The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, February 17, 2016

VOLUME 100, ISSUE NO. 19 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

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Candidates face off in debate

Thomas, Liu talk activism, administration and presidential responsibility Andrew Ligeralde

Assistant News Editor

The Student Association presidential candidates went head to head Friday night in a debate hosted by the Thresher in the McMurtry College commons.

The question-and-answer format featured questions from the moderators and audience, rebuttal and opening and closing statements.

Thresher Managing Editor Yasna Haghdoost, a Will Rice College junior, and News Editor Anita Alem, a Martel College junior, moderated the hour and a half long event.

The candidates, Lovett College President Griffin Thomas and SA External Vice Presi-

dent Joan Liu, fielded questions on current issues ranging from sexual assault and the alcohol policy to political activism on campus, while emphasizing prior experience and ideas for the future as key points of difference.

Insider and outsider As a member of the SA since her freshman year, Liu said one of her strengths as a candidate lies in her knowledge of the SA’s internal workings, while Thomas hails from a college background.

According to Liu, she would distinguish herself from her opponent by focusing directly on student concerns.

“What the SA accomplishes is important, but the process we use to accomplish that is just as important,” Liu said. “It’s so important to understand the process of engaging the students, to understand what we are standing up for, rather than me personally taking on an agenda and deciding here’s what I think the student body wants.”

Liu said the most pressing issue facing Rice undergraduates is maintaining collaboration, communication and expectations between student body and administration.

“Working with administration [can be] a challenge if you have mismatched expectations or misaligned understandings,” Liu said.

Thomas said he has taken issue with the SA’s inefficiency, but also understands its internal processes.

“I was involved in the SA my freshman year and was disillusioned by how inefficiently it was run,” Thomas said.

“But since then I’ve been actively

involved as a college president, as a voting member, and also as a part of the blanket tax process, which is probably the single most bureaucratic and mundane part of the SA constitution.”

Thomas said he will fight for students, focusing on his work with Housing and Dining to increase accessibility for low income students, his membership on the blanket tax standing committee, and his experiences reforming Student Judicial Programs policies.

“I hope to continue these fights by making Rice and the SA more accessible to all students, including athletes, low-income students, and international students, students who are traditionally left out of campus wide discussions,” Thomas said.

Thomas also said he hopes to make student voices heard outside the hedges at the local, state and national levels. According to Thomas, his dedication to engagement in politics distinguishes him from Liu. “I want to make sure we are using our incredible bully pulpit as the best university in Texas to advocate for the types of policies we want from our state, local and national legislatures, in a way that I think [Liu] is not interested,” Thomas said.

According to Thomas, the most pressing issue facing Rice undergraduates involves discussions surrounding safe spaces, hostile environments and Title IX. “How do you balance that need for intellectual curiosity ... but also balancing that we have people who live here and need to be comfortable living in their home?”

Thomas said.

Thomas said that having led discussions at Lovett surrounding this issue, he looks forward to leading campuswide discussions involving colleges student organizations to understand the student body’s perspective.

Giving students a voice Thomas said that as president, he wants to continue his work addressing the concerns of low income and first generation students, as well as giving a voice to underrepresented and minority groups on campus.

“In the SA this year, have 44 New Student [Representatives], and not one of them is Af0see DEBATE, page 3

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Coordinators reflect on 2016 selections Jaecey Parham Thresher Staff

courtesy student association

External vice president candidates Brianna Singh, Justin Onwenu and Hannah Todd presented their platforms and responded to the Thresher’s questions at its first inaugural Student Association debate on Friday, Feb. 12.

EVP candidates present initiatives, goals Andrew Ligeralde

Assistant News Editor

The candidates for SA external vice president debated and presented their platforms on Friday night before the SA presidential debate in the McMurtry commons.

SA Secretary Brianna Singh said while she is the only candidate who has not served as a senator, she has worked on past projects with senators and understands the legislative process.

“I’d love to continue to expand upon this role as a mentor and

a guide for senators,” Singh, a Hanszen College sophomore, said.

Singh said her previous work on projects relating to campus clubs and a campus wide calendar system have prepared her to take on projects as EVP. Wiess College senator Hannah Todd said she looks to build upon her work surveying students to gauge interest in initiatives surrounding the meal plan, campus lectures and experiential learning opportunities. “[Student interests] are really what led me to my projects this

year,” Todd, a sophomore said.

Sid Richardson College senator Justin Onwenu said he hopes to serve as a bridge between students and faculty.

“I think I can really serve as a liaison, bringing student concerns to faculty and administration, and also making sure students understand these policies,” Onwenu, a sophomore, said.

Onwenu said he is focused on changing the meal plan to meet student’s needs, as well as looking into then efficacy of the honor code and alcohol policy.

The week many students deem the best at Rice, Orientation Week, is only six months away, and 32 students at residential colleges have been selected as coordinators. However, some 2015 O-Week coordinators said the process did not go smoothly, with a notable decrease in interest in coordinating.

Student Success Initiatives Assistant Director Chris Landry said applicant interest varies each year and across the residential colleges.

“It’s hard to say that there was a substantial difference this year,” Landry said. “Some colleges that had not experienced ‘low’ numbers of applications did this year and some colleges that were not expecting to have many applicants had a larger number from which to choose.”

The applicant pool According to former Martel coordinator Taylor Armstrong, a senior, Martel’s three new coordinators were the only applicants. Former coordinator James Carter, a junior at Brown College, said Brown similarly had only three interested applicants. Julia Chavez, a junior and 2015 O-Week coordinator at Sid Richardson College, experienced the same with Sid. Chavez said this was also the case when she applied to coordinate a year ago.

“I wouldn’t want to imply that because there are fewer applicants the people that end up coordinating are somehow less qualified,” Chavez said.

“I remember [hearing] a comment along the lines of ‘Oh, didn’t anyone want to do it?’”

Will Rice College junior Ankush Agrawal, a former coordinator, said no Will Ricers attended an initial information session. McMurtry junior Makenzie Drukker said McMurtry received the typical number of applicants.

Lovett College senior Nirali Desai, who coordinated last year, said she believes the number of applicants differs between colleges as Landry suggested.

“This year we had more than last year, but I still think we had very few candidates — not necessarily the number we would desire,” Desai said.

Armstrong said she found the lack of interest at Martel abrupt compared to years past.

“It wasn’t a steady decline over the years, it’s just a drop — the job hasn’t changed, but I guess the ideas around it have,” Armstrong said.

Impact from op-eds The “ideas” surrounding O-Week were heavily discussed in September when three coordinators wrote opinion pieces in the Thresher addressing the unpleasant side of coordinating O-Week.

0see APPS, page 2

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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

the Rice Thresher

SA votes to create student advisory boards Emily Abdow

For The Thresher

The Student Association Senate passed Senate Bill #7 last Wednesday to create undergraduate advisory boards.

Sid Richardson College Senator Justin Onwenu and Baker College Senator Anjali Bhatla introduced the bill to provide a space for centralized communication between faculty and students.

“A lot of times students are reactionary to things that have gone wrong in different departments,” Onwenu, a sophomore, said.

“We wanted to change that.”

Onwenu and Bhatla, a junior, conducted a survey in the fall semester to determine whether students lacked an appropriate outlet to raise academic concerns. Of more than 300 respondents, 81 percent felt advisory boards were necessary. The survey revealed that currently, 52 percent of students discuss concerns with a professor, 17 percent talk to the SA and 23 percent felt there was no appropriate outlet for contact.

Only six percent contacted the department directly. In addition, the survey highlighted the most pressing student concerns for the advisory board to tackle: class offerings, teaching excellence, experiential learning, curriculum changes and course evaluations.

Bhatla and Onwenu said they identified psychology, biosciences and political science as the first departments to receive advisory boards due to their popularity among students. According to Bhatla, boards

nicholas mcmillan/thresher

After several weeks of construction, newly stringed lights stretch across the dirt seating area between Keck Hall and George R. Brown Hall, situated adjacent to Valhalla. The area will host Culture Night for undergraduate and graduate students this Friday.

rize eo! p 00 vid $5 cted ele s to

The video's intended use is to engage Rice voices to spark dialogue on complex social issues.

Video requirements: Maximum 15 minutes in length Format of your choosing, but should touch on the following: race relations, stereotypes, GLBT concerns, privilege, religious diversity.

Video must be Mac-compatible and submitted to the Office of Multicultural Affairs on flash drive by Monday, March 7th, 2016.

Please be sure to obtain written permission from individuals videotaped to use their words/likeness.

For additional info. contact Catherine at mino@rice.edu.

0APPS FROM PAGE 1 Will Rice’s Agrawal said he felt the op-eds are partially responsible for the decrease in interest for the coordinator position.

“Not that they were false in any way — they definitely did a good job in showing what many coordinators felt, but it highlighted the negatives and didn’t focus on the positives at all,” Agrawal said. “People latch on to the negatives of the article, and that’s what they remember and could discourage people from applying.”

Martel’s Armstrong said the opinion pieces’ focus on negative realities of the role made it difficult to portray the positives to potential applicants.

“When we tried to advertise to our college — ‘Make a difference in your college!’ — it was going to deaf ears,” Armstrong said. “It was incredibly disappointing, knowing the experiences that I had and watching people be like, ‘I don’t want those experiences.’”

Lovett’s Desai was one of the coordinators to write an op-ed. Desai said she doesn’t regret writing the op-eds, and she doesn’t believe the articles changed the desire of many potential applicants.

“I think the type of person that wanted this job would’ve done it regardless of what I wrote,” Desai said.

The role of administration Desai’s op-ed “The ugly side to O-Week coordinating” expresses her experiences with the many groups of individuals involved in O-Week, including administration.

“New students you’ve been dying to meet feel intimidated by you, advisors think they can complain about a job they didn’t do and the administration hounds you on one end as your peers criticize your conservative decisions on the other,” Desai wrote in her op-ed.

Desai said the problem with administration’s O-Week involvement is not defined by specific actions they take, but the nature of their role.

“Even if they were the most benevolent of people, the way it comes across is that their job is to regulate student life and they do that by regulating student leaders,” Desai said.

Armstrong said administrative overinvolvement with O-Week is partly responsible for the dramatic lack of interest to coordinate among students.

“Administration has their sticky little hands in every tiny thing they do and you do without them having full knowledge of how to do it properly — no one knows your college like you know your college,” Armstrong said. “I think administration needs to step back and let it be more student-run than it has been.”

Agrawal expressed contrasting opinions toward administration and their role during O-Week. He said administration and students have different priorities.

will be modeled on the approach used by the economics department to implement curriculum changes, but will fulfill an even greater variety of needs. For the political science department specifically, Onwenu said students will serve as liaisons between the department and their peers for future events on the election.

Brett Ashley Leeds, a professor in the political science department, said she was enthusiastic for the implementation of the advisory boards.

“I am excited to receive more feedback about the kinds of courses and events that most excite our students,” Leeds said.

Janet Braam, a professor of biosciences, said she also believes advisory boards will open communication and help inform students of changes and opportunities in the department.

According to Bhatla, the selection process will be led by the SA Academics Committee on an application basis, in collaboration with the various departments. Departments will inform the committee on the mix of concentrations and years within the major they hope to see on their advisory board.

Bhatla, who will serve as the committee chair for the first year, said she hopes many students will apply and that the process will be a lasting change.

“This is the first step,” Onwenu said.

“Our long-term goal is to see it campus-wide throughout other departments. If students can get engaged it will send a message to the campus as a whole that students have a place in giving their feedback.”

“The administration is trying to compromise between all the different [stakeholders] — students need to think on a more macro scale of how it will affect everyone,” Agrawal said.

Carter said he expected more creative autonomy when he began the coordinating “Han SolO-Week” at Brown. “[You think] this is the only thing on campus you can completely make your own, and you can completely re-do it — which is completely a lie, it’s not true at all,” Carter said. “So if people go into it with that mindset, they’re going to be disappointed very quickly.”

Drukker said she did not have a false sense of control for McMurtry’s “MarshmallO-Week.”

Drukker, along with her co-coordinators, wrote a follow up opinion piece, “More gratitude than grievances.”

“We understood we didn’t have the power to change large campus-wide events (e.g., matriculation and Rice Rally), nor did we want such an immense responsibility,” the team wrote.

Drukker said she did not feel administration’s involvement to be overreaching.

“Administration makes a good balance on letting us make decisions affecting our college culture and the way the new students come out of O-Week,” Drukker said. “I had a lot of control over a lot of things [that] were important.”

Preference for paid summer plans Agrawal said he believes a shift in culture at Rice, where students are becoming more careeroriented, affected interest in coordinating.

“They want to do the technical positions or take the classes that will set them up for future positions and a job,” Agrawal said. “They see [coordinating] more as a volunteer opportunity [as if] there’s not much to gain out of it, which I think is totally false.”

Likewise, according to Desai, students feel pressured to acquire internships and jobs sooner than in previous years.

“Coordinators don’t get paid,” Desai said. “A lot of times, the priority of Rice students is to get a job, and [believe that] if you’re not getting a job over the summer, then what are you doing?”

Carter, who also worked an internship while he coordinated O-Week, said he believes coordinating should be paid due to rigor and time needed for the position.

“Altruism is nice, but at the end of the day, it’s a job, and you need a skill set to do it,” Brown said. “If someone’s doing it for the money and they’re going to be great, then let ’em do it.”

According to Carter, paying coordinators would increase competitiveness for positions, thus encouraging applicants to put forth their best work and selves.

Agrawal said ultimately, coordinators simply need to be devoted to new students.

“Coordinating is a tough position but you don’t need to be Steve Jobs [to coordinate],” Agrawal said. “The only requirement you really need is your passion.”

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Students analyze primary elections Elana Margosis Thresher Staff

Voters in Iowa and New Hampshire cast their votes for Democratic and Republican nominees earlier this month, and Rice students were paying attention. Leaders of campus political groups weighed in with their analysis.

In the Democratic races, former Secretary of State and Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton won by a razor-thin margin in Iowa, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, Vt., won by over 20 percentage points in New Hampshire.

In the Republican races, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won in Iowa, besting Republican frontrunner and businessman Donald Trump by three percentage points. Sen. Marco Rubio, Fla., came in third, behind Trump by one percentage point.

Trump won by a significant margin in New Hampshire, with a cluster of candidates vying for second. Gov. John Kasich of Ohio placed second, and Cruz, former Gov. Jeb Bus, Fla., and Rubio came in third, fourth and fifth, respectively, finishing within 1 percent of each other.

The once-crowded Republican field has thinned from a record-breaking 17 candidates to six: Trump, Cruz, Rubio, Kasich, Bush and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

Rice Young Democrats’ communications director and Clinton supporter David Cirillo called Clinton’s narrow 0.3 percent win in Iowa a victory and said he thought that the demographics in Iowa favored Sanders.

“By all circumstances, Bernie should have won Iowa because his base is very homogenous in being very liberal and white,” Cirillo, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, said. “The fact that Hillary still won is a signifier of her strength.”

Rice Students for Bernie President Alex Amari said he attributed Sanders’ success in Iowa to Sanders’ appeal to voters frustrated with the current state of politics and to the turnout of young voters at the caucuses.

“I think Bernie’s sincerity resonated with a lot of Iowans who feel frustrated and alienated from the establishment politics of Washington, D.C.” Amaria, a Jones College sophomore, said. “Young people played a huge role in him getting so many delegates; 80 percent of people voting in the caucus aged 17 to 29 supported Bernie.”

Cirillo said he was unsurprised by Sanders’

win in New Hampshire and pointed to a number of factors that may have helped the senator.

“The trend of being from New England really lends to winning New Hampshire, as does the large homogenous white population and young liberals in the state,” Cirillo said.

Amari said Sanders’ win does not necessarily equate to an advantage in securing the 2,382 delegates needed to clinch the party nomination due to the imbalance between superdelegates who have pledged to support Clinton and those who have done so for Sanders.

I expect an extremely tight race between Sanders and Clinton [in Nevada].

Alex Amari

Rice Students for Bernie President

“Bernie and Hillary may be walking away from New Hampshire with the same number of delegates, despite the 20-point difference in the vote,” Amari said. “Clinton has around 360 pledged superdelegates across the country, while Bernie has just eight.”

The GOP contest seemed to be Trump’s to win, but the real estate mogul’s last-minute decision to skip the Republican debate to hold his own rally may have hurt him in Iowa, according to Rice College Republicans President Sam Herrera. “[Moderator] Megyn Kelly put Trump in an uncomfortable position, and he didn’t want to be there again,” Herrera, a Duncan College junior, said. “But if you can’t face a reporter at a debate, how are you going to lead the United States? I think Iowa voters picked up on that weakness.”

Cruz campaign staffers contacted Iowa precinct leaders before and during the caucuses to announce that Ben Carson was dropping out of the race. Carson said he did not have plans to

leave the race and later denounced the action as “blatant lying” on CNN. Many, including Herrera, believe that it was an objectionable move that may have tipped the scales in Cruz’s favor.

“What they did was deplorable, and it shows that Senator Cruz’s campaign will compromise its principles for political gain,” Herrera said. “I think that did detract from Ben Carson, who a lot of people thought would be third in Iowa.”

Herrera had predicted that a clear establishment-lane candidate would emerge from the New Hampshire primary, but the results seemed to proved otherwise.

“I think Marco Rubio’s performance in last Saturday’s debate in his crossfire with [Republican candidate] Chris Christie totally destroyed his chances of getting second or even third in New Hampshire,” Herrera said.

College Republicans outreach coordinator and Rubio supporter Gary Dreyer agreed.

“Iowa seemed to make everything clearer, then New Hampshire seemed to muddle everything up,” Dreyer, a Hanszen College freshman, said.

Both Herrera and Dreyer said they expect the Feb. 20 Republican primary in South Carolina to provide a definitive alternative to Trump.

“South Carolina is going to knock one or two candidates out,” Herrera said. “I think Ted Cruz could get second and I think Marco will get third.”

Dreyer said he believes establishment candidates Kasich and Bush will eventually drop out.

“Kasich is going to try to stick around, but Super Tuesday will not be good to him,” Dreyer said.

On the Democratic side, Wiess College sophomore and Clinton supporter Alex Bergin dismissed Sanders’ New Hampshire win as inconsequential.

“South Carolina is definitely not going to be a narrow win like Iowa,” Bergin said. “South Carolina has her beating Sanders by an even wider margin that he beat her in New Hampshire.

Nevada might be a closer margin, but I still think she’s going to win that.”

Amari said he predicted close races in Nevada and South Carolina.

“I expect an extremely tight race between Sanders and Clinton [in Nevada],” Amari said. “If enough young voters come out, the race will be very close in South Carolina as well.”

RPC presidency contested by EVP, socials co-chair Drew Keller News Editor

Rice Program Council external vice president Jodie Nghiem and co-chair of RPC’s socials committee Iman Khan are running for the position of next year’s RPC president.

This is the second campaign for RPC president for Nghiem, a McMurtry College junior. Last year, she lost to current RPC president Dixita Viswanath by five votes out of just under 1,000 votes cast. Nghiem said her loss and additional experience have taught her lessons that she believes makes her a stronger candidate.

“I was disappointed in myself for not putting myself out there more,” Nghiem said. “I do feel like I have so much more experience now, and I’m so much more confident in my ability to lead this organization. My loss and experience on the [RPC] executive board this year have definitely prepared me to be president.”

Khan, a Jones College junior, said she and Nghiem come from similar RPC backgrounds, as Nghiem was socials co-chair her sophomore year. Khan said she successfully worked as cochair this year to take student input and publicize events. She also noted her experience as Jones’s RPC representative and Beer Bike coordinator.

Khan said organization is one of her strengths as a leader.

“It’s so important to have a plan,” Khan said.

“Even if you deviate from it a little bit, have some contingency plans open.”

Nghiem’s experience with the social committee included being a member, co-chair and finally

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executive liaison this year. When she was cochair, Nghiem said she contributed to increasing Esperanza attendance 45 percent and Rondelet attendance 100 percent.

“The new president going in needs to have that organization-wide experience, which I have as external vice president,” Nghiem said. “Iman has that very limited experience as a socials cochair, and I have that experience as well.”

Nghiem said she had new initiatives as cochair, such as contacting the Queer Resource Center to make the Crush Party survey more inclusive.

“When I was co-chair, we definitely had a moving-forward vision,” Nghiem said. “This year, there’s been a lot of maintaining the status quo.”

Nghiem said creating change is an important part of her platform.

“It’s complacency to keep things the way they are right now,” Nghiem said. “We really need to push forward with tangible, concrete goals so that we are able to move forward as opposed to just staying where we are.”

Khan said her plan for next year is to build off of Viswanath’s initiatives.

“I think [Viswanath]’s presidency has been excellent,” Khan said. “She’s really taken over and kept everyone on track. I think it’s taking these successes and continuing on into the year.”

Khan said creating new events is a major undertaking, but possible with planning. She mentioned RPC’s Night Owl Antics, Passport to Houston, and concert committees as having opportunities for new or modified events. According to Khan, using student input is vital.

“A lot of what I want to do is basically to let people who want to get involved in RPC contribute and help grow this organization,” Khan said.

“We have all of these people with so many different backgrounds coming in.”

Khan said she would not interfere with individual committee roles, but would work to improve communication with and between committees.

“We need to be facilitating more interconnection between committees,” Khan said. “The way the committees are structured right now works great. It’s really important to have the structure.”

Nghiem said her platform focuses on specific rather than general ideas, as compared to Khan’s.

“I’ve learned to come in with concrete goals,” Nghiem said. “I feel like I did last year what [Khan]’s doing now, essentially come in with these big, vague ideas of what I wanted to happen.”

Nghiem’s platform also emphasizes responsiveness to student feedback. She said she would implement changes to the current student feedback process and increase transparency, such as by making results of student polls regarding RPC events public. She said she has proposals for new events and changes, including collaborating with the Graduate Student Association on Welcome Back Day and implementing Night Owl Antics events that have been successful in the past.

Both candidates agree that there are many ways to add to RPC’s existing programs.

“Our events encompass so much of the student body, but there’s always more people, there’s always more opportunities,” Khan said.

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0DEBATE FROM PAGE 1 rican-American,” Thomas said. “That, to me, is a travesty.”

Thomas said he looks to partner with groups such as HACER, the Black Student Association and the Boniuk Council, in addition to the Doerr Institute for New Leaders, to foster the leadership development of all students regardless of their background.

Liu said she wants to give a say to students unable to take on a formal leadership role, such as low-income students or those working part time jobs. According to Liu, a persisting problem at Rice is that students in formal positions tend to be the most active.

“Rather than just relying on specific people and specific roles to relay the messages, really going and digging into the colleges and bringing college discussions back, rather than relaying a Senate agenda to the colleges,” Liu said.

In response to recent events The candidates gave distinct answers to a question regarding how they would have responded as president to discussions surrounding the recent sexual assault committed at the “Lads in Plaids” private party at Sid Richardson College. Thomas initially said he would not respond to the situation directly, drawing the line between the SA and the college government.

“I think this is one of the fallacies the SA constantly falls in, is they feel the need to constantly infringe upon what is the college’s [autonomy],” Thomas said. “This is a specific instance that happened at Sid, and I have full confidence in the Sid president’s ability to address it … This is not the SA president’s job, and it shouldn’t be.”

Thomas said while issues like sexual assault and alcohol abuse have been and should continue to be brought to the SA’s attention, the SA would be overreaching by discussing the particular instance of the assault.

Liu said she agreed with Thomas regarding the responsibility and judgment of the Sid government, but believes the SA president should respond accordingly and hold discussions about the incident as a reminder to uphold Rice’s community values.

“These instances happen all across campus,” Liu said. “What’s really important here is being able to separate the policy breaking that we did in terms of these specific instances [and] what community values are we violating for ourselves.”

Audience perspectives McMurtry freshman Charlie Paul said he entered the debate leaning in support of Liu and left the debate certain he would vote for her. “[Liu] spoke her mind about listening to the student body and letting the SA work for the student body,” Paul said.

Martel College senior Kentrell Owens said he appreciated Thomas’ focus on underrepresented groups. “[Thomas] explicitly stated his support for marginalized groups on campus, and as a first generation college student I really appreciate that.”

Sid sophomore David Cirillo said while he thought the debate was conducted well for the most part, he felt that the questions regarding sexual assault were particularly unfair toward Thomas.

“I saw a clear bias at times, not toward [Liu], but against [Thomas],” Cirillo said. “The moderators inferred a disrespect for the issue of sexual assault on the part of [Thomas], a disrespect that simply was not there. He stated that college presidents should be trusted with college issues, while the SA could tackle the broader issue in its own vein.”

According to Cirillo, the debate should have focused more on Thomas’ plans to enact policy.

“For the most part, the debate was vibrant and professional, but these few moments made me think the Thresher was slightly against Griffin before the debate even finished,” Cirillo said.

“This was more evident to me by the lack of questioning onto his actual plans for policy, to which he has many.”

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Joan Liu for Student Association President This year’s Student Association presidential race has been a competitive one. Lovett College junior Griffin Thomas has leveraged his experience as Lovett president to position himself as an outsider willing to be a strong figurehead for student opinion. Jones College junior Joan Liu, on the other hand, has emphasized her external vice president experience to present herself as a communicator willing to work with administration to accomplish student-generated goals.

Considering the sentiment among some students that the current presidency does not address all opinions, exemplified in the discussion surrounding the Critical Thinking in Sexuality class, Liu makes the most sense for the student body’s current needs. Liu’s commitment to act as a listener and mediator will help solve issues requiring communication between the student body and the administration.

Liu made it clear during her debate performance on Friday that she wants to listen closely to the student body. During her opening statement, Liu said, “The SA should not be about the people who run it; the SA should be about you,” in reference to students. Liu has shown that she realizes student governance at Rice has only so much power — to get anything done, the president must be willing to compromise. At the same time, Liu understands the president’s job is to represent the range of student opinion. Her ability to do both sets her apart.

Liu’s experience as EVP, treasurer and Jones senator speak to her familiarity with the SA, the president’s role and the many levels of administrative barriers at the university. Liu will work within the existing framework with the administration in order to accomplish student goals. Unlike Thomas, who mostly has experience working with the Dean of Undergraduates as college president, Liu has been forced to consistently engage with a range of stakeholders.

Thomas said he is a “process guy” who wants to ensure that, within student government, the “process of deliberations is fair.” Yet Thomas questions certain basic processes, such as President Leebron’s legally necessary creation of the

working group on campus carry, as mere “political theatrics.” He similarly dismissed Amendment 3 to SB#4, which called for the Student Senate to confirm members of the CTIS task force, as opposed to students being exclusively selected by the SA president. Splitting hairs over who wrote the amendment and for what reason, instead of voting in the spirit of greater student representation as every other SA voting member did, seems to be an example of the same “political theatrics” Thomas condemns. Thomas’ readiness to equate procedural checks honoring student opinion to political nonsense when it suits him is confusing at best and concerning at worst.

Although Thomas highlighted his passion for bringing Rice’s voice into local, state and national politics, Liu has shown a concrete interest already by bringing in activists for the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance to campus in her role as EVP. And, unlike Thomas, who hopes to serve as Rice’s voice outside the hedges, Liu understands the difficulties in representing the diverse views of the student body in a broader political context.

Thomas’ stance against responding to affairs at individual colleges, even when they have broader implications, such as the recent sexual assault at an unregistered “public private” party at Sid Richardson College, neglects the president’s role in leading the student body in the name of respecting college autonomy. Liu believes in responding to the incident at Sid by separating the specific policy infractions that occurred from the breached campus values and having conversations about student concerns with administrators. Liu is not only aware of the president’s boundaries when it comes to college issues, but also the responsibility of the president to think more broadly about them.

The Thresher is sympathetic to Thomas’ desire for a stronger SA response to controversial issues, including disagreements with administration the Thresher shares on topics ranging from the Code of Student Conduct to sexual assault to tuition increases. However, Liu’s balanced view of the presidency will be most effective in accomplishing change based on the needs of all students.

Hannah Todd for Student Association EVP All three Student Association external vice president candidates brought big ideas to the table during Friday’s debates. Sid Richardson College sophomore Justin Onwenu showed interest in improving the relationship between students and Student Judicial Programs, Wiess College sophomore Hannah Todd planned to address meal plan structuring issues and Hanszen College sophomore Brianna Singh hoped to take the SA beyond the hedges. Of all three, though, Todd emerged as the candidate with the greatest ability to understand and realize students’ interests.

Todd’s record speaks for itself. She demonstrated a willingness to work between the student body and Housing and Dining which produced tangible results, including earlier servery start times. Todd has proven herself capable in reaching out to students and other members of the Rice community, while also being acutely aware of potential obstacles that may arise in the process. Her experience as New Student Representative and her successful tenure as Wiess senator both indicate she is more than qualified to serve the role of mentor to future senators as EVP. While Onwenu has bold ideas, he has not

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 Justin Park Designer

shown the same knowledge of existing campus programs and experience with administration as Todd. His desire to work with SJP shows a lack of appreciation for University Court as the existing avenue for communication with the student body and of bureaucratic realities. Todd’s ideas for restructuring the meal plan are comparable to Onwenu’s, and students can be confident that she has the ability to implement them, as evidenced by her prior accomplishments with H&D. Singh’s plans for publicizing the SA, while important, are reflective of her experiences as SA secretary, and her platform’s lack of other specific initiatives reveal her unfamiliarity with the responsibilities the EVP role entails, such as mentoring and empowering senators.

Todd has shown herself to be the kind of goaloriented, collaborative leader the student body needs as EVP. We trust her to both help the senators be more effective and act as an honest check on the presidency.

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece’s author.

opinions Mitch Mackowiak* Editor sports Maddy Adams Editor Andrew Grottkau Editor Sarah Nyquist Designer art Carrie Jiang Director Jake Nyquist Photo Editor Jessica Kelly Asst. Photo Editor arts & entertainment Sophie Newman Editor Walden Pemantle Editor Samantha Ding Designer

copy Jasmine Lin Editor Julianne Wey Editor Tiffany Yip Asst. Editor backpage Joey McGlone Editor Riley Robertson Editor Business Juan Saldana Manager Advertising Shannon Klein Manager * indicates member of the Editorial Board

Revitalized RVP deserves its current blanket tax funding I went to my first Rice Student Television meeting as a freshman during my first week at Rice. Having enjoyed film production in high school, I was excited to see what I could accomplish at the collegiate level. What I saw at that meeting didn’t impress me. The club seemed small, and there appeared to be a void of creativity. Their most exciting projects were filming student Senate meetings and cultural shows. Disappointed, I didn’t return for the next meeting.

Recommending our sole source of funding be removed is a highly drastic action in response to our genuine attempt to better serve student interests.

Later that semester, I saw a friend involved with his college’s student television station showcase his work there — an original miniseries, complete with several 23-minute episodes, that he wrote and directed.

Inspired, I came back to RTV the next year, determined to replicate my friend’s creative efforts. Over the next three years with RTV, I have seen mixed success. We made some creative videos that showcased our members’ passions and interests, but for the most part RTV continued being the “go-to” club for filming events. Nearly every weekend we had another cultural show to film. And a two-hour show takes four hours to film and six hours to edit. We were a team of student volunteers doing the work a professional organization would find overwhelming. I saw how the club was dying, year to year. At every semester’s interest meeting, potential new members would fill the room. They would all be like me during my first meeting — excited to begin their journey in video production. And just like me, they would all inevitably disappear in the next few weeks, disillusioned with the work we were doing.

No one, it turns out, has a passion for filming events.

During my tenure as RTV programming director, the core membership of the club shrank to four. Three were graduating the following year. Drastic action needed to be taken, or soon there wouldn’t be a club at all. Thus, in fall 2015 RTV leadership made the joint decision to rebrand our organization into one that more properly reflected student interests. We emerged as Rice Video Productions, emphasizing individual, creative projects, but still

retaining a dedication to filming the major events at Rice like Orientation Week, Beer Bike and Mr. Rice. The effect of our rebranding was immediate. We had a record amount of attendance at our first meeting of the year, but the most astounding part was that members were interested in staying involved. This revitalization culminated in our biggest project ever: the “NOD BODS” video, which involved over 20 Rice students.

It currently sits as one of our highest alltime most viewed videos on YouTube. It is a project I had been striven to accomplish ever since I saw my friend’s miniseries at his TV station. I was sure this was an important first step to restoring the vitality, reputation and creativity of Rice student television.

Unfortunately, many of you know the story after that. The Student Association decreed our rebranding a violation of our original goals as an organization and recommended that our blanket tax, the sole source of our funding, be removed. The student body will likely approve this decision since RTV in past years, due to a lack of student interest, has not been as visible around campus.

Still, there is a certain irony to this. Student interest in our club was dying, so we made a key decision that revitalized it. In response, despite our newfound successes in recruiting and retaining members, our funding may be revoked. One could even say RVP was more deserving of funding than RTV, and yet it is the other way around.

I believe we made the right decision in revamping our club into one Rice students are more interested in, in terms of both joining and watching our content. I also believe that recommending our sole source of funding be removed is a highly drastic action in response to our genuine attempt to better serve student interests. I hope the student body will recognize this unjustness and vote against depriving RVP of the resources it needs to continue rebuilding.

But no matter what happens, we as a club will move on. Despite the controversy, student membership remains the highest it has been in years. So, together we will see what Rice Video Productions accomplishes in the future, with or without blanket tax. I am confident its legacy will be greater than that of the stagnating Rice Television I saw during my first meeting all those years ago.

Jeremy Kao is a Hanszen College junior and RVP programming director

Errata

In the Feb. 10 issue of the Thresher, the article “RVP to potentially lose student funding” stated RVP receives $21,000 per year in blanket ta funding. RVP receives $16,000 per year, not $21,000, in blanket tax funding.

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.

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

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

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

OP-ED

the Rice Thresher

5

Letters to the Editor: Correcting the record: A response to the Thresher’s endorsement To the Editor: I would like to thank everyone for the incredible outpouring of support I have received for my campaign, especially over the past few days. In light of recent events, I want to take a moment to address the Thresher’s endorsement.

While I don’t agree with their characterization of my leadership style or vision for the SA, I would like to encourage everyone to participate in the debate in a civil manner. Vigorously represent your opinions, but be respectful of others. This campaign has always been driven by issues and with the purpose of uniting the student body behind important topics. I hope we can show this unity now. Whether you are thrilled, furious or somewhere in between, the ultimate decision is yours and yours alone. Get out and vote to make your voice heard.

While I disagree with the Thresher, I have an incredible amount of respect for the value that they serve in keeping our student body informed.

I am running to be president of the entire student body and their editors and writers are students too and deserve to be treated with the same level of respect as anyone else. I am not upset that I did not receive their endorsement, as Joan is an outstanding candidate, but I do believe that some of my policy positions were distorted in the Thresher’s endorsement, and I want to correct the record. Below are misrepresentations from the endorsement, in italics, and the facts correcting them. As I always do, I’ll allow students to draw their own conclusions.

“Thomas … hopes to serve as Rice’s voice outside the hedges” related to local, state and national policy topics.

I have repeated again and again that I hope to provide students with a platform to express their own thoughts on relevant policy issues that will affect our community. I do not wish to serve as Rice’s voice outside the hedges.

“Thomas’ stance against responding to affairs at individual colleges … neglects the president’s role in leading the student body.”

I care deeply about issues like sexual assault prevention and discussions around the alcohol policy, and feel that Rice student governance works better to address these issues when we collaborate. College leadership teams know their colleges’ unique culture and should be allowed to address individual events internally. However, I do believe that the SA is a body that should lead discussions about pervasive issues as a venue for unified, campus-wide action. I am not neglecting

the president’s role in leading the student body, but rather using the position more strategically.

“Unlike Thomas, who mostly has experience working with the Dean of Undergraduates as college president, Liu has been forced to consistently engage with a range of stakeholders.”

I have worked with numerous stakeholders over the past two and a half years. Not only do I have extensive experience working with SA members as a voting member and a member of the Blanket Tax Standing Committee, but I have also interacted with external stakeholders. As Lovett president, I have worked with President Leebron, Provost Miranda, Vice President Kirby, General Counsel Zansitis, Dean Hutchinson, Dean Taylor, Dean Ostdiek, the directors of Wellness and Student Activities, the Committee of Masters and members of the Faculty Senate.

Clearly, I have engaged with an extensive range of relevant stakeholders.

In reference to my vote against a popular amendment to SB#4, “Thomas’ readiness to equate procedural checks honoring student opinion to political nonsense … is confusing at best and concerning at worst.”

I am committed to fostering a representative, responsive and fair SA and university administration for all students. The Thresher condemns me for voting against a popular amendment that they believe would have made the CTIS Task Force more representative of student interests. However, they neglect to report that the following week I proposed the tabling of a vote on CTIS Task Force nominations to ensure that every student had the opportunity to consider applying.

As president of Lovett, I have worked as a mediator and a facilitator around difficult dialogues to ensure the voices of everyone in my community are heard. You can ask my community and they will tell you that I approach dialogues as a listener first, allowing members of the community to direct the conversation.

Once again, I am not concerned that I did not receive the endorsement nor am I accusing the Thresher of malicious bias, I just want to set the record straight and ensure that voters are making an informed choice.

A version of this letter was originally published on Thomas’s campaign website.

Griffin Thomas SA Presidential Candidate Lovett College ’17

Endorsement misrepresents Thomas To the Editor: Late Sunday night, the Thresher put out an endorsement for SA president based in slander by fundamentally misrepresenting Griffin Thomas and who he can be as a leader. This view is based on speculation rather than evidence and Griffin’s responses at Friday’s Thresher-hosted debate.

During the debate, the Thresher did not ask questions pertaining to the relevant personal leadership experience they now criticize Griffin of lacking. Any praise they gave Joan as a leader dedicated to listening to the student body can and does absolutely compare to Griffin’s experience as a leader of Lovett. He has been a mediator and facilitator within the college while discussing sensitive issues, such as the college climate surrounding sexual violence and queer inclusivity. During campus-wide debates about SB#4, Griffin explained the bill’s content and encouraged questions in order to represent Lovett’s views in the campus-wide vote.

The Thresher contrasts Joan and Griffin by painting Joan in a light of inclusivity of all students’ ideas. However, representation without action means nothing. Griffin has acted repeatedly as a “listener and mediator,” then used student voices to criticize campus processes and work with administration to remedy the issues.

His track record of listening to student needs demonstrates he will act on inclusive initiatives in a way that could productively change our campus climate.

Our SA president must understand the goals of the student body, work with the administration to achieve common goals and represent student interests beyond our campus. Joan may claim to do this, but she disregards athletes, lowincome students, first-generation students and

international students — populations for whom Griffin has pledged to make all aspects of the Rice experience more accessible. While Griffin expressed a plan to work with organizations in which minority student populations are already involved, Joan answered the same question about the inclusion of minority voices on campus with a plan to work with the colleges to communicate the SA agenda, demonstrating that she misunderstands the extent to which the college system similarly fails to represent minority students.

The Thresher overlooked Griffin’s interest in connecting Rice outside the hedges in an attempt to prove that Griffin does not understand how to represent diverse student views; however, their example of Joan’s tangible dedication to student engagement in the form of her inviting a Houston Equal Rights Ordinance activist to a Senate meeting was misguided. HERO’s campus presence can be largely attributed not to Joan but two other Rice students.

I usually try to make a point of standing behind strong women like Joan, but in this case, we are all more represented by Griffin, who has demonstrated an actual interest in both listening to and actively representing students. While I would understand the endorsement if it were based on Joan’s merits as a candidate, it was a slam against Griffin, based on misrepresentation of facts. If the endorsement truly does capture all of Joan’s merits, then Griffin Thomas is by far the more qualified candidate to represent a forwardmoving Rice.

A version of this letter was originally posted on Facebook.

Bridget Schilling Lovett College ’17

Joan deserves Thresher endorsement To the Editor: It filled me with great excitement on Monday morning to see Joan Liu acknowledged for her long-standing commitment to do what is best for Rice students through the Student Association.

I’ve always known Joan to be reasonable, quick on her feet, and an incredibly selfless person.

These qualities have shined throughout her diverse career in the SA, as she has brought meaningful changes to our student government and life, such as helping to reform the blanket tax process and chartering a working group to stimulate discussions on sexual wellbeing and mental health.

Moreover, Joan is determined to create realistic, tangible solutions for all current and future students, and is not relying on idealistic fallacies and sound bites to get elected. It is unnerving to see how easily Rice students can fall into a rabbit hole of “anti-establishment” rhetoric, and overlook the reality of complex situations, such as sexual assault and the alcohol policy.

For example, in working with administration and Student Judicial Programs, students must realize how their tone and actions impact the productiveness of their relationship with these institutions. In the end, Joan is the candidate more intimately familiar with the workings (and non-workings) of the SA, and knows how to effectively spearhead conversations with these administrators with a student-supported stance.

On the other side of this endorsement, it fills me with embarrassment as a Rice student to see

the way a handful of students have childishly responded solely because their candidate was not endorsed. While most criticisms are founded in the Thresher’s approach to crafting their endorsement, others have discredited the article as a whole, delegitimizing Joan’s merits and making her endorsement seem unduly given. Do I believe the Thresher is an infallible news source? No, but they had a very difficult choice on their hands, given the strong performances from both candidates on Friday night.

Joan and Griffin agreed on many topics at the debate, but Joan was able to respond in a more nuanced way that captured the complexities of the issues rather than relying on the “political theatrics” Griffin attempted to dismiss. In the end, the Thresher joined Joan in her more grounded vision for the future of our student body and representative government. Given the debate performances and campaign platforms, I think any news organization would recognize Joan’s undeniably superior ability to navigate our campus’ issues and politics. Therefore, I encourage you to #JoinJoan as well, as she is entirely deserving of your vote, and I sincerely believe she will accomplish more through the SA than Griffin would in a way that best reflects our very diverse student body.

A version of this letter was originally posted on Facebook.

Ryan Saathoff Jones College ’16

Thresher endorsement warranted To the Editor: In discussing the Thresher’s endorsement with friends and acquaintances, I’ve realized that many students aren’t aware the use of endorsements is standard protocol for both university and regular newspapers. The vast majority of newspapers endorse candidates. The Thresher endorses a candidate every year, as do most college newspapers, so their decision to continue with that tradition this year is to be expected.

The thoughts and opinions expressed in the editorial are not meant to be objective — that’s why it’s an editorial. Most importantly, the endorsement does not cross the threshold into territory that is inflammatory or disrespectful.

You may disagree with the editorial (I myself take issue with some of the points that were made), but it maintains a professional and respectful tone while explaining why the staff believes Joan Liu would be the most suitable candidate.

As a university with no journalism program and limited funding for student publications, people do what they can. The Rice Thresher might not be the New York Times or the Harvard Crimson, but they collectively put in hundreds of hours a week so that we continue to have a weekly newspaper.

I’m not a fan of bashing anything unless I have ideas or input on how to make it better.

If you care about the state of our student newspaper, I encourage you to consider joining the staff or finding other ways to improve it. If you think our school needs a better student magazine, consider writing a thought piece for the Rice Standard (Hello!

Literally just email me with an idea and we’ll get you set up). If students want to create another campus paper, and if that paper’s editorial board wants to endorse a different candidate, they are welcome to do so. But asking the Thresher to withhold endorsement — especially when doing so is standard protocol for college newspapers across the country — strikes me as unfair and illogical.

Bottom line: If you want to file a complaint about something, do it in a constructive way.

There’s no need to bash the people who take a significant chunk out of their time here to write what they do, and to ensure that you get your new issue every Wednesday.

A version of this letter was originally posted on Facebook.

Abraham Younes Will Rice College ‘16

A clarification on the benefits of collaboration in the EVP position To the Editor: After the debate, the Thresher released their endorsement for Student Association external vice president and I congratulate Hannah Todd on her endorsement. However, I feel the need to clarify my platform, as the endorsement left me unjustly misrepresented.

The Thresher stated my “platform’s lack of other specific initiatives” revealed my “unfamiliarity with the responsibilities the EVP role entails, such as mentoring and empowering senators.” While I understand how one could think lacking specific initiatives implies being unqualified for a position, I respectfully disagree with this assessment.

After working on the executive team for a year, I have learned a tremendous amount about setting team goals. You will see broad statements of the same nature on my platform. While it is not inaccurate to say I have omitted a specific plan from my statement, it is inaccurate to conclude this makes me less qualified for the position. This year, I have learned the important difference between broad goals and specific initiatives. A successful team creates broad goals together

and works individually on specific projects to achieve those goals.

My platform was carefully crafted with much consideration about what the EVP is and is not expected to do. I feel qualified to speak to this point after working closely all year with our current EVP. Simply put, the main role of the EVP is not to work on projects, but rather to mentor senators to pursue their own projects.

One of my goals is, in fact, to encourage senators and equip them with the tools necessary to successfully implement projects.

While I do have ideas for how to implement the goals in my platform, I believe the best ideas come from collaborating with others.

I understand it may be concerning that my platform does not contain specific initiative ideas, but I ask you to think logically about how you prefer to work in a group. Specific ideas are always helpful, but the team is there to brainstorm and help make your ideas even better.

Learn more about my platform on my Facebook event!

Brianna Singh SA EVP Candidate Hanszen College ’18

arts

ENTERTAINMENT

6

Cooking Girl trumps Mala Sichuan Denise Lee

For the Thresher

courtesy pin lim/forest photography

Duncan College junior Yena Han stars as Eurydice in the Rice Theatre Program’s production of the Sarah Ruhl play ‘Eurydice.’ This modern reinterpretation of a classic Greek myth follows a young woman into the underworld to reunite with her father. The show runs Feb. 18 through 20 at Hamman Hall. Tickets are $5 for Rice students, $8 for alumni, faculty, staff and senior citizens and $10 for general admission.

‘Eurydice’ cast attempts to salvage mediocre material Cannon Lewis Thresher Staff

The unique power of myth is simplicity.

By reducing characters to a few key traits and flaws, myths allow a reader to reflect on those qualities in their own life. In contrast to myth, real life is complex and difficult to understand, filled with self-contradiction, unclear motivation and shades of gray. In “Eurydice,” author Sarah Ruhl seeks to combine the intricacies of the real world with the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and the resultant mixture comes across as both too modern for its inspiration and too simple for its overall tone. Though the Rice Theatre Program’s rendition of the play, directed

by Christina Keefe, is assisted by some competent set design and direction, the play as a whole fails to find an overarching theme and ultimately fails to entertain.

The Rice Theatre Program’s production of “Eurydice” stars Duncan College junior Yena Han as Eurydice, beloved of the legendary musician Orpheus, played by Jones College sophomore Justin Bernard. Unfortunately, the characters of Eurydice and Orpheus are so stilted and two-dimensional in “Eurydice” that, though Bernard and Han do a fine job with their lines, it is difficult to feel empathy for either. This is especially problematic for Han, who is arguably the main character and yet spends the play parroting first Orpheus’ inane poeticisms and then the filial small talk spoken by her father, played

by McMurtry College resident associate Brad Blunt. Blunt truly steals the show in this regard, as he is the only actor whose acting carries real emotional impact. While the supposed love between Bernard and Han

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

feels forced and confused, Blunt conveys a depth of fatherly affection that is remarkably genuine. McMurtry senior Juan Cruz is notable as the surreally childish Lord of the Underworld, but his appearance is only a momentary distraction from the somber trek that is “Eurydice.”

In its simplest form, the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tale of love, loss and tragic impatience.

Despite this play’s thematic issues, “Eurydice” benefits from excellent direction, set design and lighting. The play does not feature much action, but the actors make use of the whole space, especially in an interstitial scene during which Blunt hangs pieces of string from hooks for five minutes to make a room for Han. Though this scene does not help the issues that the play has with pacing, it is an intriguing directorial choice that fits tonally. The set is minimal, consisting solely of some stairs, a deck, a door and a water pump, yet it manages to convey both the cheer of a wedding party and the depression of the underworld. The lighting is similarly sparse, but directs audience attention well

without being distracting. Subtle changes in color follow the progression of the plot, lending the progressively more melancholy themes additional weight.

In its simplest form, the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice is a tale of love, loss and tragic impatience. Orpheus loses his beloved, Eurydice, and through the power of his music is able to strike a deal with Hades to retrieve Eurydice from the underworld. However, just before he returns to the surface with Eurydice, Orpheus looks behind to see if she is with him, thereby breaking his contract with Hades and causing Eurydice to remain behind. In Ruhl’s “Eurydice,” this story is told in a more modern setting, and the above two sentences are rendered in a 90-minute production that highlights not the love between Orpheus and Eurydice, but rather the relationship between Eurydice and her dead father. While this premise is not inherently problematic, the writing’s execution leaves something to be desired. Instead of a tragic tale about two lovers, “Eurydice” presents what is essentially a selfindulgent, somewhat infantile desire to return to childhood and the attendant unconditional love of a father. When presented as a play, this desire is communicated in stilted dialogue, a confusingly slow pace and a general lack of charm or passion. Even the climactic moment where Orpheus turns to see Eurydice is robbed of its original power, leaving the play without any moral or emotional verve.

Through no fault of the Rice Theatre Program cast and crew, “Eurydice” is simply too melancholy, plodding and self-obsessed to genuinely entertain. Despite Rice Theatre’s admirable attempt to give “Eurydice” life, I would not recommend it, as it lacks even an interesting message to make up for its other flaws.

The first time I was handed a bowl of dan dan noodles, it was on the side of the road under the hot sun in Chengdu, China.

I was told there were two components to Sichuanese food: “ma,” the numbing of the tongue caused by Sichuan peppercorns, and “la,” the spicy, burning sensation that most of us are familiar with. Ever since I left the birthplace of Sichuan food, I have always craved the exciting juxtaposition of the two sensations. Naturally, I was thrilled when I found out that there were not one, but two Sichuan restaurants inside the Houston loop where I could satisfy my spicy Chinese food cravings without making the lengthy drive out to Chinatown. During my recent visit to Cooking Girl, I sought out the classic dishes in order to adequately compare the two establishments.

Upon entering Mala and Cooking Girl, you experience two very different vibes.

Mala has a very swanky, upscale feel, with sleek decor, dim lights and modern furniture. In contrast, Cooking Girl has a much more traditional vibe, with Chinese paintings on the walls and waitresses firing off rapid small talk in Mandarin.

In terms of service, Mala already has a Chinatown location and is in the swing of the restaurant business, making the dining experience proceed quite smoothly.

Cooking Girl is a small space, usually resulting in a longer wait, especially as the restaurant tries to get the hang of quickly serving guests. While service at Cooking Girl is relatively slower, you do get a complimentary dish of seasoned crackers (which look suspiciously like Cheez-Its) to munch on while you wait.

Cooking Girl Address: 315 Fairview St. 77006 Phone number: (832) 649-7175 Price range: $$ Website: thecookinggirls.com

Recommended Dishes Mapo tofu, $8.99 Soft and tender tofu in spicy red chili and bean sauce Super Triple Cubic Beef! $12.99 Crispy beef cubes with peanuts and celery topped with cracked red pepper

The menu at Cooking Girl is pretty small, with a focus on both dishes “classic” to the Sichuan province as well as some house specialties. Mala’s menu is much larger, with many more different types of appetizers, meat and vegetables to choose from. For appetizers, dan dan noodles is a classic to try at both restaurants — a simple bowl of noodles topped with minced pork, scallions, chopped peanuts and some vegetables. Mala and Cooking 0see SICHUAN, page 8

TROJAN WOMEN

EX MACHINA

SOUND OF MUSIC

TEA FESTIVAL

Until March 5, the Obsidian Theater is performing their bold reimagining of Euripides’ tragedy, “The Trojan Women.” Obsidian’s rendition places the classic story of the fall of Troy in modern Africa.

Shows run at 8 p.m., Thursdays through Saturdays and student tickets are only $10.

Missed the theater run of this Oscar-winning tech-thriller? You’re in luck! River Oaks Theater is featuring two midnight screenings this weekend, Friday and Saturday night.

The movie follows two tech workers and Ava, a robot so sophisticated she’s dangerous through a web of betrayal and manipulation.

The hills are alive, guys. The Von Trapp children are back and better than ever in this Broadway at the Hobby Center production of the classic musical “The Sound of Music,” directed by the three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien.

Shows run Feb. 16 to 21.

Calling all Earl Grey fanatics and Chamomile cravers: This event is literally your cup of tea.

Please welcome the first Annual Houston Tea Festival, Feb. 20 to 21. Enjoy events ranging from famous teas spokespeople to documentary tea films.

Obsidian Theater 3522 White Oak obsidiantheater.org

River Oaks Theatre 2009 West Gray landmarktheatres.com

Hobby Center — Sarofim Hall 800 Bagby St. houston.broadway.com

University of Houston Clear Lake 2700 Bay Area Blvd. houstonteafestival.com

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

A&E

the Rice Thresher

7

Rice graduate headlines for reopening of New York City Opera Lydia Dick

Thresher Staff

courtesy sarah shatz

Since graduating from Rice in 1999, renowned opera singer Kristin Sampson has performed leading roles in numerous productions all over the world. Most recently, Sampson headlined in the New York City Opera’s reopening debut, “Tosca.” The NYCO ran into financial problems following the 2008 recession and declared bankruptcy in 2013. Anticipation and tension presided over the Opera’s revival performance that came after over two years of legal battles. The NYCO prides itself for its tradition of performing “the people’s opera,” providing audiences with accessible material and low ticket prices since its inception in 1943 to abolish views of the opera as a form of elitist entertainment. Their 2016 season opened with the hope that the people of New York would embrace it once more.

When I asked her about performing in “Tosca,” Sampson stressed the energy surrounding the performance. “The excitement that night — you felt it all around you. From the orchestra members who were playing in the pit looking up with you with tears in their eyes because they are back together to the stage managers who were just so happy to be there,” Sampson said.

The NYCO chose “Tosca” as a nod to the company’s roots.

“They went back to what they feel honored the original mission which was to produce work from what you would consider the classic canon of repertoire … Tosca in particular because when the company was originally founded they launched it with ‘Tosca,’” Sampson said.

Everything from the flat-painted backdrop to the heavily ornate costumes hailed back to the original aesthetic that NYCO emulated from its inception.

Sampson attributes her success to the invaluable mentors she has met throughout her career, including Joyce Farwell, Debra Dickinson and Tom Jaber, who instructed her during her time at the Shepherd School of Music.

“All of them with their guidance and expertise really provided a monumental foundation for me,” Sampson said.

The structure of Sampson’s Rice education also eased her transition into the professional music world.

“Yes, you have your academia … and you really do get a thorough background in theory and the fundamentals of what it takes to be a music major, but [the instructors] go further than that because they hold you accountable as a performer … in terms of what I have done with my life thereafter it just helped me formulate what I needed as the discipline side of it to pursue what I do every day with my career, the structure and just their guidance was very instrumental in my life and my success,” Sampson said.

Reviews from the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal of NYCO’s “Tosca” were mixed, but this did not seem to faze Sampson.

“Immediately after each one of our shows closed, there was an instant standing ovation from our audiences, and by definition NYCO is the people’s opera and to see the people in the audience respond the way they did that is a more important response than any reviewer wrote,” Sampson said.

Now that “Tosca” is over, Sampson has a fully booked schedule of concerts and performances around the globe, from an upcoming production of “Carmen” in the San Francisco Bay Area to concerts lined up in Hungary and Viterbo, Italy.

Entering the professional world can seem daunting, and it can be difficult to discern the correct path to a successful career, particularly in the realm of the music industry. Sampson gave some words of advice for young graduates: “Figure out what you’re good at — what it is that you do better than anyone else — that’s the thing you need to pursue.” She also stressed the importance of utilizing the Rice community.

“Most of the people around you are going to be your colleagues for the rest of your life,” Sampson said. “Don’t forget to use each other as a wonderful support system and resource in your professional life.”

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A&E

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

the Rice Thresher

This Week in Photos

‘The Final Project’ debuts with found footage aesthetic Ryan Lee

Thresher Staff

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esher Baker College sophomo re Seohee Kim perfor ms in a traditional Korean fan dan ce at the Chinese Stu dent Association’s celebration of Lunar New Year on Sa turday, Feb. 13, emceed by Jones Col lege freshman Emily Shen and McMurtry College freshm an Alex Kang (pictured below left).

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infographic by samantha ding

0 SICHUAN from page 6 Girl tie on this traditional dish, doing a great job of leaving me scrambling for water after each bite. Each chopstick-full of long, chewy noodles, seasoned pork and spicy chili sauce fueled both the tears and sweat streaming down my face from the spice, as well as the desire to continue shoveling the delicious noodles into my mouth.

Mapo tofu, a dish that is fundamental to Sichuanese cuisine, was a different story.

Though slight variations exist, the basic dish consists of soft cubes of tofu resting in a bright red spicy chili and bean sauce. It is a dish that is not hard to do well, but it is difficult to perfect it. Cooking Girl won me over with its mapo tofu. With soft and silky cubes of

tofu that melt upon hitting your tongue, an addictively flaming hot chili bean sauce and freshly chopped scallions sprinkled on top, I was surprised by how much my meat-loving friends and I gulped down the tofu. The secret is in the sauce — while Mala’s mapo tofu sauce is ever-so-slightly greasy, leaving me feeling like I dunked my lips in a tasty bowl of Vaseline, Cooking Girl’s sauce was like a heated blanket on a winter’s evening.

I was physically left with a sense of warmth and the comfort of home-cooked food after this dish.

Other “classic” dishes, such as the dryfried green string beans, were delicious at both restaurants. While Mala flavors its green beans with a bit more garlic flavor, something I personally love, Cooking Girl fries their green beans just a tad longer to create a more interesting juxtaposition of texture. Meat dishes are pretty popular at both restaurants

— the spicy fried chicken pieces dish is a popular choice at Mala, and while Cooking Girl parallels that offering, they also have a “special” that was recommended by the waitress: A very aptly named “Super Triple Cubic Beef!” (exclamation mark included) not only had crispy beef cubes, but also pieces of sauteed peanuts and celery, which were a welcome addition to the mass of dried, cracked red peppers and meat.

While both Mala Sichuan and Cooking Girl have their individual merits, I will certainly recommend Cooking Girl over Mala when I am craving dishes with a home-cooked flair. With Cooking Girl’s smaller menu, the dining experience proved that they can focus on being excellent at each dish that they prepare. While it’s true that the choice is between two great restaurants, Cooking Girl provides a unique dining experience that fills both the stomach and the soul.

Any aspiring filmmaker knows that the film industry is an unforgiving one. Financialand distribution-related woes inevitably weigh down even the purest of passion projects. Even if the film manages to wring itself through the logistical nightmare, it will be splayed out to the saturated market to be torn apart by the circling critics. Under this spotlight is Taylor Ri’chard’s directing debut, “The Final Project,” in which a group of college students investigates the paranormal activity of a historic plantation in Louisiana.

“The Final Project” marries a Lovecraftian South with the found footage aesthetic.

Unfortunately, found footage is the lowhanging fruit for pundits, who are quick to challenge the genre’s apparent contradictions.

The form begs the audience to suspend their moment of disbelief yet consistently breaks the rules of cinema by drawing attention to it.

As a practical challenge, its cost effectiveness and handle to the horror element make it an attractive but crowded arena for many student filmmakers. Despite its current reputation as a hackneyed trope, it has its roots in experimental filmmaking. The frequent reminders of self-awareness and the use of the shaky-cam effect lead critics to dismiss its excessive impulses. However, found footage is really an exercise in restraint — restraint in that it calls for the director to relinquish creative control such as lighting. It is a hard ball to juggle, as the trade-off for a believable illusion is a filmmaker’s apparent skills.

Ri’chard shares his experience with the genre and its difficulties.

Micro-budget films can serve to fill in where Hollywood misses.

“This will be my one and only found footage film; I had a great time with it,” Ri’chard said.

“But it’s time for me to move on to something different and to show my directing talent in a different way.”

Micro-budget films can serve to fill in where Hollywood misses. Especially in light of the “Oscars So White” controversy, “The Final Project” reflects timeliness with its diverse cast of characters. Notably, Arin Jones plays one of the people of color in the ensemble and carries a worthy performance. Ri’chard discussed the importance of diversity in his vision.

“What I bring to the table is diversity,” Ri’chard said. “Diversity will be my driving factor because I want everyone to take part of what I’m creating.”

The film industry is a cutthroat business, and in that regard, like any enterprise. College students can especially relate to the Sisyphean struggle a first-time director experiences.

Just putting oneself “out there” feels like an immeasurable task. And even so, sometimes effort does not correlate with reception.

“The Final Project” had its limited release on Feb. 12 and will be widely released on March 4.

Mala Sichuan Bistro Address: 1201 Westheimer Rd. 77006 Phone number: (832) 767-0911 Price range: $$ Website: bit.ly/MalaSichuan

Recommended Dishes Dan dan noodles, $4.95 Thick noodles in soup with minced pork and scallions Dry fried green beans, $7.95 A classic fresh green bean dish, sauteed and flash-fried

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

WHAT’S HIP RIGHT NOW WEBSITE: What-Dog.net

courtesy what-dog

A&E

the Rice Thresher

TECH:

by kaylen strench

TRENDING:

OMGYes

Drone Racing League

courtesy omgyes

In a phrase: Find your spirit dog.

Where to find it: what-dog.net.

In a phrase: Khan Academy for the clit.

Where to find it: omgyes.com.

I think most of us have visited one of those “upload your photo to the Internet” websites before. In 11th grade, I used InStyle.com’s “Hollywood Hair Virtual Makeover” to see what I would look like with fringe bangs (horrible) and a pixie cut (worse). Later on, I had a friend (not me) use MakeMeBabies.com, which merged her picture and her crush’s picture into a really, really ugly baby intended to represent our … I mean their future child.

Anyway, I’m here to tell you that the best one yet has officially arrived. What-Dog.net uses your uploaded pics (or whoever else’s) to tell you what breed of dog you are and your mutual personality traits. For instance, according to the website, I’m an English cocker spaniel, and I’m “outgoing, need to be told and told again and athletic.” See, it’s not only fun, it’s perfectly accurate — at least two out of three accurate. I would tell you to try it for yourself, but I know you’re probably way ahead of me by this sentence.

As a vagina possessor myself, I will be the first to tell you that the clit is, as my friend once said, a “f******* Rubik’s Cube.”

Except, it’s more like a Rubik’s Cube that you can figure out yourself, and yet be unable to explain the solution to anyone else. In my opinion, any company that can decipher the vagina is more exciting and important than freaking Apple or Microsoft.

Guys, what a time to be alive. Tech company OMGYes promises to teach us the code to the clitoris for the low, low price of $59. Essentially, the founders worked with several major research institutes and doctorate degrees to do a large-scale study of women’s pleasure, and used the results to create a series of “touchable” videos that allow you to practice creating a variety of orgasms (yes, there’s more than one) with guided instruction. For the love of God, Rice lovers of women, please get this thing.

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BOOKS:

‘HP & the Cursed Child’

courtesy drl

courtesy harry potter

In a phrase: It’s as badass as it sounds.

Where to find it: You can pretty much participate anywhere.

In a phrase: Harry Potter Book 8, but a play.

Where to find it: It should come out July 31.

Guys, this is way cool. Recently, a new professional league has sprung up around a new, very 2016 kind of sport: drone racing.

That’s right — in the league’s competitions, pilots direct their drones around an urban course at lightening fast speeds up to 80 mph, trying to finish in the fastest time. The pilots control the drones from a distance, wearing futuristic “first-person view” goggles to see the drone’s course. The online clips make it look like a real-life video game.

The Drone Racing League is brand spanking new, and as of now there have been only two races — but it has plans to get big. The league says it will pay its pilots, scouted from around the world based on YouTube and Instagram videos, and with continued sponsorship, championships could ultimately offer some pretty big cash prizes. So, if you have just come to terms with the fact that you’ll never play in the NBA (sorry bud), there still might be an opportunity for glory in the DRL.

If you’re a true Potter fan, then I’m sure you’ve known about this for a while, but I for one was (still am) in shock. It turns out J.K. Rowling wasn’t done telling Harry’s tale (cashing in) after the seventh installment of her beloved series. Harry Potter 8, as I will call it, will tell the story of Harry’s apparently really bad kid, Albus, 19 years after the last book ended. It’s also interesting to note that you won’t get the story in Rowling’s traditional book form, because the new story isn’t really a book at all.

That’s right, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is actually a play that will open in London on July 30, and the supposed “new book” is really a script. So basically, if you’re rich, you get to see the authentic version, and if you can’t afford a London flight and a really expensive play ticket (*cough cough* me), well, you just have to act it out with some of your buddies. I don’t know, I feel kind of bitter (cheated, outraged), but don’t let me spoil your potential joy.

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Kidd’s Korner Teamwork, talent equally valuable to winning teams This past week I was tasked with writing the 2016 Rice Owls Baseball season preview for the Thresher. In constructing this piece, I searched through many online sources, including season statistics, game recaps and national polls.

In doing this, I tended to gravitate toward information that portrayed the team in a positive light. However, reporting on the team’s fruitful campaigns caused me to realize that while success is most definitely welcomed and significant, it still remains just one aspect of the game of baseball.

By prioritizing success above other facets of the game, I am doing baseball — and my experiences as a manager of the team — a huge disservice. With this being said, I’ve learned that true passion and a love for the game should triumph over all other aspects, including success. Awards and accolades dwindle over time, but the memories you make while playing the game you love (or being around the game, in my case) have more permanence.

The talent is there, the drive is there and I believe the Owls will be ready on Feb. 19.

This 2016 team is, no doubt, very talented.

The pitchers have worked tirelessly to add velocity to their pitches, throw strikes and command the running game while on the mound. The hitters are also prepared. The position players have worked on tightening up their strike zone, staying on top and driving the ball and perfecting their batting stances and techniques. Defensively, they have worked on taking ground balls, increasing their range and communicating. The talent is there, the drive is there, and I believe the Owls will be ready on Feb. 19.

The motto every season around the clubhouse is “Owlmaha.” The phrase combines Rice’s mascot and the name of the College World Series’ host town, Omaha, Nebraska. In fact, “Owlmaha16” is the password on my laptop.

Participating in this tournament is a coveted goal of every NCAA baseball team. However, over time, we have witnessed many National Championship tournaments in which the eight competing teams are not the most talented in the country. Instead, they have a cohesiveness that distinguishes them from the competition and compensates for a relative lack of talent.

This goes to show that teams, which are comprised of trusting, dedicated players, go further than simple groups of outstanding and talented players sharing a field. These teams have a recognizable spirit and work ethic; something present in Rice’s 2016 baseball squad. As the season progresses, I hope this group blossoms into something truly special.

I believe the best advice this year’s team can receive is to, simply, “go out and have fun.” Play the game each day as if it was your last opportunity to do so; truly find joy in playing together, motivating one another, picking each other up; and define what it means to be a team, win or lose. The potential for greatness comes about by mastering those aspects of the game, and those attributes, I believe, result in success.

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

Michael Kidd

is a Lovett College junior and manager of the Rice baseball team

jake nyquist/thresher

Sophomore outfielder Ryan Chandler fouls a pitch into the dirt during an afternoon game. Chandler, who was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball Magazine in 2015, will look to lead the Owls to a 21st straight conference championship and a berth in the College World Series this season.

Baseball opens the season with high hopes Michael Kidd Thresher Staff

What’s the only thing better than 20 consecutive conference championships? 21.

This season, the Rice University baseball team will look to earn its 21st successive Conference USA title. The Owls’ spring 2016 campaign will begin at Reckling Park Friday, Feb. 19 against the University of Arizona.

According to a Collegiate Baseball Magazine poll, Rice is currently ranked No. 20 in the country.

Last year’s rodeo Rice is coming off a 37-22 season (228 in Conference USA play) during which they won their 20th consecutive conference championship. The 2016 squad also qualified for the NCAA tournament for the 21st consecutive year, the fourth longest streak in the nation.

The Owls went on to earn a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Houston Regional. However, the team was eliminated from post-season play by the University of Louisiana, Lafayette.

This year’s roster consists of 13 new faces, all of whom are talented freshmen from across the nation. The freshmen hail from Florida, New Jersey, Colorado and elsewhere. The Owls also had 13 new players last year, meaning this year’s club is primarily made up of underclassmen.

Last season, three of the most formidable pitchers for Rice, Jordan Stephens, Austin Orewiler and Matt Ditman, were selected in the

2015 MLB draft. Stephens, a fifth-round pick by the White Sox, was the team’s Friday night starter during the latter half of the season and the go-to guy for big game situations. Orewiler served the role of the primary reliever out of the bullpen and left his legacy at Rice by throwing 9 1/3 shutout innings in relief against the Cougars.

Ditman was the closer for the Owls for the last two seasons and departs Rice with 20 saves, the second most saves in school history. Fortunately for the Owls, their pitching staff has performed well during the fall and spring practices.

I would say if we can avoid injuries and the pitching evolves like we think it will, we have a national contender.

Wayne Graham

Baseball Head Coach

The perfect pitching Focusing specifically on the matchup with Arizona this weekend, assistant coach

Patrick Hallmark said he feels throwing strikes and landing the breaking ball is key.

“Throwing strikes is most important, you always want to limit the free pass [and] that is priority number one,” Hallmark said. “But after that we have to do some other things like be able to throw the off-speed pitch while behind in the count.”

The head of the weekend rotation will be senior left-handed pitcher Blake Fox. This year, Fox was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Preseason AllAmerican and was tabbed by Conference USA as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Fox is 26-2 in his Rice career with a 2.45 ERA in over 220 career innings for the Owls.

Another pitcher to watch for the Owls this season is junior Jon Duplantier. Duplantier was sidelined all of last season due to an injury but is looking to have a breakout season as one of Rice’s weekend starters.

Two summers ago, Duplantier was named the California Collegiate League’s top prospect; he has a fastball capable of reaching 95 mph.

Other pitchers will compete for starting roles this season. Sophomores Ricky Salinas and Glenn Otto each had excellent freshman campaigns. Salinas started in five games for the Owls last season, most notably against the University of Texas and the University of Arizona and led Rice to victories both times.

His 1.00 walks plus hits per innings pitched was the best of all relievers.

0see BASEBALL, page 11

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

SPORTS

the Rice Thresher

11

The Final Kauntdown Rice men’s and women’s basketball must overcome obstacles before they can contend for Conference USA titles

jessica kelly/thresher

Freshman guard Lauren Grigsby follows up the court behind junior forward Adaeze Obinnah during the Owls’ 69-58 loss against the University of North Carolina, Charlotte on Thursday. The game was Rice’s annual “Play 4Kay” game, an event supporting breast cancer awareness and research.

0BASEBALL from page 10 Otto led the staff in ERA last season with a 1.54 mark and registered 65 strikeouts in just 41 innings. He was recently named to the initial watch list for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year award given to the nation’s top reliever and had a standout summer in the California Collegiate League. Other notable arms include sophomores Josh Pettitte and Willy Amador and senior Austin Solecitto, who each have made vast improvements from last season. Freshmen who may see action early on and often include Zach Esquivel, Jackson Parthasarathy and Evan Kravetz.

Fox said he plans to help out not only his fellow pitchers but the entire squad by the way he competes daily.

“This is my senior season … and I’m just trying to be an encouragement [to the guys] because when we are winning it’s great but when we are losing it’s not [as] fun,” Fox said. “But I will try to pick people up when I can, be an example … and a person who goes out and competes.”

Taking the field On the opposite side of the ball, the Owls hitters will look to regroup after the departure of three of the team’s top offensive threats last season in second baseman Ford Stainback, left fielder Kirby Taylor and catcher John Clay Reeves.

Hitting coach Clay Van Hook said he expects a strong offensive performance from this year’s team.

“I think in terms of our offense, this is about as athletic as we have ever been,” Van Hook said. “I feel we have guys who have a combination of a good approach with the right tools and athleticism that will help us become a pretty productive offense.”

Van Hook also works with the position players on defense and said the team will look to cut back on the unusually high 82 errors committed last season.

“Obviously defense is something that our program has been known for for a long time and … one thing we harped on in the fall and we will harp on early is consistency,” Van Hook said. “[It’s about] making the plays that we can make but also making the plays that can stop momentum.”

In the infield, senior second baseman Grayson Lewis and senior first baseman Connor Teykl return to start for the Owls.

Lewis moves over from third base, his position last year. Sophomore Dane Myers will take over for Lewis at third, and sophomore Tristan Gray and freshman Ford Proctor are battling for the starting role at shortstop.

Looking to play more of a role this season, Meyers said he feels that there are very few holes in the infield and in the offense in general.

“It should be a really fun year, the squad is looking really good, the whole team is playing as one,” Myers said. “I take offense [to those who say Rice is predominantly pitching] because I feel that we can swing it pretty well, it’s now a case of proving it. I feel like [in] our one through nine we don’t have an ‘easy out’ we can all hit if we plan to go up there and battle to have good at-bats.”

The Owls have considerable depth and speed in the outfield that they will look to use to their advantage this season.

Sophomore Ryan Chandler has taken the role of center field after batting .301 during his freshman year and committing just one error all season. For his performance last year, he was named the Conference USA Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American. Prior to this season, Chandler was selected to the First Team All-Conference USA. Chandler believes that the accolades are welcome but do not mean much. He said the goal is working to get better every day along with his teammates.

“I’ve really learned since last year to buy into what the coaches have been teaching me and I can’t stress how important that is for some of the younger guys to do as well,” Chandler said. “Preseason awards don’t mean anything unless the team is successful

As we approach the end of the basketball season, there is little interest surrounding both the men’s and women’s teams. While either team could string a few wins together in the Conference USA tournament to qualify for the NCAA tournament, this is highly unlikely considering their struggles this season. Men’s basketball sits in 12th place in Conference USA with a record of 9-16 (4-8 in C-USA). Women’s basketball’s plight is similar as the team currently holds tenth place in Conference USA with a record of 5-18 (4-8 in C-USA). No amount of Shia LaBeouf emails can put a positive spin on this lackluster season.

This year’s freshman class was supposed to be the one that would spark Rice men’s basketball to four years of success. While there have been some highlights, especially the performance of freshman guard Marcus Evans, the team has not lived up to its preseason hype.

Last year, Rice hired Tina Langley from the University of Maryland to be the new women’s basketball head coach. Langley, like men’s basketball head coach Mike Rhoades, has experience as an associate head coach at a program that appeared in the Final Four. She was expected to bring a winning culture to Rice when she took the job following the Owls’ 9-21 season last year. Instead, the team opened the season with seven consecutive losses. There has been mild improvement since, but nothing has occurred to make it appear that the team can contend in Conference USA in the foreseeable future.

Some of the basketball teams’ difficulties can be attributed to inexperience. The men’s team currently rotates through a sevenman rotation, and three of those players are freshmen. It was expected that the team would suffer through a difficult period to open the season due to the number of players transitioning to the new style of play.

Unexpectedly, the team has not seemed to improve since the beginning of the season.

After starting the year 5-6 and notching an impressive road win at the University of New Mexico, the Owls have gone 4-10. Three of those wins were against the other three teams that hold a 4-8 record in Conference USA. Perhaps the only impressive win the Owls have earned since December was a 75-66 victory on the road against Old Dominion University this past week.

Although the team’s performance has been mediocre, the Owls’ freshmen have impressed.

The three freshmen who consistently play are each among the Owls’ top four scorers, but

those players cannot carry the team for the next three years. Rice will need another quality recruiting class to support these freshmen if it wants to contend for a Conference USA championship in the near future.

The women’s basketball team faces similar inexperience problems regarding its head coach. Langley has been on the job for only a few months now, so she has not had the chance to recruit players. Once she builds a roster of players she has recruited, it will be easier to judge her success as a coach. For now, she has helped Rice show a few signs of improvement this season. The team was consistently blown out early in the year. More recently, however, the Owls have lost by only three points to Western Kentucky University, which holds a record of 19-4 on the season, and have beaten Old Dominion, which is currently tied for fourth in Conference USA with a record of 7-5 in conference play. The team has appeared to adjust to Langley’s new system as the season has progressed.

Despite some encouraging signs from both the men’s and women’s teams, this season was not the turning point it was supposed to be for Rice basketball. It will take at least one more recruiting class for Rhoades to create the winning culture he wants, and it may take Langley several of them. Those classes will have to endure the same growing pains the current men’s freshman class is going through, so it may be two, three or even four years before men’s or women’s basketball can compete for a conference title. This season does not mean Rice basketball is not headed in the right direction.

It does, however, mean that the destination is still far down the road.

The Final Kauntdown is a column written

by Andrew Grottkau. The opinions expressed in the column are solely his own.

and I feel we have plenty of guys who I can trust.”

Junior Charlie Warren, who has the highest batting average of any returning player, returns to start in right field. He recorded three double plays from the outfield last season with his strong arm. Many other talented Owls like hard-hitting Dayne Wunderlich are competing for the final outfield spot.

Outfielders junior Andrew Dunlap, freshman Cody Staab and sophomore Khevin Brewer all add unique elements with their combination of offensive and defensive skill sets.

Senior Hunter Kopycinski will start behind the plate for Rice. He is one of just three seniors, along with Fox and Teykl, who has been part of the team for four seasons.

Kopycinski played in 49 of the team’s 59 games last year, starting at catcher 40 times. Known for his excellent defense and steady arm for most of his career at Rice, Kopycinski batted .309 last year and notched his most productive season, solidifying his position as the everyday catcher. Assisting in the backup catching this season will be two true freshmen, Dominic DiCaprio and Gavin Johnson, each with the potential to become top defenders or to compete for the designated hitter role. Sophomore Brandt Frazier will continue to primarily work with the relievers in the bullpen before coming into the games.

of Houston and Texas A&M University while also playing very competitive teams in Eastern Carolina University, the University of Central Florida and Florida Atlantic University.

Entering his 25th season at the helm of the Rice Owls, head coach Wayne Graham said he believes this team is a national contender.

“I really think we have fewer holes this year [than last year],” Graham said. “The talent is there but I would say if we can avoid injuries and the pitching evolves like we think it will, we have a national contender.”

Graham also said he had one final message for fans who are geared up for another season of Rice baseball.

“I would say this team is very watchable in the way that they play,” Graham said. “It’s going to be very interesting in the fact that they are already pretty good but have that chance to evolve into something great.”

What’s on tap this season?

The Rice Owls schedule for this season features healthy competition with many nationally ranked teams. After facing Arizona in the opening weekend, Rice will face Dallas Baptist University, who made an NCAA tournament appearance last season, in a midweek game. Following this, the Owls will compete in the annual Houston College Classic, held at Minute Maid Park. The Owls will play No. 24 ranked University of Arkansas, No. 11 Texas Christian University and No. 6 University of Louisiana, Lafayette in consecutive days making for a great weekend of baseball. Other talented teams on the schedule include national powers University

vs. Dallas Baptist

Andrew Grottkau

is a McMurtry College freshman and Thresher sports editor

Upcoming Games vs. Arizona

Feb. 19, 6:00 p.m.

Feb. 20, 4:00 p.m.

Feb. 21, 1:00 p.m.

Reckling Park Feb. 23, 6:00 p.m.

Reckling Park

vs. Texas State

Feb. 24, 6:00 p.m.

Reckling Park

vs. Arkansas

Feb. 26, 7:00 p.m.

Minute Maid Park

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BACKPAGE

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

the Rice Thresher

VOLUME 100, ISSUE NO. 19 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2016

Debates marred by candidates’ incessant droning; Yik Yak emerges victorious the Rice Backpage

This week in science-y things: gravity waves Just under a week ago, the scientific community broke headlines with information that seems to prove a theory first proposed by Albert Einstein about a century ago: Gravity has the ability to wave. Now, what does this mean to you?

All hail Gravity, and may Einstein be with you.

The Thresher held the SA presidential debate this past Friday, and the event was a big hit overall.

Everyone in attendance seemed to enjoy the proceedings, but most of those we spoke with had a common complaint: The candidates would not quit their constant nagging.

“I came here to get my buzz on, but all of this ‘student government’ BS is really harshing my vibe,”

Sam Zapp, a McMurtry College sophomore, said.

Furthermore, a group of butthurt-looking students reported that they were “trying to shotgun,” but they were unable to initiate a countdown due to the chatter of the candidates. Even Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson was overheard at the bar telling servers, “Beer me. I sure as hell

Top O-Week themes that didn’t make the cut All 11 residential colleges have released their O-Week themes for 2016, and we couldn’t help but notice that they are all terrible. In case any colleges wish to actually get new students excited about coming to Rice by greeting them with an O-Week theme that doesn’t suck, we have provided some alternatives:

YES WE KANYE The Backpage received an autographed copy of Kanye’s newest album, “The Life of Pablo,” this week with an enclosed note explaining why: “Yo Thresher, I’m really happy

know you gonna do great things with it.” Unfortunately, we scratched the CD when opening it, but it included some exclusive extras, like this crossword. Enjoy!

for you, and Imma let you write your articles and stories and stuff this week, but the Backpage is one of the greatest publications of all time, so I’m gonna give y’all the album cuz I

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Well, you better retire your deity of choice. If Gravity can wave, then that must mean it has hands. And if scientists can agree that Gravity is indeed an anthropomorphic being, which is the only logical conclusion to draw from this news, well then, Gravity must be the supreme overlord of the universe.

All hail Gravity, and may Einstein be with you.

Oh the Plants You Can GrO-Week Oh Hell NO-Week: I Can’t Believe I Got Jones 3. Who’s Got the BlO-Week?

4. Time to Lie LO-Week: Welcome to Sid! 5. I Mean It, I Don’t Want to GOWeek: Get Me Out of Jones 6. BordellO-Week: Come on in!

the media’s responsibility (opinions, endorsements and the occasional true fact, for example) combined with their flagrant outrage depicts just the kind of sensationalist candidate that this race is lacking.

I mean, who’s going to be following the U.S. presidential elections once Trump drops out? Not us, and certainly not the general public. #AllGoodNightsEndWithYakking

didn’t come to the debates to hear about the issues.”

Regarding the candidates, the Backpage has been unable identify a clear victor from last Friday night.

While getting ready to flip a coin, we decided instead to check Yik Yak. To our surprise, we were pleased with what we found, and have officially decided to endorse Yik Yak for SA president. Its general loose grasp of

Rice baseball home opener This Friday is the Rice Owls’ season opener in our very own Reckling Park and coach Graham invites every Owl to come and show their support. However, in an effort to not sound desperate, he has insisted that he “doesn’t really care if you come or not.”

Weather is expected to be mostly sunny with a 0 percent chance of precipitation, “So yeah, it’ll probably be pretty nice, if you’re able to make it. ” The game will begin promptly at 6 p.m. Central Standard Time, “but it’s not like I’ll be waiting for you or anything.”

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Across 1. MTV’s “Hottest MC in the Game” in 2008 2. The preeminent reason to use Tidal as your streaming service of choice 3. See 8 down 4. Rapophile’s constant source of surprise 5. Savior of Taylor Swift’s career in 2009 6. College dropout with sorority seniority

7.

8.

9.

Second only to Simmons with his workout plan Rhymes with Kanye Alliterative half of pop culture dynamic duo

Down 1. Innovative fashionisto who spent a portion of childhood in Nanjing, China 2. RELI 311 subject?

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

“Really, really, really talented guy” according to The Velvet Underground’s Lou Reed “I love you like Kanye loves _____” He who hit it second?

Pink polo pioneer, say?

Leonardo da Vinci : Renaissance :: _______ : 21st century See 3 across Person who will, eventually, let you finish

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

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