The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, February 28, 2018

VOLUME 102, ISSUE NO. 19 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

ACCESS DENIED Administration should be proactive regarding campus accessibility

PRESI-DENTAL PLANS See what the new college presidents have in mind

HEY GOOD LOOKIN Rice Theatre’s ‘Dogfight’ shows off talent, design

SEE OPS P. 5

SEE SPOTLIGHT P. 6

SEE A&E P. 8

STIGMATIZATION

DATA FROM THE SEXUAL HEALTHCARE ACCESSIBILITY TASK FORCE Survey encompasses 734 total student responses. Questions shown are a subset of those asked in the survey.

Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

SA task force explores student sexual health

HAVE YOU EVER HAD SEX? 469

IF YOU HAVE HAD SEX, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TESTED FOR AN STI? * * Extrapolated data from multiple questions

64% OF TOTAL

316 63 % OF TOTAL

186

232

37 % OF TOTAL

32% OF TOTAL

33 YES, IN LAST 12 MONTHS

NO

5% YES, PRIOR TO LAST 12 MONTHS

‘IT IS AFFORDABLE TO TESTED AT THE RICE STUDENT HEALTH CENTER.’

NO

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PAY FOR AN STI TEST AS PART OF ROUTINE SEXUAL HEALTH CARE? 419

106

STRONGLY DISAGREE

121

41% OF TOTAL

SOMEWHAT DISAGREE

106 70

YES

205 28% OF TOTAL

NEUTRAL SOMEWHAT AGREE

25 STRONGLY AGREE UNSURE — 306

112 15% OF TOTAL

51 7% OF TOTAL

$0

18 3%

< $10

$10-25

$25-50

> $50

infographic by sydney garrett

ELLIOT STAHR THRESHER STAFF / ERS9@RICE.EDU

The Student Association Sexual Healthcare Accessibility Task Force has identified a disparity between what students are willing to pay for Sexually Transmitted Infection tests and the prices offered by Health Services from its recent survey on STI testing.

According to director of Student Health Services Dr. Jessica

McKelvey, a comprehensive STI test for gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV and syphilis costs $74. Only 4 percent of the 734 undergraduate respondents were willing to pay this price, while 76 percent of respondents would not pay above $25 for testing.

“That’s just not the price of the health center,” task force coChair Blake Coleman said. “If that’s the price that people need to get generally tested, then that should correlate to what the health

center’s offering.”

McKelvey said no further reductions to STI testing costs are expected as they have already been reduced.

“We offer substantial discounts on [STI] testing,” McKelvey said.

“We were able to negotiate even further reductions this school year and the price for doing all four tests dropped by $20.”

The survey, which was released Jan. 15, asked students a number

of questions related to STI testings.

According to Coleman, a Brown College freshman and New Student Representative who co-leads the task force with Brown Senator Grace Wickerson, the survey was online for three weeks and received 734 responses. Wickerson said she believes the number of responses received makes it a large sampling of the student body.

Wickerson, a sophomore, said

STI CONT. ON PAGE 3

SPORTS

Swimming again finishes 2nd in C-USA Championships JOSHUA ANIL THRESHER STAFF / JA47@RICE.EDU

For the fourth straight year, Rice swimming finished second behind Florida International University at the Conference USA Championships. The Owls came away with three C-USA individual championships at this year’s conference championship meet in Atlanta and put up 781 points to finish second only to FIU, which amassed 1,031 points.

Without a diving team, Rice forfeits the ability to gain points in any diving events, undermining its

overall score. Junior Marie-Claire Schillinger said that this situation is a major disadvantage.

“We are the better team [compared to FIU] on the swimming side of things,” Schillinger said.

“We are at an unfair disadvantage since we don’t have a diving team.

If diving was taken away from the total points, then we would have won conference this year and several years in the past.”

According to senior Kaitlyn Swinney, the Owls stayed determined and fought hard throughout the meet, even though they had an inherent disadvantage.

“I definitely think we had the most fight of any team at conference,” Swinney said. “We don’t have a diving team, so we lose a lot of points each day to the diving event but we still managed to not get discouraged about that.

I think not having a diving team makes us have to work that much harder for what we get and builds our character as a team.”

While Swinney was not too happy with the final standings, she also said she was proud of the team’s performance.

“Sure, I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t bring home that

championship title, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way because we all gave our best efforts and that’s all anyone can ask for,” Swinney said.

Though the Owls did not claim the conference title, they ended a season filled with positive results.

The Owls won both their conference events this year and placed either first or second in every invitational in which they competed this year, including the conference championship.

According to Schillinger, the team’s performance at the

SWIM CONT. ON PAGE 10

NEWS

Rice backs high school protesters CAMERON WALLACE ASST. NEWS EDITOR / CFW2@RICE.EDU

Rice University released a statement on Sunday assuring prospective students that high school disciplinary action resulting from peaceful protest would not affect their admission decision.

The statement comes as gun control protests have spread across the nation after the mass shooting on Feb. 14 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Rice joins a number of other colleges that have made similar statements, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John Hopkins University, and the University of Virginia.

According to Rice Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva, the decision for Rice to make a statement was prompted by questions sent to admissions staff from some applicants and current students who were concerned.

“In my professional experience this is the first time I am aware of high school students mobilizing on an issue on such a national scale,” Romero da Silva said. “It is a testament to the responsibility and maturity of admitted early decision students and current regular decision applicants who have reached out to Rice and other institutions to understand whether participating in peaceful protests and walkouts and any related infractions would have a negative impact on their admission.”

Romero da Silva said that the statement is not a change in policy, but reflects Rice’s commitment to holistic admissions practices.

“If disciplinary infractions have occurred, we seek information from the applicant and others who can provide context for the situation,” Romero da Silva said. “We evaluate such instances on a case-bycase basis with the information available to determine the relevance to admissibility. Of course, the values we practice at Rice also inform how we view the information presented by an applicant.”

Rice President David Leebron said the decision to make a public statement was reached by a number of administration staff, including himself. He said it reflected the university’s commitment to free speech and would apply to all instances of peaceful protest.

“Rice has welcomed student engagement with the important issues of our times, whether of our own students or potential future students who might choose Rice,” Leebron said. “This

PROTEST CONT. ON PAGE 4

NEWS

2

Democratic primary polls moved off campus, Republican polls stay RISHAB RAMAPRIYAN THRESHER STAFF /RR41@RICE.EDU

For the upcoming primary elections on March 6, Rice University will host a Republican Party polling location in the Ley Student Center (precinct 361), but not a Democratic Party polling location, according to the Harris County Clerk’s office.

Students who wish to vote in the Democratic primary will have to travel to an off-campus location for both early voting and election day voting.

It was a strategic miscalculation by the county party and indicative of where their priorities lie. I don’t think it was malicious at all, but I do think it was a mistake.

Maurice Frediere Rice Young Democrats President The 2014 spring Democratic primary was the last Democratic midterm primary election with the precinct polling location located in the Ley Student Center, according to Civic Duty Rice President Meredith McCain.

Republican Party primaries will continue to be held in the RMC this year, according to Rice University College Republicans Chairwoman Juliette Turner-Jones.

Based on the Democratic and Republican Party Canvass reports available at harrisvotes.org, only two elections ballots were cast for the Democratic primary and four ballots were cast for the Republican Party at the Rice location in 2014. Both the 2016 spring Democratic and Republican presidential primaries had polling locations in the RMC with a total of 65 Democratic ballots cast and 23 Republican ballots cast.

However, Rice Young Democrats President Maurice Frediere said the 2014 midterm election was the basis for the change made by the Harris County Democrats.

“I think this whole situation of having the Democratic polling location removed from Rice campus says a lot about the lack of student engagement in elections, especially during primaries,” McCain, a Duncan College sophomore, said. “No party wants to have a polling precinct that only receives a dozen votes. It just looks bad on all of us.”

According to Turner-Jones, a Duncan sophomore, Rice University College Republicans works alongside the precinct chairs to host the Republican polling location at Rice, as well as helps staff other local precincts.

“I believe that having an on-campus polling location can greatly contribute to higher numbers of turnout amongst the student body,” Turner-Jones said.

“Decreasing the barrier of driving to another location, which takes resources and time, is very important, especially for busy Rice students.”

According to McCain, each party gets to choose the location for their primary polling location for each precinct. The Harris County Democrats elected to move their polling location off-campus this year to the Judson Robinson, Jr. Community Center, in hopes of getting a higher turnout. According to Google Maps, the center is 1.6 miles from the Rice Campus, which is approximately a 30-minute walk.

“I think the off-campus location could definitely suppress Democratic voter turnout among students, since many lack transportation and may not be able to carve the time out of their schedules to go vote,” McCain said. “However, in an election year where people are particularly passionate about certain political issues, the effect may be net neutral.”

McCain said the low voter turnout in the 2014 primary may have been a result of student apathy as well as difficulties with parking on campus and finding the Rice Memorial Center for non-Rice voters that reside in Rice’s precinct.

Frediere, a Duncan College junior, said the decision to pull the precinct from the Rice Campus was made completely independently by the Harris County Democratic Party.

“It was a strategic miscalculation by the county party and indicative of where their

infographic by christina tan

On March 6, students voting in the Republican primaries can head to the Ley Student Center while those voting in the Democratic Party primary elections will have to go off-campus to cast their votes.

priorities lie,” Frediere said. “I don’t think it was malicious at all, but I do think it was a mistake.”

McCain said Civic Duty Rice is collaborating with Baker Ripley, the Rice Young Democrats and the Todd Litton campaign to provide transportation for students to off-campus early voting, which ends on March 2, and election day polling locations. Baker Ripley will be providing shuttles to the Fiesta Mart early voting location this Thursday at 12:15 p.m. On election day, the Todd Litton campaign will shuttle students to and from the Judson Robinson, Jr. Community Center every two hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Frediere said the Rice Young Democrats encouraged students to use the Rice Shopping Shuttle to get to the Fiesta Mart early voting location last Saturday. Benjamin Lamb, a Will Rice College freshman, said he took the shuttle on Saturday, but found it cumbersome since the whole trip took over two hours.

“It’s really a bad decision by the Harris County Democrats in my opinion because college students traditionally vote Democratic, so the more you

lower the barriers for them to vote, the better,” Lamb said. “Rice students are pathetically politically under-involved.

I think it should be a major priority by administration to get the polling location back, but also increase the voter turnout from Rice students.”

According to McCain, Civic Duty Rice, Rice University College Republicans and the Rice Young Democrats have engaged in oncampus voter education activities to increase student turnout, including candidate forms for the TX-02 congressional primaries and voter registration for over 70 students.

McCain said that Civic Duty Rice hopes to have both party’s polling locations on campus for future primaries.

“In order to do so though, we will have to demonstrate to the Harris County Democrats that our students really do show up to vote so that they consider a polling location on campus to be a worthwhile investment,” McCain said. “However, I would tell all Rice students who are eligible to vote in this election to get out and vote because the primaries determine who will be on your ballot in November.”

Students tackle flooding in first annual policy challenge TRACEY DIBBS THRESHER STAFF / TD19@RICE.EDU

Six teams presented policy proposals addressing flood resiliency in Meyerland on Feb. 22 as part of Rice University’s first annual Houston Centered Policy Challenge.

The Houston Centered Policy Challenge is a multidisciplinary competition for students to design policy solutions to Houston-area problems, according to project coordinator Meredith McCain. Meyerland, a neighborhood in southwest Houston, was chosen because it was particularly impacted by the flooding from Hurricane Harvey, McCain said.

“Each [team] crafted a proposal to respond to one out of a series of prompts that we gave them,” McCain, a Duncan College sophomore, said. “Project proposals ranged from how to reimagine buyouts and deed restrictions, to how to allow students to stay at their neighborhood school after flooding.”

The panel of local community judges, who have expertise in flood control or municipal policy and included Houston’s Mayor Pro Tem, awarded first place to Martel freshman Connor Rothschild and Martel College senior Sapna Suresh, one of the six participating teams.

For their final proposal, Rothschild and Suresh suggested a multi-home buyout program that would promote community-

building in Meyerland while easing the financial burden on its residents.

“We incentivized homeowners to engage in home buyouts with their neighbors by offering to pay them amounts higher than existing buyout offers,” Rothschild said.

“Engaging in multi-home buyouts makes a resident feel like they’re making a communitydriven decision.”

It was so cool to see the way all the different teams [...] came out with thoughtful, innovative solutions that were as unique as Meyerland is as a community.

Katherine Simmers Baker College Sophomore McCain said each team has the opportunity to apply for seed money from Meyerland community organizations to further craft their ideas and implement the project.

The competition was co-sponsored by the Center for Civic Leadership, Baker Institute Student Forum and Design for America,

according to McCain.

Martel College seniors Lizzy Kalomeris and David Ratnoff co-created the Houston Centered Policy Challenge after participating in design and policy competitions.

“We realized that design and policy students were siloed in their disciplines without opportunities for collaboration,” Ratnoff said. “Looking to our senior year, we wanted to introduce a platform where these two problem-solving approaches could intersect, and undergraduates from across Rice’s schools and majors could meaningfully engage with issues surrounding them.”

The team of Lovett College junior Rose Kantorczyk, Martel sophomore Alec Tobin, Lovett junior Grace Coleman and Wiess College senior Andrew Bertics placed second.

According to Coleman, the team chose to address locally-delivered decision-making as its prompt.

“Our proposal was a community initiative to combine community voices and expert opinion in order to design new, higher density housing in Meyerland that would be both safe from flooding and meet the needs of residents,” Coleman said.

Baker College sophomore Katherine Simmers, a member of the third place team with Baker sophomore Eli Mensing and Sid Richardson College senior George Barrow, said her team focused on assessing current

deed restrictions in Houston. According to Simmers, deed restrictions empower residents to determine renovations they wish to see on their own land.

“We proposed that a survey be sent out to Meyerland residents that collects data on how much each house has flooded and if residents know and understand their deed restrictions,” Simmers said.

Simmers said residents would then receive an interactive map that would further provide essential information to residents.

“It was so cool to see the way all the different teams interpreted the prompts and came out with thoughtful, innovative solutions that were as unique as Meyerland is as a community,” Simmers said.

The first place winners will each receive $250 in prize money, the second place team members will each receive $100 and third place will receive $50 each, according to McCain.

Rothschild said he was grateful for the opportunity to impact the greater Houston community.

“Every team that competed was phenomenal, in terms of both their presentation skills and the ideas they presented,” Rothschild said. “Any team could have gotten first — we’re just grateful to have participated in a competition filled with such bright minds.”

THE RICE THRESHER

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

NEWS

3

Student Association election reset due to errors in voting setup JUAN SALDAÑA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / JDS15@RICE.EDU

For the third time in the past five years, the Student Association general election voting timeline is changing due to an error in the voting setup.

On Feb. 24, the day after the start of the voting period, the SA posted on their Facebook page informing voters that the election period would have to be rerun due to a “slight error in the Qualtrics voting system.”

According to Director of Elections McKinzie Chambers, the personalized email link to the ballot the NetID verification page were not correctly linked.

This allowed students to type in another student’s NetID, thereby preventing the other student from voting when they attempted to open their ballot.

Chambers said she was alerted of the specifics of the issue by the Thresher on Friday afternoon and worked with Senior Survey Administrator Angela Thompson from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness to contact Qualtrics support. Chambers also said she received an email on Friday morning from a student who received an error after inputting their NetID. Chambers said the issue that required the election to be reset was only technological.

“I was assured by Qualtrics that the voting links and NetIDs matched up perfectly, so that no one could use another person’s NetID to vote from their link,” Chambers, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, said.

“However, this was not the case, and it was addressed as soon as this was discovered.”

According to Thompson, the error was in the voting settings, which were copied from the previous year’s, not a technological Qualtrics error. Thompson said last year’s SA elections team had requested the NetID authenticator to be added for extra protection.

She said that the same error occured in last

Feb.

22

Original voting period opens at 8 p.m.

23

24

Chambers learns of issues in voting setup, announces new rerun election timeline.

year’s election but was not noticed and that she did not recommend the NetID page to the SA, as she had not used it in surveys run by the OIE in the past.

“I would never have suggested the [NetID] authenticator but that’s what they wanted at the time,” Thompson said.

The voting system on Qualtrics is run through the OIE, which oversees Qualtrics survey administration. According to Thompson, the director of elections decides all the information to be included in the ballot and has ultimate control over the final results.

“We don’t make any decisions, we simply run the ballot,” Thompson said.

The Thresher discovered a issue with the rerun ballots on Saturday, Feb. 24, that allowed students to cast a vote an unlimited number of times. By adjusting the personalized URL link, students could could receive unlimited ballots. However, because an option to “anonymize responses” was taken off for the rerun, these votes are easily distinguishable and could be deleted as they do not have a student name associated with them. Chambers said these votes would disregarded when counting.

“The anonymous votes are very easy to distinguish from the votes cast from personal links Qualtrics sent out,” Chambers said. “Since they are not direct votes cast from the personal links, we can disregard them as the votes do not come directly from eligible voters.”

New voting period opens, Thresher discovers error that allows unlimited ballots.

26 Unlimited ballots error is fixed

by Qualtrics.

Chambers says this will not affect election.

According to Thompson, the option to anonymize responses was taken off because Qualtrics did not recommend it. Chambers said that even though the anonymize responses option was taken off for the rerun, she would not have access to personal voter information, as Thompson would scrub that data before passing it off to her.

The issue was fixed on Monday, Feb. 26.

Thompson said she believes this error was unintentionally fixed after she called Qualtrics support due to other issues that were affecting Rice’s Qualtrics system. Thompson had not heard of the issue before being asked about it by the Thresher; however, Chamber said she had heard of this issue.

Unlike the past two instances that the election timeline has been changed due to errors, the issue was not a constitutional infraction that had to be adjudicated by University Court. In 2014, the election was redone due to an error that allowed alumni to vote in the election. Last year, part-time students were unable to vote, forcing the election period to be extended. This year, the Elections Committee decided on the new timeline themselves.

SA presidential candidates Morgan Gillis and Ariana Engles said they were disappointed that this year’s election once again had an error, which Gillis said will lead to a decrease in voter turnout. Gillis said students have expressed frustrations to him about the error or do not know that

28 Voting period closes at 8 p.m.

infographic by christina tan

voting is restarting.

“Personally, I wasn’t that surprised since there was a mistake last year with part-time students, but it’s kind of silly that they didn’t learn from their mistake,” Gillis said.

SA President Justin Onwenu, however, said the error was unavoidable and did not believe this would affect voter turnout.

“I would be surprised if we don’t break turnout records,” Onwenu said. “The SA marketing team has publicized very well and the reminder emails that are set push people to vote.”

SA Presidential Candidate Mahdi Fariss said that while this year’s mistake is less consequential than that of last year, it is frustrating to students.

“Very hard to say what effect [the rerun will] have, if any, aside from sparking a conversation about getting our act together,” Fariss said.

SA presidential candidate Rohan Palanki said he was concerned that the problems shifted students’ focus to the SA election process rather than the candidates’ platforms.

Palanki suggested reforming the elections systems to include more training for the director of elections and a test election ran with a focus group.

“When things like a recount occur, the student body loses trust in the SA,” Palanki said. “In other words, if the SA can’t run an election properly, what can they do?”

Voting closes Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.

Sexual health survey finds low rates of STI testing among students STI FROM PAGE 1

the SA senate created the task force in November 2017 after Wickerson formed the idea from talking to fellow members of Brown College. The task force consists of 10 students divided into four teams: Short-term Initiatives, Administrative Relations, Data Analysis and Peer Institution Research.

“Our goal as a group is to develop a comprehensive set of actionable items for increasing access to sexual health care at Rice,” Wickerson said. “We plan to do so by investigating why sexual health care is so expensive at Rice and what we can do about it, as well as understanding student opinions on sexual health care to develop plans that meet their needs.”

Coleman said some results from the survey that stood out were the high number of students who are sexually active coupled with the low number of students who have been tested for STIs. A survey question on sexual activity found that 63.9 percent of students reported having oral, vaginal or anal sex in the past 12 months, while 73.2 percent of students reported never having been tested.

Over half of sexually active respondents said they had never been tested.

Most students choose to get tested for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, according to McKelvey. Individual HIV or syphilis tests fall below $25, while individual tests for gonorrhea or chlamydia cost $46.

McKelvey said that Health Services

also offers $195 HPV vaccination shots, for which students under Aetna insurance can be fully reimbursed. According to McKelvey, HPV testing is not recommended for students under 30 years of age as per the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Coleman said compared to other universities, Rice is one of the few that requires students to pay out-of-pocket for STI testing. Coleman said students at Princeton and Columbia Universities are offered free HIV testing, and universities such as Dartmouth and Cornell incorporate testing costs into part of their student health fees.

Honestly, the survey results are almost speaking for themselves in what we really need to do, so we hope with this survey we can reach out to the administration more.

Blake Coleman Brown College Freshman Coleman also said the large number of students who were unsure about information related to Student Health Services was

problematic. The survey found that 41.7 percent of students claimed they were unsure whether it is affordable to get tested at the health center, and 27.2 percent of respondents did not know the health center provides testing.

“That means the health center is not doing enough publicity-wise of getting out that they offer testing,” Coleman said.

Coleman said updating the health center’s webpage on STI testing is one way to improve publicity of the testing services offered. The current page has a total of four sentences and 40 words.

“It’s not very descriptive at all, and if you compare it to other institutions, they have a whole page on their website or something like that dedicated to how the sexual tests work at that campus and what the process is with that,” Coleman said.

Coleman said that the task force is attempting to find out why Rice students are not covered in the same way as students elsewhere despite having the same insurance plan.

“A big thing with this is that we’re sort of confused why Rice requires students to get on the Aetna Insurance plan yet it still doesn’t cover the STI testing, whereas other universities also use Aetna but it does cover the STI testing at those universities,” Coleman said.

McKelvey said testing at Health Services is not covered because the office is not in any

insurance company’s network and does not have a billing department.

“Students may use their own insurance for free [STI] testing at outside providers,” McKelvey said.

“Most insurances, including Aetna Student Health, include preventive STD testing as per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendations. We are not insurance preferred providers as the cost to do this would be astronomical, so the insurance bill does need to be outside of Rice.”

McKelvey also said that in February of 2014, the health center collaborated with a Rice Health Adviser from Wiess College to temporarily offer free HIV testing. The student, who McKelvey did not name, advertised the event himself, and Health Services conducted 52 free tests in one week.

“He obtained a grant through the Dr. Bill [Wilson Student Initiative] Grant at Wiess College to pay for student testing during Valentine’s week,” McKelvey said.”It was a great project and we are glad to collaborate with any student projects in the future.”

Coleman said the survey results will provide a basis to start the conversation about increased sexual healthcare accessibility.

“Honestly, the survey results are almost speaking for themselves in what we really need to do, so we hope with this survey we can reach out to the administration more, just start the discourse,” Coleman said. “Start pushing for the change that we need.”

4

THE RICE THRESHER

NEWS

Rice supports prospective students’ peaceful protests PROTEST FROM PAGE 1 was an opportunity to reaffirm the importance we attach to free expression, peaceful protest and various forms of civic engagement.”

Alexis Williams, a Jones College junior, said she was considering reaching out to Leebron when the statement was published and wishes Rice would have acted sooner.

“I was disappointed that Rice was not a leader on this issue and only came out after several other prestigious universities and after a Buzzfeed article naming all of the schools that had made statements had come out, but they did react before I even had a chance to do anything about the fact that they weren’t reacting so overall I’m pretty satisfied,” Williams said.

Scotty Stevens, a Jones senior, said that the statement was an important gesture for the right to free expression.

“I’m glad the administration decided to protect the right of peaceful protest for our prospective students,” Stevens said.

“This value was shared by the student body during our speaker invitation discussion this semester, so it’s powerful to see our administration reinforce the view of students.”

Kevin Lata, a student who was admitted through Early Decision to Rice this year, said that he thought the statement would be important for students considering matriculating at Rice. “[The statement] shows me that the school tolerates or encourages students to speak out and stand behind what they find important,” Lata said. “To me it shows acceptance and possibly diversity of thought, which I find to be very important and I think many other perspective students

share this stance.”

The superintendents of Houston area school districts Needville and Spring have each released statements warning disciplinary action against students who join protests.

Needville Independent School District said that it would suspend any student involved in political protests during school hours for three days.

Spring ISD said that students who participated in a walkout scheduled for Feb. 21 could face in-school suspension, citing parents’ expectations that their children be on campus during the school day.

“The decision to follow normal procedures if a student walked out of class without permission and potentially issue an in-school suspension was entirely focused on student safety,” Tiffany DunneOldfield, chief communications officer of Spring ISD, said.

Dunne-Oldfield said Spring ISD is pleased to see universities like Rice issuing statements on peaceful protesting.

“Additionally, it is our understanding that an in-school suspension shouldn’t affect most university admission processes,” Dunne-Oldfield said.

On March 14, during spring break for Houston students, organizers of the Women’s March are encouraging students, teachers and administrators to take part in a nationwide school walk out. The walkout is planned to start at 10 a.m. and last for 17 minutes, one minute for each death at Stoneman Douglas.

In Texas, protests in favor of increased gun control after Stoneman Douglas have occurred in a number of districts around Austin and Dallas.

2018-2019 Jameson Fellowship for American Decorative Arts Rice undergraduates and graduate students interested in art history, history or musuem studies are invited to apply for the Jameson Fellowship in American Decorative Arts and Painting.

The Jameson Fellow will enroll each semester for a 3-credit art history internship course and spend the 2018-19 academic year as a researcher at the Bayou Bend Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

$13,000 stipend

Additional funds (up to $1,500) available for fellowship research trip.

For Jameson Fellows without access to a vehicle, some help could be available to partially cover one’s transportation costs during the year.

Qualifications include: • Excellent academic record • Interest in American art and culture of the 17th through 19th centuries Application Requirements: • A brief (2-3 page) typewritten statement expressing the applicant’s willingness to undertake the internship in 2018-19 and how the Fellowship would enhance the applicant’s other studies at Rice, plans for graduate school, career goals or general interest in the decorative arts • Academic transcripts (official or unofficial) • One letter of support from a Rice faculty member Applications should be sent to the Jameson Fellowship Committee at the Department of Art History (Herring Hall 103, MS-21) no later than Monday, March 26, 2018.

Questions may be directed to Professor Joseph Manca (manca@rice.edu or 713-348-3464).

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

read it online Senior Editor at The Atlantic talks medicine, media at Hanszen speaker event. See ricethresher.org for full story.

James Hamblin, a senior editor for The Atlantic, discusses the relationship between medicine and media at Hanszen College. The Hanszen Fellows organized the Feb. 21 talk as part of their Speakers Series. courtesy nicholas mcmillan

NEWS IN BRIEF Rice University denies allegations in lawsuit by former employee Emily Abdow News Editor / esa2@rice.edu Rice University filed an answer on Feb. 7 to a lawsuit brought by former employee Cylette Willis-Sass denying her claim that the university violated the Family and Medical Leave Act in terminating her employment.

Willis-Sass filed the initial lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, Houston Division, in August, stating that Rice University unlawfully terminated her employment on July 7 after she requested leave under the FMLA. The lawsuit was dismissed on Nov. 13 when the plaintiff’s attorney, Ellen Sprovach, missed a show cause deadline, but reinstated Jan.11. after the plaintiff filed a motion stating Sprovach missed the deadline because she went to the emergency room following complications from a knee relacement surgery.

Rice’s answer states the actions taking

by Rice against Willis-Sass were based on legitimate and nondiscriminatory reasons. Willis-Sass claims Rice never provided her with disciplinary action or placed her on a performance improvement plan, a claim Rice denies.

“Evidence of conduct by WillisSass that would have resulted in the termination of employment operates to bar relief for any alleged wrongdoing

by Rice University in this case,” the answer states.

According to Willis-Sass’ complaint, she worked at Rice as a Program Director of Rice Online until July 1, 2017, when she was promoted to Senior Academic Design Advisor. The answer filed by Rice’s attorney Teresa Valderrama denies that Willis-Sass was promoted.

A May 19 Rice News story states WillisSass would be promoted on July 1.

Willis-Sass alleges she requested

FMLA paperwork for “a serious medical condition” from Marian Phillips, human resources benefits specialist and notified Rebecca Gould, Rice’s director of employee relations, of her request.

Rice’s answer states Phillips received an inquiry from Willis-Sass regarding FMLA paperwork, but claims WillisSass failed to both provide proper notice for leave and meet the administrative requirements to obtain leave under the FMLA and Rice’s protocols.

The FMLA requires employers to provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for reasons including a serious health condition that makes employees unable to perform their jobs, according to the FMLA page of Rice’s human resources website.

“Rice university had reasonable grounds to believe its actions, if any are determined unlawful over Rice University’s objections, were not a violation of the FMLA,” the answer states.

According to court documents, a pretrial conference was held Feb. 12 to establish deadlines. The deadline for discovery, a pre-trial process where each party can obtain information from the other, is Nov. 16, according to the docket order filed Feb. 13.

The order states mediation, the settling of a legal dispute through using a third party, is required. The mediation deadline is set for Dec. 4, before the Dec. 14 deadline for dispositive motions, which can dispose of parts of or the entire lawsuit.

Rice University does not comment on personnel matters or pending litigation, according to Rice’s senior director of News and Media Relations B.J. Almond.

Sprovach said she does not comment on her client’s ongoing cases.

OPINION

5

STAFF EDITORIAL

Health center STI test costs must be lowered

A Student Association task force is examining the cost of health center tests for sexually transmitted infections, with survey results indicating that more than 60 percent of sexually active Rice students have never been tested for STIs (see p. 1). Currently, the health center offers a four-disease test which costs $74; individual tests cost around $25.

These costs are not on the health center website, nor is there any mention of available testing for HPV, the most common STI. Universities such as Brown University, Vanderbilt University and the University of Washington offer much more affordable or free testing for students, particularly those enrolled in the school’s insurance plan. Rice’s health center, however, is not a preferred provider for many insurance networks, including Aetna, Rice’s chosen insurance plan. Going off campus for STI testing is far more affordable; if it’s not free, the copay usually totals $25. It seems counterintuitive for students to seek out more affordable services off-campus when they were forced to opt into Rice’s insurance plan.

The current STI tests cost far more than most students are willing to pay, according to the survey results. Perhaps students could pay a little more in health center fees to lower the cost of on-campus STI testing,

as suggested recently for flu vaccines. We regularly pay for things that might not apply to every individual (free condoms, alcohol, the Rec, etc.) in order to ensure the health of the community as a whole.

Sexual health is vital to campus life. If over half of sexually active students are not taking measures to ensure their continued health, something must be changed — whether that means increasing everyone’s health fee by $10 or finding out why the health center is not a preferred provider for the university’s own insurer. Other schools have clearly already taken such measures to ensure their students’ sexual well-being.

At the very least, the health center website’s section on STI testing should provide more information than four sentences. The lack of accessibility, evident before even a physical visit to the only oncampus facility available for such services, suggests a disregard for student health.

The last time there was free on-campus STI testing (for one week) was spring 2014, before any current Rice student’s matriculation, speaking volumes to the level of effort the health center has given the issue in recent years. As it stands, the health center’s expensive STI tests set an extremely low bar for campuswide sexual health.

Correction

Last week, “Rice Philharmonics win 1st place at a capella competition” stated that the Phils’ first place win in the ICCA quarterfinals was the farthest they have advanced. First place is the highest the Phils have placed in quarterfinals, but they advanced to semifinals in 2009.

OP-ED

On (trying) to be an artist as a Rice student First off, I know that I’m never going to be rich. If I wanted to be famous, I would have auditioned for “The Bachelor” — it’s way more likely that I will be chosen to be the next Corinne than that a movie that I create will be funded by a major film studio. Most artists would probably tell you the same thing.

We don’t do art for the recognition; we do it because we love the work, and we’re ready to work, constantly, for the rest of our lives.

People across campus seem to know that it’s not appropriate to outwardly talk about how much easier it is to be a humanities or social sciences major (excepting some older associates who still make jokes at our expense), but I can tell the implicit bias is still there. People regularly say, “Oh, I’m in 18 hours, but only six of those are STEM classes, so it’s not a big deal.” When I tell people that I dropped my physics major, they’ll say, “You’re lucky you got out of that one,” as if by taking up film, I didn’t get myself into something else.

I think that’s because it’s hard to think of making art as doing work. We’ve all drawn pictures. We’ve all written haikus. It’s easy to see making art as something frivolous that anyone could do in their spare time. But if writing a short story doesn’t feel like work, try writing 60 drafts of the same story. If drawing doesn’t feel like work, try working on the same project and trying to perfect it over the span of three months. If taking a picture doesn’t feel like work, try taking 3,000.

STAFF Drew Keller & Juan Saldaña* Editors in Chief Jasmine Lin* Managing Editor Shannon Klein Business Director news Emily Abdow* Editor Anna Ta Editor Cameron Wallace Asst. Editor

Deciding that you are going to be an artist is both the best and the worst thing you can do with your life, because that means that now, you have a mission. You can’t just have a day job. Every second that you are not working on your art, experiencing art, learning about art, creating art or thinking about art feels like a second wasted. Artists get better with practice, and it is literally impossible to practice too much. Deciding you are going to be an artist is deciding to have a life where it is literally impossible to separate your work life from your private life. It is deciding that you are going to work on your passion, possibly even after your day job, for as long as you have to — maybe forever — and to never take no for an answer.

STEM classes keep Rice students working constantly, and I know how hard it can be to pass an orgo test. I respect anyone who has decided to be an engineer, doctor or anything else — because those professions are all incredibly hard work. But I hope that Rice will soon be able to recognize that deciding to be a philosopher or an artist is anything but taking the easy way out.

ABBEY PEREZ

Wiess College Junior agp7@rice.edu

opinions Julianne Wey* Editor arts & entertainment Lenna Mendoza* Editor backpage Joey McGlone Editor Isaac Schultz Editor photo Sirui Zhou Editor Charlene Pan Editor

spotlight Elizabeth Rasich Editor

copy Sarah Smati Editor Catherine Soltero Editor

sports Andrew Grottkau* Editor Michael Byrnes Asst. Editor

online Charlie Paul Web Editor Alice Liu Digital Content Editor

EDITORIAL CARTOON

cartoon by esther tang and areli navarro magallón

OP-ED

Misplaced burden: Administration, not affected students, should take proactive role in increasing accessibility

A few weeks ago, my friend hurt her foot pretty badly. As a result, she needed to borrow an electric scooter. What should have been a relatively quick and painless process turned out to be a 45-minute ordeal, as she was forced to limp from her room to the bus stop and arrive at the Allen Center, only to discover she had to pay $200 (in cash!) on a security deposit just to get to class on time.

There are multiple issues with this situation: First, that injured students have to move themselves across campus in order to get an electric scooter seems counterintuitive. Second, the assumption that any student at Rice has $200 lying around for an unexpected security deposit is highly unrealistic. If we are worried that students can’t pay $10 for a Beer Bike shirt, why aren’t we also considering issues like these?

The onus is on the administration to take initiative and help their students.

This series of hidden struggles is symptomatic of the way the Rice administration addresses accessibility as a whole. Rather than proactively consider options for increasing general accessibility, Rice often requires students to make the first move. While non-disabled students hardly notice when automatic doors stop working, disabled students are forced to wait until someone can assist them. If students need money to participate in social activities, they are forced to reach out to their magisters and ask and justify their need. The only way for students with anxiety to schedule an appointment with the Wellbeing and Counseling Center is to call. When elevators

design Christina Tan Director Sydney Garrett News Designer Marlena Fleck Sports Designer Ellie Mix A&E Designer Tina Liu Spotlight Designer Areli Navarro Magallón Illustrator Esther Tang Illustrator business operations Sara Lopez Marketing Manager Joey Castro Distribution Manager Greg Campo Distribution Manager Sanvitti Sahdev Business Designer *Editorial Board member

break, it’s up to students to report and follow up just for the sake of getting to their rooms.

Never mind trying to access Hanszen College, any of Sid Richardson College’s rooms, Lovett Hall, the Mechanical Engineering Building, half of Herzstein Hall and more. That’s simply not possible.

The onus is on the administration to take initiative and help their students.

Administrators love to throw around the word “accessibility” without actually increasing it. Emotional effort aside, we aren’t asking for anything fancy here — simply the ability to learn with as little personal hindrance as possible. Temporary ramps could be installed in buildings too old for elevators. Popular classes could be relocated to more accessible buildings. We could have a more readily available and transparent way to report building problems and help our peers who need it the most.

Magisters could reach out to students before popular social events and offer subsidization in advance. The Wellbeing Center could allow students to book appointments online.

And lastly, we could put those golf carts to good use and drive injured students to get the mobility they need. Instead of demanding a $200 security deposit upfront for an electric scooter, we could fine students through Esther for lost scooters.

These obstacles affect students at Rice every day. Rather than wait for the Sallyport to spontaneously grow a functioning elevator, the administration should begin to actually champion accessibility — in all of its shapes and forms.

CHRISTINA TAN

Thresher Art Director Duncan College Sophomore ct38@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 2018

SPOTLIGHT

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BAKER // Eliza Martin

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BROWN // Taylor Morin

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DUNCAN // Greg Van Kirk

HANSZEN // Dwight Fan

BRUSH UP ON THE NEW PRESIDENTS 7

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JONES // Ranjini Nagaraj

LOVETT // Akin Bruce

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SID RICH // Sara Meadow

PLANS FOR TERM 1. ELIZA MARTIN - Baker is obviously steeped in our long tradition and history. However, I think it’s imperative that the college continues to invest in new traditions, culture, spaces and events. I hope to encourage Bakerites to get involved in maintaining our traditions like Baker Christmas and our inclusive commons culture, while creating new traditions.

2. TAYLOR MORIN - Brown’s strategic planning process, Brown to the Future, has identified areas that we will act on this upcoming year. Specifically, we will work with campus-wide organizations to create a more inclusive environment for underrepresented minorities at the college level, we will improve our peer-to-peer mental health support system, and we will take proactive steps to increase off-campus student participation in college life. Finally, we’re excited to welcome new magisters, and helping them transition will be of utmost importance.

3. GREG VAN KIRK - I plan on establishing a donor endowment to benefit our college financially.

Similarly, I also want to find ways for Duncaroos to spend more of the money from our “Flex” and “DoStuff” Funds. Everyone at Duncan has great ideas and things they want to accomplish; I want to help all Duncaroos realize their visions, whether they have an official Duncan title or not.

4. DWIGHT FAN - A strongly voiced opinion at Hanszen is a relative disparity between our

MCMURTRY // Quinn Mathews

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WIESS // Mike Dai

facilities and those of other colleges, and I plan on persistently working with administration to see if we can work towards a long-term solution. Even if rebuilding Hanszen is not a job I will see through during my term, my goal is to do everything that I can to make Hanszen as livable and comfortable for our Hanszen family. Along with a few logistical changes like discussing how we can schedule Cabinet meetings at better times and restructuring how we manage our spaces and money, I also would like to help revitalize our Committee system by engaging new students and other students who aren’t in leadership roles.

5. RANJINI NAGARAJ - I am focused on increasing the inclusivity and accessibility of the college government. I want to make sure that every Jonesian knows that they have a voice and can make a difference, whether that be through planning diverse events, working on new projects or legislation, or even just providing feedback on what can be better.

I’m also excited to have the opportunity to work with the other college presidents and discuss the different ways that each of the colleges run, so that we can work together to bring the best practices back to our own colleges.

6. AKIN BRUCE - Representation is one thing that I think we could definitely improve in Lovett government. As of now, there’s really no way to tell where a member’s vote should be coming from or if someone’s voice is being heard more so than others,’ so Central Committee members tend to just vote based on what they themselves think. I

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MARTEL // Russel Kielawa

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WILL RICE // Tanvi Varadhachary

hope to change that by either starting some sort of class rep system in addition to the positions we have or creating some sort of way to assign representation roles to the members of CC. I would also like to work with our member(s)-at-large to improve the timing and representativeness of the Lovett weekly survey to ensure that Lovett opinions are accurately taken into account both in SA and Lovett government. Another thing that I hope to improve is accountability. In the past, we’ve seen incidences of people getting away with doing virtually nothing for their jobs and expecting other CC members to just be okay with that. Yeah, that’s not me.

connections with the extended Rice and Houston networks by creating better relationships with our associates and alumni.

7. RUSSEL KIELAWA - My big plans for Martel involve making our government more efficient, in positions ranging from floor lords to associate justices, as well as trying to further optimize the role of our newly established Diversity Council.

By defining these roles at Martel more concretely and establishing guidelines for their performance I think we can really take advantage of all the incredible people we have at Martel. By making these roles more involved and interactive, we can make Martel more accessible to a greater population of students, and that inclusivity is really important for a residential college.

10. MIKE DAI - My plans for Wiess center around accountability and community. On the accountability front, I want to serve as a mentor for various cabinet positions, so that people can feel both empowered in their roles and accountable for their responsibilities. From a community standpoint, I want to encourage the creation of smaller events that can allow Wiessmen from different social circles to interact and break down existing social barriers.

8. QUINN MATHEWS - The biggest plan I have is making more inclusive events. This means not just having social events but also having ones that promote an increase in cultural and intellectual knowledge. Similarly, I want to solidify our

9. SARA MEADOW - My main plan for the year will focus on revamping Sid culture, values and spirit since we’ll be going through a lot of change (magister search committee, new RAs, new dean of undergraduates, new Sid building soon) in a short period of time. Additionally, I want to make sure that all Sidizens, especially those from typically underrepresented groups, are engaged within the Sid community and represented on a campuswide level.

11. TANVI VARADHACHARY - My goal as president is to help Will Rice fit the needs of as many people as possible. I plan to increase the awareness of topics discussed at Will Rice and collect more ongoing feedback from the community. Although not everybody is engaged in the college system and college government, everyone’s opinion still matters.

THE RICE THRESHER

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

SPACE: This puzzle isn’t rocket science

Crossword by Margaret Roddy For the Thresher / mhr2@rice.edu

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ACROSS 1 Village in Lancashire, England, rhymes with babis 6 White girls with high pHs 11 Land of the free and home of ___ brave 14 Google Maps: 46°29’8.6”N 30°44’36.4”E 15 Finnish city home to part of the 1952 Summer Olympics 17 The sun and the planets that orbit it 16 A billion years 19 Synonym to coefficient of variation, briefly 20 Manganese oxide 21 Take a company public 22 Ditch surrounding a castle 24 From Matlus, first intelligent life forms in the Universe, according to DC 26 Made of positrons 31 Seal or symbol 33 Female version of a hustler, according to Queen B 34 Coca-____ 35 Hydrogen or helium at STP 37 Grandmother 39 Turkish instrument with a double-reed DOWN 1 2 3

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SPOTLIGHT

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23 Answers will be posted on ricethresher.org and on the Thresher Facebook page.

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Bolded clues correspond to the theme.

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Universe Hebrew God Mariah Carey “We ____ Together” Won the space race Draped Indian garment To infinity and ______ Eddie Murphy’s character in Shrek Stationary plasma thruster for spacecraft Internet of everything Grammar nerds love the Oxford version Meredith Grey removes one of these growths Operator of a hostel “It’s the ___ of the world as we know it” Home to massages, facials, and waxing Drugs you can get without a prescription, briefly Sound of regret Mercury is the first and ____ planet Terrible one of these ruled Russia

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Visible meteoroid Gallons per hour Type of gin made with blackthorn Oceaneering International, for short Naturally occuring metals in the ground International Space Station Kicked out of the planet club Hypothetical type of matter, emits no electromagnetic radiation 1982 sci-fi action film with Jeff Bridges West of Egypt Earth : orbit :: runner : ____ he, ___, it “That will be ____ the set of sun” -Shakespeare Space theater Sir Robert Bryson Hall II On a couch Thresher A&E editor Soeconomic status, briefly Hold in very high regard Historic auditorium in Dolly Parton’s state: “__ ______ Theater”

National fruit of India, Pakistan, and the Philippines Beam of energy from the sun Country between Vietnam and Thailand Fifth note of solfege A small mouthful of liquid Multiple fruity frozen desserts “Come on let’s get __ __, I know that we can do it!” -Dora Earth’s is 23.5 degrees When you’re lacking 2 down Home to Laura Ingalls Wilder Celestial dome Choose or pick Related to the Great Bear in the sky To kill or stalk Xi Jinping is creating _____ rule Canadian flag The ratchet version of a mouse Swedish dumpling Best on a bagel with cream cheese Lady G___ Zero First three of rehab

PARTY PATROL: SENSATION editor-in-chief

JUAN S.

spotlight editor

BIZ R.

news editor

ANNA T.

categories:

B+ ATMOSPHERE

FOOD & DRINK

MUSIC & DANCING

INTANGIBLES

OVERALL

Why does anyone ever think moshing is a good idea?

A-

Water was easily accessible to escape the sweatiness. Above average beer garden with Blue Moon and Shiner.

A

DJ RoB from 10-11 p.m. was the best hour of a public all year.

AThe kaleidoscope glasses made my night.

A-

Great networking event for the SA candidates.

A The light show was cool, and black light makes everything better.

A+ There were freakin’ Hershey bars. Need I say more?

A-

Didn’t see any dancing (see below) but music sounded awesome.

A The kaleidoscope glasses looked pretty dumb from the outside but really cool from the inside.

BOne of the wings still had a feather on it. Still better than usual.

A-

Open letter to that one guy trying to start a mosh pit: Stop.

B

B+

It was almost completely empty when I went at 11:30, but Jake Bhoi said he had a great time so I’ll take his word for it.

EMS looked bored.

That’s probably a good sign right?

A-

For a knock off of Architectronica, very solid.

B+

7

Democrat Todd Litton is running to represent everyone — no exceptions.

EARLY VOTING RUNS THROUGH MARCH 2 PRIMARY DAY IS MARCH 6 Rice’s Primary Day voting location is Judson Robinson, Jr. Community Center.

Visit TODDLITTON.COM/Voter -FAQ for early voting locations.

Almost makes up for me not getting into Architectronica.

PA I D F O R BY TO D D L I T TO N F O R CO N G R E S S

&

ARTS entertainment

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MUSIC

‘Black Panther the Album’ redefines soundtrack expectations CHRISTINA TAN THRESHER STAFF / CT38@RICE.EDU

BLACK PANTHER Genre: Hip-hop/Rap Top Tracks: Opps, X, I Am, Paramedic

From left to right: Baker College freshman Bryan Najera Demoraes, Martel College junior Jake Reinhart, Will Rice College sophomore Will Grimme and Wiess College junior Jonathon Berry perform as U.S. marines in the Rice Players and Rice Theater Program production ‘Dogfight.’ courtesy pin lim photography

THEATER

Talent balances troubling themes in ‘Dogfight’ CANNON LEWIS THRESHER STAFF / WCL2@RICE.EDU

In the five decades since the 1960s, antimilitary sentiment has become much more mainstream. It is no longer unusual to see celebrities and other public figures decry the numerous conflicts in which the U.S. is entangled. The dream of martial glory has been so tarnished by our conflicts that generations of Americans have grown up without a collective desire to go to war. The Rice Theatre Program and Rice Players’ production of “Dogfight,” however, is intent on returning us to a time when military service was venerated, in order to look back at the horror and indecency that accompany it. Though the play is a tremendous display of Rice’s acting and musical talent, its content leaves many troubling issues unresolved.

Adapted by Peter Duchan from the 1991 film of the same name, “Dogfight” tells the story of a group of rowdy, testosterone-filled marines about to ship out for Vietnam from San Francisco in 1963. The marines decide to play the titular game on their last night in the U.S., in which the man who brings the ugliest girl to a party wins a cash prize. The play is primarily concerned with “The Three Bees:” Birdlace, Boland and Bernstein, best friends because they lined up together in training. Birdlace convinces Rose, a lonely, somewhat homely San Francisco native, to accompany him to the party.

She, of course, eventually finds out why she was invited and gets understandably upset. This is where the play fails to deliver on its early themes: Rather than learning a lesson through Rose’s rejection, Birdlace gives a poor apology and the play moves on to their short romance. Ultimately, one

regrets that the play did not more strongly tackle the negative social consequences of military worship and the toxic masculinity of which the dogfight is emblematic.

Despite issues with the script, the . . . production features some of the best acting and musical talent that its producers have to offer.

Despite issues with the script, the Rice Theatre Program and Rice Players’ production features some of the best acting and musical talent that its producers have to offer. Will Rice College junior Kaitlyn Zoeller is amazing as Rose – both her singing and acting display great range, and she hits the emotional beats of the play with a tremendous sincerity. Birdlace, played by Will Rice College sophomore Will Grimme, also has an incredible voice and handles the darker moments of the play well, but has a harder time with some of the more lighthearted scenes. It is much easier to believe his performance in the portions of the play that take place after Vietnam than the portions of the play when he is supposed to be having fun with his fellow marines.

Jones College senior Justin Bernard, who portrays seven diverse characters, is another standout, if only for his versatility and charisma. However, the play is at its most powerful during its many ensemble songs, when the cast’s varied singing abilities are balanced by some incredible harmonies and live accompaniment from backstage.

“Dogfight” is also assisted by the Theatre Program’s typically inventive set design and costuming. The set consists of some doors,

THE WEEKLY SCENE

SOUL NIGHT If you’d like a little ’90s nostalgia, drop by the Rice Black Student Association’s annual cultural show this Saturday for songs, spoken word and dance. Tickets are $7 pre-order and $10 at the door, and include dinner before the show. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. The show begins at 7 p.m.

Rice Memorial Center

stairs and a miniature replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, but clever staging turns these into a coffee shop, a club, a bedroom, and the whole of San Francisco. Costumes feel realistic and appropriate for the time throughout, even down to undergarments (which are displayed during several onstage costume changes). The whole effect is on sparkling display during the dogfight scene, when lighting switches between a lounge singer (Bernard) judging women from the bridge and the rest of the cast dancing below.

The production effort falters only in sound design, where systematic issues make some lines inaudible. As “Dogfight” is a musical and the whole cast is mic-ed, the sound mix is at times uneven for spoken lines, especially for Bernstein (played by Wiess College sophomore Johnathon Berry) and Boland (played by Martel College junior Alan Kim). At times, it appears that mic levels are being adjusted between singing and speaking on the fly, and the effect is slightly disconcerting.

“Dogfight” is an enjoyable spectacle, but only if you can distance yourself from the troubling themes it leaves unresolved.

The production and talent on stage do much to create a comfortable distance, but in the end Rose and Birdlace’s relationship has too many issues to ignore.

The play, which premiered in 2012, seems unconcerned with dealing with Birdlace’s abusiveness toward Rose, the marines’ casual misogyny or any number of other issues that could be more impactful than the improbable story of their love. Though I do not understand why the Rice Theatre Department and Rice Players chose to produce this musical, they have certainly made a magnificent version of it. I would recommend it to anyone who can look past the play’s troubling themes.

The highly anticipated film, “Black Panther,” is shattering opening-weekend records, becoming the fifth-biggest domestic opening of all time. With it rises “Black Panther The Album (From and Inspired By),” an equally diverse and weighty soundtrack album produced

by Top Dawg Entertainment. Debuting at Billboard’s No.1, the album has the biggest charting week for a soundtrack in over a year. Ambitious and fresh, “Black Panther the Album” successfully blends eclectic genres and moods to redefine expectations for soundtracks — goodbye “La La Land” melodies and hello rap, R&B, gqom and everything in between.

Handpicked by movie director Ryan Coogler, Kendrick Lamar is the star and the primary visionary of the album,bringing his characteristic commentary and imaginative allusions with hard-hitting verses.

“Soundtrack” is somewhat of a misnomer for the album, since only three songs make an actual appearance in the film: “All the Stars,” “Opps” and “Pray for Me.” Still, the album evokes the entire spectrum of moods expected from a record-breaking film: at times brooding and dark, other times hopeful and sweet.

The album ties references from the movie and its lore to real, prominent issues that black Americans face. As Top Dawg Entertainment producer Sounwave told NPR, “The movie’s not set in 1910 … It’s set in today. There’s ‘today’ moments happening in the movie, so we want the whole soundtrack to sound like that too.”

Such an ambitious project requires an equally ambitious vision. Handpicked by

PANTHER CONT. ON PAGE 9

REYES RAMIREZ

METAMORPHOSIS

ACAPPELLOOZA

Award-winning writer, teacher and Houstonian Reyes Ramirez will read at Inprint Houston’s monthly First Friday Poetry Readings on Friday at 8:30 p.m. The reading is free and open to the public.

Houston sculptor Lauren Chapman tries to get the viewer to question what they’re looking at with her pieces. Her eerie exhibition “Metamorphosis” opens at Redbud Gallery on Saturday March 3 at 6 p.m. Admission is free and the exhibition will be on view through March 31.

Rice a cappella groups Basmati Beats, Nocturnal, Low Keys, Philharmonics and Apollos will team up this Sunday at 7 p.m. for an evening of songs across a variety of genres. Admission is free.

Inprint House 1520 W Main inprinthouston.org

Redbud Gallery 303 E 11th redbudgallery.com

Rice Memorial Center

THE RICE THRESHER

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

9

R2 MONTHLY CONTEST WINNERS Every month, R2: The Rice Review invites undergraduates to submit writing and art in light of a chosen theme. For February, our theme was Heritage. Submissions for March’s theme, The Lost Hour, are open now through March 28.

Ignis by Clair Hopper

Mist and Mountains by Victoria Wittner The Blue Ridge Mountains are in my blood.

My family sailed across the sea not quite on the Mayflower, but close. They immediately disappeared up into the mountains that reminded them of the home that they had left in Scotland. I’ve heard stories that they were trying to follow Daniel Boone through the Cumberland Gap, but decided to stay where the mountains roll blue to the horizon. I know this can’t be true, because my family lived in the mountains long before Daniel Boone made his first coon-skin cap.

My family fought in the Revolutionary War, and on both sides of the Civil War, when the salt peter in mountain caves became a resource to both sides. They worked in the coal towns, and saw the beautiful slopes stripped bare and holes gnawed through the living rock. They stayed when the CCC cut the parkway through and around the mountains.

They stayed until my grandmother was a girl, spending her summers taking eggs cooled in a snow-melt stream to Ballard store for candies. They stayed until great-grandmother

PANTHER FROM PAGE 8 movie director Ryan Coogler, Kendrick Lamar is the star and the primary visionary of the album,bringing his characteristic commentary and imaginative allusions with hard-hitting verses. It’s hard to imagine anyone else ending “Black Panther” with “I am T’Challa” while also paradoxically declaring “I am Killmonger” on “Paramedic.” Lamar plays a role in almost every song, and

died in ‘Irn-ton’, after a life spent recording recipes for the family grimoire.

And they stay still, in the summer trips on the Blue Ridge Parkway, the way my mother and I come home with mountain accents. In the copper kettle, used to stew apple butter— and once stolen for moonshine—that now holds old newspapers. In the old bathtub that holds my mother’s rosemary bush. In the way my great-uncle taught me to make homemade ice cream. In the chocolate cake recipe, passed down by only two family lines in the world.

The mountains live when my mother and I hike the Appalachian trail, and eat wild blue and black berries. When my mother taught me to catch crawdads the way her grandmother taught her. They live when a three-year-old was taken to watch the leaves turn the forest to flame, and was promptly buried in them.

When my grandmother leads unofficial tours of reenacted pioneer farms, and I gather eggs from their henhouses. The mountain blood lives, and will live on.

his unique choruses weave a distinctive thread throughout.

Produced by TDE, it’s safe to say that the album is stacked with recognizable talent. Besides Lamar, break-out R&B artists SZA and Khalid croon melodies next to modern hip-hop stars Future and Travis Scott. But the best parts of the album come from less familiar names.

English songwriter Jorja Smith steals the show with a thrilling melody on “I

Am,” while Sacramento group SOB x RBE delivers the strongest rap performance on the album with “Paramedic.” South African female rapper Yugen Blakrok out-performs Vince Staples (Who knew that was possible?) on “Opps.” To tie it all together, producer Sounwave backs each song with skillfully deployed drum beats and electronics that meld and flow from song to song.

Kendrick fans expecting another “To

Pimp a Butterfly” might be disappointed — “Black Panther the Album” is, after all, a group project with commercial goals and content restrictions. For me, it doesn’t matter. The album has something for everyone — whether it’s hearing Future sing “slob on my knob” in falsetto, vibing to Sjava serenading in Zulu, or just enjoying the fact that Disney finally approved swear words for their PG-13 soundtracks.

WHERE

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SPORTS

10

EDITOR’S COLUMN: THE FINAL KAUNTDOWN

A conversation on Rice talk radio

KNIGHT OF AUTRY COURT

charlene pan / thresher

Senior guard Wendy Knight drives baseline during Rice’s 87-44 victory last Thursday over Marshall University. Knight, the Owls’ only graduating senior, is averaging 10.6 points per game on 51.3 percent shooting in her final season. She has started all 26 of Rice’s games and lead the team in minutes.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Senior Wendy Knight leads the charge SPENCER MOFFAT THRESHER STAFF / SM114@RICE.EDU

As the only senior on the Rice women’s basketball team, guard Wendy Knight has found a way to balance a busy life as a double major in mathematics and computational and applied mathematics with her demanding basketball career.

On the court, Knight has demonstrated continued improvement since her freshman year, when she averaged 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds per game and made just 26 percent of her 3-point attempts. Since then, she has increased her scoring each year, now averaging 10.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting a career-high 41 percent from deep. But despite her scoring proficiency, Knight said the team’s success this year is not just due to her strong play.

“I feel like it’s definitely a team effort,” Knight said.

Knight began playing basketball in first grade, with her dad serving as her first coach. However, she said it was not until seventh grade that she realized she wanted to play in college.

Knight graduated from Ronald Reagan High School in San Antonio in 2014, finishing her high school basketball career with a

SWIM FROM PAGE 1 conference meet capped a strong season.

“In my mind the season was a success because we worked hard, we swam fast, and most of all, had fun while doing it,” Schillinger said. “Everyone had performances they could be proud of throughout the year and [had] many more at conference. I think the seniors all really came in strong for us and made a big showing in the total point count.”

Several Owls had standout individual performances at the meet. Schillinger claimed her third-straight C-USA individual title in the 200-yard breaststroke, breaking her own Rice school record with a time of 2:10.42. Senior Alicia Caldwell also won the 500-yard freestyle, posting a time of 4:45.33.

Another record fell as Swinney broke her own school record with a 4:12.89 in the 400 IM to claim another C-USA individual

This year, Knight has helped lead Rice’s women’s basketball team to a 19-7 record, including a 9-5 mark in conference play.

Knight said she has been impressed by the team’s play so far this season. “[This season has] probably exceeded my expectations,” Knight said. “I know this team is always capable and it’s really fun to see how far we’ve come since we first started

playing together.”

But though she’s played a big part in the team’s success so far, Knight does not plan to pursue basketball after graduating from Rice.

Instead, she said she will continue studying computational and applied mathematics.

“I plan to go to graduate school,” Knight said. “I’m still waiting to hear from a few more, but I’ve already been accepted to a few.”

Last year, she and her teammates won the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament. According to Knight, winning the title revealed that the team is capable of accomplishing more over the next few years.

“It was definitely a confidence booster winning the championship,” Knight said. “It also showed us that we can go to bigger tournaments such as the [National Invitational Tournament] and NCAA [Tournament] and having those as goals in mind has definitely led to more achievements from our team.”

In order to make the NCAA Tournament, Knight and her teammates will need to win the Conference USA Tournament and learn from last year’s two-point loss in the quarterfinals. The first round of the C-USA Tournament will begin on March 7 in Frisco, Texas.

championship. According to Swinney, her nerves settled after the meet began, and she was able to enjoy her final conference meet.

“I am very happy with my meet,” Swinney said. “I came into it being very anxious and worried about how I was going to swim, but once I got into the meet and had fun watching and being with my teammates, everything fell into place for me.”

Swinney contributed a team-high 53 points to Rice’s final score. According to Swinney, her final season has been a memorable one.

“This year has been the most meaningful of my four years on the swim team by far,” Swinney said. “On the last day of conference, we were all so emotional because we know we’re going to miss being a part of this incredible team. I could not be happier with how hard we worked and how much

everyone contributed from start to finish.”

This year, Rice will graduate seven seniors. Head coach Seth Huston said the team will have to work hard to replace them.

“Next year’s team will need to have new leaders emerge and develop their own identity,” Huston said. “They will all have to step up to perform at the level we have become accustomed to achieving. With that said, I know we return a great group and have some incoming freshmen that will make big contributions.”

The Owls’ season may not be over, as they can still provisionally qualify for either next month’s NCAA championships in Columbus, Ohio or the CSCAA National Invitational meet in Annapolis, Maryland. Schillinger has already earned an invite to the NCAA Championships in both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke events.

record of 122-20 over four seasons. In her senior season, she led her basketball team to a 28-5 record and was rewarded for her hard work on the basketball court with a multitude of awards. That year, she was both a McDonald’s All-American nominee and the San Antonio Express-News Player of the Year.

It was definitely a confidence booster winning the championship. It also showed us that we can go to bigger tournaments.

Wendy Knight Senior Guard

The scene is a talk radio show solely dedicated to Rice Athletics. The host is taking callers during a segment on the past weekend of games. Of course, this is entirely fictional. Any radio show solely devoted to Rice Athletics would surely be taken off the air in a week due to low ratings.

Host: Well, it’s been a rough weekend for Rice sports. The women’s basketball team lost a very winnable game against the University of Texas, San Antonio, the baseball team was swept in four games at Stanford University, the men’s basketball team blew a chance to get a crucial road victory at Florida International University and the men’s tennis team got stomped at the Blue-Gray Invitational. But hey, at least women’s tennis picked up some victories!

Let’s get to the phones now. Caller number one, go ahead.

Caller 1: I’m through with this. Wayne Graham has got to go. It’s the same stuff again and again. He leaves his pitchers in too long, the defense commits 15 errors a game and the batting just isn’t good enough.

When is the athletic director going to finally pull the plug? Graham’s old methods just aren’t working anymore. I mean, look at Saturday’s game. Rice gave up five unearned runs. FIVE UNEARNED RUNS. How has Rice even won three games this season with a defense that plays like a Little League team?

Host: You want the athletic director to get rid of the coach who built Rice baseball because of one bad weekend? The Owls are 3-1 outside of this weekend’s series. And this weekend Rice played a top-10 team on the road two time zones away.

Caller 1: Sure, but this is exactly how last season started. Sloppy defense, bad offense and inconsistent pitching. Rice might’ve cleaned up its act by the end of the year, but it was extremely fortunate to make the conference tournament, let alone the NCAAs. The offense put up eight runs in four games. That’s two runs per game! I don’t care who you’re playing; if you want to make it to the College World Series you HAVE to beat teams like Stanford.

Host: I’ll admit, there were some concerning things in this series. But most teams are sloppy early in the season. Rice might look terrible right now and Stanford might look great, but all that matters is how these teams play if they meet up three months from now in the NCAA Tournament.

Let’s turn to our second caller.

Caller 2: I want to talk about men’s basketball. Rice almost, and maybe should have, won its two games in Florida this weekend against Florida Atlantic University and FIU. It seems like they’re competing a lot better; they’re not getting blown out every night anymore. This season might be a lost cause, but I’m expecting a pretty good team next year.

Host: There’s definitely been improvement. But there’s a big difference between keeping games close against teams like FAU and FIU and being a contender in Conference USA. Next season should be better, but don’t expect sophomore Josh Parrish and the incoming freshmen to bring Rice back to where it was with Marcus Evans and Egor Koulechov. The Owls are a long way from where they want to be.

Caller 2: I never said they’d be as good as they were with Evans and Koulechov. Those guys were all-time greats for Rice. I just think this team wins a couple big games and gets to the top eight of the conference next year.

After that, who knows? There’s no ceiling.

Host: Look, predicting a team that is currently No. 290 in the Ken Pomeroy computer rankings to be near the top of the conference in two years is quite a stretch.

Let’s stick to this year, where the Owls are

KAUNTDOWN CONT. PAGE 11

THE RICE THRESHER

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

SPORTS

11

KAUNTDOWN FROM PAGE 10 slightly less overmatched than they were three weeks ago. That’s an improvement, but let’s pump the brakes. Caller 3, you’ve been on the line for a while, take it away.

Caller 3: Hey, this is my first time calling in. Big fan of the show. Here’s my take: Women’s basketball has a legitimate star in sophomore Erica Ogwumike and a wonderful No. 2 option in junior Nicole Iademarco. This team is for real; I think they’ve got a real shot of making the NCAA Tournament this year.

Host: Couldn’t agree more. Outside of baseball, which is the No. 1 sport at Rice until further notice, women’s basketball might be the best program Rice has right now. Ogwumike and Iademarco are 2018’s Evans and Koulechov. The Owls are a real contender in the C-USA tournament and they should only get better next year. With one of the top transfers in the country in sophomore Nancy Mulkey joining the team along with two McDonald’s AllAmerican recruits, the 2018-19 Owls should be one of the conference favorites heading into the year.

Caller 3: Head coach Tina Langley deserves a raise. She’s recruited extremely well and she might be an even better ingame coach. Best hire Rice has made in a while, hands down.

Host: The only concern I have is that she might be a little too good. Major programs are going to start noticing the amazing job she’s done at Rice soon enough and they’re going to want her. Can’t blame her if she takes a job like that, but it would be nice to not have another coach leave for a bigger school. Next caller, you’re up.

Caller 4: How does Rice not have a diving team? That’s ridiculous. It cost us ANOTHER conference championship this year! What is Rice — Host: I’m gonna have to cut you off there. We’ve talked about that plenty in the last few weeks. It’s gotta change. All right, it’s time for a commercial break. Thanks for listening to the Rice Radio Show on 1912 The Fan.

WOMEN’S TENNIS

One up, up, One one down down one

ANDREW GROTTKAU

McMurtry College Junior Thresher Sports Editor abg4@rice.edu

serena liu / thresher

Rice’s women’s tennis team picked up a 4-0 win over Texas State University on Friday before dropping a tight 4-3 decision to Louisiana State University on Sunday. The Owls are now 6-3 on the season. Above, senior Wendy Zhang hits a forehand during her match against Texas State. She won her singles match 6-1, 6-1 at the No. 2 position to get her third singles win of the season and break a personal five-match losing streak. The Owls, ranked No. 39 heading into last weekend’s competition, will take on Texas Tech University on Saturday at George R. Brown Tennis Center to begin a quick two-match homestand.

BASEBALL

Sloppy defense dooms Owls in 4-game sweep at Stanford MICHAEL PRICE THRESHER STAFF / JMP12@RICE.EDU

This past weekend was one to forget for Rice baseball. The Owls suffered four tough defeats against No. 7 Stanford University, losing 7-2, 6-2, 7-4 and 2-0.

According to head coach Wayne Graham, Rice struggled throughout the series in part due to injuries in its lineup.

“Throughout the entire weekend, we were missing two of our biggest hitters, which hurt,” Graham said. “Stanford did play extremely well, though.”

Rice scored the first run of the game in two of the four contests, but it was unable to hold its leads. In the first game, the Owls scored in the first inning, but senior pitcher Ricardo Salinas allowed a run in the second and a grand slam in the third. In the third game, Rice led 1-0 until the sixth inning, when an error extended the frame and allowed Stanford to score five unearned runs to pull away.

Although Stanford averaged 5.5 runs per game in the series, starting pitching was not a problem for Rice. Every starting pitcher other than Salinas went at least 5.1 innings and allowed two or fewer earned runs.

Sophomore pitcher Matt Canterino stood out, going 6.2 innings in the second game and allowing just two earned runs.

While pitching was a strength, Rice struggled on offense and defense. The Owls scored just eight runs the entire series and were shut out on Sunday despite out-

hitting the Cardinal 7-6. Junior shortstop Ford Proctor said the main reason the Owls could not score was because they failed to take advantage of the opportunities they were given.

“We had the bases [loaded] three times [in the final game], once with nobody out,” Proctor said. “We couldn’t get the big hit. We have guys who can swing the bat, but we could not get it done this weekend.”

On top of their offensive shortcomings, the Owls’ poor fielding failed to support the strong pitching. Rice committed six errors in the four game set, leading to nine unearned runs. Senior center fielder Ryan Chandler said he and his teammates were disappointed in this weekend’s performance.

We [have] to play better. We met after the series and agreed we did not play well at all.

Ryan Chandler Senior Center Fielder “We [have] to play better. We met after the series and agreed we did not play well at all,” Chandler said. “Stanford is a good team, and we were with them the entire time, but we kept making mistakes, and they capitalized off those mistakes. We have to learn how to take advantage of those

martin zhang / thresher

mistakes when other teams make them.”

While the team did not get the results it wanted, Graham said he is encouraged by the performance of his pitching staff.

“Our pitching staff is solid. [Sophomore pitcher] Garrett Gayle had a real good outing in the fourth game,” Graham said. “We have good starting pitching and a good bullpen.

We should do well once we start hitting.”

Gayle said that he has improved since last year and is looking forward to the rest of the season.

“I am a lot more comfortable on the mound, and a lot less stressed out,” Gayle said. “Last year, when I got in [to the game], I felt that I had to perform or it was the end of the world. Now, if I throw a ball, I know I get back in there with a solid fastball or curveball.”

The team will look to get back on track behind its pitching staff this upcoming weekend. The Owls return to Reckling Park this Friday to face Houston Baptist University. The first pitch will be at 6:30 p.m.

112

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BACKPAGE

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018

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