The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, January 9, 2019 by The Rice Thresher

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

THE RICE THRESHER

2 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

NEWS Thanksgiving break to lengthen in 2020

AMY QIN

illustration by esther tang

ASST NEWS EDITOR

Wednesdays will be included in Thanksgiving break for the 2020-2021 academic year, according to Anna Margaret Clyburn, the student representative of the working group created by the Faculty Senate in the beginning of the school year. The Faculty Senate voted on the proposal at its Nov. 14 meeting, according to David Messmer, a Faculty Senator and lecturer. “I’m actually not sure that this change was in the spirit of what the Senate originally set out to do, but I’m nonetheless glad that we took this opportunity to correct what I see to be an obvious flaw in the schedule,” Messmer said. According to Clyburn, the change will decrease but not completely mitigate the difference in the number of instruction days between spring and fall semesters, which now contain 67 and 70 class days, respectively. “Many courses that are taught both semesters are unable to cover the same amount of material during both semesters, with the fall course being able to cover up to a week’s worth more,” Clyburn, a Martel

College sophomore, wrote in a statement to the Thresher. The working group considered three options for possible changes: a weeklong midterm recess in the fall semester, a week-long Thanksgiving break, and a 3-day Thanksgiving break. Out of the 335 student responses received on a campus wide survey sent out by Clyburn, 56.7 percent voted in favor of a weeklong Thanksgiving break, 23 percent for a threeday Thanksgiving break, and 16.1 percent for a weeklong midterm break. Clyburn said the working group did not present the option of a weeklong Thanksgiving break at the Faculty Senate meeting on Nov. 14 because none of Rice’s peer institutions with one week of classes after Thanksgiving have a weeklong break. In addition, she said a weeklong break could present practical challenges for students who typically stay at Rice. Messmer said he voted for a weeklong midterm break. “I am strongly in favor of parity between the semesters,” Messmer wrote in an email. “Professors who only teach in one semester get paid the same amount for diﬀerent amounts of work and responsibility. This isn’t just a question of time in the classroom – having a week oﬀ in the spring allows for research and travel opportunities that simply aren’t available to those teaching in the current fall schedule.” Clyburn said this decision only applies to 2020-2021 school year. If no further action is taken by the Faculty Senate, future academic calendars will return to a two-day Thanksgiving break, according to Messmer. “Before all of this started, I had no idea how complex the formula is and how many competing voices have a stake in it,” Messmer said. “Many in the Senate felt that we simply didn’t have time to gather all of the necessary information before this vote. All of which is to say that this discussion is far from over.”

over WINTER break

Number of crimes logged by Rice University Police Department.

Rice Purity Test sees another participation dip on Christmas Day. 15,000

2,000

2016 2017

2017

The trend holds for 2018 with only 2,111 tests taken on Christmas Day.

1,113 views

on President David Leebron’s “What I Do When Students are on Break” Instagram video.

infographic by sumin hwang

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 • 3

Alum becomes a deputy mayor of Fuqing, China CHRISTINA TAN ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Former student athlete and Rice alumnus Yuan Lin (Will Rice ‘12, M.S. Statistics ‘13) has been appointed the youngest-ever deputy mayor of Fuqing, a county-level city in China with a population of over 1.3 million. According to South China Morning Post, the 28-yearold will serve for 10 months until Sept. 30 under a science and technology role. Lin, a Ph.D student in finance at Peking University, has not previously worked in public service. At the time of publication, Lin could not be reached for comment. Multiple news outlets have reported on concerns expressed on the Chinese social network Weibo; specifically, that the appointment of a young and inexperienced official could be a sign of corruption. According to Chinese news site Btime.com, Lin follows a slew of highly-educated young professionals appointed to senior government positions as part of Fujian’s “Haina Baichuan” talent network, initiated in 2013. Btime also said that applicants for Lin’s position must “have a firm political stand” and be between the ages of 27

and 32 years old. They also need to have in the program until her junior year, won honors such as “excellent party participating in the 2008 and 2009 NCAA members” or “excellent student cadres.” Championships. According to Director The position is unpaid; according of the Professional Master’s Program in to Btime, the Organization Department Statistics John Dobelman, Lin left the of the Fuzhou Municipal Committee team to focus more on her studies. responded to online controversy by “[Her departure from the volleyball clarifying that Lin will team] speaks highly only be given a stipend of her character since for accomodation and many athletes would food. The committee have remained on also said that Lin’s She showed herself scholarship while appointment is to be ingenious maintaining the part of a school-site and highly groupminimum scholastic cooperation agreement performance,” oriented. between Peking Dobelman said. “During University and Fujian John Dobelman this time, she took Province, the province several of our upper overseeing Fuqing. PROFESSOR level statistics courses As a county-level city, and realized she wanted Fuqing is one of many counties-turned- to go for the M.Stat degree, and we are cities in China and includes rural as well glad she did.” as urban areas. After her bachelor’s degree, Lin joined the M.Stat program as a fifth year HER TIME AT RICE professional master’s student, halving While at Rice, Lin studied economics the time necessary to earn her degree. and managerial studies for her According to Dobelman, qualification undergraduate degree. Originally for the fifth year designation requires from Beijing, Lin was recruited for additional graduate statistics coursework the volleyball program and given a in addition to undergraduate degree full athletic scholarship. She stayed work, which Lin completed.

“I had the pleasure of having Ms. Yuan in four of my classes,” Dobelman said. “In two of these courses, Quantitative Financial Analytics and Computational Finance I: Market Models, she showed herself to be ingenious and highly grouporiented.”

Yuan Lin graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Rice University, where she played on the volleyball team for two courtesy rice athletics years.

Duncan magisters ban private alcohol events ALCOHOL FROM PAGE 1

for alcohol off campus where it may not be as safe to drink as it is with the culture “Our categorical disapproval of this of care at Duncan.” Duncan freshman Jared Perkowski said practice comes from our many years of that he thought the empirical observation ban was an eﬀective about the particular response to reports dangers that hard of alcohol abuse, alcohol can pose to the and since it was health and well-being of A college-wide ban students.” on private gatherings implemented during finals week, it will Crawford said chief with alcohol simply not have had a great justices are working with impact on students’ SJP and administration to shifts the underlying social lives. further define the role of problem to different “I am supportive chief justices in regards settings. of the alcohol to the alcohol policy. ban at Duncan,” “After talking with Aitash Deepak Perkowski said. SJP and clarifying our DUNCAN COLLEGE SENIOR “I think of the role as CJ, there will be a campus-wide push towards enforcement ban as an opportunity for Duncan of hard alcohol policies instead of only to stop and reflect on the drinking educating students on the alcohol culture we have as a residential college, not as a punishment policy,” Crawford said. Last semester, six freshman students against any particular group were hospitalized in alcohol-related of people at Duncan.” Dean of Undergraduates incidents, according to Crawford. According Gorman said to Duncan President Gregory Van Kirk, the Bridget number of transports is a symptom of the the Duncan magisters party culture that caused the ban, but not consulted with her before instituting the ban, but the direct cause of the ban itself. Duncan senior Aitash Deepak said the it was ultimately ban on private gatherings with alcohol their decision. “As for timeline, will have a negative effect on the social lives of students who enjoy alcohol, and my understanding may encourage them to find alcohol is they hope [the elsewhere, in environments where there moratorium] will be short lived,” Gorman could be less safe drinking cultures. “While I understand that there was said in an email. McDaniel said Van enormous pressure on the magisters to take some action, a college-wide ban on Kirk and Crawford agreed private gatherings with alcohol simply to the ban and are using the shifts the underlying problem to other period of the moratorium to settings,” Deepak said. “People from clarify expectations. That Duncan are still likely to attend events way, students at Duncan and crawls with alcohol at other colleges understand the repercussions and simply skip stops at Duncan. My they will face for violating the worry is that people might begin looking alcohol policy.

“Our hope is that this moratorium will give you an opportunity, as a college, to reflect on where things stand, clarify expectations with student leaders and, where necessary, correct your course,” McDaniel wrote in a Dec. 3 email. “This move is a first for us as magisters. That ought to communicate the seriousness with which we view the current situation.” Talks like the ones this week at Duncan will occur at other residential colleges early in the semester, according to Crawford. Duncan is not the only residential college to have

placed limitations on private gatherings with alcohol this year. In November, Martel College CJ Kyle Dickens sent a college-wide email stating that private alcohol events could not be hosted on the Sundeck, a public space on the roof of the Martel Commons. “The last thing I want, and hopefully you all agree, is to have more frequent reports to SJP resulting in sanctions to the college and tighter restrictions coming from administration,” Dickens wrote. “Ideally, I want to maintain the Sundeck as a utilized party space, for it is a lovely asset of Martel’s architecture, but there may need to be some changes for this to be possible.”

illustration by esther tang

NEWS

4 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 FROM PAGE 1

INTERNATIONAL increasing financial accessibility for international students passed with one no vote and one abstention after an hourlong debate over the wording and timeline of the resolution. The resolution included a letter that was written to expand on the motivations behind the resolution. The resolution was written by Chen and Chenlin Huang, the Rice International Student Association president, and co-sponsored by every college president and senator. “The number of co-sponsors is unprecedented, but international students feel excluded in an unprecedented way, and it was important to us personally as student leaders that we stand for our values and demonstrate solidarity with them,” Chen said. Sid Richardson senator Will Mundy said he voted against the resolution partly because of a contentious rift between the voting members and non-voting members that was created after every voting member signed on to be a co-sponsor. “I was dismayed at the resolution and the way in which it was presented, which led to the silencing of voices and the invalidation of diﬀerent views and criticisms,” Mundy, a sophomore, said. “This was painful for me to be a part of, as this is not how Senate is supposed to run — we’re supposed to be speaking on behalf of the student body, not against them.” Mundy said students, including his own college’s New Student Representatives, felt that their opinions on the matter were invalidated by the voting members of the SA. “Several voting members acted like this kind of unusual behavior was okay

because we were selected by the colleges as delegates — acting as though were are essentially free to vote however we want and just report back to the college as we please, as many in Congress might,” Mundy said. “But we’re not in Washington, hundreds of miles away from our home districts; we’re in Farnsworth Pavilion.” During the SA meeting, there was a vote to accept the recommendation of an ad hoc committee and the addition of a letter with the resolution, a vote to change the word “antithetical” in the letter, a vote to postpone voting on the resolution, a vote to vote and the vote itself. According to Chen, the letter was written by an ad hoc committee appointed from the resolution sponsors. “We felt that more nuance was needed beyond the resolution’s formal language, especially since there are so many stakeholders who feel invested in this situation,” Chen said. “In particular, we wanted to stress our support for The Rice Investment and Rice’s gains in accessibility for domestic students while making clear our values.” The SA approved the recommendation and letter and the word change, but the vote to postpone voting failed. The vote to begin voting passed with 16 aﬃrmatives, four noes and six abstentions. Eli Mensing, a resolution co-sponsor, said that despite the attempts to delay voting, there is a consensus across the SA that the senate has a responsibility to support international students. “The question was just how best to go about that,” Mensing, the Baker College senator, said. “I think some voting members just wanted more time to discuss and revise the resolution or determine the absolute best way to support international students.”

Ralph O’Connor, Rice trustee emeritus, passes RISHAB RAMAPRIYAN ASST NEWS EDITOR

Ralph O’Connor, Rice University trustee emeritus and Houston-based entrepreneur, passed away on Dec. 30 at age 92. “Few people have had the impact that Ralph O’Connor had on Rice University,” said President David Leebron in a statement. “He helped shape the Rice University we know today, and we’ll miss him greatly.” O’Connor first became involved with Rice when he served as part of the university board of governors for the university from 1967 to 1976. He then served as a trustee in two separate stints between 1976 and 1988, and later between 1994 and 1996. University Historian Melissa Kean published a blog article honoring O’Connor on the Rice History Corner website. “Someone will make a list of all the money he gave and all the projects he supported, but that isn’t at all what I will remember about him,” Kean wrote. “He seemed to actually enjoy students in a sort of bemused way that I found just charming and every single time I saw him I was glad of it.” Notably, in 1985, O’Connor chaired the presidential search committee that recruited Rice’s fifth president, George

Ralph O’Connor

courtesy rice public affairs

Rupp. Kean wrote about how O’Connor was able to successfully recruit the initially-reluctant Rupp to Rice by oﬀering to buy Rupp’s daughter a horse. O’Connor’s creative recruitment of Rupp was featured in the June 1985 issue of Texas Monthly. O’Connor served as the president of Marian and Speros Martel Foundation and played a key role in the founding of Martel College. “Rest assured, we will be able to compete in drinking beer and riding bikes and whatever else,” O’Connor said at the Martel groundbreaking in 2000. Among his many contributions to the Rice Community, O’Connor endowed the Ralph S. O’Connor Chair in Economics and Ralph O’Connor Award for Distinction in Teaching and Research in Economics. He was the benefactor of the old President’s house, the current Center for Career Development office. O’Connor also created a travel fund for architecture students to gain international experience. In honor of O’Connor’s service to Rice, he was named the first recipient of the Chairman’s Award, which is now the highest award at Rice for service, by the Rice Board of Trustees. O’Connor also holds a Gold Medal, the highest honor from the Association of Rice Alumni, as well as an Honorary “R” from R Association for his support of athletics. “His generosity, advice and encouragement were both broad and deep,” said Leebron. “He understood universities in a very profound way and was an important leader and adviser at Rice for decades.” Outside of Rice, O’Connor was the founder and chief executive oﬃcer of the investment firm Ralph S. O’Connor & Associates and held various leadership positions in the Houston community and institutions, including Texas Children’s Hospital and The Kinkaid School. Memorial services for O’Connor are scheduled this week. A memorial mass is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Jan. 12 at St. Anne Catholic Church.

Former Architecture Director Anderson Todd remembered RISHAB RAMAPRIYAN ASST NEWS EDITOR

Former director of the Rice School of Architecture Anderson Todd, who served as the Gus Sessions Wortham Professor Emeritus of Architecture, passed away on Dec. 21 at age 97. After completing undergraduate and graduate work at Princeton University, Todd joined Rice as a faculty member in 1949. Between his undergraduate and graduate degrees, Todd was a captain of a submarine chaser in the South Pacific as part of his service in the US Navy during World War II. Todd succeeded William Caudill as the director the Rice School of Architecture in 1969 and expanded Rice’s hallmark Preceptorship program, which is a one-year internship at oﬃces around the world, for Bachelor of Architecture students. William Cannady, an architecture professor who Todd hired in 1964, praised Todd’s work with the Preceptorship program. “Andy had a lot to do with the way it evolved and expanded it into something like what it is today,” Cannady said. “He helped develop it in a serious way into a program that no one else had.” During his tenure, Todd also established the Qualifying Graduate Workshop, which prepared undergraduates at the School of Architecture to enter the graduate program. Todd retired from Rice in 1995, but continued to have a strong presence at on campus. He would often come to speak to students and mentor them on projects. “He had very strong opinions, and yet an incredible generosity in wanting people to learn about architecture and in seeing architecture as something that benefits the world,” Sarah Whiting, Dean of the Rice

School of Architecture, said. “He pushed people to have their own opinions, but also really cared that people do.” Todd’s professional work includes many important buildings around Houston, including Houston Fire Station 59, which was recognized by the Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Todd also worked together together with Canady to redesign the Cohen House in 1976. Todd received the George R. Brown Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1968. Raymond Brochstein, who graduated from Rice in 1955, studied under Todd. “He was demanding but fair. We learned that everything mattered, every design choice made a diﬀerence,” Brochstein said. “We were challenged to conceive of a project in its entirety with all elements considered together.” A celebration of Todd’s life is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Jan. 26 at the Cohen House.

Anderson Todd

courtesy brandon martin

THE RICE THRESHER

5 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

OPINION STAFF EDITORIAL

Banning alcohol doesn’t make it go away

Duncan College Magister Caleb McDaniel announced a ban on all private gatherings at Duncan serving alcohol, including wine and beer on Dec. 3, alleging that student leadership had turned a blind eye to hard alcohol consumption at the college (see p. 1). The Thresher believes this ban to be misguided and counterproductive. A college-wide ban takes drinking into the shadows, acting in conflict with what we see as the Rice alcohol policy’s purpose — to provide a framework around alcohol balancing the competing interests of student wellbeing, Rice’s legal liability and state law. This flat ban unbalances those interests. The ban successfully distances Rice from any future alcohol-related transports at Duncan, but it does nothing to protect students from the dangers associated with hard alcohol consumption. Rice’s culture

of care depends on students looking out for one another. A flat ban with unspecified consequences for violation will almost certainly make Duncaroos less likely to ask for help with alcohol-related problems. It also raises important questions about Rice’s EMS amnesty policy. A student might hesitate when deciding whether to make an otherwise necessary EMS call for fear of the ban’s consequences. It is naive to think the ban will stop Duncan students from consuming alcohol — other colleges are a mere two-minute walk away — so it is hard to see how any reason this ban would promote student safety. The Duncan magisters should have instead had discussions with all Duncan students about the alcohol policy before resorting to an outright ban. Such discussions, which they are planning to

have this week, could have solved the problem of hard alcohol consumption without endangering students by pushing parties away from public view. Their swift decision did nothing to help students understand the dangers associated with their actions; education should have been the first step, not the final hurdle to clear before the ban is lifted. McDaniel stated that the ban was a measure implemented to ensure students’ safety. We believe that it does just the opposite, and for that reason, it was not an appropriate response. Fortunately, the ban is expected to be lifted shortly. This ban should not, however, serve as precedent for dealing with alcohol-related problems in the future. Editorial board member Christina Tan, Duncan’s co-vice president, recused herself from the writing of this editorial.

STAFF 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 Andrew Grottkau* & Emily Abdow* Editors-in-Chief NEWS Anna Ta* Editor Rishab Ramapriyan Asst. Editor Amy Qin Asst. Editor

EDITORIAL CARTOON

FEATURES Elizabeth Rasich* Editor Ella Feldman Asst. Editor SPORTS Michael Byrnes* Editor Madison Buzzard Asst. Editor OPINION Eric Stone* Editor ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Christina Tan* Editor BACKPAGE Simona Matovic Editor & Designer

OP-ED

New Harris County elected oﬃcials must fix dialysis dilemma President Barack Obama’s Aﬀordable Care Act, these laws implemented harsh citizenship requirements for healthcare and welfare programs. The only safety net for undocumented immigrants can be found in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986 (EMTALA), which requires hospitals to stabilize anyone with a life-threatening condition. However, relying on EMTALA forces an already vulnerable population to frequently flirt with death. Without the ability to schedule proactive treatment, undocumented ESRD patients face a constantly deteriorating condition. It’s thus unsurprising that undocumented ESRD patients are hospitalized longer (135 compared to 5 days), and the cost of their emergency treatments is close to four times more expensive than routine treatments, according to a 2007 study published in Texas Medicine. And under EMTALA, that financial burden falls on the hospital’s other customers — patients who have insurance. Consequently, Texans shoulder over $10 million each year in medical costs because of how our hospital systems force undocumented patients to resort to expensive emergency dialysis, according to a 2014 study. Fortunately, Harris County has made progress over the years to expand access to scheduled dialysis treatment for undocumented ESRD patients. Thanks to far-sighted leadership, the Harris Health System opened the Riverside Dialysis Center in 2008. Riverside provides free scheduled dialysis to needy patients, regardless of their citizenship status. Since then, around half of Houston’s undocumented ESRD population has been able to receive scheduled care three times a week without arduous trips to the emergency room. The Riverside Center currently has new plans to expand its treatment space and their at-home dialysis trainings, but we believe that these plans will never be enough to provide treatment for all of Houston’s undocumented ESRD patients. Hundreds of immigrants will still

line up every morning at public and private hospitals, and the lines will continue to grow — chronic kidney disease is on the rise in the United States, according to a recent study. We believe that Harris County should partner with private hospitals to fund and build more dialysis centers like Riverside that provide compassionate care for undocumented individuals. Currently, private hospitals shoulder only a fraction of the responsibility for treating undocumented ESRD patients when compared to Harris County’s public hospital system; the daily flood of patients in desperate need of care presents financial and operational problems. This partnership would help those with ESRD get regular treatment while also freeing up crowded emergency rooms at private hospitals — a more eﬃcient use of medical resources and money. Here’s what you can do. In the November elections, we elected a new Harris County judge, Lina Hidalgo. Just yesterday, Hidalgo and and new Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia took their seats on Commissioners Court, the county’s decision-making body, and, for the first time in many Rice students’ lives, Democrats have a majority. We urge you to use your positions as students of Rice University and residents of Harris County to push our county’s leaders to fix this broken system. You have the potential to improve the lives of one of the most powerless communities in Houston. Please take a few minutes to use your voice to help those who can’t. A life could depend on it.

COPY Vi Burgess Editor Bhavya Gopinath Editor ONLINE Ryan Green Digital Content Editor Charlie Paul Web Editor Nick McMillan Video Editor DESIGN Sydney Garrett Director Sumin Hwang News Designer Jennifer Fu Spotlight Designer Tina Liu Sports Designer Dalia Gulca Opinions Designer Christina Tan A&E Designer Esther Tang Illustrator BUSINESS OPERATIONS Shannon Klein Business Director Mai Ton Social Media/Marketing Manager Isabella Gandara Distribution Manager Karoline Sun Special Projects *Editorial Board member The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA, CMA and CMBAM. © Copyright 2019

YOUR

DS OP-E

As a Rice student, you’ve probably driven through the Texas Medical Center at least once. Looking out the window, your eyes may have immediately focused on glistening glass buildings and soaring arches, the wealth and charity reflecting off every surface. But what you’ve likely never noticed is the less welcoming shadow these hospitals cast in the early mornings at 4 a.m., when lines of patients flood the emergency care centers at every hospital, from Ben Taub to Memorial Hermann, according to the Houston Chronicle. This scene is the product of a broken system, a system that we must push our newly elected county leaders to fix. Many of these patients are undocumented immigrants who suffer from end-stage renal disease (ESRD). At least once every week, in order to receive vital dialysis treatments, they must demonstrate what the law describes as a “critical condition” — that is, they must be at the brink of death. Most patients, even after having been examined and having their blood drawn, are turned away. Any misstep guarantees that they will not be treated. If they show up after 4 a.m., they get no treatment. If they don’t describe the right symptoms — chest pain or shortness of breath — again, no treatment. For newcomers, it can take three to four visits to the emergency room to learn the tactics necessary to fight for life-saving care within Harris County’s hospital system, according to the Houston Chronicle. If any citizen suffering from the final stages of chronic kidney failure were denied necessary medical care for not being “sick enough,” there would be outrage. For these particular patients, though, this debilitating process is a part of everyday life. Just as Rice students are often ignorant of issues happening right across the street, we are also blind to how our laws directly contribute to these problems. While some celebrate federal legislation such as President Bill Clinton’s 1996 Welfare Reform laws and

PHOTO Charlene Pan Editor Sirui Zhou Editor

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cartoon by dalia gulca

ALISSA KONO

WIESS COLLEGE FRESHMAN

BRENDA DIAZ

MARTEL COLLEGE FRESHMAN

MARIN BEAL WIESS COLLEGE FRESHMAN

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THE RICE THRESHER

6 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

FEATURES ringing in

2019 New Year’s Resolutions: Making the most of our time at Rice

ELIZABETH RASICH & ELLA FELDMAN FEATURES EDITOR & ASST. EDITOR

Some might find the emphasis on calendar year changeovers cheesy and arbitrary. They’re probably right, but we also think the new year is a great opportunity for goal-setting, reflection and growth — actions that are valuable year-round. Here are some of our simple and attainable resolutions that can help you make the most of your time on campus in 2019! 1. Take an unconventional class: While it’s terribly tempting to fill schedule planner with 25 classes as you attempt to triple major with two minors, venturing out of your comfort zone into unfamiliar course codes can be extremely rewarding. You can also get credit for collaging (ARTS 326), making a podcast (ENGL 309), or creating a film by hand (FILM 444). For those who can’t afford the time commitment of a three-hour

class, there’s always student-taught courses. This semester, students are teaching about microbreweries (COLL 142), disabilities and disorders (COLL 177) and chess (COLL 135), to name a few. Learn about something this year that’s totally, 100 percent for you. 2. Go to Fondy for fun: We all go to Fondy way too often for way too long, but there’s no reason it has to be a place of suffering! This year, take a few hours to wander through the stacks, read new books or look through the Woodson Research Center Special Collections and Archives. Some of the older books in Fondy are annotated by Rice students from way back when. 3. Use your Metro card to go somewhere in Houston: With an infinitely refillable Metro card, there’s no reason not to explore the city around us. Try different restaurants like Bombay Pizza or Natachee’s, head to the Museum

of Fine Arts, Houston to take in an exhibit or take a walk downtown. 4. Support your fellow Owls: Rice students are pretty talented, and this is basically the only time in our lives we’ll be able to go to a ton of cultural events for free — take advantage of it. Go to an athletic event (we recommend a women’s basketball game), see a college play or head to an a cappella concert. 5. Go to a building you’ve never been to: If you’re like me and you didn’t go to anywhere outside the academic quad or the South colleges for three months, it’s worth exploring other buildings on campus. Go see the angry dolphin door handles at Herzstein, have a picnic on top of 180 degrees or stand under Skyspace when it changes color. 6. Pick up a hobby that’s just for you: If you’ve always wanted

to learn to cross stitch or take up the banjo, take this year to start learning. Having a creative outlet where you’re accountable to no one — not a professor, not a club president, no one! — will help keep you sane over the next year. 7. Change up your workout routine — or start a new one from scratch: How many hours have you spent staring at the screen on an elliptical at the Rec? If you’re us, it’s many. Doing the same thing at the gym can be exhausting, so use the new year as an excuse to change it up. The Rec offers free classes like zumba and kickboxing where you can pick up a new skill while working out. There’s no limit on how many LPAPs you can take, so you can incorporate activities like ultimate frisbee, capoeira and foxtrotting into your schedule. You can also try abandoning the Rec entirely and venture into Hermann Park for a run or a walk.

RESOLUTIONS AROUND CAMPUS: ANCHITH KOTA

GABRIELA ACOSTA

SID RICHARSON COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

WILL RICE COLLEGE SENIOR

I want to choreograph my own piece for BASYK’s first ever showcase so that Rice students can see how diverse and talented our crew is!

One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to stick to the schedules I make. So when I make a plan to study at a certain time or work on a project, I will do it unless something drastic happens where I need to do rearrangements. Basically, I am going to try to hold myself more accountable.

CHRISTINA STONER

IKE ARJMAND

MARTEL COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

SID RICHARDSON COLLEGE SENIOR

One of my most important resolutions is to get oﬀ campus more often during the semester. I think it’s good for our mental health to get oﬀ campus more often, be in the real world and realize that although school is important, there is more to life.

My New Year’s resolution is to go into things with more thought given to how to make the most of them — new experiences are scarce, so I want to make the best of what I’m lucky enough to experience!

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 • 7 Crossword by Sam Rossum Thresher Staﬀ

IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME 1 8

6 9

10 12

13 15

17 19

19 20

30 31

ACROSS 1 Parasols and visors, e.g. 9 Credit 10 First one to consume an Apple product? 11 Places one can find Krakens and Direwolves in Westeros 12 109, when in Rome 13 Time to be alive 14 www.ricethresher.org is one 15 Plea made by a group fearing police brutality (Var.) 19 Most scrumptious 20 NAFTA, e.g. 22 Billy ___ Williams, “Star Wars” actor 23 Prefix for the mouth 24 NBC weekend fixture 26 Store beyond the hedges? 30 Collections with “If I Could Turn Back Time” and others 31 Big tantrum, with fit 32 Enjoy a hot beverage

DOWN 1 Lead in to -saurus for a big backed beast 2 Clinics where a patient may just barely be able to “walk-in” 3 Some black ink? 4 Goes ker-plop 5 Serpent’s sound 6 Mandated by law 7 Nefarious purpose 8 Aphrodite’s realm 11 Common interjection in a Trump tweet 14 Israeli firearm 16 Like some keyless compositions 17 Does the job of a helmsman 20 Doggie 21 A zookeeper in 2018? 24 “Should I __ or Should I Go” 25 Mad ___, fill-in-the blank game 27 Alternatives to 2-Down 28 Parisian him 29 Energy burst that disrupts electronics

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

New student groups form over break ELIZABETH RASICH FEATURES EDITOR

Over winter break, Rice students formed two new initiatives in two very different areas — the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and composting on campus — with one shared goal: building coalitions. Rice Peace Exchange According to Arija Forsyth, Rice is unique among college campuses for not having a dedicated club to focus on the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. She set out to change that over winter break by founding Rice Peace Exchange. She said the club aims to bring together different groups on campus, particularly members of the Rice Left political group and Jewish groups Hillel and Chabad, to create a space for dialogue and discussion. “I think any conversation can be productive, but I think in order to have a really useful fruitful discussion, a) that considers all perspectives and b) that actually results in action, you need to have a wide variety of people in the room,” Forsyth, a McMurtry College sophomore, said. “You need to have different voices.” Forsyth said that conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are sometimes difficult. “There’s a lot of fear around any discussion of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because it is so complicated and there’s this fear of saying the wrong thing,” she said. “It’s not the type of thing you can plug into Google — which is unusual, because I Google how to fry an egg. You get so many conflicting stories. It’s hard to know where to start.” Her ideal is that the club will be dialogue-centered. “There are people on this campus who know so much and there are people on this campus that know nothing, and the best part of college is putting those same people in a room together,” she said. Dialogue, she hopes, will then translate to activism.

“I think what dialogue on this type of issue allows you to do is it allows you to realize what unacceptable realities exist,” Forsyth said. “And then you can brainstorm pragmatic solutions. Not everyone will be on the same page about that, but we can’t get to [activism] unless we start at square one.” The club is a Jewish group, but Forsyth said it is open to all Rice students. “We welcome all people interested in social justice, human rights or learning more about Israel-Palestine,” the club’s FAQ document reads. Composting Last fall, Youssef Machkhas was part of a group trying to implement campus-wide composting at Rice, but he realized one hiccup in implementation: there were too many groups trying to do the same thing. “So many students, including myself, have put in a lot of hours into the project, and I didn’t want all of that time and eﬀort to go to waste,” Machkhas said. As one of the chairs of the Student Association Environmental Committee, he hopes to build a group of students from across campus to work toward the composting goal. Currently, the group is in the early organizing and planning stages, but Machkhas said he had gotten strong interest from his survey. The vision is that the compost would be used for trees around campus. “I wanted to bring all of the students interested in the project together so that actions can be coordinated,” Machkhas, a Sid Richardson College fifth-year senior, said. He put out a survey on Facebook in December to gather the names of interested students and included a tentative agenda for the currently nameless group. The goals include “organizing a trial with [a] local composting organization” and “calculating economic values,” such as the payback period for the project. He plans to have the group use the economic evaluation to then apply for grants and funding to implement the project.

Have you had your flu shot yet?

FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE NOW $17 at Rice Student Health Please call 713-348-4966 for appointment

Aetna Student Health Insurance reimburses the full amount!

THE RICE THRESHER

8 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

New movies to catch up on With the Golden Globes behind us, it’s time to catch up for the Oscars. Read about our thoughts on “Spider-Man” and RBG. See more on ricethresher.org

LOCAL ART

‘Celebrate Doilies’ brings nostalgia to the Jung Center MOSES GLICKMAN THRESHER STAFF

A TFTI staﬀ member helps visitors take a photo in one of the 10 rooms. This particular room featured a mini-ball pit filled with tennis balls and decorated with the neon text “Love is (not) pointless.” christina tan / thresher

TFTI FROM PAGE 1 But perhaps the criticism of popups like TFTI, critiquing the concept of the person as the art form, isn’t all fair. Walking into “traditional” art museums oﬀers a similar view: people posing in front of famous works, staring pensively at a Pollock or a Dali while their friends snap a photo from the back. Some of the most widely visited areas in Houston are mural or backdrop-heavy; from the Biscuit Wall in Montrose to the now painted-over Sugar and Cloth Wall by Canal Street,

seeking background art has become a ubiquitous part of the Houston artistic experience. Even when Kusama’s “At the End of the Universe” made its way to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Instagram was plastered with visitors who waited for their 30 second photoshoot inside. I’m personally guilty of that. After two and a half hours of waiting, taking photos and waiting again, Tina and I had gone through the entirety of TFTI. And even though I groaned at the Kusama copy, begrudgingly posed in front

of a fragile cloud, scoﬀed at the long lines and questioned the cultural validity of some rooms, the truth is that I had a lot of fun in those 10 rooms. It felt like the final embrace of a guilty pleasure — one that began when I first frequented the Museum of Modern Art and asked my mom to take a photo of me, and one that feels worth it when I watch the likes on my Instagram photos pile up. TFTI is open until the end of January, and tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite or in person.

FILM

‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’ contemplates mankind’s free will

AMELIA CALAUTTI SENIOR WRITER

Popular Netflix series “Black Mirror” is back, but this time with an innovative twist. Rather than closing 2018 with the release of a long-awaited fifth season, the British series premiered “Bandersnatch” on Dec. 28, a choose-your-own-adventure movie in which viewers make decisions that influence the plot. The viewers’ choices lead them down different paths, creating a unique viewing experience throughout the film along with multiple alternate endings. Even for those who aren’t “Black Mirror” fans, the novelty and excitement of an interactive movie, along with a gripping story line and impeccable acting, is enough to make “Bandersnatch” an experience unlike any other. The film centers around Stefan (Fionn Whitehead), a young programmer

developing his first video game based off the book “Bandersnatch” by Jerome

‘Black Mirror’ raises the idea that just like Stefan, viewers are also being controlled by some higher authority, fooled into thinking they have autonomy over a fictional world, when in fact, it represents the world that we actually live in. F. Davies, an author infamous for going insane and decapitating his wife. Just like Netflix’s “Bandersnatch,” Davies’

fictional book incorporates a chooseyour-own-adventure storyline, which Stefan hopes to recreate in his video game. Viewers must make decisions for Stefan as he obsesses over designing a successful game and struggles with deteriorating mental health, gradually losing his sense of reality. While the viewer’s options start simple, such as what cereal to eat in the morning, they quickly escalate to involve murder and drugs, leaving viewers stressed and guilt-ridden over their role in the ruin of Stefan’s life. Taking place in the summer of 1984, the movie evokes a nostalgic atmosphere with ‘80s music, outdated electronics and a unique, dull lighting that almost replicates the sepia overcast of an antique film strip. While little is known about Stefan, it is easy to sympathize and fall in love with his shy and awkward SEE BANDERSNATCH PAGE 9

The Jung Center, nestled next to the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, is a Museum District gallery founded to promote the ideas of Freud disciple and psychotherapeutic giant Carl Jung. “The Jung Center,” its website reads, “provides pathways to find a deeper meaning in everyday life.” Its past exhibitions include lectures on feng shui, laughter yoga, the therapeutic eﬀects of LSD, “strengthening your resilience muscles” and suchlike. So it certainly came as a surprise to me to learn that the center’s latest exhibition, “Celebrate Doilies: Connecting Families Across Time and Space,” centers entirely on doilies. Doilies are weblike, woven objects, invented in the 1600s and highly popular in America up to the mid-1950s. They are often hung on walls or used atop saucers. The Jung Center is not typically renowned for cultivating such a Norman Rockwell-esque vibe, so I have to admit that I entered anticipating some kind of twist, some strange reboot of the concept of the doily for the contemporary age. I was entirely wrong.

There is no irony in “Celebrate Doilies,” no indirectness, no hidden messages lurking behind the curtain. The exhibition, created by local artist, quilter and doily collector Suzann Thompson, consists primarily of quilts, many featuring doilies. Thompson herself was present at the opening to describe her work further. One quilt features an astronomical scene, two doilies sewn where the heads of two comets would lie. Another, titled “A Worthy Accomplishment,” features a doily surrounded by a wreath of laurels — a tribute, Thompson explained, to the women and occasionally men of the early 1900s whose primary accomplishment in their old age was the creation of these delicate items. There is no irony in “Celebrate Doilies,” no indirectness, no hidden messages lurking behind the curtain. In this way, it doesn’t quite function like one would expect a contemporary exhibition to. It builds up to no overarching worldview. It is a series SEE DOILIES PAGE 9

THE WEEKLY SCENE

TRANS FILM SERIES The Station Museum of Contemporary Art and Gender Reel Houston will present a series of films selected and presented by local transgender individuals. The event is free and will be shown on Thursday at 7 p.m. Station Museum of Contemporary Art 1502 Alabama St.

ADELA ANDEA

PLAY IN A DAY

REBECCA MORRIS

Anya Tish Gallery will feature Houston-based artist Adela Andea’s “Passage through the Frozen Dusk,” described as “a multi-sensory encounter.” Her art fuses plastics, LEDs and ultrasonic foggers. The exhibition opens on Friday from 6 - 8:30 p.m. and is free to the public.

Join the Rice Players in their Play in a Day, a 24-hour creative collaboration between writers, directors and actors. Writing begins in the McMurtry PDR at 8 p.m. on Friday and directors and actors show up to Hamman Hall on Saturday at 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., respectively.

Blaﬀer Art Museum will feature painter Rebecca Morris’ “The Ache Of Bright,” an exhibition featuring 10 major paintings. The exhibition is Morris’ first solo American exhibition since 2005. The exhibition opens on Friday from 6 9 p.m. and is free to the public.

Anya Tish Gallery 4411 Montrose Blvd.

Hamman Hall

Blaffer Art Museum 4188 Elgin St.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 • 9

DOILIES FROM PAGE 8 of comments on doilies themselves, an exploration of their role as mementos and heirlooms even as the practice of doily-making, according to Thompson, retreats into history. If you’re a doily aficionado, there’s a lot to love here. Even if you’re not, the quiet, pervading sense of nostalgia might catch you oﬀ guard. When you walk in the door of the Jung Center, you see a stack of free postcards and a table stacked with doilies. Quilts hang on the wall. Many are accompanied by poems written by Sandi Horton, a close personal friend of Thompson. Horton’s contributions are less poems and more biographies with line-breaks, thoroughly researched and often poignant snapshots of the lives of the doily-makers (she is, in fact, a published poet; when it comes to these poems, she knows exactly what she’s doing.) The overall eﬀect is earnest, sincere and authentic, a tender look at an equally tender art. The space itself, snug and rarely crowded, only accentuates the general sense of intimacy one feels

as they examine Thompson’s dozens of handmade quilts. To be clear, I still have nothing even approximating an idea how or why “Celebrate Doilies” wound up at the new-age Jung. Given that it’s there, though, I recommend dropping by. “Celebrate Doilies: Connecting Families Across Time and Space” is exhibiting at the Jung Center from Jan. 3 to Jan. 30.

BANDERSNATCH FROM PAGE 8

their world, creating the finest form of dramatic irony. Yet this begs the question: Are the viewers even in control? Or are they just practicing the illusion of it, ultimately overseen by “Black Mirror” producers? This concept is the ingenuity as well as the downfall of Black Mirror’s “Bandersnatch,” depending on its interpretation as an intended message or an overseen flaw of its interactive element. While viewers are given “free will” to decide Stefan’s fate, the movie guides their choices by forcing the viewers to rewatch scenes and choose diﬀerent options, scripting in lines such as “Wrong choice, mate,” in order to ultimately deliver the intended storyline. And while alternate endings do exist, most are almost identical with the exception of one, the writers’ “chosen” ending, revealed by being the only conclusion in which viewers are not allowed to rewind, instead continuing straight to the end credits. Hence, “Black Mirror” raises the idea that just like Stefan, viewers are also being controlled by some higher authority, fooled into thinking they have autonomy over a fictional world, when in fact, it represents the world that they actually live in. “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” can be found on Netflix. A fifth season of “Black Mirror” will be released later in 2019.

demeanor. This causes further distress as viewers are forced to choose options that will devastate his future. Of course, it wouldn’t be a “Black Mirror” production without leaving viewers contemplating everything they think they know about the world. That’s where P.A.C. comes in: Program and Control, the underlying theme of “Bandersnatch.” Introduced by game developer Colin Ritman (Will Poulter), free will does not exist, as illustrated in the game PAC-MAN. According to Colin, PAC-MAN is a metaphor for life, in which one is stuck in a maze. Even when PACMAN, or man, does escape through one end of the maze, he is merely dumped back in on the other side. “People think it’s a happy game, it’s not a happy game — it’s a fucking nightmare world,” Colin says to Stefan. “And the worst thing is, it’s real and we live in it.” Colin says that just like PACMAN, humans are controlled by the government, constrained in institutions where they are taught how to act and what to like. He further explains that no one choice is “right,” but rather they are all equal, occurring simultaneously in parallel realities. And as Stefan and Colin contemplate their lack of control, the viewers continue to manipulate

ON THE RADAR The Jung Center’s spring events include: Wabi-Sabi (Jan. 12): Creating art on a bisque clay bowl Seeds of Inspiration (Jan. 17): Piano performance Gaby Berglund Cárdenas (Feb. 2): Opening reception Suzann Thompson’s “Constant Comets” is one of the doilies displayed at “Celebrate Doilies.” According to Thompson’s website, the doily is composed of many fibers built by vintage crotchet. courtesy suzann thompson

FILM

Classics, sequels, hidden gems to expect in 2019 MICHAEL VERMEULEN SENIOR WRITER

As the new year starts, so does the next cycle of movies with which Hollywood will inundate us. Here are some of the films to get excited about in 2019. US (MARCH 15) — Following up his Oscarwinning debut feature, director Jordan Peele returns to the horror genre with this enticing story about a woman (Lupita Nyong’o) and her family during their trip to her childhood beachfront summer home. While there, they encounter terrifying dopplegangers of themselves. The film also stars Winston Duke, Elizabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker. AVENGERS: ENDGAME (APRIL 26) — The direct sequel to last year’s “Avengers: Infinity War,” this film follows the Avengers, or at least those left standing following Thanos’ catastrophic snap, as they try to take down the Mad Titan and bring back those they have lost. The movie possibly marks the end of the current era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that was established with 2008’s “Iron Man.” JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 (MAY 17) — The third installment in the series, this flick follows the titular assassin (Keanu Reeves) as he attempts to survive the $14 million bounty put on his head. The film adds Halle Berry, Anjelica Huston and Jason Mantzoukas to the series’ eclectic universe. If this movie lives up to its predecessors, “John Wick” could go down as one of the best action trilogies ever. ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (JULY 26) — The first cinematic work since 2015 for both filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and Leonardo DiCaprio as an actor, this 1969-set flick follows a struggling TV western actor (DiCaprio) and his stunt double (Brad Pitt) as they attempt to make a name for themselves in the Los Angeles film industry. This movie has a large, star-studded cast with names like Margot Robbie, James Marsden and Kurt Russell.

courtesy netflix

“Bandersnatch” viewers are given only a few seconds to make pivotal choices throughout the film. These choices aﬀect the ending the viewer gets and generally escalate over time. According to Netflix, there are five oﬃcial endings, but many more permutations to reach each one.

KNIVES OUT (NOVEMBER 27) — Described as a modern take on a classic Agatha Christie murder mystery, this new feature from “Looper” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” filmmaker Rian Johnson has the potential to be an engaging, twisty ride. It also has one of the most stacked ensembles of the year, boasting well-known performers such as Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette and Michael Shannon.

STAR WARS: EPISODE IX (DECEMBER 20) — Picking up a year after the events of “The Last Jedi,” the as-yet untitled Episode IX will once again follow the cast of characters in a galaxy far, far away led by Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver). Having given the reins to Rian Johnson for Episode VIII, “The Force Awakens” writer and director J.J. Abrams returns for both duties to conclude this “sequel” trilogy. LITTLE WOMEN (DECEMBER 25) — After her wonderful coming-of-age film “Lady Bird,” filmmaker Greta Gerwig brings us a new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s famous 1868 novel exploring the lives of the March sisters in 1860s Massachusetts. Though a well-trod story, Gerwig’s contemporary vision and a cast of talented actors like Meryl Streep, Saoirse Ronan, Laura Dern and Timothée Chalamet are likely to make it a worthwhile watch. THE IRISHMAN (TBA 2019) — Legendary director Martin Scorsese reunites with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in their first collaboration since 1995’s “Casino” to create what could potentially be a new gangster classic. Based on the real life of mafioso Frank Sheeran, this highbudget Netflix film will follow an older Sheeran (De Niro) as he remembers his involvements in the events surrounding the murder of Jimmy Hoﬀa. THE DEAD DON’T DIE (TBA 2019) — As one of the most eclectic filmmakers working today, Jim Jarmusch seeks to excite audiences with a new take on the zombie movie. Jarmusch puts his fascinating droll stamp on every genre, from westerns to vampire flicks, so one can conceivably expect a unique tale from this film. It stars Adam Driver, Bill Murray and Selena Gomez. THE LIGHTHOUSE (TBA 2019) — With his 2016 debut feature “The Witch,” filmmaker Robert Eggers produced one of the best horror films of the decade. Though not much is known about this second eﬀort from Eggers, it stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, has blackand-white visuals shot on 35mm film and is a dark fantasy horror story. At the very least, it has promise to be an intensely interesting cinematic experience. HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Lion King (July 19), Toy Story 4 (June 21), Godzilla: King of Monsters (May 31), Ad Astra (May 24), High Life (April 12), Uncut Gems (TBA 2019)

THE RICE THRESHER

10 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

SPORTS

Women’s basketball surges with 11-1 stretch WINTER BREAK

infographic by tina liu

by the numbers

ERICA OGWUMIKE // 5 games

points per game

10.8

rebounds per game

NANCY MULKEY // 6 games

13.5

points per game

3.5

blocks per game

NICOLE IADEMARCO // 6 games

9.5

points per game

5.8

rebounds per game MADISON BUZZARD ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

In 2016, Rice women’s basketball head coach Tina Langley introduced a pair of sisters, Erica and Olivia Ogwumike, as transfers from Pepperdine University. After sitting out the 2016-2017 season due to transfer rules, both Olivia and Erica have blended seamlessly with the Owls: Erica, a junior guard, leads the team in scoring with 17.1 points per game; Olivia, a senior forward, started for Rice during its first two contests against opponents ranked in the top 25. Langley possesses far more at her disposal than the two Ogwumike sisters, whose older sibling, Nneka, is a former WNBA first overall pick. Veteran leadership has propelled the Owls to an 11-3 record and a 2-0 start in Conference USA, a far cry from Langley’s first season in 2015 when Rice finished its first 14

courtesy rice athletics

Freshman guard Jasmine Smith looks to score during Rice’s 66-52 victory over Southern Methodist University on Dec. 15 at Tudor Fieldhouse. Smith scored nine points in the win, and added 15 points and four assists to help lead the Owls to a 58-47 victory over Southern Mississippi University in Rice’s Jan. 3 conference opener.

games with only three wins. Included are a quartet of seniors: Olivia Ogwumike, guard Shani Rainey, guard Nicole Iademarco and guard Lauren Grigsby. Rainey is the heartbeat of the Owls. Last season, she redshirted due to a leg injury suﬀered during the 2017 Women’s Basketball Invitational championship game, which Rice won. In the WBI Championship season, Rainey started all 35 games for the Owls; she has played in each game this year but has started only four because of Rice’s improved depth. Sophomore guard Sydne Wiggins is one player who has eaten into Rainey’s playing time, starting 12 games and contributing 6.4 points per contest. Iademarco and Grigsby are Rice’s threepoint markswomen. Each guard has splashed in 18 three-point makes, with Grigsby bestsing Iademarco in terms of eﬃciency (45 percent versus 33 percent). Both players have operated

as floor stretchers for Wiggins and Erica Ogwumike, who have 73 assists combined. Iademarco has also excelled as a passer and averages 2.6 assists per game. Grigsby’s efficiency translates to the free throw line, where she shoots with 85 percent accuracy. From the field, Grigsby shoots 51 percent. Another bright spot for the Owls this season has been sophomore center Nancy Mulkey. Standing at 6 feet, 9 inches, Mulkey averages 4.7 rebounds per game and is second in the team in scoring while playing 24.2 minutes per contest. As a team, Rice primarily excels in two areas: offensive efficiency and scoring defense. Per NCAA, out of 349 qualifying teams, the Owls are ranked No. 51 in free throw percentage (74 percent), No. 75 in three-point percentage (34 percent) and No. 25 in field goal percentage (46 percent). Additionally, Rice is ranked No. 76 in scoring

defense, limiting opponents to an average of 58.9 points per game. The Owls’ Achilles’ heel has been possessing the ball: Rice both surrenders turnovers and struggles to create them. Per NCAA, Langley’s squad ranks No. 195 in assist/turnover ratio (0.78), No. 233 in steals per game (7.2) and No. 121 in blocks per game (3.6). Consequently, the Owls own a scanty per-game turnover margin of -2.2, which places them at No. 278 in the nation. Rice has one fewer win at this stage in the season compared to last year when they were 12-2; one possible explanation is that the Owls’ first two opponents were No. 20-ranked Texas A&M University and No. 23-ranked University of California, Los Angeles. Since its 0-2 start, Rice is 11-3 with notable wins against Texas Southern University, Coastal Carolina University and Southern Methodist University.

Swimming prepares for three weekend meets MICHAEL BYRNES SPORTS EDITOR

This weekend, the Rice swim team will travel to Dallas and compete in a series of dual meets against three opponents. The Owls first visit the University of North Texas in Denton to compete against the Mean Green before driving 40 miles south to Southern Methodist University, where the team will face oﬀ against both the Mustangs and the University of Arkansas in a double-dual meet. The Owls are coming oﬀ a strong showing at the Florida Atlantic University Fun Invitational on Dec. 20, where they won six of 13 swim events en route to a first-place finish in the field of eight teams. Senior MarieClaire Schillinger won both the 50- and 100-

yard breaststroke to lead Rice to the victory. According to Schillinger, though Rice’s swimmers were all atigued from their intense training, they still put up excellent races. “I think one of the reasons we did so well was due to the atmosphere of the meet, which was upbeat and exciting,” Schillinger said. “Also, being on [winter] break without the stress of school allowed the team to loosen up, to enjoy some time oﬀ training together and bonding in a beautiful place.” The team now turns its focus to this weekend’s slate, highlighted by No. 23-ranked Arkansas. One Razorback to keep an eye on is sophomore Brooke Schultz, who was the 2018 national champion in the 3-meter synchro dive and has been named the Southeastern Conference Diver of the Week four times

already this season. On the whole, Arkansas is just 2-3 this season in head-to-head matchups, but two of those three losses came against top15 opponents. SMU has prevailed in four of its first six contests, and North Texas has split a pair of dual meets. Head coach Seth Huston said that a good team mindset will help the Owls compete against their strong opponents. “This weekend we want to see more mental toughness,” Huston said. “We are finishing a challenging cycle of training with these meets and [these teams] are all programs that we can win or lose to. Being our best selves will enhance our opportunity to win.” According to sophomore Brittany Bui, each meet will oﬀer a diﬀerent challenge. “North Texas is a C-USA team, so racing them this weekend will be a mini

rehearsal for [the C-USA Championship],” Bui said. “We race SMU every year and last year we beat them, so our team is hoping to continue that win streak. Arkansas will be a new team to race, but presents an exciting opportunity to compete against an SEC team.” Schillinger said these meets will be an opportunity for Rice’s swimmers to gauge their fitness levels at the start of the new year. “This weekend will be exciting to see where everyone is at in their training,” Schillinger said. “I think our team does really well with in-season competitions in the midst of training and [I] expect to see great swims from myself and my teammates this weekend. I think we have a great chance of coming home with three ‘W’s.”

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019 • 11

WEEKEND PREVIEW WOMEN’S B-BALL THU/SAT, JAN. 10,12 // 7 & 2 PM This week, the Owls will take on two conference opponents in the University of Texas, San Antonio and the University of Texas, El Paso. Both teams have struggled to start the season, as the Roadrunners are 5-8 and the Miners are 4-10 so far. Rice will look to use its eﬃcient oﬀense (No. 2 in C-USA in field goal percentage) and stingy defense (No. 4 in in field goal percentage allowed) to continue its recent hot streak.

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MICHAEL BYRNES

SPORTS EDITOR

TENNIS FRI-SUN, JAN. 11-13 // ALL DAY Rice’s women’s tennis team will travel to balmy Orlando, Florida, to participate in the Orlando Invitational against the University of Kansas, Texas Tech University and North Carolina State University. The meet marks the first game action for the Owls since October, and kicks oﬀ the beginning of the team’s 2019 season, which will see Rice competing at least once every week throughout the next four months.

MEN’S B-BALL THU/SAT, JAN. 10,12 // 7 & 8 PM The men’s basketball team will face oﬀ against the same opponents (UTSA and UTEP) as the women’s team, in a pair of away games. On the season, UTSA is 8-7 (including two consecutive victories over UTEP), and the Miners are just 5-8. The Owls will try and improve their 2-1 conference record and continue their two-game winning streak, as every consecutive win from here on out is uncharted territory for Pera’s team.

away

TRACK & FIELD FRI, JAN. 11 // ALL DAY Both the men’s and women’s track & field teams will send a few competitors to the Leonard Hilton Invitational, held at the University of Houston. Last season, the event was the site of then-senior Austin Riddle’s school-record 20.13 meter weight throw, and also saw the women’s team take the top three spots in the 3000-meter running event. The rest of the team will make its season debut later in the year.

Men’s basketball on Pera’s first win streak WINTER BREAK

Freshman guard Chris Mullins drives past a defender during the Owls’ 99-89 overtime loss to the University of California, Santa Barbara Gauchos on Dec. 15. Mullins scored 21 points in the game, which was his first career start; he is now averaging a teamhigh 12.9 points per game.

courtesy rice athletics

infographic by tina liu

by the numbers

CHRIS MULLINS // 7 games

17.3

points per game

1.5

steals per game

ROBERT MARTIN // 7 games

13.6

points per game

6.3

rebounds per game

JACK WILLIAMS // 7 games

10.1

points per game

8.6

rebounds per game

ERIC BARBER SENIOR WRITER

Over Rice’s lengthy winter break, the men’s basketball team played seven games, winning four and losing three. The Owls currently sit at 7-9 on the season and 2-1 in conference play, putting them fifth in the Conference USA standings. Head coach Scott Pera said that he was happy with the team’s performance over winter break. “I think we improved,” Pera said. “I thought that we took the approach of a daily improvement. I think we did that and then we obviously came oﬀ that final weekend there with a sweep which really got our guys engaged even more as to what it takes to be successful at this level.” The Owls wrapped up their nonconference slate and transitioned toward C-USA play at the end of the month of

December. In their final four non-conference games, Rice went 2-2 with three out of the four games coming at home. The Owls first took on St. Edward’s University in their annual Kid’s Day Game, picking up a close win, 78-73. Next, the team dropped an overtime thriller to the University of California, Santa Barbara. Rice then traveled to Edinburg, Texas to face the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Five freshmen led the team in scoring to help Rice earn the 75-67 victory. And in their non-conference finale, Rice lost by a margin of 17 points to the University of Nebraska, Omaha. Freshman guard Chris Mullins excelled during those four games, scoring 20 or more points in three of the contests. For his eﬀorts, he was awarded C-USA Freshman of the Week honors for the first time in his career. After coming oﬀ of the bench for the first 10 games

of the season, Mullins has now started six consecutive games, and appears to be one of the primary scoring options on the team. Rice opened up its C-USA schedule with a game against a one-loss University of North Texas team which sat atop the conference standings. Even though the Owls were heavy underdogs, they raced out to a 42-31 lead during the first half. The Mean Green followed with a 17-1 run to take the lead at halftime. After the Owls lost the lead, they would not regain it for the rest of the game, losing 10387. Junior guard Robert Martin had a standout day despite the loss, scoring a career-high 35 points. The point total was the highest by a Rice player since Egor Koulechov scored the same amount in November of 2016. The Owls got their first conference win of the season in the next game when they beat the University of Southern Mississippi at home. Rice went into halftime trailing by nine

points. But from there, the Golden Eagles struggled to get any type of oﬀense, shooting 29 percent from the field in the second half. The Owls would go on to outscore Southern Miss by 17 points in the final period and win the game 73-65. Rice completed its weekend sweep by defeating Louisiana Tech at home in another come-from-behind victory; the Owls went on a 17-4 run to end that game and win 78-66. Rice’s current two game win streak is the first in Pera’s tenure as head coach. Furthermore, the team’s current win total of seven matches that of last year’s final record. After the Owls’ undefeated weekend, graduate transfer Jack Williams was named the C-USA Player of the Week. Williams averaged 13.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the conference victories. The Owls will continue conference play over the next two months before the C-USA Tournament in March.

BACKPAGE

12 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2019

Everyone has been talking about “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” since it dropped on Netflix over break. But maybe you didn’t get to see it. Was it because the owner of the Netflix login you’re “borrowing” finally caught on? Or were you just too busy frantically changing your schedule to accommodate a impulsive “New Year, New Major” decision? Either way, Sylly Week is really a choose-your-own-adventure journey in itself. (After that, maybe try guessing the name of your ex’s new boo for their updated Netflix password.)

Start

You have acquired the syllabi for all of your classes. What do you do with them? Organize immediately! You need to a quiet place to fill in your planner. Where are you headed?

Ignore them for now. You’ll definitely remember to fill in your schedule some other time. Where to next?

Your room.

Coﬀeehouse.

Based on the noises coming from your room, your roommate has either sexiled you or is crying in anticipation of their loaded semester. Where do you go?

Oh no! The register is broken, so they can’t take orders. How do you proceed?

You’re too tired without a caﬀeine fix. Whatever. Just go to bed.

Fondren.

Fondren is past maximum occupancy with all of the tour groups coming in. What’s the move?

Duncan: The Quiet Place. There is nowhere more silent than the land of banned alcohol where such private gatherings are as indefinitely shut down as our government.

Well… Pub also sells beverages… Pub. You forgot they sell Four Loko! It’s spring semester and you’re nostalgic for Beer Bike, you buy a couple of rounds…

While you lie awake....

You get confused and walk into McMurtry. At this point you are flustered and tired, head over to...

You wake up incredibly hungover.

Regret your ratio of time allotted to having fun versus preparing for your classes regardless of the choices you made. Start counting down the many, many days until spring break. The Backpage is satire written by Simonewyear Matovic and deisgned by Simona Newmetovic. For comments or questions, please email JamesJoyceLovesFarts@rice.edu

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