VOLUME 104, ISSUE NO. 5 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
MOB LETS PRIDE FLY IN BAYLOR SHOW AMY QIN NEWS EDITOR
During halftime of the football game against Baylor University on Saturday, over 50 students and alumni from Rice and Baylor ran onto the football field bearing pride flags. The halftime show, organized by the Marching Owl Band, was a protest against Baylor’s discriminatory stance toward LGBTQ+ students, according to Chad Fisher, the public relations representative for the MOB. In late August, Baylor University President Linda Livingstone published a statement formally opposing premarital sex and homosexuality on the university official website. The statement came days before an LGBTQ+ student group, Gamma Alpha Upsilon, was denied their request for a charter, according to the Dallas Observer. “The university affirms the biblical understanding of sexuality as a gift from God,” its online statement reads. “Temptations to deviate from this norm include both heterosexual sex outside of marriage and homosexual behavior. It is thus expected that Baylor students will not participate in advocacy groups which promote understandings of sexuality that are contrary to biblical teaching.” During the halftime show, students carried eight different pride flags onto the field, representing the asexual, transgender, nonbinary, intersex, gay, lesbian, bisexual and pansexual communities and assembled into a formation spelling out the word P-R-I-D-E. In addition to Rice students and alumni, the participants also included four alumni from Baylor, according to Fisher, a Sid Richardson College senior. According to Izzie Karohl, who participated in the show, running onto the field was a liberating experience. “The Baylor folks booed when we asked them to reconsider their policy, but that’s as expected,” Karohl, a Will Rice College sophomore, said. “But the small cohort of Rice people were cheering. My [resident associates] were cheering. I think that’s all that really mattered to me.” According to Anna Conner, the vice president of Gamma Alpha Upsilon, reactions among Baylor students to the MOB’s halftime show have been mixed. “Dr. Livingstone, our president, was there to see it, which was amazing,” Conner, a senior at Baylor, said. “Mostly, people have been happy about it, but ... I’ve seen [others] complaining about it and booing during the performance under the pretense of them cheering for their sports team.” SEE MOB PAGE 3
katherine hui / THRESHER
Classes canceled belatedly after flooding, storms SAVANNAH KUCHAR ASST NEWS EDITOR
Tropical Depression Imelda hit Houston last week, bringing with it heavy rains and flash flood warnings starting Wednesday and reaching its peak on Thursday. Rice campus remained under normal operations up until midday Thursday. Rice’s Crisis Management Team announced that classes were canceled in a Rice Alert sent to the Rice community at 1:33 p.m. Thursday. Classes were then canceled on Friday as well, according to a Rice Alert sent at 10:35 p.m. on Thursday. In an email to President David Leebron, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, Interim Provost Seiichi Matsuda and the Thresher, Drew Axelson, a Wiess College junior, said that he was frustrated with how the administration responded to the
storm and flood conditions. “The fact that Rice contradicted city officials and did not cancel classes until hours after the city of Houston said not to travel is ridiculous and unacceptable,” Axelson said in his email. “Rice loves to tout its recent research on climate change, flooding in Houston, and Hurricane Harvey, but sits back while streets in and around campus turn to rivers after 45 minutes of heavy rain.” Gorman said that the initial decision to not cancel classes was a result of an incorrect forecast and Imelda’s unpredictable nature. “We decided to proceed with normal operations as the information at hand at that point indicated that while rain was likely, the storm was expected to move away from the city and toward the north and east,” Gorman said. “However, the rain began to intensify after 10 a.m., and reports of flooding
across the Houston area began to appear. [The Crisis Management Team] made the decision to cancel classes and related activities at 1:30 p.m. given the now serious incidents of flooding on campus and across greater Houston.” Loren Goddard, a junior at Hanszen College, said that the university should have considered the effects on off-campus students and canceled classes sooner. “It might be difficult for the university to know how bad the rain is going to get, but as an [off-campus] student it would have definitely been nice to know [that classes would be canceled] before I got to campus so I wouldn’t have to worry about my safety on the way home,” Goddard said. Axelson said that his car flooded earlier this school year while sitting in West Lot 4 and with the conditions on Thursday, he was worried about this SEE IMELDA PAGE 2
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Moody Center’s exhibit shoots for the stars ARELI NAVARRO MAGALLON THRESHER STAFF
Friday’s classes may have been belatedly canceled, but not even Tropical Depression Imelda could halt the launching of the Moody Center for the Arts’ latest exhibit: “Moon Shot.” Despite torrential downpour, the opening reception turned out a sizable crowd of visitors eager to partake in the Moody Center’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing. This show is, however, by no
means Rice University’s first contact with the moon. Houston’s nickname, Space City, exists in large part thanks to our university’s formative collaborations with NASA. “Moon Shot” greets visitors with a nod to Rice’s unique legacy by displaying an excerpt from John F. Kennedy’s stirring 1962 Rice Stadium speech. Here, the late president lauds Rice University, Houston and Texas in the same breath with his bold declaration. “No nation which expects to be the leader of other nations can expect to stay behind in the race for space.”
According to Alison Weaver, the Moody Center not only asserts Rice’s role within this historical context, but that of the arts as well. “We hope to add artists to the list of experts, and to complement these citywide events [that commemorate the moon landing anniversary] by exploring the impact of the moon landing on the visual and performing arts,” Weaver, executive director of the Moody Center, said. “Moon Shot” begins by framing the moon landing with a familiar historical slant. SEE MOON
SHOT PAGE 8
THE RICE THRESHER
2 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
NEWS Fall Hanszen public uses copyrighted logo tradition at Hanszen Hanzen Public’s Logo bears a that hopefully people can continue doing striking resemblence to years past us.” TikTok’s Lights Out Tour As the first fall public party in the last four years, the social chairs met some challenges setting up “Lights Out,” including the use of a copyrighted logo from video platform TikTok’s Lights Out summer tour on its merchandise and publicity. The logo, which is a neon-outlined broken lightbulb, was used in the Facebook post for the event, as BRIAN LIN well as in tank-tops that were sold FOR THE THRESHER as merchandise leading up to the Hanszen College hosted “Lights event. Although there was a copyright Out: Don’t Sleep on Hanszen,” infringement, it appears unlikely described as a “pajama party you that TikTok will act against Hanszen, don’t want to miss” on Facebook according to Murrell. “I think this company’s not gonna with music from “three of the best DJs on campus.” As Hanszen’s first take action against a nonprofit like fall public party in the last four years, Rice University,” Murrell, a senior, “Lights Out” was meant to change up said. “It’s not like we were trying to the Hanszen party scene, according take their logo and make a billion to Jeremiah Murrell, a Hanszen social dollars off it. We thought the logo was cool for our party and we used it to sell chair and senior. “Hanzsen’s basically a new kind [merchandise] for our party.” After the merchandise was made of space, we have new magister, new things are happening, we’re about available, Hanszenites began making to get a new building. So we wanted the connection between the “Lights to start something new,” Murrell Out” logo and TikTok’s logo, making said. “We wanted to start this new self-deprecating jokes about “our
TikTok party”, according to Ari Vilker, a Hanszen freshman. “I was walking with a couple of friends and then [someone said] ‘Wait, isn’t that just the TikTok theme?’” Vilker said. “And then they showed me and I’m like, it’s kinda similar.”
I think this company’s not gonna take action against a nonprofit like Rice. Jeremiah Murrell HANSZEN COLLEGE SENIOR “Lights Out” was not the only time a copyrighted logo was used on campus, according to Marcus Thompson, a sophomore and social chair at Hanszen, who pointed out that references to pop culture are frequently used in Orientation Week and Beer Bike merchandise, such as with “Beeryoncé” and “Spongebob Squarepints.” “If you look at Beer Bike themes and stuff like that, a lot of those that they make [merchandise] for — Baker [College Beer Bike] last year they were ‘Drank and Josh,’” Thompson said. “A lot of that is copyright. But it’s on such a small scale that it’s not really a problem.”
IMELDA FROM PAGE 1 happening to him again. “I walked through the water to check on my car in West Lot, and saw many students and staff doing the same,” Axelson wrote. “For many students and underpaid [Housing and Dining] and facilities staff, our cars are our greatest asset, and we all know they’re not safe from flooding in Rice’s parking lots.” According to Eric Rodriguez, the student maintenance representative for Will Rice College, leaks began in the Old Dorm ground floor and in one of the windows in the commons due to Thursday’s heavy rainfall. Student-run businesses on campus shut down. Some exams on Thursday and Friday were postponed as well, including the first General Chemistry test, originally scheduled for Thursday night from 7-9 p.m. The test was initially rescheduled for Friday, but then moved again to Saturday morning from
9-11 a.m. Tests scheduled for Thursday morning were not moved, however. The storm also caused the roof of a U.S. Postal Service sorting and distribution center in North Houston to collapse, which led to delays in the delivery of packages to campus, according to Joyce Bald, the Hanszen college coordinator. Gorman said that she and the administration are open to feedback about how they handled this situation and will consider it in similar situations in the future. According to Gorman, she will be meeting with leadership from the Student Association early next week regarding student feedback. “The safety, security and wellbeing of the Rice community is our first priority during a significant weather event,” Gorman said. “Any time our campus experiences such an event, we review what happened and ask ourselves how we might improve our response.”
Anna TA / THRESHER
Various parts of campus began to flood due to heavy rains from Tropical Depression Imelda, which prompted class cancellations.
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 • 3
Students attend, protest Trump-Modi rally in Houston KAVYA SAHNI FOR THE THRESHER On Sunday morning, multiple Rice students joined thousands of attendees at a rally held for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, while several other Rice students attended a protest outside the event, which was held at NRG Stadium. Modi spoke about the recent events regarding the Jammu and Kashmir region, which has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan and the major focus of the protests attended by Rice students. Modi’s speech came less than two months after the decision to revoke Article 370 from the Indian Constitution, withdrawing the special status conferred on the Jammu and Kashmir region. Article 370 had provided Jammu and Kashmir with special rights to legislate and other forms of autonomy. Before withdrawing this special status, India had sent thousands of troops into Jammu and Kashmir, cut off internet services and placed political leaders of the region under house arrest. Jiya Ghei, a Wiess College sophomore who attended the event, said that this wasn’t the first time Trump tried to gain the support
of the Indian American voter base, but it’s definitely the most successful he’s been. “Trump and Modi made very similar points in their respective speeches, and I think we witnessed a pretty strong friendship forming — they literally walked out holding hands,” Ghei said. “Personally, I think a lot of his border rhetoric mirrors Trump’s, which is one of the reasons he’s a polemic figure.” Around a dozen Rice students attended the protests held outside NRG stadium. Fadeel Khan, Daanish Sheikh and Alizay Azeem were among the students in attendance at the protest. Khan and Sheikh said they heard about the protests through the Muslim Student Association. “I’m an international student from Pakistan, so I’ve grown up looking at everything that’s been going on between Pakistan and India,” Khan, a Baker College freshman, said. “I was always passionate about my country but I was more passionate for all the humanitarian reasons, and I wanted to use my privilege for the good.” Shryans Goyal, a Will Rice College junior from New Delhi, India, said that Modi should have put the people of Kashmir first, and started by building trust. “The way [Modi] did it was he kept
courtesy fadeel khan
Rice students joined thousands of attendees at a rally held for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, while several other Rice students attended a protest outside the event.
everyone in the dark about what was going to happen in Kashmir and then put this curfew in place, and did not allow communications,” Goyal said. Modi said that Article 370 had deprived the people of Jammu and Kashmir from development. Residents of Jammu and Kashmir would now be given the same rights as the rest of India, according to Modi. With regard to the region of Jammu and Kashmir, Arav Singhal, a Will Rice sophomore from India, said Modi’s decision was reasonable and logical.
“I don’t see why it should have been given special status in the first place or why it still had special status for such a long time,” Singhal said. Alizay Azeem, a freshman at Wiess, said that she doesn’t think the situation in Kashmir is getting sufficient coverage. “Growing up in a Pakistani household, I did know about it,” Azeem said. “Especially with recent events — there’s been a lot of media blackout and lack of access to healthcare [with the] government crackdown in the area.”
Architecture hall enters predesign phase
FROM PAGE 1
RYND MORGAN ASST NEWS EDITOR
Fisher said the MOB had decided on “Star Wars” as the theme of their halftime show over the summer but realized during their show writing meeting that they wanted to also address Baylor’s statement on human sexuality. “We are so fortunate to be on such a diverse and accepting campus and wanted to leverage that privilege to support those who are fighting for the same on their campuses,” Fisher said. According to Fisher, the MOB posted in the class groups on Facebook asking for participants and donations and received an overwhelming response. In total, the MOB received over 70 flags for their show, all of which were donated by alumni and students. “One Rice [alumnus] even bought 32 flags for us!” Fisher said. Karohl said she learned about the show when a MOB member posted in the Rice Pride GroupMe. Karohl said her primary reason for participating in the show was to show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ students at Baylor, but that it also became a personally significant moment for her. “It was kind of thrilling to be out in a space [that] I care about,” Karohl said. “I grew up in Houston. My annual school rivalry game was in Rice Stadium, and the church I grew up going to is adjacent to Rice — we’d park in Greenbriar Lot. To come back to this place where I’d been closeted [and] ashamed and now be joyfully running around the field with a pride flag was an unbelievable transition.” After the show, Fisher said the MOB received an outpouring
Students, faculty and staff of the Rice School of Architecture met with Jeannette Kuo of the Swiss architecture firm Karamuk Kuo last week to discuss the potential design of Cannady Hall, a future expansion on the School of Architecture currently housed in Anderson Hall. Kuo spent the beginning of last week collecting feedback from faculty, staff and students. On Wednesday, she gave a presentation to the School of Architecture in which she collected more feedback from students in a Q&A segment. On Thursday, she met with students again and gathered more feedback.
I think that what for me is important though is to really understand ... how to best achieve that continuity in the sense of an institutional continuity. Jeannette Kuo ARCHITECT, KARAMUK KUO The location of Cannady Hall and whether or not it will be physically attached to Anderson Hall is still unknown, according to Kuo. “I think that what for me is important though is to really understand ... how to best achieve that continuity in the sense of an institutional continuity,” Kuo said in the Thursday meeting. According to Kuo, the predesign phase of Cannady Hall will last until late February 2020, with monthly visits to present to a committee which includes School of Architecture faculty, Facilities Engineering & Planning staff and administrative figures. Kuo said that all possible sites around Anderson Hall would be analyzed as potential locations, and that Cannady Hall may contain gallery space, fabrication space and work space. “We’re not at that stage of design yet where we know exactly what it’s going to be, even what type of
building or how big,” Kuo said in the presentation. Cannady Hall will be 20,000 square feet and has a tentative groundbreaking date of June 2020, according to a Rice News article from April. During the Wednesday presentation, Kuo said that one of the most frequent requests she received from the School of Architecture was a clear connection and sense of continuity between Anderson Hall and Cannady Hall. “However that new building is attached to Anderson Hall, [it] should be able to complement and enhance the activities that are happening here,” Kuo said. Kuo said the sense of community within the School of Architecture will also contribute to the design of Cannady Hall, saying that many students mentioned Rice’s Culture of Care in their feedback. “The space[s] of education usually are very much about the collective. It’s very much about how do we build a collective culture,” Kuo said in the Wednesday presentation. “Especially right now, in our political climate, I think that question is an important one, in terms of what … we cultivate in the spaces that we build, that enable a certain way of relating to each other.” Kuo also said that she would like to address staff and faculty concerns about the third-floor offices of Anderson Hall. “I think [they are] abominable,” Kuo said. “[The offices] don’t have light or air or views to the outside. In Switzerland this is illegal, and I can’t, as a responsible architect, allow that to happen in a space that I will have some sort of impact on.” Kuo said that she met with Richard Johnson, the director of the Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management, as part of the design process. According to Kuo, her background in Swiss construction and her observation of the impacts of past construction will contribute to incorporating sustainability into the design of Cannady Hall. “Those are things that are ingrained in the way we have to build in Switzerland, it’s already part of regulated practice there,” Kuo said in the Thursday meeting with students. “That’s also one of the things I understand we need to shine a spotlight on, especially in this country, I think the standards are relatively low, in terms of what sustainability means.”
MOB
of support and coverage through social media, including coverage by the Houston Chronicle. “We heard from so many Baylor and Rice alumni who were so appreciative of our show,” Fisher said. “To us it did exactly what we wanted: to celebrate acceptance and diversity at Rice and call attention to Baylor’s lack of recognition for their diverse campus.” Diana De La Torre, who also participated in the show, said she hopes the halftime show provokes thought among Baylor’s administration about changing their discriminatory policies. “I hope that Baylor seriously reconsiders their policies concerning LGBTQ+ students and that our students at Rice can feel reaffirmed in knowing that they have a community that stands by them on campus,” De La Torre, a Baker College junior, said. “I have browsed through social media and have seen many Baylor alums and current students express their gratitude towards our statement and it warms my heart that we were able to show solidarity with the Bears.” Conner said administrative change to recognizing Gamma Alpha Upsilon as an official club could make a world of difference to some LGBTQ+ students at Baylor. “As a club, we don’t exist to try to change anyone’s mind or shake up the status quo,” Conner said. “We’ve existed since 2011 and us gaining official recognition would change nothing for the majority of students on campus. But for the few people that need us and don’t know we exist or don’t feel safe enough to come to us yet, that change would mean the world to them.”
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THE RICE THRESHER
4 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
OPINION read more online:
STAFF EDITORIAL
Admin: stand with LGBTQ+ students
The last time the Marching Owls Band performed a halftime show at a football game against Baylor University, they formed a IX on the field to call out Baylor’s cover-up of a sexual assault scandal — and the Rice administration gave an official apology on behalf of the university. At Saturday’s show during the Rice-Baylor football game, the MOB again used their platform to support student interests. Over 50 Rice and Baylor students and alumni ran onto the football field, waving pride flags to stand with LGBTQ+ students at Baylor. And the Rice administration has so far been silent. The controversy surrounding Baylor’s policies toward its LGBTQ+ students began earlier this semester, when a student LGBTQ+ group was denied a charter for official university recognition. Nearly simultaneously, Baylor President Linda Livingstone released a statement reaffirming Baylor’s Christian ideological foundations and prohibiting Baylor students from participating in LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. Livingstone’s statement was not only hurtful, but it also contradicted some of Baylor’s other stances on sexuality. Baylor claims they offer support for LGBTQ+ students through their Title IX office,
counseling center, chaplain’s office and other sources. But if the university isn’t willing to give LGBTQ+ students the recognition of an official club, and the resources and funding that accompany that designation, then how can LGBTQ+ students at Baylor trust resources from the university claiming to help them? Instead of a statement condemning Livingstone’s statement, President David Leebron posted a picture of himself with her on Twitter with the caption, “Always love meeting up with one of my favorite university presidents” before the game on Saturday. In the past, the Rice administration has not shied from making public statements concerning MOB performances as shown by their highly publicized apology to Baylor in 2016. In the face of the overwhelming demonstration of solidarity for LGBTQ+ students from both the Rice and Houston communities, the Rice administration should make another public statement — this time, in support of the MOB and students of both Rice and Baylor. Rather than default to defensive statements in fear of backlash, the administration should actively seek opportunities to stand in solidarity with their students.
Rice’s Crisis Management Team can do better “A university that doesn’t listen to its students, staff or faculty is not an institution that Rice claims to be.” JUSTIN BISHOP & CHRISTINA RINCON
BROWN COLLEGE SENIORS
Kavanaugh has to go “How can a man who has been accused of assaulting and silencing women be the voice of the Constitution?” LILA GREINER
WILL RICE COLLEGE SOPHOMORE
Men need to do more to fight climate change “Being born into privilege doesn’t give you a fast pass for screwing people over for your own benefit or ignoring the issues that affect people who don’t have the cash to bail themselves out.” EZRA SMITH
SID RICHARDSON COLLEGE FRESHMAN
want to write your own opinion? we take submissions through email at thresher@rice.edu!
OPINION
I reported. Rice and SJP still let him graduate.
Content warning: The following opinion piece is about sexual assault. The last time I wrote an opinion piece like this, I had just been sexually assaulted. I was in a terrible place, and I stayed in that terrible place for months and months, unable to break the walls that the sexual assault had put between me and my closest friends. After months spent feeling inadequate and worthless, I decided that my pain was significant enough to justify some form of retribution, so I reported my assault to Student Judicial Programs, hoping that, in speaking up, I might be able to prevent someone else from feeling the jumbled way that I felt after the assault. My SJP case dragged on for months. My rapist slowed the proceedings at every turn. He asked for extensions on each statement that he was required to submit. He accused me of sexual assault, in a retaliatory and ridiculous attempt to extend the timeline of the case, trying to buy himself time to find innocence in his guilt — the charges against me were dismissed. After months, he was found guilty and he was suspended, starting at the beginning of the spring semester. I had won. It was all over. I spent the following semester in a state of bliss: finally, I wouldn’t see him anymore. I wouldn’t break down anymore. There was one fewer rapist on Rice’s campus. Or so I thought. Last week, 10 months after the decision was made, I learned that my rapist was able
to squeeze himself through a loophole in SJP’s process. He had never been suspended. Instead, he graduated early, skipping the entire spring semester, and thereby avoiding his suspension. He received a diploma, with all the rights and responsibilities that a degree from Rice confers.
When Rice handed him a degree, they handed him a certification that what he had done was fine. If a student is suspended due to circumstances of sexual misconduct, they are not automatically readmitted to the university after the duration of their suspension. They are required to reapply, and, to be readmitted, they must show that they grew or changed during their time away from Rice. They must show that they recognize their wrongs. My rapist avoided this reckoning. He was able to graduate, still believing that he was in the right. When Rice handed him a degree, they handed him a certification that what he had done was fine. Rice administrators had interrogated all parties involved. They read pages and pages of witness accounts. They knew the intimate details of my case. They decided that he was in the wrong, that he was not deserving to be a Rice student, based on the rules and expectations set out in the
“Student Code of Conduct”. And then they let him graduate anyway. Students are told repeatedly that a Rice degree is more than just a degree. It means that you are hardworking, that you are capable, that you are conscientious. It apparently, though, says nothing about whether or not you are a rapist. Today, if anyone were to ask about what happened to my rapist, why he wasn’t around last semester, they’d find out that he graduated early. Maybe they’d be impressed that this Rice student was able to complete his degree requirements early. They certainly wouldn’t know that he graduated early because he was found guilty of sexually assaulting me. An administrator claimed that they did this to protect the Rice community. But I did what I did to protect the Rice community, to take down this man so that other students would know to stay away from him, so that he wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else like he hurt me. It is both offensive and vile that Rice administrators would give him an apparent cloak of innocence and call it protection. Their decision protects no one except the administrators who made it. It always seems easier in the moment to avoid problems, to keep them out of sight, maybe to hand over a degree and sign off on responsibility. Of course, avoiding problems just creates worse messes later on. I’m here to create one of those messes. The way that Rice University dealt with me was unacceptable. The way that Rice
University dealt with my rapist was worse. Initiating a case through SJP is already unimagineably difficult; survivors of sexual assault shouldn’t need to be worried about the internal politics of a university so consumed with protecting its reputation that it is unwilling to protect survivors. I will meet with anyone, I will talk about my case and I will fight to make this process better. To the administrators involved in the series of decisions that allowed my rapist to graduate: you fucked up. The only way you can attempt to clean up this disaster is by never allowing this to happen again. The last time I wrote an op like this, my rapist read it and mockingly quoted my own words in his statement to SJP. So, assuming that you, my rapist, are still an avid reader of the Thresher, I’d like to speak directly to you. Rice may have let you off the hook, but I certainly have not. I will continue to fight for my own personal form of justice. Today, “justice” means a very different thing from what it meant in November. Now, justice means fighting for current and future survivors of sexual assault. You messed me up, and I’m still working through the repercussions of that — but I’m going to do my best to make sure that no other survivor ever has to watch their rapist walk out of the Sallyport ever again. That’s my promise to you.
Editor’s Note: The author of this opinion, a Rice University alumnus, was granted anonymity to protect their identity. All claims are fact-checked in advance.
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OPINION
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2018 • 5
THE RICE THRESHER
6 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
FEATURES
Senior Spotlight: Sid Richardson College senior Jason Mendez for him. Mendez is a first-generation college student, which made the college application process difficult to navigate. Since his family wasn’t familiar with the process, he was alone in figuring it out. But ultimately, Mendez said he is proud to be the first in his family to go to college. “Hopefully I’m setting a good example for my little brother,” Mendez said. Being a first-generation college student wasn’t the only challenge that Mendez faced. Despite attending a college close to home, transitioning to Rice life was hard for Mendez.
CHANNING WANG / THRESHER
Jason Mendez, a Sid Richardson College senior, is majoring in geophysics. After college, he hopes to stay in Houston to continue to support his family.
IVANKA PEREZ FEATURES EDITOR
When it’s time to meet up with Jason Mendez, he’s still rushing back to campus. He has just come back from Katy, where his family lives. It’s easy to tell that Mendez’s family is important to him. Mendez, a Sid Richardson College senior, visits his family about once a month. Usually it’s just his mother and younger brother, but he said he tries to visit whenever his stepdad returns from his job in West, Texas. Mendez said being at Rice enables him to visit home more often. “[My mom] wanted me to come here,” Mendez said. Mendez’s mother, who is a huge part of his life today, played a central role in
his childhood. Before his mom met his stepdad, she was his only family. Since their family was so small, Mendez often accompanied his mom to jobs cleaning houses around Los Angeles, before they eventually moved to Houston. Mendez said some of his favorite childhood memories are from tagging along on his mom’s jobs. His mom cleaned houses for some of Los Angeles’ wealthy residents, so he spent many afternoons in luxurious houses. One of his mom’s clients owned a McDonald’s franchise, and the house was filled with Ronald McDonald figurines. “I remember being really excited to go to their house and play with those McDonald’s figurines,” Mendez said. “I always thought it was fun to go work with her.” Although Mendez appreciates his background, he said it also posed challenges
[Transitioning to Rice life] took a while because I’m really close to my family. It felt really weird because I [always used to be] at home. Jason Mendez SID RICHARDSON COLLEGE SENIOR “It took a while because I’m really close to my family,” Mendez said. “It felt really weird because I [always used to be] at home.” Mendez’s close proximity to home has allowed him to stay involved in family matters. Recently, the federal government shut down the program allowing Mendez’s stepdad to stay in the United States via work permit. Once the permit expires, the federal government offers workers a six-month grace period before they are required to leave. His stepdad’s permit expires at the end of this month. Since Mendez’s mother is now a citizen, she and Mendez have been working to keep
his stepdad in the country. But if they fail, he must move back to El Salvador. “I’ve been helping out a lot with the legal paperwork,” Mendez said. “Now it’s just a waiting game.” Mendez’s academic experience also differs from most. After attending GeoFORCE, a University of Texas, Austin geoscience outreach program, Mendez entered Rice intending to study geophysics. But Mendez soon found that the geophysics program at Rice was small — so small, in fact, that he has only ever met one other geophysics major, who was a few years above him, in his time here. Although Mendez takes classes that are cross-listed as undergraduate and graduate courses, he said he is always the only undergraduate in the classroom. “I don’t know any other [current] geophysics majors,” Mendez said. “I think I’m the only one, unless there’s a freshman who’s planning on doing it.” After graduating, Mendez isn’t sure what he wants to do. He said he’s deciding between graduate school and going into industry to do seismic data processing, data analysis or imaging. But he’s hesitant to join an industry that contributes to climate change. “[I’d be] working with companies that are known to hide that kind of stuff,” Mendez said. However, Mendez is sure of one thing: After graduation, he wants to stay in Houston. With his stepdad’s work permit still in question, he said he wants to be close to his family so he can continue to support them. Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in Senior Spotlights, a series intended to explore the stories of graduating seniors, who are chosen at random to participate.
Taste of Home: Turning the Tables GRACE KNEIDEL FOR THE THRESHER
For many students, one of the hardest parts of coming to Rice is leaving behind home-cooked meals. Rice may not be able to clone your grandma (yet), but they may be able to reproduce her cooking, thanks to Housing and Dining’s new program, Taste of Home. While Taste of Home has only recently been formalized, the idea behind it isn’t new, according to Johnny Curet, director of campus dining. For years, chefs across campus have been asking students for recipe ideas and suggestions. But thanks to Curet as well as Susann Glenn and Kyle Hardwick, getting and sharing student input has become more streamlined. “It’s for students to reach out to us and say ‘Hey, can you make something like this?’” Curet said. “[Taste of Home] started as a way for people to get to know us and to make them not feel so homesick.” Glenn, director of communications for administration, said she hopes the ability to submit family recipes through the program makes students feel comfortable and welcome. Taste of Home also helps to ensure that a variety of different foods are being served during any given week. Curet said chefs write their own menus each week, and the student input inspires chefs to test out new recipes or play with different flavor combinations. “What I’ve always told the students is, ‘We’re here to cook for you,’” Hardwick, assistant dining director, said. “I don’t want to cook the same thing all the time, and you
don’t want to eat the same thing all the time, so what do you want to eat?” The first dish officially prepared through Taste of Home was a Jamaican beef curry. According to Hardwick, a student submitted the curry recipe and suggested it be served with coconut rice and fried plantains. Souschef Tony Cadaing and the team at Seibel Servery prepared the recipe exactly as the student had suggested, down to the diagonal cut of the plantains. Hardwick said the team was so pleased with the result that they might make the dishes again. Mikayla Hurley, a Lovett College freshman, submitted the curry recipe and said she enjoyed having the opportunity to share some of her family’s cooking with the Rice community. “My mom is from Jamaica and curry is a dish that never fails to comfort and please my family,” Hurley said. “It is one of those things that makes me feel so at home and content. I texted my mom as soon as I saw it being served in the servery and she was super excited!” Students can submit recipes online or simply talk to a chef, according to Glenn. Any and all recipes are welcome, and the more detail the better: Serving suggestions, pictures and spice substitutions, for example, are all greatly appreciated. H&D wants to create an environment where students feel welcome to try new foods and share their inputs with chefs. “We want students to be happy,” Glenn said. “That’s our goal.” Submit recipes online: http://dining. rice.edu/undergraduate-dining/college-serveries/a-taste-of-home/ illustration BY Milkessa Gaga
FEATURES
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 • 7
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ACROSS 1) well-known owl 7) frequently precedes a haw 10) govt. org. for whistleblowers 11) basketball court sponsor surname 13) off campus abbr., twice 14) you might strike one 15) raptor’s foot 17) Slide into someone’s DMs, perhaps 18) a drop of golden sun 19) org. for lawyers 20) the Dragon Warrior 21) protestant denomination that rests on Saturdays, abbr. 25) center of delay 27) exposure lim.s set by 10 28) __ tu Brute? 29) fragrant green goop 32) gift given to Billy Ray Cyrus by Lil Nas X 33) a flock of Rice students, perhaps DOWN 1) often paired with a holler 2) boujie lettuce 3) Central Asian wild dog 4) Baylor stomping ground 6) red-orange tropical fruit 7) Beyonce’s birthplace, slangily 8) Weasleys’ infirm pet 9) homework shirker’s lazy excuse 12) you would get points off a presentation for saying this 20) oft-requested addition to steps 21) spouses, for Mario 22) she desires, in Lima 23) it goes off before class 26) hushed vid. 28) electronic cargo tracking notice, abbr.; 30) when paired with qué, “what’s up?” in Spain 31) OPEC nation
THE RICE THRESHER
8 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
channing wang / THRESHER
“Moon Shot” includes an innovative and diverse array of artisitc mediums including an interactive virtual reality experience, sculpture, collage and other forms of mixed media.
MOON SHOT FROM PAGE 1 A dominant narrative entrenched in the collective cultural imagination, this version of the moon landing is at best an idealistic expression of manifest destiny and technological prowess. At worst, it reflects an insatiable American imperialism and romanticized nationalism. The Moody Center does not hover here for long, however. What could have easily remained a predictable expression of “progress” and NASA idolatry takes off in different, compelling directions. Deliberate curatorial decisions shift the exhibition’s focus to include truly varying perspectives and visual iterations of the moon’s allure. “As a source of creative inspiration, the moon landing affected artists of all backgrounds, and the exhibition seeks to reflect that,” Weaver said. The most striking example of this can be found in the exhibit’s second gallery, where, from the outset, visitors are confronted with lyrics from Gil Scott-Heron’s 1970 song “Whitey on the Moon.” Suddenly, celebration becomes accusation, as the song represents oft-ignored opposition to space exploration. Though it reads as a poem and is treated as a work in its own right, Heron’s scathing words arguably function as the curatorial intervention that informs readers’ assessment of the art. If one begins their trajectory with this piece — I highly recommend doing so — the cynicism expressed becomes a useful lens through which to complicate the rest of the show. The details in Robert Rauschenberg’s awe-inspiring lithographic series, for example, can then be parsed through more critically. Visitors’ eyes may be more keen to recognize the latent trepidation in Rauschenberg’s distortion of and connection between images of space and war. Interestingly, the Moody Center offers no overarching, introductory text in this second, most populated space. Visitors are afforded an unusual degree of liberty and trust, allowing for multiple readings such as these to flourish.
Importantly, the art historical icons featured in “Moon Shot,” namely Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol, are not granted primacy over their counterparts. Though no less interesting, their particular sensibilities have been canonically exhausted; the Moody Center’s successful and thorough incorporation of their voices amid a universe of other dialoguing artists is particularly admirable. Despite not being name-dropped in promotional text, all the artists featured in “Moon Shot” carry their own weight. One such artist is Katy Schimert, whose work explores lunar meaningmaking from a gendered perspective. Interested in diverting from masculine narratives of exploit, Schimert addresses the topic more intimately, considering the moon’s influences on the female experience. She spoke briefly at Friday’s public opening, reflecting on the moon’s symbolic parallels with women’s power (and lack thereof) in history. “The thing about being in a position that is not dominant, but reflective, is that you have ways of answering through humor while being a little bit insidious,” Schimert said. Overall, “Moon Shot” features many women, again proving that an art institution has much to gain — specifically the reward of producing a nuanced, quality show — from conscientious curation. It is telling that a self-professed space hater has run out of room in her praise of “Moon Shot.” Several opportunities to engage with virtual reality, spectacular use of color (from both artists and curators) and even a tasteful touch of poetry — there’s no way to fit it all in! What’s clear is that “Moon Shot” has brought the Moody Center one giant step closer to becoming a leading player in the Houston arts scene. “Moon Shot” will be on display at the Moody Center until Dec. 21. The Moody Center is open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday Saturday and admission is always free.
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HUSTLERS Review: “Hustlers” fights stigma with sisterhood “There is something powerful about the reversal of gender dynamics and power roles to be reversed — for a group of women to band together and almost succeed despite their circumstances. While “Hustlers” isn’t flawless, it is still a must-see.”— Taylor Crain
AD ASTRA Review: “Ad Astra” falls short of the stars “Thankfully, the visual effects are fantastic, drawing viewers into its otherworldly environments without calling attention to itself. The set design also aids in upholding this suspension of disbelief, making the film’s vision of the future an envisionable reality.” — Michael VerMeulen
Review: ‘Charli’ embraces its creator’s contradictions PHOTO COURTESY ATLANTIC RECORDS
JACOB TATE
2017 mixtape “Pop 2.” These singles not only dampened down the anticipation for “Charli,” but also serve as the weakest moments in the album. After three phenomenal tracks, the sickly-sweet synths Genre: Alternative / Indie of “1999” ruin the robotic and melancholy mood the album works so hard to establish. Top Track: ‘White Mercedes’ “Blame It On Your Love” lands smack-dab in the middle of the album, disrupting the flow entirely. The good news is that those two singles are the only skips on the album. Every other song explores different parts of the After a few melancholic arpeggios Charli XCX persona in a new, creative way. on album opener “Next Level Charli,” On “Thoughts,” Aitchinson desperately Charli XCX delivers the album thesis over wonders “Did I fuck it up / Are my friends increasingly intense instrumentation: really friends now / Or are they far gone?” “I go hard, I go fast / I never look back.” while on “Warm” she coyly sings “You When “Charli” sticks by this aggressively gotta tell me the reason /Why we can’t futuristic promise, it thrives as another fall in love.” On album standout “White incredible installment in a discography that Mercedes,” Aitchinson returns to her earnest has recently been pushing, as of late, the melancholy in lamenting an undeserved lost love that is undeserved and lost. definition of pop music. “White Mercedes” is “Charli,” released difficult to listen to on Sept. 13, is in the way all honest Charlotte Aitchinson’s anthems of hurt are. third studio album Between Aitchinson’s It joins the last few under the Charli XCX solo ventures and her years’ pantheon moniker, following of emotionally her 2014’s pop-punk collaborations, she has devastating songs crossover “Sucker.” finally crafted an album about white cars But Aitchinson has that feels completely (“White Ferrari,” been far from inactive true to herself. “White Mustang.”). over the last half While “Charli” -decade. In 2016, she made a critical decision in linking up with shows off Aitchinson’s personal songwriting London-based PC Music, a collective of chops, what is even more impressive is musicians led by A. G. Cook that sought her ability to utilizese collaborators as a to stretch the limits of pop music to means to refine her own story. Christine absurdity. In the last three years, Charli and the Queens provide a vocal and lyrical XCX has released an EP, two mixtapes and counterplay in “Gone,” another anthem a smattering of singles inspired by this new of lost love, while “Cross You Out” brings sad-girl extraordinaire Sky Ferreira out abrasive, boundary-pushing music style. “Charli” is the natural climax of all of her musical hiatus to harmonize over of Aitchinson’s work towards becoming, mutual sadness. Sivan even gets his own simultaneously and contradictorily, a redemption arc in his feature on “2099.” genuine artist and a pop music machine. Aitchinson is also content to cede the Cook’s production work on all but one spotlight, as she does in pseudo-posse-rap track creates a perfect industrial and avant- cuts “Click” and “Shake It” to Kim Petras and garde tableau for Aitchinson to express Big Freedia, respectively. What’s interesting everything from modern devotionals about Aitchinson’s collaborators, though, is (“Silver Cross”) to hyper futuristic fantasies how often they are indistinguishable from (“2099”). After a studio album that even her — Ferreira, HAIM and especially Clairo Aitchinson recognized as feeling “fake,” require a great deal of effort to differentiate “Charli” remains true to the contradictory themselves from Aitchinson. This makes artist behind it, earning its status as a self- the album universalizing in a sense — it is a collection of incredibly talented women titled album. The run-up to “Charli,” however, was as telling their similar stories through “Charli.” Between Aitchinson’s solo ventures and messy as the raucous, futuristic production that Aitchinson has embraced in recent her collaborations, she has finally crafted an years. Lead singles “1999,” which features album that feels completely true to herself. Troye Sivan, and “Blame It On Your Love,” It is an exciting and fulfilling ride listening which features Lizzo, gained commercial to “Charli,” an album of an artist finally success, but at the expense of being bland reaching the studio album potential they’ve compositions with awkwardly tacked- hinted at for years. Don’t judge this album on features. “Blame It On Your Love” off the singles — in fact, skip them entirely is especially insulting to fans, as it is a — and dive into Aitchinson’s beautiful storm shameless, uninspired pop reimagination of love, bling, pills and chaos. “Charli” is available on all major music of one of Charli XCX’s most innovative and beautiful songs, “Track10” off of her streaming platforms. FOR THE THRESHER
CHARLI
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 • 9
A screen cap from “Hot Grease” (2017), directed by Sam Wainwright Douglas, Paul Lovelace and Jessica Wolfson. COURTESY citizens’ environmental coalition
Houston GREEN Film Series brings biodiesel awareness BRIAN LIN FOR THE THRESHER
The Houston GREEN Film Series hosted a screening and a panel discussion of “Hot Grease” at the Rice Media Center last Wednesday. The documentary draws attention to biodiesel, a renewable source of energy that can be made from soybean oil and recycled cooking oil, that turns leftover grease from deep fryers into fuel that can power 18-wheeler trucks. Filmed in Houston, “Hot Grease” documents the struggles of environmentalists and entrepreneurs trying to make biodiesel a viable fuel,
KTRU 101: Profs on the air
carving out their niche in an industry dominated by traditional petroleum. As the biodiesel advocacy groups raced down the halls of the nation’s capital to gain legislative backing, biodiesel pioneers crisscrossed the nation’s energy capital, Houston, to gather used grease and turn it into fuel. After the film, a three-person panel took questions from the audience, ranging from the specifics of biodiesel performance to the environmental impact of biodiesel. Jody Gibson, who teaches a biodieselrelated course at the Energy Institute High School, commented on the variety of feedstock that can make biodiesel fuel.
When you hear the word KTRU, you may imagine the radio station’s iconic yellow and black stickers adorning laptops, eclectic music tastes and quirky on-campus concerts like the annual Outdoor Show. While KTRU is steeped in undergraduate student culture and primarily run by them, the radio station is also an outlet for faculty members to support the Houston music scene and celebrate often-neglected music genres. Richard Johnson (Will Rice College ’92) is the director of the Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management at Rice and host of his own KTRU show. As an avid music lover, he began listening to KTRU in high school and it was one of the main reasons he wanted to attend Rice, where he eventually earned his bachelor’s. When Johnson moved back to Houston in 2000 when his wife began working at Rice, a student encouraged him to become a part of KTRU again. He now runs the “Americana” show on Wednesdays from 9 p.m. - 10 p.m. “The ‘Americana’ show explores the roots and history of American music across a broad spectrum of genres,” Johnson said. Johnson said his favorite part of the show is the ability to curate and share unique sets with his audience.
“Often I’ll take a particular theme as a point of departure, such as work, or food, or space or the year 1963 — the final moments before Beatlemania,” Johnson said. Stephen Bradshaw, an associate professor of physics and astronomy, is the host of specialty show Cool Britannia. After he finished his term as Baker College resident associate, Bradshaw was encouraged to join the station by KTRU’s then-operations director Rachel Bui. He had his first general shift in 2017. In spring 2018, Bradshaw began hosting “Cool Britannia” which currently airs Thursdays from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. In his words, definitely no Coldplay and no Ed Sheeran. “As its name suggests, I play music from across the pond that I enjoy and has most heavily influenced my life in some way,” Bradshaw said. He primarily plays music from the late ’80s and ’90s, which includes Madchester, baggy, shoegaze, rave, Britpop and other dance genres. Both professors were thrilled with the return of KTRU’s original call letters, which had been sold in 2010. Johnson expressed his excitement that KTRU is thriving. “Beyond the call letters, it really does feel as if KTRU is back and relevant again. Ninety-nine people applied to be trained as new DJs this fall, which is a level of interest that I’ve not seen since probably 1992,” Johnson said. “For students, KTRU offers the opportunity to become a leader or entrepreneur in a cultural organization with over a half a century of history. How cool is that?” This article has been condensed for print. To read the full story, visit ricethresher.org.
stephen bradshaw
richard johnson
NAOMI WENTZ THRESHER STAFF
“There might be a different solution for different locations. If you’re in a tropical country that has a lot of coconuts, why not use coconut biodiesel?” Gibson said. “One of the downsides of biodiesel is that it has a gelling point that is limiting for certain conditions ... if you’re living in Minnesota, you may not want to use coconut biodiesel. ” Gibson talked about a biodiesel project he made with his high school students to tackle the issue of gelling, where biodiesel coagulates when it gets too cold, which ended as an extraordinary field trip. “[We] came up with a device that you can install in a fuel tank and operate like a blender and make sure those chunks don’t go down your fuel line,” Gibson said. “We took that as a prototype to [the Massachusetts Institute of Technology which was] of course a once-in-a-lifetime experience right there.” Chris Powers (Jones College ’90), who runs one of the few biodiesel stations in Houston, also spoke on his business. “What you just saw is my life for the past 20 years. My company ... Houston Biodiesel, has been putting biodiesel in people’s vehicles for 20 years,” Powers said. “The business that is increasing is selling biodiesel to chemical companies, using an environmental[ly] friendly base of biodiesel, instead of diesel or kerosene.” The environmental impact of using biodiesel cannot be overstated — compared to running pure diesel fuel, running pure biodiesel can lead to a 70 percent hydrocarbon reduction, a 50 percent net particulate reduction (which are small soot particles visible as “the black smoke”) and a net carbon dioxide saving of 80 percent, according to Powers. Although Powers congratulated the filmmakers for how accurately they described working with biodiesel, he noted one vital detail the film got wrong. “[I liked] how accurate [the film] was, how it really portrayed what it’s like to
get out there to collect oil, the grease from the restaurants,” Powers said. “There [are] some things wrong with it, too. I remember one point one of the companies said, ‘The only place to buy biodiesel in Houston.’ I’m like, uh, I’ve been doing that for 20 years!”
The business that is increasing is selling biodiesel to chemical companies using an environmental[ly] friendly base. Chris Powers HOUSTON BIODIESEL OWNER Alicia Mein-Johnson, who works with the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, spoke about her role in bringing this film to the Rice Media Center as part of the Houston GREEN Film Series. “Every third Wednesday of the month we host a GREEN film here at the Rice Media Center; it’s free, we sometimes have donuts, we sometimes have a food truck,” Mein-Johnson said. “You need to come Oct. 16 [for the] Wild About Houston Green Film Festival. There should be about 30 films from 30 local filmmakers and we are looking for filmmakers.” Mein-Johnson also encourages Rice filmmakers to get involved. “We want you to help us make films for our community,” she said. “We’ll show them on YouTube, we’ll use them for promotion at one of our local nonprofits.” The Houston GREEN Film Series will continue at the Rice Media Center every third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. Screenings are free to the public.
THE RICE THRESHER
10 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
SPORTS COURTESY maria lysaker / RICE ATHLETICS
‘FAST, ATHLETIC, EMOTIONAL’ MADISON BUZZARD SPORTS EDITOR
Conference USA Player of the Year 6x C-USA Offensive Player of the Week No. 3 in Rice history in kills per set (3.96)
For her groundbreaking play during the first four weeks of the season, junior outside hitter Nicole Lennon has been named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week four times. No other player in Rice history has earned that award four times in an entire season. According to Lennon, staking her claim in Owls history creates an evolving challenge. “I have been very fortunate to have earned accolades throughout my volleyball career in recognition of the hard work I’ve put in during both practice and competition,” Lennon said. “To know that my constant training is paying off ... makes me feel really happy and appreciated. Overall, though, the best thing about earning awards for my performance is that they motivate me to beat my own personal best.” Last season, Lennon earned C-USA Player of the Year. Lennon entered this year ranked No. 3 in Rice history in kills per set (3.76), but she is on pace to climb the Owls’ leaderboard. Lennon ranks No. 8 nationally in kills per set (5.12) after Rice’s 11-1 start to the season, and has helped the Owls to their first top-25 ranking (No. 22 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll) in team history. Lennon said her athleticism provides an advantage when she attempts to kill the ball. “The words I would use to describe my play style are fast, athletic and emotional,” Lennon said. “Something that gives me, and my teammates, an edge over our competitors is our ‘fast arms,’ which means we follow through on our swings so fast that the opposing team has trouble defending them.” When it comes to challenging her opponents on the court, Lennon said adrenaline fuels her game. “Something that I think separates me from a lot of volleyball players is the emotional aspect of my play style,” Lennon said. “Each play of the game affects my emotions a lot … I am able to use my anger, excitement, sadness,
joy and pride all to my advantage. Channeling my emotions into every play makes it really easy for me to get pumped up, and to pump up my teammates in the process.” Off the court, Lennon said she sometimes struggles to balance academics with athletics, due to Rice’s rigorous practice and game schedule. “I think what a lot of non-athlete students don’t know is actually how much commitment our sport requires,” Lennon said. “We usually have at least two hours of practice a day, and that is not including at least two more hours of treatments, lifting, film-watching and more. During season, we are on the road four days or more of every two weeks. I have no time to squeeze in any extracurriculars, if I want to sleep.” Lennon is currently pursuing a double major in economics and psychology, and said she aspires to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology. “I have never wanted to be a professional volleyball player,” Lennon said. “While I really love the sport, I think my calling in life is to help people. I plan to … become a clinical psychologist so I can help make people happier.” According to Lennon, good study habits are helpful both on and off the court. “I look a lot at statistics, because I’m a nerd like that, so I am always trying to improve my kills per set, digs per set, aces, blocks and more,” Lennon said. “Overall, I want to achieve these things so I can make things easier for my team to achieve our goals as a whole, like winning [C-USA].” As she moves into the last half of her career as an Owl, Lennon said she appreciates her classmates’ support. “Even though I don’t have a lot of time to socialize on campus, it is reassuring to me to know that I have people at Rice and in my college — Baker Comes First! — to help me out if I need it,” Lennon said. “I am very fortunate to go to a school with such supportive people, especially when those supportive people show up at our games.”
Stayin’ Alive: Trammell continues to excel SPENCER MOFFAT SENIOR WRITER
The 5-foot-10-inch, 185-pound player you see receiving footballs on kickoffs and running full speed into opposing players for the Rice football team is none other than junior wide receiver Austin Trammell. Though he may be smaller in stature than most football players, Trammell has been a kick punt returner for the Owls since his freshman year. But Trammell’s talent isn’t just limited to special teams. Last year, Trammell was also the team leader in receptions a n d receiving yards. After
COURTESY DAVID S. ELDER
Trammell’s on-the-field performance during his sophomore year, he was named team captain this season. Versatility is a theme that Trammell has not only embraced on the football field, but also demonstrated during his multifaceted athletic career in high school. As a baseball player in high school, he gained recognition by being named the 2016 15-6A Newcomer of the Year after hitting .543. Trammell said that for a while, he wasn’t sure which sport he would play at the collegiate level. “The summer before my junior year [of high school], I had to kind of choose if I wanted to play college
football or college baseball, which was really hard,” Trammell said. “It took me a couple months to figure it out, but I ended up going with football because I just love football more.”
Trammell’s love for football was ingrained in him during his youth. According to Trammell, he began playing flag football at a very young age and started playing tackle football in third grade. “I began playing football as soon as I was born and I guess I realized sophomore or junior year of high school that I was good enough to play at the Division I level,” Trammell said. During Trammell’s freshman season, he garnered All-Conference USA honors as a kick returner despite Rice winning only one game. That year, Trammell averaged 7.8 yards per punt return, which was the highest mark for a Rice football player since 2011. Kick and punt returns tend to be highinjury plays due to the speed at which players run when defending or receiving a kickoff. When preparing for kick and punt returns, Trammell said he prefers to rely on instinct. “It’s kind of better if you don’t think and just go,” Trammell said. “I’m trying not to get killed.” While Trammell defined himself as a kick and punt returner his freshman year, he stepped up to the role as Rice’s most prolific receiver on the team the following season. He went from having only four catches his freshman year to catching 62 balls his sophomore year. As a result of his improved play, Trammell was awarded the 2018 George R. Brown Offensive Award as Rice’s top receiver. This year, Trammell has continued where he left off, leading the team with 18 receptions and tallying 231 receiving yards through the season’s first four games.
Whenever he is off the football field or not in the classroom, Trammell, a sport management major, said he likes to relax. “I like to watch Netflix and hang out with my girlfriend,” Trammell said. “Out of season, I play a lot of golf.”
It’s kind of better if you don’t think and just go. I’m trying not to get killed. Austin Trammell JUNIOR WIDE RECEIVER While the team captain has to be a serious leader for the rest of the football team, Trammell said that there is another side to him that people don’t often see. “I like to goof around a lot more than people would think,” Trammell said. “I feel like most people view me as pretty serious just because I am normally pretty locked in.” Trammell will have to maintain the serious attitude to go even further in football. After Rice, Trammell said he hopes to continue playing competitive football. “It’s always been a dream [of mine] to play in the NFL growing up,” Trammell said. “It definitely is a goal for anyone playing college football.” Rice football fans can watch Trammell continue to pursue his dreams of playing in the NFL Sept. 28 at 6 p.m., when Rice faces off against Louisiana Tech University.
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019 • 11
SOCCER
scores win over
CHARLOTTE
ALLEN SELLERS / THRESHER
Sophomore midfielder Delaney Schultz delivers a penalty kick into the net past University of North Carolina, Charlotte goalkeeper Abby Stapleton to provide Rice with a 1-0 lead. Schultz’s penalty kick took place with six minutes left in the match, which the Owls won, 1-0. The kick was Schultz’s second goal and first converted penalty of the season. Schultz has started every game for Rice this season.
MADELINE WEST FOR THE THRESHER
Rice soccer edged its way past the University of North Carolina, Charlotte 49ers with a successful penalty kick to give the Owls a 1-0 win this Sunday afternoon in their Conference USA opener. The match was hosted at Rice’s Holloway Field. Following the victory, the Owls’ record is even at four wins and four losses. According to head coach Brian Lee, Rice came into the game knowing it would not be an easy win. “Charlotte’s going to be right there at the end of the season competing to win the conference championship,” Lee said. “We knew that coming in ... that it would be a big, big challenge.” Rice felt that challenge from the time the whistle blew to begin the first half. Early in the game, Charlotte’s high energy put pressure on the Owls’ defense. In the 14th minute of play, the 49ers ran the ball up the left side
of the field and took a shot from outside the box, which went over sophomore goalkeeper Bella Killgore’s outstretched arm to rattle the crossbar. In the 18th minute of play, Charlotte hit the crossbar again following a corner kick. Quick, fluid passing and long balls up the field allowed for the 49ers to out-shoot Rice nine shots to one by the 21st minute of regulation. By the end of the half, Charlotte had put 11 shots up on the Owls defense, who has allowed just 14 shot attempts per game this season. A joint effort by Rice’s defensive back line and Killgore — who tallied a season-high six saves — kept the score 0-0 at halftime. However, the Owls’ lack of consistent passing and possession upfield resulted in only two shots for Rice during the first half. Lee said he made an offensive adjustment at halftime to create more attacking opportunities for Rice. “We made a subtle little adjustment to our midfield shape because Charlotte was really the better team for [those] 45 minutes
in the first half,” Lee said. “It wasn’t an effort problem ... It was the structure of how we were set up versus how they were set up.” Even though Charlotte’s pressure remained high in the second half, Rice’s offense picked up the pace, with the first shot of the half coming from Rice midfielder Lianne Mananquil. With Rice’s new structure in the midfield, both offenses were creating scoring opportunities: By the 54th minute of play, both teams had an equal number of shots. But in the next 10 minutes, Charlotte began to control the flow of the game. Charlotte outnumbered Rice’s shots six to two, the Owls had racked up five fouls in the half and junior center back Trinity King was carried off the field with an injury. With seven minutes left in regulation, the scoreboard still read 0-0. Both Rice and Charlotte were exchanging attacks with no result. However, in the 84th minute, Rice was awarded a penalty kick following a Charlotte handball in the box. The handball
occurred after sophomore midfielder Delaney Schultz tangled with a Charlotte defender as she received the ball and chipped it over the defensive line. “I flicked it over the [Charlotte defender’s] head, and I thought she fouled me so I was on the ground,” Schultz said. “I didn’t really see what happened after that, but I think she thought — the ref said play on — and she thought the ref called a foul so she picked it up in the box.” Following the handball, Schultz stepped up in front of the goal, took a few steps back and fired the ball into the left side of the net. The goal was Schultz’s first penalty kick during her time at Rice and her second goal of the season. Despite Charlotte’s continued efforts to find the back of the net, Rice held on for the 1-0 win, putting them in a six-way tie for first place in C-USA. Rice next faces Middle Tennessee State University on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Men’s club lacrosse integrates women into team BEN BAKER-KATZ FOR THE THRESHER
The club lacrosse team is not vastly different from the various other club teams Rice has to offer. They’re a team that competes with other schools and continues to grow in size. But one way in which this team is unique is the make-up of the 27 people on it. As of the first two practices, six women have either showed up to a practice or expressed interest in joining the team, making club lacrosse one of the only mixed-gender team club sports. Rice went undefeated in division play last season and earned wins over teams from Tulane University, Louisiana Tech University and Oklahoma State University. They lost in the Lone Star Alliance championship game to Missouri State University. “As a program, we’ve been getting steadily better over the past six years,” team captain and McMurtry College senior Davis Nelson said. “We’re really excited about the upcoming season.” The team’s growth in size in recent years has been substantial. Though the group had around 14 people four years ago, they have had 27 players show up to their first practices this fall. According to Duncan College senior and team captain Brendan Matthews, the team welcomes all newcomers. “It’s not a strange thing for us to have girls on the team,” Matthews said. “If anyone wants to play, they’re more than welcome to.”
Jones College junior and team captain of the adjustments required of female players John Townley added that there are usually and they try to address them. “We play in a league of men’s [lacrosse] one or two women that express interest, so the current numbers indicate an increase in teams,” Nelson said. “So we play by men’s rules, using men’s equipment. We do our best female participation. According to McMurtry freshman Cindy to make sure that the ladies that do join the Sheng, one of the biggest challenges she team have an easy time acclimating over that faces is not only joining a club sports team difference in the rules and the equipment.” According to Sheng made up of mostly and Waite, the captains men, but learning a are doing well at getting new game. the female players “I feel like they’re Everyone is huge; it’s acclimated to the team. totally different sports a little intimidating ... “I didn’t expect sometimes,” Sheng to commit to [the said. “In women’s I don’t know what [will lacrosse there’s happen] when the season team],” Sheng said. thought they basically no contact actually comes. We might “I probably [wouldn’t] allowed, but men’s want women on lacrosse is more just get trucked. the team because it contact-based.” Cindy Sheng might be a hindrance. In addition to But the captains are the added contact, MCMURTRY COLLEGE FRESHMAN really great at being the equipment is different for men than for women. For one, inclusive. They made everyone feel like men’s lacrosse requires a chest protector. they belonged.” Still, Sheng said increased physicality Additionally, the pocket of a women’s lacrosse stick is shallow, whereas a is going to be one of the hardest parts of men’s pocket is deeper. Sheng said men’s her transition to playing under men’s equipment makes catching the ball easier lacrosse rules. “Everyone is huge; it’s a little but throwing the ball harder. “[The men’s stick] also has more torque, intimidating,” Sheng said. “I think so that you can shoot it a lot faster,” Baker sometimes [the men] might be a little bit afraid to touch us because we’re a lot College freshman Rachel Waite said. Nelson said the team captains are aware smaller, so they don’t want to hurt us. I
don’t know what it’s going to be like when the season actually comes. We might just get trucked.” But Waite also said the talent discrepancy between male and female lacrosse players is not quite as large as one might expect. “I think women’s lacrosse is a more technical game, so we’ve built up those skills, and that has allowed us to be able to hold our own in practice,” Waite said. “Setting up around the cage, basic passing and technique definitely carries over [from women’s lacrosse].” Nelson said that size doesn’t really factor into the decision of playing time. “I would say [playing time] is more [determined by] skill level than [being] male or female,” Nelson said. “If they’re good, they’re gonna play.” Looking toward the future, Waite said she is interested in starting her own women’s lacrosse club team, but does not want to start one right now. “The adjustment to college is hard, and we would have to train the team ourselves, we would have to schedule everything ourselves, it’s a lot of work,” Waite said. Sheng said she will attempt to play on the men’s lacrosse team before she pursues creating a women’s lacrosse team. “I want to see how things run with the guys,” Sheng said. “But in the future, if we could make our own team that would be really cool.”
BACKPAGE
12 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2019
The Purity Test has historically served as a segue from O-Week to true college life at Rice. But it’s families’ weekend, and it’s time to segue from true college life to the college life you pretend to have around your parents. In case you’ve forgotten how to act around your family, this test will remind you. Check off every item you’ve done/you’re going to tell your family you’ve done. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. a 39. 40.
Held the arm of an elderly person non-romantically to help them cross the street? Been on a completely platonic study date? Refused to enter a relationship to focus on your studies? Danced at EOE, leaving room for Jesus, instead of going to NOD? Kissed up to your professor? Kissed up to your professor in her office? French studied? (i.e., studied for a French class — any other foreign language is also acceptable) French studied in public? Given or received a Wiki article edit? Kissed up in office hours for more than two hours consecutively? Seen or been seen by another person in an academic context? Math debated? Math debated with a non-participating third party in the room? Math debated with an inanimate object handy? (e.g., a calculator or perhaps, an abacus) Gone through the motions of a presentation at the CAPC while fully dressed in order to prepare for it? Showered with concern for the environment in a timely manner? Fondied or had your homework Fondied? (i.e., studied at Fondren or solved your homework at Fondren) Had an organism due to someone else’s manipulation? (i.e., got roped into pet-setting for your A-team) Sent or received a formally written email or instant message? Engaged in job recruiting activity over video chat? Ingested someone else’s snacks that they brought to share with you? Used a toy to play fetch with an A-team member’s pet or child? Spent every night in a bed that you remembered to make every morning? Ingested water in a non-thirsty context, purely out of commitment to hydration? Played a thinking game? (e.g., flash cards before an exam, or an intellectually stimulating trivia game) Had severe memory gain due to going over your notes after class? Used ibuprofen? Used a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug other than ibuprofen? Used antihistamines or antibiotics to avoid distracting your classmates from your sniffling and coughing? Been sent to the office of a professor, dean or other authority figure to receive congratulations and praise for your academic and/or extracurricular achievements? Gone public speaking? Seen the Big Dipper? Committed an act of volunteerism? Traveled 100 or more miles for the primary purpose of spending time with your family? Attended an orgy orgo review? Had two or more distinct exams within 24 hours? Been photographed or filmed by student media or Rice media for a feature on you or your work? Had a pregnancy scare, in that you saw a pregnant woman standing on public transportation and gave her your seat out of concern for her health? Paid for sex ed? (e.g., CTIS, a mandatory class that your paid tuition covers) Engaged in besties-ality? (i.e., found lifelong friends at Rice) The Backpage is satire, written by Simona Dadovic and designed by Simommy Matovic. For comments or questions, please email JamesJoyceLovesFarts@rice.edu
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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. FAMILY NEEDS ORGANIZATIONAL ASSISTANCE AND SOME TUTORING for HS junior. Walking distance to campus. Review assignments, study for tests, keep him on task. 4-8 hours per week, $15+/hr generally between 4 and 7 p.m. weekdays. Flexible. Stephen (832)838-1114.
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