The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, February 19, 2020

VOLUME 104, ISSUE NO. 18 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 FEATURES

Candidates argue efficacy of SA at Thresher debate RYND MORGAN ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Student Association internal vice president candidate Kendall Vining and write-in IVP candidate Ashley Fitzpatrick debated the functions of roles within the SA and the SA’s relationship to the student body, and presidential candidate Anna Margaret Clyburn discussed similar issues in the SA Election Town Hall and Debate on Monday, Feb. 17, hosted by the Thresher.

During the debate, Fitzpatrick said that she would be prepared to stand up to and confront Rice administration when their interests conflicted with the student body’s interests. Fitzpatrick, the Martel College SA senator, said that she had experience directly confronting administration figures such as Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and would be willing to confront entities like the Rice Management Company, even if it meant that the administration might disown the SA as a legitimate campus body.

“If anything, I think that that would make the SA stronger,” Fitzpatrick, a sophomore, said. “I am very much prepared to continue to stand up for the student body.”

Vining, a former Martel New Student Representative, said that she would be willing to confront power structures within the SA itself by reforming the NSR role to empower students in that role.

“I’d often feel very intimidated [as an NSR] in Senate to not express my opinion … [voting members] were seen as a higher [authority] figure, because they had a vote, because of the title that they held,” Vining, also a sophomore, said. “I don’t believe NSRs should be forced to have an official vote ... but I want NSRs to have an opinion vote, where they still engage in the process of typing in what they think that their college truly wants.”

Fitzpatrick said that her reforms of the NSR program would involve delaying applications for the role until after new students had the opportunity to learn more about the SA Senate and what projects they might want to pursue in student government.

“Instead of just needing to put them on any project on any committee, we can delay that start of the NSR program, let them figure out what they want to do,” Fitzpatrick said.

SEE SENATE

Chinese international students talk coronavirus outbreak KELLY LIAO THRESHER STAFF

As Chinese families around the world prepared for the Lunar New Year, the Chinese city Wuhan, with a population of 11 million, prepared for something darker: announcing a quarantine to contain the unexpected outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

Fears for family back home put a damper on celebrations at Rice.

Lingyin Wu, a Chinese international student from Wuhan, said her family canceled plans to visit each other during the Lunar New Year holiday and remained home for weeks because of the virus. Her cousin’s family, who remained in Wuhan, is still struggling to get ahold of necessary supplies.

“Although there are some community workers designated to support the daily purchases of essential food and medical supplies, I am worried about their living quality and mental health because being trapped in an apartment with limited food supplies can be extremely depressing,” Wu, a Martel College senior, said.

DEBATES PAGE 2

CHANNING WANG / THRESHER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TINA LIU

For many Chinese international students, although we cannot go back home, our hearts are always with people in Wuhan.

Fayin Zhu POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER

NEWS

Andrew Manias, Martel College senior, dies at 25 RACHEL CARLTON SENIOR WRITER

Andrew William Manias, a Martel College senior, died Feb. 9 at age 25 in Houston, Texas after contracting pneumonia. While at Rice, Manias was a history major and served on the editorial board of the Rice Historical Review.

The campus was notified of Manias’ death on Feb. 12 by Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, who wrote that he was set to graduate this semester.

“I hope that each of us will take a moment to remember Andrew and be glad for his positive spirit and presence in our community,” Gorman wrote.

Gorman was among the attendees at Manias’ memorial service on Feb. 15. The service took place in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors and opened with “Ticket to the Moon” by Electric Light Orchestra, a nod to Manias’ love of astronomy and one of his top 25 most frequently played songs.

Reverend Steve Wells of the South Main Baptist Church presided over the service, guiding attendees through hymns, scripture and reflections on Manias.

“There is a pain that comes with

grieving a life that has been cut short in its prime,” Wells said. “We grieve not only the loss of Andrew in our lives; we grieve the loss of his gift to the world. The loss of his potential and his promise. There is nothing that any of us can say on this day that will take away the shock and the pain of Andrew’s death.”

person I’ve ever met … and one of the clumsiest.”

After a number of stories, many of which were met by laughter from those who knew Andrew Manias well, Hayden Manias closed his remembrance with words for his brother.

“It’s hard for me to accept that I won’t hear or see your amazing quirks again, because those are the things I’ll miss the most,” Hayden Manias said.

It’s hard for me to accept that I won’t hear or see your amazing quirks again, because those are the things I’ll miss the most.

Hayden Manias BROTHER OF ANDREW MANIAS Hayden Manias, Andrew’s younger brother by 22 months, shared a number of personal anecdotes to relatives, friends and family in attendance.

“Andrew was truly the nicest person I’ve ever met,” Hayden Manias said. “He was [also] the most inquisitive and intelligent

COURTESY THE MANIAS FAMILY SEE MANIAS PAGE 3

Another undergraduate student from Wuhan said he talks to his parents on a daily basis. They told him that since the city is currently under lockdown, food supplies are directly sent from local markets to their home, so they don’t need to leave the residential complex.

(Editor’s note: This student’s identity has been anonymized to protect them from possible repercussions).

Fayin Zhu, a bioscience postdoctoral researcher from Wuhan, said he is pleased with the efforts the government has made to contain the virus, like setting border checkpoints and banning cars from leaving or entering the city.

“The efforts to tackle the virus would not be successful without residents carefully following the government’s orders and staying at home,” Zhu said.

However, Zhu said he is concerned about a shortage of medical supplies at local hospitals.

Zhu said his friends and family in Wuhan have told him that many frontline medical personnel are overworked and frustrated with the ineffective emergency relief distribution.

“I hope the government can accelerate the reallocation of medical supplies and provide adequate support for the health workers on the battlefront of the epidemic,” Zhu said.

Local news reported that many hospitals are experiencing a shortage of respiratory masks, according to Wu. She said her friends back home are helping with organizing and transporting the donations of medical supplies to local hospitals.

SEE CORONAVIRUS PAGE 4

THE RICE THRESHER

2 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

NEWS FROM PAGE 1

Senate Debates

In a particularly contentious moment, Fitzpatrick responded to Vining’s discussion of her background as a member of the group in charge of researching alternatives to the Rice Emerging Scholars Program and ways to expand the program. Vining said that she and the rest of the group submitted their research for the Survey of All Students and solicited responses through that platform.

Fitzpatrick responded, saying that as a RESP student she was not able to share her input with the group.

“I thought that it was odd to me that this group that did include some RESPies was not actually reaching out to the RESP program to ask us what we thought about this, and how we thought that it benefited us,” Fitzpatrick said.

This moment was not the only time the candidates clashed. In an argument over the role of senators in the SA, Vining said she plans to have members of the SA executive team periodically visit college government meetings to support the senator at that college.

“I want the SA, internally, to reach out to students. I think it’s unfair to expect the students to do it the other way when we

Ruth Simmons Former trustee gives talk on racial injustice, calling for university action, as part of President’s Lecture Series.

See more at ricethresher.org

should be doing it internally first,” Vining said. “I want to increase the SA’s presence in the actual college government.”

Fitzpatrick said the goal of giving the SA Senate a presence within college government is already fulfilled by the senator position, and does not need to be expanded further.

“College government right now is very separate from the SA, and I think that’s something that people actually kind of want to see happen more,” Fitzpatrick said.

At the end of the debate, the IVP candidates discussed whether or not the SA Senate was still representative of or relevant to the student body. Vining said that the SA Senate needs to improve its efforts regarding diversity and inclusion within the organization.

“There’s a historic amount of Black senators who ran last year, and then I went to this ‘mandatory’ meeting for potential candidates, and the lack of diversity was just despicable,” Vining said. “The fact that Black senators, despite having a record number, are not coming back — that just says a lot to me.”

Fitzpatrick said that she had seen improvements in the SA Senate’s representation of students and community members.

“I think we’ve been making big statements

Kraft Hall problems Students with disabilities face issues entering Kraft Hall due to delays in installing automatic doors.

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on issues that affect not only Rice students but also different people in Houston, like the Third Ward,” Fitzpatrick said. “There’s still a long way to go, but I think that we’re doing pretty good so far, and that with changes with the way the SA operates, we can do even better to represent students.”

During the presidential town hall, Martel President Anna Margaret Clyburn declined to comment on which IVP candidate she preferred, but said she looked forward to working with either candidate.

Clyburn also discussed her concerns with being the only presidential candidate, a situation she said may have stemmed from the increasing demands of the role.

“It is a large commitment and one that does require taking time that could be used for a paid job, away from that, or away from studying. I definitely think that to be able to run is to be in a position of privilege,” Clyburn, a junior, said. “I also believe that the SA has taken on a lot of larger projects and has made statements on more diverse issues this year that are intimidating.”

The entire debate and town hall is available to view on the Rice Thresher Facebook page.

A higher quality video, as well as our “20 questions with the candidates” series, will be online shortly.

Clyburn runs uncontested for president SAVANNAH KUCHAR ASST NEWS EDITOR Anna Margaret Clyburn, current president of Martel College, will be the only candidate on the ballot this year for the role of Student Association president following Jones College Senator Drew Carter’s withdrawal from the race. Current SA President Grace Wickerson and former SA President Ariana Engles have expressed concern over the implications of an emerging pattern of a lack of presidential candidates.

Carter, a sophomore, originally submitted a petition to run for SA president, but said he withdrew it after realizing his vision did not align with what he called an overly bureaucratic SA. Carter said that after this semester, he does not plan to be involved in the SA Senate in any way.

“Our most marginalized populations really need a student body organization like the SA to be able to speak up and not hold back on issues and to outwardly say that we’re going to be anti-racist, that we’re going to be anti-xenophobi[c], versus always try to be a neutral body,” Carter said. “Once I felt as though I could not achieve that as SA president and once I honestly felt like that’s

just not where the school is moving towards, I decided that it would be in my best interest [to withdraw my candidacy].”

Clyburn, a junior, said she found out she was the only candidate at a meeting before SA Senate Feb. 10, where all candidates on the ballot were given a presentation of the rules regarding the campuswide elections.

According to Clyburn, she decided to run despite these apprehensions because of her experience overseeing large organizations in the past and her interest overall in leading the SA. “The position really attracted me just because I’ve really enjoyed being in a position where I get to be involved in conversations across campus that have a real impact on student lives,” Clyburn said. “I like to facilitate conversations from people in different groups and try to find solutions for problems that exist, and I want to continue using those skills in a different capacity.”

Wickerson said the lack of opposing candidates is a concern, but that it is not as much an issue in this case as they believe Clyburn is a good choice for the role.

“I don’t have any doubts in [Clyburn’s] ability to be in the president role,” Wickerson, a Brown College senior, said. “At

the end of the day there was one candidate, and I don’t know if that’s truly a bad thing if the person is willing to do the job. I think the greater issue is trying to think about why did only one person want to run.”

Engles, SA president during the 20182019 school year, said she first became worried about the health of the SA during last year’s presidential race and that her concern increased this year with only one presidential candidate. “[Last year] I was really anxious around the idea that there was just Grace Wickerson running and then two candidates who self-described as joke candidates from the beginning,” Engles, a Lovett College senior, said. “I was concerned then, and then it was literally just one candidate, not even any joke candidates [this year], I became extra concerned.”

Clyburn said she wishes her race was not unopposed and that she hopes people in the future will be encouraged to be more involved with the SA. “I’m not happy that it’s uncontested,” Clyburn said. “If anyone thinks that there is a better candidate I would love for them to feel empowered to write that candidate in.”

This story has been condensed for print.

Read the full story at ricethresher.org.

SA platforms Learn more about the candidates for all the positions. Voting begins this Thursday.

See more at ricethresher.org

Heard at the Debates: I’m open to working 40 hours a week. I would just love for it to not be consistently [40 hours a week].

Anna Margaret Clyburn SA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

[Supporting minorities] is something I deal with every day as a Black woman. I literally fight every day for this community.

Kendall Vining SA IVP CANDIDATE

I have already been standing up to administration all year.

Ashley Fitzpatrick SA IVP WRITE-IN CANDIDATE

I also really like a double shot almond milk latte with a quarter pump of lavender ... I really like a hint of lavender without too much sweetness.

Anna Margaret Clyburn SA PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

Wiess College announces application process for the 2020 John E. Parish Fellowship

Recipients will receive support for approximately two months of travel during the summer of 2020. The purpose of the fellowship is to enhance the undergraduate education of the fellow by broadening the range of experience via self-directed travel.

Application information can be found at parish.rice.edu. The deadline for submission of application materials is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 28, 2020.

Dynamic and Energetic Teachers wanted. Pay rate is $24 to $38 per hour.

We provide all training. Email your resume to rice-jobs@testmasters.com

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 • 3

MANIAS FROM PAGE 1 “No matter what, you’ll always be my brother and best friend. Thank you for showing me true strength and perseverance.”

Wells continued by narrating bits and pieces of Andrew Manias’ life, emphasizing his strength and perseverance. He said that Andrew Manias was flown into the neonatal intensive care unit at the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children in Denver on the Fourth of July in 1994.

“He weighed only three pounds,” Wells said. “He was supposed to be in the NICU for 12 weeks, but he was ready to leave in eight because he was an overcomer from the very beginning.”

Wells emphasized Manias’ ability to overcome obstacles throughout his message to the audience. Manias was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome when he was 4 years old, according to Wells.

“The diagnosticians told [Andrew’s parents] Bill and Gretchen not to expect Andrew to ever play team sports, or to attend a competitive high school, or write something like an essay,” Wells said. “But Andrew did all of those things.”

After graduating at the top of his class from the Kinkaid School in Houston, Manias enrolled at Rice University in 2013.

“As a freshman at Rice, Andrew took organic chemistry,” Wells said. “He never attended class. It was too loud [and] there were too many people. He made an A. He memorized the textbook.”

Gretchen Manias, Andrew’s mother, echoed the sentiment.

“He was always relentlessly curious and inquisitive and loved his time at Rice, especially his history courses,” Gretchen Manias said. “He had a thirst for learning his whole life.”

Lisa Spiro, faculty advisor of the Rice Historial Review where Manias served as director of distribution, said she was shocked and saddened by his death.

“I was impressed by his keen critical

insights in evaluating submissions to the journal, his friendly and open personality and his willingness to help out,” Spiro said. “We will miss him.”

According to Wells, Manias took a break from Rice after three years following the passing of his grandmother, with whom he had an extremely close relationship.

“He read a lot on his own, [and] he struggled for a couple of years, but this spring he returned to campus,” Wells said.

“He was set to graduate with his degree in history in May. Andrew had overcome or was overcoming every obstacle that ever moved into his path literally from the moment of his birth. There was every reason to believe when he got sick a couple weeks ago that he would be well today.”

Ted Loch-Temzelides was a Martel magister when Manias matriculated in 2013.

“As magisters during his early time at Martel, we fondly remember Andrew as a kind, gentle and incredibly curious young man,” Loch-Temzelides said. “He was always eager to learn both in and outside of the classroom. Andrew’s loss weighs heavily on Martel College and Rice University as we grieve a member of our tight-knit community.”

Wells finished his message with a reminder for the audience.

“As you grieve, remember this,” Wells said. “Our God knows what it is to stand beside the grave of his son. And he has made a way through death and into eternal life. One day, when you see Andrew again … the tears on that day will be tears of joy.”

To pay respects, members of Martel will write notes of sympathy for Manias’ family and set up a donation box to collect funds for the Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children where Manias was born in accordance with the family’s wishes, according to Martel President Anna Margaret Clyburn.

Editor-in-Chief Christina Tan contributed to this article.

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Grants awarded in the amount of up to $3000 or 50% summer program tuition (whichever amount is smaller). Limited to 15 eligible students.

Interested students should consult a study abroad advisor.

Apply by March 5th—early planning encouraged.

Ledig passes SA vote, faces UCourt SAVANNAH KUCHAR ASST NEWS EDITOR The Student Association Senate voted on Tuesday evening to allow Will Ledig, a Hanszen College junior, to remain on the ballot as a candidate for Rice Program Council president, despite issues of ineligibility and constitutional violations.

The ballot was originally approved at the Senate meeting on Feb. 10 before the elections committee acknowledged that Ledig’s potential ineligibility.

According to RPC’s constitution, presidential candidates must have served on the RPC Council for at least one semester.

Ledig served as a Hanszen Beer Bike coordinator last year, but has never been a member of the RPC council.

Ledig said that he understands RPC’s concerns with his lack of experience, but that he doesn’t think that it should be grounds for removing his candidacy.

“So at this point, it looks like RPC is saying that, ‘Oh, he’s not a member of RPC,’ but I guess that kind of makes sense because I’m coming in as an outsider,” Ledig said.

“That’s what you’d expect them to say when I really want to shake up this organization.”

Director of Elections Libby Atkins presented this issue to SA Senate Monday night and proposed either removing him from the ballot, in which Ledig would have the option of appealing this decision to the University Court, or allowing him to remain on the current ballot and defer the question of his eligibility up to UCourt.

“If UCourt deems him eligible, then he will stay on the ballot for Thursday,” Atkins, a Lovett College sophomore, said. “If UCourt deems him ineligible, we will remove him because UCourt’s decision is higher than the SA’s constitutional decision to have another vote on the ballot.”

Ledig said that when he was first notified

of his removal from the ballot, he asked for a UCourt appeal, but was met with resistance.

“I attempted to request a UCourt hearing to appeal the decision, like the SA bylaws guarantee me the right to, and it seemed that the director of elections was unwilling to respect that request,” Ledig said.

Atkins said she recognized his right to appeal, even though she does not think he should be a candidate.

“I’m not resistant, it’s his constitutional right,” Atkins said. “I am expressing resistance to him being on the ballot. The election committee decided it is best to remove him, but he had the right to appeal his eligibility even if it goes against the RPC constitution.”

The SA Senate passed the current ballot with Ledig in a majority vote. UCourt will be holding a public hearing on Wednesday in Sewall Hall 309 at 9 p.m. to determine whether Ledig will remain on the ballot, which is scheduled to be released Thursday when voting opens.

Irene Chu, current president of RPC, said at SA Senate that even if Ledig remains on the ballot and wins enough votes from the student body, RPC could decide to impeach him, which would result in a second round of elections to confirm a different RPC president.

Chu said she was not informed or asked about Ledig’s candidacy and eligibility until after the ballot was initially approved.

“The election committee did not reach out RPC regarding this issue,” Chu said. “I was not aware that eligibility was previously discussed before it was brought to me.”

Currently the only other candidate on the ballot for this position right now is Samantha McClendon, a Martel College junior and current RPC internal vice president.

Senior writers Rachel Carlton and Brian Lin contributed to this report.

THE RICE THRESHER

4 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

OPINION EDITORIAL

Why we’re not endorsing IVP

PROS & CONS Kendall Vining Has an ‘outsider’ perspective, can potentially relate to student frustrations

Platform may be too ambitious and externally focused

Former new student representative (IVP oversees NSR program)

Less familiar with ongoing efforts in the SA

Ashley Fitzpatrick Platform is internally focused and specific to ongoing efforts in the SA Senate

As an integrated member of SA Senate, may not push for true reform

Experience as senator and in composting project show demonstrable SA efforts

Vaguely articulated goals of ‘empathy’ unconvincing

Last Sunday, Ashley Fitzpatrick began a write-in campaign against the previously uncontested internal vice president candidate Kendall Vining. While the Thresher’s editorial board normally endorses candidates in contested races, we were unable to reach a consensus on endorsement for the IVP role of either Vining, a Martel College sophomore and former new student representative, or Fitzpatrick, a Martel sophomore and current senator.

Vining’s platform rests largely on her ability to bring an “outsider” perspective to the SA’s executive team due to her lack of involvement in any official SA role this year.

We recognize the value of Vining’s vantage point as non-establishment — her plans to introduce ideas rooted in the non-SA student experience could certainly help foster stronger connections between the SA and student body. Fitzpatrick, on the other hand, is decidedly an “establishment” candidate.

Being steeped in the establishment in this way could make it harder for her to understand and mitigate students’ frustrations with the SA Senate that develop on the outside.

However, we also recognize the pragmatic advantages of Fitzpatrick’s previous experience as a senator: More so than Vining, she demonstrated a detailed knowledge of the inner workings of SA procedures, referencing the ongoing internal audit, for example. We recognize that these internal experiences place Fitzpatrick in a

better position to fix internal issues, but she lacks a concrete plan to encourage unity and cooperation in the SA. This is not at all to say Vining’s experience as an NSR her freshman year is trivial. On the contrary, her experience may be more relevant than Fitzpatrick’s since NSRs are under IVP jurisdiction while senators operate under the external vice president.

The NSR program is one of the main components of Vining’s platform and we agree that she could effectively channel her frustrations from her freshman year, namely surrounding the lack of guidance and feeling that NSR voices are not taken seriously, into tangible changes for the program.

Yet, although the NSR program is a primary concern for Vining, many of her other campaign promises are externally oriented to address the SA Senate’s reputation and reception among the general student body.

Her suggestion to have the IVP visit all residential college cabinet meetings seems like a significant commitment that might not have that much of an impact and her plans to gauge outside student perspectives on the SA Senate are ambiguous. With such an ambitious and externally focused campaign, we believe Vining would have been an excellent candidate for EVP rather than IVP. While we were not able to come to a decision as the editorial board, we hope our thought and consideration on both of their platforms and qualifications helps you come to your own.

EDITORIAL

The elections are a hot mess. Why doesn’t the Senate care?

“At this point we are beating a dead horse,” the Thresher editorial board wrote in 2017. “If the [Student Association] cares so deeply about the constitution … then why do they continue to completely disregard it?”

Still confused about the elections three years later? So are we. What’s the point of the Student Association having a constitution if they’re not going to follow it? What’s to stop the student body from just ending that question after, “What’s the point of the Student Association?”

As is obvious from the low turnout rates for last year’s elections and the lack of interest this year for literally any of the SA executive council roles, the student body is already in the process of losing faith and interest in the SA. You might wonder why we began this so bitterly. So, a quick airing of our grievances.

By scheduling campaign season over midterm recess, the SA Senate effectively guaranteed that nobody, even their own Elections Committee, would care about the elections that affect the entire student body. The SA Senate lost the ability to offer the Rice Program Council presidential candidate Will Ledig a correctly timed University Court hearing, lost the time

to find and encourage more than one candidate per role to run and lost the student body’s interest.

The RPC race, while proving to be the most interesting aspect of this mess, most clearly highlights the lack of care the SA Senate places in its own constitution and governance. Because he was not a part of the RPC last year as defined by their constitution, Ledig is most likely ineligible, a point emphasized by current RPC members and something we pointed out last Wednesday. Although the Elections Committee should have caught onto that earlier, they still had enough time to fix their mistake by notifying him and allowing him enough time to appeal their decision through a UCourt hearing.

All of this is required by the SA’s own constitution; it is also required that the final ballot be approved at the SA Senate before voting begins. Instead, they waited until this past Monday, the day of the ballot approval, to inform him (which might have something to do with the fact that We Were On a Break) which left him without enough time for a proper UCourt hearing.

This left the SA Senate 8 a.m. classess aren’t the with their hands tied (by their own members) facing —biggest keep himproblem on the ballot and defer to an inevitably messy UCourt hearing and students

potentially delayed election, or take him off and violate their own constitution.

But what’s democratic about not having a choice for the president, external vice president, treasurer, secretary and until recently, internal vice president?

After this tirade, you might be wondering, “Why does the Thresher care so much about this?” You would not be alone in this sentiment, which has been echoed among members of the SA who were tired of us hounding them over the break — some have even accused us of capitalizing on the opportunity to “stir up drama.” The truth is, as students ourselves, we would like nothing more than an election that features diverse options and that goes off without a hitch.

We have not forgotten what an effective SA Senate can do: The SA Senate created the Critical Thinking in Sexuality

workshop requirement, has direct access to the administrative officials who hold real power and manages hundreds of thousands of dollars in student fees every year.

And somehow, students still don’t care about the SA. They don’t care enough to run and the SA is not giving them a reason to care enough to vote. For proof of this apathy look at the lack of candidates and diversity in this election, despite an incredibly diverse current class of senators. While we don’t blame the senators themselves for choosing to not continue upward in the SA Senate bureaucracy, we must question why the SA has failed to retain this diverse group of leaders.

The SA is showing again and again that they don’t care about their constitution or their elections, that famously democratic process. But what’s democratic about not having a choice for the president, external vice president, treasurer, secretary and until recently, internal vice president?

As the only undergraduate paper on this campus, we care because we recognize the SA’s potential and power to do important work to improve life at Rice. So why does it seem like we’re the only ones who do?

STAFF Christina Tan* Editor-in-Chief Anna Ta* Managing Editor

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OPINION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 • 5

OPINION

Giving back as easy as giving a break

Who can deny the first thought that comes to mind most often when one hears the term “giving back to one’s alma mater” is the opening of your checkbook. One might also think of donating one’s time, be it through volunteering to serve on the Association of Rice Alumni board of directors, interviewing prospective students via Rice Alumni Volunteers for Admission or spearheading a committee in a regional alumni group.

Yet there is another area that is often overlooked: mentorship and career outreach.

I remember as a senior back in 2012 walking into the career fair in the Rice Memorial Center whose offerings were either in consulting or engineering, neither of which suited my humanities background. Of course, that is not today’s Rice — the recent addition of buildings in such a short burst of time suggests that much — but I should hope there have also been strides made in the companies present now at Tudor Fieldhouse. And indeed, there have been noticeable, laudable changes elsewhere: The addition of the “internship and practica” page on the School of Humanities website and Sallyportal are much needed.

We alumni, however, must also do our part to support these efforts, current students and other alumni — and no, you are not too “busy” to help. While anecdotal, I cannot recall the number of stories I have heard from other alumni in their networking efforts of anemic affinity groups or unresponsive peers, all the more baffling when their profiles on Sallyportal state that they are willing to help.

We need to offer more types of opportunities in more industries to applicants with more diverse educational

backgrounds, and that will come only when we in positions of power use it responsibly and altruistically. Power does also not have to mean occupying the C-suite either — merely being able to hold the door open to others places you in an advantageous position. If your company has openings, post on Sallyportal and recommend the applicant; we all know the deplorable, Sisyphean nature of applying to jobs, exacerbated by recruiters who ghost and prescreening software.

The worst thing any of us can do is stay silent or unengaged, content on reaping the benefits of our education while pulling up the ladder of opportunity behind us.

Though the career fair is only one event and one way to hire, if you work at a company that’s recruiting, convince them to apply for a table — after all, you know the type of applicant you’d get because they are you, perhaps even better. Especially if you work at a Fortune 500 company; our alumni base is small, so the chance of landing a job at one of these after graduation is even slimmer. And if your school is not listed as a core school from which many elite companies hire the bulk of their candidates, you don’t stand a chance. An article in Harvard Business Review wrote, “In the end, a personal connection to an existing employee or client was one of the few shots

nonlisted students had at getting interviews.”

Volunteer to host a student (or several) for a formal externship through the Center for Career Development, particularly since internships are not only few and far between. The pool of opportunity gets smaller when one factors in limitations based on major and the ability to take on an unpaid internship. Indeed, studies show internships lead to job offers. At the very least, if someone reaches out for career advice, get back to them, particularly since many jobs are shared by word of mouth. We should understand that for some, like first generation students, the CCD might be the first source of job advice they have received, and as such, our recruiting efforts as alumni to give access to certain corporate spaces are increasingly important.

Any one of the aforementioned ways of giving back are noble, but whichever means we choose, we are all called to give back however we can. The worst thing any of us can do is stay silent or unengaged, content on reaping the benefits of our education for ourselves while pulling up the ladder of opportunity behind us. To quote Michael Lewis: “Above all, recognize that if you have had success, you have also had luck — and with luck comes obligation. You owe a debt, and not just to your gods, you owe a debt to the unlucky.”

TRAVIS SAN PEDRO HANSZEN COLLEGE ‘12

read more online: “Combating a different kind of outbreak” “The virus has caused underlying xenophobia to rear its ugly head.”

ALINA ZHU

WILL RICE COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

“The Senate’s ‘independent’ jurors aren’t even pretending anymore” “For a long time, members of Congress have prioritized their own political expediency over their duty to the American people.”

HARRY GOLEN & DAN HELMICI

JONES COLLEGE FRESHMEN

Want to write your own opinion for the Thresher? We take submissions through email. Email thresher@rice.edu!

OPINION

Clarifying misconceptions about Rice Program Council In light of recent claims made about Rice Program Council, we would like to take the opportunity to clarify some misconceptions about the organization.

Misconception: RPC does not take student input.

This year, RPC has implemented many new initiatives to improve communication with the student body. This includes the event feedback form, suggestions form, and collab with RPC form, all of which are found on the RPC website and under “Our Story” on the RPC Facebook page. The event feedback form has also been posted on RPC event pages following each event to get feedback to improve our events in the future. Our forms and outreach have led to collaborations with other student organizations, such as the Rice Art Club at the S’winter Study Break and an ENST 302 student team at the Homecoming Pumpkin Patch. RPC officers have made themselves available for student feedback as well through RPC Office Hours with executive council officers and committee co-chairs in the RMC Grand Hall lobby to publicize upcoming events and connect with the student body. Three one-hour office hour sessions were held in the fall 2019 semester, and an executive council member along with a co-chair were available to chat each time.

Misconception: RPC’s structure is unclear, and decisions are largely dictated by the president.

The RPC website provides a written description of the structure as well as an organizational chart to help better visualize all the committees and members of the organization. Applications for all positions excluding RPC president and college representatives are posted on the RPC website and advertised on the RPC Facebook page, Instagram, “Class of” and residential college Facebook pages in the early fall or late spring.

The selection process and decisionmaking for membership is as follows: College representatives are selected by

their residential colleges. Officers of the executive council are reviewed and selected by the incoming president in consultation with the prior executive council and the RPC staff advisor. Committee co-chairs are reviewed and selected by the executive council. Committee members are reviewed and selected by the committee co-chairs, with approval by the executive council.

Misconception: RPC’s expenses are wasteful and unnecessary, specifically regarding the spending on organization shirts, advertisement and the fall retreat.

As a student organization with nearly 60 members, it is realistic to allocate $500 for organization shirts, which amounts to around $7 per shirt. RPC members are required to wear RPC shirts when volunteering at events in order to distinguish RPC members working the event from attendees.

Regarding advertisement, it is RPC’s responsibility to ensure that we are taking necessary measures to inform the student body about events that are planned for the Rice community. With $1,000 for advertisement spread over 18 events this year (excluding Beer Bike), the cost for advertisement per event is about $55.

This is used for flyers, posters, stickers and special creative publicity specific to events. While we advertise on many avenues of social media as previously described and are making an effort to be more environmentally conscious, physical advertisements placed in college commons are necessary to advertise to students who are not on social media.

Regarding the retreat, the fall retreat is a mandatory information session for all RPC members, with the intention of introducing members to RPC’s mission, goals, history and expectations, and to inform members of different important procedures and resources, such as using the P-card, booking rooms and planning events. While $750 is allocated for this retreat, only $326.50 was spent this year which breaks down to $5.44 per person.

All money spent for fall retreat was for food.

Misconception: RPC profits off of fencing rentals and Beer Bike fines.

Fencing: College socials who plan public parties are required to register and abide by Student Activities procedures under the general rules, section B of the Undergraduate Alcohol Policy. Procedures outlined by Student Activities require public parties to have a contained area for beer gardens and a line management system. They are not required to use RPC fencing specifically for these purposes.

Rice administration wanted to make sure that fencing could be rented at a lower rate than local vendors in Houston, so RPC was given the responsibility of buying and renting out fencing panels to the college socials and any other on-campus organization that would like to rent out fencing, at a rate of $7 per panel. RPC does not profit from these fencing rentals.

The funds received from fencing go into a separate fund account used solely for the purpose of purchasing new fencing or repairing broken fencing. These funds are not used for general RPC events.

Beer Bike: When concerns were raised regarding the safety of Beer Bike events, RPC helped to facilitate the discussion with colleges regarding how dangerous behavior during Beer Bike could be reduced. The colleges chose to regulate themselves instead of having the university step in, and thus the fine system was introduced. As the organization that oversees campuswide Beer Bike planning, RPC then took over implementing and enforcing the fine system. Each year, the RPC campuswide Beer Bike coordinators work with university departments (such as Risk Management and Rice University Police Department) to adjust fines as concerns arise. Changes in fines are discussed with college Beer Bike coordinators on relevance and fairness. The primary concern of these fines is campus and

student safety, not the financial gain of RPC. Beer Bike fines paid by colleges are deposited directly into a separate Beer Bike C-fund and are not used for other RPC events. Part of the fines go into paying a small portion of the current year’s Beer Bike costs. These costs include, but are not limited to, concessions, security (such as RUPD and Rice Emergency Medical Services), bleachers, scaffolding and sound equipment, all of which are necessary for the safe and successful execution of Beer Bike. Any rollover is used to supplement the track maintenance fund, which covers important repairs to the track that is used every year by every college (such as repairing cracks or filling in holes on the ground). While the Student Association provides $2,000 for the track maintenance fund, this can be insufficient to cover the track repair cost.

The track is evaluated every year by Crisis Management, Environmental Health and Safety, Facilities Engineering and Planning and additional staff members.

Repairs cost $12,000 to $14,000 every 3-4 years, an estimate determined by FE&P’s private contractors. Beer Bike fines are assigned by security volunteers who are chosen by residential colleges. These volunteers are educated on the fines prior to and the morning of Beer Bike.

We understand that RPC is not perfect, and we welcome constructive criticism and discussions to improve the organization.

We are doing our best to incorporate student feedback to continually improve RPC and to better serve the student body.

Chu, Yiu, Su Chen Teh (not pictured) and Priscilla Li (not pictured) are all members of the Rice Program Council Executive Council.

JOYCELYN YIU & IRENE CHU MARTEL COLLEGE JUNIOR & SID RICHARDSON COLLEGE SENIOR

THE RICE THRESHER

6 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

FEATURES

An orientation to O-Week Coordinators With next year’s class of coordinators already drafting plans, one from each college shared their views on O-Week.

See more at ricethresher.org

FROM PAGE 1

CORONAVIRUS: STUDENTS FUNDRAISE FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES, FEAR FOR RELATIVES

ILLUSTRATION BY YIFEI ZHANG

To support Wuhan hospitals, the Rice Chinese Students and Scholars Association launched a fundraising event with the Houston Beida Alumni Association, according to Jian Huang, the president of RCSSA. “Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, people all over the world are making efforts to help China. When we heard that the hospitals in China are short of medical supplies ... we decided to launch a fundraising event as well, encouraging overseas students and scholars, especially Chinese people in the Houston area, to make their own contribution to our home country,” Huang, a Lovett College junior, said.

RCSSA publicized the fundraising channels provided by the BAA, including QuickPay and Zelle, on various social media platforms, according to Huang. If the donation is made through RCSSA’s publicity, RCSSA requires donors to put “Rice” in the notes to help them identify the source of the donation.

Huang said under close monitoring by the alumni association, the supplies they purchased were delivered by air to Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital Feb. 2. The hospital is at the forefront of the fight against the epidemic. The supplies they shipped are standard medical supplies, including protective clothing, masks and goggles, which are purchased according to the hospitals’ actual needs, according to Huang.

“Currently, we are just providing a reliable source of donations from Rice students and teachers. However, we are also welcom[ing] any people or organizations in Houston which would like to join us to help,” Huang said.

Although they’re far away from home, a number of students from Wuhan expressed how important paying close attention to the epidemic is for them.

Zhu said even though he is busy with his studies, he follows the news online closely and keeps himself updated every day.

“For many Chinese international students, although we cannot go back home, our hearts are always with people in Wuhan,” Zhu said.

Wu said she was a little bit worried when she first heard about the outbreak of the virus, but did not take it as an urgent issue. She said when she knew one of her family’s friend and his wife had been severely infected and were sent to intensive care units, she started to feel very distressed.

“Even though they were transferred to one of the best hospitals in Wuhan, there is no effective treatment to alleviate their symptoms,” Wu said.

Wu said she has a high school classmate who lost her father due to the virus infection. Now her classmate also finds herself infected but needs to take care of her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer years ago but was not hospitalized.

“Since all the hospitals have been

Black at Rice: Black History Month

This February marks a year of Black at Rice, a features series created with the intention of highlighting and celebrating Black voices on and off campus. For the anniversary and for Black History Month, the Features staff decided to do something a little different with the series.

Rather than feature one student, we asked past participants and nominees of Black at Rice to tell us, in their own words, what Black History Month means to them. Here’s what they said.

See more at ricethresher.org

Eddie Jackson, Baker College Junior

“Black History Month has always been an important month for me. It is one of the few times of the year that I get to hear about important events in Black history and have my culture celebrated. However, there are lots of issues with Black History Month. It focuses on a very specific point in Black history and cycles through the same Black people year after year. It has devolved from a genuine appreciation of Black culture to a performative act of integration. Black History Month has become a crutch for White people to say that they care about Black issues while still benefiting from White supremacy and the mistreatment of minorities. I’m not arguing for the abolition of Black History Month, but I think that a lot of work needs to ensure that it is used to uplift Black people.”

used for coronavirus patients, there are no hospital beds for patients with other types of diseases.” Wu said. “I feel so heartbroken and sorry for the tragedy in her family and I cannot even imagine the agonizing pain that people like her have to endure.”

Other Chinese international students, even those not from Wuhan, share the same feelings. Yi Luo said while she

I am infuriated with how some Americans make racist jokes about the misfortune that Chinese people are undergoing.

Yi Luo WIESS COLLEGE SOPHOMORE feels fortunate that she is away from the epidemic, she is also guilty and frustrated that she could not offer any direct support to the virus-afflicted region.

“I feel unsettled because of the news about the inefficiency of domestic charity organizations like Red Cross and poor quality of medical supplies sent by some international students,” Luo, a Wiess College sophomore said. “[But] being away from China, I don’t know what else I can do except donate medical supplies.”

Luo said she is aware of the limitations of the secondhand information she receives from social media.

“Because my social circle is restricted to people from middle-class families, I cannot develop a comprehensive understanding of the current lives of the lower class solely based on online sources,” Luo said. “Since it is impossible for the news to cover every individual of the socially disadvantaged groups, it is even harder to imagine their suffering under the lockdown.”

Although a virus cannot identify human borders, some students noted that people have begun to draw social barriers as a result of the virus. Jiayan Liang said he has percieved widespread regional discrimination following the coronavirus panic.

“I feel bad that we tend to treat people from Wuhan and even China like the virus itself and forget the fact that these are people like you and me who have a family and a life full of memories,” Liang, a Wiess freshman, said.

Luo expressed frustration at the racist ideas conveyed against Chinese people on social media.

“I am infuriated with how some Americans make racist jokes about the misfortune that Chinese people are undergoing,” Luo said. “It is China tortuously suffering from the virus, rather than the Chinese virus threatening the world.”

However, many Chinese international students said they’ve received emotional support from the Rice community. Wu said people around her have shown sympathy for the tragedy in her hometown. She said she was touched by encouraging messages, such as the supportive emails for Chinese students from President David Leebron and other university faculty members, especially amid the growing prejudice against Chinese people in American society.

“I was quite angry when seeing the rising racism in the international community, especially the derogatory reference to Chinese in a recent Wall Street Journal article,” Wu said. “But the supportive emails from President Leebron and other university faculty members help relieve my anxiety.”

Liang, who said he carefully read every email sent by Leebron and the Office of International Students and Scholars, said he was also moved by how Rice values every individual student’s feelings.

As the number of infected remains high three weeks since the lockdown, all students eagerly hope the government can act more quickly to alleviate the epidemic.

“My ultimate wish now is that China can combat the virus as soon as possible so that everyone can return to their normal lives and stay healthy,” Zhu said.

Gabrielle Falcon, Martel College Senior

“One of my favorite poems is ‘I, Too’ by Langston Hughes. The first time I saw this poem was on Twitter. And I just fell in love with it. I read it over and over again. I think it just so eloquently and efficiently explains the history of Black people in America. We too are America.

We too are history. We too allowed this nation to be what it is. We too are so intricately woven into the narrative of how America views itself — both positively and negatively. And of course, that negative aspect is the way America has treated Black people since its conception. That’s where the shame comes from. And last, I love how Hughes emphasizes how beautiful he is — we are. We too can be and are beautiful. And we too call and try to make America beautiful as well. I think the poem is a journey. Of where Black people once were and where Hughes wants them to be. And with that, how Hughes wants the nation to view them. Also, I think that the poem just makes me feel strong. It’s through struggle that Hughes discusses becoming strong. And through that strength he sees his beauty and reverence as an American. He laughs in the face of adversity. He welcomes it at his door. I wish to be that brave and try to turn all of my struggles into a lesson and an example to be learned from.”

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 • 7

EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS

Crossword by Grant Lu Thresher Staff

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ACROSS 1) Love letter dropped in a calf’s trough?

11) “American” series starring Lady Gaga 12) Not a dog, but ____ 13) SWA and DAL competitor 14) Dubai home fed.

15) Amazon’s loc.

16) Feisty fiend 18) Attractive people in a Korean restaurant?

23) KTRU tower buyer 24) Go back in time?

25) Subject of many an Instagram account, and a clue to this week’s theme 28) Singer ___ Twigs 29) One of Jupiter’s four moons 31) Hormone mimicked by soy 36) Chance encounter between two hams?

37) Respect

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DOWN 1) Crossword-solver’s tool, abbr.

2) Long-awaited ratification, abbr.

3) Kinky vegan’s cry?

4) __ and behold 5) Spewed, as a volcano 6) Code-cracking org.

7) Tritone, abbr.

8) Promissory vowels 9) Gun-toting org.

10) Potato progenitor 11) Warmonger 17) __ Alpha Theta, nerdy org.

19) Subject enthusiast 20) Mischeivous fiend 21) Tail end of Old MacDonald refrain 22) DNA fingerprint polymorphism 26) Desert wet spots 27) No, for Vladimir 30) ___-a-penny 32) Tit for ___ 33) Google Maps suggestion, abbr.

34) Grocery center?

35) Bubble fodder

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

Bolded clues and colored squares correspond to the theme.

Meet me at the Moody Café Your spot for sandwiches, salads and sweets.

Free coffee with purchase! Now accepting Tetra Points.

Operated by Salento

@themoodyarts

THE RICE THRESHER

8 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

‘BLACK GIRL CHURCH’ CELEBRATES VERSATILITY, RESILIENCE SUPPORT HOUSTON BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS “Black Girl Church” pushes its audiences to support Black-owned business with a list of over 300 Black-owned beauty supply stores around the world. The comprehensive list is featured on the documentary’s website courtesy of Jeffrey Beauty Supply, a key subject in “Black Girl Church” and the first Blackowned beauty supply store to open in Brownsville, a residential neighborhood in eastern Brooklyn, New York.

Support the community of Black beauty industry owners by visiting these Houston businesses: Obsidian Beauty Supply 9344 Jones Road, Ste E Houston, Texas 77065 (281) 477-7910 Brashae’s Beauty Supply 11902 S Gessner Rd Houston, TX 77071 (713) 541-2279 COURTESY BLACK GIRL CHURCH

KATELYN LANDRY A&E EDITOR

When I asked Rice Creative Society founder Taylor Crain what struck her most about the documentary short film “Black Girl Church,” her answer was simple: “It’s encapsulated in the title — the documentary feels like home.”

“Black Girl Church” extols the beauty supply store for its integral role in the Black community as a sacred space where women can exercise autonomy and creativity. In picking out new products, accessories, weaves and wigs, Black women celebrate the versatility of their hair and practice self-love in the face of racial biases.

Crain discovered the documentary through Instagram last summer and messaged the filmmakers, inviting them to host a screening at Rice. With support and sponsorship from campus centers Academic and Cultural Empowerment at Rice and the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning, Rice Creative Society set about organizing the event, which has been so enthusiastically received by the Rice community that tickets have sold out twice.

The award-winning documentary, created and directed by Audrey Williams and Marissa Pina, navigates the beauty supply store as an essential site of empowerment, independence and creative liberty for Black women and girls of all ages.

“When I was old enough to be outside with my friends without parental supervision, so I’d say about 10, a group of girls and I would ride our bikes to the beauty supply and $5 would take us so far. That 99 cent lip gloss is still the truth,” cast member Sesali Bowen, a former editor and writer at Refinery29 and Nylon Magazine, said.

Similarly, Crain shared childhood memories of doing her hair with her mother on what they fondly called “wash days” — entire days dedicated to hair maintenance and style.

The communal tradition of doing hair is one that is practiced in barber shops, salons and beauty supply stores alike where Black hair is celebrated and understood — for the most part. Crain also described the proliferation of “whitening” products that encourage skin bleaching or hair straightening, an infiltration of sacred space with outside messaging.

“I think having to navigate the messaging that you get, especially really early on, that your hair is either not enough as it is or it’s not pretty as it is ... this film tackles that really nicely,” Crain, a Lovett College junior, said. “I think people seeing this film will be powerful because they’ll see how complicated hair is for Black women: both empowering and also constricting.”

Crain said that anxieties surrounding Black hair and how it will be perceived by employers and others outside the community are unfortunately still too relevant. Crain explained that while loose, well-defined curl patterns have grown to be more celebrated and normalized, thick, tightly coiled hair known as type 4 hair is often perceived as unprofessional. Similarly, people who wear locks, a popular hairstyle that involves fashioning hair into rope-like strands of varying widths, are sometimes construed as being uneducated or unclean.

“It’s a pretty common talk, especially for college-aged women,” Crain said. “It’s like, how do I do my hair for an interview?

Will it impact my interview if my hair is in a fro and not pressed out? Did they make certain judgments about who I am and my competency because of my hair? Did I not get this job because my hair was a certain way?”

For film co-creator Williams, the biggest misconception about Black hair lies in the assumption that women are primarily motivated by insecurity to change their style. “Just because we change our appearance with hair it doesn’t mean that we aren’t happy with the ways we look, our Blackness,” Williams said.

In addition to tackling these misconceptions, “Black Girl Church” addresses the friction between Black and Asian communities caused by overwhelming Korean and Korean American ownership of Black beauty supply stores as opposed to African American entrepreneurs. Since the explosion of the wig business in South Korea in the 1960s, Korean companies have monopolized the billion-dollar Black hair industry by disallowing Black manufacturers from entering the distribution business, according to MadameNoir.

Williams hopes that by the end of the film audiences are inspired to support Black business. “We want credit,” said Williams.

“We want our creativity to be ours and to reap the benefits of creating these things.”

Following the screening, cinematographer and editor Joe Schaefer will join Bowen, Williams and Pina for a panel discussion about the making of “Black Girl Church” before opening up for audience questions. This Friday will mark the documentary’s first presentation in Texas — and the South in general — following an overseas screening in Amsterdam and a highly successful circuit in and around New York last year.

“This is my first time in Houston and I’ve never seen a Black girl from there with her hair not LAID! I can’t wait to hear their beauty stories,” Bowen said.

In addition to educating audiences

RICE MEDIA CENTER 50TH ANNIVERSARY

ACAPPELLOOZA

Bennett Beauty & Barber Supply 13820 Westheimer Rd 6714 Houston, TX 77077 (281) 752-7520 Emely’s Family Haircut 22424 Imperial Valley Dr., Ste 200 Houston, TX 77073 (281) 443-1728

COURTESY BLACK GIRL CHURCH

on Black women’s experiences with the beauty industry, Crain hopes the event will set a precedent for the Rice Creative Society as an organization where students can see artistic endeavors translated into successful passion projects.

“Rice does house creativity and students want these kinds of panels and discussions to happen on campus,” Crain said. “All of [the filmmakers] have day jobs, they don’t make documentaries for a living [and that shows] that you [don’t] have to sideline your creative passions. You can still prioritize yourself creatively and make it happen and have a big impact.”

“Black Girl Church” will be screened this Friday, Feb. 21 at the Moody Center for the Arts. The screening will follow a reception with refreshments beginning at 7 p.m. and will conclude with the panel discussion.

Tickets are currently sold out but you can be placed on the waitlist by visiting the event Facebook page.

THE WEEKLY SCENE

SAS MELA Join Rice’s South Asian Society for their first annual Spring Mela this Saturday from 3 7 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about Daya Houston, an organization dedicated to empowering South Asian survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, while enjoying food and games. This event is free and open to the public.

Rice Memorial Center Ray Courtyard

Celebrate with the opening reception of Geoff Winningham’s “Friday Night in the Coliseum,” a collection of photography on Houston’s wrestling scene in the ’70s, which will be on view until March 20. Rice Cinema will also screen a selection from 50 years of student films. The event is free and open to the public this Saturday from 6 - 9 p.m.

Rice Media Center

Experence the talents of Rice’s student a cappella groups with performances by the Rice Philharmonics, Nocturnals, Low Keys and Apollos this Sunday from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public.

Optional donations to the Music Therapy Center of Houston will be collected.

Rice Memorial Center Grand Hall

KTRU SPRING CONCERT Jam out to local talent this Saturday at KTRU’s annual spring concert. Hip-hop producer Joshy Bones, synth-pop duo Space Kiddettes and rockabilly blues musician Oliver Penn will take the stage at Valhalla starting at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

Valhalla

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 • 9

Review: Tame Impala delivers trademark vibrations but fails to innovate

COURTESY MODULAR RECORDINGS

THE SLOW RUSH Genre: Alternative / Indie Top Track: ‘Breathe Deeper”

LIA PIKUS FOR THE THRESHER

Making an album as creatively rich as “Currents” was always going to be a tough job or Kevin Parker, and his newest album “The Slow Rush”- is the comparativelylackluster proof.

“Currents” was Tame Impala frontman Parker’s first big move toward his own unique brand of psychedelia, plucking groovy bass lines straight from the ’70s to give shape to amorphous blobs of paisleypop soundscapes. While Parker’s first two albums — “Lonerism” and “Innerspeaker” — showcased his astonishing mastery of the psych-rock genre, “Currents” was a testament to the 34-year-old performer’s growth and versatility as both an artist and a

studio wiz. Pulling from a plethora of genres, Parker created a psych-pop album that was simultaneously chock-full of catchy earworms and his signature sonic maximalism. Hearing “Currents” live for the first time at Boston Calling Music Festival last May, I found myself transfixed by the album’s adaptability; “Currents” was a triumph precisely because it could be enjoyed through both headphones and festival loudspeakers.

Yet, Parker’s newest endeavor, “The Slow Rush,” falls short of the creative genius of “Currents.” Although any track off the album could easily work in a festival set, the 12-track’s lack of structure creates an album that is a disjointed sonic experience instead of a united musical work. While “The Slow Rush” continues the drift away from the Lennon-esque psychedelia of Tame Impala’s first two albums, it simultaneously strays away from small-scale palatability and musical ingenuity.

The album opens with the track “One More Year.” Parker’s first synthesized vocals stretch and unfurl outward through space, setting the atmosphere and introducing the album’s leading lady: the passage of time. Just like his past three albums, “The Slow Rush” is predominantly occupied with a singular theme that permeates the entire work.

“I’m being swept by this notion of time passing,” Parker said in a New York Times interview last spring. “There’s something really intoxicating about it.”

On the next track, “Instant Destiny,” Parker continues his exploration with a percussive beat and vocals drenched in studio effects, nostalgia and a boldness that only comes from being head-over-heels in love.

“Borderline,” the album’s third song, falls closest to the “Currents’” brand of psychedelic pop — a sugared whirling of instruments and synthesizers anchored by a subwoofer-worthy bassline. Any Eagles fan’s ears will perk up at the onset of “Posthumous Forgiveness,” an

open letter to Parker’s late father that begins with a guitar line reminiscent of that in the Eagles’ 1976 hit “Hotel California.” Pairing a bossa-esque beat with an arpeggiating guitar line, the sixth track of the album, “Tomorrow’s Dust,” delivers a bittersweet ode to temporality.

“Our regrets tomorrow are our actions now,” Parker says in his Apple Music lyrical commentary. “Future memories are present day current events. Tomorrow’s dust is today’s air, floating around us as we speak.”

The rest of the album’s tracks generally proceed as such, with fear-tinted nostalgia and meditations on the passage of time underpinned by mind-expanding maximalist soundscapes.

Here’s the thing: This album is so deeply intentional. Every chord voicing, instrumentation, lyric and studio effect was chosen with thought and deliberation. Due in part to personal reasons, Parker took five years to create the album and his process was meticulous. Even after the initial solo-debut of “Borderline” in 2019, Parker remained unsatisfied and pulled the track back into the studio for revisions before the album’s release.

“I was so in my own head about the song,” Parker said in an interview with radio station Triple J released last Thursday. “The way it sounds now is the way I was hearing it when I released it the first time.”

The intent behind every stylistic choice and the emotional rawness behind every lyric is palpable. Parker’s extensive and diverse musical repository also takes center stage, weaving an intricate musical quilt with patches of ’80s R&B (“Breathe Deeper”), disco-funk (“Is It True”) and acid house (“One More Year”), just to name a few.

Yet, as I was writing this review with “The Slow Rush” playing on repeat in the background, I would often forget that I was listening to anything at all. Parker’s

untethered, expansive soundscapes feel diluted and watery when consumed on a small scale. In “Currents,” Parker’s aural environments emerge clear and defined, pulsating beats tethering soundscapes together and creating a directionality that emphasizes the “pop” in “psych-pop.”

Songs like “The Less I Know the Better” that entertained huge festival crowds also found their way onto party playlists, mixtapes exchanged between high school sweethearts and everyone and their mothers’ Spotify Wrapped. “The Slow Rush,” on the other hand, feels directionless — a well-intended effort that ultimately finds itself mired in self-awareness and creative stagnation.

Few of the tracks stand exceptionally well independently, and horizontal sonic expansion takes precedence over interesting musical motifs or melodies. For such a deeply meaningful album, it all feels rather … meaningless.

My point here is not that the album won’t be successful, widely listened to or cohesive with the rest of their body of work: In fact, my point is exactly the opposite. “The Slow Rush” stands as a creative concession, a mere treading of water at a point in Parker’s career where he could have created a truly envelopepushing work. Each song on the album could have easily been tacked onto “Currents” as a filler track without anyone batting an eye, and that feels like a letdown.

On the other hand, maybe that’s the entire point. Heady soundscapes are Tame Impala’s claim to fame, their pièce de résistance. Maybe it’s fruitless to analyze a Parker work, especially one imbued with so much intention and care, with the normal tools of music criticism. Maybe, Parker’s not here to give us a “Currents”-shattering artistic triumph; maybe he’s here, just like the rest of us, to literally vibe.

“The Slow Rush” is available on all major streaming platforms.

THE RICE THRESHER

10 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

SPORTS

BASKETBALL SEEKS RETURN TO WINNING WAYS AGAINST UNT

courtesy rice athletics

Freshman forward Lauren Schwartz, senior guard Erica Ogwumike and junior center Kendall Ellig each reach for a loose ball on a rebound. This year, Ogwumike leads the team with 18.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Schwartz has started all 24 of the Owls’ games and is averaging 9.0 points and 4.0 rebounds as the Owls’ sole freshman starter.

BEN BAKER-KATZ THRESHER STAFF

Rice women’s basketball will aim to get back into the win column when the team faces the University of North Texas at home on Thursday. Rice has lost two games in a row to Conference USA opponents: Old Dominion University and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Previously, the Owls had won 11 straight games, all against C-USA opponents.

According to junior center Kendall Ellig, the team is not fully satisfied with its recent performances.

“There are ebbs and flows to a season,” Ellig said. “Obviously we would have liked the ending to be a little different, but I think it just gives us some really clear ideas of what we need to work on to get better.”

Against Old Dominion, Rice senior guard Erica Ogwumike led the team with 26 points and a season-high 18 rebounds.

Junior center Nancy Mulkey added nine points and eight rebounds. But the Monarchs were able to open the overtime

period with seven straight points, and the Owls were unable to make up the difference before time expired.

Against Charlotte, the Owls were unable to get anything going on offense, shooting just 29 percent from the field. They were able to keep the game close with their defense, but Charlotte was able to break through in the third quarter with a 16-6 run that gave them the lead and eventually the game. Schwartz said the Owls lost their groove near the end.

“I think it was more of our misses and our lack of execution during plays,” Schwartz said. “We just didn’t really play our game.”

Despite their recent losses, the Owls are still in excellent standing in C-USA. They are 11-2 in conference play and just one game behind Old Dominion with five games remaining in the regular season.

The Owls will face Old Dominion again in Rice’s season finale, this time at Tudor Fieldhouse. According to Langley, the fact that Rice will face the Monarchs at home is important.

“We had five away games over our last

seven [games]; that’s pretty intense,” Langley said. “I think being in front of our crowd again, and having the comfort of our own facility, is always nice. It will help us get back to kinda doing things the way we do them.”

To start getting back on track, Rice will prepare for a North Texas team they beat 67-52 earlier this month. Besides winning handily, the Owls were also able to hold the Mean Green to just one made three-pointer on 10 attempts, which Ellig said was crucial to the win. “[North Texas] is a better shooting team than they have been in the past, so it’s going to be important for us to protect the threepoint line like we did last game,” Ellig said.

“Aside from that, we just have to continue to grow on offense and be creative, and that will put us in a good position to win.”

Rice has excelled on defense this season, allowing just 56.5 points per game, good for No. 25 in the nation. The Owls have also kept opponents shooting just 35.5 percent from the field, and 26.8 percent from threepoint range. According to Schwartz, the Owls are in a good spot moving forward.

“We all see that we have lots of games left to play, and we have a lot of room to grow,” Schwartz said. “We have to be ourselves [against North Texas] and grow from last week. Like Coach always says, ‘the next game is the biggest game.’ So we’re just focused on what we have to do to be our best and win the next game.”

The Owls will face off against North Texas at Tudor Fieldhouse on Thursday, with tipoff at 7 p.m.

SEASON STATISTICS record 16–8 conference record 11–2 points per game 64.9 points allowed per game 56.5 infographic by katherine hui

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TENNIS SET TO HOST LSU IN DUAL MEET SPENCER MOFFAT SENIOR WRITER

Rice men’s and women’s tennis will face Louisiana State University on Sunday in a dual home meet. The men’s team, with a 3-3 record, hopes to first defeat Texas A&M University on Friday, while the women’s team will seek to first up its 4-4 record against Texas State University on Saturday.

Last weekend, women’s tennis lost to then-No. 18 Arizona State University. After

senior Priya Niezgoda and sophomore Anastasia Smirnova dropped their doubles match, juniors Michaela Haet and Linda Huang helped Rice rebound by winning their match 6-4.

However, freshman Maria Budin and sophomore Diae El Jardi fell in their match, giving ASU the doubles point. In singles play against the Sun Devils, the Owls took two of the five finished matches, with Niezgoda and junior Anna Bowtell emerging with wins.

While this past Sunday’s match did

Allen sellErs / Rice thresher

Junior Sumit Sarkar tracks the ball as he prepares to hit a serve on Sunday against Abilene Christian University. In singles play, Sarkar has five wins and five losses this season.

not result in a victory, women’s tennis head coach Elizabeth Schmidt said the team benefits from playing ranked opponents. Arizona State was the Owls’ second ranked opponent of the season, after Rice lost 4-2 to then-No. 8 North Carolina State University on Jan. 25.

Against LSU, women’s tennis will look to improve upon last year, when they were shut out 7-0. The LSU women’s tennis team, ranked No. 40 in the country, improved to 5-2 on the season after pulling off two wins in a row against Southern Methodist University and Tulane University.

On Friday, Rice men’s tennis will face Texas A&M, the No. 13 team in the nation.

Before its current two-match winning streak, the Rice men’s tennis team suffered a three-match skid in which the Owls won only one singles match and were completely shut out against two Ivy League opponents: Dartmouth College and Harvard University.

According to head coach Efe Ustundag, the team didn’t execute well in those losses.

“We didn’t do certain things that this team is better at doing during that stretch,” Ustundag said. “We could have made better decisions and we could have shown a better fight.”

After facing Texas A&M, the Owls will look to continue their recent run of success

in their Sunday match against LSU. After losing to LSU 6-1 last year, Ustundag said he thinks this year’s match will be different.

“I expect our team to be better than what we showed last year,” Ustundag said.“I expect it to come down to the wire, especially if we show up with the same intensity and energy and want to write the ship after that three match skid we had.”

But Ustundag also said the No. 49 Tigers will still pose a stiff challenge for the Owls. “[LSU is] a very talented team and it’s a team that doesn’t have any holes,” Ustundag said.

Overall, Schmidt said having both the men’s and women’s teams playing at the same time at home creates a unique tennis atmosphere.

“It’s a really cool environment having 12 courts of Owls playing at the same time,” Schmidt said. “It really showcases our school pride and we hope to get a lot of fans from the school and community.”

The dual match against LSU will be the only time this spring season that both men’s and women’s tennis will play at the George R. Brown Tennis Center at the same time. The match kicks off at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020 • 11

Grace Forbes: Lightning Fast DANIEL SCHRAGER FOR THE THRESHER

Grace Forbes has been outrunning just about everyone she’s faced this season. But, according to Forbes, the freshman track star who has taken Conference USA by storm, that hasn’t always been the case.

“In my grade school years, I was actually the worst of [my] family [at running],” Forbes said. “I have [two] sisters, and we were all running at a pretty high level, except I was always the runt of the group, always the slowest.”

Forbes used to have two siblings who were faster than her; now, only a few people in the entire conference can make that claim.

Forbes, who finished fifth in the 5K race at the C-USA championships in November, said that the competition helped fuel her to reach a “higher level.”

Forbes was recently named the C-USA Female Track Athlete of the Week for two consecutive weeks after recording the fastest indoor mile (4:40.69) among all NCAA Division I freshmen and the No. 2o indoor 3,000 meter time (9:13.64) in all of DI. In the fall, Forbes also finished No. 87 in the 6K race at the NCAA cross-country championships.

According to Forbes, track runs in her family. Both of her parents were runners, as were both of her sisters, including one, Madeline, who runs here at Rice. Even her dog, a golden retriever named for the firstever marathon runner Pheidippides, is a track athlete in her own right, running four miles a day. Forbes said that she draws inspiration from her family.

“Definitely people at home, so my family, my mom and my dad,” Forbes said. “They’re definitely the main motivators.”

Most of all, however, Forbes said that she draws her inspiration from her late grandfather — also a runner. She said he was once the runner-up to former record-breaking

distance runner Don Lash. She wears his lucky sweatshirt — a souvenir from the 1998 Rose Bowl — to every single race as a way to honor him. Before each race, she said she reminds herself to “do it for gramps.”

“My true inspiration is my grandpa,” Forbes said. “Right before every race I think about him.”

In addition to her family, Forbes said she credits both her faith and high school coach for motivating her.

“I would say one of my main motivators is my high school coach Bill Coren,” Forbes said. “He’s really made a big impact on my life. I think he deserves a shoutout.”

Despite her family’s many track roots, Forbes initially took to soccer. She participated in both soccer and track for much of her life, and it wasn’t until the end of her junior year of high school that running finally won out.

Eventually, she said, she began to realize how much she enjoyed running.

“I realized that I truly had a lot more fun running. It was really cool to test my limits,” Forbes said, “My dad has this quote: ‘Any day with a run in it is a good day.’ And it really relates to me. Any day that I’m running, that feeling of accomplishment after a good run, it brightens up the rest of your day, it makes you feel like you’ve done something a little extra that day.”

With soccer out of the fold, she picked up cross-country and began to train for track year round. She’s improved rapidly since then.

Since getting to Rice, she says she’s lowered her 3K time by nearly a minute, and her mile time by four seconds, which she credits to her high school coach Coren and Rice women’s cross-country and track head coach Jim Bevan. Yet even with her success, Forbes said that she still feels the need to prove herself.

“I want to prove to everyone on that track that I’m worthy of being a competitor there,” Forbes said. “That I’m worthy of running at the DI collegiate level.”

courtesy rice athletics

Freshman runner Grace Forbes extends her stride while in the inside lane during a relay race.

Forbes has excelled for Rice this season: She broke the Houston Invitational meet record mile time and was recently named C-USA Female Athlete of the Week for the second week in a row.

BACKPAGE

12 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2020

Official Backpage 2020 Write-In Endorsements Even in an election cycle with so few candidates and contested positions, there’s no shortage of controversy. Bypass the bureaucracy, write in Backpage-endorsed candidates. While most of these candidates aren’t technically “eligible” based on “by-laws” and “basic rules,” that hasn’t stopped some of the campaigns across the blanket tax organizations this year.

SA Secretary: The person in your class who’s always clacking away on their laptop

SA External Vice President: Lightning McQueen from Cars

They just love taking notes, don’t they?

They’re always typing so much, they must be documenting ideas and facts that are really of value. Never mind the fact that the professor read off the PowerPoint slide for the past 10 minutes — this Note G.O.A.T. listens between the lines to jot down only crucial information.

But, it is a little weird that they take notes in their messaging app and on Facebook somehow.

All of the University Standing Committees report to the EVP. A particularly salient committee during these trying times is the Parking Committee. We need an EVP who makes parking a priority and is passionate about ensuring cars have spots even as construction seems to block off dozens more every single day. An anthropomorphic car seems like he would be the best candidate to address arguably the most important issue that falls under the overall responsibilities for EVP.

SA President: The literal Slack app The residential college presidents report directly to the SA president, who serves as the primary spokesperson for the entire student body. The college presidents already love reporting anything and everything directly to their Slack workspace. The automation revolution is upon us, so cut out the middleman of an actual president. Just forward screenshots from the Slack directly to Leebron (but maybe don’t pass on everything from the #rant channel that Sid President McKinzie let us know about). A working group can be assembled for this screenshot distribution.

SA Internal Vice President: A babysitter

SA Treasurer: The strongest squirrel on campus

The IVP oversees the New Student Representative program. Why a babysitter? New students are NOT babies. In fact, most of them are legal adults. But, think back to O-Week — the language of O-Week “moms” and “dads,” plenty of magisters forbidding the explicit mention of (gasp) drinking on a college campus and the general infantilizing of new students. Given all of this, wouldn’t it just make sense to have a babysitter in charge of the NSR program?

While we haven’t yet narrowed down which squirrel is in fact the strongest, when we do, they’ll be rewarded handsomely! Being treasurer entails accountancy of the SA budget.

The most relevant part of this duty to squirrels’ skills is the “tails” in “entails.” But the secondbest reason to vote squirrel is their ability to stock up on and maximize utility of valuable resources, like nuts and crusts from leftover pizzas at the RMC Info Desk.

The Backpage is satire, written and designed by universal write-in candidates Simona Matovic and James Joyce Loves Farts. For comments or questions, please email JamesJoyceLovesFarts@rice.edu.

CLASSIFIEDS

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