The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, February 13, 2019

THE RICE THRESHER | VOLUME 103, ISSUE NO. 18 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

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see our coverage on pages 9-12

See the platforms of all Student Association candidates inside SEE COVERAGE STARTING ON PAGE 2

Senate votes down Green Fund initiative CAMERON WALLACE SENIOR REPORTER

The Student Association Senate voted not to include a constitutional amendment to increase annual student fees to support the Green Fund on the general election ballot by a vote of 12 yes to nine no, with five members abstaining.

“It’s sad to see it not pass, but I’m still happy because a discussion was started on funding,” Grace Wickerson, one of the co-sponsors of the bill, said. “I don’t think this is the end, I just think maybe this isn’t the best route.”

According to the SA Constitution, the amendment would have required a two-thirds majority of a student bodywide vote had it passed the Senate, and it could still go up for a campus-wide vote as an initiative if five percent of the student body expressed support for it in a petition.

However, Wickerson said the sponsors of the Green Fund proposal, which would have increased student fees by $3.50, would not attempt to push the vote in an initiative, though she said discussion of the proposal signaled that students are interested in securing environmental sustainability funding.

“I think Senate did do their due diligence in this process, and in the end I do respect their votes, so I don’t think it’s right for us to try and go around them,” Wickerson said. “I think it’s good for us to regroup and work with the new blanket tax committee and their openness to this idea.”

It’s sad to see it not pass, but I’m still happy because a discussion was started on funding.

Grace Wickerson BILL CO-SPONSOR The Blanket Tax Committee released a report to the Senate last week recommending against the proposal, stating that there is not a clear need for the program, the program lacks a clear financial plan, and the creation of the fund through the SA would set a dangerous precedent of aspiring organizations circumventing the Blanket Tax Committee.

Tanner Reese, a Martel College junior, said the Blanket Tax Committee report opposing the Green Fund is inconsistent, and the increase in fees would be an opportunity for student innovation.

“Keep in mind that all they’re asking for is $3.50, which is roughly the cost of a tall coffee frappuccino from Starbucks,” Reese said. “I understand some may feel as if it’s unjust for students to pay for this in general, but we live in a very negative political environment, and I prefer to think of it more as an opportunity.”

On Monday, the Blanket Tax Committee presented the report recommending against the passage of the proposal, addressing changes made to the proposal such as specifying that surplus funds would be directed to the Initiative Fund and placing the fund under Blanket Tax Committee oversight.

“We just really wanted to be good stewards of student fees and we also want to take into consideration that some people might be worried about financial concerns,” Deputy Treasurer of the Blanket Tax Committee Christina Lee said. “It’s a really good initiative and there are really good intentions behind it but we think that within the system there are probably areas for improvement.”

Racist images from Rice’s past brought to light ANNA TA NEWS EDITOR

Blackface and other racist imagery in past editions of the Rice Campanile made national news this week following recent controversy surrounding the discovery of school yearbook photos of Virginia’s governor and attorney general in blackface.

Charlie Paul, a McMurtry College senior, said he found roughly 80 incidences of racist imagery within Campaniles published between 1916 to 1976, along with one in 1988. According to Paul, the images featured blackface in addition to students posing in Ku Klux Klan robes and in front of confederate flags. Paul said he became interested in looking at old yearbooks after the incidents in Virginia and found a blackface photo in the first Campanile he opened, from 1936.

“I felt it was important to show this in the context of Rice,” Paul said. “I was not surprised that it was there, but surprised that it was so blatant and at the sheer abundance of it.”

Gabrielle Falcon, a Martel junior, said she was not shocked when she saw the original thread on Twitter posted by Paul.

“We all know what our founder stood for and his thoughts about minorities,” Falcon said. “My first thought was more along the lines of, ‘Wow, these people were, or are, movers and shakers in our world.

These people had power over minorities when they graduated.’ That is scary and disheartening.”

President David Leebron sent a campus-wide email to the Rice community acknowledging the photos and encouraging “the diversity and inclusivity” of the community, as written in the strategic plan for the Vision for the Second Century, Second Decade.

“Moreover, such images do not live solely in the past; they are reminders of the persistence of racial discrimination and as such fall with sharp impact on those members of our community — faculty, staff, students and alumni — directly affected,” Leebron wrote. “Groups in addition to African Americans have also been targeted by hateful images and discriminatory treatment.”

In his email, Leebron wrote that Rice students must learn and acknowledge history, noting an exhibit at The African American Library at the Gregory School that chronicles the history of black students at Rice.

Jeremiah Murrell, the president of the Black Male Leadership Initiative, said the administration has shown reluctance to make substantial progress on increasing quality of life for black students, including the delayed construction of a new Multicultural Center.

“Rice places the burden of creating a welcoming and generative community for students of color on the backs of its small group of faculty of color, and during Black History Month the most that our university’s president can offer is more empty words and a trip to a museum filled with history that Rice has so obviously chosen to ignore,” Murrell, a Hanszen College junior, said.

SEE BLACKFACE PAGE 5

THE RICE THRESHER

2 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

NEWS I aim to lower the cost of tuition by roughly $5 by removing the money the SA receives from Blanket Tax and ultimately dissolve the SA as a whole. I believe members of the SA are too concerned with “leaving behind a legacy” by endlessly creating new, ineffective and oftentimes redundant working groups over enacting meaningful change. If elected, I have a multi-step plan to bypass the SA Senate and push a vote to the Survey Of All Students in which the Rice community can democratically decide if the SA continues to receive funding or dissolve entirely.

SA CANDIDATE PLATFORMS 2019

No 8 a.m. classes.

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I believe that interdisciplinary education, experiential learning and access to research are crucial in preparing us to tackle the big problems our generation faces. Our health and wellbeing services have to be more accessible in terms of our time and financial resources. To achieve carbon neutrality at Rice by 2038, students need to be taking an active role. We must invest our energy into making the Rice experience equitable regardless of who you are or where you come from. The student body will be my north star and push me to be the best representative I can be.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 • 3

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Your Student Association should be diverse, accessible and representative of the Rice undergraduate population. As secretary, I plan to use tools like the “Pitch a Project” to promote new ideas, use social media to post updates about the the SA and bring in representatives for groups that are currently underrepresented.

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My goals are to increase intraorganizational personal connections and engagement through bonding activities, emphasize less official roles in the SA for all students, connect committees to clubs and students with similar goals, and ensure committees are a IVP presence on campus and not just within the SA through visiting the colleges and using social media.

Let’s put the “external” back in EVP. Step one: link students and clubs with the resources and connections they need to make their ideas reality. Step two: secure group discounts from nearby restaurants and subsidize studentled H-Town food tours. Step three: transparent course cost database generated from student crowdsourcing.

With the exception of Secretary, President and Honor Council Senior representatives, every other race listed on the ballot is uncontested.

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My goal is to transform the SA into a responsive organization accountable to you; I will establish an open comment period on new legislation, brainstorm ideas with other colleges through the Texas Student Government Coalition and work with cultural and issuebased clubs for advice on legislation that relates to them.

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NEWS

4 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Med school offers humanities pre-meds direct entry pre-medical courses can pursue a career in medicine.”

Emma Reford, a cognitive sciences Rice University and the University of and philosophy major on a pre-med Texas Health Science Center at Houston track, said the UT Health program may are partnering to create a direct-entry help close the cultural gap between the program into McGovern Medical School humanities and medicine.

“Another thing which I personally for humanities students aiming to increase intellectual diversity amongst have felt as someone who has their toes doctors, according to the Rice Office of in both the STEM side of Rice and the humanities side of Rice is honestly the Public Affairs.

This year’s sophomore class will be lack of understanding both sides have the first group eligible to participate in for the other,” Reford said. “It creates an interesting conflict this program, which will between the people accept up to eight juniors who read and write per year beginning in and the people who Spring 2020, according Rice needs to make problems and to the office of Public sure to support those solve draw arrow-pushing Affairs. Other eligibility mechanisms.” requirements include who want to do By bringing being a humanities humanities and not more humanities major, completing the be pre-med just as students into medical standard set of required strongly as those who schools, programs pre-med science classes, like the UT Health earning a minimum want to do both. partnership aim to GPA of 3.7 and scoring Emma Reford turn this conflict into a minimum MCAT score BAKER COLLEGE JUNIOR a unique intellectual of 510.

Rice offers a medical humanities collaboration, according to the McGovern minor and a Medical Humanities Medical Humanities webpage. A current Freshman Writing Intensive Seminar and junior, Reford said she wishes she could a student-run Medical Humanities club, have applied for the program.

“It is really cool to see how pre-med led by President Miriam Shayeb.

Shayeb said she is hopeful that the UT and the humanities support and inspire Health partnership will open doors into each other,” Reford said.

Although supportive of the new the health world for humanities majors.

“I think this new program will provide program, Reford said the value of a great opportunity for students from studying the humanities alone should humanities majors to pursue a career in not be overlooked.

“While I hope this program offers medicine and will enrich the diversity of the medical school class,” Shayeb opportunities for exploration for those said. “I also hope that it will expand students interested in the humanities and awareness of the fact that a student from medicine, I hope it does not undermine any discipline who has taken all required the value that the study of humanities KATE WEEKS FOR THE THRESHER

has in and of itself,” Reford said. “Rice needs to make sure to support those who want to do humanities and not be premed just as strongly as those who want to pursue both.”

Burke Nixon, a lecturer in the Program for Writing & Communication, has also taught a medical humanities course at Baylor College of Medicine. He is involved with a narrative medicine group based in the Texas Medical Center, working with professionals from UT Health, Ben Taub Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine and other institutions.

“The culture of med school is still very much a STEM based culture — that’s what they get assessed on,” Nixon said. “More and more med schools and hospitals … [teach] best practices for empathy, and bedside manner and how to take a patient’s perspective … you can’t teach empathy and communication and all that stuff without using the humanities.”

Although interpersonal practices are increasingly encouraged in medicine, Nixon said using frameworks of thinking developed in the Humanities specifically as a tool to navigate medical interactions is important.

“To me, the best thing about using the humanities to teach this stuff is they often teach that real life is really complicated,” Nixon said. “A doctor at MD Anderson told us that the single most important quality to empathy in medicine is reflection, and the humanities allows you to reflect, where other things don’t always give you the space to do.”

illustration by esther tang

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CALENDAR

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Wednesday, February 20 3-5pm • RMC - Grand Hall

Love & Basketball Night WBB vs FIU Feburary 14 | 7:00 p.m.

Tudor Fieldhouse

Western Misconceptions of African Reality

February 15 | 12:00 p.m.

Rice Multicultural Center

What I Learned at Rice & Yates Feburary 16 | 2:00 p.m.

Gregory School African American Library Black Women’s Appreciation Night

February 17 | 5:30 p.m.

Farnsworth Pavilion

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Hidden Figures Movie Screening Feburary 21 | 8:30 p.m.

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Black History Trivia Night

February 22 | 7:30 p.m.

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NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 • 5

Students weigh in on innovation hub CHRISTINA TAN A&E EDITOR Renovations on the proposed Innovation Hub, now named the Ion, will begin in May with construction ending late next year. Official plans for the remaining 16 acres of land for the proposed innovation district have not yet been announced, sparking concerns amongst students about student input.

The renovations follow a series of conversations on campus led by Thomas Killian, Rice Management Company liaison, that sought student and faculty opinion regarding the use of the Ion. Killian coordinated with the Student Association’s Innovation Space Idea Collection Working Group, chaired by Student Association secretary Jefferson Ren. Killian said he has only been involved as an academic liaison and does not know what Rice Management Company plans on doing with the remaining 16-acre district.

Rice Management Company Investment Manager Ceci Arreola did not comment by the time of publication.

Ren said that feedback regarding plans for the district is currently outside of the scope of his working group. “[The working group’s] goals current[ly] focus on the Ion building itself,” Ren said. “If the [working group] is extended, perhaps next semester.”

Student group Rice Left also held a student meeting soliciting feedback on the innovation district. Rice Left member and organizer Alice Liu said that around 15 students showed up to the discussion.

“Ultimately, we believe that the community already knows what it needs and what it wants,” Liu said. “And there

are established groups in Third Ward and in other areas that have been working with these issues of housing and gentrification for a very long time. We really just want to connect with the student body and amplify [the community groups’] voice[s].”

Madeleine Pelzel (Lovett ‘18) said that discussion around the Ion and its surrounding district should revolve around the community it engages.

Pelzel said that Rice has a deep history of participation and “must not simplify itself to the role of the generic profitdriven developer.”

“The Ion and its institutional goals and plans are not something that I am particularly interested in the workings of, as it seems much more pressing that we have a dialogue about the type of example we want to be and the standards that the university wants to hold itself to,”

Pelzel, who will return to Rice in 2019 to complete her bachelor’s of architecture, said. “Ultimately, this question is a moral one. There are many people dependent on the social services provided in this area and the access to affordable and accessible food and transportation that are found within walking distance, a rarity in Houston.”

Liu said that Rice Left is currently discussing their plan of action regarding the district.

“Certain members are just flat-out saying, my goal is to figure out a way to stop this innovation district from happening, whereas others are more focused on mitigating the social impact,” Liu said.

“That’s something we’ll have to talk about going forward.”

This article has been condensed for print.

For the full version, go to ricethresher.org.

courtesy rice management company

The Ion will stand in the Midtown innovation district with construction beginning in May and ending late next year.

BLACK FACE FROM PAGE 1 Murrell said the administration has also not made progress in hiring black faculty and creating an African American studies major. Falcon said she thought the email was important, but that the concluding reminder to treat everyone with respect was too vague.

“As an institution, what we should not do is lump this situation into other forms of oppression,” Falcon said. “Let’s really talk about it instead of just putting a bandaid over it and saying ‘respect everyone.’

Let’s have real discussions about why this racist behavior is still swept under a rug and put back on the shelf in Fondren. Let’s talk about how we all have racial bias and how we can be allies to black people. Let’s discuss why it took The Washington Post highlighting this issue for us to even have these discussions when the Klu Klux Klan picture has been on Reddit for some time.”

At least one instance of blackface was also found in a Rice Thresher from 1961, which reported that a minstrel show that Hanszen College “braved the NAACP and the censors” to put on. Issues of the same year also discussed a survey of student opinions on Rice’s desegregation. The Campanile of 1988 contained at least three photos with blackface, including one on a page dedicated to a college night themed “Rumble in the Jungle.” It was also the year administration created the Minority Affairs Office and hired Catherine Clack to direct it.

Falcon said moving forward, everyone must come to terms with the past as the foundation for the present.

“The next thing we have to ask is, do we say ‘This was part of American history’ and learn from it?” Falcon said. “Or, do we say ‘This is part of our history — how do we overcome it’?”

See collection of racist photos compiled from Campaniles at ricethreser.atavist.com

Students aim to increase visibility of African studies

information from survey of all students

When is the last time you attended an event or took a course related to Africa?

50.24%

7.58%

6.82%

within last month

within last semester

RISHAB RAMAPRIYAN ASST NEWS EDITOR The Student Association’s “Increasing African Presence in Academia” student initiative committee is advocating for the improvement of the African studies minor and creation of a African studies major.

Their recommendations were developed after researching similar programs at peer institutions and gathering feedback from the Survey of All Students and focus groups.

Axel Ntamatungiro, co-chair of the committee, said the mission of this committee is to study the visibility and awareness of African studies at Rice and explore the possibility of an African studies major.

“Rice needs to take a stand and create a [African studies] major,” said Ntamatungiro.

“It’s a matter of philosophy, especially if Rice wants to say it is a top tier institution.”

Ntamatungiro said the committee included questions related to African studies in the

14.85% within last year

Did you know that there is an African studies minor?

49.58%

50.42%

yes

no

20.50% can’t recall

never

Fall 2018 SAS. Only 13 percent of students responded “yes” to a question asking whether they have taken a course with African-related content during their time at Rice. Additionally, only half of students have heard of the African studies minor.

According to Munachi Uzodike, an African studies minor, the minor suffers from a lack of course offerings.

“As one one of the few declared minors in my year, I can personally say it is kind of a miracle that I’m actually able to graduate with my minor in African studies,” Uzodike, a Martel senior, said. “After one professor left after my freshman year, it became nearly impossible to take any classes of pure African content. You kind of have to take what you can get while you can get something because it’s unknown when you’ll get to see a course that you’re really interested in.”

In the SAS, students were asked in a short answer question about what events, academic lectures or courses Rice could offer about

Africa that students would be interested in taking or attending. Ntamatungiro said that the most common response was that students didn’t have time to include such courses in their schedule.

Ntamatungiro also said that many students expressed concern that no African language classes are offered at Rice. At peer institutions such as Stanford and Cornell, it is common to offer African language classes, such as Swahili.

Ntamatungiro said that the committee held focus groups this week. Students were asked how they engage with African-related content, as well as why they think only 13 percent of the student body has taken a course with African-related content. Other questions included students thoughts on the lack of an African Studies major.

“All [students in the focus group] felt that Rice doesn’t prioritize Africa in the curriculum as there is no African studies major but a European studies major,” Ntamatungiro

infographic by sydney garrett

said. “They believe that the lack of a minor is indicative of a lack of African/AfricanAmerican presence at Rice. One participant said that an African-American student transferred to another university because Rice didn’t have an African studies major.”

Ntamatungiro said that his committee plans on working with Rice African Student Association to spread visibility of African-related courses and events. He also said he hopes to submit a report with recommendations to the SA before changeover and potentially recharter the committee for a second year. Ntamatungiro said he believes all students can benefit from exposure to African studies and supports efforts to increase the visibility and accessibility of such courses.

“If you came to Rice, you came for a liberal arts education,” Ntamatungiro said. “To have a liberal arts education, you have to engage with a diverse array of topics and viewpoints.

You’d certainly be selling yourself out if you didn’t take courses in African Studies.”

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6 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

2019-2020

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

The Jameson Fellow will enroll each semester for a 3-credit art history internship course and spend the 20192020 academic year as a researcher at the Bayou Bend Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

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THE RICE THRESHER

7 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

OPINION Effects of racism at Rice persist today

Revelations related to Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s blackface appearance led to similar discoveries at Rice — in our very own Campanile yearbooks. This should not come as a shock to anyone.

Rice, which was founded by a slaveowner, did not admit black students until 1965 and like colleges in Virginia, regularly engaged in racist practices like blackface.

The Thresher was no exception, not only reporting on minstrel shows (1962) but also including racist, editorialized comments.

Now, less than 60 years later, it would be insulting to claim that we are a completely different university. The traditions that this university is founded on were birthed during a racist time, and time and time again we see that we are still far from an equal world.

In President David Leebron’s message to the university, he wrote of the importance of acknowledging our own distasteful history. While acknowledging this history is important, it is perhaps more important to recognize that we are not entirely separate from this past. Culture develops over a long period of time, with the past constantly impacting the present. Leebron also stated that that blackface imagery appeared at Rice prior to the admission

of black students. While this is true, blackface was also found in yearbooks as late as 1988, 23 years after the admittance of the first black student. The students in that yearbook are alive today, and many are likely in positions of power.

While acknowledging this history is important, it is perhaps more important to recognize that we are not entirely separate from this past.

Among the current members of the Board of Trustees, who make many of the most pivotal decisions regarding the university’s future, 17 of the 26 attended Rice during or before 1988, the most recent known instance of blackface pictured in the Campanile. That means nearly twothirds of the university’s present-day governing body attended Rice during a time when overt racism was considered appropriate enough to appear in the yearbook. Many of the alumni we contact

in search of internships and jobs attended Rice during this period as well. Thus, the conversations surrounding these photos cannot focus only on what used to be; rather, we must ask ourselves how these racist practices impact the culture that exists at Rice today.

In the past two years, the Thresher has reported on racial profiling of black students on Rice’s campus, a dilapidated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade float and the reluctance of the university to hire a full-time staff member for the multicultural center. The multicultural center, which was reportedly going to be relocated to a $2 million building adjacent to the Rice Memorial Center, is still housed in the basement of the RMC nearly two years after moving to this supposedly temporary location. While the days of minstrel shows are behind us, the treatment of people of color on Rice’s campus is still far from perfect.

As current members of the Rice community, it is vital that we remain conscious of racism on this campus.

The culture we uphold to this day has been shaped in large part by those who occupied our campus long before us, for better or for worse.

OP-ED

Innovation district must make progress for all This change happened in a liberal county with a mayor who claimed to be conscious of the effects of gentrification.

Another critical piece of social context is the association between nearby Wheeler Station and homelessness.

Until recently, the area was the site of a large encampment. After the ACLU sued the City of Houston for criminalizing homelessness, the homeless services system worked to connect as many encampment residents as possible with permanent housing and supportive services before the city permanently cleared the site last November.

The student body must hold Rice accountable by using its position of influence to advocate for the surrounding communities and demand transparency in the development process.

Still, many homeless individuals remain in the area. The social, economic and spiritual lives of homeless and nonhomeless individuals depend on such establishments as South Main Baptist Church, which hosts services for their homeless neighbors, and the temporary work agency across the street from the Sears building.

The subtext of promises that the innovation district will be transformed into a “safe,” “walkable,” “thriving” location is the erasure of the predominantly black homeless and nonhomeless populations that spend time there. In response to these concerns, urban revitalization specialist John Alschuler said that the role of the Ion’s developers in mitigating displacement would be to advocate to the local government on behalf of the homeless, but that no such advocacy has taken place thus far.

A tech space designed to generate capital cannot be inclusive of the community that’s already there without deliberately prioritizing these communities’ concerns.

The planning process must give formal power to community residents and organizations familiar with the threats of gentrification; advocacy for the homeless and stigmatized populations should occur through close collaboration with Houston’s homeless services system and other connected organizations.

Our education will be funded in part by the returns on this investment. We are beneficiaries of the influence and prestige this project brings to the university. Even if our own stay in Houston feels like a four-year pit stop, this project will have a permanent impact on Houston’s social and economic landscape. We are responsible for ensuring that our university is not complicit in the violent erasure of history and displacement of marginalized people.

As students with more influence on the university than the community members themselves, we can hold Rice accountable on multiple levels. The Student Association’s Innovation Space Idea Collection Working Group provides a platform to communicate with the administration directly. Students involved in the Kinder Institute’s neighborhood profile should prioritize concerns of vulnerable residents in their research. It is also crucial to organize independently of the administration. The more campus groups and Houston organizations that unify around this issue, the more inclusive and effective our advocacy will be.

The innovation district hopes to usher in a new era in Houston’s economy, but the myth of a victimless progress often obscures the destruction left in its wake.

Development does not expand onto empty space; it occurs on an already inhabited social fabric.

Whose history and whose livelihoods will the district’s mission of progress include, and whose will be left behind?

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 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 & Designer BACKPAGE Simona Matovic Editor & Designer PHOTO Charlene Pan Editor Sirui Zhou Editor 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 Features Designer Tina Liu Sports Designer Dalia Gulca Opinions Designer Esther Tang Illustrator BUSINESS OPERATIONS Mai Ton Social Media/Marketing Manager Isabella Gandara Distribution Manager Karoline Sun Special Projects Prad Biswas Advertising Manager *Editorial Board member The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA, CMA and CMBAM. © Copyright 2019

YOUR

DS OP-E

When asked about the inspiration behind the name “Ion”, President David Leebron described Rice’s planned innovation hub as “embodying the everforward motion of discovery.” Just vague enough to seem unobjectionable, the image fits well with the deliberate branding surrounding the project. However, this narrative conceals major concerns about the negative consequences that new development often brings to surrounding communities.

The connection between tech development and housing crises, displacement and cultural erasure are familiar. Economic benefits flow to an incoming educated and financially welloff population while original inhabitants are left behind or pushed out. Considering the deep-rooted wealth divide in San Francisco and Amazon’s effect on Seattle neighborhoods, it is reasonable to ask how the Midtown innovation district will be different for Houston.

A Rice News release stated that the “Rice Management Company is working directly with community partners to ensure [the district is] an inclusive endeavor that reflects Houston’s heritage and its future.” However, this claim remains unsubstantiated.

Although Dr. Thomas Killian has referenced the importance of collaborating with Third Ward civic organizations, the Rice Management Company has not clarified who their community partners are or how they are collaborating in any of their press releases. The student body must hold Rice accountable by using its position of influence to advocate for the surrounding communities and demand transparency in the development process. To do this, we must be informed about the social contexts of those communities.

For Third Ward residents, the impacts of gentrification are already a reality. In spite of growing numbers of businesses and condos, the Third Ward remains a food desert with minimal grocery store options.

Property value increases have forced families out of their homes, no longer able to pay the increased rent or taxes.

New school buildings have been built to satisfy the new residents, but others have been closed down and combined into understaffed and underserved programs.

STAFF

SUBMI T

STAFF EDITORIAL

ALICE LIU

DUNCAN COLLEGE JUNIOR

MARY CLAIRE NEAL JONES COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

NIA PRINCE SID RICH COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

Thresher-Ops @rice.edu

OPINION

8 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 EDITORIAL CARTOON

cartoon by dalia gulca

OP-ED

Peers and professors can work to prevent imposter syndrome Imposter syndrome — that deep sinking feeling that hits when you feel way out of your league, accompanied by cold sweat and anxiety. The first time I felt imposter syndrome was during O-Week, when my peers talked confidently about their fouryear plans and career paths. I’ve gone on to feel it almost every day of my Rice career, and studies prove that I’m not the only one.

Missing from these discussions is the acknowledgement that imposter syndrome is a two-way street — there are both affected populations and their effectors.

Although imposter syndrome can certainly be triggered solely through internal doubt, it’s often caused by a hostile environment or a negative interaction. In addition to developing methods of personalized coping, we should also talk about factors in our classroom environment or peer-topeer interactions that can perpetuate or add to imposter syndrome.

First is the classroom, where nearly unbearable stretches of silence sometimes feel more bearable than the potential of getting roasted by your professor.

Professors can make students feel like imposters by coldly dismissing incorrect answers or by tearing apart “stupid” questions. Even more subtle signaling, such as ignoring raised hands or making passive-aggressive comments about student opinions (“Some think this exam was too difficult…”), can have harmful impacts. Things thought of as anonymous, such as test answers or class evaluations,

are regularly posted as part of lecture as a teachable lesson — just another part of class to get through. The result is familiar: Herzstein Amphitheater filled to the brim with 300 students, and only two of them ever raise their hand.

Second is peer-to-peer interactions.

Comparisons are inevitable in collaborative study groups, and overheard conversations on campus often revolve around academics. With those conversations come casual comments like “That project was so easy — it only took me an hour” or “Who got the low score on this exam? Can you imagine?” Ironically, many of these statements stem from the vicious cycle of imposter syndrome: to feel less like an imposter, some put on a false impression of high performance to reassure themselves of their place.

“Political correctness culture” might be easy to mock, but it’s even easier to be considerate of those around you by remembering that your seemingly harmless comments can affect those around you. In particular, marginalized populations at college suffer from imposter syndrome at greater rates — on top of their own self-doubt about their ability and the feeling of being alone in class, these populations have to deal with such comparative, scornful rhetoric regularly.

As a community, we can do better to ensure that we do not act as effectors of imposter syndrome. In the classroom, professors should encourage healthy discourse, making sure to acknowledge

viewpoints or professionally correct errors. Avenues like Piazza, which allow for anonymous questions, are valuable for the students who otherwise are disinclined to speak in class. As peers, we should consider the impact of our throwaway statements before we say them. Instead of making absolute statements on the difficulty of tests or projects, we can speak about academics in the collaborative fashion that Rice is so well-known for — for example, “What’d you think of the project? Wish I could’ve worked with you on it; it was tough.” While the behaviors of individual professors might feel out of your control, speaking with care and empathy is not.

Certainly, as an individual affected by imposter syndrome, I’ve adopted power poses and a thick skin — it would be hard to get through the day if I didn’t.

But even as I’ve played my part in mitigating my own feelings of ineptitude, it’s time for everyone else to step up — for those who feel imposter syndrome long before they step foot on campus, or who just want to try something new without feeling out of place.

ASK THE STAFF Who is your Valentine?

“Anna Ta”

– Sydney Garrett, Art Director

“Saag paneer”

– Christina Tan, A&E Editor

“21 Savage’s legal team”

– Simona Matovic, Backpage Editor

“The roller skating T-rex”

– Andrew Grottkau, Editor-in-Chief

“Trader Joe”

– Ella Feldman, Asst. Features Editor

“My Bose headphones”

– Elizabeth Raisch, Features Editor

“She goes to another school” – Eric Stone, Opinion Editor

“Timothée Chalamet”

– Amy Qin, Asst. News Editor

“Which one?”

CHRISTINA TAN A&E EDITOR DUNCAN COLLEGE JUNIOR

– Jennifer Fu, Features Designer

“Sydney Garrett”

– Anna Ta, News Editor

OP-ED

Despite available funding, Rice’s House rep won’t pay interns Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R, TX-2) won’t pay his interns — and it’s because he thinks they are unworthy of pay. Members of Rice Young Democrats attended Crenshaw’s event in Midtown on Sat., Feb. 2.

Crenshaw, the Republican representing Rice in the House of Representatives, held his event at a venue limited to those 21 and older, but he graciously spoke to us outside the venue after he learned that we could not enter.

We asked Crenshaw about his website, which indicates that internships with his office will be unpaid. The congressman told us he doesn’t think his interns will offer enough skills to justify pay. As Democrats, we believe in fair compensation for work, no matter your family income and no matter whether you graduated long ago, are currently a student or will never attend college. Our fellow students are competent, capable and highly skilled — in any case, it is our

belief that all labor, skilled or unskilled, merits pay.

We then asked Crenshaw how he plans to use the $20,000 each House office will receive in 2019 to pay its interns under a new program passed as part of a Sept. 2018 spending bill. While he is not required to spend the money, it cannot be used for any purpose other than supporting interns. Crenshaw indicated that he was willing to use the money to provide housing stipends but maintained that he was unwilling to directly pay his interns for their work.

Paying interns on Capitol Hill is critical to expanding political access to a variety of low-income populations and underrepresented (and consequently underserved) minorities. When reminded that many students cannot afford to live and work in Washington for a summer without receiving pay, Crenshaw demurred: “There are programs for

that.” While some organizations and universities, including Rice, offer stipends to subsidize unpaid or underpaid internships, these opportunities are limited and competitive. Crenshaw’s decision is also an abdication of his responsibility as an employer to his employees. Crenshaw mentioned that a congressional internship provides a significant resume boost, and these internships do help interns receive fulltime jobs on Capitol Hill. If members of Congress do not pay their office’s interns, the Capitol’s staff will be largely comprised of those who were able to afford living in Washington to complete a summer internship. This perpetuation of the lack of political opportunity for those from low-income backgrounds will continue to blind the federal government from adequately serving their needs.

Crenshaw has artificially narrowed his potential pool of applicants for these

internships to only those that can afford to work for free. This is a disservice to his district — many highly qualified students may be excluded from participating in the operations of his offices.

The benefits of paying interns are clear for both the congressman and his interns. Let’s hope he changes his mind — and we’ll be sure to thank him at his next (age-inclusive) event.

JOSH BOCHNER

MCMURTRY COLLEGE JUNIOR

AUDREY CABAY

MARTEL COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

MOSES GLICKMAN MARTEL COLLEGE FRESHMAN

THE

CHANGING OF THE

GUARD

BRAGGA PREPARING TO LEAD OWLS BACK TO POSTSEASON

photo illustration by tina liu photos courtesy rice athletics

PROJECTED POSITION PLAYERS

C

1B

Dominic DiCaprio senior

AVG: RBI: .190 7

HR: 2

Justin Collins sophomore

AVG: RBI: .265 26

2B

HR: 6

Cade Edwards junior

AVG: RBI: .324 24

HR: 1

SS

Trei Cruz

sophomore

AVG: RBI: .279 45

3B

HR: 6

all headshots courtesy of rice athletics

Bragga determined to revitalize Rice baseball the zone, they can throw them wherever they want. A lot of them are throwing lowEDITOR-IN-CHIEF to-mid-90s.”

While Rice has a lot of pitching depth, The folding chair former head coach the lineup is more of a question mark. The Wayne Graham used to occupy was team is carrying more pitchers than position nowhere to be found at last Wednesday’s players, meaning there is little depth at Rice baseball practice. many key spots according to junior second Head coach Matt Bragga was standing by baseman Cade Edwards. home plate, his voice already hoarse from Bragga said he is still working through bellowing loud enough for the outfielders his lineup, with outfield spots still up for to hear him, jotting down notes and yelling grabs even as the season begins. His infield, out stats as each player stepped up to bat. however, is mostly set with Comeaux at “[Bragga’s] very high energy,” third, Edwards at second and senior designated hitter sophomore Trei Cruz at Andrew Dunlap said. shortstop. Cruz, who is “You look at practice, making the transition we don’t take any from second baseman time off. It’s just go, to shortstop, said go, go.” the strength of According to Rice’s lineup is its junior pitcher versatility.

Matt Canterino, “We may not 2018 batting average 2018 winning 2018 earned run the change in necessarily have style has players percentage average the most power excited for the overall, but we don’t upcoming season. need power,” Cruz “There’s a little said. “We’ve got a lot of bit of a different vibe guys who will hit for a higher around the clubhouse,” average. Slugging percentages will be Canterino said. “A lot of people are wouldn’t vote us No. 1. We’re not. We’re really getting after what we need to do to be up. We’re athletic so we can do anything; we looking forward to playing under Coach anything but that.” a good pitching staff,” Canterino said. can bunt, we can steal, you name it.”

Bragga just because they want to achieve The Owls come into the season with a Meanwhile, senior Kendal Jefferies and Rice is hoping its veteran pitching staff the things that we know we can achieve.” veteran pitching rotation. Canterino is the junior Garrett Gayle, each of whom appeared and versatile lineup can carry it back to the Exactly what Rice can achieve is up ace of the staff and was voted the C-USA in more than 20 games last season, will be NCAA Tournament. Edwards, however, isn’t for debate. The Owls missed the NCAA Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Junior Addison two of Rice’s primary bullpen arms. afraid to set his sights even higher than just Tournament last season for the first time Moss and seniors Jackson Parthasarathy and Junior third baseman Braden Comeaux reaching the postseason. since 1994 after posting a record of 26-31- Evan Kravetz will also have major roles in the said facing Rice’s pitchers in intrasquad “Obviously you’re shooting for Omaha, 2 and finishing seventh in the conference. pitching rotation, according to Bragga. games has been valuable to the hitters as that’s the bottom line,” Edwards said. “This Dunlap said he thinks last year was a fluke According to Canterino, the they prepare for the season. program has been there seven times. So given the legacy of the program. upperclassmen in the Owls’ pitching staff “They do a really good job commanding you’re not going to shoot for any lower than “It’s sort of a hiccup in our history,” notice the mounting pressure. the strike zone,” Comeaux said. “Most of that. We 100 percent believe we can take Dunlap said. “Whatever people say we’re “Guys are starting to step up and realize our pitchers have command of at least three home a conference championship and take gonna do this year doesn’t matter, as Coach this is getting to the end and we really pitches. They can command them all over it even further than that.”

Bragga has made a point to say. It’s not so much about getting back to where we were as it is looking at what we’re capable of and believing in that.”

This year, Rice is picked to finish fourth in the Conference USA preseason poll and only received one first place vote from the 12 conference coaches. The first place vote was from Bragga himself.

“I don’t know any other way,” Bragga said of his vote. “There’s no shot I’m gonna be like oh, you know what, we’re a fifth place team. My mind does not process that. If we were flat bad, I

haven’t had the season we have wanted to since we have been here,” Canterino said.

“It’s getting to that point where we have to turn it on its head now — [each player knows] I have to step up and fill a role.”

Among Parthasarathy and Kravetz, only one will start on the weekend and the other will likely come in for “competitive situations,” according to Bragga. Canterino said the experience of the pitching staff will be extremely valuable to the team.

“A lot of these juniors and seniors are stepping up and buying into what the team has to offer and

0.276

0.456

PROJECTED TOP PITCHERS

1

Matt Canterino junior

ERA: 3.06

K: 116

2

Addison Moss junior

ERA: 2.43

K: 53

3

Jackson Parthasarathy senior

ERA: 6.28

K: 44

4.48

4

Evan Kravetz senior

ERA: 4.28

K: 38

5

Kendal Jefferies senior

ERA: 4.06

junio

AVG: RBI: .319 36

*Stats from Chandler-Gilbert Community College

ANDREW GROTTKAU

Brad

K: 51

Braden Comeaux

unior

RBI: 36

LF

HR: 2

Rodrigo Duluc junior

OBP: RUNS: HR: .222 2 0

CF

Dominic Cox

sophomore

AVG: RBI: .182 12

HR: 0

RF

Bradley Gneiting junior

AVG: RBI: .247 12

DH

HR: 0

Andrew Dunlap senior

AVG: RBI: .260 20

HR: 5

infographic by tina liu

New manager takes the reins MICHAEL BYRNES SPORTS EDITOR

For the first time in 27 years, Rice baseball will begin the season without the familiar visage of Wayne Graham at the helm. In his stead is the new manager of the Owls: 46-year-old Matt Bragga, who arrives at Rice with a quite legacy of success to build upon.

Before coming to Rice, Bragga spent 15 years as the head coach of Tennessee Tech University.

His first few years were none too successful. In his first three seasons, the team won fewer than a third of its games and failed to crack the top six in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. According to Bragga, though the losing was challenging, he never lost his faith in the team’s ability to become relevant on the national stage.

“When I interviewed I said, ‘I will get this program to [the College World Series]. I don’t know how long, but [I will],” Bragga said. “We came a game short, but I always believed in that program.”

Slowly but surely, the team’s tides began to turn. Tennessee Tech advanced to the NCAA Regionals in 2009, won its conference in 2010 and 2013, and accomplished both feats in 2017. But it was during the 2018 season that the team truly took a leap forward. Bragga’s team went 53-12, leading the nation in wins and setting both a school and conference record for wins in a season. The team’s offense led the country in several categories, including runs, hits, home runs and on-base percentage. For the first time under Bragga’s tenure, the team advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals, coming just one win short of making the College World Series in Omaha. Despite all this success, Bragga said the decision to leave Tennessee Tech to come to Rice was not difficult.

“I’m a goal setter,” Bragga said.

“I write goals down, and one of my [early] goals was I want[ed] to be an SEC coach. Rice is, to me, every bit of that “goal”

I had when I was a young coach, of being in the SEC. We’re talking about the fifth-winningest program in college baseball since the year 2000. We’re talking about a team that’s been to Omaha seven times in recent memory [and] won one national championship.

As long as my wife and our kids were on board, it was a very easy decision, and they were on board.”

Our plan is to win a championship this year, and hopefully multiple championships. I think we have a championship roster.

Matt Bragga BASEBALL HEAD COACH Bragga now takes over a program that parted ways with the coach under whom all this success was achieved. To some, this may seem an intimidating venture. But Bragga said he doesn’t see it that way.

“I respect what Coach Graham did, but I’m not focused there,” Bragga said. “It doesn’t even matter to me, other than how great of a guy he is and how great [a job] he did. My focus is totally on what I know and who I am and what I believe we’re going to accomplish in the future.

photo courtesy rice athletics

And I’m confident about what’s going to happen in the future.”

Last year was Rice’s worst season in over two decades. The team struggled with injuries and with defense, among other issues, and ultimately finished with a losing record for the first time since 1991. But Bragga said he is confident that he has a roster to rival any team in the conference.

“This is not taking over a rebuild,” Bragga said. “This is not a totally demolished program. Now, we’ve got to stay healthy. But if we do — no, when we do — our plan is to win a championship this year, and hopefully multiple championships. I think we have a championship roster.”

One of the key steps on Rice’s road to future success is to improve its hitting. Of last year’s 12 Conference USA teams, the Owls were ninth in batting average, 10th in slugging percentage, and second in strikeouts.

Bragga said his hitting philosophy can be boiled down to one key concept.

“Get a good ball to hit,” Bragga said.

“Get a good ball to hit. Cause the better the ball I get to hit, the harder I’m going to hit it. The harder I hit it, the more chance I reach base. The more times I reach base, the more runs I score. The more runs I score, the more games I win. It all starts, if you go backwards: wins, runs, reach base, hit the ball hard, and rewind here; it all started with ‘get a good ball to hit.’ So we practice that every single day.”

But more than anything, Bragga said he’s itching to get started. According to him, he’s eager to see what this new challenge brings.

“When I’m here, when I’m at this field, when I’m coaching I’ll give you everything I’ve got,” Bragga said. “And I did that last year, did it the year before: I’ve done it for 23 years of coaching. But my wife told me the other day [that] she sees a little something different in me; a little extra flair, a little extra hop in the step,” Bragga said. “And I’m excited about that: I feel it too, a little extra vigor to see how great this [team] can be.”

SCHEDULE HOME AWAY Rhode Island Texas

2/15 - 2/17 2/19

Arizona

2/20 2/22 - 2/24

UC Irvine Prarie View A&M

2/27 3/1

Texas State (neutral)

3/2

Baylor (neutral)

3/3

TCU (neutral)

3/5

Houston

Sam Houston State 3/6 3/8 - 3/10 Oklahoma 3/12

Lamar

3/13

Texas State

3/15-3/17 3/19 3/22 - 3/24 3/26 3/29 - 3/31 4/2 4/5 - 4/7 4/9 4/12 - 4/14

Florida Atlantic Texas A&M UTSA Texas State Old Dominion Sam Houston State FIU Texas Charlotte

4/18 - 4/20 Middle Tennessee 4/26 - 4/28 5/1 5/3 - 5/5

Louisiana Tech Houston Western Kentucky infographic by tina liu

should build each other up, because that’s what being a team is all about. In the end, it is the team that flourishes or dies.”

MADISON BUZZARD | ASST SPORTS EDITOR In seven starts at Reckling Park last Golden Spikes Preseason Award season, Canterino finished 5-1 with 2.49 Watch List, which recognizes the most ERA and .155 opponent batting average outsttnding college baseball players in allowed. Canterino said he benefits from a pregame routine established during his the country.

Baseball America named Canterino to stint as a two-year varsity starter at Carroll its preseason second-team All-America, High School in Southlake, Texas.

“I have a simple and collegiate routine,” Canterino baseball writers said. “It goes from placed him as a stretching to watching preseason third- In the end, I don’t the team to reading team All-American. want this program the scouting report to Last season, watching some film.

Canterino earned to be good when I’m I have it pretty down his place among All- here, I want it to be pat [so] that I know Conference USA’s first good afterwards too. preparation isn’t much team; this season, of an issue for me. I he was tabbed the know that if anything preseason C-USA Matt Canterino goes wrong on the pitcher of the year.

JUNIOR STARTING PITCHER mound, it is because Despite reaping individual success, Canterino said he was of something that I did wrong when I was frustrated with his 7-5 pitching record and pitching, not because of anything I did wrong beforehand. I know if anything Rice’s 26-31-2 campaign last season.

“It wasn’t necessarily a function of goes awry, I have to make the adjustment one particular thing or a [immediately].”

Canterino said he strives to teach whole,” Canterino said.

“Some things happen. compartmentalization to younger pitchers You lose a little bit of on the squad.

“We have a lot of young pitchers that fire over the course of a long season. What other [college] sport coming on, so I am trying to use my plays 60 games in a year? Considering experience to help them have success,” our games are three hours each? You’re Canterino said. “I’m not necessarily telling them what to do, I’m just showing talking about some adversity.”

According to Canterino, he is them some things that work for me. In comfortable with the team’s transition the end, I don’t want this program to be from Wayne Graham to newly-hired Owls’ good when I’m here, I want it to be good afterwards too.” skipper Matt Bragga.

With the option of signing with a Major “I am beyond grateful for everything Coach Graham has done for me,” League Baseball organization after this Canterino said. “[Graham] has made season, Canterino said this could be his me a better ballplayer, a more intuitive last year on Rice’s campus.

“Playing professional baseball has ballplayer, and he really showed me what it takes to succeed at this level. been a dream of mine since I was a little What Coach Bragga has provided, both kid,” Canterino said. “If it presents itself to myself and the team as a whole, is a most clearly this year, then [I will pursue different level of energy to build from. the draft]. That’s not saying I haven’t We know we will face adversity, so we appreciated my time at Rice thus far. need to have the energy and confidence But it’s like Coach Bragga preaches: you to overcome that adversity — that’s what have to have expectations for yourself Coach Bragga has been teaching and you have to have the confidence to us. He always says that we go get them.”

MATT CANTERINO For the opening game of each weekend series, Rice baseball ace Matt Canterino will be entrusted to propel the Owls to wins on the mound. From each Monday morning to Friday evening, however, Canterino said his focus will be to prioritize his degree in mechanical engineering.

“What I’ve come to find is that I really like mechanical engineering and I really like baseball, and if you really like a couple of things, you’ll be able to find enough time to make it work,” Canterino said. “I have a good group of friends that I am able to work on assignments with or work on pitching with. You’re talking about grinding through some of these things — it’s the people around me who make it possible.”

Canterino enters spring 2019 chockfull of momentum: over the summer, he was the winning pitcher in the Cape Cod League All-Star Game and also pitched for the United States Collegiate National Team. Canterino was one of 55 players named to USA Baseball’s

TREI CRUZ

in scoring position (.328). Against crosstown rival University of Houston, Cruz registered a career-high seven During his freshman season, Cruz putouts. According to Cruz, greatness led Rice in walks and runs batted in, exists in his DNA. “Playing at Reckling Park gives me hit for a .279 average and sustained an eight-game hitting streak. Accordingly, goosebumps because I know of all the Cruz was named to Collegiate Baseball’s great players that have played on this Freshman All-America Team and the field, including my dad,” Cruz said. “If Conference USA All-Freshman Team. I’ve learned anything from great players, Cruz said he felt an immediate pressure it’s that to be consistent, you must come out ready to play every to perform. single minute of every “I wouldn’t say I inning of every game. am a ‘big-name star’ What I try to do every right now at Rice I don’t want to be game is something because I have yet to treated like a star special.

Whether really prove anything it is defensively or yet, but I do say that or like I’m royalty offensively, the game my name brings a lot because at the end will decide.” of attention alone,” of the day, I need to Cruz must play at Cruz said. “I don’t want to be treated earn superstar status. least two more years for Rice before he like a star or like I’m Trei Cruz is re-eligible for the royalty because at SOPHOMORE SHORTSTOP MLB draft. In that the end of the day, I time, Cruz will strive to revitalize an need to earn superstar status.”

Last season, three-year starter Ford offense which last season declined by Proctor played shortstop for Rice. 20 percent in production. According To allow himself into the starting to Cruz, he must focus on his own lineup amongst upperclassmen, Cruz performance rather than satisfying volunteered to play at second base; expectations.

“When I was younger, I faced a lot there, he started all 58 games.

“I was able to start every game at second of pressure to succeed on the field base because I proved to the coaches that because of my last name,” Cruz said.

I was willing to do anything to be in the “A lot of people put pressure on me to lineup,” Cruz said. “That meant working always be the best player, never make harder in practice, staying over time to mistakes and be a leader. I remember work with the coaches, and getting my one day, I had a bad game and people body caught up to be able to play against were saying that I [would] never be like much older guys than me. I didn’t allow my dad and grandpa. My dad sat down and talked to me and said, ‘You don’t anyone to out- hustle me.”

In conjunction with his superb work need to play to impress these people, ethic — his dad Jose Jr. said Trei plays you play to have fun and start your own “like his meal depends on it” — Cruz legacy. You are the only person that can is blessed with clutchness. His average put pressure on you.’ I’ve carried that spiked when batting with runners with me until this day.”

MADISON BUZZARD | ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Only four grandfather-father-son combinations have played in Major League Baseball.

If sophomore shortstop Trei Cruz had signed with the Houston Astros organization following his senior year at Episcopal High School in Houston, his ascension through the minor league ranks would have started, and if he succeeded, another lineage, Cruz, would have boasted three generations in professional baseball lore: Jose, Jose Jr. and Trei.

Instead, Cruz committed to play baseball at Rice, tossing three years of professional eligibility aside, at least for now. Trei followed in the footsteps of his father, who played three seasons in Rice’s outfield, and his uncle, Enrique, who starred at second base on the Owls’ 2003 National Championship winning team.

According to Cruz, notwithstanding his decision to spurn the Astros, crafting his own legacy is paramount.

“Of course I want to play in the major leagues one day and be even better than both my dad and grandpa,” Cruz said. “[Ultimately] I will get more hits than my grandpa and more home runs than my dad. They dare me to do it.”

THE RICE THRESHER

13 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

FEATURES WIESS

MARTEL

BROWN

Riley Holmes, Ola Awe, Erica Lee

Hope Lawrence, Paras Gupta, Justin Tang

Hannah Whitney, Aurora Kesler, Amina Matin

“Team Family Wiess” has traditionally been the O-Week theme for Wiess, and this year is no different. However, it is more than just a theme — it references a tradition that connects each new student to those of past O-Weeks and Wiess itself. TFW continues long past O-Week, and we hope each new student uses this mindset to find a home at Rice.

SID RICH

BAKER

Saniya Gayake, David Senter, Madeleine Fuselier We chose this theme because we feel it embodies the cohesive, diverse and lively community we will work to incorporate the incoming class of Martelians into.

Whether they prefer being center stage, working behind the scenes or providing music from the pit, each person’s unique contribution is essential to putting on a successful show. Broadway ShO-Week hopes to shine a spotlight on each new student, helping them grow in their craft to share their story.

The theme of the cosmos transfers perfectly to how college is an exploratory journey filled with unexpected challenges. We want the new students to know that as integral members of the crew at Brown and Rice, we will help them navigate this uncharted territory. We also want to prepare the new students to bravely face the universe-ity and learn illuminating things about themselves and their world through the process.

Christina Brown, Clarise Trinh, Oren Pazgal We believe that TomorrO-Week emphasizes the untapped potential of the matriculating class. We wish to highlight that Rice is a place full of opportunity and that their time here will shape the course of the remainder of their lives. Additionally, Sid is currently experiencing a major period of transition as we welcome new magisters, new RAs and soon a new building. Therefore, we chose a theme that emphasizes our forwardthinking mentality and will guide Sid and its future members towards new opportunity.

DUNCAN Sarah Jin, Frederick Wang, Cordy McJunkins

O-WEEK 2019 illustrations by esther tang

THEMES Move-in day is more than six months away, but this year’s O-Week coords are already hard at work. Here’s a look at each college’s 2019 O-Week theme!

LOVETT Matthew Burns, Mira Dani, Armando Amigon

Imposter syndrome is everywhere at a university like Rice — we can probably all pinpoint at least one time we felt like we couldn’t quite manage in a place like Rice. At Lovett, we want the new students to know that imposter syndrome is normal, and that making mistakes, or ‘typos,’ as we affectionately refer to them, is an important part of growth at Rice. We want our new students to emerge from O-Week ready to take all that Rice has to offer and embrace the struggles they may encounter along the way.

WILL RICE

We chose Ready, Set, GOWeek to convey the thrill and excitement of coming to college, while also emphasizing the journey rather than the destination.

Transitioning into Rice may take multiple stages for the new students, so we want to provide an environment where they feel supported and comfortable.

We know there may be tougher parts of the game, but we want to let them know it’s perfectly fine to take a break to get ready and set to go again as we cheer them on every step of the way!

MCMURTRY Edesiri Mushale, Olivia Morris, Emily Duffus

JONES

EN Z NS A H

Max Boekelmann, Leslie Loredo, Edgar Cedeno Sanjana Krishnan, Emily Chang, Q Tabarestani

Priscilla Huh, George Liu, Colin Chan

We want PyrO-Week to fill new students with excitement and passion as they start a new chapter.

As soon as they arrive at Rice, we want them to feel like they belong and be impassioned to give back to the community. And when they leave PyrO-Week, we want them to be comfortable and knowledgeable with the resources around campus.

Just like our mascot, the phoenix, we hope students are able to find a new home in their transition as they are reborn into their college experience.

Somewhere Over the RainbOWeek highlights the unique journey of growth, support, warmth, diversity and empowerment that every new student experiences when they come to Rice. We hope Baker O-Week equips the new students with connections, resources and confidence so that they can discover and pursue their own “yellow brick road.” As Dorothy learns, “there’s no place like home,” and we hope the new students find a home at Baker and Rice during O-Week and beyond.

Marvel StudiO-Week seeks to champion the incoming superheroes of Jones College, providing them with an environment where they can both be empowered and allowed to feel vulnerable, with no fear of judgment.

Just like Marvel’s superheroes, the new students enter Rice with diverse backgrounds and their own strengths and weaknesses — and these are all important to the composition of a hero. We will support you in the face of challenge and stand beside you in times of victory. Jonesians Assemble!

At Hanszen, we strive to be accepting of people with all interests and backgrounds.

We believe our theme of NachOWeek: Unlimited Toppings, Unlimited Possibilities will go along perfectly with this core idea. Through their time at Rice, the new students will try, add, remove and customize parts of their lives according to their personal tastes — just like one does with a plate of nachos. There will be a multitude of resources available to them along this process and we can’t wait to see their culinary creations.

When playing board games, people of all backgrounds come together to pursue a common goal and contribute their own variations along the way. We believe that similarly, the new students will influence and alter our college, university and community with their unique experiences. We want new students to understand that past O-Week, the connections they made are real and lasting — and that they have incredible time to explore. A successful board game leaves players feeling as if they’ve meaningfully spent their time developing new skills and bonding with those around them. In the same way, our O-Week will leave our new students ready to face their career at Rice and beyond GO.

FEATURES

14 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

Crossword by Sam Rossum Thresher Staff

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Pie ___ mode Platform for Smokey Bear and anti-smokers It’s pumped at the gym Sch. for major Romantics?

Fictional pirate who locked his heart in a box Prez honored in the Wrestling Hall of Fame Lanka lead-in That boy Didn’t go seek Some class scheduling guidance Band that performed this puzzle’s titular song Pop singer with a Royal sounding name Org. for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

DOWN 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 9 16 17 18

Like “One Thousand and One Nights” Collection of XOs that may get dropped in a PO box “__ day now...”

Noodle soup that’s the subject of many bad puns Steve Carell dramedy, “Little Miss ___” The New World The “Gem State” Fourth-wall breaker Former Yankee with the record for most career grand slams Records an episode of the Bachelor, perhaps Where one can find FOTO and THEA listings

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

Bolded clues correspond to the theme.

THE RICE THRESHER

15 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT MUSIC

‘Thank u, next’ doesn’t hold back

Don’t love bopping to pop?

For those indie folk fans out there — Beirut just dropped an album, and it’s ... okay. Read our review online.

See more on ricethresher.org

LITERATURE

Carnegie Medal-winning author Kiese Laymon visits Rice

SYDNEY GARRETT ART DIRECTOR

THANK U, NEXT Genre: Pop, R&B Length: 12 songs (41 min) Find it on: Spotify, Apple Music

Ariana Grande dropped her fifth and newest studio album, “thank u, next,” last Friday. With this release, Grande has found her “next,” and it’s not all rainbows and butterflies. It is, however, delicious pop music with memorable, emotional hooks.

Grande’s album has been mired in mild controversy since sher dropped “7 rings” which had alleged appropriation and “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” which some felt was queerbaiting. I won’t dive into the intricacies of these arguments because I’m not in a position to speak with authority about appropriation of black and queer culture. Know, though, that these are serious claims, and that some feel hurt and marginalized by the content of these songs.

Grande made an album for how she feels right now: kind of sad and kind of horny.

At the same time, it’s important to consider the possible hypocrisy in “canceling” Grande based off of these claims. While Grande’s missteps can be written off as unintentional or ignorant, several popular male artists have been embroiled in scandals that are far worse.

XXXTentacion abused his girlfriend, yet his music still dominates the rap charts.

Drake wore blackface and his songs are still played nonstop. And R. Kelly — you already know. If Grande’s songs offend you, be consistent in your outrage. But, on to the music.

“Thank u, next” is a sadder complement to “Sweetener,” Grande’s previous album.

In “Sweetener,” we see relationships begin and flourish, but in “thank u, next,” we see Grande thrive on her own. “Sweetener” was an important moment of lightness following the 2017 Manchester terrorist attack at Grande’s concert, and she sings pastel pink songs like “the light is coming” and “get well soon” as a reflection of this bubbliness. “Sweetener” sounds how falling in love feels.

One month after the release of “Sweetener,” Grande’s ex-boyfriend Mac Miller overdosed and her public SEE NEXT PAGE 16

callum parks / thresher

Kiese Laymon reads from his Carnegie Medal-winning book, “Heavy: An American Memoir” in the Rice Chapel. Laymon’s reading was part of the Cherry Reading Series, which welcomes writers to read their work for the Rice community.

KATELYN LANDRY THRESHER STAFF

Kiese Laymon admits that he wanted to write a lie. A lie that would have fit neatly into the category of “American memoir.”

Laymon assures us that we would have loved to read this titillating lie, but rather than succumbing to the lie, he instead bravely rejects the allure of a tantalizing story and delivers a raw confession of painful truths.

Last Tuesday, Laymon visited Rice to speak these truths in person.

Rather than continuing to engage in what he calls “the old black work of pandering and lying to folk,” Laymon boldly confronts the weight and interconnectedness of racism, violence, abuse and love in his 2018 personal narrative and Carnegie Medalwinning “Heavy: An American Memoir.”

The book gained extraordinary praise for Laymon’s unflinching honesty and brutal confessions regarding the lasting implications of growing up black in the American South, shouldering the weight of the nation’s history of racial violence and still trying to walk the fine lines between love, pain, truth, lies, fear and joy.

One of the most significant faculties of this memoir that distinguishes it as a truly innovative work becomes obvious in the first sentence: “I did not want to write to you.”

The “you” in question is Laymon’s mother, whose fervor for Laymon’s education is ultimately rooted in her desire to prepare her son for a society that would treat him as lesser. In her ardent determination to steel Laymon for the social and political trauma that she deemed inevitable, she inflicted a different kind of trauma on her son in the form of physical abuse. By addressing

“Heavy” to his mother, a compelling authority over Laymon’s experience of both love and violence, he admits his fears and traumas in an effort to reflect and reconcile.

Laymon came to the Rice Memorial Center Chapel Feb. 5 for the Cherry Reading Series, which welcomes emerging and established writers of national repute to read their poetry, fiction and non-fiction for the Rice community. The event drew a crowd of roughly 40 Rice students, staff and community members who filled every pew in the chapel.

[Laymon discusses] the violence of a culture that treates the bodies of black men with fear and suspicion more often than with tenderness and attentive care.

Lacy Johnson ASST. PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH Rice Assistant Professor of English and distinguished author Lacy Johnson introduced Laymon. In her initial review of the memoir, Johnson called “Heavy” “a triumph ... permeated with humility, bravery and a bold intersectional feminism.” That evening, Johnson welcomed Laymon as a friend and colleague whose literary accomplishments have contributed significantly to the sphere of creative nonfiction and inspired readers with his raw, unbridled honesty.

“[Laymon discusses] the violence of a culture that treats the bodies of black men with fear and suspicion more often than with tenderness and attentive care,” Johnson said.

Upon taking the podium, Laymon reckoned with a spirit that seemed to fill the room. He explained quite frankly that he would try to curse as much as possible for the sole reason of being in a place of worship, and that the audience shouldn’t be alarmed if he started sweating profusely. His friendly demeanor and candid sense of humor established an atmosphere of a certain sincerity that is at the heart of “Heavy.”

As Laymon read “Be,” a chapter from part one of “Heavy,” his vivid imagery and blunt retelling of events, both funny and tragic, captured the audience in an unrelenting wave of emotion, memory and appreciation for truth. Laymon’s painfully honest recollection of abuse and confusion is interwoven with fond memories of laughter and family, painting an explicit picture of the weight he carried on his adolescent body in the form of pounds as well as scars.

“Heavy” reforms the American memoir from being a performative evasion of the nation’s history of violence into an an honest, vulnerable medium through which the traumas of racism, misogyny and abuse inflicted on black male bodies may be more sincerely examined. Laymon departed from Rice with the advice to write the way we speak and to fearlessly confront the memories we may wish to forget in order to build more complete personal histories and valuable self-discoveries.

“Heavy: An American Memoir” is available for purchase through major bookselling platforms including Amazon, Audible and Barnes & Noble.

THE WEEKLY SCENE

ART AT NOON

INUKSUIT

Join School of Architecture Dean Sarah Whiting Friday from 12 - 1 p.m. at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston.

Whiting will give a talk about Cheryl Donegan’s “GRLZ + VEILS” exhibit and “Junkspace,” followed by a light lunch.

Admission is free.

Consider this for a Saturday plan: walking around the grove near Entrance 1, listening to 45 Shepherd School percussionists perform “Inuksuit,” a concert-length work by Pulitzer Prize winning John Luther Adams. The event is from 4 - 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston 5216 Montrose Blvd.

Entrance 1 Rice University

LACK OF COLOR Insomnia Gallery will host “Lack of Color: A Black and White Photo Exhibit” featuring Houston-area photographers.

The event will run Saturday from 7 - 11 p.m. Admission is free.

Insomnia Gallery 708 Telephone Road

VIVA EL AMOR On Friday, MECA Houston will host “Viva el Amor,” a concert featuring Houston Grand Opera singer Vanessa Cerda Alonzo and Trio Tres En Punto.

The event will run from 8 - 10 p.m. and will also include a silent auction fundraiser with heart-themed art.

MECA Houston 1900 Kane St.

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

16 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 SENIOR MUSI SERIES

LOCAL ART

Connecting Centuries: Featuring senior violinist Cindy Ahn

CHASING THE CITY FRAMES

SUNNY LIU SENIOR WRITER

stephany marchany / thresher

The Emergency Room Gallery, a 9’ x 13’ former office in Sewall Hall, opened Jan. 31 with a group exhibition by four Hong Kong artists. The works will be on view until March 24.

For Cindy Ahn, music is an opportunity to time travel. She approaches new pieces by diving into the different emotional lives of composers through their creations.

“I try to research what was going on in the composer’s life during the period of time [that] he wrote the piece and try to figure out what emotional state he must have been [in],” Ahn, a Lovett College senior, said. “I then try to make a similar kind of story with a similar kind of emotion. I definitely go from a more emotional perspective.”

NEXT FROM PAGE 15 engagement with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson deteriorated into a breakup.

Two months later, she released the single “thank u, next,” delivering a message of maturity and kindness. “Thank you, next” grew into a catchphrase for women and men alike. Bad professor? Thank you, next. Mean friend? Thank you, next. Tasteless meal at Seibel? Thank you, next. Ariana Grande?

Thank you, more please.

Like its namesake, the album, “thank u, next,” taken together, is an assertion of being okay. The album’s 12 songs celebrate singledom while also acknowledging that everything might not be perfect.

In “ghostin,” Grande sings “I know that it breaks your heart when I cry again / over him … I’m a girl with / a whole lot of baggage.” The slow-moving synth combined with Grande’s whispering vocals turn this song into a desperate diary entry, packed with double-meanings and allusions.

“Needy” is a song about self-awareness, of knowing that you’re hurting, of knowing that you need help. Grande croons, “You can go ahead and call me selfish / but after all this damage I can’t help it.” These are songs about moving on, about finding ways to love yourself in your current form. These are songs to memorize by heart, to scream to during long car rides.

The album also has notable, unrestrained moments of joy. There’s the plain-faced assertion that “I’ma need space” on NASA, which inspired a thrilling Twitter exchange between NASA, Grande and Buzz Aldrin.

And the bright, boppy “bad idea,” which includes a Gotye-esque hook destined to be sung (screeched?) at every public party for the rest of time, replacing “now you’re just somebody that I used to know” with “I’ve got a bad idea.” “Bloodline” is a tight, swinging reggaeton hit that might confuse genealogy and reproduction, but I love it anyway.

In “7 rings,” we learned that “The Sound of Music” is still relevant and that Ariana Grande is really, really rich. Lastly, “break

There were so many good people, and [for a while], I didn’t think I could [perform]. Then after a while, I decided to.

Cindy Ahn LOVETT COLLEGE SENIOR

courtesy republic records

up with your girlfriend, i’m bored” contains a chorus which will definitely be stuck in your head for the rest of your life — sorry, I warned you. (I’m singing it in my head right now, actually.)

Grande made an album for how she feels right now: kind of sad and kind of horny. And it seems that a lot of college students can potentially relate to that. 2019 is hard enough and college is hard enough without having to constantly analyze the morality of every pop song and album on the radio and in your Discover Weekly. Of course, it’s important to think about these topics, and to have conversations about them when issues arise. But at the same time, you can listen to songs that you enjoy, that make you feel happy, that are fun to sing along to — that doesn’t mean that you’re worse because of it. You might find yourself listening to “thank u, next” on repeat throughout the rest of the semester.

“Thank u, next” is remarkable in the fact that it even exists. It was released a mere five months after “Sweetener,” and those five months were punctuated by moments of real, sincere tragedy for Grande.

“Thank u, next” is not perfect, and it can be problematic, but that’s life. And Grande continues to grow into her own voice, four octaves and all.

“Thank u, next” can be found on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

When it comes to her own emotions, Ahn said that music has helped her through events in her own life. She laughed when remembering how she sometimes played pieces to deal with boy problems.

Music took a more somber role when Ahn experienced loss in her family.

“I had trouble getting over my grandfather’s passing away,” Ahn said.

“I would purposefully [play] emotional pieces to express my sorrow, and it actually helped a lot.”

The link between music and emotions is long-running in Ahn’s life. Growing up, Ahn said she had always been surrounded

by classical music. She pointed to her childhood as a reason for her preferences for more emotional pieces.

“Neither of my parents are musicians,” Ahn said. “My mom did play piano when she was younger, and I do think she has a good [ear]. Maybe I got my musical side from her. [My parents] both love classical music and I’ve heard it since I was little.”

According to Ahn, she started playing the violin rather late because of her older brother’s lack of musical ability. She said she picked up the instrument due to convenience, school requirements and a childhood interest.

“I started a little later than most,” Ahn said. “I wanted to play when I was five because my brother used to play violin, but he was really bad. My parents didn’t want to hear the violin [after that]. When I was 11, I was required to play an instrument in school. At the time, my brother’s violin was already in my house.”

Ahn said that it took her a few years before she became invested in playing the violin.

“I took it seriously when I met my previous teacher, before Rice,” Ahn said. “I really started to see the beauty in performing.

He introduced me to this program called the Aspen Music Festival [and School]. There were so many good people, and [for a while], I didn’t think I could do it. Then after a while, I decided to.”

At Rice, Ahn tries her best to maintain a balance in her busy schedule.

“It’s just mostly eat, practice, class, eat, practice,” Ahn said. “I try to exercise every day, [through] either swimming, running, stretching or just taking a walk. I try to go outside of Shepherd.”

After graduation, Ahn said she plans to attend graduate school in music.

“I’m only applying to Rice,” Ahn said.

“Hopefully I can stay.”

sirui zhou / thresher

THE RICE THRESHER

17 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

SPORTS

Fox looks toward NFL future photo courtesy david s. elder

Senior punter Jack Fox prepares to kick the ball downfield during Rice’s 42-0 loss against the University of Alabama, Birmingham on Oct. 13 at Rice Stadium. In the game, Fox had 12 punts for 588 yards, including a 70-yard kick. On the year, Fox punted for 3,636 yards, which led the country and was the 22nd-most single-season punting yards in FBS history.

ERIC BARBER SENIOR WRITER

At first thought, a punter might not seem too important to a football team’s success. But quietly, the punter does a lot of work that may go unnoticed. Pinning the ball inside the opposing team’s 10yard line, bombing a 60-yard punt to escape poor field position or punting the ball away from a dangerous return man are all potential difference-makers in a football game.

Not many punters are the star of their team. However, this past season, punter Jack Fox was the star of the Rice football team. Now he has the National Football League in his sights.

At Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, Missouri, Fox was a quarterback first and foremost, with punting and kicking a clear second. He said he learned how to kick because he played soccer, and eventually he became much better at punting and kicking than at throwing.

“I always wanted to play football, like I always knew I was a football player,” Fox said. “I started in like sixth grade. I played quarterback at my high school and I played soccer, so I knew I could always kick the ball pretty well. Then I just got a lot better at kicking. I knew that was kind of my ticket to get into college.”

During his senior year, Fox earned all-state honors as both a punter and a kicker, but relatively few schools were interested in giving him a scholarship. He was seriously considering playing for the University of Illinois or the University of Wisconsin, albeit as a walk-on.

According to Fox, the Owls swooped in at the last second to offer him a scholarship and he took it, forgoing the chance to play at the larger Big 10 schools.

Four years later, Fox has now yard average, including a career-long 76established himself as one of the top yard boot.

At the end of the season, Fox was also punters in program history. Even after receiving no playing time as a punter his named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy freshman year (he only did kickoffs), Fox Award, the award given to the nation’s ended his Rice career this past fall with best punter. Fox said that the strongest 9,207 punting yards with a 43.4-yard parts of his game are his distance and average, a school record for a career. Of hang time.

“I’ve always had a really strong leg,” his 212 punts, 74 of them were downed or the returner was tackled inside the 20- Fox said. “This last year I’ve really worked on accuracy a lot more. I’ve gotten really yard line.

All three of his years punting were good at end over end punting when we’re inside the 50.” exceptional, but as Wins have been a senior this past hard to come by in season, Fox took Fox’s tenure with it to another level the Owls. In his four and was named If I saw somebody not years, Rice won a to first team Allgiving effort or dogging total of 11 games, Conference USA. a workout, I would get in including just three According to Fox, their face. But I always victories in the past former head coach two seasons. Fox David Bailiff helped tried to be a positive was one of three instill confidence leader for the most part. team captains in in him and current 2018 and he said head coach Mike Jack Fox that he tried his best Bloomgren helped SENIOR PUNTER to keep morale high take his game to in the locker room. new heights.

“I think whoever “Right when I got here, [Bailiff] was like ‘You could be an is the leader on the special teams unit All-American; like, you’re good enough. should really try to be a positive leader,” You’re one of the best punters I’ve seen,’” Fox said. “If I saw somebody not giving Fox said. “He was he was lying, he was effort or dogging a workout, I would get kind of blowing smoke. But that really in their face. But I always tried to be a helped me gain confidence. Then when positive leader for the most part.”

With his college career over, Fox turned Coach Bloomgren got here, it was like ‘All right, it’s your time to like prove it. You’re professional, declared for the NFL draft like this great punter. It’s your time to and signed with Gil Scott, an agent who represents over 85 professional athletes, prove it.’”

Fox also gained national recognition as well as many current NFL punters and in his senior season. In week nine, he kickers. Throughout the season, Fox has was named the Ray Guy National Punter been watched by professional scouts, and of the Week for his performance against this January, he was chosen to participate the University of North Texas, when he in the East-West Shrine Game, featuring punted the ball seven times for a 47.3 a collection of some of the top college

players in the country. Fox said he is confident in his abilities compared to the other punters that are trying to get drafted.

“I’m definitely in the top five,” Fox said.

“I think I see myself in the top three.”

Fox was recently invited to the NFL Scouting Combine. The last Owl to be invited was current Houston Texans defensive end Christian Covington in 2015. Fox said he’s looking forward to heading to Indianapolis later this month, where he will be evaluated by all 32 teams in the league.

“I’m pumped,” Fox said. “I’ve always been a huge football fan. I’ve watched the combine every year. I’m planning on running the 40-yard dash, doing the bench press, and then doing the broad jump and vertical jump.”

After the Combine is the Rice Pro Day in late March, where Fox and a few other professional hopefuls will perform drills for scouts at Rice’s facilities. Throughout the spring, he said he will continue to work with Rice’s strength and conditioning coaches, as well as with professional punting services.

There is a chance that Fox could be selected in the sixth or seventh round of the NFL Draft, which occurs at the end of April. If he is not, a team could take a chance on him in free agency.

If Fox is able to sign with a team, he will be the tenth Owl currently in the NFL, which is no small feat for the second smallest FBS school in the country.

Bloomgren said that he has high hopes for Fox at the next level.

“Jack earned his invitation to the combine through a tireless work ethic, an attention to detail and a desire to become the best at his position,” Bloomgren said.

“He’s taken natural ability and honed it into elite skills that are on par with any punter currently in the NFL.”

SPORTS

18 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

WEEKEND PREVIEW TRACK & FIELD

home

SAT/SUN, FEB. 16,17 // ALL DAY

GOLF

MICHAEL BYRNES

SPORTS EDITOR

SUN-TUE, FEB. 17-19 // ALL DAY

Rice’s golf team will see its first tournament action since October this weekend when it travels down the road to Humble to compete in the All-American Intercollegiate Championship. The event is hosted by the University of Houston and held at the Golf Club of Houston, which also hosts the Shell Houston Open on the PGA Tour. Last year, the golf team finished No. 12 out of 18 teams. The Owls’ top returner is current senior Mason Weld, who shot a finalround one-under-par 71 to finish in a tie for No. 62, with an overall score of five over par.

Both the men’s and women’s track & field teams will compete this weekend at the Conference USA Indoor Championships, held at Birmingham Metro CrossPlex in Birmingham, Alabama. Junior Michelle Fokam will look to defend her triple jump and long jump titles from last year’s event; last week, her 13.22-meter triple jump was both a personal record and the No. 6 mark in the country so far this season. Redshirt junior Hannah Jackson will also attempt to repeat her title from last year in the 200-meter dash. She also won the 200-meter race at the Houston Invitational in January.

WOMEN’S B-BALL THU/SAT, FEB. 14, 16 // 7 & 2 PM

WOMEN’S TENNIS WED/SUN, FEB.13,17 // 3 & 12 PM

The women’s basketball team returns home this week riding a single-season program-record 13-game win streak to play two conference opponents: Florida International University on Thursday and Florida Atlantic University on Saturday. The Owls are 20-3 on the year, including an 11-0 mark in C-USA. For her efforts last week in a pair of Rice victories, junior guard Erica Ogwumike was named a C-USA Co-Player of the Week, her second straight week receiving the honor. Ogwumike ranks sixth in C-USA with 16.7 points per game and second with 10.9 rebounds per game.

MEN’S B-BALL

away

Rice’s women’s tennis team will compete in two matches this week. The first is at home, against Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, and the second is in Lawrence, Kansas, against Kansas University. After losing 7-0 against Lousiana State University on Feb. 3, the Owls bounced back against Texas Christian University and Kansas State University on Feb. 6 and 10, with wins of 6-0 and 6-1 respectively. Rice’s win against TCU improved its all-time record against the Horned Frogs to 13-27. On the year, Rice is now 4-2 in head-to-head matchups.

THU/SAT, FEB. 14,16 // 6 & 1 PM

MEN’S TENNIS

FRI/SUN, FEB.15,17 // 5 & 12 PM

The men’s tennis team goes on the road this weekend after completing a two-game homestand. The Owls will first face off against Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro before traveling 45 minutes northwest to Vanderbilt University in Nashville. In its last homestand, Rice defeated TAMUCC handily before dropping a close contest against Elon University after blowing a 3-1 lead. The Owls are now 6-2 on the year. The matches this weekend will be the first of a month-long set of away contests, with the team returning home on Mar. 5.

The men’s basketball team will also be facing FIU and FAU this weekend, but will be traveling to Miami and Boca Raton, respectively, for its games. That’s bad news for Rice, because the team is 8-6 at Tudor Fieldhouse this year, compared to just 2-9 at opponents’ arenas. The Owls split a pair of contests last weekend, losing 92-85 to Western Kentucky University in double overtime before defeating Marshall University 74-69. While Rice’s offense is No. 4 in the conference with 75.8 points per game, its defense is No. 12 of 14 teams, giving up 78.5 points per game.

difference

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IN PEOPLE’S LIVES.

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WE WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN TEACHERS

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We’re IDEA Public Schools, and we’re hiring people just like you. People who are driven to innovate and collaborate to change education for the better. People who don’t settle for the status quo.

People who have high expectations for themselves and thrive in a high-growth, high-reward environment. And most importantly, people who are united in the belief that every child has the potential to succeed in college and in life. By 2022, we’ll serve 100,000 students at 173 schools across

regions. As we grow, you grow – at IDEA, your professional potential is limitless.

Explore your future at ideapublicshools.org/careers.

Join our community at fb.com/IDEACareers.

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019 • 19

want to launch a tech startup? spend the summer getting your idea off the ground

owlspark applications open: february 18 – March 3 OwlSpark is a premier accelerated learning experience for promising startup teams to validate and refine business models in preparation for launch.

OwlSpark helps build and shape entrepreneurial capacity by providing a robust curriculum, co-working space, and a diverse mentor network over the summer.

OwlSpark is open to students, staff, and faculty across all schools and all disciplines, as well as alumni within five years, who have an interest in building capacity as innovation-driven entrepreneurs.

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BACKPAGE

20 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2019

A few years ago, the New York Times published 36 questions that, according to a study by some psychologists, supposedly make you fall in love with your partner. But for improved results just in time for Valentine’s Day tomorrow, the Backpage presents the

16 Questions to Fall in Rice Love

Who has time for 36? You have midterms to study for! Grab that person you submitted a Rice Missed Encounter about and take turns reading the questions aloud as both of you answer them all. Good luck.

1. If you could invite anyone in the world to dinner, obviously it would be David Leebron. But which servery chef would cook up your special dish?

2. Would you like to be famous? If so, what would be the name you used in the adult film that propelled you to fame? Combine your hardest ;) class and your residential college (e.g. Vibrations Jones) 3. When you email professors, do you address them as Professor, Dr., or Daddy?

4. What would constitute a “perfect” public for you? Where would you find a DJ to hire that doesn’t have a history of killing the (barely existent) vibe at a Rice party?

5. Name five purity points you and your partner seem to have both lost in similar ways.

6. Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story without mentioning your major or how smart you were in high school.

7. What shared appliance do you value most in your friendship with your roommate?

8. If you could travel to one destination for midterm recess, would it be Austin, a state park, New Orleans, home or stay at Rice? Empirically, these are the ONLY options.

9. What is one rusticatable offense you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Plan with your partner how to circumvent SJP and just do it.

10. Compare college bingo scores with your partner. Minor leagues? Major?

11. Who are you voting for in the upcoming SA election? Are “joke” candidates actually part of a bigger picture of protesting the efficacy of student government? Discuss.

12. If you knew that all of your tetra was going to expire tonight suddenly, what would you spend it on today?

13. Why does Skyspace close at night? What are they hiding?

14. What’s the longest you’ve lasted at an OC party before cops shut it down or the floorboards collapse under the combined weight of all the freshmen?

15. What’s the shortest you’ve seen a belligerently drunk student last at a public?

16. So … after this conversation … what are we? This is the most extensive social interaction I’ve had in quite some time.

The Backpage is satire, written and designed by Simona “I’ll take you to the Candy Heart” Matovic. For comments or questions or to please be my valentine, email JamesJoyceLovesFarts@rice.edu

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WANTED

TEACH FOR TESTMASTERS! Dynamic and Energetic teachers wanted. Starting pay rate is $20 to $32 per hour. Flexible schedules. We provide all training, all training is paid, and we pay for travel. Email your resume to jobs@testmasters.com.

WANTED: FRENCH TUTOR FOR RICE ALUM. Hoping to meet 1-2x/week on campus for 45 minute lessons focusing on conversation skills. Currently at intermediate level French. Text Megan at 512-698-3482 with rate and availability. Merci!

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