VOLUME 103, ISSUE NO. 13 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019
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39% increase in applicants
E D a p p l i c an
early decision students admitted ANNA TA
NEWS EDITOR
This year’s applicant pool for early decision grew 39 percent from last year to a total of 2,628, according to Yvonne Romero da Silva, vice president for enrollment. The Office of Admissions accepted 408 applicants, making the
admission rate roughly 15.5 percent. Romero da Silva said some of the increase can be attributed to The Rice Investment, which increases aid to low and middle income families and makes the amount of expected financial aid more transparent. Last year, the applicant pool increased by 18 percent. Romero da Silva said
she expects the trend of increasing applications to continue. “I am absolutely thrilled with the growing interest in Rice,” Romero da Silva wrote. “The more students, families and high school counselors know about the incredible faculty, community and resources Rice provides, the more I expect interest in Rice will continue to grow.” infographic by sydney garrett
Task force takes on int’l student financial aid ANNA TA NEWS EDITOR
The international student financial aid task force is helping one international student remain at Rice by assisting with basic financial needs. The task force was passed alongside a resolution calling for the inclusion of international students in the Rice Investment at the final Student Association Senate meeting last semester. INT’L STUDENT FINANCIAL AID TASK FORCE Joyce Chen, the task force’s chair, said the task force used winter break to communicate with two international students in need of aid to remain at Rice for the spring semester. Chen said one of
the students refused help, but the task force is assisting the other with meeting basic necessities such as rent. Chen, the McMurtry College senator, said the Office of Financial Aid referred the task force to the Office of International Student Support. However, Chen said she hopes to collaborate more with the administration to create a tangible longterm plan. “We’re grateful that administrators are willing to point us in the right directions but disappointed that so far no one has really taken ownership or openly demonstrated significant commitment to working long-term to make financial aid equal for all students,” Chen, a McMurtry College junior and SA senator, said. “On this particular issue, we students can
only do so much to advocate, and only administration possesses the ultimate ability to bring changes.” Chen will chair the task force, along with two members of the SA and two members of the Rice International Student Association. “Long-term, we plan to reach out and hopefully schedule meetings with administration leaders and come up with a plan and timeline,” Chen said, “Shortterm, we want to help the students whose family finances have changed and are facing financial difficulties or at risk of being forced to leave Rice.” RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT INT’L STUDENTS The resolution declaring support for SEE INTERNATIONAL PAGE 4
Duncan to consider lifting alcohol ban EMILY ABDOW & CAMERON WALLACE EDITOR IN CHIEF & SENIOR WRITER
The Duncan College magisters will decide whether to lift a college-wide ban on private gatherings with alcohol instituted in December. Their decision will be influenced by student attendance at two college meetings about alcohol safety occurring this week, according to a college-wide email sent by Duncan Chief Justice Cole Crawford. “In order to be able to lift the ban on private gatherings at Duncan, we need to make sure that the entire college is on the same page moving forward,” Crawford wrote. “Thus we need to have good attendance at these talks in order to be comfortable with lifting the ban.”
We do not support the serving of hard alcohol to underage students and we view this as a bright line that should never be crossed. Caleb McDaniel DUNCAN COLLEGE MAGISTER The Duncan magisters implemented the ban after learning through conversations with students that underaged students served and were served hard alcohol at private gatherings, according to Duncan Magister Caleb McDaniel. McDaniel wrote in a college-wide email that the violations of the alcohol policy had occurred with the knowledge of student leaders. “You need to know that we do not support the serving of hard alcohol to underage students, and we view this as a bright line that should never be crossed,” McDaniel wrote in the email announcing the ban on Dec. 3. SEE ALCOHOL PAGE 3
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Exploring TFTI: the hunt for the perfect Houston Instagram photo CHRISTINA TAN A&E EDITOR
Finding things to do in Houston can be a struggle, particularly when the regular avenues of museums, parks and endless food feel exhausted. As a result, one Friday evening found me and Sports Designer Tina Liu entering an abandoned-looking entertainment center, emboldened by the promise of taking perfect Instagram photos while simultaneously regaled by an interactive art experience. We had bought tickets to Houston’s first popular “Instagram Museum,” coined by its creators as TFTI. Described on Eventbrite as the “ultimate pop-up experience,” TFTI offers its patrons 10 Instagrammable rooms for the price of $25 per ticket. Visitors enter into a dimly lit room covered in streamers (counted as one of the 10 rooms) and are asked to put down
As I progressed through the rooms, a their names and wait, as if at a crowded restaurant. Once their names are called, few themes popped out as ones I had seen visitors can then explore the remaining in other Instagram photos: a ball pit, a ripoff Kusama infinity room, more neon signs nine “rooms” with no overall time limit. and colorful walls. The On my visit, dozens trend of such kitschy, of people milled bright backgrounds is around in the waiting not a new one: popular room, with more “Instagram Museums” waiting to be done in But to call any of like the Museum of Ice each of the other nine these experiences a Cream (now located rooms. Each room museum would be a New York City, Los featured a “theme,” misnomer — after all, in Angeles, San Francisco some more ambiguous and Miami) have taken than others. The first the only sight really a rising role starring room was filled with on display are the in the backgrounds floating clouds (puff visitors themselves. of social media posts. hung on clear strings), But to call any of a neon sign and a hanging swing. This room was followed these experiences a museum would be a by one straight out of the set of “The misnomer — after all, the only sight really Bachelor,” complete with fake roses on display are the visitors themselves. Back in TFTI, Tina and I waited in hanging from the ceiling and a huge line for a chance at taking photos in illuminated “LOVE” sign.
an unnamed, rip-off infinity room. The room promised three minutes (longer than real Kusama rooms, some of which allow visitors only 30 seconds) in a room filled with mirrors and lights. The idea is that the mirrors evoke a sense of endless landscape, accentuated by the flashing lights and the infinite copies of your reflection. In a real infinity room, such as Kusama’s “At the End of the Universe,” the sense of endlessness is overwhelming. At TFTI, it was just another cool backdrop — poorly connected mirrors reflected a single dangling strand of Christmaslike lights while neon lights flashed at a dizzying speed. We shot photos of each other at different angles, looking for the best depth at which to profile each other and waiting for the lights to change into more favorable colors. In short, we weren’t there for the lights. We were there to take photos of each other. SEE TFTI PAGE 8