The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, November 3, 2021

VOLUME 106, ISSUE NO. 11 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

Mapping Rice’s COVID-19 policy changes throughout the fall semester EMILY LONDON

Indicates 7-day trend (moving average)

FOR THE THRESHER

Testing Date August

COVID-19 Positive Case Count 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29

September

31 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

0

5

10

15

Aug. 3: In light of the emerging COVID-19 Delta variant in Houston, Rice reinstates its indoor mask mandate and bi-weekly testing requirement for fully vaccinated individuals, according to an email sent at the time from Kevin Kirby, chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee. Unvaccinated students have to test twice a week. In a separate email, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman wrote that cross-college events like publics and crawls are not permitted for the fall semester.

Aug. 19: Due to a surge of breakthrough infections during Orientation Week, the first day of class is delayed by two days to Aug. 25 and all instruction is moved online for the first two weeks of the semester. Additionally, indoor dining and all alcohol consumption are banned on campus until Sept. 3 and students are encouraged to delay their return to campus until Sept. 4.

Aug. 24: Rice reports that nearly 50 breakthrough infections during O-Week were detected mistakenly.

In the wake of this announcement, the bans on alcohol consumption and indoor dining are lifted, but no change is made to classes being moved online.

Aug. 30: Rice reimplements indoor alcohol ban after testing data shows 52 positive cases in one week, with 30 percent of those being traced back to one campus event. Alcohol is still permitted outdoors.

Sept. 7: Classes with less than 50 students return to in-person instruction. Larger classes remain remote unless the instructor successfully petitions to teach face-to-face.

18 20 22 24

Sept. 20: A majority of the remaining virtual classes shift to in-person. Professors are still given the option to request their classes remain online.

26 28 October

30 2

Data from Rice University COVID-19 Dashboard Infographic by Robert Heeter

4 6 8 10

Oct. 11: Masks are no longer required indoors for gatherings of less than 10 people. This policy does not apply to classroom settings, where masks are still required for all students.

Forbes defends title, women’s and men’s XC finish top 5 at conference BEN BAKER-KATZ

MANAGING EDITOR

Sophomore Grace Forbes defended her Conference USA cross country championship title last Saturday, securing her second conference title in as many years en route to a third place finish for the women’s cross country team.

The victory was Forbes’ fourth in five races so far this year, and was her 10th career C-USA title (cross country and track & field combined). Her time of 20:24 in the 6k race, good for a pace of 5:28 per mile, was a full 31 seconds ahead of the second fastest runner.

Head coach Jim Bevan praised Forbes after the race. “[Forbes] is such a great racer, performer [and] competitor,” Bevan said. “I don’t have enough [good things] to say regarding this tremendous student-athlete. She took control of the race early on and moved away from her competition throughout.”

Forbes became just the fifth runner in conference history to repeat as conference champion. She also joined former Owl Cali Roper as the second in program history to win consecutive conference championships in cross country — Roper won hers in 2014 and 2015. According to Forbes, the race was fairly standard, though she did enjoy the North Carolina foliage.

“I was happy with my performance,” Forbes said. “I had a plan, executed it, and was able to defend my title.

It was also so pretty to see fall in the northeast, it reminded me of home.”

“[Forbes] is such a great racer, performer [and] competitor. I don’t have enough [good things] to say regarding this tremendous student-athlete. She took control of the race early on and moved away from her competition throughout.”

Jim Bevan WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY HEAD COACH

12 14 16 18 20

Oct. 15: Administration lifts indoor alcohol ban in residential colleges, citing low positivity rates across campus and the greater Houston area. Cross-college events and large public parties with alcohol are still prohibited.

22 24 26 28 30 November 1

Oct. 25: Vaccinated students, graduate and undergraduate, are required to test every other week, rather than weekly, according to an email from Kirby.

Those who are unvaccinated must still get tested twice a week.

Rounding out the top 20 for the Owls were senior Lourdes Vivas de Lorenzi, who finished No. 16 with a time of 21:47. Finishing No. 18 and 19 were sophomores Caitlin Wosika and Taigen Hunter-Galvan with times of 21:50 and 21:55, respectively. All three earned allconference honors, along with Forbes.

Following them was sophomore Alyssa Balandran, who ran a time of 22:11 and finished No. 24.

“Lourdes continues to improve, as do Caitlin and Taigen, [and] this was Alyssa’s best race ever as an Owl,” Bevan said. “In addition, [sophomore] Rachel Shoemaker was involved near our front group for virtually the entire race and helped the other three perform.”

SEE CROSS COUNTRY PAGE 11

2 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

THE RICE THRESHER

Administration discusses problematic ImagineOne rollout during Faculty Senate

CHANNING WANG / THRESHER Faculty Senate, which holds meetings in the Kyle Morrow Room, discussed Rice’s transition to ImagineOne on Oct. 27.

BONNIE ZHAO

ASST NEWS EDITOR Faculty discussed Rice University’s troublesome transition to ImagineOne that caused issues such as delayed payment, inaccessibility to grant money and inability to track spending and funds in the Oct. 27 Faculty Senate, after months of faculty members, staff and students expressing dissatisfaction with the new payment system.

During the meeting, President David Leebron said he did not have any positive statement to say about the iO rollout. “[The transition] was what I described earlier as terrible,” Leebron said. “And so I want to begin by apologizing. This has not been a success. Where the blame exactly lies isn’t so clear.”

Leebron said that the administration is not happy with the advisor they hired to help manage the iO transition.

“I think folks have run into a lot of difficulties and there are a lot of different sources of those difficulties,” Leebron said. “We’ve organized some [specific] teams to go out and solve problems communicating directly with departments, holding sessions. There’s a piece of this, which is fixing things. And there’s a piece of this, which is better education for folks. I think what’s pretty clear right now is, although we’re sort of ramping up what we’re doing, it’s still not [enough].”

Leebron said that improving the iO transition has to be a top priority for the administration.

“We are making progress, but I think I would say the progress is not as fast as we would like, and it’s certainly not as fast as you would like,” Leebron said.

“We just have to ramp up that effort.”

Paul Padley, interim chief information officer and vice president for technology, said during the meeting that the administration apologizes for the unsatisfactory state of affairs regarding iO. “We’re aware of the pain this is causing the campus,” Padley said. “We understand the impact it’s having on departments, [and] we apologize for that. I really feel bad for all the people in the department offices that have had

“Unfortunately, this is rippling,” all this extra work put on them. And so Padley said. “For example, I have we’re trying to fix that.”

Padley said that there have been brands that have monthly reporting monthly invoicing many usability issues with iO, and the requirements, administration will bring their board reporting requirements that haven’t been usability consultants to see what invoiced since March, because the labor distributions were wrong.” improvements they can make.

According to Padley, many faculty, “That’s going to be a four- to sixmonth project to be able to do things like administrators and departments could that,” Padley said. “The processes are not track their spending because people cumbersome. The prime example that we were unable to view their funds.

“The Controller’s Office is working hear about that from all over the place is getting graduate students set up to be with departments to clear up all those paid. It’s incredibly painful and has lots problems,” Padley said. “Of course, that can feed into the first problem, right, of problems.”

According to Padley, the because you don’t have access and funds, administration hopes that significant you don’t realize your labor distribution progress will be made by the new year to is incorrect. So we expect some more of make things easier on the departments, those problems to reveal themselves.”

Padley said that there are also issues but a more complete solution most likely with the user will not happen interface, and that until the end of he has yet to find spring. a faculty member Padley said that who, without he understands You would expect some coaching, can find that people have things to be easier [with a way to see the lost confidence in iO]. But in fact, no one research funds. the iO system, as “I would say there have been so knows anyone who once you can find many issues with thinks that their job or your way to receive its rollout. even portions of their job your research “I’m suffering have become or will be funds, what I see in all this pain with there is better than you,” Padley said. easier with this system. whatever you’d “I mean, my grants Technology is supposed to see on Banner,” haven’t been help.

Padley said. “But invoiced. I’ve had actually getting all the problems Michael Wolf there is a problem. that people are PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS To address that, having. And so it we’re gonna actually roll out in the next gives me a perspective.”

Padley said that there were a lot of few weeks some coaching teams [to] talk faculty whose allocation of their pay to faculty in small groups, and then show went to the wrong funds during the you how to get through and get your research funds.” transition from Banner to iO. Michael Wolf, professor of “The Controller’s Office identified some data conversion things that mathematics, said during the meeting happened that caused problems there that he is glad for the characterization of [that] go back to July 1, and we’re having iO as terrible, but even that understates to go back and fix those,” Padley said. the problem somewhat. “[iO] is a piece of software aimed “We need help from the entire campus.”

Padley asked faculty to check to make at industry that was shoehorned into sure the labor distributions for people on academics, and normally folks take two their grants and their departments are to three years to get this ready,” Wolf correct, so that those can get reported said. “[But at Rice], it was rolled out quickly with very little input, or maybe and fixed.

no input from my sources from the local units. And so now you’re in this process of more or less beta testing it in real time, where the units are identifying problems, and you’re playing whack a mole on these problems that come up.”

Wolf said he hopes that a basic priority for the administration going forward is to lift the burden on administrators and administrative staff.

“You would expect some things to be easier [with iO],” Wolf said. “But in fact, no one knows anyone who thinks that their job or even portions of their job have become or will be easier with this system. Technology is supposed to help.”

David Messmer, a lecturer in the English department, said that he thinks one of the things that’s been most distressing with the iO transition has been delayed payment for graduate students.

“There’s not a more fundamental responsibility of an employer than to pay employees,” Messmer said. “A lot of people have run into struggles paying graduate students, and this is a population that depends [on their paycheck]. They really depend on getting paid and getting paid on time. Delaying their pay [means] another month of interest they’re having to pay on credit cards, or whatever the case may be.”

Padley said that he agreed with this point, and that although his own pay was affected, he has deeper pockets than graduate students so he could ride it out until the iO situation gets sorted.

“I can fully understand that for a graduate student having messed-up pay for a couple of months isn’t an option because they by and large live on the edge,” Padley said. “I think that most of that is behind us now, but if there are examples that are ongoing now they need to be brought to our attention so they can be addressed.”

Messmer said that the pay issues need to be addressed immediately.

“People are just kind of expected to deal with it, and that seems like a real problem,” Messmer said. “All the things that Mike [Wolf] said I agree with, the extra burden this has placed on administrators, but the pay issues to me seem absolutely central.”

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 • 3

NEWS

Rice community mourns loss of Ricardo Poveda Calderon KEEGAN LEIBROCK

THRESHER STAFF

PHOTO COURTESY LEITAO CHEN Ricardo Poveda, a Rice graduate student, passed away Oct. 24 at the age of 32.

Ricardo Poveda Calderon, a Rice graduate student studying in the mechanical engineering department, passed away Oct. 24 at the age of 32.

Poveda was a Fullbright scholar and an active member of the Rice graduate student community. He was involved in the Latin American Graduate Student Association, Graduate Student Association

and numerous intramural graduate club sport programs.

Originally from Ecuador, Poveda earned both a B.S. and an M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Escuela Politécnica Nacional before moving to the United States to pursue a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

Seiichi Matsuda, the dean of graduate and postdoctoral studies, said that Poveda contributed greatly to the Rice community.

“Ricardo was a sterling individual.

He was an excellent engineer who had developed important insights in mechanical engineering,” Matsuda said. “Through both his leadership and his commitment to building communities, Ricardo was centrally important to a number of student groups … He was a friend to many and did a great deal of good.“ Among his peers, Poveda was known as a mentor who would devote his own time to helping others succeed within the graduate program, according to Matsuda.

“He was unusually generous with his time and energies, from mentoring other students to making sure others felt welcome and included,” Matsuda wrote in an email to the Rice community. “A lot of people have

told me that Ricardo was the first friend they made at Rice.”

Laura Schaefer, the chair of Rice’s graduate Mechanical Engineering department and head of Poveda’s lab, said that Poveda would be remembered as someone who worked to form connections within the Rice community.

“He was like an ambassador for the [mechanical engineering] department … he was a part of the Mech Graduate Student Association, Latin American Graduate Student Association,” Schaefer said. “He was on both the graduate soccer and football teams. He fit into all of those roles so well and he made connections for people where they wouldn’t have found those connections before.”

Schaefer said that she would describe Poveda as open, calming and warm.

“I think that he also had this sort-of sly sense of humor, in a good way,” Schaefer said. “He would make jokes, and you couldn’t tell if he was making a joke. Then his mouth would kind of twitch just a little.

I think people remember him that way.”

Schaefer said that, within the lab, there are many fond memories of Poveda. In one instance, Shcaefer said she recalled Poveda

giving a long and highly detailed research presentation on the basis for features in ducks’ bills.

“We had this meeting a week ago and he had all these slides and details about how duck bills are actually fractals for the way the ducks breathe and drink water,” Schaefer said. “He was so excited about it … he showed such a depth and enthusiasm [about his research] in a very laid-back way.”

According to Schaefer, part of Poveda’s research was focused on heat transfer and water purification systems. Poveda hoped to bring his knowledge from this research back to Ecuador to help the surrounding communities.

“I first met [Ricardo] on a Fullbright student visit in March of 2018. I was super impressed by him, he had a lot of passion and a lot of energy. He was really excited about doing research and he wanted to make the world a better place,” Schaefer said. “He was talking about going back to Ecuador, doing research on [these mechanisms] and helping his country and the world.”

A memorial service was hosted for Poveda on Oct. 28.

Students, faculty reflect on CDOD course after two weeks VIOLA HSIA

Evan Joachim, a Brown College freshman, said that the past two weeks have been a positive experience.

“Our class is very diverse and has many For the past two weeks, new students have been participating in a new course different experiences,” Joachim said. “I known as Critical Dialogues on Diversity, think we all benefit well from sharing our discussing critical approaches to culture, own perspectives, so my overall experience has been fairly positive.” identity and dialogue.

Byrd said that, because the CDOD According to Natasha Patnaik, a teaching assistant for the course, the past two weeks course is still in its introductory phase, there is still the future of the course to for her session have been successful.

“I’m very glad that Rice is now consider and whether there is any room for introducing these seminar-style sessions improvement.

“One of the things that instructors for freshmen,” Patnaik, a McMurtry College sophomore, said. “I think it’s a good space almost universally mention is that in the for students to reflect on these issues with pilot [class], facilitating conversations typically went a little easier, because one another.”

The new course follows a pilot session everyone who’s there [was] self-selected,” that was taught in the spring by Associate Byrd said, “So that was one of the points Dean Catherine Clack and Vice Provost for that’s been that’s been raised in our early Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alexander discussions.”

Joachim said that the idea of the course Byrd, which was attended by a small group of students, who elected to take the course. being a dialogue is very important and effective.

Byrd said that this “Since it’s a was one of the dialogue, [the class] things to consider dynamic should be when they were If it was an extended shifted a little bit transitioning from more towards the the pilot course to course ... I feel like that students,” Joachim offering the class as might be a little bit more said, “I think the a required course for helpful so that people can focus should be all freshmen. actually think about their on the students “One of the and sharing their differences between own biases and their own experiences and having a pilot group perceptions and how that perspectives that was small and affects other people. and thoughts on mostly self selected, whatever topic and then moving Arielle Noah we choose to be from that group to CDOD COURSE TA discussed in that the entire group of new students … [is that] facilitating meeting.”

Nick Harrison, a Baker College conversations typically went a little easier, because everyone who’s there self selected freshman, said he believes that the [to attend],” Byrd said. “Even with that, course could also take steps to improve people are typically pleased with how things discussions on sensitive topics, like income and privilege. are going.”

“I know that some people felt called Byrd said he was able to teach two Lovett College CDOD courses to substitute for out at times when they’re talking about instructors who could not teach that week, specific privileges in which they are and said he thought the students in those sensitive, like income,” Harrison said, “But I feel like a way to solve that is more two classes were remarkable.

“I enjoyed speaking with them, I enjoyed anonymous activities. That way they can the conversations that they got going,” Byrd put their information out there and have said. “[One thing] that was clear to me was the class witness it, but they don’t have to the benefits of a college organized section, have it tied to their name.”

However, Harrison said that he’s glad because it was very clear that I was the newcomer there and these were people who Rice is doing this course.

“It’s kind of a blessing in disguise that knew each other from the college but also from [Critical Thinking In Sexuality]. So I we have to take these courses,” Harrison was happy to be able to take advantage of said. “I know other universities don’t the ways that people already felt comfortable even bother discussing this at all, so it’s a good thing.” with one another.”

THRESHER STAFF

SOLOMON NI / THRESHER New students have been participating in a required Critical Dialogues on Diversity workshop for the past two weeks, during weekday evenings.

Arielle Noah, a TA for the course, said that she thinks the CDOD course is a step in the right direction.

“But again, Rice needs to do more than a baby step,” Noah, a Will Rice College sophomore, said. “[It] needs to take a big step. If it was an extended course...I feel like that might be a little bit more helpful so that people can actually think about their own biases and their own perceptions and how that affects other people.”

Byrd said that this is only the beginning

regarding the conversation around diversity and inclusion here

at Rice.

“This is a start,” Byrd said, “[I hope students] will continue these conversations along these lines and they leave these five weeks committed to leaning into that diversity, and taking advantage of it to make Rice a better place. And also to begin to think about how they will take these lessons from Rice into the communities that they enter after Rice.”

The The Thresher Thresher is is hiring! hiring!

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POSITION STARTS SPRING SEMESTER These are paid positions.

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4 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

NEWS

Rice business ranked No.3 for entrepreneurship, up from No. 15 last year BONNIE ZHAO

ASST NEWS EDITOR Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business was ranked No. 3 in Poets & Quants’ World’s Best MBA Programs for Entrepreneurship rankings for 2022, up from No. 15 on the 2021 list.

Peter Rodriguez, dean of the Jones Graduate School of Business, said that the Poets & Quants ranking is influential despite being relatively new.

“I think there are probably three big rankings for entrepreneurship. And I think they tend to be U.S. News and World Report, Poets & Quants and Princeton Review,” Rodriguez said. “What [Poets & Quants] tends to do with their rankings is combine other rankings or take measures generated from the rankings that they deem to be better or more reflective.”

Rodriguez said that he is happy with the Poets & Quants ranking, which he believes tends to be more quantitative and holistic than the other rankings.

“Poets & Quants tend to look at things that can be helpful, like how many courses in entrepreneurship are offered, how much money is actually given to the firms that students launch and how much support is given to the students after they graduate,” Rodriguez said. “With anything, you have to take any ranking with a heavy grain of salt, because when we succeed, it’s because we did well. I think in this case, it’s a pretty good ranking, and we’re really happy to be high in it.”

According to Rodriguez, he thinks the jump in ranking is based on the accumulation of good results over time.

“Our reputation has been growing as our programs become more widely known,” Rodriguez said. “I think the other [reason] has just been the success of startup companies facilitated out of Rice one way or the other.

And we’ve had good results over a long time because of the various startup competitions we’ve had here, whether it’s through [Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship], or through the Rice Alliance for Technology & Entrepreneurship.”

Rodriguez said that Lilie and the Rice Alliance are part of the Jones Business School.

The Rice Alliance began over 20 years ago as a business plan competition, and has grown to become a facilitator of entrepreneurship endeavors, mostly connecting with groups outside of Rice. Lilie is six or seven years old, generated by a gift from Rice graduate Frank Liu. Its work is focused more internally, such as on degree programs.

Rodriguez said that the Jones Business School will invest to support the undergraduate business major, which he hopes will have great success and that a lot of students will be interested in.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if the noticeability of our programs has risen because we made a big announcement about an undergraduate business major,” Rodriguez said. “We’re looking into growing our physical facility by expanding our building so that we can have more classroom spaces and more meeting spaces for all of our students, but especially to accommodate the undergraduate growth.”

Brad Burke, managing director of Rice Alliance, said that the Jones Business School was one of the first graduate schools to teach entrepreneurship back in the ’70s.

“We’ve had a large number of authorship courses available to students at the graduate level, and we also have a number of co curricular activities available to MBA students,” Burke said. “[It’s] a self-fulfilling prophecy because I think we attract more students who are interested in entrepreneurship at the graduate MBA level [because of our] focus on the curriculum, the focus on co-curricular activities, focus on activities, like the Rice Business Plan competition.”

Rodriguez said that he thinks Rice Business has been quite under the radar

for a number of years nationally.

“We’ve ranked No. 1 in graduate entrepreneurship for two years in the Princeton Review,” Rodriguez said. “And that review is coming out again soon.

But I think it’s just helped schools see us nationally and think ‘Wow, who’s placing above Stanford [University] or [the Massachusetts Instutute of Technology] or Babson [College]?’

And being in those conversations has been really useful to our groups.”

Roslynn Velasquez, marketing director of Rice Alliance, said that Rice business students have a unique opportunity because of Rice Alliance’s commitment to be such an active participant in both the Houston community and the national entrepreneurship community.

“We get to bring in a lot of other startups and resources for them to immerse themselves in this community that we then also provide to them on campus through our [own] programs,” Velasquez said. “And with Lilie, there’s just a really robust and growing ecosystem and environment for [students] whether you’re [in a] really early stage and just interested in learning about startups and entrepreneurship or you have a company that’s a little bit further along and need some of those resources.”

According to Burke, one of the biggest advantages of Rice’s entrepreneurship program is its large network and large entrepreneurial ecosystem.

“There are opportunities for students to take internships with venture capital firms, or to have internships with startups or just to attend events where they can see existing startups pitching their startup investors, so they can learn from seeing other people who pitch,” Burke said. “So teams have the advantage of the network that’s been built over time to be able to learn and to take advantage of that in smaller cities or smaller locations where there hadn’t been that university based network established.”

Burke said that Rice Alliance and Lilie continue to build on their programs every year. For example, Rice Alliance launched a new clean energy accelerator program this year. “[The program is] open to not just present students or alumni, but it’s [also] open to any clean energy companies,” Burke said. “There are a lot of students who have an interest in clean energy and renewable energy sustainability. And I think that’s another example of expanding opportunities for students who want to get involved in entrepreneurship. I would envision that we continue to build upon these programs.”

Rodriguez said that the Jones Business School is trying to hire three new entrepreneurship professors on the tenure track. “[It] is not all that common, but it’s something that reflects our deepening of a commitment into this area of your academic life,” Rodriguez said. “Especially for undergraduates, almost no matter what you major in, I think it makes obvious sense at some point for engineers, computer scientists, natural scientists and really anybody to have an interest in entrepreneurship. And so we need more capacity.”

According to Rodriguez, it shouldn’t be surprising that a university like Rice could have top notch graduate programs, as long as it dedicates good resources to it over time.

“We’ve certainly done that in the business school, and I think the university will do more of that going forward across all disciplines in all schools,” Rodriguez said. “I think that will benefit the reputation of the university as a whole.”

KELTON KECK / THRESHER The Jones Graduate School of Business was ranked No. 3 for entrepreneurship in Poets & Quants’ list, up from No. 15 from last year.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 • 5

THE RICE THRESHER

EDITORIAL

ImagineOne issues are disastrous; they should be addressed now Since it was implemented this past summer, nearly everyone on campus has been affected in one way or another by the new ImagineOne human resources and finance system. Undergraduate students in charge of organizations are having to literally guess at their budgets and hope that they are spending within their limits. Additionally, graduate students were having issues receiving their paychecks, and faculty could not find their research funds without specific coaching.

At its core, this is a labor issue. The problem demands urgency, as it will only get worse and worse over time.

Some groups have to report finances monthly, and with each month that they’re not able to fulfill this, the issue is exacerbated. Additionally, people cannot be expected to continue going on for months without pay. An issue like this that affects people’s livelihoods needs to be addressed expeditiously.

The system was rolled out over the crucial functions needed to manage summer, but clearly Rice was not ready. funds. Choosing a system with such a Paul Padley, interim vice president for user-unfriendly interface only further IT, has previously told the Thresher that burdens student leaders, faculty and staff Rice moved away from the old system, who already have many responsibilities to deal with. The Banner, owing to entire point of a the fact that it “was payment system is based on very old to provide funds, technology that The entire point of a and if it was not predates Wi-Fi and ready to do its only Google search by payment system is to about five years.” provide funds, and if it was job, we’re left to We agree that not ready to do its only job, wonder why Rice decided to roll iO updates in keeping out when they did. with current we’re left to wonder why P r e s i d e n t times and latest Rice decided to roll iO out David Leebron technologies are when they did. apologized for the worthwhile.

But if we’re going to make the switch, Rice error-filled rollout during the Oct. 27 should have been much better prepared. Faculty Senate, saying bluntly that the Rice should have sought feedback from its rollout “has not been a success.” We community, rather than moving forward appreciate recognition of the problem, with a system where extensive coaching even if it is coming quite late, but a would be required to perform basic, response from the administration will

not be sufficient until they take measures to actually address and resolve problems with iO. What is the point of a payment system without accessible funds?

According to Padley, a more complete solution will likely not be feasible until the spring. We may not know who is to blame for the issues over the past few months, but to directly address Padley, the administration and the outside consultants Rice will be hiring: someone needs to step up now and make it work this time. Students, staff and faculty should not have to suffer due to an entirely preventable and premature transition.

This issue should be one of the top priorities for the university; more focus needs to be given to solving the issue outside of just a single collective Faculty Senate rant. After all, how can Rice embark on a $2 billion capital fundraising campaign if employees cannot access their own funds?

EDITORIAL CARTOON

NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER

CORRECTIONS In “Owl Sydney Ying twirls her way onto the Rockets dance team,” the Houston Rockets’ dance team is the Clutch City Dancers, not the Clutch City Dance Team. Sydney Ying was a national finalist, but not the sole winner, in ballroom dancing the summer before her freshman year of high school.

In “Make no mistake, joining the AAC is a great move,” University of Texas, San Antonio, not University of Texas, El Paso, is one of the schools joining the AAC.

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6 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

THE RICE THRESHER

Electric scooters on campus:

Zooming to class instead of class on zoom

KENNEDI MACKLIN

FOR THE THRESHER

ILLUSTRATION BY CHLOE XU You’ve probably seen them charging in your college commons, parked in the back of your lecture hall, or zooming past you on the way to a 9 a.m. class. With top speeds of around 20 mph, electric scooters can shorten trips across campus by several minutes.

Elias Hansen, a sophomore at Martel College, said seeing a lot of students using them this year encouraged him to buy one for himself.

“I got my scooter at the start of this year,” Hansen said. “I have a class that [starts] 10 minutes after the end of my first one, and it’s pretty far across campus. I was going to be late every day if I didn’t have some means of getting there quickly.”

Devin Amodio, a senior at Jones College, said he received his scooter as a Christmas gift in 2019 and has used it ever since. Although Amodio was using his scooter to get around campus originally, he has found a new benefit in it in his senior year.

“I live way off campus, and I don’t want to pay a whole bunch of money for parking each semester,” Amodio said. “I park [my car] at the zoo, and then scoot down Main Street to come to class.”

Will Rice freshman, Alice Sun, said she noticed that a lot of student-athletes at Will Rice and other residential colleges use electric scooters.

“Whenever I see an e-scooter, I typically think of an athlete,” Sun said.

“Normally the people riding them are Bedawi, a freshman at Hanszen, said she always athletes or the people who are often feels unsafe when e-scooters pass by. associated with athletics.”

“You hear a quick ‘on your left’ but at Freshman Aaron Smigelski, a baseball player from Sid Richardson, said he this point they’re already on your left and feels that most athletes on campus use they whiz by,” Bedawi said. “Once, this guy went by so fast that the wind blew scooters because of their efficiency.

“It’s just more efficient,” Smigelski my hair. It was very close, and I was like, said. “It saves us time because we’re ‘Oh my God’ … I think a lot of people have already restricted on the amount of had the same experience … I’ve talked to a lot of people time that we have and I swear it’s for studying and happened to half [other activities].” of the campus.”

A l t h o u g h While there quick, fun and I got my scooter at the start haven’t been often necessary, of this year. I have a class many reported the high speeds of that [starts] 10 minutes accidents this e-scooters may also year, Lieutenant bring about safety after the end of my first Thomas Hudak concerns. Amodio one, and it’s pretty far said that the Rice said he has fallen across campus. I was going University Police while scootering to be late every day if I Department fears several times. that safety may “I was going didn’t have some means of become a problem down Sunset, getting there quickly.” on campus and flying down that e-scooter Sunset, and I hit a Elias Hansen users are expected pothole,” Amodio MARTEL COLLEGE SOPHOMORE to follow the same said. “I was going full speed but I didn’t land too badly. [I rules as bikers.

“We are concerned because we had] just a couple of cuts and busted the fender. I’ve had a couple slip offs here encourage all students, just like on and there, usually when things are wet, bicycles or skateboards, to obey the rules of the road,” Hudak said. “That is, but nothing too serious.”

Safety is also a concern for the to go with the flow of traffic, to stop at students who don’t ride scooters. Basma stop signs, to yield the right of way to

pedestrians and other vehicles who have the right of way, to alert people audibly that you’re going to pass someone [and] also to respect when the buses are stopping to discharge students or to pick up students [and] not to be passing [then].”

Hudak said that RUPD has not handled major accidents so far but has given nine verbal citations to scooter riders.

In addition to safety, the department is monitoring scooter theft. Although there has been only one reported theft since the beginning of this year, the department is trying to find better ways for students to store scooters in between classes, according to Hudak.

“We are working on a mobility safety committee and on how scooters can be kept, possibly in buildings, while the students are in classes,” Hudak said.

The best way to prevent theft, however, is registering scooters with RUPD, according to Hudak. While registration is not mandatory, Hudak said that identifying information makes the search for missing scooters easier.

According to RUPD, only 14 students have registered their scooters this year.

“Registering helps us identify who the owner is,” Hudak said. “If the scooter is unfortunately taken or stolen, it increases our ability to find it and bring it back to the owner significantly because we can go online and check pawn shops with that registration number.”

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 • 7

FEATURES

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JAYAKER KOLLI AND NIKHAZ OMAR

CROSSWORD WRITERS

1 Electric guitar boosters 5 ___ Center, for IM sports 8 Pixar movie about Dia de Los Muertos 12 Alien space agent in “Phineas and Ferb” 13 Wild 15 Bug spray brand 16 Bathroom, in Baja 17 “Easy on Me” singer 18 Dies ____ 19 Ctrl+Z 20 Assigns new actors 22 Tuscan city that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site 24 Off-road ride, for short 25 Dr. visits 29 End of a skirt 30 Professions 33 “___ we there yet?”

34 Joule or newton 36 Nike’s ___-Fit material 37 The Iliad or Shahnameh 38 Liberty 41 6330 Main Street, for Will Rice 43 Land unit 44 Take a siesta 46 Kind of Scout 47 Animal doc 48 Opposite of integrated 50 A smooch on the subway, in short 53 Distant 55 Igloo material 56 Hunter constellation 58 Canadian city with famous Stampede 61 Bank no.

62 Skeleton component 65 “Never _____ Give You Up” by Rick Astley 66 Water vessel fetched by Jack and Jill 67 Bear constellation 68 Wedding site 69 Still 70 Indian flatbread 71 Ctrl+alt+___ 72 Changemaker

DOWN

1 Sneak attack 2 Bully, in playground terms 3 Common holiday food often decorated with bone shapes 4 Soup utensil 5 Sign of a sunburn 6 Constructed 7 Sugar skull often found at an ofrenda 8 Crunchy 9 Paddle 10 Controversial spy org.

11 Poem of praise 13 Out of the way 14 ___ Miz 21 Profs’ helpers 23 Comes in hydrofluoric and sulfuric varieties 26 Folk art made from tissue paper 27 “Divergent” protagonist 28 Counterpart of mins, on a timer 31 Yom Kippur, the Day of ____ment 32 Fingerprint feature 35 Maiden name preceder 37 ___ on the side of caution 38 Falafel bean 39 Rice engineering certificate program, for short 40 Common flower offering also known as cempazúchitl 42 Queen of Carthage, in the Aeneid 45 Salsa specification 48 Rice student org. focused on community-based projects 49 Opposite of autumnal 51 Not ferocious 52 Caribou feature 54 Domain of hagfish and octopi 57 Quick 59 JFK alternative 60 Pirate’s cry 62 Hot dog holder 63 Singer Rita 64 Controversial org., relative of 10-down

Books in a birdhouse: Little libraries pop up on campus RIYA MISRA

FOR THE THRESHER Across from Valhalla, the graduate student pub, sits a small red birdhouse.

It boasts a handful of books: Al Franken’s “The Truth,” Lisa Lutz’s “The Spellman Files,” texts on managerial economics and “The Maze Runner” series. This little birdhouse is in fact one of Rice’s three Little Free Libraries.

Little Free Library is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit aiming to expand literacy and book accessibility through public minilibraries, according to the organization’s website. These small, weather-resistant boxes can be found in over 100,000 locations globally.

In 2020, the Center for Teaching Excellence’s Faculty Fellows brought such libraries to Rice: there is one outside of Valhalla, one near Brochstein Pavilion and one outside the hammocks near Fondren Library. These small libraries were installed to encourage students to read for pleasure, according to Lisa Balabanlilar, chair of the CTE Faculty Fellows.

“Two and a half years ago, [the Faculty Fellows] were discussing just how hard it is to get students reading for pleasure on campus,” Balabanlilar said. “I require my students to send me a photo of themselves reading poetry and they can’t bring themselves to do it. They tell me they haven’t read a novel since coming to Rice. We thought it would be great for the campus to have low-stakes access to books that are just fun: Harry Potter, meaningful spiritual books, books for any age level.

We want to make it easy for people to pick up a book when they’re in the mood.”

The libraries appear to have become a popular feature on campus, according to Sara Lowman, vice provost and university librarian. Lowman said she has seen many Rice and non-Rice community members alike use the libraries.

“[During the pandemic] people were spending a lot of time alone in their houses,” Lowman said. “I think reading is a way to connect with other people.

It’s a great way for Rice to connect with the neighborhoods around campus, too.

There’s a mother who comes by with her kids from the neighborhood and they always look into [the libraries].”

The concept of Little Free Libraries is predicated on the idea of sharing books with fellow readers.

“It’s fun to see what people leave in [the libraries] for each other to read,” Lowman said. “There’s this idea of sharing books with other people who like to read, so you don’t accumulate all these books. Books are meant to be passed on, read by someone else and talked about.”

Recently, the CTE Faculty Fellows announced a design competition for the campus’s little libraries. Project proposals, which are due on Jan. 19, are open to Rice students, staff and faculty.

Each team must contain at least one student and have a budget of no more than $400. According to Balabanlilar, the judges include Lowman, University Architect George Ristow, architecture professor Nonya Grenadier, sculpture professor Lisa Lapinski and literature professor Joseph Campana.

“We want people to have fun and use their creative spirit,” Balabanlilar said.

“The [designs] must sustain a presence in Houston weather … Otherwise, they could be anything. It would be great if they could become public art installations.”

According to Sid Richardson College sophomore Michelle Gachelin, the design competition announcement on Oct. 15 alerted many students to the presence of Little Free Libraries on campus. Gachelin, Sid sophomore Aidan Terlizzi and Will Rice College freshman Meghan Foreman said they only recently discovered the campus’s Little Free Libraries collection.

“I have [Little Free Libraries] in my neighborhood back home. I’ve used them a few times. I didn’t know we had them on campus until recently, though,” Foreman said. “[Terlizzi] and I both found out about the libraries when [Gachelin] told us about the competition.”

At the end of the day, the Little Free Libraries are there to encourage

reading and book-sharing across the Rice community, according to Lowman and Balabanlilar.

“The libraries are just a great phenomenon,” Balabanlilar said. “We want people to read for fun. The more people reading, the better.”

This article has been condensed for print. Read more at ricethresher.org.

AUDREY YAO / THRESHER A competition to design the Little Free Libraries on campus is open to Rice students, faculty and staff.

8 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

THE RICE THRESHER

Gerardo Rosales unveils first Moody Project Wall

Review: ‘The French Dispatch’ WILL COVER

FOR THE THRESHER

Gerardo Rosales, in collaboration with a group of seven Rice students, painted the first mural for the Moody Center for the Arts’ Project Wall. The mural is titled “¡Displaced Mundo!”

GAUZI FAUD / THRESHER

ANDREA PLASCENCIA

FOR THE THRESHER

The Moody Project Wall, a new initiative that sets aside a large interior wall in the Moody Center for the Arts for muralists, recently welcomed its first tenant: Houston artist Gerardo Rosales’s “¡Displaced Mundo!,” an original mural meant to call attention to the struggle of Venezuelans displaced by the nation’s current economic crisis.

The mural was unveiled Oct. 15, the last day of Hispanic Heritage Month. The event featured a Venezuelan musical trio, a food truck and a drawing station, where children colored in stenciled outlines of ants, butterfly-headed humans and other trademark Rosales motifs. The event saw sizable turnout from the greater Houston community, which Frauke Josenhans, a Moody Center curator, credited in part to buzz from the artist’s past exhibitions at Lawndale Art Center, the Holocaust Museum, and area galleries.

Rosales, selected in part for his background as an educator, designed the piece alongside a team of student volunteers and is holding workshops throughout the semester about the shadow of colonialism and the difficulties of economic displacement. In the mural, these themes of suppression and exile are interpreted through the lens of the indigenous Venezuelan faith of María Lionza.

According to Rosales, the María Lionza faith was derided as satanic by early Catholic missionaries; driven mostly underground for centuries, it found veiled expression in Venezuelan Catholicism, where María was referred to as Saint Mary of the Ounce. Over those centuries, the faith evolved, incorporating Catholic and African beliefs. María became identified as a holy champion of the downtrodden and the exiled. The faith grew spectacularly. In 2011, one anthropologist estimated that 60 percent

of Venezuelans had participated in the rites of María Lionza at least once in their lives, and Sorte Mountain, which she is identified with, has become a pilgrimage site.

“There is no one version [of María Lionza’s story],” Rosales said. “There are many tales. One of the main tales is that she was a beautiful princess with green eyes, which was unusual for her tribe … the tribe thought that she should be sacrificed. Her father decided to hide her in a fortress, with 20 strong warriors keeping her safe. But, one day, she escaped and came to a lagoon … and a huge snake, an anaconda, came and ate her.”

She prayed to nature, to a mountain, and then nature made the snake explode. Then she became the mountain; she fused with the mountains and became the protector of the animals, the flora, and fauna of the country and the people as well.

Gerardo Rosales ARTIST

In the mural, that snake looms over María, high up. It was a later addition, according to Josenhans.

“When you give an artist a huge wall, they want to fill it,” Josenhans said.

Though its eyes stare at María with palpable hunger, its expression is one of neutrality, even innocence. The snake is a danger without malice, like the mouth of an open well.

“She prayed to nature — to a mountain — and then nature made the snake explode,” Rosales said. “Then she

became the mountain; she fused with the mountain and became the protector of the animals, the flora and fauna of the country, and the people as well.”

In a sign of her identification with Venezuelan fauna, María is often depicted riding a tapir, a large, trunknosed animal native to South America.

In Rosales’ portrait, María is one with her tapir; the back of her head fades into its upside-down bulk. A moment’s look at the wall makes clear just how much Rosales loves syncretic beings. The portrait is filled with butterfly-headed humans, a reference to the most common anti-gay slur he faced growing up in Venezuela: mariposa, or, translated into English, butterfly. Fly-headed and antheaded humans make appearances as well in the corners of the wall. Ants, in fact, are everywhere. Rosales uses them as a doubled symbol, identifying them with hardship and injustice, but also the beauty and immensity of nature.

The wide range of topics covered is due in part to Rosales’s own comfort with multiplicity.

“Sometimes I start working with ideas, with drawings,” Rosales said. “Then I start peeling the onion of my drawings and find the meanings.”

In addition to advertising through their own mailing lists, the Moody Center reached out to Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice and the Office of International Students & Scholars to recruit student volunteers. A total of seven students joined. They met with Rosales on Saturdays, painting and discussing for hours — a process that left Rosales pleased.

“They commit,” Rosales said. “We get in with the same level of understanding.”

On occasion, Moody Center staff and even passersby joined in. Josenhans said that, in light of this recruiting success, the Moody Center will continue to reach out to relevant student clubs for future installations on the Project Walls.

Wes Anderson’s movies exist between disagreement and divisiveness. He’s a filmmaker so distinct and unwavering in his style that you either love him or hate him, but his films aren’t likely to lead to spirited debate. Anderson clicks for some people, and for others he doesn’t.

“The French Dispatch” is no different.

As a solid but not stellar entry from Anderson, this movie should be enjoyable for fans of his work but an easy skip for his detractors.

“The French Dispatch” follows a magazine similar to the “New Yorker” in the fictional town of Ennui, France. Told in an anthology format, each episode within the movie functions as a story within a magazine about a different, absolutely stacked cast of characters.

Stacked might be an understatement for the actors within this film. Two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz pops up for all of two lines, and Henry Winkler (The Fonz!) is on screen for under ten minutes. Anderson has reached a level of success where he can cast whomever he wants in a movie about whatever he wants that is filming wherever he wants, all with a studio happily handing him $25 million to do it. Listing every famous person in this cast could take the entire article.

Where “The French Dispatch” succeeds the most is in the technical realm. There’s a refrain throughout this movie spoken by the editor of the paper: “Just try to make it sound like you wrote it that way on purpose.” Anderson emulates this motto, imbuing every frame with a sense of tightly controlled purpose.

A wonderful score from Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat accompanies the carefully crafted visuals that have become inseparable from Anderson.

His typical dollhouse format is present here, and Anderson seems to have fun transitioning from black-and-white to vibrant color to fit the mood of each shot. While this worked overall, there were moments where a quick flash of color left me wanting more. Anderson is, unsurprisingly, very good at making a movie in black and white. His use of color, however, is even better.

Part of what I love about the shots he creates are the lively colors which add a richness that was occasionally missing here.

This article has been cut off for print.

Read the rest online at ricethresher.org.

WEEKLY SCENES AND SCREENS “GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE”

ALL NIGHT WRITING

JEWISH BOOK & ARTS

CHALK ON THE BLOCK

Wiess Tabletop Theatre and the Sid Theatre Committee will present “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.” Performances will be in Wiess Commons as well as livestreamed on Nov. 5, 6, 12 and 13 at 8 p.m. and Nov. 7 and 13 at 2 p.m. Admission is free.

Join the Rice Players Nov. 5 from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m in Hamman Hall for an all-night playwriting event. Spend the night writing a play for their upcoming playwriting contest or a personal project. The event is free and includes food at the event.

The Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston will be hosting the Ann and Stephen Kaufman Jewish Book and Arts Festival Nov. 6 through 16. There will be various events.

Ticket prices vary although some are free and can be purchased online.

See pavement art being created live on Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chalk on the Block at Baldwin Park.

Artists will design fall-themed art for this month’s event.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Spring into art this course registration SARA DAVIDSON

THRESHER STAFF

As spring course registration approaches, why not take advantage of all that Rice has to offer and venture into the arts? Whether someone is fitting the course between general chemistry and computer science or looking to add yet another art class to their schedule, everyone needs a change of pace, and these courses may offer just that. With everything from watching modernist auteur cinema to movement training for actors, Rice offers courses for a variety of interests. Not only do several of these courses fill distribution group one requirements, they also offer a new way to engage with the material, often with plenty of hands-on and performance-based work. So, before you completely fill up your schedule, try springing into these fine artsbased courses.

14 Films Before You Graduate (HART 180) This course describes itself as having both “modernist auteur cinema” and “shameless viewing pleasure” for students and has films from both the United States and Europe from the 1930s to ’60s. The reviews for this class are also high, with former students saying they were able gain a newfound appreciation for classic films.

A D1 credit offering four credit hours, this course is a must for anyone who considers themselves a film junkie. Meeting times are Mondays from 1:00-4:50 p.m.

Introduction to Acting (THEA 102) Introduction to Acting is a class for anyone who has ever wanted to try performing, has a flare for drama or wants to improve their communication skills. With voice and movement training as well as group work and monologues, students get to try out a variety of stage techniques while gaining valuable presentation skills for other classes.

This class is just a sample of what the theatre department has to offer, opening the door to the department’s full offerings for classes and extracurriculars. Meeting times are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:50 a.m. -12:05 p.m.

Piano for Non-Majors (MUSI 181) Piano for non-majors, and some of the other “for non-major courses” such as voice, composition and classical guitar are ways for students to learn in the Shepherd School of Music without majoring in music.

This piano class offers a chance to improve piano techniques while taking advantage of the award winning music teachers at Rice.

Meeting times are to be determined.

Undergrad Chorus — Rice Chorale (MUSI 335) A choir for all skill levels, Rice Chorale is a class with high ratings and described as “a stress-free environment” and “fun and relaxing.” Songs are in a variety of languages.

The course allows students to expand their musical knowledge in a positive learning environment. Meeting times are Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00-5:30 p.m.

‘We can make it’: Tomás Morín releases new poetry collection

PHOTO COURTESY TOMÁS MORÍN

ARIANA MOSHIRI

THRESHER STAFF

Tomás Morín, a poet and assistant professor of creative writing at Rice, released his new book “Machete” on Oct. 12.

“Machete” is Morín’s third published book, a poetry collection that he calls his most personal yet. Morín and other writers will come together for a reading on Rice campus on Nov. 16.

“Even though I wish more of [my book tour] was in person, it’s still so cool to be able to see that I have people from all over able to pop in for the event,” Morín said. “I’ll be reading [“Machete”] with a couple of other writers. That’ll be a sort of birthday party for the book on campus.”

Morín said that his process in writing “Machete” was typical for poetry collections.

“The way poetry collections usually come together is by poets just writing poems every year and, at some point, you notice you have enough poems to maybe make a book,” Morín said. “You just sit down with all those poems and see how they [are] speaking to one another.”

He said he believes in the value of writing in the moment as opposed to “inorganically” planning.

“I think sometimes it is better to not know too much about what you’re writing about,” Morín said. “That’s one reason why I write — because it surprises me. It’s like these little journeys that I get to take.”

His personal favorite journeys in the whole piece can be found in the two titular

poems “Machete” and “Machetes.”

“The ‘Machetes’ poem talks back to the ‘Machete’ poem. Those two together and the way they speak to each other from two different points of view are really at the heart of the book,” Morín said. “The first [Machete] poem is a really angry poem and the other one, [while] there’s still anger, I also remember to laugh. The second one fills in what I forgot to write in the first one.”

Morín said that some personal experiences — coming into parenthood late in life, his cultural identity and trying to think of ancestry in new ways — have contributed to some of the central topics of his poetry.

He said that one of his poems, “Whiteface,” addresses the question, “How can members of the BIPOC community survive encounters with police on the street, in particular, when we’re driving?”

Overall, the state of our shared society, particularly the experiences that have felt relevant and personal to him, can be seen and addressed throughout the 96 pages of “Machete.”

“Everything that happened in the Trump years and the years leading up to it have filtered through — this feeling of unease,” Morín said. “I mean, I’d felt it before, but not quite like this. So that’s in there, as well as [figuring out] just being a citizen of the world.”

However, Morín said that the book encompasses several feelings that capture this experience.

“But the book isn’t just grim — it has a lot of humor running through it — because I think you have to laugh,” Morín said. “You have to make room for laughter and joy in this really crazy time that we’re living in.

Otherwise, we get stuck in this state of panic and anxiety and not living at all. That’s surviving; it’s not thriving.”

With that, Morín said that he hopes readers will come away with hope.

“Hope that we can make it. And not just make it, but that we can still laugh even if at times we’re crying,” Morín said. “And that there’s something else on the other side of this. This book is a reminder that hard times have just been a part of human existence, and we’re still here. I know everyone’s pain always feels unique and singular, [but] history shows us that we can make it no matter what life throws our way.”

ILLUSTRATION BY NDIDI NWOSU

Beginning Sculpture (ARTS 165) On the visual side of the visual and dramatic arts department, Beginning Sculpture is a great class to learn more about sculpting concepts while doing hands-on work. A variety of materials are used, including “plaster, clay, cardboard, fabric, wood and found objects.” This class is the perfect creative outlet for those who need a “stress reliever” in their schedule, according to past students and allows students to see the physical cumulation of what they’ve learned over the semester.

Sculpting highlights all the art department has to offer and can be a good course for students to mix up their everyday routine.

Meeting times are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00-11:50 a.m.

Comics and Sequential Arts (ARTS 230 / FILM 275) This class allows students to learn more about comics, explore storyboarding and contribute to the “construction and establishment of a research center for the study of Comic Book Art” within the VADA department.

No previous drawing experience is necessary, and students can learn to draw as well as gain a better appreciation for comics themselves.

This class is perfect for anyone who loves to doodle or who wants to learn about the comic book heroes that they grew up reading about. Meeting times are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:003:50 p.m.

Jasmine Hearn brings their experiences to the Moody Center through dance

PHOTO COURTESY STEVEN PISANO

HUGO GERBICH PAIS

FOR THE THRESHER Jasmine Hearn, an artist who incorporates dance, sound and costume into their performances, will be performing at the Moody Center for the Arts on Nov. 5 with three improvisational solo performances at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. with free admission.

Hearn was commissioned as part of Moody Center’s Dimensions Variable series, which brings performance art to Moody in conversation with its current exhibitions.

They will be performing dance, featuring sound and song, in conversation with Kapwani Kiwanga’s current exhibition at the Moody Center and is a part of their “Nile: A Wondering River” series. Due to its improvisational nature, they do not exactly what their performance will look like.

“The title that I am using, ‘Nile,’ references the ways that I imagined myself as river, a wandering and wandering body of water that gets to exist in so many different channels,” Hearn said.

Hearn was able to visit Kiwanga’s “The Sun Recalls the Moon’s Shadow” on several occasions to gather inspiration for the performance. “[I thought about] what it means to fill a historically white space with my body, with my voice,” Hearn said. “In response to the way that [Kiwanga] fills the whole space with this big installation of these raw materials.”

Hearn said that colonial and racist attitudes have been pervasive in the art world, dictating which art was discussed and exhibited for centuries.

“But we were always there, we always existed,” Hearn said.“Whether or not we were acknowledged or whether or not the folks were acknowledged for their labour.”

For Hearn, honoring their teachers and the people who have taught and inspired them is incredibly important. They describe these people as their “river bed,” each providing invaluable experiences for them.

“All of it, I would deem as so precious.

And that’s what I always referenced. I reference everything all of the time”.

Hearn grew up in Acres Home in the north of Houston and discussed how different it feels to be performing in Houston.

“So many folks from my village, from the communities I was raised [in] will be there.

So what does it mean to be seen as my whole self after being away for, I would say, 14 years?” Hearn said. “Growing up in Houston was joyous.”

The themes of memory, time, identity and imagination feature prominently in Hearn’s work. These topics have been a focus for Hearn since they were cast as Time in a film by artist Alicia B. Wormsley.

“Since then, I’ve really just taken that as a charge to be with the memories of those who came before me, especially those who paved the way for me to exist,” Hearn said.

“It’s a way of letting my body be a library of floating memories. These memories, in my opinion, as I was growing up in Texas, were not honoured, and were not in books.”

Hearn said they hope audiences will feel a range of emotions in their show from happiness, to sadness, from the performances, and that this performance will never be repeated .

“I hope that there are moments that folk laugh, there are moments that folk recognise those who they have lost,” Hearn said. “But it really is just about coming together and taking time to be in our bodies and taking time to connect.”

10 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

THE RICE THRESHER

New look women’s hoops is ready for new season CADAN HANSON

THRESHER STAFF

When the calendar turns over into November, it not only means that Thanksgiving is right around the corner , but that it’s time to start the college basketball season. With the opening night at Tudor Fieldhouse set for this Tuesday, the Rice women’s basketball team looks to follow up on their WNIT championship last season with another strong year, but will have to overcome an offseason of turnover first.

Last season, the Owls made a deep postseason run. After winning the Conference USA West Division and earning the No. 1 seed in the C-USA tournament, the Owls made it to the championship game, where they fell to Middle Tennessee State University 68-65.

While they narrowly missed out on an NCAA tournament bid, the Owls were awarded a berth into the WNIT, where they won each of their games by double digits en route to the program’s first WNIT championship.

After the success from last year, junior guard Haylee Swayze is excited for the new season and the return to basketball.

“We are just excited to start playing and see what we can do,” Swayze said. “Each year is a grind and I am looking forward to doing it with this team and coaching staff.”

As the season starts, the big elephant in the room is how the Owls will handle the new coaching staff and new roster. Following last season, former head coach Tina Langley accepted the head coaching position at the University of Washington, and took with her last season’s two leading scorers Nancy Mulkey and Lauren Schwartz. Two more starters from last year’s team, Sydne Wiggins and Jasmine Smith, left for Southern Methodist University. After the unexpected

changes, sophomore guard Katelyn Crosthwait said that the off-season was a great opportunity to get tighter as a team.

“After a lot of unexpected events, the offseason has been able to prepare all of us for really any other barriers that may hit us,” Crosthwait said. “We have learned so much about each other and have been able to grow on and off the court. Through the new staff, we have been challenged mentally and psychically to be the best versions of ourselves.”

To replace Langley, the Owls hired Lindsay Edmonds. As the former North Carolina State University associate head coach, Edmonds helped the Wolfpack win the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in the past two seasons as well as five NCAA tournament appearances, reaching the Sweet Sixteen in three of them. According to Crosthwait, the team is excited to play under the new coach and her staff.

After a lot of unexpected events, the offseason has been able to prepare all of us for any other bariers that may hit us.

Katelyn Crosthwait SOPHOMORE GUARD

“I’m very excited to play for Coach Edmonds,” Crosthwait said. “I enjoy her style of play and her leadership. I feel confident in her coaching abilities and who she has chosen to help alongside her.”

CALI LIU / THRESHER The Rice women’s basketball team practices ahead of their upcoming season opener. The Owls faced an offseason of change after losing four starters and getting a new head coach.

Swayze echoed her teammates’ thoughts about the new coaching staff and agreed that the offseason was a great opportunity for everyone to mesh well.

“A lot of this offseason has been getting to know our coaching staff and their expectations for the team,” Swayze said.

“They have done a great job preparing us and instilling a passion to get better every day. I am very grateful for their leadership.”

One key difference in this season will be the impact of fans. Last season, due to the campus COVID-19 restrictions, there were a very limited number of fans allowed at the games. This year, the Owls are excited to play at home in front of their fans, in an unlimited capacity, for the first time in two years.

“It has been a long time since we have played, especially with fans, and we are

looking forward to competing at a high level this year,” Swayze said. “I am really excited for basketball to start … and we are so thankful to our fans for their continued support.”

According to Swayze, as the offseason winds down, the team is working hard to improve and build on last year’s team success while still having fun playing ball.

“We have always been a team that does the little things and I think that will carry over this year,” Swayze said. “It is what disciplined teams do and it leads to great things. I also want us to have fun competing together because playing college basketball is a great place to be.”

The Owls will open up the season at home against St. Edward’s University, next Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 5 p.m.

Men’s basketball to rely on experience this year PAVITHR GOLI

SENIOR WRITER

Following last year’s quarterfinal exit in the Conference USA tournament and their 15-13 record, men’s basketball head coach Scott Pera and his team hope to have a more successful season as they continue to build the program for the future. Pera will be entering his fifth season as the head coach of the Owls and had his first winning season leading the Owls last year.

This season, Pera will coach his most experienced team yet, as all five of his starters from last season have returned. In addition to the return of the experienced players, the Owls will also benefit from the addition of graduate transfers Carl Pierre, a guard from the University of

Massachusetts, and Terrance McBride, also a guard who previously played at Cornell University. According to Pera, the Owls hope to use this experience and veteran presence to their advantage during tough situations.

“To look in the huddle this year and see all the juniors and seniors who have a lot of experience while adding guys that have experience, like Terrance [McBride] and Carl [Pierre],” Pera said. “It’s only going to help us. It will help us through adversity, through tough times against tough opponents. Experience matters.”

Last season, the Owls were led on offense by the scoring duo of sophomore shooting guards Quincy Olivari and Travis Evee. Olivari and Evee scored an average of 16.3 and 13.7 points per game, respectively, and the duo looks to

SHIYU MIAO / THRESHER The Rice men’s basketball team runs through plays at a recent practice. The Owls look to build on a 15-13 record last season when they open their season on Tuesday.

continue leading this offense this season.

Olivari proved his offensive value with his conference-leading 88 three-pointers en route to being awarded third team all-conference. Similarly, Evee proved his offensive ability last season, winning the C-USA Newcomer of the Year award.

Another key member of this team is sophomore forward Max Fiedler, who led the team in rebounds and assists.

According to Pera, the return of these starters has been important in increasing

We want to ... [improve] on last year. But, more importantly, [we want to improve] during the season so that we’re playing our best basketball come February and March.

Scott Pera HEAD COACH

the overall chemistry of the squad and helping get both the freshmen and transfers integrated into the team. “[The team] is going to look a lot different in terms of our continuity of having so many returning players and five returning starters,” Pera said. “So, those guys being familiar with each other and also the new guys that we’ve added, along with the freshmen, really gelling together. I’m excited about the group.”

The Owls will be in action from early November through mid-March. Facing off

against programs such as the University of Texas, San Antonio and the University of Houston, the Owls will spend much of the first half of their season playing against non-conference opponents while also participating in invitational tournaments. The second half of their season will be dominated by conference play, which is scheduled to start on Jan. 1.

After going 6-10 against conference opponents last season, Pera is putting greater focus on this portion of the season. According to Pera, he hopes that his squad can have better performances in the latter part of the season, in those intra-conference games.

“Our goals [for the season] are the same as every year. We want to keep building the program [and] moving it forward, improving on last year,” Pera said. “But, more importantly, improving during the season so that we’re playing our best basketball come February and March.”

One large benefit for the Owls is that for the first time in a year and a half, Tudor Fieldhouse will be without capacity restricitions for home basketball games. According to Pera, this exciting atmosphere at home is something that he is looking forward to this season.

“I’m looking forward to it being like a more normal season,” Pera said. “[I’m excited] to have fans in the stands, having our bench in a normal location, and just a general excitement for the group we have returning and getting the season started.”

The Owls’ season will open next Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. when the Owls face off against Pepperdine University at home.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021 • 11

SPORTS

Lindsay Edmonds knows it’s all about the people DANIEL SCHRAGER

SPORTS EDITOR

Long before she was offered the head coaching job at Rice, Lindsay Edmonds knew the one thing she would focus on if she ever got a chance to take over a program of her own.

“I learned from both [former James Madison University head coach] Kenny Brooks and [North Carolina State University head coach] Wes Moore how to do things the right way in your program and with the right people,” Edmonds said. “It was a nonnegotiable for both of them so I know that’s how I want to run my program — [making] sure that I’m getting the right people here.

It’s not just about basketball players, it’s about getting well-rounded [people].”

Ever since she was named the sixth head coach in Rice women’s basketball history in April, Edmonds has tried to do just that. But within just weeks of replacing Tina Langley, who left Rice to take the head coaching job at the University of Washington, her mission hit a roadblock. By May, four of the five starters from last year’s WNIT championship team had announced their decisions to transfer, including center Nancy Mulkey and forward Lauren Schwartz, the team’s top two scorers from a season ago, who followed Langley to Washington. According to Edmonds, the mass exodus caught her off guard.

“When I took this job, I thought the cupboard was very full,” Edmonds said. “I had initial conversations with all of them, except Nancy Mulkey, that went really well, and I didn’t anticipate them leaving. Once the first one went, it was a spiral of ‘oh she did it, now I’m gonna do it.’ I fought really hard to get them all to stay. I guess it wasn’t

meant to be for me to have that roster.

That’s not to say I didn’t take it extremely personally. But once they all [made] their decisions, the only thing I could do to navigate through it was to turn the page and move past it.”

Edmonds said she looked at the transfer portal, but ultimately decided to focus on recruiting, one of her favorite parts of the job, to make up for the departures.

“My former boss used to say you can’t win the Kentucky Derby with a mule,” Edmonds said. “You have to have some horses. I love recruiting, [especially the] developing relationships [part of it]. I’ve been recruiting coordinator at a lot of my stops, and I’ve been able to get some pretty good recruits. It’s not just about basketball players, it’s about getting wellrounded [people].”

Once the roster was set, Edmonds said that she began to focus on building a strong team culture.

“We spent the summer getting to know them, doing a lot of things together as a team,” Edmonds said. “We did a [team] Olympics day, we did some team building activities one day, we went out to dinner, we’ve done the Houston food bank together.

We’re all about family, and we’re gonna do a lot of things together about promoting family, being family, establishing that offthe-court relationship so that when you are on the court, you’re ready to go to battle with your sisters.”

While she is starting to settle in as a head coach, Edmonds said that when she started her career, being a college coach wasn’t even on her radar.

“When I graduated from Appalachian State [University], I moved back home to Winston Salem and I was doing a sales

COURTESY SAM ROBERTS - CONFERENCE USA Sophomore Grace Forbes crosses the finish line in Saturday’s C-USA Cross Country Championships. Forbes won the individual race for the second straight year.

FROM FRONT PAGE

CROSS COUNTRY

Despite the four all-conference performances, the Owls came in behind Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Charlotte. According to Bevan, the Owls ran well, just not well enough.

“We ran the best race we’ve run this year,” Bevan said. “We went into running our race and we did pick people off throughout the race. Middle [Tennessee] and Charlotte were just better than us on Saturday.”

On the men’s side of the race, they secured four all-conference spots for the second straight season on their way to a No. 4 finish in the conference. Leading the pack for the Owls was senior ​​ Hociel Landa, who placed third in the 8k race with a time of 24:06.

Landa’s performance earned him an allconference selection for the fifth time in his career, a first in program history. Following Landa was senior Alex Topini, whose time of 24:28 was good for ninth in the conference.

Head coach Jon Warren was pleased with Landa and Topini’s performances, along with his team as a whole.

“[Landa] ran a great race against outstanding competition,” Warren said.

“As did Alex Topini who, after missing last year, came back to snag a very hard to achieve top 10 finish. In the end, the whole group had really good days and competed tremendously well against a unique field of teams.”

The other two all-conference performers for the male Owls were freshman Elliot Metcalf (24:42) who finished No. 15 and junior Andrew Abikhaled (24:49) who finished No. 19.

According to Warren, this year’s team is as good as they have been in over a decade.

But the competition in C-USA was stiff, and that was reflected in the final standings.

“This year was unique,” Warren said.

“We have about as strong a team as we have had in the last 15 years, and so did four other teams. And on [Saturday] all five teams ran well … so what we had was a very exciting race.”

Going forward, both teams will compete at the South Central Regional Tournament in Waco, Texas on Nov. 12. The individuals that make the cut at regionals will compete in the National Championships in Tallahassee, Florida on Nov. 20.

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds instructs her team at a recent practice.

Edmonds, a former NC State associate head coach, enters her first year with the Owls. job,” Edmonds said. “I called my head coach at App and asked her for a letter of recommendation to go back to grad school, because I just [wanted] to do something else. And she was like don’t do it. I [said], ‘why, you don’t think this is a good idea?’

And she said, ‘no, I want you to come back and coach for me.’ So I went back to App and started coaching, and here I am sixteen years later sitting as a head coach.”

After two years at Appalachian State, Edmonds was offered an assistant coaching job at James Madison, where she spent the next four seasons. In 2013, she left for NC State, where she rose through the ranks, becoming recruiting coordinator in 2018 and associate head coach in 2019. During her eight seasons there, the Wolfpack made five NCAA tournament appearances,

and ended each of the past three seasons ranked in the top ten of the AP poll.

Edmonds is just a few months into what she hopes will be a long head coaching career, but while it’s been challenging so far, it’s lived up to her highest expectations.

“Everyone tells you when you slide those six inches over, everything’s gonna change, it’s gonna be a whirlwind,” Edmonds said. “But I don’t think you understand how big that whirlwind is until you’re truly in it and people are needing you constantly. It’s been fun and challenging, and all the things that I expected but at [an] even higher magnitude. I love the competitiveness of it, I love the relationships. I love impacting young ladies’ lives and being a role model and a mentor for them.”

12 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

BACKPAGE

Spring 2022 Schedule Sunday 12am HIST 341

Monday

Tuesday

1am

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday HIST 341

COLL 911

2am 3am 4am 5am 6am 7am 8am

MATH 420

9am

MATH 420 UNIV 196

10am

MATH 420 UNIV 196

11am 12pm 1pm 2pm

ROCK 101

ROCK 101

ROCK 101

3pm 4pm 5pm 6pm 7pm

CHEM 315

8pm 9pm

LPAP 187

LPAP 187

10pm 11pm

Courses

MATH 420 - Shapes 8:00 - 8:50 a.m. MWF

They say the simpler the name of a math class, the scarier it is. This class is only offered this semester at 8 a.m. and is a required prerequisite.

ROCK 101 - Introduction to Social Geology 2:00 - 2:50 p.m. MWF

You may have zero interest in the class, but after some analysis of the Course Evaluations, you’ve decided it’s a free GPA booster, and you need to get into med school somehow.

UNIV 196 - Intro to Survey of All Students 9:25 - 10:40 a.m. TR

If you can figure out a way to endure the awkwardness of asking your friends how high they ranked you on the SAS, you instantly get an A. But at what cost?

LPAP 187 - Beer Bike Training Training 9:00 - 10:15 p.m. TR

Before taking on the rigors of Beer Bike training (e.g., practicing chugging, biking), prepare by learning the fundamentals, such as drinking at a normal rate and sitting on a wobbly chair.

Prerequisite: LPAP 195: Beer Bike Training Training Training

COLL 911 - My Thoughts on Society 1:31 - 2:17 a.m. W

Have you ever wondered what connects the invention of swivel chairs to Yoplait? No? Well, this guy has several hours worth of lectures about it.

CHEM 315 - Analysis of Water Laboratory 8:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m. F

This section has the smallest number of students registered for it, but it’s the only way to fit the required lab into your schedule. It’s not like you had anything better to do on a Friday night anyway.

HIST 341 - Stanford Prison Experiment Simulation 12:00 a.m. Sat - 11:00 p.m. Sun

Relive the legendary experiment for yourself in this authentic five-week simulation of the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Waiver: https://bit.ly/3GKHJ3d NDA: https://bit.ly/31cXJL6

The Backpage is the satire section of the Thresher, written this week by Ndidi Nwosu, Andrew Kim, and Timmy Mansfield and designed by Lauren Yu. For questions or comments, please email dilfhunter69@rice.edu.

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