The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, February 1, 2017 by The Rice Thresher

VOLUME 101, ISSUE NO. 17 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2017

TINY’S: A BIG HIT

New dessert location solidifies Tiny franchise in Houston food scene

RAISE NEW ROOFS

Rice should heavily invest in college buildings

see A&E p. 6

see Ops p. 5

HOUSTON PREPARES Students help organize Super Bowl activities

see Sports p. 9

RVP requests loss of blanket tax funds Emily Abdow News Editor

International Iranian students face uncertainty after immigration ban photo illustration by christina tan

Yasna Haghdoost Editor-In-Chief

Last year, Iranian graduate student Behnaz was admitted to Rice University’s electrical engineering doctoral program along with her husband, whom she had met five years ago at Iran’s prestigious University of Tehran. Behnaz began her studies at Rice last semester, but her husband’s visa didn’t process in time. Prior to President Donald Trump’s executive order banning immigration from seven countries, including Iran, for at least three months, the couple was hoping his visa clearance process would finish in time for him to join Behnaz. Now, these hopes are dashed. Behnaz, who wished to only be identified by her first name, isn’t sure if she wants to continue with her doctoral degree, as the new restrictions won’t allow her to see her family and her husband in Iran or for them to come visit her. She is considering pursuing a master’s degree instead, and perhaps applying to universities in other countries. According to Rice President David Leebron’s email sent in response to the executive order, Iran is the only country of the seven affected that has students enrolled at Rice. The latest numbers published by the Office of International Students and Scholars indicate that in fall 2014, 30 international graduate students were from Iran. Until 2011, Iranian students were only eligible for single-entry visas, unlike students from other nationalities. Once single-entry visa holders leave the United States, they are not necessarily guaranteed a renewed visa to return. In 2011, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced that Iranian students would become eligible for multiple-entry visas, though only a fourth of Iranian students who applied for these visas received them. “Going outside of the U.S. is the equivalent of giving up your Ph.D.,” Hamed, a third-year electrical engineering doctoral student at Rice, said. When the news of the executive order first broke on Friday, many Iranian graduate students expressed disappointment, sadness and doubt. “Every time I wanted to continue to read a paper, do my project, do my homework, I couldn’t concentrate,” Reza Amirmoshiri, a second-year chemical engineering doctoral student, said. “I was just on Facebook, CNN, Fox News, what’s going on? What’s going to be next? You cannot neglect this news. It’s affecting me, and there are many students just like me.” Amirmoshiri, who has a single-entry visa, said

he was frustrated with being caught in the crossfires of a political battle. “Why should I be sacrificed because of the conflict between two governments?” Amirmoshiri said. “I just came to study, to learn from my professors, advisors, to do a project, to contribute as a young researcher. It’s not only me, [it’s] any other student. You cannot even find something illegal in their driving records, let alone terrorist attacks.” ‘A big, nice prison’ Though the Iranian graduate students interviewed in this piece all pointed to what they describe as discriminatory visa policies against Iranians over the past years, Trump’s executive order on Friday has cast even greater uncertainty and disarray over their futures. “If a student from Iran wants to come for a Ph.D, he’s going to need at least five years [to complete the degree], which means he’s not going to be able to get back to his country and see his family for at least five years,” Amirmoshiri said. “And after five years, I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Is it going to be possible for us to apply for a green card? To find a job position here? [The executive order] has made everything very complicated.” Hamed attended Sharif University of Technology, Iran’s top-ranked engineering school. He is one of few Iranian graduate students who risked returning to Iran with a single-entry visa in February 2015 for his mother’s funeral. However, his visa reapplication process took four months, causing him to miss a semester of his studies at Rice. Hamed was granted a rare multiple-entry visa in June 2015, and prior to the executive order, intended to return to Iran this summer before his visa expired. He and his wife, another Iranian graduate student at Rice whom he had met at Sharif, were planning on having a full wedding ceremony with their families in Iran. Now, this seems unlikely. “To summarize my feelings, it’s a combination of being shocked and feeling insulted,” Hamed said. “I feel really sorry for whoever is thinking like this, banning an entire country and labelling them. It’s not right and it’s not fair. There are so many Iranian students in the U.S., and having the right to go and visit their families, and for them to come here and visit them, all of them should have this right. Otherwise, it’s like being imprisoned.” Amirmoshiri expressed similar sentiments. “You try so hard, you apply for a well-known school in the U.S., you get admission, you enter the United States for a brighter future with lots

of hopes, you make a lot of friends here,” Amirmoshiri said. “Then, by seeing these kind of laws, you feel like you are in a big, nice prison. I can’t go to my country, my families cannot come to visit me. It sounds like a prison.” Shaghayegh Agah, a chemical engineering doctoral student who has studied here since 2012, describes herself as one of the “luckiest” Iranian international students with a single-entry visa, because she managed to travel to Iran in 2014 and have another U.S. visa reissued within a month. “I decided to take this risk because it was very difficult for me to tolerate being separated from my loved ones,” Agah said. “Even before this executive order, there was lots of discrimination towards Iranian students without even being guilty of doing something. The time I went back, I felt it was a blessing to have my parents close to me. Nobody can understand how valuable that is, unless they are separated by a rule like this.” Community responses In response to the executive order, Dean of Graduate Studies Seiichi Matsuda and Associate Vice Provost Adria Baker of the OISS sent emails to Iranian graduate students to express their support, in addition to Leebron’s email to the community reaffirming his commitment to immigrant and undocumented members of the Rice community. “Absent legal compulsion, we will not reveal the immigration status, citizenship or national origin of any student,” Leebron wrote in the email. “I have asked our general counsel to develop a plan to provide legal assistance to any student or employee detained upon entry because they are from one of the seven countries. The plan will include the creation of a fund to support such assistance when volunteer legal services are not readily available or sufficient.” Outcry over the executive order extended to a national petition signed by nearly 15,000 academics, including more than 50 from Rice, condemning the ban. One of the signees, bioengineering professor Rebecca Richards-Kortum, emphasized the importance of immigrants in academia. “We need diverse perspectives to solve complex global challenges,” Richards-Kortum. “This is true across many disciplines — all six of the of the American Nobel Prize winners in economics and science announced in 2016 were immigrants!” Amin, a chemical engineering doctoral student in his last year of studies, said he finds these 0see VISAS, page 3

The Student Association dissolved Rice Video Productions as a blanket tax subsidiary organization in a vote that was unanimous except for one abstention. The Monday vote came after Jeremy Kao, the RVP station manager, sent a letter to the SA on Jan. 23 requesting RVP no longer receive blanket tax funds, prompting the Blanket Tax Committee to recommend dissolution to the SA. RVP’s executive board requested dissolution on Jan. 19, stating it had decided its mission was not limited to serving the student body. “While we still fully intend to produce media that does entertain and inform the entire campus, it is not our only mission and therefore we feel we should no longer receive priority access to blanket tax funds,” Kao, a Hanszen College senior, wrote in his letter to the SA. In February 2016, RVP came 19 votes short of losing its blanket tax subsidiary status in a general election referendum, when 65.1 percent of the student body voted to remove RVP but a two-thirds vote was required for removal. The Blanket Tax Committee had recommended RVP’s removal following a 2015 Thresher investigation into RVP, which prompted the BTC to re-evaluate the organization’s eligibility. In 2016, the BTC found RVP had provided inaccurate budgets to both the Thresher and the BTC, creating the illusion of little to no rollover funding while they had an excess of $5,344. RVP said the budget issues were a result of miscommunication with former adviser Will Robedee. In 2016, the BTC also found RVP had violated the blanket tax organization criterion of benefiting all students by transitioning from filming student programming events and cultural shows to creating original short films, without polling the student body. SA Treasurer Maurice Frediere presented the BTC’s 2017 recommendation to dissolve RVP at the SA meeting on Monday prior to the SA’s vote. A student body vote is not needed to dissolve RVP, because this year the organization has chosen to dissolve themselves. In addition to RVP’s letter, Frediere said the BTC’s recommendation was influenced by a decline in content production and a failure by RVP to spend its blanket tax allocation last fiscal year. According to Frediere, RVP produced at least 20 videos during the 2011 to 2012 and 2012 to 2013 academic year, but in the last 10 months they produced three. In addition, from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016, RVP spent less than 40 percent of their blanket tax allotment; every other blanket tax organization spent at least 64 percent. “These factors made the decision to recommend RVP’s blanket tax status be dissolved relatively straightforward,” Frediere, a Duncan College sophomore, said. However, Kao said there has not been a sharp decline in video production: RVP is projected to produce 10 videos, which is consistent with production level in past years. “There has been a negligible decline in video production between this year and past years,” Kao said. “We do not upload all the videos we create to our YouTube channel due to copyright issues with putting full performance recordings online, but we have remained productive as a video production organization.” Kao also said the lack of spending in that time period was not the fault of RVP. “During the July 2015 to June 2016 fiscal year, a large amount of our blanket tax money went unspent due to issues with our old faculty advisor,” Kao said. “We have since changed faculty advisors and have been able to spend the proper amount of the money budgeted for us.” Furthermore, Kao said RVP has no present need to make large purchases. 0see RVP, page 3

NEWS

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

the Rice Thresher

NEWS IN BRIEF White supremacist group American Vanguard posts flyers on campus Drew Keller, News Editor Flyers supporting a white supremacist organization were posted around the edge of campus over the weekend, Rice University Police Department Acting Chief of Police Clement Rodriguez confirmed. A group calling itself American Vanguard claimed responsibility on its Twitter feed for posting the flyers, which contained messages such as “Protect the family: Reject degeneracy” and “Take your country back!” The group’s manifesto on its website reads, “White America is under attack. The true enemy is within our walls, destroying our nation and opening our gates to the millions of outsiders who want to take all that our forefathers have created.” Rodriguez said RUPD removed fliers near the Greenbriar parking lot on Friday night and an additional flyer from the corner of Main Street and University Street that was found on Sunday. “Rice has a policy that prohibits solicitation on campus without permission, so our oﬃcers removed two flyers that had been attached to trees,” Rodriguez said. The organization has been posting flyers on various college campuses for

months in what appears to be an attempt to gain attention, with its Twitter account retweeting oﬃcial responses and news media reports about the flyers. According to the Washington Post, the organization claims about 100 members nationally, and its posters have also been found at the University of Maryland, Emerson College, Purdue University, the University of Central Florida and others. On Sunday, the associated Texas Vanguard Twitter account posted a picture of similar flyers at Texas State University.

photos from twitter

photo from anonymous tip

The images above were taken from a Twitter post by Vanguard Texas, a white supremacist group that claimed responsibility for posting flyers on Rice campus over the weekend. Its parent organization, American Vanguard, has posted flyers on several other college campuses over the past few months.

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NEWS

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Hanszen fellows host Daily Show comedian

of Rice’s residential college system. “What is Lovett’s deal?” Lowitt said. “No windows? So it’s a prison? We have Hanszen, Will Rice, and that is Guantanamo Bay over there. Is there anyone from Lovett in the audience? So you’re not on parole, is that what you’re saying? How is the sunlight aﬀecting you, is it okay?” During the event, Lowitt joked about an unexpected Amber Alert that occurred during his set. “I have never seen this many people so ambivalent about a missing child,” Lowitt said. Lowitt also covered being Jewish, shushing a cop and parenting a toddler, among other topics. “When your kid is crying in public, it’s kind of like hanging out with your drunk girlfriend,”

Lowitt said. “You’re just like, please don’t do this, everyone is watching. Look, I’ll get you some water if you just stop touching people’s hair.” The Hanszen Fellows Planning Committee, which consisted of seniors Tahir Malik and Hanszen President Kenny Groszman as well as juniors Joey McGlone and Yuna Choi, selected Lowitt as the speaker specifically because he was a comedian. “We chose Lowitt because he represents a side of academics that doesn’t get focused on enough: public speaking and the humanities,” Malik said. Lowitt spoke for approximately 30 minutes about his comedy career. He said he aspired to work for the Daily Show as early as his freshman year of college in 1998, but did not become an intern until 2001. “I would go onto the Daily Show’s website [in 1998] and there was a number there to call if you were interested in an internship and I would just stare,” Lowitt said. “I wouldn’t call, I would just look at the number every once in awhile, like it was some girl I was afraid to ask out.” According to Lowitt, he began as a postproduction intern and was hired four days after his college graduation. He has been working at the Daily Show for 14 years. Lowitt said the Daily Show had a special responsibility in the Trump administration. “It feels there is a microscope that needs to be put on politicians and the administration and we would be abdicating our responsibility if we didn’t,” Lowitt said. “Not relenting is the mission. We’re trying to be silly, but also keep focus on, like, crazy guy.” He follows a long line of Hanszen speakers including Ronald Reagan and Ken Jennings, according to Malik. Lowitt ended the event with life advice. “The thing that I’ve noticed over my years is to work really hard and don’t be an asshole,” he said. This article has been condensed for print. Read the full story online at ricethresher.org.

“[RVP] caused us a lot of trouble last year wanting to be a blanket tax organization and now they come around saying they don’t want it anymore,” Yun, a senior, said. “We worked with them to restructure and help them out and it just felt like a big waste. I wish they’d tried a bit longer at least. It hasn’t even been a full fiscal year so it was a lot of, ‘C’mon, let’s try a little bit harder,’ you know?” As a result of the dissolution, Frediere said the BTC will repossess RVP’s cash and equipment. Cash will be returned to the blanket tax general fund for reallocation and the BTC will decide whether to sell the equipment or transfer it to other student organizations with the input of RVP. In his letter to the SA, Kao requested RVP’s

physical assets, which includes a drone, a creative video filming kit, professional recording equipment and accessories like lighting equipment, be reallocated to the Oﬃce of the Student Media. “The students at Rice University have invested blanket tax money into that equipment, and we would like it to still be accessible to groups who will serve the student body and to individuals seeking to develop new skills,” Kao wrote. Kao also said if the equipment were given to the Oﬃce of Student Media, RVP would continue to work with the equipment as a student media organization. Director of Student Media Kelley Callaway, who also serves as RVP’s adviser and BTC member, said

xintong liu/thresher

Daily Show writer Adam Lowitt performed standup comedy at Hanszen College on Thursday.

Elizabeth Rasich

Assistant News Editor

Approximately 100 attendees gathered in Hanszen College commons on Thursday to hear Adam Lowitt, writer and executive producer of the Daily Show, talk about everything from Rice University’s residential college system to President Donald Trump. He spoke by invitation of the Hanszen Academic Fellows Society, which maintains a tradition of asking speakers to the college. Lowitt spent half of the hour-long speaking engagement doing stand-up comedy and the other half answering questions from the audience. In his set, he incorporated what he had learned

0RVP FROM PAGE 1 “We have used our blanket tax funding over the past few years to build up a collection of highquality recording equipment,” Kao said. “Due to our careful curation and maintenance of this collection, we currently do not have any immediate need for further equipment purchases that would normally be funded by blanket tax money.” The one abstention in the SA’s vote on Monday came from Peter Yun, the Hanszen senator who last year served as SA internal vice president.

“Rainbow building” lit again Cameron Wallace For the Thresher

The lights of the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza, colloquially referred to by Rice students as the “rainbow building,” have come back on after months of darkness. The cause of the darkness was simple: old age. According to Property Manager Robin Harrison, the lights on top of the decade-old building were susceptible to burning out. “The original roof lighting began to degrade over time just like any LED fixture would,” Harrison said. “Replacing components like the emitters would have also proven problematic in terms of maintaining their watertight condition.” Harrison also said the light shows that are a hallmark of the building are actually a by-product of this degradation. “We attempted to combat the degradation by running shows that included color-changing features so that the negative visual eﬀects of certain fixtures being oﬀ or in partial operation

were minimized,” Harrison said. Eventually, the lights became too degraded to run at all. They were shut off, and the search for alternatives began. For months, different solutions were explored until finally, a set of LED light bars was settled on. The new lighting system is an upgrade, offering a brighter glow and more colors. “The lighting levels produced by the new configuration are about twice what we had with the original fixtures,” Harrison said. “The lights run on an astronomical clock that uses local sunset and sunrise times as the trigger for starting and stopping the shows. We are pleased the lights are back on and hope our neighbors at Rice enjoy them once again.” Some students may enjoy the lights more than others, but most can agree that they are a positive presence in the Houston night sky. “I am a huge fan of the lights being back on,” Brown College freshman Jared Beshai said. “Especially with the lights changing and everything. Oh yeah, it’s dope.”

0VISAS FROM PAGE 1 statements from university officials to be “heartwarming.” “It’s good to see people are saying, ‘We love Iranian students, they are of very great value to us,’” Amin said. “I think it would be really nice to see them, especially impactful people and officials, make official moves to let those people who are in charge hear their voices.” An uncertain future On Monday, Reuters reported the Trump administration is drafting an executive order that could change procedures for issuing H-1B visas to immigrant workers. According to Agah, the current uncertainty over Iranian students’ visas extends to the job market as well, as she feels that employers may be less inclined to hire Iranians due to the recent developments. “I came here to not be discriminated,” Agah said. “I accepted some of the discrimination because I thought, OK, it’s going to be gone after five or six years when I apply for a job or when I apply for a green card. But I didn’t have any idea that it would even become more difficult after this.” Amin also expressed concern that changing attitudes towards immigrants in the U.S. may affect his post-graduation plans. “I am worried about what society will look like after this,” Amin said. “So far I had a good experience in Houston. Houston is a really cool city with very respectful people. They’re all very friendly and I like them, but sometimes you get scared. When you see how people are reacting, you see that maybe things are changing, maybe people’s minds are changing.” While Amirmoshiri is also uncertain as to what the future holds for him, he reflected on the original reason for why he sought an education in the U.S. “America is the land of opportunities,” Amirmoshiri said. “We came here for a brighter future and that was the only goal.”

she supported RVP’s decision. “While the club obviously produces media that can benefit the entire community, campuswide service wasn’t their first priority anymore, so they didn’t feel comfortable accepting blanket tax funds any longer,” Callaway said. Kevin Li, RVP’s programming manager, said RVP will continue filming creative projects and covering Rice community events despite its loss of blanket tax funding. “As RVP continues to grow and take on a larger role in the student community, we will reconsider our need to be a blanket tax organization,” Li, a Wiess College sophomore, said. Kelley Callaway is also the Thresher adviser.

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4 Resist policies steeped in hatred and racism For many of us, it can be easy to pretend our lives are removed from daily political battles. However, Trump administration’s most recent actions have struck closer to home, visibly impacting the Rice community (see p. 1). To that end, the Thresher supports President Leebron’s promise to not reveal students’ immigration status or origins and to provide legal assistance to those barred from returning to Rice. The ban against immigration from predominantly Muslim countries is against our nation’s values. A true fact, not an alternative one, is that not a single person in the U.S. has been killed in a terrorist attack by an immigrant from the seven prohibited nations. The same ideology that panders to fear informs the proposed creation of a wall with Mexico and the potentially impending end of the Deferred Action of Childhood Arrivals program. As people who have the privilege of higher education, we can examine the U.S. historically and understand the context of this ban and the proposed wall. We have a responsibility to ask: How has our nation, even before Trump, allowed othering to thrive? How is hatred woven into this nation’s history, and how did we create an environment in which such policies can exist? The first step, especially for those who are unscathed by recent policies, is to listen and learn from those who are suﬀering. Beyond listening, there are concrete actions to make an impact, both within Rice’s hedges and outside them. A wide variety of events, from PAIR week, which is making welcome kits for refugees, and Rice Stands with Refugees, to the Moody Center’s Green Light exhibit that draws attention and provides donations to refugees and migrants, are accessible ways to become involved. Consider donating to the ACLU or community-based organizations. Above all, stay engaged, and don’t give up.

Letters to the Editor: How is Jan. 25 backpage satire? To the Editors: The Thresher’s Backpage assures its readers that it’s satire, but let’s pause for a moment to consider what that means. Satire has historically been a powerful tool of the press: Writers and cartoonists have always relied upon exaggeration, humor and ridicule. Satire’s aim is actually pretty simple: It points forward, with a desire to change the world for the better, making us laugh in the process. We, members of the “Posse of the Positive,” referenced in the terrific article by Yasna Haghdoost on the front page of the Thresher last week, share that ambition: We want to help point forward. We’re employing advocacy, but we encourage all forms of discourses, satire included. But we’re flummoxed by the Backpage send-up of the Women’s March that was specifically targeted at Lisa Zollner, director of Student Judicial Programs. We’re all used to the Thresher’s tendency to a more crass form of satire than one would find in, say, Aristophanes or Mark Twain. And Rice administrators have

been frequent targets of the Backpage. But even with these expectations, we’re scratching our heads as to how this backpage piece operates as satire. Forward? Nope. Better world? Nope. What a missed opportunity. Margaret Beier, McMurtry College Master Bridget Gorman, Will Rice College Master Mikki Hebl, Chair of Psychology Vivian Ho, Professor of Economics Rachel Kimbro, Professor of Sociology Melissa Marschall, Professor of Political Science Carrie Masiello, Professor of Earth Science Maria Oden, Professor in Practice of Engineering Barbara Ostdiek, Associate Professor of Finance Annise Parker, Former Mayor of Houston Sandy Parsons, Assistant Teaching Professor of Psychology Rebecca Richards-Kortum, Director of Rice 360 Libby Vann, Director of Programs Center for Civic Leadership Marcia Walker-McWilliams, Associate Director, Programs for Center for Civic Leadership Sarah Whiting, Professor of Architecture

Jan. 25 backpage dismaying To the Editors: We were dismayed to read the content of the Jan. 25 edition of the Thresher Backpage. As college masters we are familiar with the difficult and important job that Lisa Zollner, director of Student Judicial Programs, undertakes on behalf of our community every day. History has shown that, time and again, women in highly visible leadership positions are criticized for their work in ways that are different from men in these positions. Certainly, those previously in charge of SJP have been the target of sendups in the Backpage over the years. But by

proclaiming that the page is “in honor of the Women’s March” while simultaneously “satirizing” Lisa Zollner in ways that imply that the judicial decisions she makes are based on her gender, and that she would get drunk and proposition a student, is disrespect woven more around her identity as a woman in charge than a person in charge. She deserves more respectful treatment than this, and members of the Thresher staff can certainly write better, and be funnier, than this. Michael Reed, Will Rice College Master José Aranda, Brown College Master

ask

merri webster

I end up comparing myself to other people at Rice and feel like no matter how well I do, it’s never good enough. How do I start thinking differently? Merri: This is actually one of the most common problems I’ve heard Rice students worry about — so I hope it’s comforting to know you’re far from alone. First things first, everything is going to be fine. I know that’s not the most satisfying answer, but the first step to feeling secure in what you do is to remember that everything is going to be okay. Especially at Rice, it’s easy to feel like you’re not doing enough, missing opportunities, or just not performing up to par; but we’re all going different places at different paces, and even if you’ve made a mistake or doing your best is just too much to ask for some days, the world is, many times, more forgiving than we often predict. More opportunities will come, and the ones you choose will be your own. There are countless paths to success, and this is success that ultimately you define for yourself. Again, not the most satisfying answer, but remembering that only you — not your parents, professors or classmates — ultimately know what success will look like for you is crucial to carving out your own path and being happier and more self-assured in the long run. I know for a lot of Rice students it’s just easier to gauge your success on a lot of seeming tried and true paths to success that always seem to have fast-approaching deadlines and difficult benchmarks to reach. But just because those paths are well-trodden doesn’t mean those paths have to be yours. Keep track of your own accomplishments and take the time to celebrate them, even if they seem small or ordinary. Share your accomplishments with friends and mentors who support and validate you, and share in their accomplishments too — your first instinct might be to feel jealousy or anxiety at others’ accomplishments, but I’ve found that the more you practice appreciating others’ successes by supporting and encouraging them, the easier it gets to support and encourage yourself. And of course, remember that these are just a start. Unlearning bad habits and relearning how to feel good and secure about yourself doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient and kind with yourself; it’s okay to take breaks, and contrary to popular belief you don’t have to be working at your 100 percent best all the time. You made it this far — you’re doing what you can, and that’s just fine. Webster: Stop comparing yourself to people who are doing well, and start comparing yourself to people who are doing very poorly. For example, if you have thus far in your life managed to not: throw up in a makeout partner’s mouth, drop your phone in the Grand Canyon or attempt to eat a literal cactus with spines, I’d say you’re doing pretty good.

cartoon by jennifer fu and yasna haghdoost

The fires of Mordor are spreading.

STAFF Yasna Haghdoost* Editor in Chief Anita Alem* Managing Editor Juan Saldana Business Manager news Drew Keller* Editor Emily Abdow* Editor Anna Ta Asst. Editor Elizabeth Rasich Asst. Editor

opinions Mitch Mackowiak* Editor

copy Jasmine Lin Editor

sports Andrew Grottkau Editor

backpage Riley Robertson Editor Joey McGlone Editor

arts & entertainment Lenna Mendoza Editor design Christina Tan Director Sydney Garrett News Designer Katrina Cherk Sports Designer Ellie Mix A&E Designer Jennifer Fu Illustrator photo Sirui Zhou Editor Charlene Pan Asst. Editor

business operations Shannon Klein Ads Manager Sarah Evans Distribution Manager Jennifer Lee Ad Design Manager Sara Lopez Marketing Manager online Charlie Paul Editor *Editorial Board member

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.

“Ask Merri and Webster” is an advice column authored by two Thresher editorial staff members. Readers can submit their questions online at 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. 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 The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA and CMBAM © Copyright 2016

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Invest in college facilities I am the alumnus who wrote a one-line critique of the Doerr Institute for New Leaders under the Thresher’s Jan. 20 Facebook post regarding the decaying state of the colleges: “At least we have the $50M Doerr Institute to teach us about leadership though.” 146 others gave it the thumbs up. For the class of 2020, Rice admitted 325 club/organization presidents, 197 student government members, 18 class presidents and 18 student council presidents. We have a lot of leaders. Maybe the Institute and I see two different schools. To me, the Institute’s purpose remains mired in nonsensical verbiage and has had mixed reviews about its efficacy. $50 million for a vague end goal seems daft, especially if we consider that a $30 million and $32 million gift helped build Duncan College and McMurtry College, respectively. When 78 percent of undergraduates live on campus and have to be kicked off one year due to a lack of space, that money could do a lot of good elsewhere, namely in investing in the colleges. My goal was not to take aim at the Institute per se, but question if donors are paying attention to what true needs are (see the 2012 donation of an owl statue in front of the Rice Memorial Center which is not even the right species as our mascot).

It is long overdue that the colleges stop being regarded as an afterthought. I am coming up on my five-year reunion. But the Rice I attended is not today’s Rice. Anyone who is not part of the Board of Trustees, in boardroom discussions with President Leebron or sitting with Facilities Engineering and Planning has no idea what plans, if any, exist to address the future and prosperity of the colleges. However, I was on the Hanszen New Section Advisory board in 2012 where we met with trustees to illustrate the necessity for a new New Section because of its state of disrepair. It is concerning that things have (seemingly) remained unchanged. My hope is that this paper’s reporting begins a productive dialogue about the condition of our colleges. As undergraduates and alumni know, they are places where we live, eat, play, sleep, study. They are incredibly intertwined with and direct much of our undergraduate experience. They are inextricably linked to university history and its culture at large. So why do they continue to not be taken seriously? This year, the Princeton Review ranked Rice No. 15 overall, No. 1 for happiest students

and No. 9 for best quality of life. Rice also competes for the same applicants as other top20 schools who have more modern dormitories: Vanderbilt University, Duke University, University of Chicago, Stanford University, et al. have announced or debuted new living quarters within the past five years. Of the top 20, Harvard University and Yale University also have residential college systems like Rice’s. Harvard is in the midst of the renovation of their 12 houses while at Yale, over $1 billion was invested in their 12 colleges’ renovations, and another $600 million was spent on the creation of two new colleges. “A coherently planned campus … can be a very special place,” architect Robert A.M. Stern writes in “On Campus,” “a physical setting for a community sharing a common ideal of scholarship and sociality.” No such deep consideration seems to have been given to the colleges’ as evinced in the pattern of slapdash fixes. Rice’s plan has been a patchwork of improvements when (and often after) buildings hit their crisis point. This haphazard approach results in aesthetically disjointed, programmatically questionable, and out-ofscale architecture including Will Rice College’s and Baker College’s new new sections and Seibel Servery. Like Harvard and Yale, we should embark on a similar ambitious campaign to reform the college system, which turns 60 this year. Rankings and living conditions are but one facet of college decisions, but at Rice, where the colleges play a large part in student life, they may not be a convincing benefit in their current state. Everyone deserves to live in safe, sanitary conditions at the very least. Citing endowment diﬀerences is an intellectually lazy excuse that could technically be used to thwart any capital campaign project. If and when such a campaign is undertaken (take note University architect), there are a slew of firms rooted in classical architecture who I am sure would be up to the challenge of doing Ralph Adams Cram justice: Robert A.M. Stern, Peter Pennoyer, Demetri Porphyrios, Allan Greenberg. It is long overdue that the colleges stop being regarded as an afterthought.

Travis San Pedro, Hanszen ’12 and Yale University, works in architecture

Invitation of Chevron speaker disrespects oil company victims Petroleum is undeniably the lifeblood of the modern economy, but the finite quantities and poisonous consequences of continued use make its long-term future a literal impossibility. The Center for Career Development has invited Janeen Judah, a prominent member of Chevron, to proclaim all there is to love about the oil industry. She touts the “Big Risk. Big Reward. Big Money.” of the oil industry, though she will no doubt neglect to mention that these risks are taken and fortunes made at the expense of the health and well-being of vulnerable populations and ecosystems worldwide. We as Rice students will have a choice upon graduation: put our skills and energy towards responsibly contributing to society, or perpetuate and enlarge the unsustainable behemoths that desecrate resources and incessantly lobby for control of our government. For reference, of 167 oil companies, Chevron is the fourth-largest spender when it comes to lobbying for political favors, passing oﬀ over $112 million to lobbyists in the past decade alone. According to a recent survey, 3/4ths of millennials would take a pay cut to work at a responsible company — a mindset we should embrace and encourage, not undermine. To love the oil industry is to belittle the plight of staggering numbers of climate refugees, to ignore the pleas of the people of Ecuador where Chevron has escaped legal custody of thousands of unlined toxic waste pits, to harden your heart to the sight of oil slicks smothering entire coastlines, marine creatures and people’s livelihoods and to sit smugly in the security of an executive oﬃce and know the externalities of your business will pass uncontested onto the people and planet they will hurt. Ms. Judah may love the oil industry, but

OP-ED

the Rice Thresher

this is not the kind of passion that we believe should be invited, nor encouraged. To be clear, we at the Environmental Club understand the importance of fossil fuels in today’s industry and appreciate the strides Chevron has made toward corporate social and environmental responsibility. While we would not deny the role oil plays and would welcome a talk on the diverse and evolving role that diﬀerent types of energy will play, we do not condone her message of loving the oil industry for the money made and risks taken at others’ expense. Regardless of consequences to your health, you may smoke as many cigarettes as you want. Regardless of the eﬀects on your family’s finances, you may gamble as much as you desire. And regardless of the influence to impressionable children, it is your prerogative whether or not to expose them to carcinogenic and destructive lifestyles. But to instill an insidious disposition to something as harmful and destabilizing to future generations as fossil fuels is unethical. Inviting Ms. Judah to speak is at odds with the values we ought to hold as leaders of the next generation, as her perspective can only negatively influence our ability to make a positive impact in our imperiled world.

Travis Kwee is

president of the Rice Environmental Club and a Baker College junior

RICE WRITES

Editor’s Note: The Committee loved “Changing Tides” as it captures the exhilarating and highly personal experience of a writer. Profound but also relatable, the piece speaks well to the January prompt, “New Beginnings.” -Lily Wulfemeyer, R2 Monthly Contest Committee Chair Changing Tides by Blaine Schmidt Midnight blue ink voyages gracefully along the loose-leaf sheets: continuous, fluid, certain. Composed of delicate curves and contours, the cursive font seeks to forecast the forthcoming year in silent declaration, attempting to predict where the imminent waves will collide with the solid earth. Crumpled papers remain scattered across the mahogany desk, tallying the myriads of drafts, keeping time with the passing hours. “This one’s mine,” the restless writer whispers, intently penning each intention with the desperate hope that each rewrite might serve as a small step towards the list’s fulfillment. Each list enumerates unfinished thoughts and disconnected phrases, words of insecurity, of individuality, of utmost integrity. Gripping the pen, he grasps the first rung of an uncertain ladder, beginning the uphill climb towards an unknown end. “Courage” becomes “confidence” becomes character, words changing and churning like currents, unyielding and uncontrollable. Beneath the vast, vacant undertow, the innermost feelings struggle to find the surface, bubbling and bleeding with unbridled momentum across the white pages. Self-discovery, self-reflection, and self-loathing shape the crooked triangle of resolve, the balance shifting, receding, resurging with indecision and unrestraint. The cycle repeats as it does and as it must within these final hours, resting soundlessly on the boundary between the end and the beginning, between termination and the liberation. At its furthest depth, the buoyant routine was nothing more than a senseless gamble, for even the purest wishes fall far from the constellation of shooting stars. And yet, beneath those scribbled lines, there lies the purest essence of one’s humanity, the panoramic recognition of hamartia, of joie de vivre, and all that lies between. Perhaps crossing this vast ocean of polarity demands erasure beyond the cruel winds of the tempestuous storm, requires one to dive past the crash of the year’s merciless waves. Even so, between these lines there lies the paste to seal the widening cracks, the fortitude to forge onward towards those new frontiers, past the changing tides. Sparks emanate from the resolutions’ purity; though fleeting, they flying with the limitless potential to create, to kindle the inextinguishable fire from within. As the clock ticks forward, its rhythmic heartbeat indicates the looming tide of a new beginning, its two arms pointing boldly towards the final document of absolved regrets, the first declaration of impassioned resolve. Between those lines, there lies infinity.

R2 September Winner - Art “On the Subway” by Miao Zhang

February Monthly Contest: Want to see your writing and/or art here next month? Submit your work to our February contest! Email a short story or poem up to 400 words in length to r2ricereview@gmail. com. Word or Google doc for writing, and jpg/png for art. Winners will receive 5 free Coffeehouse drinks! Submissions due Monday, February 20.

New Tiny’s branch oﬀers cold treats and cookies Lauren Heller Thresher Staff

christina tan/thresher

Duncan Sunfest

Left to right: Evan Neustater, Angel Garces, Luke Connors and Sam Rossum of band Steve Cox’s Beard perform as the final of three acts at Duncan College’s annual Sunfest. Pickleback and Where’s Joe? also performed at the event.

Historical films blur fact and fiction Michael Robinson For The Thresher

The idea of “truth” and factual basis has recently come under increased scrutiny. It’s no longer enough to label something true, even with evidence, as “alternative facts” are now given legitimacy. The blurring of the line between sensationalization and fact is not a new phenomenon, especially within political media, but it’s something film can also inherently perpetuate. The “based-on-a-true-story” genre can become a vehicle for simplified narratives that spread harmful generalizations. While these fiction films are celebrated within Hollywood and among critics, they hold legitimate implications and should be called out as such. 2016 films like “Hacksaw Ridge,” about a World War II soldier who never used a weapon, “Patriot’s Day,” the dramatic retelling of the Boston Marathon bombing and the search for those responsible or even “Sully,” about the pilot who landed a commercial plane into the Hudson without any casualties, become quickly portrayed as history, rarely tagged with the caveat that some events are fictionalized to sell. For the real Sully, no ethics committee sought to condemn him, but the director constructed a villain through regulation to make a compelling story that fits the narrative. While early disclaimers stating “based on a true story” try to keep ethical issues at bay, films are not perceived as fictional retelling. Simply put, what is seen is to be believed. The grey area between historical facts and sensationalized fiction is diﬃcult to navigate. Films like “Hacksaw Ridge” use a specific moment in history for a singular agenda. Mel

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

Gibson uses the heroism of one individual to anchor his film, telling the story of Desmond Doss, an American World War II soldier who refused to carry a weapon but managed to earn a Medal of Honor by saving dozens of soldiers during the Battle of Okinawa. While Gibson complicates his lead’s morals, he simplifies his enemies’ image, representing Japanese soldiers exclusively as frantically screaming and shooting, presenting damaging images of the other side at Okinawa.

At a time when #NoMuslimBan works against fear of specific religious groups, these movies exist contrarily to capitalize on them. The implications only get dicier through the inclusion of documentary footage of Desmond Doss discussing his actions during World War II. Sections of his interview are written verbatim in the script, playing oﬀ the film as though it is a dramatized documentary of Doss’s real-life actions. What about the moral righteousness of Doss and inflammatory portrayal of Japanese soldiers? Do these get credited as Gibson’s own invention, or are they seen as historical? The “based on a true story” label puts these aspects in danger of being seen as historically accurate rather than filtered through the director’s lens.

MENIL NEIGHBORHOOD NIGHT

The fictional “documentary” aesthetic, weaving fiction and fact into a bizarre tapestry, can blur the two for the audience. While this can be used to personal eﬀect, such as in “20th Century Women,” when applied to national or international narratives, the eﬀects are egregious. Based-on-a-true-story thrillers, especially films like “13 Hours” or “Patriot’s Day,” use national events to stigmatize through blatant misrepresentation and othering. At a time when #NoMuslimBan works against the normalization of political disenfranchisement and fear of racial and religious groups, these larger movies exist contrarily to capitalize on them. Through these larger outlets, the label “true story” is heard by hundreds of thousands of people. While much of Hollywood and many moviegoers remain distressed at the current political climate and what has shockingly been deemed as acceptable political action, they remain complicit in the segments of popular films that attack of already targeted communities. The Oscars, while garnering praise for a more inclusive array of nominees, also honored films like “Sully,” “13 Hours,” “Patriot’s Day” and “Hacksaw Ridge.” Each of these films villainize governmental, racial or religious groups. These films also gain traction with other artists who tweet angrily and make political speeches but praise these films which perpetuate the very discrimination that they denounce. This is the same group that awarded “Argo” for American bravery rather than critiquing the racial politics at play. If we’re expecting any change in public perception, we must first turn to the popular media that feeds into the distrust of those that the current administration tells us to fear.

A new restaurant joined predecessors Tiny Boxwoods and Tiny’s No. 5 in November, completely centered around the chain’s famous chocolate chip cookie rather than brunch. Tiny’s Milk and Cookies is a window on the side of the entrance to Tiny’s No. 5 that sells baked goods, ice cream and drinks like juice and coffee. Before even taking the food into account, the aesthetics of this shop are cute enough to post on social media and worth the visit. There’s even a wall painted in a white and faded-blue color scheme with the Tiny’s Milk and Cookies logo that is the perfect background for an Instagram post. Two handwritten chalk boards flanking the windows inform the customers of the ice cream flavors and house favorites that Tiny’s offers, while the view through the windows show what specific baked goods are still available. The service from behind the counter is nice and friendly, and allows for shoppers to sample the different ice creams and customize their order. One ice cream flavor that struck my fancy was honey lavender (among others such as roasted banana, salted caramel and milk and cookies). The ice cream was incredibly smooth with pops of lavender that would stand out from the more subtle honey notes. However, I decided this flavor was a bit too strong for an entire scoop, so I opted for a scoop of strawberry jam ice cream to fill my ice cream sandwich. Let me tell you, there’s nothing tiny about the ice cream sandwich you’ll get from Tiny’s Milk and Cookies, starting with the price. I’m not sure how two cookies and a scoop of ice cream can be so expensive unless they’re plated with gold, but my order ended up costing $9.74 after tax. I think there’s a reason that the chalkboards don’t include prices for literally anything on the menu.

There’s nothing tiny about the ice cream sandwich you’ll get from Tiny’s Milk and Cookies, starting with the price. The ice cream sandwich itself was massive. The scoop was the size of a tennis ball and the cookies were thick. As a result, this made for a decadent and extremely filling dessert, so filling that my friend and I weren’t actually able to finish our sandwiches. That said, every bite was delicious. The cookies were moist and warm enough for the chocolate chips to melt into the ice cream. The ice cream was a great rendition of a classic flavor as it included frozen strawberry slices that contrasted nicely with the creamy texture. However, I think ordering just a scoop of ice cream with a cookie on the side would 0see TINY’S, page 7

POETIC HOUSE PARTY

NAVIGATION TAILGATE

SUSTAINABLE HTX

On Thursday Feb. 2, the Menil Collection will hold an after-hours event with a live jazz combo and food trucks. The event is free and lasts from 5 to 9 p.m.

This two night event has a packed lineup of poets and musicians celebrating the anniversary of Starving Poets. Doors open at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 3 and Saturday, Feb. 4. Tickets are $15.

For Super Bowl weekend, the Tamale Festival of Houston is putting on a threeday arts street market, chef-driven food, and live music. On Sunday, they will also screen the Super Bowl. Entry is free Thursday and Sunday, and $10 on Saturday and Sunday.

This art and fashion show features upcycled designs made with postconsumer textiles. The pieces will be available for purchase. The show is on Wednesday, Feb. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free.

Menil Collection 1533 Sul Ross St. menil.org

AvantGarden 411 Westheimer starvingpoets.org

Navigation Esplanade 2800 Navigation Blvd navigationtailgate.com

Magpies and Peacocks 908 Live Oak magpiesandpeacocks.org

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

the Rice Thresher

A&E

0TINY’S FROM PAGE 6 have several advantages over an ice cream sandwich. For starters, it would be cheaper. It would also be less filling (so it could actually be finished, unlike the sandwich) and a lot less messy to eat. Finally, there’s good news if you want something to bring home. Tiny’s Milk and Cookies also sells frozen chocolate cookie dough by the dozen. Say goodbye to your New Year’s resolution and budget for the month! P.S. One word of advice: While this place is adorable (albeit expensive), I would not recommend it as a first-date spot if you are going to order an ice cream sandwich. It is impossible to eat without getting ice cream and chocolate smudges all over your face. Unless, of course, you think your date would be into that.

courtesy pitchfork

Flaming Lips disappoints with ‘Oczy Mlody’ Kaarthika Thakker For The Thresher

“Oczy Mlody” (Polish for “eyes of the young”) is the Flaming Lips’ new attempt at staying relevant 34 years after the band’s inception. Miley Cyrus’s appearance on the album in track “We a Famly,”is one way in which they’re trying to remain relevant. But the Lips’ relationship with Cyrus extends far beyond one feature on their latest album, and the album’s unfortunate similarities to an earlier Cyrus release result in the “Oczy Mlody’s” serious failing. In 2014, Cyrus appeared on the Flaming Lips’ version of “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” called “With A Little Help From My Friends.” You can hear the “girl with kaleidoscope eyes” on an even trippier version of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” Lips’ and Cyrus’s friendship continued with Cyrus’s 2015 Soundcloud drop “Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz.” “Dead Petz” was a 23-track experimental album the duo seemed to create to show their listeners and record label that they don’t follow anyone’s rules but their own. The album may have been indulgent and (for me) hard to listen to, but the parallels between “Dead Petz” and “Oczy Mlody” are evident. “Sunrise (Eyes of the Young)” from “Oczy Mlody” borrows directly from “The Floyd Song (Sunrise)” from “Dead Petz.” The Flaming Lips’ have always been experimental. For example, “I Found a Star on the Ground” on “Strobo Trip” is literally a sixhour track. However, they’ve kept experimental from becoming gimmicky by continually growing and developing their ideas. “I Found a Star on the

Ground” feels like a predecessor to some of the songs on 2013 album “The Terror,” but it’s obvious how the band has improved and refined its sound since the initial experiment. I don’t think “Oczy Mlody” shows growth in the same way. I wouldn’t be able to tell you if “Dead Petz” or “Oczy Mlody” came first just by listening to them. “Oczy Mlody” feels lethargic and unimaginative (ironic, because the album depict a psychedelic dystopia with “Faeries” and “Frogs with Demon Eyes”). The band tries to create a hypnotic landscape, but jars the listener with interjections and fails to maintain the continuity and storyline that a good concept album ought to have. In “Do Glowy,” the lyrics “Dewy, dewy, dew/Let’s get together, yeah/Drip, drip, drippy glow/Glowy and drippy, yeah” are repeated. This song feels like it should be a charming ode to childhood and children’s rhyming books but falls short because of how ridiculous it sounds. It feels like the band went to a light show under the influence of some drug and decided to produce the first lyrics they wrote about the experience. The album ends with “We a Famly” leaving us remembering relationship between the Flaming Lips and Miley Cyrus. It feels like a regular pop song with extra distortion and mentions of Jesus and spaceships. The influence of Miley Cyrus feels like a desperate and creepy attempt for the Lips to regain their youth while Cyrus seems to be seeking a break from her Disney-pop past. As a result they’ve created two albums that seem to be works-in-progress blatantly disrespecting everything: their fans, their labels, their pasts and their development as artists.

illustration by christina tan

A strawberry ice cream sandwich is one of the desserts avaliable at Tiny’s Milk and Cookies. The newly opened branch of Tiny’s also oﬀers coﬀee, juices and take-home chocolate cookie dough.

Super Bowl VIII: Rice Stadium’s big game Andrew Grottkau Sports Editor

sean chu/thresher

Freshman guard Chat Lott throws down a dunk during Saturday night’s victory over the University of North Carolina, Charlotte at Tudor Fieldhouse. Lott had a solid all-around game, finishing with six points, four rebounds and three assists.

Men’s basketball shows marked improvement from last season Madison Buzzard Thresher Staff

Twenty-two games into the 2015-16 season, the Rice men’s basketball team sported a 7-15 record and a 2-6 mark in Conference USA. The team had lost crucial players in the frontcourt and backcourt, and there was little hope of a Conference USA crown and NCAA tournament appearance. Now, 22 games into the 2016-17 season, the Owls are 14-8 overall and 4-5 in C-USA. Head coach Mike Rhoades starts two players, sophomore guard Marcus Evans and junior forward Egor Koulechov, who both average more than 18 points per game. As many as 11 players are receiving valuable minutes every week. Enlarged and electrified crowds at Tudor Fieldhouse support the team’s belief that Rice can legitimately contend for the C-USA title. Last Saturday’s victory against the University of North Carolina, Charlotte epitomized the growth this Rice men’s basketball team has made. Last year, the Owls lost both of their season meetings as well as a conference tournament showdown to the 49ers. This year, Rice has defeated Charlotte in both of their encounters. Rhoades said the team is focusing more on its own play instead of its opponents, keeping last season’s disappointments in the background.

“If you are a competitor, you remember the last time you play a team, win or lose,” Rhoades said. “Last year, they beat us pretty good. Regardless, I think it is more about how we play, not who we play. Losing last year doesn’t help us the next one.”

We cannot take reps oﬀ in practice. We have to handle losses and take them as a learning experience. Connor Cashaw Sophomore Guard The Owls have been able to focus on their playing style with increased talent and depth on this season’s roster. According to Rhoades, the Owls are capable of giving ten players significant playing time. “I want to get 10 players over 10 minutes. It creates great competition and morale,” Rhoades said. “Guys like [freshman forward] Tim [Harrison], [freshman forward] Austin [Meyer] and [junior forward] Bishop [Mency]

are just coming into their own on the court and we want to get them as much game action as possible.” Despite Rhoades’ effort to disperse playing time, the Owls’ are likely to continue to relying on the playmaking abilities of Evans, Koulechov and sophomore guard Connor Cashaw. According to Rhoades, Koulechov offers Rice a dynamic scoring threat at forward. “He can shoot threes or he can loosen up with some dribble moves and get to the basket,” Rhoades said. “We have so many playmakers on the team. Combining them with a versatile four-man is lethal. I wouldn’t want to guard him.” Although the Owls are ripe with dynamic playmaking and crisp shooting, several players emphasized team chemistry, focus, and grit over the course of a long season. Cashaw said the team cannot aﬀord to relax if it wants to compete for a conference championship. “We have to build our chemistry and recognize what each player can do,” Cashaw said. “We cannot take reps off in practice. We have to handle losses and take them as a learning experience.” Other teammates have echoed similar sentiments. According to Evans, the Owls must provide maximum effort and intensity. “Little hustle plays can completely change the outcome of the game,” Evans said. “The 0see BASKETBALL, page 11

This week, the Atlanta Falcons will use Rice’s football fields to prepare for Super Bowl LI against the New England Patriots. Forty-two years ago, however, Rice served as far more than a practice facility. On Jan. 13, 1974, Rice Stadium hosted Super Bowl VIII, the first Super Bowl ever played in the city of Houston. On that misty, cool day, 71,882 fans packed the building to its capacity to see the defending champions, the Miami Dolphins, take on the Minnesota Vikings and their “Purple People Eaters” defense. Houston resident Steve McMahon, who attended the game, later told the Houston Chronicle it was unlike anything he had ever seen. “Back then, Houston didn’t have any professional teams that were ‘packing them in,’” McMahon said. “It was quite a sight to see a completely filled stadium.” Planning for the game had begun just two years earlier, when NFL owners voted to award the game to Houston during their annual meetings in Hawaii. Despite having the state-of-the-art Astrodome just a few miles down the road, the game was played in Rice Stadium due to its larger seating capacity. It was the first Super Bowl ever played in a stadium that did not host an NFL team. In 2004, Fred Faour, the assistant sports editor at the Houston Chronicle at the time, said the building was awe-inspiring. “Rice Stadium may be run down now, but at the time, it was like going to a football cathedral,” Faour said in an article at the time. The gloomy weather did not stop fans from enjoying themselves. Parking lots around the stadium were filled with tailgaters, mostly Minnesotans who had driven south for the game. Some Houstonians credit those Vikings fans with sparking the popularity of tailgating at Houston football games. Inside the building, lines for concessions were so long that people were offering to pay $10 for hot dogs priced at just $1. Although the game was not as big of an event as it is today, it still captured a massive audience. An estimated 52 million people watched on CBS. Like today, celebrities descended upon the city. The NFL had hosted a party for VIPs in the Astrodome the Friday night before the game and paid a whopping $25 per guest. At the party, live cattle roamed the floor of the Astrodome in front of murals of old western saloons and frontier towns. Before pregame introductions, players from both teams stood in the south end zone tunnel together. Vikings hall of fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton recalled a Dolphins defender making small talk with him as he waited nervously. Following country artist Charley Pride’s national anthem, the Super Bowl began. The game itself is a mere footnote in NFL history. The Dolphins defeated the Vikings 24-7 for their second consecutive title. Dolphins Hall of Fame running back Larry Csonka won the MVP award for rushing for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese threw just seven passes the entire game, but his offense picked apart the celebrated Vikings defense. Steve Sabol, who worked for NFL films for nearly 50 years, later said the game “might have been the dullest [Super Bowl] ever.” Even the halftime show was forgettable; the performers were the University of Texas, Austin band, Miss Texas 1973 on fiddle and the Westchester Wranglerettes drill team. While the game is often forgotten in NFL lore, it remains one of the biggest events ever hosted on Rice’s campus.

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

SPORTS

the Rice Thresher

Enrollment for Spring coaching now open! who participated last semester? Undergrad Coaching School of Study 3%

1% architecture engineering

24%

43%

social science natural science humanities music undecided

23%

85% of students reported that coaching was valuable and that they would recommend coaching to others.

courtesy houston chronicle

sean chu/thresher

A crowd of 70,000 packed Rice Stadium for Super Bowl VIII in January 1974. Today, largerthan-life posters of the players in Super Bowl LI adorn the streets of Houston.

Students prepare as Super Bowl LI inches closer Michael Kidd Thresher Staff

Super Bowl LI is just around the corner, and the excitement is mounting all over the nation for the biggest sporting event in the world. According to Neilsen Holdings, a company that specializes in viewership and television ratings, Super Bowl 50 was watched by approximately 112 million people in the United States. Super Bowl LI could very well exceed that number. And Rice University is making its mark. Students and staff have worked hard to contribute to Houston’s Super Bowl. While many anticipate a tight game, perhaps nobody is more excited for the Super Bowl than those working for the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee. This committee, constructed over three years ago, started off as a small group of individuals who were given the assignment of constructing and turning Houston into the best Super Bowl host city it can possibly be. There are 40 main directors each assigned a department and staff of their own. Former Rice Athletics marketing employee Travis Hornik left Rice almost two years ago to accept a role as the coordinator of Super Bowl LIVE, a downtown event for the public. In addition to Hornik, many other Rice University alumni, staff and students have been granted opportunities to work for the committee. Each of these Owls is contributing and planning different aspects of the Super Bowl experience. One of these students is Pax KaplanSherman, a McMurtry College junior and sports management major. Sherman said he specializes in volunteer programs and helped to oversee and organize the nearly 10,000 volunteers who signed up to aid in the Super Bowl. “I need to be sure that our volunteers are where they need to be when they need to be there, can communicate well and are well trained,” Kaplan-Sherman said. “A lot of

them are just representing the city of Houston whether it’s a Super Bowl LIVE or the NFL experience or even airports, hotels, hospitality venues or more.” Super Bowl LIVE is occurring down at Discovery Green. There are live concerts, roller coasters, flag football fields for kids and memorabilia shops. The NFL Experience is in the George R. Brown Convention Center. It is more football-centric with activities ranging from a mock scouting combine to a virtual reality experience.

I need to be sure our volunteers are where they need to be, can communicate well and are well trained. Pax Kaplan-Sherman McMurtry College Junior Mai Pham, a McMurtry sophomore and sport management major is another student working for the Super Bowl Host Committee but specializes in private events. Like KaplanSherman, Pham has been working for the host committee since the fall of 2015. She said she enjoys her role in the Super Bowl. “Private events is a great department to work in because I help host events for the sponsors [of the Super Bowl] and prevalent people around the game,” Pham said. Pham said she is also a diehard New England Patriots fan and said she can’t believe 0see SUPER BOWL, page 11

“I became much better able to understand how I let others’ emotions affect mine, and therefore inﬂuence my decisions to make them happier. By making it a goal to become more emotionally conﬁdent and independent, I feel that I am becoming a better leader.” -Student Dear Ms. Ware, Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family. I would like to thank you for all your help in the Doerr leadership coaching and the resources you provided me. I did receive the book, and I look forward to reading it soon. I learned so much about leadership and how to effectively manage a variety of difficult tasks. The skills and knowledge you have provided me with will be useful for my time at Rice and beyond. Thank you so much again. Best, Komal Luthra Internal Vice President Rice University Student Association

Ready to get started? Great! We are excited to work with you. Send an email to leadership@rice.edu providing us your: 1. NetID 2. Cell phone number 3. Graduation year We will start matching students with coaches and give you further instructions by e-mail.

10 SPORTS

the Rice Thresher

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

0BASKETBALL FROM PAGE 8

effort players like [freshman guard] Chad [Lott] demonstrates energizes our team and makes everybody excited.” With nine games left in the conference season, Rice is anything but complacent. Coaches and players alike emphasized treating each game as the last of the year. Evans said his teammates should not take their newfound success for granted. “In our league, any team can catch fire no matter what their record is,” Evans said. “We have to be equally prepared for any opponent we face on the floor.” As a coach who dreams of a gritty, devoted student fan base, Rhoades is not willing to accept this season’s improved results. Rhoades said his message is simple: This Owls squad will always play with a chip on their shoulder. “It is really hard to win on the road no matter who you play,” Rhoades said. “Every team has talented players no matter what their record. We have been a bottomfeeder for so long and no team is afraid of us. We have to prove ourselves every time we go out on the court.” The Owls will have another chance to prove themselves when they take the court Saturday, Feb. 4 in Denton, Texas against the University of North Texas (6-15).

0SUPER BOWL FROM PAGE 9

her team is coming to Houston to play in the Super Bowl. “I can’t believe it’s happening, that my boys are coming to Houston,” Pham said. “And because of the relationship I have had with Robert Kraft, [the owner of the Patriots], I get to work as the Houston liaison for Mr. Kraft through the NFL’s White Glove program. I get to greet him at the stadium.” There are numerous other students getting involved in the Super Bowl. Duncan College senior Jeremy Reiskind has worked on websites, social media outlets and marketing for over a year now for the Super Bowl. He reports directly to the vice president of marketing for the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee. McMurtry sophomore Ben Schragger also works for the marketing department while Baker College freshman Taylor Scott is actively involved in two committees: community relations and operations and logistics.

I can’t believe it’s happening, that my boys [the New England Patriots] are coming to Houston.

SPORTS

the Rice Thresher

Otto not letting All-American honor define his season Craig Broadman Thresher Staff

As a freshman, junior pitcher Glenn Otto wasn’t sure how much playing time he would get. The Rice baseball team was stacked with talented upperclassmen pitchers and Otto wondered if he was going to get any innings. However, in an opening day matchup against the University of Texas, Austin Longhorns, Otto was called on in relief and struck out the side of the sixth best team in the nation in his collegiate debut to prove his spot among the best in college baseball. Recently named a preseason All-American, Otto said despite the 3-1 loss to Texas, his first taste of college baseball is his most memorable moment as an Owl. “That feeling of being on the field for the first time at Reckling — I got a taste of what college baseball was all about and how to succeed as a pitcher,” Otto said. The native Houstonian said his baseball career began as a toddler when his dad would routinely sit him in a high chair in front of Astros games on the TV, and continued when he joined T-ball as a four-year-old. “I have some videos of [my T-ball days] and they were pretty ugly,” Otto said. “Good thing I’ve gotten better since those days.” Last season, Otto threw 71.2 innings and recorded a 2.26 ERA while racking up eight saves and nine wins in a league high 33 relief appearances. According to Otto, the best performance of his life came last season in a 1-0 win against University of Texas, San Antonio. “I came in the seventh inning [and] ended up facing 10 batters and striking out eight,” Otto said. “I threw a lot of strikes and commanded the zone really well. Spot the fastball well and throw oﬀ of that — I felt like I did that exceptionally well.” Head coach Wayne Graham said Otto’s performance last year was strong enough to make him the team’s most valuable player of the 2016 season.

“He has an above average fastball and arguably one of the best curveballs in college baseball,” Graham said. “When he’s throwing strikes, he’s incredibly eﬀective, and most of last year, he did throw strikes.”

If you have a bad day or a good day, you always love the game. Glenn Otto Junior Pitcher Otto’s eﬀectiveness culminated in the opportunity to play for Baseball USA’s 2016 Collegiate National Team. Team USA went 11-7-1 overall, including 7-7 in international play, which included series in Taiwan, Japan and Cuba. Although Otto had a 9.64 ERA in 4.2 innings pitched, he said he was very thankful for the once-in-a lifetime experience. Otto said that he enjoyed the atmosphere of Cuba the best, a country where he was fortunate enough to return to as an Owl in late November. “I felt like I really got a complete experience over there and that’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life,” Otto said. “It’s just nice to know what it’s like over there and how nice we have it over here. We take things for granted. You get back here and you start to be a lot more thankful for your family, the resources, and all the opportunities you get. I feel that was a huge blessing I was given.” Otto, who compares himself to pitcher Will Harris of the Astros, will look to continue his stellar performance as a preseason AllAmerican. He is one of only two relief pitchers nationwide who received this accolade. Otto

said he is thankful but does not give it high importance. “It’s always nice to get individual honors,” Otto said. “I felt like I’ve put in a lot of work to get to this point, but at the end of the day, that’s not why I’m playing the game. I’m playing the game to get us back to Omaha and to help my teammates out the best I can.” The road to Omaha, the site of the College World Series, begins on Feb. 17 in Austin when the Owls take on the Longhorns to open the season. The night before, Otto said that he will probably be participating in his only pregame ritual: eating pasta. “I like to always eat a lot of pasta the night before a game,” Otto said. “Big carb load — try to get some energy for when I’m out there.” A few hours before game time, Otto said he will probably be listening to “Hell’s Bells” by AC/DC or “Jukebox Hero” by Foreigner, preferring country or classic rock over hip hop. True to his word, Otto’s walkup song this year is a classic country song: “Fireman” by George Strait. According to Otto, he chose the song not only because he likes the song, but also because it is symbolic of his role on the team. “In my role that I’m in, I’m honestly trying to put out as many fires as I can,” Otto said. “I’m going to be there, try to keep the oﬀense oﬀ balance, and try to put out whatever fire they try to start.” Otto’s ability to put out the fire will be instrumental in Rice’s success this year, and Otto said that regardless of the results, he will keep his head down and continue working. “If you have a bad day or a good day, you always love the game,” Otto said. “The bad days get you stronger and the good days keep you humble. Just try to keep it going as long as I can and when God tells me it’s time to hang ‘em up, then it’s time to hang ’em up. But until then, I’ll try to compete with everybody and beat everybody I can.”

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Mai Pham McMurtry Sophomore As for the game itself, the National Football Conference champion Atlanta Falcons will be making their second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history (0-1) while the New England Patriots are making their seventh appearance in just the last 16 years (4-4 all time). The Falcons and their star quarterback Matt Ryan defeated the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers in blowouts in the NFC playoﬀs. The Tom Brady and Bill Belichickled Patriots went through both the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers with the help of a pair of unlikely heroes in Dion Lewis and Chris Hogan to reach the Super Bowl. This is the third Super Bowl that the city of Houston has hosted. The first one was Super Bowl VIII on Jan. 13, 1974, played in Rice Stadium. Super Bowl XXXVIII was played at Reliant Stadium (now NRG Stadium) on Feb. 1, 2004. Even those who are just casual fans of the sport can get involved in the Super Bowl buzz somehow and someway. Rice will be hosting the Atlanta Falcons for practices this week. Although the practices are closed to the public, Rice athletics has installed a new practice field and set up the locker room to welcome the guests. For students, Super Bowl parties are planned yearly in each of the residential colleges. In years past, the serveries have cooked up chicken wings, nachos, burgers and even cakes with intricate Super Bowl logos on them.

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BACKPAGE

the Rice Thresher

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

UNOFFICIAL OFFICE OF PEER ACADEMIC ADVISING Health Professions Advising

Pre-Health Timeline Exciting news … the Career Expo is this Friday! But what if you’re not a STEM major? Don’t worry, we’re sure that everything will work out for you one day. Now what if you’re one of the 50 percent of the freshmen class who is pre-med, or the signiﬁcantly less than 50 percent of the graduating class who is pre-med? What does this mean for you? Nothing. Luckily, we at the Backpage have received ﬁrsthand advice from some pre-meds, just like you (or your ambitious freshman year self) that should keep you on track to getting into the med school of your dreams. Or, ya know, at least your backup.

First Year Summer Before

During the Year

ò Find Rice students who have been accepted to early acceptance medical school programs. Friend them on Facebook and ask how they got in.

ò Make sure to sign up for diﬀE, multi, orgo, physics and medical humanities in your freshman year. If you haven’t taken these, you’re behind and your PAA failed you. ò Declare your three majors during O-Week. If your PAAs are telling you no, they’re lying to you because they don’t want you to outcompete them. ò Declare two to four minors. The more minors, the more you care. ò Sign up to volunteer at Texas Children’s Medical Center even though you fucking hate kids. ò Volunteer with PAIR for one week and then quit because you don’t care about refugees, but definitely remember to put that in your resume (even though you quit). ò Also, make sure you only research cancer. Because only cancer matters. Also, start a foundation to fund cancer research because only cancer matters. ò Start looking up poor African countries you can build wells for. ò Buy a shovel. ò Take the EMT-Basic class your first semester freshman year because you’re a tryhard EVEN if they tell you no. Just join anyway.

Second Year ò Take physics or orgo or anything relatively diﬃcult over the summer at the University of Houston.

ò Do a week of PAIR, again. Show that longitudinal commitment to volunteering, even though you don’t care at all. ò If Dr. Yost didn’t invite you to her wedding, then give up now. ò Become president of something. If you’re not president of something, start a new organization and make yourself president. If someone’s already president of something, stage a coup. If the coup is unsuccessful, give up. ò If your GPA is not a 4.13 at this point, give up.

Third Year ò If your friends haven’t given you up already, give them up. They will only distract you at this point. ò If you didn’t get a 528 on the MCAT, consider pharmacy because it’s your “safety career” and you’ve always been meh about it. If you don’t know what a 528 is why are you reading this??? / give up now ò Ask your family for their most traumatic experiences and try to weave that into your personal statement as if those experiences happened to you. ò Do the whole one-week thing with PAIR again.

Fourth Year ò Your junior year should’ve been your senior year. Why are you still reading this? ò If you don’t “add diversity to the incoming class of medical students” list yourself as 1/1024th Blackfoot. ò Wish others well when they go on interviews but secretly loathe them because they’re actually more deserving of it than you are but you still think you’re worth it. ò You’re already definitely applying to only M.D./Ph.D programs, but you should also think about applying to law school so you can get that very necessary M.D., Ph.D, J.D., MPH, MBA, M.S. by your name ò :ULWH LPSDVVLRQHG OHWWHUV WR WKH HGLWRU WUDVKLQJ VRPH :LOO 5LFH NLGV DQG FRPSOHWHO\ UHN KLV DVV ò Make sure you write about how those three years/weeks of PAIR really changed your life. ò Final word of advice: Lie on your applications, interviews, past experiences, everything. It’s your only hope. The Backpage is edited by Joey McGlone and Riley Robertson. This week Ikey Schultz contributed. And, ya know, 99% was written by David Vien and Monica Justo. For comments or questions, please email thirsty@rice.edu.

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