The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, January 12, 2022

VOLUME 106, ISSUE NO. 15 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022

Rice named as one of 16 schools in financial aid lawsuit

Senior Spotlight: Alfonso Pelaez Rovalo explores what it means to be unique MICHELLE MIAO

THRESHER STAFF

PHOTO COURTESY ALFONSO PELAEZ ROVALO

BEN BAKER-KATZ

ANDREA GOMEZ / THRESHER

MANAGING EDITOR

Rice is one of 16 universities alleged to have broken federal antitrust laws by violating the terms of an exemption which allowed universities to use a shared method of calculating applicants’ financial needs. The plaintiffs allege that this shared method resulted in price-fixing and unfairly limited aid to students, according to a lawsuit filed Sunday.

The complaint centers around the “568 Presidents Group,” a group of universities that developed a “Consensus Methodology” designed as “a set of common standards for determining the family’s ability to pay for college.”

Members of the group implement the agreed-upon formula each year to maintain a standard level of aid across admissions offers. This method allows universities to avoid financial aid bidding wars over low-income applicants who apply for financial aid, but, according to the lawsuit, increases the net cost of attendance for some students who might benefit from that bidding.

This process is legal under federal law. Section 568 of the Improving America’s Schools Act, after which the group is named, provides an antitrust exemption allowing universities to collaborate on their financial aid formulas. The exemption is only applicable if the schools agree not to consider an applicant’s financial needs when deciding admission.

The complaint asserts that 16 members and former members of the

568 Group violated this exemption.

Of the schools named, the complaint states “at least” nine schools failed to conduct need-blind admissions processes by “maintaining admissions systems that favor the children of wealthy past or potential future donors.” Additionally, a subset of these nine schools were alleged to have given preference to those who will not need financial aid when deciding which applicants to admit from the waitlist. Rice was not named as one of these nine schools.

According to the suit, the other seven schools, including Rice, “may or may not have adhered to need-blind admissions policies,” but did conspire to reduce financial aid and increase the net price of attendance. The complaint also states that these seven schools “knew or should have known that the other nine defendants were not following need-blind admissions policies.”

Rice declined to comment on the pending litigation.

While the complaint cites specific instances of admission officials from multiple schools acknowledging that applicants’ financial status was consulted during the admissions process, it mentions no such incident at Rice.

The only substantive references to Rice in the complaint are to note that the undergraduate population is “generally wealthy and privileged,”

and the timing of Rice’s involvement in the 568 Group. Rice joined the group in 1998 and implemented the Consensus Methodology in 2003.

They withdrew from the group in 2009 before joining again in 2017 and have remained a member since then.

This lawsuit comes on the heels of Rice announcing a variety of financial aid programs, including The Rice Investment and the recent expansion of its loan-free financial aid offerings.

Undergraduate students who enrolled in and received needbased financial aid from any of the institutions during their years as a member of the 568 Group are eligible to sign on to the suit. According to the complaint, the number of eligible students is more than 170,000.

The suit seeks damages and a permanent end to the “defendants’ conspiratorial conduct” in an effort to “prevent future students from suffering the injury the ongoing conspiracy has inflicted.”

Aside from Rice, the other 15 schools named are Brown University, California Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Duke University, Emory University, Georgetown University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, University of Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University and Yale University.

From watching his mother paint and sculpt to aspiring to become a National Geographic photographer since childhood, Alfonso Pelaez Rovalo has always seen art as an integral part of his life. Rovalo entered college majoring in architecture and later double majored in studio art after being inspired by his fellow classmates to explore art at Rice.

Art in Rovalo’s life has a solid foundation, but as of yet, no definite ending.

As a devoted student to the arts, Rovalo, a Lovett College senior, has explored a variety of artistic mediums.

“I like a bit of everything,” Rovalo said. “I started drawing and painting in high school, but because of Rice I’m focusing on photography.”

While first starting out with photography, he primarily created selfportraits after seeing a video about Rembrandt, a famous artist known for his self-portraits. He then tried other mediums related to photography such as cyanotypes, a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print.

“Cyanotypes are very fun. They are super easy to do and super craftsy,” Rovalo said. “I’ve discovered a lot of artists that are using it today. I think cyanotypes and other processes of printmaking are very versatile.”

To Rovalo, the pandemic significantly transformed his approach to art by making it much harder to work in a studio on campus for a long period of time. This forced him to find other ways to express himself through art, one of those ways being “DIY” or do-it-yourself projects.

“Another thing that has affected the way we make art is the pandemic because you have to make art from home,” Rovalo said. “I don’t always have a studio, so DIY processes are life-savers because not having the space to do things or access to limited materials forces you to do this.

With the pandemic … basically all of my art classes have been from home, so I had to learn how to do a lot of processes from home.”

It was around when the pandemic started that Rovalo really began to dive into photography, first through selfportraiture and later on through street photography.

“Once the pandemic struck, I got a camera and started to go on daily walks almost every single day,” Rovalo said. “I would take long walks, two to four hours just to take pictures, since I wanted to be a street photographer.”

SEE SENIOR SPOTLIGHT PAGE 8

2 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022

THE RICE THRESHER

Rice adjusts to record-high COVID cases as students begin return PRAYAG GORDY

“Having an employee out 10 to 14 days and then return after a negative test, that was a little scary last year, because that’s More than 326 Rice community members a long time,” McDonald said. “With the tested positive for COVID-19 from Jan. 3 five day isolation, the rollover in the return to Jan. 10 as the Omicron variant spreads of employees who do possibly become rapidly across the country. Through the ill or test positive, the turnaround time entirety of the 2020-2021 academic year, on getting them back on campus is much quicker … because they also don’t have to Rice reported 367 cases.

In response to the rise in cases, test out of the quarantine.”

Some studies suggest that up to 30 President David Leebron and Provost Reginald DesRoches announced over email percent of people are still infectious after that the first two weeks of most classes five days of isolation, according to NPR. McDonald said he will be online. They is slightly worried also asked students about the possibility to delay their of contagious staff return to campus, We haven’t had large public returning to work. prohibited indoor “I’m a little dining, required parties in a long time. In my concerned, but the vaccine boosters mind, by the time we got to fact that I might and reimplemented the end of [fall] classes, we only lose somebody a full indoor mask were pretty close … Now, I for five days at a mandate. time, not 10 to 14, S t u d e n t feel like we’re paused a bit that makes it a A s s o c i a t i o n just because of the sheer little bit different,” President Kendall numbers.

McDonald said.

Vining said she “There’s lots of agreed with the Bridget Gorman risks, right? Those new restrictions DEAN OF UNDERGRADUATES of us with students and encouraged in elementary or high school at home, students to abide by the temporary rules.

“I feel like that worked in the past, they’re bringing stuff home. So there’s lots having it online for a couple weeks, of ways to become ill or end up contracting tentatively, and then if they get worse this and testing positive, that’s not Rice keeping it but otherwise going back to in related.”

Jerusha Kasch, director of institutional person,” Vining, a Martel College senior, said. “I know that we’re not going to agree crisis management, said Rice will follow the with everything admin asks of us, but … we CDC guidelines. Kasch declined to comment on concerns of releasing potentially just have to keep pushing forward.”

Dean of Undergraduates Bridget contagious people from isolation, nor did Gorman said that she wants to return to she say if there are any restrictions for the in-person instruction as soon as conditions five days following isolation.

Gorman said that she will prioritize permit.

“I very much want us to resume in academics and indoor dining as Rice person as quickly as possible, and to have looks to reduce restrictions, with alcohol it only be two weeks,” Gorman said. “Social considered later.

“As we’ve gone through, there has been a interactions matter, community ties and seeing each other and being around people clear priority structure in our first priorities and getting things quote, unquote, back to that you care about matters.”

Rice will follow the Centers for Disease normal as we move all the way down the Control and Prevention’s new five-day list,” Gorman said. “Academics and indoor isolation guidance, according to Chair of dining are going to be high on those lists, the Crisis Management Advisory Committee Kevin Kirby. The guidelines say that isolation can end after five days for an asymptomatic person, or after five days with improving symptoms and a full feverfree day for a symptomatic infection. After the isolation period, the CDC recommends wearing a mask and taking precautions for an additional five days.

David McDonald, the senior director of Housing and Dining, said that the shorter isolation period will give his staff more flexibility.

SENIOR WRITER

NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER

because they’re really important to the Rice experience.”

Elizabeth Groenewold, the general manager of Willy’s Pub, said she understands why Pub is closed while indoor dining and drinking remains restricted.

“Pub’s biggest nights always have more than 50 people, so it wouldn’t really make sense for Pub to be open at that time, especially if they’re not allowing indoor eating,” Groenewold said. “I do get it. I mean, of course, it sucks. Pub has been closed for so long, and we were only open for a month last semester. So it is a bummer, but I do understand why they did it.”

Gorman said she initially hoped to have publics early in the semester, but that it has been delayed.

“We haven’t had large public parties in a long time,” Gorman said. “In my mind, by the time we got to the end of [fall] classes, we were pretty close … Now, I feel like we’re paused a bit just because of the sheer numbers.”

About half of students who planned to live on campus have decided to delay their return to Rice, according to McDonald, and there are more open beds this semester than in the fall. Gorman said that Rice will try to avoid further delaying move-in but will track the number of students testing positive when they arrive.

“In all honesty, I just don’t know [if we will delay move-in further],” Gorman said.

“I just think there’s a lot more information that we need to gather around that.”

If too many students test positive, Rice may run out of isolation space and ask students to isolate in place, according to Gorman’s Dec. 28 announcement.

“All of a sudden if you have a couple 100 students test positive, can we carry that on campus? No, we can’t, not in the way we’ve done before, in terms of complete separation,” Gorman told the Thresher. “I’m really hopeful that we’re not going to exceed these limits by people being vaccinated, boostered, taking good precautions when

they’re traveling, doing everything in your reasonable power to protect yourself and stay safe, that the numbers will stay at a level we can manage.”

Kasch said that isolation space will be prioritized for symptomatic students.

“Isolation space will be used for those who are positive and symptomatic until all space is filled, at which time students will be instructed to isolate in place,” Kasch wrote in an email. “Quarantined students (only those who have been exposed and not boosted) will quarantine in place.”

Roommates and suitemates of infected students may have to stay in the same room as infected students if Rice runs out of space, Gorman said.

“By the time someone gets that test result back, you’ve already been in your room for an extended period of time without a mask around your suitemates and roommates,” Gorman said. “To a certain extent, if our options are limited, then yeah, we’re going to say, ‘Wear your mask in your room, separate yourself and do your best.’ But it’s just really going to depend on the numbers, which is how it’s been from the beginning.”

Vining said she is worried about the prospect of sharing a room with an infected student, but understands that Rice has few options. ​“I really am personally not happy that I’m going to be required to move back in person, yet there will be no guarantee that I wouldn’t be able to be separated from someone who’s feeling ill,” Vining said. “I feel like if Rice had the resources to be able to house people to ensure that people are kept separated, they would have done it, but I guess they don’t have those resources.”

This story has been cut for print. Read the full article online at ricethresher.org.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022 • 3

NEWS

Students discuss disordered eating amidst SA resolution “I think I was mad about it at the time, but now, I’m thankful,” Cathleen said. “They helped me more in the long term. But I think Editor’s Note: This story contains in the short run, it was a little frustrating.”

Sarika* (‘21), who developed an eating mentions of disordered eating. Some students interviewed were given the option of remaining disorder while at Rice, said that being referred anonymous in the interest of keeping their off campus made getting mental healthcare mental health private. Anonymous students more difficult. “[The Counseling Center] said they weren’t who are referenced multiple times were given false names, which have been marked with an capable of meeting with me and would refer me to someone,” Sarika said. “I think asterisk on first reference.

The Student Association has introduced a it took like about a week for them to refer resolution to create a task force to structurally me to someone in the area, but then that address disordered eating habits in the Rice referral ended up not working out, because community. The resolution was introduced the therapists weren’t taking new clients. I Nov. 29 and will be discussed at a future date. reached back out [and] told them that didn’t According to the Child Mind Institute, work out. Then, things stalled.”

Margaret Dorsey, a Will Rice College between 10 and 20 percent of women and 4 to 10 percent of men in college suffer from an junior, said that after her experiences with the eating disorder, with college being what they counseling center she thinks having people call a potential “perfect storm” for students more equipped to understand and recognize to develop disordered eating habits. While the early signs of eating disorders would be eating disorders involve disordered eating, beneficial.

“I remember my counselor telling me [that] the latter is defined as unhealthy body and food behaviors that may be in the pursuit of what if, instead of eating less, I just exercise weight loss or to improve one’s health. Eating more,” Dorsey said. “I’m a person who can’t disorders, on the other hand, involve a pattern exercise because of my health. So hearing that of disordered eating and are a diagnosable was almost reinforcing the behavior. Since I can’t exercise more, the only other option illness.

The SA resolution was introduced by was to eat less … I feel like if I had spoken senators Sarah Bartos, Skye Fredericks and to somebody who was able to say, ‘That’s a Morike Ayodeji. According to Ayodeji, a disordered eating pattern,’ that would have McMurtry College sophomore, the resolution saved me a lot of grief and trouble.”

Baumgartner said that it is regrettable is a part of a larger discourse about dining on when early signs of disordered eating are not campus.

“I think this is a good starting point for identified, and counselors continue to try to the conversation about how we eat and how improve their skills on a regular basis through important it is to be healthy and mindful in continuing education, including education on eating disorders. how we’re consuming food,” Ayodeji said.

The resolution incorporates data from The resolution calls for Rice to hire both an eating disorder specialist and a dietician. a voluntary survey that was sent to Rice Currently, the Rice Counseling Center students about food-related issues which had recommends off-campus care for eating 279 student responses. Bartos said she aimed disorders, but the recreation center offers to minimize opt-in bias by asking senators nutritionist services, according to Dean of to email the survey to colleges, discuss it at Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Timothy college government meetings, personally Baumgartner, the director of the Counseling asking students to fill the survey out and by Center. Gorman said that Rice is continually focusing on food-related issues rather than working on support measures for students eating disorders in the title of the survey.

As a part of the survey, 71.4 percent with disordered eating habits.

“While Rice has been working toward of students indicated that servery hours creating programming about health, wellness contributed to food-based issues or disordered and nutrition, disordered eating is difficult to eating, while 65.2 percent of students cited a combat since the factors shaping disordered lack of options in the servery as a contributing eating extend well beyond our campus,” factor. Rupert* said that servery hours were Gorman said. “That said, we are researching one of the largest contributing factors to his evidence-based practice interventions to disordered eating.

“Back home, recovery was a lot easier, potentially offer to our community to assist because I didn’t have students who need to stick to strict meal support.” times,” Rupert said.

According to “By having such Baumgartner, the limited meal times, it counseling center I would find myself is way easier to skip focuses on trying to struggling, especially meals, and therefore recognize the extent after dinner, because it a lot harder to recover of any disordered was so early. These issues from disordered eating habits to be eating. People with assessed as soon were only exacerbated disordered eating have as possible and by the pandemic — not very serious medical recommends that being able to eat in [and] conditions, and it’s students seek offbeing nervous to be in the super important as a campus resources matter of access and that offer more servery, because there was inclusion that Rice c o m p r e h e n s iv e an airborne pathogen going supports them.” care for eating around.

Several students disorders and that the Thresher spoke disordered eating. Alejandra Wagnon to mentioned servery B a u m g a r t n e r WIESS COLLEGE JUNIOR hours as being difficult said that students are frequently referred to the Houston to navigate while dealing with disordered Eating Recovery Center since they offer free eating. Alejandra Wagnon, a Wiess College junior, said difficulty navigating the servery consultations.

“Houston has such rich resources, [so] we caused her disordered eating to worsen.

“I would find myself struggling, especially really try to be very cautious about trying to replicate something that already exists in the after dinner, because it was so early,” Wagnon community, because if there’s a program that’s said. “These issues were only exacerbated by dedicated towards that, they’re going to do it the pandemic — not being able to eat in [and] better,” Baumgartner said. “It really would being nervous to be in the servery, because even be an ethical question as to whether or there was an airborne pathogen going not we’re somehow interfering with someone around.”

Part of the resolution calls for food to be getting to a quality program versus see[ing] accessible in residential colleges outside of what we can do in the meantime.”

Cathleen* (‘21), who struggled with servery hours to make it easier for students bulimia and restrictive eating during high to engage in intuitive eating. Intuitive eating school and throughout her time at Rice, said is defined as a “self-care eating framework that being referred off campus was not what which integrates instinct, emotion and she expected when she sought help from the rational thought” in contrast to a diet mentality. counseling center.

52% of all respondents said they feel food-related anxiety in the dining hall

MORGAN GAGE

A&E EDITOR

Results from SA survey on foodrelated issues

58% of respondents who dealt or are dealing with disordered eating habits said their struggles with food got worse after coming to Rice

28.6% of all respondents dealt or are currently dealing with disordered eating habits The sample consisted of 279 undergraduate students.

Data from Rice Student Association.

Lila Greiner, a Will Rice senior, said that having more options to eat outside of servery hours is important for those in eating disorder recovery.

“With disordered eating when you’re in recovery and trying to get better, you have to relearn all of your body’s signals,” Greiner said. “If you have to ignore being hungry because there aren’t options for food, that’s really dangerous.”

Brown College senior Anvita Kandru said navigating food options in the servery can be difficult at times.

“It has always been really hard [navigating the servery], because I didn’t grow up eating American food or the type of food that they serve us often in the servery,” Kandru said.

“So it was always hard for me to know what would society say is healthy? That was really hard for me as someone who grew up eating Indian food.”

Part of the resolution also calls for more flexibility in meal plan options. On-campus students at Rice are required to purchase a meal plan with 20 meals each week.

For students dealing with disordered eating, Alan Russell, the director of the disability resource center, said that students have the ability to request a meal plan accommodation. Russell said that chefs with Rice Housing and Dining will also work with students on a one-on-one basis to address their nutritional needs after they submit an accommodation request through the DRC. Wagnon said campus culture also presented its own set of challenges and complications, and that she sometimes struggled with participating in social activities at Rice.

“Every single event has food or drinks, and when you do not participate in eating that food or drinking those drinks and you still want to socialize, sometimes people will call you out on why you aren’t eating,” Wagnon said. “I don’t want to inhibit myself from going somewhere, but when I do go and someone calls me out for not eating it makes me feel a lot more insecure about my habits and my disorder, but if I didn’t go to a social event that had food at Rice, I wouldn’t go to any social events.”

Abby Dowse was one of several students who said that the mental energy that her disordered eating consumed made participating fully in social and academic activities more difficult.

“It just took up a lot of my mental energy,” Dowse, a Lovett College junior, said. “My disordered eating thoughts were kind of constantly there. I think just feeling like I was trying to hide it from people around me, I think that that definitely made it harder to

truly connect with people around me [and made] it harder to really put all the mental energy into school that I needed to to be successful.”

Dowse also mentioned that well intentioned compliments or innocuous comments had the potential to be harmful for someone dealing with disordered eating. “[During] my freshman year, I did get a lot of comments that were very well intentioned about my physical appearance — people talking about how fit and how healthy, saying that they wish they had my self control around food,” Dowse said. “I would smile and say thank you, because people meant well. At the same time, there’s just this internal part of me that was screaming, because it was like, I’m not naturally like this. I’m literally trying to recover.”

Several current and former students mentioned concerns about the normalization of skipping meals whether to “save” calories or because other concerns like academics were prioritized above eating.

For Marceline*, a senior, her issues with disordered eating were worsened by a lack of financial resources.

“There was a point last semester where it’s either rent, or it’s food,” Marceline said. “So we are going to cut down on the food and pay rent first.”

Yasmina*, a sophomore who has experienced disordered eating at Rice mentioned the impact that their experiences with disordered eating had on their academic experience at Rice.

“I have to eat during these two certain halfhour segments of the day, and if I have a class at that time I will avoid going to that class so [that] I can perform my ritual at that specific time,” Yasmina said. “I had a lot of unexcused absences this semester. I was afraid [my professors] would think I was making excuses. It was just that the answer wasn’t very simple, and there were a lot of obstacles to getting help, most of them financial.”

Cathleen said that while controlling food may seem like a way to find control for students dealing with an eating disorder or disordered eating habits, it will never offer the control that they’re seeking.

“It just consumes your whole life,” Cathleen said. “You have so much more brain space to do things [when you recover].

Even if you don’t fill up your brain space with homework, you have more brain space to just be happier, see your friends or just enjoy seeing a squirrel. It is so, so, so freeing, and that’s what I would tell anybody.”

Gorman said that she was unable to comment on specific portions of the resolution at this time.

4 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022

NEWS

Rice requires boosters for students and employees symptomatic infection from about 10 percent five months after the second dose to as high as 75 percent two weeks after the booster.

Kendall Vining, president of the Student Association, said she agreed with Leebron and DesRoches’ booster requirement.

“I think it’s the safest route to go with requiring that,” Vining said. “Everyone should definitely get a booster if we want to have a semblance of a normal spring semester.”

Yash Shahi, a Lovett College sophomore, said he thinks students should get the booster so COVID restrictions can be lifted.

“It’s imperative that the boosters are mandated because the additional protection it provides will benefit everyone and allow the semester to retain some normalcy,” Shahi said.

Many faculty members agree with the vaccine mandate, according to Chris Johns-Krull, speaker of the Faculty Senate. Johns-Krull said he has not spoken with many faculty about the booster requirement in detail.

ANDREA GOMEZ / THRESHER

PRAYAG GORDY

SENIOR WRITER

All students and employees eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster are required to get one as soon as possible, unless granted a medical or religious exemption, according to an email from President David Leebron and Provost Reginald DesRoches.

Rice will host vaccine clinics in the Rice Memorial Center Grand Hall on Jan. 13 and Feb. 3, Kevin Kirby, chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee, wrote in an email. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most fully vaccinated people are eligible for a booster shot five months after their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or two months after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Rice initially mandated vaccines for students in May, but first introduced vaccine requirements for employees in late November. In September, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14042, which required all employees of federal

contractors to receive a COVID-19 vaccination or a medical or religious exemption.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia issued an injunction against the executive order in early December, temporarily suspending enforcement of the mandate.

In October, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued Executive Order GA40, which prevents entities in Texas from compelling employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine if they object on personal, medical or religious grounds.

According to Rice’s vaccine status portal, staff have the option to apply for a vaccine exemption and students have the option to not be vaccinated for “medical, religious, or philosophical/ other reasons.”

Jeff Barnes, Rice’s interim general counsel, said he was unable to provide comment on the legal basis of the university’s booster requirement.

Leebron and DesRoches said boosters will help protect Rice community members from a possible influx of COVID

cases due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. Rice has recorded more than 300 cases of Covid-19 in the last seven days.

“These booster shots are critical, because in light of the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, it probably will not be possible to maintain the full quarantining policies we have previously implemented,” Leebron and DesRoches wrote. “There is strong evidence that if you get a booster shot, you are far less likely to be infected with any of the SARSCoV-2 variants including Omicron – and if you become infected, you are much less likely to become seriously ill.”

The effectiveness of the two-dose vaccine regimen decreases after four to six months, according to the CDC. A study in The Lancet, a leading medical journal, suggests that the Pfizer vaccine’s protection against infection decreased from 88 percent to 47 percent five months after the second shot.

According to the U.K. Health Security Agency, a third shot of a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine raises protection against

Kind of like the nation in general, we have people with a variety of opinions on [the mandate] from very libertarian to very communal... But on balance, I would say that my impression is the faculty are in support of the vaccine mandate.

Christopher Johns-Krull SPEAKER OF THE FACULTY SENATE “I think a majority of the faculty have been receptive to it,” Johns-Krull, a professor of physics and astronomy, said. “Kind of like the nation in general, we have people with a variety of opinions on this from very libertarian to very communal and we have to do everything we can as a community to fight this.

But on balance, I would say that my impression is the faculty are in support of the vaccine mandate.”

Rice expands income brackets and commits to loan-free financial aid HAJERA NAVEED

ASST NEWS EDITOR Rice announced an expansion of income brackets for the Rice Investment and a commitment to loan-free assistance for all students who qualify for need-based aid. These financial aid policy changes were announced this December and will be applicable to all current and incoming students starting fall of 2022.

The university has previously offered loan-free aid to families who qualify for the Rice Investment, with a total income under $200,000. The recent policy expansion includes all students, domestic and international, who qualify for any amount of need-based aid.

The Rice Investment income thresholds also were extended from $65,000 to $75,000, for families to qualify for full tuition, fees, and room and board, and the middle class bracket was extended from $135,000 to $140,000 for families to qualify for full tuition.

President David Leebron said that the timing of this decision was influenced by the strong returns the university had on their endowment last year.

“Although a significant part of [the return] is needed to make up for a lower return the prior year and to be prepared for market downturns, we felt that part of the benefit of the returns should be applied to

increase student financial aid,” Leebron said.

The announcement came out shortly before the regular decision application deadline for the class of 2026. Yvonne Romero da Silva, vice president of enrollment, said that although the application deadline did not drive the decision to make changes to the financial aid policy, the deadline did impact when the announcement was released.

“If we wanted to have a more immediate impact for our prospective students and families [the announcement had to be made] prior to the application deadline,” Romero da Silva said. “We did note that we could take advantage of maybe impacting the decisions of students and families who were considering Rice.”

Romero da Silva said that the increase in applications this cycle, up six percent from last year, is likely in part due to the financial aid expansion. When the Rice Investment was announced in 2018, applications increased by a record-breaking 30 percent.

“I wasn’t expecting [this year’s increase] to be as high as when we announced it in 2018, because at that time our financial aid package, the Rice Investment, was so innovative,” Romero da Silva said. “It really caught the higher education landscape by storm.”

Anne Walker, assistant vice president and executive director of financial aid, said in a Rice press release that the goal of

CHANNING WANG / THRESHER The Office of Financial Aid, located in the Allen Center, recently announced an expansion of their financial aid policy. expanding financial aid is to invest in the promise of students.

“By offering financial aid packages without loans, we are continuing to invest in our students and their ability to create a bright future free from student debt,” Walker said to Rice News.

Leebron said in the coming years Rice’s

goal is to continue enhancing financial aid for international students.

“It is a priority of the recently launched Be Bold Campaign for Rice to raise endowment funds for financial aid so that we can permanently assure access to a Rice education for students from all financial circumstances,” Leebron said.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022 • 5

THE RICE THRESHER

EDITORIAL

We can change our culture around eating Recently, the Student Association introduced a resolution to structurally address disordered eating at Rice. Although the resolution contains tangible ways to mitigate this issue, we also believe that an important factor to consider is the culture on campus around eating disorders and food in general. Though this culture is not unique to Rice, we have the power to challenge it by being more conscious of how our language surrounding food affects others.

A clear stigma exists around discussing disordered eating patterns. Rather than discussing disordered eating patterns seriously and honestly, it is more common for these patterns to be passed off as jokes and only mentioned off-handedly. This needs to change in order for disordered eating to be viewed seriously so it can be addressed through structural changes as well.

At Rice, it has become not only common, but normalized to skip meals in favor of working on an assignment. Providing justification for disordered eating patterns in this way encourages those engaging in them to continue. Instead, we should all think

critically about how the practice of skipping meals is problematic in the long run and should not be discussed so favorably, in order to disrupt the culture of disordered eating.

At Rice, it has become not only common, but normalized to skip meals in favor of working on an assignment. Providing justification for disordered eating patterns in this way encourages those engaging in them to continue.

Eating in a public setting such as the servery can increase anxiety related to food which contributes to disordered eating patterns. It is crucial to be aware of comments that we may make about the food that others

choose to eat, particularly in regards to portion sizes and the specific items that they choose to put on their plate. Experts preach intuitive eating to combat disordered eating patterns, and part of this means allowing people to eat what makes them feel good.

Discussions surrounding food are not limited to the servery. A large number of social gatherings at Rice include food, from college nights to club events. We must be aware of our comments about others’ choices in these situations as well. That way these events, and campus spaces in general, can become more welcoming for those suffering from disordered eating.

In some ways, the SA resolution designed to structurally address disordered eating at Rice only skims the surface of the problem at hand. Disordered eating is a habit that is primarily a function of what our culture promotes as desirable body standards.

As such, it is our collective job not only to address disordered eating structurally, but also interpersonally, with the idea that many individuals working toward a common goal can change our culture for the better.

Read more at

ricethresher.org How can Rice be more accommodating to Black students?

College officials shouldn’t jump to the most extreme measures, such as calling RUPD, to handle student issues. These trusted adults should be educated on a variety of options to fix these problems while maintaining the trust of their students.

Fatima Akilo

MARTEL COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

GUEST OPINION

Dialogues on Diversity course is a move in the wrong direction The Rice University course “Critical Dialogues on Diversity” is now a requirement for all new students as of the fall of 2021.

Much like Critical Thinking in Sexuality, this course is a direct response to the heightened awareness of a culture of accountability surrounding existing power structures.

As a transfer to Rice and a junior at the university, I had to take this course as a new matriculant. However, I came into the class as a non-cis person of color with a history of student organization and community building surrounding the centering of colonized and exploited identities. This gave me a unique vantage point with regard to observing the way the course was taught and responded to. Rice’s “Dialogues on Diversity” doesn’t address the problem at hand: historically white institutions of higher education fundamentally disenfranchise colonized and exploited peoples through the continual perpetuation of white, colonial, casteist, capitalist violence. Addressing this basic reality requires more than a course that only serves to benefit white — and other privileged identity — students. We need tangible investment in the lives of Black and Indigenous people and other people of color within the broader Rice community.

To understand why this course is an insufficient attempt at addressing the concerns of marginalized community members, it’s crucial to be able to conceptualize the framework it sits within.

Because diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, as we know them today, are forced to function within the framework of white supremacy, they are merely further extensions of that power. They serve the same function as any other racist university policy

EDITORIAL STAFF

or legislation: to disenfranchise. Institutional community. The course wasn’t well-planned entities like Rice use diversity, equity and or executed, and instead of helping, it harmed. inclusion efforts as a corporate cover-up tool Perhaps the most telling class session was the in response to public outrage rather than as time we spent nearly the full hour discussing a meaningful attempt at tangible change, the capital benefit that diversity can bring all while simultaneously neglecting the to institutions. I left the classroom feeling needs of oppressed community members. more unsafe on campus than I had before, These initiatives function as a stopgap for knowing that my peers harbor opinions about institutional and communal violence; it’s like my identity that could endanger me and that the university doesn’t care. This is why many putting a bandaid on a bullet hole. organizers advocate My personal for abolition rather experiences with the than reform: because section of the course you cannot reform a I took further reflect system that is doing the issues inherent Taking a course made for exactly what it was to Rice’s diversity, white people that barely designed to. equity and inclusion confirms the humanity If Rice wants efforts. Not only was to help oppressed i n t e r s e c t i o n a l i t y of nonwhite students is c o m m u n i t y misdefined in the humiliating, and it doesn’t m e m b e r s , content of the course, provide us with any BIPOC but the concept of tangible support to navigate particularly and other people intersectionality — of color, it needs to particularly in the the continued violence we invest in us rather case of race and are subjected to. than solely in our racism — was not one that was given any sort of precedence within white peers. Taking a course made for white the course itself. The content taught contained people that barely confirms the humanity no confrontation of whiteness, white of nonwhite students is humiliating, and it privilege, white power or white supremacy, doesn’t provide us with any tangible support but rather incorrectly asserted that benefitting to navigate the continued violence to which from whiteness can be negated by other we are subjected.

Instead of checking off the “diversity box” aspects of one’s own identity, like an accent.

At times, I heard jokes being made in the with a crash course on how to be a decent classroom that were explicitly transphobic human being, Rice could put its money — the course content containing no inclusion where its mouth is; one of the most powerful of marginalized genders. Neurodivergent and forms of allyship that white, colonial peoples disabled identities were completely excluded and institutions can offer to exploited from mention, and there was no discussion and colonized communities is monetary of how ableism impacts members of the Rice investment through redistribution of wealth

* Indicates Editorial Board member

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Morgan Gage* Editor Michelle Gachelin Asst. Editor

Savannah Kuchar* Editor-in-Chief Ben Baker-Katz* Managing Editor

SPORTS Daniel Schrager* Editor

NEWS Talha Arif* Editor Hajera Naveed Asst. Editor Bonnie Zhao Asst. Editor

BACKPAGE Timmy Mansfield Editor

OPINION Nayeli Shad* Editor FEATURES Nicole Lhuillier Editor Nithya Shenoy Asst. Editor

COPY Bhavya Gopinath Editor Jonathan Cheng Editor PHOTO, VIDEO & WEB Channing Wang Photo Editor Katherine Hui Asst. Photo Editor Jasmine Liou Video Editor Brandon Chen Web Editor

DESIGN Robert Heeter Art Director Anna Chung News Siddhi Narayan Opinion Katherine Chui Features Ivana Hsyung Arts & Entertainment Andi Rubero Sports Lauren Yu Backpage ILLUSTRATION Chloe Xu Illustrator Ndidi Nwosu Illustrator Andrea Gomez Illustrator BUSINESS MANAGEMENT Karoline Sun Business Operations Deema Beram Social Media Amanda Mae Ashley Distribution

and resources. Diversity, equity and inclusion is meaningless if Rice isn’t going to work on building tangible support networks for oppressed community members.

Rice likes to boast about its diverse community demographics and course content, but if incoming students, faculty and staff of color aren’t given the ability to seek refuge from the constant onslaught of racism and white supremacy that is so present in our lives, there’s nothing to brag about. Bringing more of us into a system designed to hurt us without providing any sort of structural foundation of benefit for our health and safety only causes more harm.

Establishing university-sponsored BIPOC-led and facilitated community groups would be a start. As would hiring Black and Indigenous licensed therapists and counselors to address the mental and emotional needs of the existing BIPOC student body, or taking down the statue of that slave-owner that sits in the middle of our campus. Without providing oppressed students with essential items to ensure that our basic humanity is acknowledged on campus, without a significant overhaul of how the diversity, equity and inclusion course is conceptualized, prepared, and taught, that mandatory one-hour class only serves the privileged.

Anna Rajagopal JONES COLLEGE JUNIOR

The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper of Rice University since 1916, is published each Wednesday during the school year, except during examination periods and holidays, by the students of Rice University.

Letters to the Editor must be received by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication and must be signed, including college and year if the writer is a Rice student. The Thresher reserves the right to edit letters for content and length and to place letters on its website.

Editorial and business offices are located on the second floor of the Ley Student Center: 6100 Main St., MS-524 Houston, TX 77005-1892 Phone: (713) 348 - 4801 Email: thresher@rice.edu Website: www.ricethresher.org The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA, CMA, and CMBAM. © Copyright 2022

6 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022

THE RICE THRESHER

Looking back at the Thresher’s first issue SAVANNAH KUCHAR

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The basketball team had just recently won their season opener 60-15 while a contract for the construction of what would become Hanszen Old Section was awarded in the week that the very first issue of the Thresher was printed 106 years ago, January 15, 1916.

Two years before the Thresher would pause printing amid World War I and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, a staff of eleven students came together to produce this four-page paper and the ensuing issues, each published fortnightly throughout that semester. The Thresher would shift to its current weekly schedule after its postwar return during the spring of 1919.

The then editor-in-chief, managing editor and associate editor co-wrote an editorial in which they outlined the purpose and goals of the new publication.

“Three years in our [school’s] history have gone by without a means of voicing the opinions of the students,” Will Standish, Eugene Millis and Ruth Sullivan wrote. “In inaugurating this paper the members of the staff believe that the time has come when the student body can and will support a publication which fills such a long felt want.”

Alongside the editorial, the staff wrote praise for literary societies, of which nine of the founding members were part before they joined the Thresher. In a separate piece, they appealed to the student body for their feedback.

“We will receive criticisms with the same grace that we will receive compliments, if such there should be,” the staff wrote. “If you want your criticism published we will publish it, and if it is just we will admit it; if it is unjust, we will take pleasure in telling you why.”

THRESHER ARCHIVES That same page included a note about “women’s part in the paper.” The staff wrote that female students were equally encouraged to be involved in the Thresher, which was to be “a soothing right” for “women of Rice whose pet hobby for the last four years has been ‘Equal rights for the downtrodden co-eds.’” At this time in Rice’s history, women could attend as students but could not live on campus, and only white students were permitted to enroll at the school.

This initial issue covered matters from sports to general news to activities of student clubs. Its front page announced the return of a beloved baseball coach, alongside a separate story on the team’s search for players among the freshman

class to fill their ranks. On page three, an article by the staff, “Term exams take their toll,” estimated that 24 out of 410 total students had flunked out of the university between the fall and spring semester.

“Verily and truly it was a thinned-out bunch which came back after Christmas,” they wrote.

The Thresher staff also included a recap of a recent visit by President of Wellesley College for Girls Ellen Pendleton, by invitation of then Rice president Edgar Odell Lovett. Pendleton gave an address to a select group of Rice students invited to an informal luncheon with her, Lovett and his wife. The visit of another university president made the paper: Princeton University’s John Grier Hibben was expected in the city Feb. 11, 1916.

Back then, readers of the Thresher were charged a subscription — 10 cents per copy and 50 cents for six months. Mixed in with stories were advertisements for products and services of that era, including those for “high grade cigars, tobaccos and magazines” by Molesworth’s and “classy college haircuts” at Tiras Model Barber Shop.

Since that first issue in 1916, the Thresher has increased its staffing, print frequency and the usual issue’s page count while adding new sections of content, like Arts & Entertainment and a satirical Backpage.

Through these and other changes, over a century later the publication remains as the first editors wrote “to paraphrase a well-worn expression … a paper for the students by the students.”

Students talk staying on campus over the holidays NICOLE LHUILLIER

FEATURES EDITOR

GAZI FUAD / THRESHER The Office of the Dean of Undergraduates Students granted petitions for 145 students to live on campus over the recently concluded winter recess.

Winter recess is probably the time when campus is at its emptiest, as students living on campus must leave their dorms shortly after the fall semester ends. But the past two winters have not been normal, and for the second time, students with approval from the Dean of Undergraduates’ office were permitted to remain in their residential colleges over the recent winter recess.

In total, 145 students were granted approval to live on campus over the winter recess, according to Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman.

“We accepted petitions at a very high rate (over 90%), similar to last year,” Gorman wrote in an email.

Not all students with approval remained on campus throughout the break, according to Gorman. Tiffany Jin, who stayed on campus, said she knew others who were on campus for a week or two after the fall semester ended and then traveled to other places.

Jin, a Duncan College junior, said that she felt that the best option for an international student like herself during the pandemic was to stay where she was. She spent winter recess her freshman year with a friend in Seattle and winter recess her sophomore year at home.

“The winter break is quite relatively short. That’s why it’s called ‘break,’” Jin said. “I guess staying on campus during break is kind of a [pandemic] thing because without the pandemic… it wasn’t an option offered.”

Jin and Brown College junior Lingkun Guo both said they spent time with friends who were also living on campus over the break. On Christmas Eve, Jin and her roommate, who are both international students, did some cooking. Jin said she felt a sense of community with the other groups of people living in the residential colleges as well.

“Our [resident associates] and magisters are still here. It’s not like they’re gone and … we’re on an isolated island,” Jin said.

“It does feel pretty quiet but since I’m with my friends I don’t necessarily feel really isolated.”

Guo said the other main differences from on-campus living during the school year are the smaller population and the changes in dining options.

“My experience living on campus over winter break is what I expected it to be,” Guo said. “I’m glad that Baker kitchen remained open during the break and I’m really thankful for the [Housing and Dining] staff who worked over the break.”

This article has been condensed for print.

Read more at ricethresher.org.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022 • 7

FEATURES

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1 “Star Wars” spice syndicate 5 2003 Will Ferrell Christmas classic 8 Dippin’ ____ 12 Yogi Bear or Lola Bunny 13 Something in the air?

15 “Insecure” star Rae 16 Harmonize 17 Excuse, during interrogation 18 Spanish custard dessert 19 Comprehensive, or the Church of the Pope 21 “You get an E for ______” 23 Field 24 Patella place 25 Trumpet relative 28 Dark horse 32 Aids in crime 33 Small grassy hill 34 UK finance university 35 Cheers 36 “Golden Girls” star White 37 Goes on and on 38 Reddit Q&A 39 Concert sousaphones 40 Stable mothers 41 Feline with patterned coat 43 Yellow fruit 44 Muscat resident 45 “What the ____?”

46 Topper of the top of the world 49 Timeout location 53 Wharf 54 Sole Survivor of “Survivor 41” 56 ____ the Impaler 57 Honolulu’s island 58 Soft drinks 59 ____ the Terrible 60 “Halt!”

61 Casual shirt 62 Actress Delevingne

JAYAKER KOLLI AND NIKHAZ OMAR

CROSSWORD WRITERS

DOWN

1 Returning GI’s diagnosis 2 Toy with ups and downs 3 King of Skull Island 4 Bewitches 5 “The Odyssey” or “Beowulf” 6 Lofted pass, in basketball 7 Scrimmage, in soccer 8 Disagree 9 Norwegian capital 10 59-across was the first one 11 Gus van ____, director of “Milk” and “Good Will Hunting” 13 Day job, for Shang-Chi 14 “Arrested Development” actress Shawkat 20 Mine outputs 22 Touch 24 Sea speed units 25 Jewelry unit 26 Former First Lady Michelle 27 Recovery center, for short 28 Remove from a post?

29 American Red Cross founder Barton 30 Colorado ski resort town 31 Thompson of “Westworld” 33 Shish _____ 36 Hungarian capital on the Danube 37 Weird Al ________ 39 Banks of “America’s Next Top Model” 40 Supersonic unit 42 Plan B 43 Software test versions 45 Ceremonial Maori dance 46 Wedding vows 47 Jacket 48 Come again?

49 Killer ending?

50 Sea lettuce genus 51 German river that feeds the Moselle 52 Designer Mode of “The Incredibles” 55 Salmon eggs

Back to remote learning: Advice from a fellow Rice student SARAH BARTOS

walk or a workout is also a great way to establish a routine. On campus, we get our steps on the trek from the BioScience Research Collaborative to Keck Hall or on a 10 p.m. run to The Hoot. It’s easy to spend the whole day in your room if you don’t have to leave for class. Walking is a great way to take a break and clear your mind so that you are calm and collected when attending Zoom lectures and completing assignments. Listen to a podcast, a weirdly specific titled Spotify playlist or a new album while roaming around the neighborhood.

THRESHER STAFF

Throughout the winter recess, the prospect of another semester of online learning led me to continuously hit the Gmail refresh button, waiting for a sign of what my academic future would hold.

Peer institutions, one by one, enrolled themselves in Zoom University, and Rice inevitably followed. Then I realized I needed to buy the blue light glasses that had been sitting in my Amazon cart for six months.

We all know by now that online learning has unique challenges.

However, we can address these challenges through specific lifestyle changes and study habits. (The random noise mishaps on Zoom can be avoided, for instance: remember to check whether your microphone is off when someone else is speaking!)

Keep in touch with the Rice community.

College is not just about problem sets and classes; there is an integral social component, which remote learning can strongly affect. In your free time, participate in video calls with affinity groups or clubs, talk to friends while out on a walk or Facetime from your living room. In a time of virtual learning, it’s important to feel socially connected for physical and emotional wellbeing.

Practice self-control.

There should be an award for anyone who can get through a Zoom lecture without turning to Buzzfeed quizzes or coolmathgames.com (Papa’s Donuteria FTW). Luckily, there are browser extensions for those of us who are easily distracted. For example, you can download the free extension SelfControl,

CHLOE XU / THRESHER

which blocks websites, videos, and links of your choice for a selected period of time.

Dress to impress.

It is easy to log into Zoom meetings dressed in last night’s pajamas, from the comfort of your bed. However, it is crucial to emulate an in-person learning environment to make the most of online classes. One easy way to feel like you’re really in class is to dress the part. Would you wear said outfit in a sociology lecture at Kraft Hall? If yes, the ‘fit is great. If not, consider something else.

Create a routine.

Establishing a routine helps with stress management and can ease the adjustment back into college life when you return to in-person studies. Think about your usual activities on campus and schedule similar ones into your routine. If you cherish your morning Coffeehouse trip, make time to go to a local coffee shop or whip up an iced Nutty Bee at home.

Prioritize movement and getting outdoors.

During remote learning, movement must be intentional. Scheduling a regular

Make class group chats.

At the end of the first meeting of a course, share a link to a GroupMe group, or join one if someone else does. A class group chat is a space for students to discuss various assignments, send Quizlet links, ask questions and provide insight on class material. Collaboration is a crucial aspect of Rice’s academic culture, and we shouldn’t have to sacrifice it with remote learning. You can also reach out to people you know in your classes to create study groups or go over readings on video calls.

Ask for help.

There are resources available remotely to help with the social, academic or emotional problems that can accompany remote learning. If you are struggling with a specific class, reach out to academic fellows, TAs or your professors. If you are a new student with little experience with online college-level courses, reach out to your Orientation Week advisors or other upperclassmen. The Rice University Wellbeing and Counseling Center offers remote services to help those struggling with their wellbeing. The distance between students and the resources of Rice’s campus shouldn’t stop anyone from getting needed help.

8 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022

THE RICE THRESHER

Houston artists to look out for in 2022 Bloodbath in 2022 and we should expect it to be great.

Bozos A key component of Houston’s burgeoning underground punk scene and fierce advocates for the place of Black and brown musicians in DIY music scenes, Bozos isn’t afraid to be aggressive.

Generating buzz throughout all of 2021, Bozos feels poised for an explosion in 2022, especially if they can release new music. In the meantime, they’ll continue to rock out local shows and mosh pits.

Tobe Nwigwe It feels trite to include Tobe Nwigwe, an established Houston act, with a fresh group of up-and-comers but it feels remiss not to mention a local legend in the making.

After developing a following from constant drops ranging from braggadocious rap (“JUICE”) to lush R&B (“IVORY”), he’s focused as of late on perfecting his live performances and visual expertise. After a quiet 2021, Nwigwe kicked off the year by dropping a massive recording of his recent tour that shows his all-encompassing talent.

ANDREA GOMEZ / THRESHER

JACOB TATE

SENIOR WRITER Despite what revisionist hipsters may tell you, Houston has always been the heart of Texan music. Zydeco came from the wards, Southern rap came from the Southside, Texan folk came from Anderson Fair and Beyonce came from the suburbs, but we still claim her. If anything, the last few years have shown us that Houston brings musical chops to the national level with Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott and Lizzo repping to various degrees. While Houston has its own accepted canon of local music, there are many new artists making a name for themselves across the scene. Here’s a few of our favorites to check out in 2022.

Big Jade After dropping one of the best albums of 2021 and releasing twerk-tacular summer anthem “Dem Girlz,” Big Jade

seems poised for domination. This Beaumont rapper is one of the best in the region, jumping between catchy hooks and biting raps, liable to change the flow at any second. Combining her prowess with frequent collaborator (and local rap jester) BeatKing’s ear for hooks makes a devastating combo that feels seconds away from a breakout hit any given year.

Amanda Pascali Named Houston Chronicle’s best artist of 2021, Amanda Pascali brings narrative to the forefront of her folk music. With songs covering everything from family history (“Letters from the Black Sea”) to immigration (“Over the Sea”), Pascali brings both her gorgeous voice and songwriting talent to listeners. Working a residency at the Sawyer Studios this spring, she hopes to release her sophomore album this year.

OMB Bloodbath With a history of churning out solid mixtapes, OMB Bloodbath scored a major label record deal in 2020 that she immediately followed up with the regional hit “For Me.” Her “Blood Sample” EP released last year shows her raw and refined promise, from dexterous flows on “77004” to icy-vein boasts on “Not Gang” (“all these dead ass white folks suck pockets / I feel like a headstone” is my favorite). Given her past prolific output, we should expect a project from OMB

Bo Bundy Combining Natanael Cano’s modern narcocorrido tales and Dominican drill’s brutal beats, Bo Bundy brings a sound unlike anything you’ve heard. His 2020 breakout “Mi Barrio” celebrated the particular ethos of many of Houston’s neighborhoods and his 2021 album “El Único Desmadre de mi Madre” continued his triumphant boasts. With the ascendance of traperos like Chucky73 up North, it’s prime time for Bundy’s breakout.

while his photography is inspired by his own thoughts and expression. This produces the distinctive “aura” that Rovalo develops as he generates more works.

with individual personality.

Rovalo said that he discovers more of himself with each piece. At times his works are serious, and at other times he intentionally infuses it with humorous aspects. Sometimes it’s the paradoxical nature of his work that drives its comical appeal.

“I think it has to do also with the DIY aesthetic, where it’s supposed to be fine art but it’s also very craftsy and at home kind of thing,” Rovalo said, “I do try to be funny sometimes [with my art]. I like ridiculous things or paradoxical things.”

Rovalo said that his art has been a way to establish his own presence.

“A lot of times art is to just be like ‘Hey, I’m here,’” Rovalo said, “I think with my more traditional pictures, it’s more about communication, and with my drawings, like ‘Here I am, this is me,’ and trying to capture that and selfdiscovery.”

As he explores these novel ideas through his artworks, Rovalo said that he uncovers more about his personal truths and meaning rather than trying to convey a message to a broader audience.

In essence, the audience of Rovalo’s work is himself.

“You’re going to fall short, so embrace it,” Rovalo said. “It’s more fun like that.

It’s more fun to fail sometimes.”

Familiar movies offer comfort during an unfamiliar semester ELI MENDOZA

FOR THE THRESHER

As the semester starts up again, COVID guidelines wax and wane and everything else changes in your life, it might be easy to feel overwhelmed.

One way to manage this stress, though, is through activities that don’t take lots of brain power and bring you back to a familiar, calm state of mind. Watching movies is one way to do this that can be done alone, with friends, in comfort or – if you must – while doing some homework.

But what to watch? There are so many streaming services through Rice alone (don’t forget your free HBO Max, Kanopy, and Philo!). Perhaps you can never see Mamma Mia too many times, but you need some variety. Here are some good PG-rated comfort movies available on multiple streaming platforms.

‘My Neighbor Totoro’

Where to watch: HBO Max, Vudu, Prime Video

‘Sharkboy and Lavagirl’

Where to watch: YouTube TV, HBO Max, Prime Video

‘Clueless’

Where to watch: HBO Max FROM FRONT PAGE

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT

He noted that part of this interest was driven by his initial focus on human expression and trying to draw out the emotions that people felt through art.

However, as he continued to try his hand at photography, Rovalo said that he realized how hard it was to stand out in a medium that everyone can do. Instead, he began to focus on the process of creating art.

“It’s not so much about what I’m showing. It’s much more about the process of making [the artwork] which results in a weird picture but [one] that is more interesting.” Rovalo said. “I also got very interested with constructivist art … [which is] about mechanical things.”

This was also the main reason why Rovalo created his own handmade camera instead of using professionally manufactured ones.

“The actual mechanics of taking a picture … to then actually doing the chemistry to get the film [to develop] is very fun,” Rovalo said. “If you are focusing on the chemistry of it, I think you will get something that you cannot replicate with your own hand like a drawing.”

His interest in the mechanical aspect of art mirrors his interest in architecture,

It’s not so much about what I’m showing. It’s much more about the process of making [the artwork] which results in a weird picture but [one] that is more interesting.

I also got very interested with constructivist art.

Alfonso Pelaez Rovalo LOVETT COLLEGE SENIOR

“[When making my camera] I had to think about the actual mechanics of taking the picture and doing the chemistry to get the film, such as aperture, shutter speed mechanics and the aesthetics of the picture,” Rovalo said. “I was in more control of composition.”

His art forms not only an intersection of different fields of art, but also a fascinating intersection of architecture

‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ Where to watch: Disney+, AppleTV, DirectTV, Vudu

‘Monsters, Inc.’

Where to watch: Disney+, Spectrum on

Demand, Apple TV

‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’

Where to watch: Disney+, YouTube TV,

various app stores

‘Sister Act’ Where to watch: Prime Video, Disney+,

YouTube, various app stores

‘The Monkey King’

Where to watch: Prime Video, IMDb TV

‘Labyrinth’ Where to watch: YouTube, Prime Video Read more online at ricethresher.org.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022 • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Review: The Weeknd’s ‘Dawn FM’

PHOTO COURTESY XO AND REPUBLIC RECORDS

Genre: Synth-Pop/R&B Top Track: “Sacrifice” JACOB PELLEGRINO

THRESHER STAFF

There’s something surreal about seeing someone you listened to when you were younger perform with white hair and wrinkles. While this experience is typically reserved for people who have long graduated college, The Weeknd’s album cover and videos for his new album “Dawn FM” artificially accelerate this. To promote the album, Abel Tesfaye (The Weeknd) staged a livestream via Amazon of the album being played for a live audience where he stood in the center of a neon-lit platform, dancing and reacting to the music. Like his

previous Super Bowl performance and the music video series for “After Hours,” he committed to the character created on the album cover, performing with the aged face and white hair seen on the promotional imagery.

The advertisements for The Weeknd’s livestream event implored listeners to tune in to “103.5 Dawn FM,” the fictional radio station heard throughout the album. Tesfaye beautifully described the concept of the album in an interview with Billboard last November.

“Picture the album being like the listener is dead. And they’re stuck in this purgatory state, which I always imagined would be like being stuck in traffic waiting to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. And while you’re stuck in traffic, they got a radio station playing in the car, with a radio host guiding you to the light and helping you transition to the other side,” Tesfaye said. “So it

could feel celebratory, could feel bleak, like “I Heard You’re Married” answering however you want to make it feel, but questions set up in “Is There Someone Else?” There is a distinct switch in the that’s what The Dawn is for me.”

This sense of purgatory, a wait for concept of infidelity on “Dawn FM” and the gates of heaven and the afterlife, previous Weeknd albums as emphasized is something that resonates with our by the lyric “I used to be the one who current situation: a long wait for a return was lying.” Tesfaye’s stage persona is to normal, a life after the effects of the no longer the one in relationships with multiple women—many songs even deal global pandemic.

The biggest influence that popped with a sort of self-improvement for the out to me throughout the album is an character.

“Dawn FM” also brings in transitions expansion of the ’80s-influenced sound seen on the “After Hours” hit “Blinding that make the album a continuous listen Lights.” This thread melds further with with songs flowing into one another. This EDM and The Weeknd’s sound to create effect makes the album seem much more an effective sound that pays homage to a like one unit, something to be listened to different era but through today’s musical all together.

Radio-inspired elements also include sensibilities.

“Dawn FM” opens with the words a spoken word from Quincy Jones, who “this part I do all alone,” sung with an produced for Michael Jackson and Frank almost prayerful demeanor, as if asking Sinatra. The radio concept also leads for strength while embracing the afterlife to the most bizarre track on the album, or a new life after a relationship. After “Every Angel is Terrifying,” a two part a short verse, the track breaks into a track that begins with a slow monologue radio announcer, voiced by Jim Carrey, from Tesfaye. The second half is an followed by a jingle of the fictional advertisement for the afterlife, an overradio station’s name. Carrey’s recurring the-top parody of radio advertisements, complete with announcer helps c u s t o m e r to guide the testimonials, a narrative and sell phone number to the concept.

This sense of purgatory, call, and shipping The first a wait for the gates of and handling real song on charges. the album, heaven and the afterlife, is The album ends “ G a s o l i n e , ” something that resonates with “Phantom features verses with our current situation: Regret by Jim,” a in a much lower a long wait for a return poem spoken by Jim register than Carrey about selftypically heard to normal, a life after reflection and the from Tesfaye, the effects of the global nature of heaven. a decision that pandemic.

Over a relaxed might sound odd on first listen, but grows on the listener. and minimal beat, Carrey’s deliberate The lower verses contrast beautifully pacing and calming timbre bring the with a chorus in his typical, higher album home, leaving listeners with the vocals. The song establishes the narrative message that “You gotta be Heaven to see of the album by describing a nihilistic Heaven,” an echo of the themes of selfviewpoint and an obsessive relationship. improvement throughout the album.

On “Dawn FM,” The Weeknd The line “I know you won’t let me OD” emphasizes a self-serving viewpoint of introduces us to a purgatorial meditation caretaking and need that contrasts with on love and lust buoyed by kinetic, a line in the “After Hours” track “Faith”: dance-influenced and 80s-tinged sounds.

“But if I OD, I want you to OD right beside Tesfaye brings a new dimension to his sound with a coherent and ambitious me.”

The album as a whole deals with concept album that opens him up to a relationships and infidelity, with songs bigger audience than ever before.

What you missed: Film and television releases from winter break With the start of another semester, we’re all going to be looking for new reasons to avoid work. Over the break, there were some great new movies and television shows released you might have missed which are excellent procrastination candidates.

WILL COVER

THRESHER STAFF

PHOTO COURTESY ABC

“Abbott Elementary” “Abbott Elementary,” created by and starring Quinta Brunson, follows a group of teachers in an underfunded Philadelphia public school. The show opts for the popular mockumentary style to deliver fast and witty comedy, with strong shades of “The Office” if Pam were the main focus.

While “Abbott Elementary” doesn’t have the most unconventional setup, it’s a winning formula: a scene-stealing boss, hilarious coworkers who impart important lessons, a will-they-won’t-they where they definitely will and an earnest and likable lead at the heart of the show.

Where other television comedies need a few episodes or even a few seasons to find their groove, “Abbott Elementary” has hit the ground running and should provide heartwarming laughs for years to come.

New episodes of “Abbott Elementary” air on ABC every Tuesday at 8 p.m., and are available to stream the following day on Hulu.

PHOTO COURTESY HBO MAX

“Station Eleven” Adapted from the award-winning novel of the same name, “Station Eleven” depicts the aftermath of a world ravaged by an extremely contagious and deadly flu. Admittedly, this is a bit of a tough watch in the midst of the pandemic, but after the pilot episode the real-world parallels sharply decline while still being a devastating and thoughtful portrayal of loss, trauma and how to move on.

There isn’t a single weak link in “Station Eleven,” but the acting is a particular strength. Mackenzie Davis is sensational as Kirsten, the star of a Shakespearean acting troupe that emerged after the pandemic. Matilda Lawler, who plays the young Kirsten in flashbacks, delivers a performance that likely belongs in the pantheon of child acting. While “Station Eleven” can be painfully poignant, it is a near-perfect miniseries.

“Station Eleven” is available to stream on HBO Max.

PHOTO COURTESY NETFLIX

“The Lost Daughter” “The Lost Daughter” is a psychological drama about the tension between the joy and pain of being a mother. A remarkably assured debut feature from director Maggie Gyllenhaal, this movie is uncompromising in its depiction of the sacrifices of parenthood. Leda, the film’s main character, is on vacation in Greece when she encounters a young mother who reminds Leda of her own time raising her two daughters. Leda’s memories are at times positive, but an air of frustration hangs over every flashback, especially as Leda’s role as a mother comes into conflict with her career ambitions.

Rather than presenting an idyllic vision of being a motherhood, Gyllenhaal opts to show its difficulties in an at times uncomfortable and always purposefully provocative two hours.

“The Lost Daughter” is currently streaming on Netflix.

PHOTO COURTESY DISNEY

“Encanto” I’m cheating a little bit by including “Encanto” on this list given that its theatrical release came in late-November.

Since it made its way to Disney+ on Christmas Eve, though, I’ll take the opportunity to gush about it anyway.

A movie-musical set in Colombia, “Encanto” is the best animated Disney movie since the original “Mulan.” With music from the neverending goldmine Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Encanto” tells the story of a magical family whose way of life is threatened by a mysterious curse. Add stunning visuals and a short runtime to the earworm songs, and this is everything anyone could want from a Disney movie. And, “Encanto” delivers important messages on family and what it means to be gifted — great for kids and stressed-out Rice students alike. If you’re a fan of the genre, it’s impossible for this movie to not put a smile on your face. .

“Encanto” is currently streaming on Disney+.

10 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022

THE RICE THRESHER

RECAP

Men’s basketball upsets UAB, goes 2-0 on weekend CADAN HANSON

THRESHER STAFF

The Rice men’s basketball team played their first two home games of the conference season over the weekend, leaving with two wins. On Thursday, the Owls defeated Middle Tennessee State University in a tight game, by a score of 65-61. Then, on Saturday, the Owls completed a comeback win against then-Conference USA West Division leader University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The Owls welcomed UAB to Tudor Fieldhouse last Saturday. After a back-andforth first half, the Owls trailed the Blazers 39-34 at halftime. Just a few minutes into the second half, Rice found themselves down by ten points, but they rallied to score 51 points in the half en route to an 85-80 victory.

Sophomore guard Travis Evee’s 25 points led the way for Rice, along with freshman forward Mylyjael Poteat, who scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half. After the game, head coach Scott Pera said he was thrilled with the win.

“What a second half performance by our guys across the board,” Pera said. “We held our own on the glass, out-rebounding [UAB] by 11. We made huge free throws down the stretch. They never wavered in their belief that they could win the game. We talked about it after the Middle Tennessee game. We had to believe first. If you don’t believe, you have no chance. The kids executed and I’m really happy for them.”

After getting knocked out of the 2021 C-USA tournament last year by UAB, Evee says that this game showed the hard work the team put in during the offseason.

“It definitely feels good,” Evee said. “All summer we said ‘we’re going to take the next step’ and today was a great win for the program and shows all the work we’ve put in trying to be a better program.”

Earlier in the week, the Owls also got the better of MTSU in another tight game.

Early in the first quarter, the Owls got out to a strong start, taking an early 8-3 lead before Middle Tennessee closed the gap. At the end of the first half, Evee scored seven points, leading an 8-2 run that gave the Owls a five point lead entering the half. Although they ended the half strong, graduate transfer Carl Pierre said that the team needed to make adjustments for the second half.

“We just wanted to get back to Rice basketball,” Pierre said. “We had nine turnovers and two assists at halftime and that’s not how we want to play. We wanted to get the ball moving and get back to playing together again.”

After MTSU took the lead back early in the second half, the Owls overcame a six-point deficit with ten minutes remaining in the game to grab their first conference win of the season 65-61. After the game, Pierre said that he was proud of how his team handled the late deficit and gutted out the win.

“It did get close towards the end but we are an older group and we executed towards the end of the game,” Pierre said. “Guys got me the ball in the spots that I wanted and they had confidence in me to knock them down and I did. We got to protect home court and that is something we emphasize a lot. I’m really proud of our team and our guys to win ugly, find a way to win and get back to .500.”

Against MTSU, the Owls defense held the Blue Raiders to 35.7 percent shooting from the field and zero fast break points. After the game, Pera was pleased with how his team left everything on the court.

“It was a tremendous win by our kids,” Pera said. “There’s no other way to put it.

They were exhausted, running on fumes and refusing to give in, making a comeback when [MTSU] got the lead in the second half, and

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Sophomore guard Travis Evee drives to the basket against UAB. Evee led the Owls with 25 points as they knocked off the Blazers, who entered the game 3-0 in conference play. fighting back. I’m really proud, especially [with] what we’ve been through.”

Pierre led the Owls with 19 points and 10 rebounds, tallying his first double-double of his career. According to Pera, Pierre has been instrumental to the team’s success.

“It was [Carl’s] first career double double,” Pera said. “As far as making shots, he’s been making them all year. He’s a fifth year guy so he’s played 150 college basketball games so he’s not afraid to take the big shot and boy I’m sure glad we have him.”

Over the past few weeks, the Owls faced difficulties with COVID-19 with numerous players testing positive over the break. Once the team was cleared to return to the court, the Owls fell in their conference opener by 32 points to the University of North Texas. After a rough start to the new year, Evee said he was happy to get back on the right foot against Middle Tennessee.

“We got hit a week or two ago with COVID cases which knocked us out of rhythm but I’m so proud of our team today,” Evee said. “We faced adversity losing to North Texas but we came out today and played our game.”

Now standing at 2-1 in conference play, the Owls will look to build off the big wins as they go on a two-game road trip. According to Pera, both the MTSU and UAB wins show that the Owls are capable of being one of the best teams in the conference.

“We want to compete in the upper half of the league,” Pera said. “We want the third game in the tournament to be the championship game and that’s where we’re trying to get this program. This league is really good but if we give our best every night, we can win our share.”

The Owls return to the court on Thursday, Jan. 13, when they take on Western Kentucky University at 8 p.m. in Bowling Green, KY.

RECAP

Women’s hoops drops conference opener to MTSU REED MYERS

SENIOR WRITER The Rice women’s basketball team made their long awaited return to play Friday afternoon when they opened their conference season on the road at Middle Tennessee State University. Friday’s contest marked the end of a 23-day gameless stretch which featured cancellations, postponements, and an extended Christmas break for the Owls.

Rice’s originally scheduled conference opener against the University of North Texas was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols, meaning that the Owls would open their conference season on the road against MTSU.

Though Rice got out to a 25-17 lead by the end of the first quarter, the Blue Raiders would make their own run, outscoring the Owls by 19 points in the second quarter to take a 46-35 lead into halftime.

Once the Blue Raiders took the lead, they didn’t look back as they continued to add to their lead in the second half.

The final buzzer sounded with the scoreboard reading 87-63 in favor of MTSU. According to head coach Lindsay Edmonds, the circumstances that her team faced were extremely difficult leading up to their game.

“Trying to get back into game shape after 10 days of quarantine has been extremely challenging, but I’m not into making excuses,” Edmonds said. “That was the hand we were dealt and we needed to respond better.”

I’m disappointed in our showing today but do believe there are plenty of things we can and will learn from these challenges.

Lindsay Edmonds HEAD COACH

COURTESY MATT POSEY - MIDDLE TENNESSEE ATHLETICS Junior guard Haylee Swayze attempts a shot against Middle Tennessee State University on Friday. The Owls opened their conference season with a 87-63 loss to the Blue Raiders.

The Blue Raiders’ defense frustrated Rice, as the Owls committed 20 turnovers while shooting only 36.5 percent from the floor. The Blue Raiders turned the ball over seven times while making 50.8 percent of their shots. The Owls were led by redshirt freshman guard Maya Bokunewicz, who registered a career-high 20 points off the bench. According to Edmonds, while the game did not go Rice’s way, she believes her team will learn from the situation moving forward.

“Middle Tennessee was the much better team today and we didn’t step up to the opportunity,” Edmonds said. “I’m disappointed in our showing today but do

believe there are plenty of things we need to and will learn from these challenges.”

Prior to Friday, the last time the Owls took the court was on December 16, 2021, when they went on the road to take on Sam Houston State University. After a closely fought first half, the Owls erupted for 32 points in the third quarter to take a commanding nine point lead over the Bearkats. The Owls remained firmly in the driver’s seat the rest of the way, beating Sam Houston State 74-64.

Following their game against Sam Houston State University, the Owls were then set to take on No. 23 Texas A&M University in College Station on Dec. 19. The Owls would then follow that game up by hosting Texas College on Dec. 29, before opening their conference season at home on New Year’s Day against the University of North Texas.

However, the Owls’ games against Texas A&M and Texas College ended up being cancelled, bringing an end to their non-conference season. At the end of nonconference play, the Owls record stood at 5-3, highlighted by double-digit wins against St. Edward’s University, Texas Southern University and Sam Houston State. Their lone game against a power-conference opponent was a 68-48 loss to Oklahoma State University.

The Owls were supposed to take on the University of Alabama at Birmingham the following day, but that game was postponed. The Owls will now look for their first conference win when they host the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky University on Thursday night at 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022 • 11

SPORTS

Swimming loses to UH, SMU in first meet of 2022 PAVITHR GOLI

SENIOR WRITER

The Rice swimming team was defeated by both the University of Houston and Southern Methodist University in their first meet since early December. The Owls lost to UH in their dual meet by a score of 181-104. In addition, SMU defeated the Owls by a final score of 16498. According to head coach Seth Huston, despite the losses, he was proud of his team’s performance this weekend.

“We needed to get up and race today,” Huston said. “It’s been a month since we competed. We did it with a pretty lean, mean team, swimming 18 of our 31. I was happy with what I saw. We looked tired but we swam some strategically smart races and we had some people get up and really race.”

Everyone there has been dealing with COVID but to [push] on and still be able to compete ... and stay the course was really important.

Seth Huston HEAD COACH

Senior Marta Cano-Minarro gave the Owls their only first place finish on the day in the 200-yard freestyle. Freshman Sydney Morgan added second place finishes in the 500-yard freestyle and the 200-yard butterfly, while freshman Arielle Hayon placed second in the 100yard butterfly. Despite competing with a shorthanded team, Huston applauded his swimmers for doing their best and performing well at the meet.

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON ATHLETICS Senior Marta Cano-Minarro competes during Rice’s meet on Friday against the University of Houston and Southern Methodist University. CanoMinarro took first place in the 200-yard freestyle, but the Owls fell to both the Cougars and the Mustangs on the day.

“I was really happy with Marta CanoMinarro,” Huston said. “She came from behind to win the 200 free and she had a great 100 fly for her. Arielle Hayon came up with a solid 200 fly and a really good 100 fly for where we are at in the season.

I was really watching how we would compete at the end of the meet and I thought we did a pretty good job even though I think the gas tank was pretty empty for a couple of people.”

After the meet, Morgan said that her intense preparation as well as her execution helped her perform well on Friday.

“I think that I did a good job of preparing myself to race both physically and mentally,” Morgan said. “We’ve been doing some pretty intense training so everyone is tired, but I did my best to execute my race strategies and fight to get my hand on the wall.”

Morgan added that she aims to improve by working on her technique so that she can be in her best shape for the conference championship, which is at the end of February.

“Going forward I’ll be continuing to work on my underwaters and other technical aspects of my races,” Morgan said. “I’m looking forward to the next block of the season where we’ll be continuing to get in the best shape we can for the conference.”

When looking at the rest of the regular season, Huston believes that the team will look very different two weeks from now.

With some of the team recovering from COVID-19 and the rest of the team returning to full fitness, Huston said that the Owls will be ready for their tough slate of meets at the end of January.

“We won’t compete again for two weeks and I bet we’re a whole lot better in two weeks,” Huston said. “Everyone here has

been dealing with COVID but to [push] on and still be able to compete today [when a number of dual meets around the country are being postponed] and stay the course was really important. Everyone who was able to race proved that they were ready to go mentally even if they weren’t quite there physically.”

Following this tri-meet, the Owls will take a short break before returning to action as they host Conference USA rival University of North Texas on Jan. 22 at 11 a.m. in a dual meet. Following other meets to close out the regular season, the Owls are expected to compete in the Conference USA Championship from Feb. 23 -26.

According to Morgan, the team hopes to build upon their 2nd place performance at the competition last season and win the championship for the first time since 2014.

“I’m looking forward to competing in my first conference meet and hope to help Rice bring home a C-USA title,” Morgan said.

Two weeks of cancellations and postponements: COVID-19 surge hits Rice basketball DANIEL SCHRAGER

SPORTS EDITOR

The recent surge of COVID-19 cases is bringing record numbers of infections across the country, and both Rice basketball programs are feeling its effects. During a stretch from midDecember to early January, the women’s team had three consecutive games either postponed or canceled due to COVID-19 cases within the program. Meanwhile, the men’s team saw two of its games get postponed over the same time period.

According to women’s head coach Lindsay Edmonds, dealing with the surge in cases while preparing for conference play has been challenging for her team.

“It’s been a really rough couple of weeks for us,” Edmonds said.

For the women’s team, conference games that were unable to be played, are being postponed, as Conference USA and the schools attempt to reschedule.

However their non-conference games during this stretch have been canceled and won’t be made up at a later date.

This means they will not make up their game against then-No. 23 Texas A&M University. The men’s team, meanwhile, is still attempting to play their postponed non-conference games against thenNo.16 University of Texas at Austin, and St. Thomas University later in the season.

According to freshman guard/forward Cameron Sheffield, the team was looking forward to both games, but is holding out hope that they will be rescheduled.

“It was really hard on us,” Sheffield said. “We [really] wanted to play the game against St. Thomas and the game at Texas, those would have been two great atmospheres for us. It was tough, they’re postponed so hopefully we’ll get to play those games later on in the season, but I know the guys definitely would’ve loved playing those two games.”

According to men’s head coach Scott Pera, those games were especially important because they would have helped the team get into a rhythm before conference play.

“It always stinks when you have to postpone or cancel a basketball game,” Pera said. “You want to try to play as many games as you can, you want to challenge the guys. But also you want to get them in rhythm where they’re playing two or three games a week, because that gets their legs where they need to be for conference play.”

Instead, much of the men’s team was in quarantine during the days leading up to conference play, which Pera said disrupted their preparation for conference play.

[Getting the team prepared for conference play in so little time was] as hard as anything I’ve done in 31 years. [We’ve adjusted] surprisingly really well.

quarantine, and emotionally, not being able to go home and have a break,” Sheffield said. “It took a lot of focus to get back out there.”

Meanwhile, according to Edmonds, the women’s team was making do with as few as six players at one point. “[The challenges ranged from] tests popping [up] positive, to canceling games, to extending an already long Christmas break even longer, practicing with as few as six players for several days, and weather delays,” Edmonds said.

While they had to postpone their first conference game of the season, the women’s team eventually returned to action, losing to Middle Tennessee State University on Friday, only for their next game, against the University of Alabama at Birmingham, to be postponed due to COVID-19 issues at UAB. The men’s team, on the other hand, was able to take the court in their conference opener against the University of North Texas, as originally scheduled.

Scott Pera MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH

“[It disrupted our rhythm] a lot,” Pera said. “The [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] didn’t change the ten-day quarantine to the five-day quarantine until our guys were already in day nine and ten.

We had sat around for nine or ten days with no practice. It takes time, no matter what level basketball player you are, to get back in shape after that long.”

In addition to the physical strain of quarantining, Sheffield said that it took a mental toll on the team as well.

“It was pretty hard getting back in shape being off for ten days in

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS From mid-December to early January, both Rice basketball teams had a combined five games canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within their respective teams.

According to Pera, getting the team ready for UNT was one of the most difficult tasks of his coaching career, but he’s been thrilled with how the team responded. “[Getting the team prepared for conference play in so little time was] as hard as anything I’ve ever done in 31 years,” Pera said. “[We’ve adjusted] surprisingly really well. And I think the kids have done a great job of listening to what we’re trying to do, working hard because they knew how important it was to get back in shape. I think we’re still somewhat in that process but we’re much closer to where we need to be.”

Now three games into their conference season, Pera said that he hopes the worst of their COVID-19 issues are finally behind them.

“Like everybody else in the country and in the conference, we’ve had to deal with different things, our kids have been resilient, they’ve handled it really well, and hopefully most of this is behind us,” Pera said.

12 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022

BACKPAGE

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Reginald DesRoches @RDesRoches A live television shot of Rice’s Academic Quadrangle is now streaming at all hours of the day and night, providing 24/7 video to anyone who wants to see one of Houston’s most iconic sights. Check it out! bit.ly/3tcEddS

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Reginald DesRoches @RDesRoches RIP to the Willy Protests LMAO try putting a cone on his head now get rekd 8:03 AM • Jan 10, 2022 4

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David Leebron @davidleebron Ay uh Reggie did you accidentally post one of your drafts

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Reginald DesRoches @RDesRoches Siri delete tweet no delete it

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Live Academic Quad Updates @WillyIsWatchingYou Student seen trying to lick EarthCam. 1:18 AM • Jan 11, 2022

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Live Academic Quad Updates @WillyIsWatchingYou Student seen falling off Fondren Library.

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Live Academic Quad Updates @WillyIsWatchingYou Unclothed horde seen running through quad leaving shaving cream trail. The shaving cream covers less than they think it does.

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Reginald DesRoches @RDesRoches We regret to inform the Rice community that the Academic Quadrangle EarthCam has been removed due to student privacy concerns.

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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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