Rice.

Though the proposed Critical Thinking in Sexuality course will also deal with topics such as safe sex and perspectives on sexuality, the primary motive the SA expressed in its creation was to reduce the occurrence of sexual assault.

The task force also released a series of 13 short videos made up of interviews with students regarding sexuality and sexual violence, which were conducted in December, according to the website. The series includes personal stories from several different students, along with students’ responses to questions including ‘How do you ask for consent?’ and ‘Do you think you will ever be a victim of sexual assault?’

According to Masciale, the creation of the videos stemmed from the work of the task force to gather input from students who reached out.

Silva said the creation of the video series had two motivating purposes. “[The series’ purpose was] to humanize the issue of sexual assault on college campuses and to demonstrate the need for a CTIS class by highlighting our knowledge gap on campus in relation to these topics,” Silva said. “The task force is proud of the video series and the messages behind them. That being said, we’re still pushing for greater discussion around them.”

Masciale also said the series aims to spark conversation, at Rice and elsewhere.

“The efforts we are doing here is something that could have a ripple effect to other institutions as well,” she said. “We want to start the conversation about these topics that we are ‘familiar’ with but never talk about explicitly- until something triggers it (i.e., SUSE results, or the assault at Sid [Richardson College]). Videos are a great way to disseminate information and impact those around us.”

Task force member Bridget Schilling, a coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center, said the series demonstrates the range of student experiences and thoughts about sexual assault.

“It’s an important project because it illustrates the diversity of perspectives and understanding of sexual violence on campus and points to the importance of a class that highlights perspectives that differ from your own,” Schilling, a Lovett College junior, said. “The potential for a CTIS class is an amazing opportunity to come together and set community expectations that value all of these different voices.”

Wednesday, February 3, 2015

NEWS

the Rice Thresher

3

ENGI 120 faces decreased enrollment Matthew Anaya For The Thresher

Introduction to Engineering Design (ENGI 120), the freshman engineering design class, has faced issues with underenrollment over the past few semesters. There are 38 students currently enrolled in the class this semester, down from 53 students in spring 2014 but up from spring 2015’s 29 students. According to scheduleplanner.rice.edu, the website used to design course schedules, there were a total of 100 available spots for this year’s ENGI 120 section.

According to Matthew Wettergreen, one of the ENGI 120 professors, there have been a number of changes made to the course in response to student-submitted evaluations.

nicholas mcmillan/thresher

Jeopardy!

Ken Jennings, a 74-time winner of the trivia game show “Jeopardy,” spoke about his experience on the television show as well as his life as a part of an event organized by the Hanszen College Academic Fellows.

Boniuk Council promotes World Hijab Day Elana Margosis Thresher Staff

The Rice Muslim Student Association and the Boniuk Council held a series of World Hijab Day events on Sunday and Monday, and encouraged female students to wear the hijab in solidarity with Muslim women who choose wear the hijab.

Organizer Iqra Dada, a Duncan College junior, said the day promoted respect and understanding.

“World Hijab Day is an amazing way to show people that we are the same as everyone else.”

Dada said. “We just pray five times a day, and wear some extra cloth here and there to cover up the way we believe God wants us to.”

The organizations held an all-women’s event Sunday evening and an event open to all students on Monday evening. Participants at Sunday’s event discussed the meaning of the hijab and gave lessons on wrapping the headscarf.

“It’s not just about clothing, it’s about your personality,” Dada said. “Be modest, be humble, be a godly person.”

Ramee Saleh, a Sid Richardson College freshman, said her family is from Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country where wearing the headscarf is uncommon.

0BOBA FROM PAGE 1 Upon the project’s conclusion the group gained enough confidence from marketing surveys to attempt a real business venture. Soon after, Cooper and Baginski joined the team. Before the business was able to proceed, the group presented their idea to administration, including Kevin Kirby, vice president of administration.

“The administration was incredibly supportive of entrepreneurial ventures and encouraged us to go it alone as a private business,” Sutherland said.

Initially, the team didn’t know where to begin.

However, Lesa Tran, professor of Chemistry of Cooking (CHEM 178), gave them guidance with a tapioca pearl recipe that influenced their current formula. The entire group took part in the cooking and tasting process to insure the quality of the product. Cooper said many hours and months

“I grew up with a teaching of Islam that basically says to dress modestly, and the [headscarf] is one way to do that but not necessary,” Saleh said.

Saleh said while discussion is necessary, she feels World Hijab Day has the wrong approach.

“Why can’t we just believe stories that hijabi women tell us?” Saleh said. “What does it say about our culture in which we only believe statements when it comes from people of privilege?”

Boniuk Council President Dan McNamara said they were aware of the surrounding controversy.

“While this of course does not substitute for the breadth or richness of the hijabi experience, nor approximate the full meaning of what it is to be a female Muslim who dons the hijab, it does create an awareness,” McNamara, a McMurtry College junior, said.

At Monday’s event, hijabi students held a discussion, where non-hijabi students reflected on their experiences on choosing whether or not to wear the scarf for the day and hijabi students discussed their daily experiences and addressed misconceptions around the hijab.

Sophie D’Amico, a Duncan College freshman and Boniuk Council member, decided to wear

the scarf and attend the event to learn more.

“This seemed like the perfect opportunity to both learn about the faith as well as walk a mile in a hijabi’s shoes,” D’Amico said.

Lovett College senior Dani Maldonado said she respected others’ decisions to wear the scarf, but ultimately decided not to wear it herself.

“From what I understand about people’s decision to wear hijab, it’s in reverence to God, it’s about how you live your life,” Maldonado said.

“It’s more than just wearing something, and for me it wouldn’t mean those things if I wore it.”

Brown College senior Mariam Hussain said she disagreed with the idea that wearing hijab for a day constituted cultural appropriation.

“World Hijab Day is more about solidarity,” Hussain said. “Especially in terms of heightened Islamophobia, it’s important to show solidarity with a group of people that face prejudice.”

Hijabi students in attendance countered the idea that the hijab is oppressive.

Dada said that the decision to wear hijab was a sign of power to her.

“I’m a powerful person who makes my own decisions, and I’m so powerful that I can cover

were spent experimenting in the Martel College kitchen to perfect the taste and flavor of the drink.

One of the ongoing issues is the team’s search for counter space. Sutherland emphasized the importance of flexibility in making the drinks to the customer’s exact specifications. For the time being, the group will be focusing on the accessibility and convenience of their product.

“I think convenience is our most important factor,” Meister said. According to Sutherland, EastWest Tea hopes to target lazier students through strategic locations across campus to deliver boba much closer to students.

After the efforts to launch the business, the group is well aware of the difficulties that come with being student entrepreneurs. Sutherland and Bennett said they agree that being a student entrepreneur is all about the work-life balance of prioritizing, and the importance of an open atmosphere for group cohesion.

“Complete honesty and openness is important for any group of people who are together a long

time in business,” Sutherland said. “Otherwise, when real money comes into play, it could really tear people apart.”

According to Sutherland, these student entrepreneurs of East-West Tea are representative of the mindset that the newly developed Doerr Institute for New Leaders hopes to foster in Rice students.

Sutherland said he is excited for the prospects of Rice with the new Doerr Institute’s commitment to fostering student leadership. He said he believes the atmosphere created by the Doerr Institute that encourages business leadership could provide a channel of students for employment in East-West Tea. Especially since all founders accredit the administration and Housing and Dining in making the venture possible, the Doerr Institute provides just another opportunity for productive cooperation, Sutherland said.

“The purpose of an entrepreneur is to tackle a glaring need in a sustainable and effective way, while adding value to student life on campus,” Baginski said.

Although there’s a lot of work, the class is 100 percent worth it.

Madison Nasteff

ENGI 120 student

“Some students feel there is too much technical writing,” Wettergreen said. “As a result, for the fall, we cut several writing assignments.”

Wettergreen also said he and the other instructors are constantly modifying the course by revising what needs improvement and listening to student feedback.

“Class time is now reserved for practicing steps in the engineering design process instead of for lectures,” Wettergreen said. “This spring we are further streamlining the workflow of the course to place the practice of engineering design as the central component of the course.”

The course, which was first offered in Spring 2011, allows students to learn the engineering design process and apply it to a known need in the community, according to Wettergreen. The main graded assignments of the class consist of technical memos, prototypes and a final presentation on the overall project.

McMurtry College freshman David Zhou, who is currently enrolled in the course, said the technical memos were a major part of why ENGI 120 is perceived as a difficult course. “[Tech memos] take a lot of work and require our group to meet up outside class, which can be difficult with our busy schedules,” Zhou said.

Many freshmen are aware of the difficulty of the course, though the work is rewarding and worth it in the end, according to Baker College freshman Madison Nasteff.

“Students are hesitant to enroll because they are worried about the work associated with the class,” Nasteff said. “While there is a lot of work associated with the class, it is 100 percent worth it.”

Esther Tang, a McMurtry College freshman who took the class last semester, said the course was rigorous and emphasized group work.

“The class is a lot of work, and the professors can be harsh with their criticism at times,” Tang said. “How well you do in the class largely depends on your group members,” Tang said.

Despite the heavy workload, Tang said she would recommend incoming freshmen who are interested in engineering to take the class.

“Even though the class is a lot of work, it’s worth it in the end because you learn a lot about working with others as well as the overall engineering design process,” Tang said.

4

We shouldn’t put circumstance over assault Promoting athletics is just the beginning A flourishing athletic environment fosters campus culture and unites the community. Unfortunately, Rice’s lack of appreciation for university-wide athletics is evidenced by the low attendance at games, which strains relations with student athletes. Although promotions from Rice Athletics have certainly made strides towards improving attendance at games, marketing campaigns can only go so far, and they may not be sustainable (see p. 9). Improvements to Rice’s athletic environment should be driven by the student body as well as the faculty to encourage support for our athletic programs and build a stronger relationship between athletes and the rest of the undergraduate community.

Rice Athletics has taken clear steps to address Rice students’ apathy towards our athletic programs. Major promotional campaigns, incentives to win merchandise by attending games and Rice Rally’s approval as a blanket tax organization exemplify the focus on getting students to sporting events. However, despite the good intentions of Rice Athletics, these efforts have not been enough to significantly boost attendance across the majority of sports.

Rice students’ highest priorities are often their coursework and their residential college, so it is necessary for Rice Athletics to work within these current frameworks to target the greatest number of students. Even just a fundamental level of support from the university’s own faculty and staff would present a unified and supportive front and do wonders for the campus atmosphere. At the colleges, residential associates could organize group outings to games.

Continuous reinforcement beyond the pep rally during Orientation Week is crucial to creating a dedicated community of fans and spectators.

To improve attendance in games and interest in athletics overall, students must be personally invested within the games. Why do intramural sports have such high turnout? Students attend because the players are their friends, and they are aware of the time commitment and stress of participating in these games. Many Rice students who are not athletes simply do not interact often with those who are. Students who are unaware of the stress athletes face and physical sacrifices they endure speculate whether athletes deserve their space at Rice. In turn, athletes become marginalized, alienated from the rest of the student body and often move off-campus to live with other athletes. Every single student at Rice deserves to be here, and athletes deserve just as much, if not more, respect for the work they do. It is necessary to encourage better relationships between athletes and non-athletes, beginning with O-Week but continuing beyond, to ensure that both groups understand and can empathize with each other.

Obviously, balancing a Rice workload and training throughout the year is a noteworthy task. We can’t ask more of athletes — but we can ask more of students. Even if it means attending just a portion of a game, or making more of an effort to accommodate athletes during O-Week.

Action on behalf of the student body and a few innovative changes can make a serious contribution to our campus culture.

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

Last Thursday, I hurried to the RMC to grab my weekly Thresher, eager to read the administration’s response to the recent Jan. 23 sexual assault case. As a rape victim myself, campus sexual assault is an issue that hits close to home. When I saw the stack of newly printed papers, however, I was stunned. Instead of pertaining to sexual assault, the front page donned a giant picture of Sid Richardson College and a headline that read, “Seventh Under Scrutiny.” A pull quote from Dean Hutchinson read, “Someone was harmed violently as a result of the lack of the safety precautions that went into creating this event [the Sid Seventh party].”

To read the headline and Dean Hutchinson’s response, it was not only unclear that a sexual assault had occurred, but it seemed to imply that whatever happened, the members of Sid Seventh were somehow to blame.

Though I’m sure the Thresher staff and Dean Hutchinson may have not intended this effect, it needs correction for one singular reason: The responsible party in a sexual assault is the assaulter. It’s not the people who provided alcohol, making the victim vulnerable, or the assaulter bold. Responsibility lies strictly with the person who decided to perpetrate the crime. Both Dean Hutchinson’s statement and the Thresher headline confuse this fact, and it needs correction.

First, Dean Hutchinson’s statement directly implies that the “Lads in Plaids” organizers carry responsibility for the assault because they threw an unregistered public party. This is ludicrous. No one forced the assaulter to come to the party, drink or commit his heinous crime. He chose to act of his own accord, and I have no doubt the official paperwork behind the party had nothing to do with it. I was raped at a “registered” public party — does that mean I should blame the administration for not providing me with the necessary “safety precautions”? Even if I wanted to, it would be incorrect. There are

never enough “safety precautions” at a party to stop a sexual assault if someone is hellbent on assaulting. If it were that easy, sexual assault wouldn’t keep happening at the current rate. Dean Hutchinson is welcome to punish the “Lads in Plaids” organizers for not following procedures for registering their party, but he should stop trying to hold them accountable for a serious crime they did not commit.

To read the headline and Dean Hutchinson’s response, it was not only unclear that a sexual assault had occurred, but it seemed to imply that whatever happened, the members of Sid Seventh were somehow to blame.

Second, whether or not Sid Seventh was being unjustly blamed by Dean Hutchinson for the sexual assault, the Thresher should have made the latter, and not the former, the headline of its story, if not covering it separately all together. Conflating these two events in the headline signals to a reader that members of Sid are responsible for the assault, which as I’ve just said, they are not.

Furthermore, their headline addresses all of Sid Seventh, when clearly the entire 40-person floor is not to blame. Many people on Seventh didn’t even attend the party, and

many, if not most, of the attendees were from other colleges. Now the rest of the floor risks facing community stigmatization for something they didn’t take part in, while the assaulter didn’t even make the headline. As a community, we must consider what this means for freshmen, who didn’t choose to live on Seventh, and are stuck there the rest of the year; or residents who didn’t even attend the party, but who now must face their families, peers and professors when they read the headline and ask questions. The administration may be investigating Sid, but the pertinent story was that a sexual assault had occurred.

I love the Thresher staff dearly, and I don’t think that they intended for their article to have this effect, but after conversations with students, college RAs and even professors, I can say with confidence that it did, at least for a significant number. Though I must commend them for an excellent editorial and a generally good article addressing the event, I believe they made a critical mistake on their choice of headline and photo. And though I have the utmost respect for Dean Hutchinson, his statements as an administrator are perhaps even more disappointing and inexcusable. Rice students, if you want to direct anger about this horrible event at someone, direct it at the perpetrator, not at Sid.

Kaylen Strench is a

Baker College senior

Letter to the Editor: NTDs a global health priority I initially became interested in the global impact of neglected tropical diseases during a policy course I took at Rice during my sophomore year; the speaker was President of the Sabin Vaccine Institute Peter Hotez, an expert in the field. For the course, I wrote my final paper on the potential for easing U.S.Iran tensions by cooperating on NTD vaccines in the scientific community (this issue is particularly important to me given that I am an Iranian-American). Though something as intricate as “science diplomacy” may not happen for years to come, an international campaign that seeks to address the global NTD problem is already in place!

END7 is an international advocacy campaign that seeks to raise awareness and funding to eliminate the seven most common NTDs by 2020. Not coincidentally, END7 is a subsidiary of the SVI, so I had been introduced to the campaign by its commander in chief!

NTDs are also known as diseases of poverty that disproportionately affect “the bottom billion” of the global population. Fortunately, it costs only 50 cents to treat and protect an individual from all seven NTDs for a year! Sound too good to be true? You’d bet-

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 business Juan Saldaña Manager advertising Shannon Klein Manager * indicates member of the Editorial Board

ter believe it — pharmaceutical companies have already donated the medications, so END7 raises funds just to get the drugs where they are most needed (aka “shipping and handling”). Because the drugs are effectively free, every dollar donated to the campaign leverages $26 worth of support!

The U.S. is the world’s largest NTD treatment funder; it supports 25 countries via the U.S. Agency for International Development.

In the past 10 years, USAID has delivered more than 1.3 billion (that’s with a “b!”) neglected disease treatments to 600 million people! Unfortunately, the NTD budget is at risk of being cut every year. With my Rice peers and the END7 community, I urge President Obama to establish a global health legacy by increasing USAID neglected tropical disease funding by 25 percent to $125 million for fiscal year 2017.

To quote Ariel Pablos-Mendez, assistant administrator for USAID’s Global Health Bureau, “Now is the time for increased investment from countries and donors to ensure that NTD drugs can and will be provided.

Losing this investment will turn back the clock on progress.”

The question then becomes, “What can we

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.

do?” The Rice chapter of END7 was founded in the spring of 2015, and it has been gaining traction fast. As the Vice President of Rice END7, I focus on the policy advocacy side of NTDs by raising awareness for the campaign’s cause. We also have communications and fundraising committees, and every team is always welcoming of new members. It’s as easy as sending us an email. If you want to become involved in fighting NTDs across the globe, you can help us get signatures for our petitions that go to the President and the U.N.; you can help us design fliers and plan events to raise awareness on the Rice campus; you can even join us on our annual trip to Washington, D.C., where we spend a day at Congress lobbying for increased NTD funding!

1 percent of the global health budget.

0.003 percent of the entire federal budget.

Seven diseases. The math is clear — NTDs are a global health priority!

Cyrus Ghaznavi Sid Richardson College Class of 2017

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.

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Wednesday, February 3, 2016

The Honor Code and fairness at stake

What is justice?

This simple question has given the western world fits since at least Plato’s “Republic.” With regards to societal punishment, I would answer the question with the words ‘fairness,’ ‘due process’ and ‘a trial by jury.’

These are not simply words — our country was built on these words, and they have a specific meaning. To ensure justice, we passed a Bill of Rights that determined that in criminal cases all should be provided with the rights to due process, a right to a speedy trial, a right to a trial by an impartial jury, a right to have knowledge of the accusation and a right to cross-examine all witnesses.

Rice University is not bounded by these specific laws. But why should that matter? Should we be just only if required to by law? If Rice wishes to hand out punishments for violations of the Honor Code or the Code of Student Conduct, punishments which can and do have real and dire consequences, she should strive to do so in accordance with what is right. With respect to justice, the Bill of Rights should not only be read as a list of laws that apply to the government. These rights exist because they are one way, a time-tested way, to protect against injustice.

Unfortunately, I have learned this lesson the hard way. The week after the spring semester concluded, I was accused of an Honor Code violation that had occurred in the fall semester. I was not notified that the accusation even existed until May 12. I was not notified of the assignments that the accusation pertained to until Aug. 26, and I was not notified of the specific accusations until Sept. 11 at my investigative meeting.

I experienced a summer of hell as I spent hours each day preparing for two accusations — accusations in which I didn’t even know the assignments in question, much less the charge itself.

Now I ask, is that fair?

Once I had my proverbial day in court (which started 35 minutes late due to two Honor Council member’s tardiness) I was declared “Not in Violation” on Oct. 27, almost a full year after the incident in question.

To be sure, I am not writing to criticize the members of the Honor Council or the Ombuds.

To the contrary, I am thankful for their service.

No, I write so that Rice can make all of its procedures in accordance with the principles of fairness and due process all of the time.

To start the conversation, I propose the following: ò To correct the severe backlog of Honor Council cases and ensure that every case is resolved in a timely manner, I propose that Rice (1) implement a statute of limitations between 2 and 6 months, (2) make the honor Council larger and (3) encourage professors to have a clear policy with regards to cooperation, to meet with their TAs before writing a letter of accusation and to accuse students as soon as possible. ò That the student be told the accusation against him the first time he is notified, and that the student be allowed to read all evidence pertaining to his case immediately. ò To allow for the student’s testimony to be understood, I propose that the student be allowed to request honor council members with knowledge of the subject matter to serve on the committee. ò For general fairness, I propose that if the university employs an anonymous “expert witness,” then the student also be allowed to provide an expert with an electronic copy of the evidence.

ò To protect against arbitrary decisions and to increase transparency, I propose that the Honor Council create categories that associate a range of punishments for common types of violations. ò To provide Honor Code cases with the proper dignity, I propose that the Honor Council have a dress code that calls for semi-professional attire in all proceedings. ò That the administration and the student body carefully examine the current procedures and safeguards with respect to student conduct cases, for both Honor Council and Student Judicial Programs. We must ensure that the accused have knowledge of the accusation and are able to cross-examine witnesses and to present a defense at a hearing. In particular, Rice should reconsider its use of the “singleinvestigator model,” as it is unfair to give one person the power of judge, jury and executioner. All accused students, no matter the severity of the offense, deserve a fair and just procedure to determine innocence or guilt.

Solon the Lawgiver once said, “Wrongdoing can only be avoided if those who are not wronged feel the same indignation at it as those who are (wronged).”

Now is the time for action. Not just to be fair to accused students, not just to protect the rights of the falsely accused and not just to be a model for higher education.

To act for justice needs no other reason.

The author is a Rice University junior.

The identity of the student has been protected.

This is Sam. Be Like Sam. Rice Athletics

Starred Important Sent Mail Drafts

How do you feel about the Caucus results?

“Iowa ... man, caucuses are a mess.”

– Andrew Ta, Editor in Chief

“It’s probably a good thing Bernie didn’t win outright because I probably would’ve given birth to something out of sheer excitement. MY BODY IS READY FOR BERNIE.” – Yasna Haghdoost, Managing Editor

“The closest I’ve seen Yasna to having a panic attack was when she was refreshing the election results.”

– Drew Keller, News Editor

“Cruz victory gives new meaning to senior Spring Break booze cruz. I myself am a disappointed Martin bro.”

– Miles Kruppa, Senior Editor

“Until recently I thought caucuses were basically Illuminati meetings.

It’s good to see that 49.6 percent of the Illuminati still supports Bernie.”

– Walden Pemantle, A&E Editor

“Many photographs print dark, so they should be brightened prior to going to press.”

“Having spent a lot of the night hitting F5 on the results page, it was a predictable yet disappointingly indecisive outcome on the Democratic side. I have complete faith in both Bernie and Hillary as candidates and it will be an exciting race to watch, for now I’m #teambernie all the way.”

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– Sam Ding, A&E Designer

This is Sam.

“If you continue to think that Trump is a joke, or really even funny in the least, consider that you are in a position of privilege.”

Sam has a request.

“Please come to our games.

– Anita Alem, News Editor

Please.

“I don’t know.”

Please.

– Carrie Jiang, Art Director

I will literally give you $25,000 if you come to our games.

“Supporting Hillary as a young person is an incredibly isolating experience. I think I finally understand how the Young Republicans feel.”

Please?”

Listen to Sam.

– Sophie Newman, A&E Editor

cartoon by maddy adams and carrie jiang

Introducing Rice Athletics’ new marketing campaign.

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Do you like opinions?

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“Honestly who the fuck designed our political system tbh” – Jasmine Lin, Copy Editor

“I’m still in disbelief that Trump could actually get votes. Trump definitely got votes because of a butterfly ballot.”

– Justin Park, News Designer

“Personally, I’ve always felt that the Caucuses are underrated, especially when you consider that they formed due to a tectonic plate collision of the Arabaian and Eurasian plates.

I mean, it’s not an ideal situation in terms of the amount of seismic activity, but they have so many notable peaks — Elbrus, Dykh-Tau, Shota Rustaveli, Koshtan-Tau — the list goes on and on.”

– Andrew Ligeralde, Assistant News Editor

“Fiorina only got 1.9 percent of the vote? But people keep talking about the first woman president and all that!”

– Joey McGlone, Backpage Editor

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arts

ENTERTAINMENT

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‘Modern Love’ provides solace for the heartsick Sophie Newman A&E Editor

courtesy alex amari and wesley yee/project 120

Coming to Africa

Students from Foster High School perform as guest dancers at the Rice African Students Association’s annual cultural show, Africayé: Coming to Africa, which was last Saturday, Jan. 30 in the Rice Media Center. Atendees enjoyed student performances and a dinner of traditional West and East African dishes.

‘Spotlight’ shines as unlikely Oscar contender Ryan Lee

Thresher Staff

With the 2016 Oscars just around the corner, most pundits have truncated the official list of eight Best Picture nominees to an unofficial shortlist of three: the gripping “The Revenant,” the provoking “The Big Short” and the oddball — “Spotlight.” Mainstream media has largely sidelined “Spotlight,” which is a true story about the Boston Globe’s investigation of the Catholic Church child sex scandals in the early 2000s. Directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams and Mark Ruffalo, “Spotlight” is a film that dedicates its form to its narrative and delivers a snapshot of history with handcrafted care.

Keaton’s character Walter “Robby” Robinson heads the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, a group of journalists who take on long-term projects to unearth hidden truths in society.

Robby is tipped off to some questionable behavior of the Catholic Church, which holds considerable presence in the poor white neighborhoods of Boston. As the journalists (McAdams, Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber) each follow their leads, they discover the extent to which some members of the Church have repeatedly committed acts of child molestation and systematically concealed their crimes.

While many buzz-worthy Oscar films feature striking costume design, “Spotlight” showcases its stars with bad haircuts and in sweaters over collared shirts. This is just one of many ways the film is an antithesis to the “Oscarbait” genre. Deadpan camera angles, neutral color palettes and subdued montage sequences all serve to the same effect. That is, the audience is not looking at some cinematic universe, but something that hits too close to home.

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

Execution is everything when the balance is between antagonizing the institution of Catholicism and downplaying the film’s stakes.

McCarthy’s barebone approach to storytelling avoids both ends of the spectrum. Take for example the way a victim’s story is revealed to the audience. Instead of the child, we see the man who was the child; instead of the incident, we see his telling of the incident from his perspective. There are no flashbacks or sweeping orchestral scores. All we have to go for is the look in his eyes, which communicates not only the childhood trauma he experienced, but more so the years of haunted baggage he has carried with him ever since. Thus “Spotlight” achieves in telling a story of institutional evils yet focusing on human proportions.

A film almost solely filled with scenes of office spaces and cubicles is brought to life in large part due to the strong performances of the ensemble cast. Each actor brings to the table a performance that dovetails with each other, with no one as the apparent lead or whose presence monopolizes the scene. This also presented the Academy with a dilemma when Keaton, McAdams and Ruffalo were all submitted in the Supporting categories. Ruffalo eventually beat Keaton to the nomination, presumably because his character has one brief juicy flight of passion.

If there is one word to describe this film, it is seamless — seamless in the sense that where most directors use style to distinguish themselves, McCarthy intentionally burrows the camera work, performances, and production design deep inside the narrative. This strippeddown treatment is essentially a creative decision, made to seem easier to pull off than it actually is. Perhaps to its detriment as well, as it can easily fail to capture the imagination of the

Oscar voter when it is placed in the same carrousel as “The Revenant” and “The Big Short.”

Maybe not unsurprisingly, in its design to not draw attention to itself, “Spotlight” manages to accomplish just that.

Oscar Nominees 2016 Best Picture

Bridge of Spies Brooklyn Mad Max: Fury Road Room Spotlight * The Big Short * The Martian The Revenant *

*Shortlist

Predicted winner: The Revenant Potential upset: Spotlight

When the media is as saturated as it is today, the currency is our attention. “Spotlight” may very well be one of those films that show up on Netflix and is added to the bottomless “My List,” situated between “Cinema Paradiso” and “Hot Fuzz.” The medium of journalism, arguably the “hero” of the “Spotlight,” is perhaps the most transformed — from something to “flip through,” to “scroll through” and now to “swipe through.” All the world’s a stage, and it lies in the palm of our hands.

“Spotlight” is currently playing in theaters.

February brings with it many gifts — TV series premieres, leap year celebrations, President’s Day — and one defining date more polarizing than American politics. For us struggling singletons, Valentine’s Day can be hard to stomach: the brunch dates, picnics, sappy movies and Victoria’s Secret specials for the special someone that you don’t have.

In times like these, I often find myself alone in my room at night, wallowing a little bit in self-pity and thinking about how my whole life might have been different if I just fixed some personal life shortcomings. Like if I had said yes to going out with Landon Dunnings in the sixth grade, or if I had the foresight to Google my Tinder dates’ criminal records, I might be a more successful dater.

What soothes my aching emotional health during such crises is a weekly column that is basically a bible for anyone who wants to hear others’ weird, awkward experiences with love (which is everyone). It’s a little thing the New York Times likes to call “Modern Love.” In January, it became a podcast.

The podcast is a collaboration with WBUR, Boston’s NPR News Station, and it now has three inaugural episodes. “Modern Love: The Podcast” has been such a hit that, for perspective, it momentarily deposed “Serial” on the Apple charts.

In each episode, a guest actor or actress comes on to read the essay. Afterwards, the essayist, host Meghna Chakrabarti and column editor Daniel Jones talk about it.

Expect to hear some famous voices this year: Judd Apatow, Sarah Paulson, Michael Shannon and January Jones.

“Modern Love” has been around since 2004 as a column in the Times’ Fashion & Style section, but in recent years, it’s experienced a surge in popularity. Now, in addition to the latest podcast, “Modern Love “has spawned an animated video channel and an annual “College Essay Contest” (which you can feel free to submit to).

Although many of the stories deal with the more traditional troubled lovers scenarios, not all are romantic — weekly tales range from your typical mother-daughter teenage battles, to telling your boyfriend you’re going blind, to sucking a coworkers’ toes in a taxi.

Reading each column is a small joy for me, and now I also have something new to distract myself at the gym. I listened to all three episodes last week on the elliptical, and am happy to report that it did a lot help stave off any threats of a February-related meltdown.

After all, there’s nothing like listening to other people’s problems to lend some perspective: In one episode, a woman describes her experience falling in (and out of) love with a married man whom she met on Craigslist. In another unexpectedly touching piece, a writer describes the death of his child’s pet goldfish in terms of the death of his own parents.

It’s “This American Life” meets your diary. It’s personal, it’s awkward and it might make you cry — in the best possible way.

Welcome to a new way to save yourself from V-Day doldrums.

“Modern Love: The Podcast” is released every Thursday, and can be found at WBUR. org, NYTimes.com and on iTunes, Stitcher or the podcast app of your choice.

A DOLL’S HOUSE

BALLETBOYZ

RICE GALLERY

HELLO, ROMEO

The Classical Theater Company returns for a monthlong run of Henrik Ibsen’s feminist classic, “A Doll’s House.” The play was highly controversial for its critical stance on marriage after its release in 1879. Student tickets start at $10 and the theater is walking distance from campus, so there’s no excuse to miss it!

London’s BalletBoyz touch down in Houston this Saturday. Combining muscular athleticism with agile dance, the troupe has earned international acclaim with their hunky take on classical dance. The show, hosted by the Houston Society of for the Performing Arts, starts at 8 p.m.

Tickets start at $23.

If you’re in dire need of some artistic inspiration, look no further than our very own Rice Gallery. German artist Thorsten Brinkmann, a self-proclaimed serialsammler (“serial collector”), debuts his new exhibit, “The Great Cape Rinderhorn,” this Thursday, Feb. 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Nothing to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day like the best love story of all time (no, not “The Notebook”). The talented Texas Repertory Theatre Company takes on the Shakespearean classic “Romeo and Juliet” from now until Feb. 21. Student discounts available.

Chelsea Market 4617 Montrose Blvd classicaltheater.org

Wortham Theater Center 501 Texas Ave spahouston.org

Rice Gallery Sewall Hall ricegallery.org

Texas Repertory Theatre Company 14243 Stuebner Airline Rd texreptheatre.org

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

A&E

the Rice Thresher

Eating cheap and offbeat at Pugon de Manila

May the Force Be with You Students partake in the first ever lightsaber fight in the Hanszen College commons. From left to right: Hanszen sophomores Rachel Bowyer, Ryan Cox, Evan Shegog, Jake Silberman, Ben Baldazo, Joey McGlone and Hanszen freshman Luis Pacheco.

Walden Pemantle A&E Editor

Your first time at Pugon de Manila could be a whirlwind of expectations. Scanning the menu, the dinner combo — dessert, soup, rice and two meats for $8 — seems too good to be true. Once you see the food, it seems like the deal really was too good to be true. Served counter style, many of the stews have a stagnant look to them, as if they’ve been sitting out for an alarmingly long time. Many of the fish dishes are served in traditional fashion, head-on with eyes looking up at you from their pan, waiting to be ordered. To many people, it won’t look appetizing. For other guests though, the actual quality of the food will come as a pleasant surprise, provided they get over any initial misgivings.

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courtesy nicholas mcmillan

Pugon de Manila Address: 8017 South Main St, 77025 Phone number: (713) 664-7227 Price range: $ Website: pugondemanila.com

Recommended Dishes Sisig, $7.99 Chopped pork, hot peppers, onions and calamansi marinade.

Turon, $2.50 Banana egg roll, deep fried and dipped in burnt sugar.

The food at Pugon de Manila isn’t quite as diverse as one would think from their extensive menu. The menu, which boasts 50-some preparations of vegetables, fish, pork, beef and chicken, is more like a catalog from which 15 to 20 dishes are available per day for guests to choose from. The dishes in heaviest rotation are pancit, a fairly generic stir-fried noodle dish, barbecue chicken, and sisig, a dish made from broiled pork marinated in citrus and vinegar. The trio actually makes a great starting point for first-time visitors. The pancit, with a mix of fried noodles, soft noodles and carrots, and the moist barbecue chicken are both exceptional and likely familiar to those otherwise uninitiated into Filipino cuisine. The sisig ventures more into the territory of “acquired taste” with a brilliant but pungent marinade of vinegar and juiced calamansi, a hybrid of mandarin oranges and kumquats. Other common menu items like the lechon kawali (fried pork belly), fried tilapia and peppery egg drop soup are also safe bets, but tend to be too oily with less nuanced, fragrant seasoning than the barbecue, sisig and pancit.

Beyond those dishes, the food is more polarizing. If you like Filipino food, it’s excellent: well-seasoned, superbly cooked and faithful to traditional recipes. If you don’t, or have never had it before, certain hallmarks, specifically fish slightly pickled in vinegar and bits of hot dog added to the curry, might be too much. The servers at the counter are happy to offer small tastes 0see PUGON, page 8

Fat Tuesda T uesday at the Rice Farmers Market

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A&E

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

the Rice Thresher

WHAT’S HIP RIGHT NOW FILM:

‘Newtown’

MUSIC:

‘Waves’ controversy

by kaylen strench

TRENDING: Raccoon dog

FOOD:

The Halal Guys

jessica kelly/thresher courtesy good pitch

In a phrase: Depressing as hell but important documentary.

Where to find it: No official release date yet, but should hit select theaters within the year.

If you watch one Sundance film this year, you’ve got to check out the outrageously sad but extremely moving “Newtown.” A critical hit, the film explores the grief and horror of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings through the eyes of the parents, school employees, police and other responders to the incident.

Though little footage of the actual shooting or carnage is present in the film, it is perhaps more powerful for the lack of it. Instead of approaching the subject directly, the documentary is primarily comprised of interviews with those affected: A father describes the pieces from his son’s life that he leaves around the house, a school administrator discusses the disturbing process of planning 26 funerals (it involved a spreadsheet). The film may be wrong for the delicate-hearted, but for those who are brave enough to try to understand the true devastation of mass murder, there’s no better experience.

In a phrase: Wiz and Kanye are duking it out.

Where to find it: Twitter for the feud, iTunes Feb. 11 for the album.

If you haven’t been following the Kanye/ Wiz Khalifa Twitter drama, you’ve been missing out on some procrastination gold, my friend. The feud centers around the name of Kanye’s hugely-anticipated new album, set to come out Feb. 11. In a last minute switch, Kanye swapped the title from “Swish” to “Waves” — a presumed allusion to rapper Max B, who first used the term to essentially mean “good.”

Well, Wiz wasn’t having it, and called Kanye out on Twitter for stealing Max B’s word.

And then, in a weird twist that is still difficult to understand, Kanye mistook Wiz’s advice for him to “hit some KK (as in weed)” for an insult to his wife, Kim Kardashian, leading Yeezus to dish out a string of 17 numbered (and hilarious) disses. Yikes. So, now that you’re caught up on that, what about the album itself? Well, if album track “Wolves” is any indicator, it’s going to be pretty sick. The single is dark, synthy and melodic, simultaneously resembling and a departure from 2013’s Yeezus. It also includes killer guest artists like Sia, Kendrick Lamar, Andre 3000 and Kid Cudi. Kanye may be a dick, but he’s pretty damn talented.

courtesy chibi tori

In a phrase: Raccoon? Dog? Both?

Where to find it: @chibi_tori’s Twitter account.

Raccoons have long had their place on the Internet (just Google “Raccoon steals cat food”), and so have dogs, obviously, but what about raccoon dogs? The topic took the Internet by storm this week when such a hybrid creature emerged on Instagram, starting a guessing game about what species it actually was.

Turns out, the dog side has won out.

The tanuki, a fluffy gray-and-black pup native to Japan, looks exactly like the masked nuisances that dig through your trash in the dead of night. According to Twitter user and proud tanuki owner @chibi_tori, they also hibernate all winter. His pup, Tanu, spends most of the colder months asleep by a little stove (awwwww). Though the pups are getting way popular, receiving coverage in New York Magazine, CNN and Buzzfeed, they are sadly poor choices for pets. Apparently a ton carry gross, contagious parasites that lead to “sarcoptic mange,” causing all their hair to fall out, and they’re pretty difficult to tame.

I’d stick to fawning over the Buzzfeed pics.

courtesy the halal guys

In a phrase: Niko Niko’s better watch out.

Where to find it: Open now in Shepherd Square.

Everyone knows that there’s nothing better than a steaming hot plate of meat (or falafel) and rice. Even in an ethnic food haven like Houston, however, that simple pleasure can actually be difficult to find. There’s Niko Niko’s in Montrose, but it’s a tad bit of a trek and usually way crowded. There’s also Med Center food truck “Gyro King” — but let’s be real, eating a gyro on the curb isn’t the same as chowing down in a nice, air-conditioned restaurant.

Enter “The Halal Guys,” a beloved NYCbased eatery famous for its meat (and falafel!) platters served over rice, covered in savory, house-recipe white sauce. Started as a New York food cart to satisfy Muslim cab drivers’ hunger for Middle Eastern food, the Halal Guys is set to change the Mediterranean cuisine food scene. I could point you to the online reviews of the new hot spot, but since it’s walking distance from campus (in the old Snap Kitchen building in Shepherd Square) you should just try it out yourself. Fair warning, though: The lines may be long!

0 PUGON from page 7 of the food, so I recommend trying anything you’re skeptical about first. Some of the best dishes are the ones that seem utterly different in preparation from dishes outside the Philippines.

The sliced pork in the bicol express has a pink hue almost as unnatural looking as the name “express” sounds. Yet, rather than the effect of food coloring, the pink is actually a product of the shrimp paste used to cook the pork, adding body to the sweet coconut milk broth. Red chili balances the dish with a healthy amount of spice, and in all, the pink pork comes out as one of the tastiest dishes in the restaurant. The ginataang lanka similarly defies the expectations one might have while looking at the dull gray chunks of meat. For one, what looks like meat is actually jackfruit, a fibrous fruit hearty enough that once you’ve tried it, you may still think its meat. Cooked in coconut milk with a range of sweet and hot peppers, the dish is an excellent filling vegetarian option. Of course, other dishes like menudo (potato coconut curry with carrots, pork and hot dogs) or the bangus paksiw (vinegar marinated halves of fish) won’t be for everyone, but Pugon de Manila tends to reward the adventurous, so even if fish heads aren’t your thing, as cheap as they come at Pugon, they’re still worth a try.

Beyond serving lunch and dinner, Pugon de Manila operates a full bakery, serving breakfast, baked goods, boba and homemade candies. The turon and ensaimada ube are by far the best desserts. The turon is a deep-fried banana roll dipped in burnt sugar to give it a hard, slightly bitter, caramelized coating. The ensaimada ube, baked in house is similar to a fluffy brioche roll with an added layer of butter frosting and sweet taro filling. The other bakeshop products range from milk powder candies to meringue cakes, and fairly straightforward loaves of bread, all of which are good, but are rarely as excellent as the ensaimadas or turon.

It’s hard to recommend Pugon de Manila without some qualifiers. It’s cheap, tasty and the kind staff makes ordering (which will be tough for any new guests) fun rather than bewildering. Yet, if you’re not ready to try a few things you won’t like, it’ll be hard to get beyond the steamed rice and barbecue chicken. Ultimately, Pugon de Manila is what you make of it, for adventurous eaters or fans of traditional Filipino food, it’s a diamond in the rough; for others, it might just be rough.

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Rice falls at Houston meet

courtesy james hilton

This weekend, the Rice University swim team traveled to the University of Houston recreation center for Houston’s 2016 Quad Meet. The event featured Rice, UH, Louisiana State University and Tulane University. At the meet, all four teams were pitted against each other in separately scored matchups. The Owls dropped all three contests (LSU 280, Rice 67; Tulane 197, Rice 150; Houston 152, Rice 92). The Owls will appear next at the C-USA Championship in Atlanta, Ga. Feb. 24-27.

Basketball breaks Rice Athletics promotes student attendance losing streak Maddy Adams and Andrew Grottkau

Andrew Grottkau Sports Editor

Despite an up-and-down year, scoring has been one thing the Rice University men’s basketball team has done consistently throughout this season. Yet again, on Saturday night, the Owls showcased their offensive firepower.

Freshman guard Marcus Evans starred as the Rice University men’s basketball team won a shootout against the University of North Texas Saturday night at Tudor Fieldhouse by a score of 95-87. Evans, the leading freshman scorer in the country, poured in 25 points to lead the Owls to their seventh victory and earn his fifth Conference USA Freshman of the Week award. According to Evans, the Owls’ offensive success was a product of their confidence.

“We knew shots were going to fall,” Evans said. “The guys got confidence and we started to build off the energy and next thing you know everyone’s in the zone.”

Compared to the second half, the first half was relatively tame. The teams traded leads for the first few minutes. North Texas held a 21-19 edge with 10 minutes to play in the half before Rice went on an 11-0 run to go up by nine, 3021. Immediately, however, the Mean Green responded with a 12-2 run to retake the lead. Yet again, the advantage would not last. Rice hit six free throws over the last two minutes of the half to give itself a 40-37 lead heading into the break.

It was the Owls’ first halftime lead since Dec. 17.

The offensive showcase began early in the second half. Just over two minutes into the period, Rice had built its lead to nine points behind 3-pointers by freshman guard Connor Cashaw and sophomore forward Egor Koulechov. Kou0see Basketball, page 10

Sports Editors

What do free pizza, a $5,000 iPhone app and Shia LaBeouf memes have in common?

They are all tactics used by the Rice Athletics marketing team to promote game attendance and ticket sales.

Starting last semester, Rice students were inundated with emails encouraging them to attend games with promises of free food and athletic gear. The subjects lines read, “Food and Shirt Giveaways plus a chance to win $25,000,” “1,000 Students for $1,000 at Rice Football this Saturday” and "MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE! YES YOU CAN!" In response to the emails, some students attended games, and some did not. The source of these emails, and their impact on the Rice community, remained a mystery.

The minds behind the emails are Rice's Associate Athletics Director and Marketing Director Jana Woodson and Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Revenue Officer Tanner Gardner, along with their team of marketing staff members.

Woodson and Gardner were hired in 2014, and their unique visions for Rice Athletics catalyzed the recent uptick in promotions and adverts.

Woodson said she has spent her entire career in college athletics marketing, and, at Rice, she is overseeing all of the promotional efforts for our sports.

“I’ve been in college athletics my entire career and the marketing sector. I handle all the marketing for the athletics department and for all of our sports,” Woodson said. “That goes all the way from putting people in seats and making sure they have a good time while they’re here to community service and community involvement to in-game production.”

Gardner said he is expected to promote the Owls’ athletic events and generate revenue, and his experience in strategic management lends itself to his job at Rice and enables him to succeed.

“I’ve been here about 18 months, and my background is in the private sector doing consulting,” Gardner said. “My job is to build the brand of Rice Athletics and increase the amount of resources we generate to invest in our students.”

According to Gardner, he wants the athletic community at Rice to reflect the one he experienced as an undergraduate student at Stanford University.

“I went to Stanford, and college athletics was a really big part of the experience compared to Stanford,” Gardner said. “I was an athlete myself, so it was especially important to me, but it was also important to the rest of the campus: It was a source of connection, it was a source of pride, and I knew that was something I wanted to see happen here.”

While it may seem unfair to compare the fan bases of an athletic powerhouse like Stanford and a smaller Division I school like Rice, the history of Rice Athletics would indicate otherwise. According to Gardner, athletics were a major aspect of the Rice experience in recent decades.

“When you talk to [alumni] from the 60s, 70s and 80s and even in the 90s, they talk about athletics being one of the memorable experiences of their time here,” Gardner said. “When you match that with what we’ve since been talking to students there isn’t that same sense of pride anymore. We want these people to be our fans in the future.”

In addressing this, Woodson said that she and her team spoke to several different sources, including Rally Club members, student athletes and student leaders from the residential colleges.

“[We worked] with the students to partner with them and install things they wanted to see and just making sure that we reached them in the right realms — through email and social media,” Woodson said. “Through going out on campus, and just doing it on a regular basis to make sure students remember athletics and make sure it’s something they regularly do, rather than just hit and miss.”

Woodson and Gardner synthesized the information gained from meetings and surveys to plot different strategies to increase student attendance. The marketing staff increased advertisements and incentives, and, in total, spent $20,000 of their $80,000 annual marketing budget on students. According to Gardner, the new marketing method is not designed to produce an immediate profit.

“This isn’t generating a dollar for us short-term,” Gardner said. “As we evaluate our fan demographics, our fan base tends to be old. Our average paying customer is over 50, which is not unlike any other college. But if you think about that, if you don’t invest in

Breaking Attendance Records Men’s Basketball 2016 Home Opener vs. Oregon State

509 students

highest attendance in recent history* Baseball 2015 Home Opener vs. University of Texas

629 students

highest attendance in recent history* *reliable data available since 2011

0see Marketing, page 11

10 SPORTS

the Rice Thresher

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

The Fifth Quarter Winning games, not adverts, will increase attendance Rice has recently demonstrated a commitment to increasing its athletic fan base. Specifically, they’ve been focusing on increasing student support and turnout at games, and I commend them for that. In fact, the athletic department said they spend $20,000 each year on marketing toward students. But is that investment worth it?

On the surface, it is. According to the athletic department, this increase in marketing has led to a dramatic increase in student interest. This year, men’s basketball (which has arguably generated the most buzz around campus this year despite a sub-.500 team) has seen an increase in attendance of 25 percent over last season. Additionally, the team had the highest student turnout in recent history against Oregon State University, when over 500 students attended to root on the underdog Owls, in a game that turned out to be a thriller.

I am, however, skeptical. The athletic department announced they spent $5,000 this year on the Rice Rewards app. The app is designed to reward students who attend games with free gifts, another loss of revenue. The idea makes sense, but the app is horrendously underused and I have never personally seen it as motivation to attend a game.

Paying to use an image of Shia Labeouf to advertise a basketball game? Complete waste of money. I am not sure where that idea came from, and I would be shocked if that decision turns out to pay off in the long run.

The secret to increase student turnout and support really is no secret. It’s been a tried-and-tested technique on campuses across the country, and has been shown to work here as well. If you want students to care about sports, the solution is simple: Win. Take Duke University, for example. Duke is a school of similar academic rigor as Rice, but their basketball fans show up each and

every game to a sold-out crowd. Why? Because the team wins. They invested in basketball in the 1980s, and the results have come. It’s not that all Rice students don’t care, we just want to see our team win, plain and simple.

Rice is taking the right steps in that direction. We’ve shown a commitment to improving basketball, and specifically men’s basketball. With the hire of Head Coach Mike Rhoades and one of the most talented freshman classes the team has ever seen, excitement is growing around the program.

People aren’t going to the games because of the athletic department’s spending; they are going because the team is fun to watch.

Give it a few years when the team is ready to compete for a conference title, then fans will really show up.

Recently, Rice has done a great job trying to market itself to top recruits, who will be key players in winning. We’ve invested in coaches and facilities. The new facility in the north end zone of Rice Stadium, for example, will certainly help with recruiting.

This will in turn help the team win, which will put butts in seats.

The Fifth Quarter is a column written by Evan Neustater. The opinions expressed in the column are solely his own.

Evan Neustater

is a McMurtry College junior

jasmine zhou/thresher

Power stance

Freshman Emily Smith looks to return a serve to Louisiana Statue University junior Joana Vale Costa at the George R. Brown Tennis Center on Sunday, Jan. 31. Rice (No. 31) fell to LSU (No. 18) with a final score of 5-2.

0BASKETBALL from page 9 lechov scored 11 of his 19 points in the second half and received high praise from his coach after the game. Head Coach Mike Rhoades said the sophomore forward deserved a lot of credit for the Owls’ victory.

“I thought [Koulechov] played the best game of his career here,” Rhoades said. “In other games, he scored a lot of points. I just think that what he did on both ends of the floor was big time. He had some great defensive possessions that don’t show up on the stat sheet.”

After taking the nine-point lead, the Owls never looked back. Rice shot 64 percent from the field in the second half. While North Texas shot over 65 percent in the second half, Rice managed to answer nearly every one of their baskets. The Owls’ edge fluctuated between four and 12 for the remainder of the game as the teams went up and down the floor, seemingly scoring at will. However, it was Rice’s freethrow shooting that closed out the win as they shot 14 of 15 from the line over the final four minutes to keep the Mean Green from mounting a comeback. Rhoades said he was happy the Owls managed to get a victory despite the strong performance by their opponents.

“That was a true gut-check game for us,” Rhoades said. “I’m glad these guys had some success tonight. We scored a lot of transition baskets and I thought we had some timely stops. That was huge. I’m really proud of our guys [for] stepping up.”

The win was the Owls’ seventh consecutive game scoring 70 or more points. Despite the high scoring, their record in those games is only 2-5. Rice will look to improve that record this week as they host two Conference USA rivals, Louisiana Tech University and the University of Southern Mississippi. According to Evans, these home games should give the Owls an opportunity to gain some momentum.

“We’ve had a lot of road games in conference so far,” Evans said. “I think this home stretch will give us a chance to get our feet under us and get running. Once we get a few wins under our belt, we’ll be all right.”

The game against the Bulldogs will take place on Thursday at 7 p.m. and the matchup with the Golden Eagles will be on Saturday at 7 p.m. Both games are at Tudor Fieldhouse. The Owls have 10 more games remaining before they travel to Birmingham, Ala. to compete in the Conference USA Tournament.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

SPORTS

the Rice Thresher

11

Kidd’s Korner

A case for the compassionate Rice baseball players Last Tuesday, the Rice Owls baseball team and I took a trip to Shriners Hospital for Children located just down Main Street. If you read the first sentence again you will realize that I purposefully separated myself from the remainder of the team. It is “the Rice Owls baseball team” and then there is “I.” This mentality has been instilled in me and will probably never leave me; growing up with cerebral palsy, there was always just me. I had no team because I was different, I was the outcast who was picked last, the one who could never contribute worth a darn. That was until I came to Rice University.

I look back on my childhood days growing up and I am truly amazed at where I am today.

Now in my third year at Rice University, I have something beautiful and meaningful that I have always desired to be a part of but could never have: a team. The Rice Owls baseball team has embraced me since I first stepped on campus. Working as the student manager of the Owls for three years and counting has perhaps been the greatest experience of my entire life.

This feeling only became that much more apparent during the recent trip to Shriners Hospital. To have a group of 32 young men right beside me interacting with patients who reminded me so much of myself growing up was a truly moving experience. There was this level of attention, respect, and humility that the team showed in the way they loved on these kids. My teammates motivated them to keep working hard while many others said they will keep working hard on the field for them.

In one particular instance, the team was watching and encouraging a young girl of roughly eight or nine years old to continue pressing on to her goal. She ended up walking no more than 25 feet but that was the farthest she had walked in over six months. I was inspired and proud to see the way that these Division I baseball players took themselves out of the equation to make a young child’s day, week or even year. In talking to a great friend of mine who I’ve gotten to know over the past three seasons, Connor Teykl epitomized what I believe was the mood of the team.

“Interacting with the kids puts everything into perspective [because] you feel blessed for all that you have. You take it for granted that you can walk on your own ... and even though there is a drastic difference on paper with our size and the physical ability disparity, we were able to be on the same level with the kids [in that moment].

Speaking from experience, having the oneon-one attention that many of these kids had with guys just like Connor Teykl is priceless. I can say that having strong relationships with

each player on the squad this year as well as from the previous two years, is still priceless for me at the age of 20 . Acceptance regardless of physical or mental ability is something that money cannot buy, but rather is granted by a special group of people.

Through the whirlwind of emotions I was feeling while navigating around Shriner’s hospital, I continually glanced towards the faces of my teammates to see if they had made a connection between these precious kids and myself. I wanted each of them to see my face in the kids they played with and simultaneously thank them for making a world of difference many will never know they made.

In entering the physical therapy room where the little girl I mentioned earlier was rehabbing, I turned and spoke to the nearest player to me, Dayne Wunderlich. All I did was speak four words to him: “This was my childhood.” What he did next he probably didn’t even think twice about. He did not say a word back. He did not ask for an explanation. He just looked at me and when I turned around, he patted me twice on the back in a way that spoke to me more than 1,000 words could have. Those pats symbolized that he understood where I was coming from, he knew what I was thinking and feeling, he recognized that I was different ... and he didn’t care.

I am confident that everybody else on the team including my boss, Daniel Watson, and the coaches Wayne Graham, Patrick Hallmark, Clay Van Hook and Scott Sheppard, would have done the exact same thing for me. That is why this group is so special and the impact they have made on my life may be impossible to repay. I can only hope that everyone in their lifetime can too find their acceptance in something as meaningful as what I have experienced with Rice baseball. Many people do not know what they have done for me, including the players themselves, but I figured that reflecting on this trip to Shriners was the optimal time to let them, and the student body at Rice, know.

Kidd’s Korner is a column written by Michael Kidd. The opinions expressed in the column are solely his own.

is a Lovett College junior

175 144

150

100 71 50

2013-14

2014-15

2015-16

Average student attendance per game

Average student attendance per game

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BASEBALL

80

75

70

61 60

2014-15

2015-16

*The Rice Athletics marketing team did not provide information regarding the attendance records over the past two years for all remaining sports teams.

0MARKETING from page 9 the people who are going to be your fans tomorrow, then your business is going to be in trouble tomorrow.”

So far, based on the statistics provided by the marketing department, the results have been encouraging. Since Woodson and Gardner arrived at Rice, volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball have all seen dramatic upticks in student attendance. Between the 2013-14 and the 2014-15 season, men’s basketball student attendance saw the largest increase, spiking by 105 percent.

Football attendance, however, has remained stagnant, actually dipping slightly from 2014 to 2015. Despite large investments in tailgating events, Gardner said the marketing department needs to rework its approach to increasing football interest.

“What ends up happening is we have a lot of students come to the tailgate but then

Shaded & serious

Michael Kidd

CHANGES IN SPORTS ATTENDANCE SINCE NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN 200

jasmine zhou/thresher

Junior Tommy Bennett returns a pass to Louisiana State University junior Justin Butsch on Sunday, Jan. 31. Bennet’s win against Butsch (7-6, 6-5, 5-7, 6-1) solidified the Owls’ (No. 58) 4-3 win against the Tigers (No. 30).

they don’t come to the game,” Gardner said.

“So if you believe the money we are investing is meant to put students in seats then how we’ve been investing our money hasn’t been effective so far.”

Despite the setback, Woodson and Gardner believe their marketing has had a positive impact. According to Woodson, however, they have much bigger goals to accomplish before they can consider their work successful.

“Our numbers increasing have been great but they’re obviously not where we want them to be because we want every arena sold out,” Woodson said. “We always want to continue to grow and keep up with trends and make sure people are excited to come to our games.”

While it may be a long time before 47,000 fans fill Rice Stadium, the marketing department’s promotions have managed to generate interest surrounding the teams over the past two years. Whether that change can impact the culture surrounding Rice Athletics remains to be seen.

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12

BACKPAGE

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

the Rice Thresher

Are you all ready for the Career Expo this Friday? the Backpage certainly is. We’ve been perfecting our resume all week, and wanted to give everyone out there a chance to see what a real quality candidate looks like. Included are some of our personal comments and tips so that yours can look as good as this one. Good luck, and we’ll see ya when we’re multitasking in Microsoft’s executive bathroom.

Not really sure what this means ... but it's coming up a lot around campus recently.

Resumes are all about framing experiences in terms of their positive outcomes. These "experiences" all came from my criminal convictions!

the Backpage

80085 Weiner Street Houston, TX 77005 (420) 911-6969 thirsty@rice.edu

EXPERIENCE

SKILLS

Snap_4_kush, Houston – CEO SEPTEMBER 2014 - PRESENT

Gained entrepreneurial and leadership experience by overseeing management and operations of a student-run business. A Snapchat-based distribution service, Snap_4_kush connects on-campus buyers with sought-after sellers.

I was banned from the chatrooms and blocked from the server.

AUGUST 2015 - PRESENT

I can touch my elbows together behind my back while my hands are on my hips.

Ushered in a golden age of journalism for this content-deprived “newspaper.” Under our rule, people actually started reading the Thresher again instead of using it to wipe up spilled Frio Lite.

Harris County Criminal Court, Houston – Defendant MARCH 2010 - AUGUST 2014

Substantial experience observing and participating in live court settings. Worked with cases of burglary, drug use, drug trafficking and identity theft.

Just look at this resume! I'm marketing myself right now and I've never done anything with my life.

Multitasking 6.25” vertical

I cook a mean sauce. Not very good with chicken or other meats, but I’ve got the sauce thing down.

Got done while poopin'.

Make sure to break this one out if you have a female interviewer.

AWARDS World’s Greatest Dad

Rice University, Houston – SWGS SEPTEMBER 2015 - PRESENT

GPA: I choose not to be confined by a number Relevant Coursework: N/A Irrelevent Coursework: Art of Relaxation, Critical Thinking in Sexuality, Cooking with Chef Roger

Khan Academy JANUARY 2014 - JUNE 2014

Spelling Bee Champion Birkes Elementary, 2005

According to a mug. Well, technically it's my father's mug.

Guild Master Awarded by the Thieves Guild of Tamriel, located in Riften Most Likely to Chug Ranch

Left due to differences with the administration.

Follow your dreams.

LANGUAGES

PROJECTS Yasna Haghdoost – Straight dime I've included this because it shows my dedication; I changed my major for her.

Marketing

The Rice Thresher, Houston – Editor, Backpage

EDUCATION My dad's on the board, but he almost didn't vouch for me because of the whole mug incident.

Longitudinal goal-oriented planning

For this one, I took the first word of every CCD email, and just mashed them all together.

I’ve been putting my hours in and pretending to care about all the stupid shit she says for a fucking eternity. But she should be coming around anytime now.

English, Wingdings, Esperanto, Money

This one is great because it's exotic and useful, but no one will ever test you on it.

The Backpage is satire and written by Joey McGlone and Riley Robertson. For comments or questions, please email thirsty@rice.edu.

CLASSIFIEDS WANTED

TEACH FOR TEST MASTERS! 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 ricejobs@testmasters.com TENNIS INSTRUCTOR for our 10 week Summer Camp on Tuesdays, 9am to 4pm. Compensation is negotiable. Our camp is located less than 10 minutes away from Rice. Additional hours are available as a camp counselor if interested. Please call Laura Schmitt at 713-4025075 *EGG DONORS WANTED* Give a family the chance at happiness. Receive $6,000 per cycle.

Qualify for FREE Egg Freezing & Storage. Apply at donate-eggs.com

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 OLD SCHOOL TUTORING is looking for Rice students with strong math skills to fulfill a part time child tutoring position. Offering schedule flexibility and $12-$14 an hour. Located across from Rice! Contact Bob Schmitt at OldschoolASC@gmail.com IMMEDIATE NEED FOR BABYSITTER for 8 & 10 y/o in West U area. $15/hr. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3-6/7 pm, occasionally other days.

P/up from school and drive to activities. Good driving record and car must. Write to sendme8500@gmail.com.

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We accept display and classified advertisements. The Thresher reserves the right to refuse any advertising for any reason. Additionally, the Thresher does not take responsibility for the factual content of any ad. Printing an advertisement does not constitute an endorsement by the Thresher.

Display advertisements must be received by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.

First copy free, second copy $5.

Cash, check or credit card payment must accompany your classified advertisement, which must be received by 12 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication.

Juan Saldana Business Manager thresher-biz@rice.edu P.O. Box 1892 Houston, TX 77005-1892 (713) 348-4801