The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, September 6, 2017

VOLUME 102, ISSUE NO. 2 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

HIT BY

HARVEY Tearing down to build up

EMILY ABDOW NEWS EDITOR / ESA2@RICE.EDU

Over 2,000 Rice students have signed up as volunteers through the Rice Harvey Action Team, according to Doerr Institute Director Tom Kolditz.

Students and staff formed R-HAT to connect those in need with volunteer demolition teams that deconstruct damaged houses, Kolditz said.

“Ironically, we had to cancel Outreach Day this past weekend and now we’re doing Outreach Day every day,” Caroline Quenemoen, director of the Center for Civil Leadership, said.

R-HAT is a collaboration between the Doerr Institute, CCL, Student Association and Graduate Student Association, according to Kolditz.

R-HAT’s efforts have ranged from smaller teams of students carpooling to worksites to 200 students riding buses to Crosspoint Church before heading out into local communities.

The majority of R-HAT’s work has been concentrated in Bellaire, Meyerland and the Third Ward as those are the closest to Rice’s campus, Kolditz said. The Doerr Institute is footing the bill for relief efforts which currently amount to a few thousand dollars.

Jones College senior Grace Jenkins coordinated with a local Black Lives Matter chapter to expand the reach of Rice’s volunteers.

“Although I love the way we at Rice have been taking care of each other and our community, in volunteering with BLMHTX we can also work to support those who need it most,” Jenkins said.

Youssef Machkas, who volunteered as part of a demolition team with BLMHTX, said he was struck by the optimism of the people whose homes were flooded .

“Their houses were basically destroyed but it seemed like they were trying to stay positive,” Machkas, a Sid Richardson College senior, said.

“That’s just the vibe I got, like they won’t let it sink them.”

Ranjini Nagaraj helped a sixth grader clean out her bedroom. “[Her mother] told us that she had hidden many of her daughter’s belongings that had been ruined so that she wouldn’t be upset when the time came to throw them out,” Nagraj, a Jones College junior, said. “I can’t even imagine courtesy rice public affairs and christina tan/thresher

Students formed demolition teams to deconstruct houses damaged by flood water and collected donations for flood victims through the Rice Harvey Action Team and other initiatives. Over 2,000 students have signed up to volunteer through R-HAT. SPOTLIGHT

R-HAT CONT. ON PAGE 4 how I would handle a situation like this if I were

SPOTLIGHT

H&D rides out storm Students weather Harvey together ELIZABETH RASICH SPOTLIGHT EDITOR / EAR4@RICE.EDU

“You have to, quite literally, tell your family ‘I can’t help you,’” Mark Ditman said. As Associate Vice President of Housing and Dining, he is one of 50 H&D staff members who rode out Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath on campus alongside the students they helped feed and house.

Susann Glenn, H&D’s manager of communications, also stayed on campus while her family dealt with Hurricane Harvey at home. A third of the houses in her neighborhood flooded, and water crept up her driveway.

“As a mom, it’s sometimes hard to take care of 4,000 students while my kids are at home,” Glenn said. “But they know what we’re doing is

important here. You all don’t have any place to go. My family could leave if they needed to.”

During an emergency event like a hurricane, Housing and Dining splits into two camps: the rideout crew and the recovery crew. The rideout crew stays on or close to campus during the emergency to ensure that Rice students are cared for, and the recovery crew stays at home until the emergency is over, at which point they come back to work. Those with dependents to care for, such as small children or seniors, are on the recovery crew.

Glenn and Ditman said staff typically volunteer to help in these types of situations.

“I would argue that almost everybody here is not here because they are required to be, but because they chose to be

H&D CONT. ON PAGE 9

ELIZABETH RASICH SPOTLIGHT EDITOR / EAR4@RICE.EDU

Alyssa Alvis rode out Hurricane Harvey at McMurtry College.

There, she saw students adapt to the storm in a variety of ways: watching “Mulan,” playing Cards Against Humanity, cheering on Rice football during the game against Stanford on Aug. 26. McMurtry students also gathered in the commons to watch the McGregor-Mayweather fight and in the college’s movie room for the “Game of Thrones” finale.

At Alvis’ home college Hanszen, student government planned out a number of events for the week. Hanszen External Vice President Nikolas Liebster said the college hosted movie screenings of “The Princess Bride” and “Wonder Woman” as

well as dodgeball against Wiess College.

We had students who are doing a good job of taking care of each other, keeping themselves occupied without making any extra work for RUPD. Clemente Rodriguez RUPD Captain

“It doesn’t seem like people are sitting around on their own, but rather are coming together and fighting off boredom together, both in public and

private spaces,” Liebster said.

With all of the events held at Hanszen, Liebster said that it almost felt like Willy Week.

Other students also took the lead in hosting activities to stave off boredom.

At Hanszen, sophomore flute performance major Megan Torti organized a spontaneous concert along with Hanszen sophomore Ben Lanners on cello and Baker sophomore Gregory Martin and Brown sophomore David Danjul playing the piano.

“We traded off and played some flute and piano sonatas, cello and piano sonatas, and a few works for cello, flute and piano,” Torti said. “It was a great way to pass the time and those who were in the commons told me how much they enjoyed listening.”

STUDENTS CONT. ON PAGE 7

NEWS

2

OC students shelter on campus RUPD braves flooding EMILY ABDOW NEWS EDITOR / ESA2@RICE.EDU

Many undergraduates living off campus moved into residential colleges during the hurricane, sleeping on couches and inflatable mattresses in every style of room.

At Will Rice College, Anika Gautam’s 212-square-foot double was home to six people total as four off-campus friends came to wait out the storm together.

“While our spirits started out high, we learned a lot more than we ever had in the last three years,” Gautam, a senior, said.

“Harvey brought us closer together. Who knew two beds, a mattress topper and a futon could all fit?”

Some off-campus students who had not left their apartments were rescued by the Rice University Police Department.

A few rescues involved students in apartment complexes that had flooded out, according to Rice University Chief of Police James Tate. To reach these students, RUPD worked with the owner of a high-water rescue vehicle who provided transportation to at least five students.

“We will go the extra mile in every case for students, faculty members or staff folks,” Tate said. “We just will.”

Brown junior Brice Todd said he had to leave his apartment after he lost power, stranding him with no running water and only perishable food. RUPD brought him to Brown College, where he stayed for three days.

“My stuff was all safe because I live on the 15th floor, but the building is still trying to recover,” Todd said. “I apparently left just in time because the first floor partially flooded while I was away, and I would’ve been stranded had I stayed much longer.”

Who knew two beds, a mattress topper and a futon could all fit?

Anika Gautam Will Rice senior Rakesh Vijayakumar, who stayed in the common area of a quad with four other off-campus students, said he enjoyed the free servery food that began Friday, Aug. 25 and extending through Monday, Sept. 4, according to an email from Rice Dining.

“My roommate and I stocked up on food the Thursday before the hurricane but we only bought enough for about four days,” Vijayakumar, a Brown junior, said. “We probably would have run out or would have come close if we stayed at our apartment.”

Sarah Asson’s suite at Jones College went from four to nine on Friday night.

“People started going back to their offcampus apartments and we slowly emptied out,” Asson, a Jones College junior, said “But since move-in day, our suite has almost had more nights with visitors. Now it feels a little empty.”

ANNA TA NEWS EDITOR / AXT1@RICE.EDU

As Houston took on over 40 inches of rain, Rice University Police Department officers received helicopters filled with evacuees from a hospital and a nursing home, and waded into neckdeep floodwaters in student rescues on Sunday, Aug. 27.

The Texas National Guard first called RUPD dispatch at roughly 5:45 p.m., requesting to land a helicopter in Greenbriar parking lot for three dialysis patients. Without warning, seven other helicopters quickly followed suit.

Over 10 RUPD officers, along with Rice Emergency Medical Services, helped unload evacuees and patients over a twohour period, according to RUPD Chief James Tate.

“When you see the faces of the folks you’re helping, and how stressed they are, but how they’re thankful, it puts it into perspective for you,” Tate said. “This is why we’re here. This is why we do what we do.”

The officers were tasked with offloading elderly people who required wheelchairs or walkers, as well as those who required hospital care, and transporting them to either the Texas Medical Center or the George R. Brown Convention Center.

“There was a pregnant lady in one of the helicopters, and as I held her hand, I

could tell she was very afraid,” Tate said.

“She didn’t speak much English, if any at all, but she knew that we were there to help her. It was a good feeling.”

REMS personnel Austin Cao and Brenda Zhou were also paged to help offload and transport patients to Memorial Hermann hospital.

“I thought this was a really cool moment, to see the government, paramedics, RUPD, EMS, all sort of working together towards a common goal that came up only an hour ago,” Cao, a Hanszen College senior, said. “I was definitely very honored to be a part of that and I’m glad that we helped patients get out safely.”

In between rounds of helicopters coming in, RUPD officer Christopher Bick said he was able to take a moment to talk to evacuees from nursing homes who were carrying what possessions they were able to salvage in large trash bags.

“It put it into perspective, how bad everything was,” Bick said. “Just looking at some of them, you just wanted to take their place or take some of that hurt away from them. Because they lost everything.”

As floodwaters reached their highest point on Sunday, RUPD was unable to move their vehicles farther than West Lot. RUPD officers Bick and Gary Evans went on foot to ensure there wasn’t anyone stranded or in need of help and incapable

RUPD CONT. ON PAGE 3

AFTER THE STORM: Damaged facilities around campus

Many buildings on campus faced flooding, leaks and other damages during Hurricane Harvey. Among the most severe were seen at the Rice Memorial Center basement, where water penetrated through the floor. In the Allen Center, water intruded upon the purchasing/photography room and shut off an elevator, while the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen saw wet automation controls.

THE RICE THRESHER

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

NEWS

3

RUPD officers ate meals whenever they could during the six days they were responding to Hurricane Harvey. Although H&D gave them access to the serveries, some of the officers were unable to partake in the service because they were taking calls during servery hours. courtesy rupd/rems

RUPD FROM PAGE 2 of contacting RUPD. According to Bick, they walked about 15 miles, and were on foot for over eight hours.

“Since we couldn’t get the cars out there, it would’ve left the campus empty,” Bick said. “No one would’ve been able to get to them. So we said, well all right, we need to do something. So we started walking.”

It puts it into perspective for you. This is why we’re here. This is why we do what we do.

James Tate RUPD Chief Simultaneously, officer Kenneth Nipe responded to calls and performed routine campuswide checks on the buildings on bike until the water receded enough for the vehicles. According to Nipe, even on a bike with 29-inch tires, the water rose to mid-thigh.

“At one point, you could hardly see anything because of the rain,” Nipe said.

“The water was deep and the wind was blowing. So yeah, whether you ended up on the sidewalk or into the deeper water, that was a concern. Other than that, it’s kind of what we do, unfortunately.”

During those periods of restricted vehicle movement, Nipe also coordinated with REMS to deliver medicine to the Rice Graduate Apartments.

“We couldn’t get her to the doctor, so I got to play pharmacist,” Nipe said. “I had to ride my bike over to health services, go into their pharmacy section, unlock it, pull out the right kind of medicine, dispense the pills into an envelope, and bike it over to the RGA. And we got a text later that day that she was feeling much

better. That one made the most impact, other than the helicopter.”

Tate said police chiefs nationwide have reached out to him, checking in and offering resources.

“I got a call two days ago from a university chief of police in Florida that I do not know,” Tate said. “He doesn’t have many officers, but he was willing to send two to help me out. He said he was doing it just because they’ve been through hurricanes and he knows how difficult this kind of operation can be. I told him I was okay for now, but just a really heartwarming call to accept.”

Six days after the RUPD officers came onto campus to stay during the storm, other officers were able to provide relief, allowing some of the 14 who had been there since Friday to go home. According to Nipe, as the most senior officer, he was offered the choice to go home first, but deferred it to others who had kids or any known damage to their homes.

“Everything’s good at home and I can weather a couple more days if I need to, but it’s long,” Nipe said. “It wears on you.

I’ve been here so long not for any reason other than I like to be at Rice.”

According to Evans, students thanked them at least a hundred different times as they performed their rounds.

“Students actually brought cookies to the police department for us, because they knew we were here 24 hours a day,” Evans said. “It was a good way and a bad way to start off a school year. It lets the students see that we are here for them in their time of need, and dealing with that type of crisis at the same time.”

Bick said students brought a platter of cookies into the police station to thank the officers for their work.

“It was nice, really nice,” Bick said.

“Especially that day on Sunday. We changed uniforms and shoes twice, just constantly drenched, and just when you think you’re ready to throw in the towel, they bring in a plate of cookies and it just keeps you going.”

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NEWS

THE RICE THRESHER

Professors make changes in wake of storm JAECEY PARHAM THRESHER STAFF / JLP9@RICE.EDU

Classes resumed Tuesday after a week of cancellations, leaving professors to decide how to alter lesson plans.

Provost Marie Lynn Miranda sent an email asking faculty with available time to engage students during the period of canceled classes.

“For those of you who have some capacity to interact with students during these two days of canceled classes, I write to solicit your help,” Miranda said.

“Because we are a university and because we want our students to have more to do than beer-pong, we would like to find some ways for them to stay intellectually engaged with you, their professors.”

In a second email to faculty on Sept. 1, Miranda recommended professors remove a week’s worth of content from courses.

“We do not want to cram makeup classes into evenings and weekends because this will unduly increase the stress on students, including those who suffered losses in the storm,” Miranda said. “In addition, we believe our students will want to stay engaged in Houston – and that this is a good thing.”

English lecturer Amanda Johnson said she prepared online presentations on material for students to watch at their leisure during the days off.

“Generally speaking, when I have to change a syllabus schedule, I try to do so in a way that creates more work for myself and less for my students,” Johnson said. “Those presentations will pretty much get us caught up with where we would be when our normal class schedule resumes.”

According to economics lecturur James DeNicco, professors’ choices

on how to proceed, in light of of the cancelled classes, includes sacrificing some course material.

“The trick for professors [will be] finding time to cover the material they think is most important,” DeNicco said.

“If they think it is all important they are going to have to sacrifice in some areas.”

It may be difficult for some of the faculty and students to focus as they try to either pick up their lives or help others pick up their lives.

James DeNicco Economics lecturer Mechanical engineering professor Eleazar Marquez said the time off of classes will not be harmful to students’ learning.

“I encouraged [my students] to get involved with our community and volunteer in helping those in need,” Marquez said.

“But once classes begin, I want the students to be operating in full throttle.”

Marquez said that while he did cancel an assignment originally due the week of Aug. 28, his classes will pick up where they left off before the hurricane.

“Engineering is a field of study where we cannot cover topics in a hasty manner [because we study] scenarios that can pose a threat to our society if we don’t consider them diligently,” Marquez said.

DeNicco said students’ challenges might lie in finding a rhythm within their academic semester.

“There is definitely an ebb and flow to each semester,” DeNicco said. “You get used to things being due on certain dates and covering a certain amount of material in a given time to take an exam. This will delay that and put added stress on the students I am sure.”

Alexia Rauen, a Baker College senior, said she recognizes the difficulties students and professors face, particularly for longer classes that meet once a week. “[However], I think rescheduling a little class is minor compared to what many members of our Rice community have had to deal with due to Harvey,” Rauen said.

Biosciences professor Michael Gustin said he has made changes to his courses by prioritizing certain classes and content.

“Implicit in my adjustment is a plan that does not increase workload to compensate for time lost to Harvey,” Gustin said.

According to Amy Tao, a Lovett College senior, despite hesitancy about how her professors may decide to proceed with workload, she is confident in their choices.

“I trust their judgment and am sure I’ll still get more or less the same academic experience I would’ve received if classes were not cancelled,” Tao said.

DeNicco said he is confident in the Rice community to conquer the challenges brought on by the hurricane.

“It may be difficult for some of the faculty and students to focus as they try to either pick up their own lives or help others pick up their lives,” DeNicco said.

“Going through hardships together and helping others in such difficult times tends to have a very cohesive effect on a community. I for one really can’t wait to get back.”

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 R-HAT FROM PAGE 1 in their shoes.”

Carly Frieders volunteered at a house owned by a Rice staff member.

“Almost all of the students I volunteered alongside were not Houston natives,” Frieders, a Brown College sophomore, said.

“A lot of them were first-year students who had lived in the city for less than two weeks.

And yet, we all came together and took ownership of Houston in a way that I haven’t ever seen Rice students do before.”

Freddy Cavallaro said he was nervous to volunteer at Lakewood Church after seeing the recent press about the church not initially opening its doors to flood victims.

“We worked our asses off,” Cavallaro, a Will Rice junior, said. “I was impressed by the sheer bulk of supplies and people going through after it was open for one day.”

Duncan College junior Maurice Frediere helped lead a campuswide donation drive that resulted in 10 carloads of items including clothing and blankets for flood victims.

At Lovett College, junior Chloe Wilson said she and sophomore Taylor DeWoody collected toiletries for Housing and Dining staff who stayed on campus during the storm. They also organized 90 volunteers for the night shift at NRG stadium.

“We had so many volunteers that around 15 of them ended up having to go home at around 2 am because there weren’t enough jobs at the shelter,” Wilson said.

On Friday, the SA organized a town hall town hall where students signed thank you posters for groups including RUPD and H&D. Students also discussed ways to keep students volunteering as classes begin.

“The Rice Bubble has been popped and my deepest fear is that it forms again,” SA President Justin Onwenu said.

Kolditz said service will continue.

“A flooded home is a flooded home and so we’re just going to keep working to the best of our ability to put teams into those areas,” Kolditz said.

Emergency plans pay off LIZZIE BJORK THRESHER STAFF / EWB2@RICE.EDU

Rice University remained safe during Hurricane Harvey due to the preparedness of its facilities and existence of improved city infrastructure, according to Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby.

With its own power plant, medical service and police force, Rice was better positioned than most of Houston, Kirby said.

“Rice is like its own little city,” he said.

“That has helped us a lot because we have the resources of a city under our control.”

The crisis management team, which Kirby chairs, runs practice drills for hurricanes and is well-prepared for disasters ranging from violent protests to disease outbreaks to hurricanes, Kirby said. In a high wind event, for example, the university has precut pieces of wood to fit windows that are most at risk.

“Teams across campus have wellestablished emergency response plans,” Provost Marie Lynn Miranda said. “So we weren’t having to make stuff up as it arose.”

A portion of staff members from Housing and Dining and Facilities Engineering and Planning are designated as essential personnel in their contracts, according to Kirby, meaning they have agreed to remain on or near campus during any given emergency.

Throughout the storm and aftermath, H&D had enough staff on hand to keep the four major serveries open to keep students inside during the worst weather rather than have them walk to South Servery, Glenn said.

Sid Richardson College’s magisters, resident associates and some students helped cook for the college from Sunday to Wednesday.

At no point during the storm was Rice in danger of running out of food, Glenn said.

H&D has a plan in place to maximize food inventory during natural disasters.

Over 21 years at Rice with three major disasters — Tropical Storm Allison, Hurricane Ike and Hurricane Harvey — campus has never run out of fresh food, Ditman said.

Other tasks, like cleaning the commons and collecting trash from the residential colleges, were less urgent, Ditman said. Students organized to clean their own commons, and trash collection was centralized or performed less often.

Hurricane Harvey did not pose any unforeseen difficulties, Kirby said.

Several years ago, Houston installed storm drains on Kirby Drive, which reduce water flow onto campus through Greenbriar Lot and past the Rice University Police Department office, Kirby said.

Rice is like its own little city.

Kevin Kirby Vice President of Administration Kirby said another important measure FE&P performed to prevent flooding was cleaning out storm drains.

Miranda said campus administration is equally concerned with preparations for the next few weeks.

“It’s important to remember that there are a lot of people who are dealing with devastation in their homes,” she said.

Miranda said the administration has launched two data collection forms to help with long term solutions for the Rice community: a needs assessment form and a match service.

Between its launch on Aug. 28 and Aug. 30, the needs assessment form received 6,600 responses, she said.

The administration launched a match service Aug. 29 to determine housing needs and available resources. As of last week, Rice found temporary housing for all those in need.

“I just love this whole notion of all that strength in information science getting married to our deep desire to service the world,” Miranda said.

This article has been condensed for print.

Read the full story at ricethresher.org.

OPINION

5

EDITORIAL

ASK THE STAFF

As classes resume, stay engaged

What did you do during Hurricane Harvey?

Rice’s campus was lucky to be largely unharmed due to Hurricane Harvey.

Thanks to the administration’s careful planning, students were safe and well-fed despite the storm. The crisis management team’s updates provided a constant flow of information and Housing and Dining supplied on-campus students with plenty of food. Facilities and Engineering made sure buildings were safe before reopening them and fixed any problems they found.

As we know, however, the rest of the city was not so lucky. Thousands of people are displaced. The death toll at time of print is over 60 and rising. While members of the Rice community escaped serious injury, many lost their homes. Others have family or friends who were severely affected.

The stories of students volunteering cannot end with the beginning of classes.

The Thresher encourages students to continue to volunteer through the Rice Harvey Action Team or other organizations.

It will be easy in the coming weeks and months to get caught up in classes and day-to-day activities while victims of the storm are still rebuilding their lives, but we cannot forget our neighbors.

“Spent the week contemplating “Went on a spontaneous trip to Austin “Got Instagram.” actually doing something productive.” to see the Bat Bridge.”

– Sarah Smati, Copy Editor – Christina Tan, Art Director

– Biz Rasich, Spotlight Editor

“Googled the difference between a “Setting a new survival record in tornado warning and a tornado watch ‘Don’t Starve Together’ with Jasmine.” like five different times.”

– Lenna Mendoza, A&E Editor

“Frantically procrastinated.”

– Charlie Paul, Online Editor

“Volunteered just enough to feel good about myself, but not like so much “Sorted my collection of short-sleeve that I broke a sweat.”

“Hoarded a huge amount of snacks that button-down shirts.”

– Joey McGlone, Backpage Editor lasted approximately seven hours.”

– Drew Keller, Editor-in-Chief – Shannon Klein, Business Manager “Spent the week watching “Floated around on a pretzel.”

‘Newsroom’ while not working for “As per the provost’s instructions — – Naomi Pringle, Assistant A&E Editor Thresher.” beer pong.”

– Charlene Pan, Assistant Photo Editor – Juan Saldaña, Editor-in-Chief “Jammed to Taylor Swift’s new song.”

– Emily Abdow, News Editor “Watched my Amazon package get “Used Tinder.” delayed to the next day ... and then – Sydney Garrett, News Designer “Found the entire undergraduate the next ... and then the next ...” population sheltering in the Rec.” – Julianne Wey, Ops Editor “Was single.”

– Isaac Schultz, Backpage Editor – Catherine Soltero, Copy Editor “Impulse-purchased my first pair of “Wondered how we thought a print rain boots.”

“Flooded my room. With my tears.” edition was possible.”

– Clara Tian, Video Editor – Anna Ta, Assistant News Editor

– Jasmine Lin, Managing Editor

– Katrina Cherk, Sports Designer

OP-ED

Houston: This is your f---ing city Full disclosure: Houston is not my home.

I’m from Boston, where natural disasters are as rare for our city as losing seasons are for our professional sports teams. I’ve lived there since I was two years old, and there have been few times of crisis. There’s only one I can remember, and it happened in April 2013.

The marathon bombings rocked our city. It’s hard to explain to people who aren’t from the area, but the marathon is a celebration of everything that Boston stands for. Boston is a big city with the feel of a small town. Everyone knows at least one friend, family member, neighbor or co-worker who is spending his or her day off from work running 26.2 miles, often for charity. And everyone knows dozens of people who are attending the race. It’s a citywide celebration of the best of Boston.

For me, it was my uncle running the race. He is an extremely talented runner — able to finish a marathon in about three hours. I was in class that day because my private school did not recognize the local holiday. If my uncle was any slower, my mom, brother, sister, uncle, cousins and grandparents would have still been at the finish line when the bombs went off. They left 15 minutes before the disaster.

This week feels a little like that one.

Of course, Hurricane Harvey is entirely different. The marathon bombings were

STAFF Drew Keller & Juan Saldaña* Editors in Chief Jasmine Lin* Managing Editor Shannon Klein Business Manager

news Emily Abdow* Editor Anna Ta Editor spotlight Elizabeth Rasich Editor opinions Julianne Wey* Editor

a deliberate attack. This storm is natural.

It is a catastrophe, an utter disaster.

Something we may never see again.

At the same time, Harvey has offered moments of hope. Houston has unified behind a common cause in a way that I’ve only seen once before, during that fateful week in 2013.

In Boston, marathon runners who had just run 24 miles or more ran toward the hospital instead of the finish line in hope of donating blood. Doctors worked all night long and into the morning. Bystanders tore their shirts off to make tourniquets for victims. In Houston, people have used their boats to go door-to-door to rescue complete strangers. Civilians are risking their lives to save people trapped in flood waters.

Donations to victims are pouring in.

To be honest, I’m not sure that I knew this was coming. I’ve been in Houston for only two school years, and I have yet to feel like I truly know the city. It has always seemed fragmented to me — it’s just so big. It made sense to me that Boston could come together for a common cause so seamlessly because, by area and population, it’s really not that large. But Houston? It’s massive.

Houston has proven me wrong in every way. Here, it feels like a family. Maybe it’s not unique to Houston and Boston; maybe it’s just human nature. But the selflessness everyone has shown is staggering. I’m

sports Andrew Grottkau* Editor arts & entertainment Lenna Mendoza* Editor Naomi Pringle Asst. Editor backpage Joey McGlone Editor Isaac Schultz Editor design Christina Tan Director Sydney Garrett News Designer Katrina Cherk Sports Designer Ellie Mix A&E Designer photo Sirui Zhou Editor Charlene Pan Asst. Editor copy Sarah Smati Editor Catherine Soltero Editor

probably in the most secure place in the city and at times, I have feared for my safety. I can only imagine what people driving their boats through the floodwaters are feeling. They’re showing a level of care that I can barely begin to fathom. The police officers, medical professionals and reporters who are away from their families for the purpose of providing aid and information to those in need are heroic. I don’t know how they can leave their loved ones to work in a time like this, but they are doing just that.

Even on Rice’s campus, there are signs of care. I saw students donating their belongings — many brand-new for the start of the school year — to RAs at McMurtry, Duncan and Jones Colleges so that they could be driven to shelters in the city. The RAs got so many donations that they had to fill two cars. I heard a student ask if he could help clear the building of trash because Housing and Dining is understaffed. H&D workers have been away from home for days in order to provide students with food and other necessities. Hell, one of my classmates got locked out of her room last night and called McMurtry’s student maintenance representative, junior Lane Toungate, only to find out he was busy rescuing a pregnant woman from her first floor apartment in his kayak.

So hey, Houston. In the words of David

business operations Tom Wang External Ads Manager Sara Lopez Marketing Manager Grace Earick Distribution Manager online Charlie Paul Editor Alice Liu Digital Content Editor video Clara Tian Editor *Editorial Board member

Ortiz, this is your fucking city. You are #HoustonStrong. This city will create plenty of slogans of its own after the storm. But as a Bostonian, I say feel free to use any phrase Boston used in 2013.

Houston has earned it.

Let me go back for just a moment to 2014. It was a year after the marathon bombings, the day of the 2014 Boston Marathon. Attendance did not decline because of the fear of another disaster. It doubled. More runners ran the marathon in 2014 than in any other year except 1996.

The 2013 bombings did not rob the city of its spirit. It reinforced what it meant to be a Bostonian, and it ignited a sense of pride and togetherness that we never truly had before. If the heroic efforts of Houstonians are any indication, Harvey will do the same to Houston. Yes, it will take time to rebuild and heal. But when that happens — and believe me, it will — Houston will be stronger than ever before.

In your face, Harvey.

ANDREW GROTTKAU

Thresher Sports Editor McMurtry College Junior abg4@rice.edu

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 The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA, CMA, and CMBAM © Copyright 2017

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THE RICE THRESHER

OPINION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

EDITORIAL CARTOON

CARTOON BY JULIANNE WEY AND CHRISTINA TAN

Student gratitude in action.

EDITOR’S COLUMN: MY WEY OR THE HIGHWAY

OP-ED

Avoid impertinence on social media in times of disaster

Rice students: Continue to give back to your home

Rice is a bubble — most students here will attest to that.

I don’t think it’s ever been more true than in this last week. My parents texted me constantly asking for updates; my grandpa was watching CNN’s Hurricane Harvey coverage from Taiwan; old friends I hadn’t spoken to in years called me out of the blue to ask if I was OK. I told them all the same thing: We’re fine on campus, we’re more than taken care of. One dinner last week, North Servery had three round of desserts (How?!).

But Rice is also home to many people from Houston, besides of course the faculty and staff. I went with one of my friends to his home in Bellaire and witnessed firsthand what many outside of Rice are currently dealing with. Awful smell aside, that includes probably months of waiting for insurance claims and repairs before being able to go back to some semblance of normal life at home.

In the throes of the hurricane, Dean Hutch sent out an email asking students to please not go wading into the waters at risk of bacteria, fire ants and who knows what else lurking in the murky tides. The Jones magister informed us that a Rice professor had happened outside one day during the storm and looked down to see an army of cockroaches crawling up her leg. Naturally, some people decided to venture into the waters anyway.

Now, while I personally think swimming around in West Lot is disgusting, I don’t really care. Do what you want in your own time — God knows we had seemingly endless free time last week — and it’s your body.

What bothered me was a slow but steady cropping up of Instagram posts that seemed to show off some individuals’ awesome adventures in the water with their floaties and canoes and galoshes.

First of all, that’s so extra. The fact that some people went to certain lengths to take not one, but multiple photos in various flooded areas with a number of prepared accessories, and then took the time to edit them on Instagram and choose some “clever” caption, boggles

my mind. Second of all, I can’t imagine that someone whose home was damaged

by Harvey would look at those photos and chortle at their cheekiness.

Yes, I know — it’s pesky and difficult to take into account every reaction to one’s posts. But at the same time, we all know that social media is in essence your public persona. In a day and age in which we follow people we don’t know personally on Instagram and friend Facebook users purely based on mutual friends (if at all), it’s rather clear that what you put on social media is what you’ve decided to show about who you are. Your social media is your personality, and that’s what most others will assume, whether or not that’s actually accurate.

I’m not from Houston, nor do I have relatives here. But some of the Instagram posts I saw made even me uncomfortable. I kept it to myself at first, thinking maybe I was just being overly judgmental, but multiple others commented a little tentatively in passing that, didn’t those posts come off a tad insensitive?

I guess if I were a little less lazy and a little more carefree, I would’ve considered venturing out to West Lot when it was flooded, if only to take a gander. Perhaps I would’ve taken a dip and risked it with the fire ants and cockroaches. Perhaps I would’ve bellydived down a grass hill. But I really think it goes beyond poking fun and risks impertinence to stage some sort of photoshoot in the flood, as a result of something that proved deadly to many others outside of Rice campus.

There is a time and a place for brazenness — it might just not be now.

JULIANNE WEY

Thresher Opinions Editor Jones College Senior jsw7@rice.edu

Over the last week, more than 2,000 Rice students, faculty and staff signed up to help rebuild the city we all call home through the Rice Harvey Action Team collaborative. They have volunteered nearly 8,000 hours, waking up before the sun rises and working long after it goes down. The Rice community’s sense of civic duty has been inspiring to everyone; however, we can and should ask more of each other.

For many families it will be months before many areas are operational. Rice’s campus might have sustained little damage during the storm, but a 10-minute drive paints an entirely different picture. Across southeast Texas, thousands of families have lost everything — cars, homes, schools and the hope that binds their communities.

While we return to the normalcy of classes, kids taking refuge at the NRG don’t know where they’ll be going to school on Monday. After all is said and done, Hurricane Harvey will be one of the costliest natural disasters in history. Rebuilding will take years, and Rice’s community of students and leaders is uniquely positioned to be part of the recovery.

Everyone has done an incredible job stepping up to serve in the last few days, but this isn’t a congratulations — it’s a call to continued action. Through collaboration with existing service clubs, campus opportunities and connections, the Rice community will be a resource to all of Houston in the months and years ahead.

As students, most of our waking hours are dedicated to tomorrow. If we work hard today, acquiring the knowledge and learning the skills we need, we’ll be able to improve the world in the years to come. However, times of great need mandate that our focus be on making the world a little bit brighter for someone else today. Those kids without a home, without knowledge of their school or future or even the safety of their family members need us to be the leaders we plan to be in the future, today.

It’s easy to become preoccupied with immediate tasks and personal goals, but having a broader perspective on the surrounding city and region is important.

Our ability to apply knowledge successfully beyond the hedges hinges on our ability to

show compassion and to work in service to others even when we do not benefit directly.

We are here at Rice not just to become great engineers, doctors or political scientists, but to become leaders who work for the betterment of the world. Being a leader tomorrow requires that we act today.

Social media is not enough, solidarity is not enough, staying inside the hedges is not enough. Don’t look to others to provide the help Houston needs. It can’t just be the mayor or the nonprofits or the construction workers helping rebuild this city.

Take ownership of your home; many of us grew up here and others will be here for only our four years at Rice. The length of your stay doesn’t matter — in this moment, you are a Houstonian. The volunteer needs will continue beyond news reports of the disaster, beyond our immediate memory of “the week we didn’t have school,” and beyond tasks that can be immediately related to hurricane relief.

To all the teams who stayed on campus for the duration of Harvey, thank you. To all the students, faculty and staff who gave up their free days to serve, you’ve inspired us. During Harvey, we came together as a community because we recognized that as Rice Owls we had to be there for one another.

From the H&D staff to the multitude of clubs working to keep students busy and upbeat during tough times, we were there for each other.

It’s often hard to pinpoint exactly what it means to be a Rice Owl, but over the last week it’s been clear. Being a Rice Owl means giving back, stepping up, and looking forward. We need to finish what we started, let’s carry over our sense of communal responsibility and culture of care into Houston for as long as it takes to rebuild our home.

JUSTIN ONWENU, MADELEINE PELZEL & MAURICE FREDIERE

SA President & R-HAT Co-Coordinators Sid Richardson Senior, Lovett College Senior & Duncan College Junior jno1@rice.edu, mrp9@rice.edu & msf5@rice.edu

SPOTLIGHT

7

Students fill week off with activities

Without school, students free to play games, watch movies, volunteer shannon klein/thresher

Members of Will Rice College ride on the swings at Hermann Park on Aug. 29. Will Rice also organized karaoke and a dodgeball game against Lovett College.

Brown College students play a game of volleyball in the rain. Many volleyball courts on campus flooded during Hurricane Harvey.

courtesy youssef machkhas

Martel College sophomore Jacob Diaz rides a turtle floatie through flood waters in West Lot. Diaz also participated in relief efforts organized by the Secret Group, a downtown bar.

Duncan College students build a house of cards as part of Floor Olympics.

Throughout the week, students also hosted a talent show to raise money for hurricane relief and an impromptu two-step dance party.

courtesy harrison lin

STUDENTS FROM PAGE 1 At Duncan College, college leadership also coordinated activities for students.

On Aug. 28, there was a dodgeball game against McMurtry (Duncan won); later in the week there was a talent show and a trivia night. Head Resident Fellow Jenifer Bratter saw “nonstop puzzles in the commons” with different people contributing over the course of each day.

“It’s been amazing to see our committee heads and student governance come together to help make sure students have healthy outlets for their time off,” Bratter said.

At Brown College, students stayed busy playing volleyball in the rain and participating in a Mario Kart tournament.

“Activities hosted by each floor kept the week fun and helped alleviate feelings of cabin fever,” Brown College freshman John Keogh said.

Captain Clemente Rodriguez said that the Rice University Police Department was proud that students didn’t give them “anything extra to worry about.”

“That’s probably been the biggest help to us, because if you told me the entire campus was going to be cooped up for six days I would have for sure guessed that there was going to be some things we would have to deal with,” he said.

Rodriguez said the activities students

participated in at their colleges allowed RUPD to focus on helping the surrounding community.

“We had students who are doing a good job of taking care of each other, keeping themselves occupied without making any extra work for RUPD, so we’re very appreciative and very proud,” he said.

The storm has brought everyone together and strengthened our ties to one another.

Dean Hutchinson Dean of Undergraduates Some students, like Alvis, went to evaluate the flood damage at Rice and surrounding areas.

“Some of us went out and adventured to see what was flooded,” Alvis, a sophomore, said. “By [the Rice University Police Department station, the water] was thigh deep.”

In a similar adventure on Monday, Hanszen junior Nick McMillan went to Hermann Park and saw several homeless

courtesy jordan graves

people sheltering under a pavilion.

“Everyone was really nice and what struck is that the only thing they asked for was if we had food,” McMillan said.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t have any on us at that time but told them that we would come back.”

McMillan and his friends gathered up the food they were keeping in their dorm rooms as well as some clothes and returned to Hermann Park to tell the homeless people to take what they needed.

For Martel sophomore Jacob Diaz, the hurricane was also an opportunity to volunteer to help those stranded

by Houston floodwaters. He and two other Martel sophomores, Mustafa ElGamal and Matthew Wester, attempted to volunteer at the George R. Brown Convention Center, which is being used a shelter for hurricane refugees. They were turned away due to the number of volunteers already at the shelter. Rather than go back to Rice, they took McMurtry sophomore Caroline Siegfried’s white pickup truck and loaded it with relief supplies from Secret Group, a downtown bar, to deliver to distribution centers like the Salvation Army.

In an email to faculty, Provost Marie Miranda said that if possible, faculty who were not occupied with storm-

related issues should try to maintain the intellectual spirit of the university even though classes were canceled.

“Because we are a university and because we want our students to have more to do than beer-pong, we would like to find some ways for them to stay intellectually engaged with you, their professors,” she wrote.

In response, faculty held a series of talks from Thursday through Monday.

These “Lyceum Lectures” included “Physics of Music and Sound” by professor of physics and astronomy Frank Toffoletto and “Optimization in the Real World: How to Search for an Underwater ‘Black Box’” by professor of computational and applied mathematics Andrew Schaefer. All the speakers were college magisters who were already on campus for the duration of the storm.

According to a Facebook update, during the week of the hurricane Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson toured residential colleges and found students “taking the chance to spend time together.”

“The upside to this whole situation has been a shared experience resulting in a social bonding opportunity,” Hutchinson said. “The storm has brought everyone together and strengthened our ties to one another.”

8

THE RICE THRESHER

SPOTLIGHT

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

IN FOCUS

McMurtry junior rescues pregnant woman ELIZABETH RASICH SPOTLIGHT EDITOR / EAR4@RICE.EDU

In the midst of the pouring rain on Sunday, Aug. 27, a man in his truck flashed his high beams at Lane Toungate while he was driving down University Boulevard. Immediately, he knew something was wrong.

“I pulled over and he told me, ‘I have a friend [whose wife] is trapped in her single-story apartment that has four feet of water in it. She is pregnant and has her dog with her,’” Toungate said. “I sprung into action after that.”

Luckily, Toungate, a McMurtry College junior, had a kayak that he uses for duck hunting in the back of his truck. He was on his way to recreationally kayak the flooded waters of either the inner loop or West Lot. Instead, he followed the man, Lubos Janoska, as they drove as close to the woman’s apartment as they could — the intersection of Kirby Drive and Holcombe Boulevard. Normally a five-minute drive, it took them about 15 minutes to get there.

“We’d drive down a road, then have to turn around and find a different route because of high water,” Toungate said.

Toungate put on neoprene waders— waterproof overalls — in preparation for the rescue.

“I didn’t want to get any of the nasty ass shit water on me,” he said.

Janoska followed behind Toungate while he scouted in the kayak for a safe path. He passed the joint Houston Fire Department, Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff rescue staging area and saw Coast Guard helicopter

rescue operations less than a mile away from where he was.

When water was too high for his truck to drive through, Toungate paddled across a Randall’s parking lot and down an alley to reach her apartment.

Once there, he helped the woman into the single-seat kayak. She carried only her small dog and a bag of valuables in her lap.

“Lane, on the other hand, behaved like a professional rescuer,” Janoska said. “Calm, cool and collected.”

“We parted ways with nothing more than a big thank you and the lasting impression of how [a] complete stranger can jump into action,” Janoska said.

“Help a complete stranger with [the] expectation of nothing more than

perhaps a sense of duty to a fellow man,” Janoska said.

When both Janoska and the woman made it to dry ground, they said their goodbyes. “[Janoska] shot me a text later that night thanking me and asking me if I wanted to go out for a beer sometime,” Toungate said. “I said, ‘Absolutely.’”

We’d drive down a road, then have to turn around and find a different route because of high water.

Lane Toungate McMurtry College Junior “My boat is a 12.5-foot fishing kayak and is very stable, even when I shoot my 12-gauge shotgun out of it when I’m duck hunting,” Toungate said.

Drenched in sweat on the inside of his waders, Toungate pulled the kayak with the pregnant woman sitting on top until the woman could safely step off and wade through ankle-to-knee-deep water.

“I did have to be very careful where I stepped while I pulled her out, as the water was nearing the top of my waders, and it’s very easy to drown in sunk waders,” Toungate said.

Janoska said that he isn’t used to floods like the one he experienced during Harvey.

courtesy bill arnold and lane toungate

McMurtry College junior Lane Toungate (left) rescued a pregnant woman and her dog in his duck hunting kayak (right) on Aug. 27. He was flagged down by Lubos Janoska, a friend of the woman’s husband, on University Boulevard.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 H&D FROM PAGE 1 here,” Ditman said.

Five H&D staff members stayed on campus in the North and Seibel Servery offices as well as in the offices in the main H&D building while the rest of the total rideout crew, which is about a third of the total H&D staff, stayed at the Wyndham hotel in Rice Village.

Glenn said those in the rideout team supported each other like a family.

“Mark [Ditman] and I have walked this campus so many times, hugging, talking to people, making sure they’re okay, making sure they’re getting rest,” she said.

H&D administrators thought the storm might not hit Houston as predicted on Saturday when there was little rainfall for most of the day. Then heavy rain hit Saturday night and didn’t stop until Tuesday afternoon. Ditman said he had to weigh whether to tell his family to evacuate and risk getting trapped

THE RICE THRESHER on the freeway or stay and risk being flooded out of their home.

“Once your family can’t leave, that becomes a stress point for people, making sure they’re okay, making sure they’re getting rest,” she said.

H&D administrators thought the storm might not hit Houston as predicted on Saturday when there was little rainfall for most of the day. Then heavy rain hit Saturday night and didn’t stop until Tuesday afternoon.

Ditman said he had to weigh whether to tell his family to evacuate and risk getting trapped on the freeway or stay and risk being flooded out of their home.

“Once your family can’t leave, that becomes a stress point for people,” he said.

The rideout crew prepared for a 3-4 day hurricane, according to Glenn, but they were caught off-guard by Harvey’s stasis over Houston. Some staff members on the rideout

crew ran low on clean socks and underwear as well as toiletries such as contact lens solution.

Lovett College set up a collections box for H&D staff. Other colleges made signs and videos expressing their appreciation for H&D. Now that roads are clear, the recovery crew has returned to campus, and staff members who remained during the storm have gone home. According to Glenn, those still under a mandatory evacuation order are staying with friends and family.

Student and faculty volunteers filled in to help H&D maintain the colleges throughout the storm. At Sid Richardson College, the magister, resident associates and students helped Chef Sarah cook meals in the servery from Sunday to Wednesday.

H&D administrators determined it would be safer for Sid students to remain in their college for meals rather than eat elsewhere.

“The students here greatly appreciated

SPOTLIGHT

9

not having to go outside and it was a very important community activity for the college during a difficult time,” Ken Whitmire, the Sid Richardson College magister, said.

According to Whitmire, Chef Sarah already knew all the food supplie she had available and the recipes she wanted to use.

“It was not hard work, but it was intense because of the need to get everything ready on time,” Whitmire said.

At Hanszen College, the staff asked students to clean their tables after meals and mop and sweep the commons. Students also took care of their own trash collection.

Conrado Asenjo Molina, a Hanszen junior, spread the word on the Hanszen listserv.

“I am very happy to see our community come together to help out during this time, and give a helping hand to those who have taken care of us during such a difficult time for our city,” Molina said.

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FILM

‘Ingrid Goes West’ satirizes the facade of social media MADDIE FLAVIN THRESHER STAFF / MF37@RICE.EDU

INGRID GOES WEST Running time: 97 minutes Rating: R Genre: Drama/Comedy

courtesy entertainment weekly

TELEVISION

Stale writing plagues ‘The Defenders’ MICHAEL VERMEULEN THRESHER STAFF / MAV6@RICE.EDU

THE DEFENDERS Running time: 50 minutes Rating: R Genre: Action

Since the launch of “Daredevil” two and a half years ago, fans have been anticipating Marvel’s new series “The Defenders,” which brings together superheroes Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter) and Iron Fist (Finn Jones). In the interim, these characters went on their own adventures in their own shows, each varying greatly in tone and quality. When they all come together in “The Defenders,” does the team meet expectations? Unfortunately, it doesn’t exactly live up to the hype.

The show begins by reintroducing our heroes, letting us know their whereabouts since their own shows aired. Through an array of wild circumstances, the four characters are brought together to prevent the mysterious, ancient organization The Hand and their leader Alexandra (Sigourney Weaver) from destroying New York City. They must avoid run-ins with law enforcement as well as dangerous figures from their pasts.

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The most successful scenes of “The Defenders” are those in which they play off of one another, both verbally and physically.

Seeing the sardonic Jessica Jones chatting with the serious Matt Murdock/Daredevil and witnessing kung-fu master Danny Rand/Iron Fist going toe-to-toe with the unbreakable street warrior Luke Cage is exactly what fans hope for from these types of crossover projects à la “The Avengers.” This is partially due to the excellence of the actors, specifically Cox, Ritter and Colter. Perfectly cast in their own shows, their acting skills shine through.

Finn Jones does not fare as well; while this is partially due to the writing, he seems as serious as possible every moment he is on screen and fails at making you believe in the underlying emotions and motivations of Danny Rand/Iron Fist.

The most successful scenes of ‘The Defenders’ are those in which they play off of one another, both verbally and physically.

This is especially problematic considering Iron Fist is maybe the most crucial hero to the conflict of “The Defenders,” as the villains are most closely associated with him. This lack of believability also befalls The Hand.

Their plans are never properly explained, and their motivations are so weak that caring about the problems they cause is tedious.

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For example, Alexandra is so underwritten that even a Hollywood legend like Sigourney Weaver cannot escape her inherent mediocrity. Villain Elektra (Elodie Yung) also utterly underwhelms — not even her previous appearance in the second season of “Daredevil” can buoy her inconsistent, bizarre behavior.

Other than Elektra, the effectiveness of returning side characters varies in terms of how much they are given to do as well as how interesting they are. The best returning nonmain performance is Stick (John Glenn), who is as awesomely gruff and wise as he was in his appearances in “Daredevil.” At the end of the spectrum is detective Misty Knight (Simone Missick) from “Luke Cage,” not for her actor’s performance but for the role she is given within the context of “The Defenders.”

Her main function is as an annoying legal obstacle that prevents the heroes from doing their jobs, and she contributes nothing substantial or entertaining, no matter how much screen time Missick is given to demonstrate her natural charisma.

Overall, “The Defenders” is a show that I would only recommend for avid fans of the Marvel superhero shows on Netflix. People who want to spend more time with their favorite characters will be happy to get the chance to do so here; seeing all these heroes spend time interacting with each other will make this audience even more pleased.

However, the show does not function well as its own story. It is quite fun to watch in specific moments, but the writing and execution as a whole do not nearly match the level of these glimpses of greatness.

BIKE & BEATS

While social media outlets are the smartphone era’s most immediate form of connection, they have also become a global addiction with the power to cause serious mental health issues. In the satirical “Ingrid Goes West,” actors Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen tell a cautionary tale about loneliness, delusion and how personal technology has rewritten our definition of love.

Her obsessive actions speak to our deepest desire to relate to people, even to total strangers, in a world where the new American dream is ‘social media fame.’

After being released from a mental hospital, Ingrid Thorburn develops an obsession with Instagram influencer Taylor Sloane. When her mother’s death leaves her with a $62,000 inheritance, Ingrid uses the money to move to Los Angeles and rent an apartment across the street from Taylor’s house. At first, she simply observes and imitates Taylor, but before long, she weasels her way into Taylor’s personal life and becomes a close friend of the SoCal socialite.

But as Ingrid becomes increasingly desperate to keep the momentum going and Taylor’s dysfunctional nature starts to emerge, both women inch closer to a hard nosedive into the reality of their so-called friendship.

At first glance, the film’s plot might call to mind an episode of “Black Mirror.” While not as emotionally derailing, “Ingrid” is equally savage in pointing out our unsettling

INGRID CONT. ON PAGE 11

MOTH GRANDSLAM

Come out at 7 p.m. on Sept. 8 for a social bike ride hosted by Rice Bikes, followed by a performance by Steve Cox’s Beard at 8 p.m. and Torchy’s and Karbach brews.

The event is free but there is a suggested donation of $5. All proceeds will go toward Harvey relief.

On Sept. 8, The Moth will give the stage over to 10 competing storytellers who will share tales around the theme “Out on a Limb.” The show begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 for students.

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University of Houston 4300 University Dr. themoth.org

THE RICE THRESHER

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 INGRID FROM PAGE 10 relationship with technology in the 21st century. We feel like outsiders looking in on a wonderland, like when we follow the adventures of others online. When Ingrid gets a makeover or buys a cool book because Taylor did, we get it. At the same time, we feel jealous when Ingrid does those things, the way we would while browsing a stranger’s cool social media feed. The cinematography feels almost like an Instagram filter, especially when the lens is focused on Ingrid’s experiences.

At first, life with Taylor is sunny, chic and magical. As reality sets in, it fights to maintain even a shred of those dreamy golden rays.

Aubrey Plaza gives a career-best performance as the unhinged Ingrid.

Her obsessive actions speak to our deepest desire to relate to people, even to total strangers, in a world where the new American dream is ‘social media fame.’ This is what keeps Ingrid relatable, even when we wish she would stop digging herself into a hole.

Elizabeth Olsen convincingly pulls off the role of Taylor, projecting a veneer of composure that hides a tumultuous reality. Still, Taylor maintains that alluring illusion long enough to make the truth even more bitter. O’Shea Jackson, Jr. beautifully expands his acting wings as Dan, an aspiring screenwriter and Batman super-nerd who finds an unlikely connection in Ingrid. Billy Magnussen is wickedly annoying in an effective way as Taylor’s drug addicted brother, Nicky.

Social media provides constant connection, but warps our conception of people and success, and even ourselves. “Ingrid Goes West” blends comedy, drama, tragedy and farce to ask the question of how identity is affected when being noticed is such a priority.

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MUSIC

LCD Soundsystem matures on ‘American Dream’ GABRIEL TUGENDSTEIN FOR THE THRESHER / GTT3@RICE.EDU

2017’s music scene has been full of indie darlings like Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene reconciling their trademark youthful passion with the fact that they’re nearing 40 years old, with children and mortgages.

How do you stay edgy without sounding crotchety? Luckily, LCD Soundsystem has never had that problem, and “american dream” is no exception.

From their very first album, frontman James Murphy was already lamenting “losing my edge to better looking people with better ideas and more talent.” They were always a step back from action, making sometimes snarky and ironic (but always heartfelt) peanut gallery commentary.

In the seven years since their last album, they have broken up and been reborn. Now, back from the dead, they finally seem like the elder statesmen they’ve always acted as. Murphy’s beard is completely gray; what does this mean for the band?

In “american dream,” it means more of the same. That is, impeccably produced discopunk fusion, a combination of facetious and sentimental lyricism (sometimes all at once), and continued use of “yr” instead of “your” in song titles. Like its two immediate predecessors, “This is Happening” and “Sound of Silver,” it is obvious that “american dream” works sonically within the first few minutes, but its lyrical strength and emotional resonance only start to hit towards the middle of the album, and fully blossom in the final third. And that’s what makes an LCD Soundsystem album so effective. You experience a wide range of feelings in quick succession, from the urge to dance to an overwhelming cynicism, but you

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

always leave with a sentimentalism which manages to avoid being saccharine.

Still, it would be unfair to label “american dream” merely another good LCD album or perhaps a worthy edition to any Brooklyn hipster’s vinyl collection. Maybe it’s just the baggage that comes with a beloved band disbanding, reforming, then releasing their comeback album a year after it was supposed to come out, but it truly feels like “american dream” is a step forward for the band as much as it is evidence of their sustained excellence.

You experience a wide range of feelings in quick succession, from the urge to dance to an overwhelming cynicism.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, LCD Soundsystem has always been consciously unoriginal, ripped straight out of the postpunk work of the late ’70s and early ’80s, and that is as obvious now as ever. Cover up the album art and “other voices” suddenly becomes a forgotten track off of Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light,” the magnificent “change yr mind” sounds like a version of David Bowie’s “Repetition” that’s been remixed from the therapist’s office to the dance floor and “oh baby” and “i used to” blatantly evoke New Order and Joy Division.

What differentiates this album from past efforts, however, is that as much as they’re calling upon the work of past artists, they’re now referring back to their earlier work too.

When the album’s third single, “tonite,” was released, it was exciting not because it takes

notes from Kraftwerk and Daft Punk, but because it sounds like the LCD Soundsystem we’ve come to know and love. The highlight of “other voices” is a surprise verse from Nancy Whang, which is awesome above all for those of us who’ve followed the band and think she’s been too long relegated to backup vocals and chorus mantras. That moment now enters the LCD cannon, and further develops the identity of the band itself, beyond that of a glorified cover artist.

This is the progress that elevates “american dream.” “how do you sleep?” plays out like a dramatized, slowed-down “Dance Yrself Clean” (the opener of “This is Happening”) complete with aggressive synth-bass interjection midway through. “emotional haircut” strives for a more malicious, less dancey punk atmosphere we haven’t seen since the band’s self-titled debut on songs like “Give it Up.” These too are things which push LCD from being a talented, smart band with a lot of good music, to artists with a true career arc, something very few are able to achieve.

So, I suppose that answers the question: If you’re already old, nostalgic and grumpy, how do you age gracefully in indie music?

A little bit of stagnation, and a little bit of subtle development. A gradual expansion of your list of influences, including the addition of your former self. It seems like as much as they’ve looked to legends like Bowie, Eno, and The Clash for musical inspiration, they’re now taking a page from their playbooks regarding artistic growth and career development. So the next time some cynical New York frontman claims “I’m losing my edge” to those who know every good group from 2002 to 2018, LCD Soundsystem and their funky, bleak American dream will be there, somewhere very close to the top.

12

THE RICE THRESHER

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

WHAT’S HIP RIGHT NOW HOME:

Letter boards

APPS: Moment

ARELI NAVARRO MAGALLON THRESHER STAFF / AMN9@RICE.EDU

BEAUTY:

Wavy eyebrows

TRENDING: Fidget spinners

courtesy out magazine

In a phrase: Apparently we weren’t the only

bored ones during Hurricane Harvey courtesy digital trends courtesy urban outfitters

In a phrase: Why dry erase boards were invented Where to find it: Amazon

If you’re looking to splurge on entirely unnecessary, yet aesthetically pleasing decor, look no further. Vintage is in, which means we’re bringing back everything we had improved on. Throw it back with a black-and-white letterboard on your wall to really impress guests. Suggested messages include: “__ hours since I last masturbated/cried” and “So You’ll Go Vegan After One Documentary But You Defend The Police After Watching Countless Shooting Videos.” The only con to letter boards? The tiny individual, plastic letters are not as drunk person friendly as dry erase boards, so no dick doodles.

In a phrase: Keep track of your phone use Where to find it: App Store Whether you’ve spent the past week and a half watching Netflix, getting lit, or actually keeping up with your workload, it is now time to give your hours of leisure a tearful goodbye. We’re officially back to overcrowded schedules and rationed sleep, so many of the habits you may have developed over this Harvey limbo likely need to be broken. Moment is an app that makes its user aware of the actual minutes and hours they spend mindlessly scrolling on their phones. With features such as “Phone Bootcamp” and “Daily Limits,” Moment also provides users with actual tools to curb their habits. And hey, the less time you spend on Twitter, the more you can spend on Netflix.

courtesy gadgetflow

Where to find it: The online makeup community

In a phrase: Addiction Where to find it: Mug any freshman

The internet has been witness to some pretty bizarre phenomenons from the beginning. From the cringe-inducing OG memes to the cinnamon challenge, it’s been proven again and again that individuals will do anything for some clout. This latest trend isn’t quite on the same level of stupidity as the Kylie Jenner lip challenge, but it’s sure to raise some (normally shaped) eyebrows. While some photoshop the look, there are makeup gurus across the internet creating some pretty impressive illusions as they color in their eyebrows in a wave pattern. Despite plenty of criticism, the artists remain unbothered, maintaining that makeup is an artform whose looks aren’t always meant for everyday wear. ***Whoever shows up to their screw date like this will receive a free Coffeehouse drink.

It’s no secret that Rice is habitually behind on recent trends. What with desperately trying to achieve a 4.0, making meaningful and life-altering friendships and ending world hunger, the average Rice overachiever seems to forget the outside world. Case in point: Rice seems to only now have noticed the infamous fidget spinner, a surprising feat considering 90 percent of us could benefit from one. Initially targeted at hyperactive children, these small rotating bits of plastic are now also thriving within the demographic of stressed college students. Although meant to alleviate restlessness, its true potential as a drinking game has yet to be unlocked. We’ll leave you to figure out the rules, but whoever loses has to write this damn article next.

SPORTS

13 Teams help out around Houston ANDREW GROTTKAU SPORTS EDITOR / ABG4@RICE.EDU

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Rice student-athletes have done their part to help the city recover. Teams including swimming and men’s basketball have organized fundraisers and volunteered at shelters to help those affected by the storm.

SWIMMING Senior swimmer Jaecey Parham and junior swimmer Hanna Huston helped the swim team raise over $6,000 via an online fundraiser to aid victims of the flood. The team has also gone on trips to volunteer at shelters around the city and collected swim equipment for Houston swimmers who lost supplies to the floods.

“Everybody was interested in helping and everybody on the team wanted to give back to the city,” Parham said. “You could tell that everybody really cared.”

The team has a volunteer committee, headed by Parham and Huston, that typically organizes team trips to places like food banks. When the hurricane hit, however, Huston said the committee jumped into action.

Everybody was interested in helping and everybody on the team wanted to give back to the city.

Jaecey Parham Senior Swimmer

Senior midfielder Nia Stallings accelerates past a defender during the first half of Monday night’s game against the University of Houston. Stallings scored three goals in a span of eight minutes in the second half for her first career hat trick in the win. anthea lyu/thresher

Stallings’ hat trick leads soccer to win ANDREW GROTTKAU SPORTS EDITOR / ABG4@RICE.EDU

In the 57th minute of the game, senior midfielder Nia Stallings had zero goals this season. Eight minutes later, she had three. Stallings’ second-half hat trick broke a 1-1 tie and led Rice soccer to a 4-1 win over crosstown rival University of Houston. The Owls are now 2-1-1 on the season.

Stallings said she was still in shock about the hat trick after the game.

“It’s cool,” Stallings said. “It all happened so fast, so it was just a rush of adrenaline. But it’s an unreal feeling being able to score three in one game.

That rarely happens.”

The game did not look promising at the start for the Owls. Rice outshot the Cougars 7-2 in the early going but allowed the first goal. In the 19th minute, the Owls’ defense had a lapse and allowed a cross to fall straight to Cougars’ midfielder Hannah Dauzat in the box.

Dauzat buried the close-range shot past the goalkeeper to give UH the 1-0 lead.

Rice barely avoided disaster just minutes

later when a defender committed a hard tackle in the box against a Cougars’ forward, but the referee did not give UH a penalty shot. According to head coach Nicky Adams, it was frustrating to trail so early in the game.

It was just a rush of adrenaline. But it’s an unreal feeling being able to score three in one game.

Nia Stallings Senior Midfielder “It’s tough,” Adams said. “You have tons of opportunities in the final third and you’re not putting them away. But [junior forward Marissa Topolski] kept fighting. She found a way to get us back in the game.”

Indeed, Topolski managed to even the score less than 10 minutes later with

a highlight-reel finish. She took a pass from senior defender Mallory Radtke, then dribbled to the center of the field on the edge of the box and fired a looping shot that just cleared the goalkeeper’s outstretched arm and settled in the back of the net. Topolski said the goal was a product of a great deal of first-half effort.

“I was frustrated when I didn’t shoot it [right away] because I had missed a couple easy shots in the beginning,” Topolski said. “I’ve been working on that shot all week because I figured I wouldn’t get a lot of breakaways against this team. So I basically just shot it and prayed.”

The score remained level at halftime despite Rice’s 13-4 advantage in shots.

Then, Stallings took over. She scored her first goal off a scramble in the box in the 58th minute to give Rice its first lead of the game. Her second came early in the 65th minute off a pinpoint cross from Topolski. Her third came later in the same minute off a rebound from a goalkeeper gaffe. In a span of eight

SOCCER CONT. ON PAGE 14

“The week leading up to Harvey, we were talking about goals for the volunteer committee,” Huston said. “We’ve already almost exceeded those initial goals. It was a little slap in the face that our goals were probably too low.”

Most of the team’s volunteer trips have been to the emergency shelter at George R. Brown Convention Center. Team members have taken part in everything from dishwashing to sorting clothes to spending time with those staying in the shelters.

Huston said people were grateful to see the swimmers volunteering to help them.

“We’ve gotten so many thanks,” Huston said. “People would thank me for doing the smallest things. The police officers were asking for our swim schedule. Some people staying there were saying they’re going to come to our meets. They’ve noticed the Rice presence.”

Huston said the team began a swim equipment drive because it knew that among the thousands of people who were displaced, there would be some swimmers who lost everything to the storm. The team is collecting swimsuits, swim caps and goggles. According to Parham, the drive addresses a need that is easily overlooked.

“The swimming community is one that we can directly help,” Parham said. “It’s a community that we’re a part of and it’s a need that might go unnoticed if it weren’t for swimmers to directly help their own.”

The team is hoping to collect more donations for the equipment drive and is planning to build on its volunteering efforts throughout the rest of the school year, Parham said.

MEN’S BASKETBALL The men’s basketball team has also set

VOLUNTEER CONT. ON PAGE 14

14

THE RICE THRESHER

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

Members of the Rice football team help to move furniture out of a flooded Houston home after returning from their trip to Australia. The Owls stayed at Texas Christian Unviersity for much of the last week while waiting out Hurricane Harvey. courtesy chuck pool

VOLUNTEER FROM PAGE 13 up fundraisers and volunteered at shelters and homes around the city. According to sophomore guard Grant Youngkin, the team wanted to aid in any way it could.

“We realize that our platform as student-athletes gives us an ability in the community to help out and have an impact,” Youngkin said. “When we weren’t all affected directly, we felt like we had an obligation to help out.”

The team created two separate online relief funds that it has promoted via social media and word of mouth. One fund gives directly to the Red Cross and another that will be donated to an organization yet to be determined. As of Monday, the combined funds had nearly $100,000. Junior guard Connor Cashaw said he was motivated to start one of the funds because his grandparents were affected by the floods.

“When I saw my grandparents were

affected I couldn’t imagine how other people felt,” Cashaw said. “Houses could have been even worse than that, and people are left with nothing. It’s going to take a while to rebuild the city, but we can really help with that.”

After the worst of the storm, members of the team visited the George R. Brown Convention Center where they made and served food to victims of the storm. They also went to homes to clear furniture and other items and salvage property from the flooding. One of those homes was Cashaw’s grandparents’ house, where Cashaw, Youngkin and other teammates carried rugs, chairs, mattresses and couches outside.

According to Cashaw, the team’s efforts in the wake of the storm have built unity amongst the players, many of whom are new to Rice this year.

“Hurricane Harvey brought this team closer not only because it affected us

but because we felt like we could make a difference,” Cashaw said. “It’s been a blessing in disguise to see the chemistry and see guys getting along and wanting to make things happen for other people.

One person the team has not yet been able to help, however, is its own head coach, Scott Pera. Pera’s home flooded during the storm and his street is still underwater. He has only been able to see the team a couple of times since the storm, but the team plans to help move furniture for him as soon as the water recedes from the streets. Cashaw said it has not been easy to see Pera struggle, but the team is going to support him through the recovery process.

“We’re going to do whatever he needs,” Cashaw said. “Everyone looks up to coach Pera. He’s been one of our best mentors on and off the court, so seeing how he’s handling this, we have his and his family’s back 100 percent.”

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OTHER TEAMS Swimming and men’s basketball are just two of the Rice teams helping out in the Houston community. Once the football team returned from Texas Christian University, team members helped teammates who had flooded homes and cars to remove all salvageable items.

Men’s and women’s tennis partnered with the University of Houston tennis programs to take donations of shirts and shoes for flood victims. Rice accepted shoes while UH accepted shirts. Rice players also volunteered at shelters.

Women’s basketball and women’s soccer also volunteered by helping people clean out flooded homes. Even volleyball, which did not return to Houston until Sunday, found time to help out the community by clearing damaged homes of furniture. Teams indicated they are planning to continue their volunteer efforts throughout the year.

SOCCER FROM PAGE 13 minutes, the game went from 1-1 to 4-1 thanks to Stallings. Asked if she had ever scored two goals in a minute, she laughed.

“No, I haven’t ever done that before,” she said.

Adams praised Stallings’ performance on defense as well.

“What I loved about her tonight was her fight defensively,” Adams said. “I thought she was all over the place and in the end, she got goals for it. Both sides of the ball she was fantastic.

Definitely player of the match.”

The game was the first athletic event Rice hosted since Hurricane Harvey.

Rice made it a Houston benefit game, meaning all ticket proceeds went directly to the United Way charity for Harvey victims. According to Adams, it was wonderful to see Houstonians come together for the match.

“It’s important for us to realize how great Houstonians are,” Adams said.

“They came not just to support both teams but for a great cause as well.”

I thought she was all over the place, and in the end, she got the goals for it.

Both sides of the ball she was fantastic.

Nicky Adams Soccer Head Coach Rice next plays two former Conference USA rivals on the road in Memphis, Tennessee this weekend. The Owls face the University of Memphis, which has a record of 5-0-0, on Friday night. Then, they play the University of Tulsa, which has a record of 1-4-1, on Sunday.

THE RICE THRESHER

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

SPORTS

15

Road-weary volleyball finally back home ANDREW GROTTKAU SPORTS EDITOR / ABG4@RICE.EDU

courtesy mark waldron

Freshman Seyvion Waggoner swings during Rice’s weekend tournament at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Rice finshed 2-1 on the weekend.

When the volleyball team left for its season opener in Dallas, the plan was to be gone for a weekend. Then, the hurricane struck. The Owls finally returned on Sunday after traveling through three cities, playing seven matches and winning four times.

Head coach Genny Volpe said being away from home throughout the storm has been difficult.

“It’s been humbling for all of us,” Volpe said. “We have been so saddened to hear about all of the loss of lives and property damage.”

Rice began its season with a trip to Dallas beginning on Aug. 25 for the Southern Methodist University Doubletree Invitational and claimed the tournament crown by winning two out of its three matches.

That weekend, however, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston. Amid the devastation in the city, Rice had to change course. The team could not return home. Following a loss to Texas Christian University on Aug. 27, Rice headed to Waco. There, the team dined with Baylor University President Linda Livingstone, the mother of Rice junior hitter Shelby Livingstone, and moved into a local hotel. According to Volpe, the team was lucky to have a place to stay in Waco. “[Linda Livingstone] really hooked us up with everything from meals on campus to the hotel we stayed in,” Volpe said. “The Baylor volleyball coaches allowed us to use their facilities to train so we were very grateful for that as well.”

The team continued to practice in preparation for its next three matches

in Boulder, Colorado. While in Waco, players ate in Baylor dining halls, attended events on campus and visited local attractions such as the Magnolia Market in their spare time. Senior setter Madison McDaniel told KXXV-TV in Waco she felt welcomed by Baylor.

You have no idea how excited we are to be home.

We hope to have a huge crowd of student support.

Genny Volpe Volleyball Head Coach “We’ve felt [at] home here,” McDaniel said. “It’s been great that they’ve taken us in and let us use their facilities. It’s been super nice.”

BACK TO THE COURT After the four-day stay in Waco, the Owls traveled to Boulder for the Omni Invitational. Their second weekend of play began with a sweep against Wake Forest University. The Owls controlled the match defensively, holding the Demon Deacons to a hitting percentage of just .031. Freshman Nicole Lennon led the Owls with 11 kills and McDaniel added 28 assists to help hand Wake Forest its first loss of the season.

Rice was back in action the next morning against Abilene Christian University. The Owls’ defense again held its opponent to a low hitting percentage, this time just .065, to lead Rice to a 3-1 victory. After splitting the first two sets,

Rice pulled away with an 8-1 run in the third to win 25-18 and won the final four points of the fourth set to clinch a 2521 win. Junior McKay Kyle and freshman Seyvion Waggoner paced the offense with 14 and 13 kills, respectively. Volpe said Kyle’s performance has been particularly impressive.

“McKay Kyle really has been extremely consistent over the past couple of weeks and has been a huge spark for us,” Volpe said.

Rice finally concluded its road trip Saturday night against the University of Colorado Boulder. The undefeated Buffaloes swept the Owls 25-15, 25-20 and 25-20. Colorado outhit Rice .318 to .208, though Rice freshman Nicole Lennon led all players with 15 kills.

Although the trip ended on a sour note, Volpe said she is proud of how the team handled the inconvenience of being away for so long.

“They are a very committed group of young women,” Volpe said. “We didn’t always play well, but we found a way to pull together and do the job on several occasions. I am impressed with their ability to focus.”

Rice is now 4-3 on the season and will open its home slate this weekend in the first of two Rice Adidas Invitationals.

The Owls will play the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, the University of California, Berkeley and the University of the Incarnate Word this Friday to Saturday. According to Volpe, the team is thrilled to finally get a chance to play in its own gym.

“You have no idea how excited we are to be home,” Volpe said. “We hope we have a huge crowd of student support.

We are really looking forward to being in Tudor Fieldhouse.”

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16

THE RICE THRESHER

BACKPAGE

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017

REBUILDING BRINGS UNWELCOME SURPRISE

Tragedy hits Houston area

Houstonians’ weekend plans were dealt a fatal blow last Friday when Martel College announced that Texas did, in fact, get messed with, and their annual state-promoting party would be postponed.

“What a catastrophe!” Sid Richardson freshman Jack Sheldon exclaimed. “My first college party. Man, I was so close to gettin’ laid, I could smell the latex. I’ve got to be the most unlucky man in the world,” he

A message to the community from President Leebron

lamented. “I mean I don’t want to exaggerate. Maybe not the world, but definitely the city.”

The postponement was announced due to the arrival of Hurricane Harvey, which wreaked havoc this week by creating mild-mannered puddles in the engineering quad and forcing campus squirrels to scramble up their respective trees.

“It’s terrible and also shitty,” Martel sophomore Josie Bekker

said. “We were really gonna rev it up this year, but you can’t do the cattle-branding station in the pouring rain and there were some security concerns about bringing the steers indoors.”

The season opener in a string of consistently disappointing university-sponsored parties, Martel remains a symbol of naive optimism for the undergraduate community. The Backpage took time to interview some wouldbe partygoers.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I was astounded by how responsive and willing the Rice community was to help each other and their fellow Houstonians recuperate. The turmoil began, as we all remember, with devastating loss. 62 to 7 is a tough way to go down. But that did not get our spirits down.

Then the Crisis Management Team decided to close the university through the week. Still, morale didn’t dip. And then I ruined my favorite pair of New Balance sneaks — you know, the plain white ones with extra long laces that allow me to make the really big bunny ear loops that flop around when I walk — by stepping in some mud in my otherwise unaffected yard.

“Is that a 10-gallon hat or are you just happy to see me?” Jones College junior Carlos Ruiz asked.

“I joke, of course. But really — does this thing hold 10 gallons?

HEB ran out of water jugs so we figure now’s the time for some unconventional wisdom.”

Administration has stressed that in the wake of the storm, Owls should not forget the three Rs — riggidy, riggidy and rekt — which are the very foundation of fun for events like Martel.

While Rice University was generally spared the wrath of Hurricane Harvey, students have worked arduously to help those severely affected by the storm. Over the course of the week, students put in tireless hours of community service to discover something truly unexpected: an entire city beyond the hedges.

“I always saw those hedges and just saw a nicely trimmed bush. Now, I look at them and see safety,” Baker College senior Ford Matthews said. “All I know is that shit was scary out there — haunting museums, bustling coffee shops, public parks?! I’m sorry, but I’m never going back.”

As students trekked beyond their campus to pack foodstuffs, knock down drywall and tear up floorboards, disbelief and shock resonated for all those involved.

“Like, oh my god, that. was. terrifying,” stammered Tiffany Wei, a Brown College sophomore who headed out to help the community, but quickly doubled back after deciding going north of Buffalo Bayou was simply too far. “I had been about before, you know, for like Esperanza and Rondelet, and the Saturday dinners that I didn’t Postmates, but this was on, like, the NEXT level.”

“Students don’t have to use the opportunity of being in one of the best cities in America, if they don’t want to,” RUPD has assured.

“But we can’t promise students that RPC will continue to plan their social lives when students grow the fuck up.”

Remarkably, everyone — faculty, staff and students — banded together, and stayed Hashtag Houston Strong.

I extend my thanks to all those who have helped the city, and more importantly the school, recover.

In the coming days, you can expect a YouTube video about how much Rice students have helped the local community, a relapse into a general apathy towards H&D and a return to the obsessive study habits that will allow for a complete disregard for the continued needs of many Houstonians. So relax – normalcy is on its way.

Happy screwing!

David W. Leebron

President David Leebron poses next to his stockpiled materials for the hurricane.

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

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with reliable transportation. Snack and meal prep, and light straightening all part of the job. We are looking for a fun loving and organized individual to make sure homework gets done and boys get to after school activities. Approximately 9-10 hours a week. If interested please email: mr_s_baumgartner@gmail.com EFFICIENCY GARAGE APARTMENT. 1634 1/2 Branard in Montrose (aproximately 400 sq. ft.) Partially furnished. $750/ month. All utilities & basic cable included.

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