The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, January 26, 2022

VOLUME 106, ISSUE NO. 17 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022

Rice to move Founder’s Memorial within Academic Quadrangle

CHANNING WANG, ROBERT HEETER / THRESHER

BONNIE ZHAO

ASST NEWS EDITOR say some responses are very angry, but The statue of William Marsh Rice will be relocated to a new location within reenvision the Academic Quadrangle to be very close to what the Founders quite a lot see the thoughtfulness of the decision,” Leebron said. “I think the Academic Quadrangle as part of an better reflect Rice’s history, values and Memorial is [right now].”

Kendall Vining, the Student that’s what people wanted to see — effort to more completely represent the where we are today as an institution is history and values of Rice University, a sound one,” DesRoches wrote in an Association president, said that she’s they wanted a thoughtful decision that according to an email from the Board of email to the Thresher. “I support this happy to hear that the new space will was the result of reaching out to the decision and am extremely appreciative include information about William community and listening carefully to Trustees on Jan. 25.

The decision comes after the board of everyone who provided information Marsh Rice’s entanglement with slavery. the community. And the board took this “I’m tired of passing by tour groups issue very seriously.” solicited input from the Rice community and input throughout this process.”

Leebron said that the administration According to the board’s statement, and seeing them pass by the statue, and through an online portal in fall 2021, the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and the new space will include information they’re just taking pictures. There’s a will consult with landscape architects Racial Injustice unanimously called about William Marsh Rice, including chance that they have no idea that this to redesign the Academic Quadrangle for a bold change in the Academic his ownership of enslaved people and guy like own slaves,” Vining said. “It’s in a way that both represents Rice’s Quadrangle in its June 2021 report and his “broader entanglement with the not said [on the statue], which makes it history and also is a welcoming place the Student Association unanimously institution of slavery.” President David seem like it’s being hidden from people. for students and social gatherings.

“The work will be carried out by the passed a resolution to relocate the Leebron said that there are several ways I am glad that they are going to include some sort of information that identifies board committee charged with this, that this vision could be actualized. founder’s statue on Nov. 29, 2021.

“Some people have thought maybe that this person who was our founder which is the buildings and grounds Incoming-president and Provost committee,” Leebron said. “I think what Reginald DesRoches wrote that he is something would be added to the also was a slave owner.

Leebron said that he has received the board has decided is two things: very supportive of the Board’s final base of the statue, but it could also decision regarding the Founder’s be put nearby,” Leebron said. “That’s both pleased and displeased messages [the statue] won’t be on the central something that people will have to from Rice alumni since the release of axis, and it won’t be a singular point of Memorial. attraction.”

“After extensive research and a discuss and figure out what seems most the board’s statement.

“We’re already seeing messages thorough consultation process with appropriate, but those kinds of details the Rice community, the decision to have not yet been decided. But it will come in from many alumni, and I would SEE STATUE RELOCATION PAGE 4

Socials committees grapple with Coach, Ph.D., veteran: Victor Lopez loss of institutional knowledge reflects on his track & field journey MOLLY KYLES

FOR THE THRESHER As the COVID-19 pandemic approaches the end of its second year, residential colleges across campus are facing a discouraging reality: soon, there will be almost no students who experienced a full year of normal life on campus left at Rice.

College external socials committees are particularly affected by this problem, as they are responsible for planning public parties and similar events. In the absence of these large cross-college parties, socials committees have had to find ways to preserve college culture and bring students together amid public health restrictions.

Cooper Bouton, head of the Will Rice College Socials Committee, attended public parties before the pandemic. He said his positive experiences at Risky Business, the Will Rice public, are part of what motivated him to lead the socials committee.

“I really enjoyed publics as a freshman,” Bouton, a senior, said. “Being a part of Will Rice and having a lot of fun at Risky Business my freshman year, I thought it’d be cool if I could contribute to that. From my experience as an underclassmen pre-COVID, I got to know a lot of people from other colleges by going to these intercollege events that are intentionally hosted with the idea of being open to everyone.”

Elliot Solomon, head of the McMurtry College External Socials Committee, was also influenced by his experiences at preCOVID-19 publics.

“I did get to go to Y2K [in 2020]. It is usually in February, so it was sort of before the apocalypse,” Solomon, a junior, said.

“My experiences – not just going to publics, but also the sort of culture around them that emerges when they’re happening regularly every week or two – was a big thing that made me interested in being on [the] external socials [committee].”

SEE SOCIALS COMMITTEE PAGE 7

CADAN HANSON

of four siblings. Growing up, he attended a primary catholic school and got into sports during the school’s recreational hour Fifteen years after retiring as the women’s where Lopez said he was first introduced to track and field coach at Rice, Victor Lopez organized athletics. “[Sports] was heard his name in my blood and I called during the loved it,” Lopez said. induction ceremony “In school and the for the Texas Track I consider Rice my second summer, we would & Field Hall of play games, run in Fame. As one of home. Just coming to the streets and run the seven members campus every day at 7:00 in the 13th class of a.m., it was like going to a relays in the park.”

Lopez continued inductees, Lopez [place of magic]. his education at now stands among a high school in a the likes of nine- Victor Lopez neighboring city time gold medalist FORMER RICE T&F, XC HEAD COACH called Caguas, where Carl Lewis and other Texas track and field legends. Although it he continued his passion for sports. He is the most recent accolade for the retired played volleyball, baseball and track but track and field coach, it is just the latest of also pursued music as a drummer in a local numerous awards and accolades that he band. As the end of high school loomed near, Lopez said that he had a decision to make. earned throughout his career.

Lopez was born in Aguas Buenas, a small city in central Puerto Rico, as the youngest SEE VICTOR LOPEZ PAGE 10 THRESHER STAFF

2 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022

THE RICE THRESHER

Housing and Dining adjusts to supply chain issues, increased inflation EMILY LONDON

THRESHER STAFF Housing and Dining staff have adjusted their practices to find alternatives for hardto-get ingredients and to save costs in the face of nationwide shortages of various food products and a rise in inflation, according to David McDonald, senior director of Rice Housing and Dining.

McDonald said that they’ve had to look for different suppliers and change recipes because Rice’s typical suppliers have had shortages of or significantly higher prices for standard items recently.

According to McDonald, one item in particular that H&D has struggled to find is palm plates, which are the standard for disposable plates in all the serveries.

“You don’t see palm plates anymore,” McDonald said. “We just can’t get them.

Nobody can get them.”

To address this issue, H&D staff looked for items that are as similar as possible to palm plates in terms of quality and compostability.

“It’s not as pretty, it’s not as durable as the palm, but it’s the best we could do in this situation,” McDonald said. “The cost is much higher too, but that’s the way it is.”

McDonald said that certain ingredients, such as beef, have faced significant price increases in the past year, making it difficult for the serveries to afford serving them in the same quantity as before. The price of food items increased by an average of seven percent over the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and beef specifically increased by close to 20 percent.

To deal with these increases, chefs have changed the way they prepare these proteins; rather than serving whole steaks, as they’ve

sometimes done in the past, meals will use smaller portions of beef and supplement it with other ingredients, according to McDonald.

“The good news is that we have really fabulous chefs,” McDonald said. “They know how to modify recipes, they know how to lay out a menu for a given week that will be a good menu but also will keep our costs down.”

McDonald said that, though meal plan costs for the 2022-2023 school years are not finalized, H&D will not be raising prices more than they would in a typical year. Currently, the full meal plan for a student living on campus costs $2,350 per semester. Rather than passing the costs of inflation onto students, chefs are encouraged to be creative with their recipes and work with whatever ingredients they are able to get their hands on, McDonald said.

In the first two weeks of the semester, H&D also saved costs by keeping certain serveries closed. Jorge Arnez, a Brown College freshman, said that he has not noticed any major changes with the food that the servery has offered this semester, but is glad that North Servery, which is closest to his residential college, is open again.

“It’s all just the same stuff from last semester,” Arnez said. “I haven’t noticed any drastic changes.”

Eylen Tekin, co-director of the master’s program in industrial engineering, said lockdowns and an economic slowdown led to decreased production, meaning that suppliers struggled to keep up with demand when spending increased and have been working through a backlog.

These difficulties are a large part of Rice’s difficulty in finding supplies, she said.

Tekin, who is currently teaching a course on supply chain management, said he believes that uncertainty around supply and increased transportation costs are a large part of Rice’s supply issue.

“In a regular time, supply chains operate efficiently and can be flexible against a possible disruption at some point in the network,” Tekin said. “The pandemic caused shortages in raw materials, manufacturing and transportation, and hence, affected the whole supply chain at the same time.”

According to Tekin, labor shortages also impact supply chain shortages and prices. There is a shortage of truck drivers, as many workers move to jobs with a lower risk of coronavirus or call out sick.

With fewer drivers, transportation costs have almost tripled since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Tekin, and it is more difficult to transport products to the places they need to go.

CHANNING WANG / THRESHER H&D has adjusted practices amid nationwide shortages.

With the amount of uncertainty currently in the market, McDonald said that he is worried about how prices and inflation will look in the future.

“It’s a well-orchestrated dance between what’s going on in the market, adjusting to real-time problems, adjusting to real-time outages, but also predicting the future,” McDonald said. “We’ve seen beef spikes like this before, but we knew that within about three years prices would level out. We don’t know what the future looks like right now.”

Domingues da Silva awarded NEH grant for Atlantic Slave Trade Archive VIOLA HSIA

SENIOR WRITER Associate professor of history Daniel Domingues da Silva was awarded a grant from the National Endowment for Humanities for his project, the Digital Archive of the Atlantic Slave Trades, on Jan. 12. The Archive was created to provide an online space for documents telling the history of the transportation of slaves in the Atlantic and North America.

Domingues da Silva, one of 208

winners, was awarded $149,995 to develop the project further and make it more accessible to the public.

“We are really thrilled to have been awarded [this grant],” Domingues da Silva said.“We hope to make more of our information available to the public, allow researchers, members of the African diaspora to access the sources and tell their version of the history of the African diaspora of the slave trade.”

President David Leebron said this grant recognizes Domingues da Silva’s role in the development of this project, a development that Rice was proud to host.

“This grant will further enhance Rice’s role and reputation in studying the history of slavery in the Americas, and no doubt provide opportunities for our students as well,” Leebron said.

According to Vice Provost of Research Yousif Shamoo, winning an NEH grant is a competitive process.

“The fact that Daniel was able to win the support of the NEH is recognition for the quality and importance of his work in the Atlantic Slave Trade,” Shamoo said.

Domingues da Silva said that the project began COURTESY RICE NEWS Associate professor of history Daniel Domingues da Silva was awarded a grant from the NEH for his project, the Digital Archive of the Atlantic Slave Trades.

in the 1970s, and Rice became involved in the beginning of 2021 in partnership with Lancaster University. “[This discussion has] changed over time in that we were becoming more knowledgeable about it,” Domingues da Silva said. “The public is also becoming more aware, not just the history, but also the implications, the legacies of the history of [trafficking] and all the history of slavery.”

Domingues da Silva has been working on this project with a group of undergraduates, the Fondren Fellows Student Team. A student from the team, Ben Schachter, emphasized the importance of this project.

“What this hopes to do is aid in showing that slavery was not only a founding principle of Texas as a white colony, [but] later as an American state,” said Schacter, a Baker College senior.

According to professor of anthropology Molly Morgan, who is also working on the project, the undergraduates are investigating never before studied ship manifests, which reveal information about the transportation and movement of enslaved people in Texas.

“Dr. Domingues’s work on the Slave Voyages database is extending the geographic coverage of this powerful digital tool to new areas of the Americas,” Morgan said. “[This project makes] an important contribution to the information available to scholars and the public alike on the movement of enslaved people in the Intra-American trade.”

Josh Sternfeld, the Senior Program Officer for the Division of Preservation and Access in the NEH, said the project has used AI to make 30,000 pages of historical documents accessible to the public.

“Once the bilingual materials have been made openly accessible, the site should attract interest from a global audience of researchers, educators and students, especially nations and regions represented in the documents such as West Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean,” Sternfeld said.

Domingues da Silva said that most of the history that the Digital Archive covers is still as relevant as it was at the time of its founding, especially when associating it with the issue of racism.

“Oftentimes, people fail to realize now that racism has a history. It traces now to the history of slavery and the slave trade,” Domingues da Silva said.“If we don’t understand this history, we won’t be able to fully understand the phenomenon of racism and how to address it.”

Domingues da Silva said that he hopes to make this project accessible to institutions outside of Rice.

“I hope that we are able to teach more to history traffic, that we are able to reach out to schools, members of communities spread all over the world,” Domingues da Silva said. “If they want to display their documents on our website, we hope to make that available and possible for them, and continue exploring this history.”

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022 • 3

NEWS

Faculty given option to block anonymous course evaluations MARIA MORKAS

FOR THE THRESHER Due to concerns that pandemic-induced circumstances resulted in differences in course and instructor evaluation scores, the Office of the Provost allowed faculty to optout of showing their evaluations to students, according to an email sent out by the office in early August last year. In this email, the Office also wrote that the average evaluation scores were slightly better in fall 2020 and spring 2021, in comparison to previous semesters.

Faculty Senate Speaker Chris Johns-Krull said he suggested the idea of the opt-out option to the Provost after some supervising faculty had recommended it to the Senate executive committee.

“There has been [an] ongoing concern at some level as to how faculty teaching is evaluated, but this particular discussion was brought on by the pandemic and shift to largely remote learning for many faculty,” Johns-Krull said.

Professor of Economics James DeNicco said he chose to keep his evaluations and comments public and visible to his students, but he knows of instances where faculty members have received substandard reviews recently.

“So many of my colleagues that I know are amazing people, amazing teachers, [and they received] evaluations [that] have been tough, and some of the comments are really tough to read,” DeNicco said. “It’s hard to [attribute] that to anything other than the current times.”

Johns-Krull said that he thinks some instructors’ evaluations suffered specifically as a result of COVID-19, even for instructors who are well known for being very good teachers.

“I think some instructors and some classes just do not do as well as others in a remote environment, and that was much of the reason for the [policy],” Johns-Krull said.

Denise Maldonado, a Lovett College junior, said she opposes the policy because she is afraid of being blind-sided when preparing to take a course that is notoriously difficult.

“I feel like we should protect the ability to give anonymous feedback and publicly display it; it creates a safe learning

NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER environment in which students can help their peers in the following years,” Maldonado said.

DeNicco said he is not sure course evaluations are always helpful.

“Some students take them seriously and give you constructive feedback; I think a lot of what [students are] writing is for other students to read, who are going to be taking your classes,” DeNicco said. “But what you find with these evaluations is that they’re really [inconsistent] — you either get students to love you or really dislike you.”

Professor David Warren, who also chose to keep all their evaluations public, said harsh evaluations have existed since before the pandemic.

“I’ve known of faculty members who have gotten bad, or even scandalous,

reviews in the past, and nine times out of 10, they turn out to be wrong, because you can write anything down that you want because it’s anonymous,” Warren said. “I’m not going to try and hide the comments that students make about the class, but it would be better if they made them openly, with clarity, so that everyone would know who the involved parties are.”

Anika Patel, a freshman from McMurtry College, said reading the professor and course evaluations helps her better structure her schedule and optimize her learning.

“Sometimes professors have different teaching styles that help with different students’ learning styles,” Patel said. “Not being able to read professor evaluations is really hurting people’s ability to choose a professor that will help them the most.”

Ethan Goore, a Duncan College freshman, said he still likes to see what previous students had to say about the class and professor.

“If something that someone wrote looks like they just didn’t like the professor personally, and they’re trying to ‘attack’ them, then that’s pretty easy to pick out,” Goore said. “It’s a common thing that happens, and it’s easy to tell. Especially, if they’re the only [comment] who says that.”

Maldonado said she appreciates the honest feedback from her peers.

“It’s all to cultivate a safe and supportive environment where peer feedback and constructive criticism are encouraged. And if you want that amongst the students, then it needs to be there with the teachers too,” Maldonado said.

RUPD developing safety app for community members “The SOS button would allow the dispatch to open a map and see your approximate location so they can send The Rice University Police Department is officers to that location to provide safety developing a safety app for Rice students and protection.” Rodriguez said. “Users can allow faculty, estimated to be officially released by their video and microphone to turn on but it the end of this semester. Clemente Rodriguez, doesn’t show up on their phone so that the the chief of police, said this safety app dispatch can hear if the users are in distress … and therefore change the has three major functions: response of the officers to Emergency Call, SOS make the users safe.” function and Safe Corridor.

The third function, the He said he hopes that this Safe Corridor, will allow app would enable users RUPD to follow students’ to think of their phone as walks. another source for security.

“Instead of watching “Users can use the every step users go, the Emergency Call to request app would require users whatever you need if you to put in a four-digit code have an emergency or if every period that lets you are requesting RUPD know that a security the users are escort, which ok,” Rodriguez is typically said. “If the what blue light users don’t put phones are in a code, RUPD predominantly will check on used for,” users and make Rodriguez said. sure that they For the have reached SOS function, their destination Rodriguez said safely.” users do not B esides necessarily these three need to talk to major functions, someone from JOSH DAVIS / THRESHER Rodriguez said dispatch about RUPD is developing a safety app for this safety app their current students and faculty, estimated to be will also provide situation. released by the end of this semester.

LIN LU

FOR THE THRESHER

Rodriguez said RUPD plans on some resources such as the contact number of the Wellbeing Center and information advertising the app through updates to student organizations, via Rice’s official about approaches to stay safe.

A’Zhariya Ellis, a freshman from social media accounts and during the next Hanszen College, said that she has positive orientation week for incoming students.

Before the official launch, Rodriguez expectations for the upcoming safety app but is concerned about user privacy issues. said RUPD plans to make the app more user“During the fall semester of this year, friendly and compatible for community members.

I was locked out “They are of my dorm at 1:30 going to have a a.m. and I had to data-testing with wait over an hour some staff and for RUPD to open Users can allow their video students to make my door so that and microphone to turn sure that the app I could get in.” on but it doesn’t show up is functioning the Ellis said. “This on their phone so that the way that they hope safety app would it will function … decrease the waiting dispatch can hear if the and hopefully to time for people users are in distress … get some feedback in my situation and therefore change the from it,” Rodriguez … [But] is there a said. way to ensure that response of the officers to In an email to the students’ location or make the users safe.

Thresher, Jerusha privacy will not be Clemente Rodriguez Kasch, the director constantly tracked of Institutional when they are not RUPD CHIEF OF POLICE Crisis Management, using the app?”

Rodriguez said that unless the users wrote the project team is taking concrete initiate the response themselves, such as steps to further customize the app.

“They are changing the visual aspects pressing the SOS and Safe Corridor button, RUPD would not be able to monitor the of the actual button, working on rolling out directions for use and information users’ status.

Cheri Chen, a sophomore from Sid to introduce the app, the functionality Richardson college, said they think that this and use cases to further customize this app can further raise students’ awareness app,” Kasch wrote. “We have discussed towards RUPD’s importance in safety several ways we can integrate with student protection and help students understand feedback, but I believe that RUPD is pulling together a team to provide feedback.”

RUPD’s role more comprehensively.

4 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022

NEWS

Majority of classes return to in-person instruction MARY BRADY

THRESHER STAFF While the majority of classes returned to in-person instruction this Monday, 1.68 percent of these courses remained online only, according to C. Fred Higgs III, the vice provost for academic affairs.

Professors had the ability to submit a petition for an exemption from face-toface teaching, as announced in a COVID-19 update email from Provost Reginald DesRoches and Kevin Kirby, chair of the Crisis Management Advisory Committee.

“Most of the reasons [are] related to either the instructor [having] a vulnerable member in [their] household or they have a medical related release,” Higgs said.

Stephanie Leal, an assistant professor of psychology, is teaching PSYC 308 (Memory) and PSYC 310 (Psychology of Aging) virtually. Leal said she has a 15-month-old child who can’t yet be vaccinated and she is teaching two large classes this semester, both factors that led to her decision to teach her classes virtually.

The deadline for professors to submit a petition was Jan. 20. However, Leal said she made sure her students knew the status of her courses during the break.

“I had listed the course as fully online on my posted syllabus during the break. I’m not sure if the students checked the syllabus to see that though,” Leal said. “Otherwise, it was updated with the registrar before the semester started as fully online and then on the first day of class I announced that the course would be virtual the whole semester.”

Despite the fully online format, Leal said she still has plans to make her classes engaging.

“Since we have been teaching remotely for quite some time now, I have learned what works well and what doesn’t in the online format,” Leal said. “Lots of group

ANDREA GOMEZ / THRESHER discussions and projects to interact with a smaller set of students seems to be helpful.”

Leal said that she hopes everyone can be mindful of the different circumstances that students and faculty alike have faced during the pandemic when thinking about professors’ decisions to teach in person or virtually.

“It is hard to know how the pandemic has affected everyone … it’s not a one size fits all

FROM FRONT PAGE

STATUE RELOCATION

According to Leebron, the working group considered alternative options before deciding to relocate the founder’s statue.

“One idea that was thought about was not moving the statue but undertaking additional work in the quad that would result in it not being a central point of attraction in a way,” Leebron said. “There’s an argument that there would have been a way to do that, which is to construct the additional monument that the resolution speaks about also on that central axis. I think at the end the board concluded that would not sufficiently address the issues that had been presented. The board felt that it was better to recognize all of our history and create a dialogue around that history.”

The board’s statement stated that it is necessary to recognize all of Rice’s history, including the founding of the school.

“The board believes that the founding gift of William Marsh Rice is an essential landmark in our history and his philanthropy should be recognized,” the Board of Trustees wrote. “The board believes retaining the image of the founder in the Academic Quadrangle best allows the university to convey the story of our university, including our rejection of the racial inequities of its beginnings.”

According to Leebron and the email from the board, the vote on the relocation of the founder’s statue in the Academic Quadrangle was unanimous.

“It wasn’t one of those things where it just becomes unanimous because everybody thinks it’s better to be unanimous at the end,” Leebron said.

“It was a case where the entire board saw this as the right outcome.”

“The SA resolution was very helpful [in informing the final decision], and the task force report was also an extremely important part of this process, particularly its research into the history of the particular location of the statue or things like that. The working group took a lot of time to meet with various people and hear a range of perspectives.”

The board wrote in their statement that the Academic Quadrangle will undergo other major redesigns besides the relocation of the statue. A new monument of similar prominence in terms of both location and visibility will commemorate the beginning of the integration of the university a half century after its racially exclusionary opening, and other monuments representing and celebrating other milestones and aspirations will be added in the future.

“More important than the changes contemplated for the Academic Quadrangle are the present and future actions we take to assure that our university is a welcoming environment for all,” the board wrote. “Much work remains to be done both to assure that our university is the diverse and inclusive institution in all aspects that we aspire to, and that we as a research university contribute to the evolution of our broader society in the same direction. Recognizing how valuable the communication with the broader Rice community has been as part of this process, we will continue that communication through a variety of mechanisms as we move forward together.”

According to Leebron, the goal is to complete the design process by the end of this semester and begin implementing those designs soon after.

in how we handle the pandemic,” Leal said.

“If we have learned anything during the pandemic, it is that everyone has drastically different views of what safety means to them and what they feel comfortable with.”

John Hutchinson, a professor for CHEM 102, is teaching his course in-person and said he is very excited to be back with his students.

“One thing we have learned from the past two years is that remote learning is not nearly

as good as in-person learning,” Hutchinson said. “The connections between instructors and students are vital to successful learning and intellectual growth. Remote learning works well for some things, but we know it does not work well for this crucial aspect.”

Hutchinson said he will still accommodate students who cannot attend.

“We will continue to record class sessions for at least the first few weeks until we know that these risks have abated,” Hutchinson said.

Arnav Sankaranthi, a Brown College junior, said he prefers having the option for both in-person and virtual classes.

“For some classes like labs it’s important to go in person of course, but for some lectures I think it might be easier to do things through Zoom,” Sankaranthi said.

Justice Coutee-McCullum, a Brown junior, said she prefers in-person classes but thinks it was a bad decision to return in person.

“They [say cases] are declining but that’s because we don’t even have half of the population back,” Coutee-McCullum said.

Both Coutee-McCullum and Sankaranthi said their professors have offered accommodations.

“If you’re sick, you can attend through Zoom or they’ll have an asynchronous lecture through Zoom and upload it on canvas.” Sankaranthi said.

Higgs said the pandemic has required Rice to adapt, make changes and recalibrate frequently.

“The coronavirus and its variants will continue to be a global challenge and impact the way we teach, learn and do research,” Higgs said. “The experience of the past year and a half has shown us that early, multifaceted and campus wide precautions best position us to successfully carry out our mission.”

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022 • 5

THE RICE THRESHER

EDITORIAL

Students deserve course evaluations, but shouldn’t abuse it In August 2021, the Office of the Provost announced instructors could now opt out of showing their course evaluations to students amid the change to remote learning. Regardless of circumstances, the option of hiding evaluations is detrimental to students searching to understand the potential difficulties of future courses.

Although the past two years of remote learning have been “highly irregular,” as the provost noted, course evaluations have continually fulfilled their role to students.

Criticizing a course being taught remotely still holds relevance to students who will also have to take the class virtually, and provides a more nuanced understanding of the course as a whole. While there are plenty of differences between in-person and online classes, it is ultimately still

the same class with the same professor. issues such as mental health, and it is It would be helpful for students to know antithetical to the idea of honest peer evaluations if if their peers have faculty can block had previous issues assessments that with a professor, portray them found the course It would be helpful for negatively. to be unorganized, students to know if their That being said, or the workload to peers have had previous it should go without be overwhelming, saying that students even if these issues with a professor, should not use n e g a t i v e or found the course to be their anonymous e x p e r i e n c e s unorganized ... even if platform to occurred when the these negative experiences disparage faculty. class was online.

Although we have It will always occurred when the class previously focused be helpful for was online. on the importance of students to know how accommodating a professor may faculty accommodating students, it is just be, whether in regards to COVID or other as important for students to accommodate

their professors. Evaluations should contextualize the fact that instructors may also be simultaneously dealing with pandemic-related stressors while attempting to replicate an in-person learning experience. Claims such as those that professors aren’t answering questions often or seem to teach their course with little interest should also indicate that those changes may be a result of the transition to Zoom.

Course evaluations are an incredibly important tool for students, and this tool needs to remain truthful to be useful.

Professors should not be able to hide their course evaluations because of negative portrayals, but this also requires students not to abuse their power when writing evaluations.

GUEST OPINION

It’s time to sever athletic relations with BYU over its anti-LGBTQ policies In September 2019, nearly 100 students stormed the field at Rice Stadium during the halftime show for a football game against Baylor University. Wielding pride flags, volunteers led by our iconic Marching Owl Band protested Baylor’s refusal to recognize Gamma Alpha Upsilon, the then-unofficial LGBTQ student alliance at Baylor.

Being a part of the demonstration myself, I remember hearing a mixture of cheers and boos from spectators.

However, I felt encouraged that Rice had used its platform for good by spreading awareness of anti-LGBTQ policies at Baylor and making it clear that bigotry was not welcome within the hedges.

Despite an outpouring of support for MOB’s halftime show from the public (the demonstration was featured in several publications including Houston Chronicle, Newsweek, LGBTQ Nation, etc.), Rice’s administration was silent on the matter.

Indeed, rather than showing support for students’ pro-LGBTQ demonstration, Rice instead announced an upcoming football series with the Latter-day Saint-affiliated Brigham Young University only three days after the Baylor game.

BYU is known nationally for its antiLGBTQ policies, and it is disheartening to see Rice publicly align itself with an institution so fundamentally divergent from Rice’s values. The football series, consisting of games in 2023 and 2025, was added to the schedule quietly but the message was loud and clear: Rice Athletics — and the administration at large — is not concerned about anti-LGBTQ policies, at least not when money is on the line.

Such policies are antithetical to Rice’s community values of LGBTQ equality and acceptance. As such, I call on Rice to sever athletic ties with BYU. While it is unfortunate when Rice athletically associates with any

EDITORIAL STAFF

homophobic or transphobic university, gender-sexual minorities. More than “just the BYU partnership in particular stings another Title IX exempt school,” BYU is as a queer student. For context, BYU has the originator of the Title IX exemption as a ban on “same sex romantic behavior”, a concept (which has been mimicked by including holding hands, kissing and other anti-LGBTQ schools) and is currently dating. The harassment of queer students under investigation by the Department of at BYU, however, goes much further. Education due to LGBTQ discrimination A recent lesbian graduate lost her on- so severe it goes beyond the exemption.

In the spirit of JFK’s 1962 speech on campus job for not appearing “feminine enough” to her boss. Last year, a professor Rice’s own campus, we must take a stand called a queer student a term associated for equality on the national level not with the anti-Christ. Transitioning can because it is easy, but because it is hard. result in expulsion. Queer applicants Rice’s frequent, voluntary association with institutions can be denied espousing openly admission or homophobic and scholarships. And ideas all LGBTQ students Rice’s frequent, voluntary transphobic flies in the face live in constant of Rice’s mission fear of disciplinary association with of “cultivating a action — including institutions espousing diverse community expulsion — should openly homophobic ... that produces they “act on” their and transphobic ideas leaders across the queer identities. spectrum of human To this day, Rice flies in the face of Rice’s endeavor.”

Athletics continues mission of “cultivating a Rice’s recent to affiliate with, diverse community ... that shift to the and provide tacit American Athletic acceptance to, produces leaders across Conference will institutions of the spectrum of human generate increased higher learning endeavor.” interest and that fail to see LGBTQ individuals as fully human. Rice’s visibility for our athletic program. More institutional complacency with regard to than ever before, each time Rice competes LGBTQ equality sends a message both to with BYU we are putting money and queer students at Rice and those suffering legitimacy directly into the pockets of under homophobic regimes at other an institution that actively dehumanizes universities: We are just fine with your queer people. We are complicit.

We must also consider Rice’s human rights being violated.

Further demonstrating this attitude willingness to put our own LGBTQ is Rice’s frequent competition with other student athletes into potentially harmful Title IX exempt institutions including environments at their competitions. The Baylor and Houston Baptist. Title IX boos coming from Baylor fans during our exempt schools receive free passes to pride-themed halftime show tell us all we discriminate based on sex from the U.S. need to know about the kinds of places Department of Education, often leading into which our athletes are being sent.

In the 1970s, many universities severed to unsafe conditions for women and

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

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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

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athletic relations with BYU for its racist views and policies, which led to positive changes there. These moves were made with an understanding of the moral responsibility to stand for truth rather than continuing to tolerate the bigotry of the past. Those schools recognized that nonwhite students were an integral part of their teams, student bodies and broader communities. Now, 50 years later, it is time that we also recognize LGBTQ individuals as people worth fighting for.

Thus, I call on Rice University to cease athletic competition, wherever possible, with Brigham Young University on the grounds of anti-LGBTQ actions, policies, and statements.

Further, I call on fellow Rice students to make their voices heard, letting the administration know that associating with this anti-LGBTQ institution is wrong.

At its best Rice is a powerful voice for positive change, and this outcome is most likely when students act in pursuit of equality, justice, and moral courage.

College athletics have normalized homophobia and transphobia for long enough, and we each have a chance to be a part of changing that. The time to act is now.

“BE BOLD,” say the giant signs across campus. It would be nice to think this invitation is about more than just fundraising.

Matthew Sheets WIESS COLLEGE JUNIOR

Have an opinion? Submit your draft to thresher@rice.edu.

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 26, 2022

THE RICE THRESHER

Campus clubs Many extracurricular organizations will be at the virtual Student Activities Fair today.

See more at ricethresher.org

Senior Spotlight: Cynthia Chen talks making the most of an unexpected college experience

ZEISHA BENNETT / THRESHER

“I’ve learned to be grateful for what I have had the chance to do, all the memories I’ve gotten to make here and all the people that I’ve met,” Chen said.

Chen’s Rice experience is a little unorthodox in that she has spent almost 75 percent of her time living off campus.

Even after returning from remote learning, she chose not to live on campus.

She said a big factor in this decision was being able to make her own food.

“One of my best friends lives in the building right next to mine, and so I found my own community outside of campus,” Chen said. “I think that’s a good balance, too: being around people

ELIZA JASANI

FOR THE THRESHER Martel College senior Cynthia Chen grew up envisioning the quintessential college life portrayed in movies and books. Having taken a semester off during her sophomore year and having spent so much time learning from home due to the pandemic, Chen said she almost felt robbed of this experience. But she has learned to accept that her college experience is turning out differently from what she originally expected.

and living a more college student-oriented life here, then getting to go home and be an adult.”

Chen said living off-campus has also allowed her to explore Rice beyond the hedges and has helped her develop a greater appreciation for the city.

“One thing that I have learned about Houston is that it’s a really cool city. It has a lot of really interesting neighborhoods ... like Chinatown,” Chen said. “One thing my friend and I would do last year is we would go to a new restaurant every single Friday ... I’ve learned to appreciate the authenticity of the people and the food.”

According to Chen, her expectations regarding her major also changed during her time in college. She entered Rice as a bioengineering major, but soon switched to computational & applied mathematics.

“I had to take CAAM 210 for bioengineering and ended up liking the class a lot,” she said.

Chen said a linear regression class she took last spring has been her favorite course.

“I have become more interested in machine learning and data science, and I think that class gave me a lot of the foundations that I needed to explore that a little bit more,” Chen said.

The summer after freshman year, Chen had an internship at an oil and gas company.

She said this internship inspired her to pursue a minor in energy and water sustainability, which she learned about from her internship advisor, a Rice alum who also did the minor.

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“That was when I started to explore more topics related to energy from a lot of different perspectives whether it was from a renewable or sustainability perspective or doing research, or working in the private industry. I really like energy, and I think being in Houston gives me a lot of exposure to that.”

Chen said her favorite moments throughout her time at Rice are the times spent studying with her friends.

“A lot of my positive memories are associated with bonding with people by doing work together ... just staying up in the commons on Sundays. We have Martel Mentors [the college’s academic fellows program], where everyone works together,” Chen said. “I get a lot … of satisfaction from working on these assignments or problem sets or projects with people. When we finish, it just feels so good.”

Although Chen has mixed feelings about leaving Rice, she said she is happy with the memories made on the winding path that has led her to her last semester here.

“I am not ready to graduate because I want to have more time on campus and be a student at Rice, and it’s hard to move on from that and accept that it’s not going to be the way that I had expected it to be,” Chen said. “I’ve still had an amazing time exploring the city and meeting new people, and those memories are something I will cherish.”

1 So-so 4 Bear genus 9 Cleveland b-ball team 13 Dance party 14 Prefix relating to the brain 15 Computer scientist Turing 16 Nitrogenous fertilizer compound 17 Flickr alternative 18 Root beer or cola 19 Seismic event 21 Pile 22 Home of a Hamburger 23 Pub offering 25 Tranquil 28 Computer security system 33 Digital invite 34 Marilyn Monroe’s given name 35 The natural order of the universe, according to Laozi 36 ____ and pans 37 Wine stoppers 38 Decomposes 39 Island, in Paris 40 Coalitions during the Cold War 41 Haricots _____ (servery offering) 42 Boeing 747 or Airbus A380 44 Poitier who was the first black winner of Best Actor 45 “Arrival” actress Adams 46 Design detail, for short 47 Scarf (down) 50 They’re turned on when wailing 56 Front yard 57 All together 58 Avatar preceding Korra, and a hint to 19-across, 28-across, 42-across, and 50-across 59 “Night” author Wiesel 60 Second step on a shampoo bottle 61 A gait of a horse 62 Escape the scene 63 Alleviates 64 Unordered list

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1 Surname of acting sisters Kate and Rooney 2 Happily ____ after 3 1989 teen film starring Winona Ryder 4 One of a kind 5 Brother of Romulus 6 1/7 of BTS 7 Ancient city ruled by Gilgamesh 8 Limp limbs after push day 9 Nut variety 10 Soothing succulent 11 Rice maj. with concentration in Film and Photography 12 “Props” at a poetry slam 13 Protagonist of “Euphoria” 20 Set of cards, in poker 24 “No Time to Die” actress Seydoux 25 Old-school photo filter 26 Bacteria used in research 27 Reviewer 28 Energy field wielded by Rey 29 Annoys 30 Decorate 31 Coffehouse order 32 Image compression type 34 Midday 37 Pottery 38 Patriot opponents that were Revere-d?

40 Racial justice movement since 2013, for short 41 Perspective 43 Hometown of Leslie Knope in “Parks and Rec” 44 Shopping binges 46 Hunch 47 Comes in a treble variety 48 Lovett or Duncan 49 Boo-boo 51 Continent of Kurds and the Rohingya 52 Large amounts 53 Scarce 54 Pretzel shape 55 Rank above CPL

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022 • 7

FEATURES FROM FRONT PAGE

SOCIALS COMMITTEES KATHRYN GONZALEZ / THRESHER Duncan College’s socials committee held College Night last semester.

After the current senior class graduates, the number of Rice students who have planned – or even attended – a public will drastically decrease. According to sophomore Peter Townley, many socials committees have concerns about losing crucial knowledge about how to plan and execute a public.

“If there isn’t [a public] this semester, I have no idea how it’s going to work, or how it’s going to come back, or if it’s going to come back at all,” Townley, a member of the socials committee at Jones College, said. “The culture of publics – I think that’s very important. It’s a defining factor of the college experience that I just haven’t had.”

To combat this loss of knowledge, the McMurtry External Socials Committee is trying to improve the documentation of their planning processes in order to preserve institutional knowledge, Solomon said.

“One thing that I’ve been trying to do while working to plan Y2K is to be organized as we’re going – to sort of build something that could be used as a guidebook to planning future publics,” Solomon said.

“We put in a lot of effort combing through all the records and budgets and scraps of things and trying to condense [them] into a more synthesized place where you can see everything.”

According to Solomon, it may be difficult for the culture of publics to survive unless the newer classes get involved – sooner rather than later.

“Working on bringing these things back is definitely a process,” Solomon said. “It’s not just, snap your fingers, plan the event and then it’s back to its former glory. People need to be reminded what the traditions are, and lots of people need to be introduced to the traditions for the first time.”

The importance of publics Socials committees also face the task of preserving the social culture of Rice, as publics have made up an integral part of student social life, according to Bouton.

He said the pandemic can negatively affect cross-college interaction and encounters with new people, which provide an important break from academics.

“Publics are a really good space for meeting new people and reconnecting with acquaintances you have from other colleges,” Bouton said. “It remains to be seen if they’ll be able to come back and be like that again. Changeover documents are going to be really important in terms of having a process written down for people who haven’t done it before.”

According to Townley, lack of crosscollege interaction is already the reality for many students.

“That’s one of the things that has defined my college experience: there hasn’t been much going to other colleges,”

To w n l e y said.

“I haven’t stepped foot in Hanszen [College]. There [are] a bunch of colleges and people at these colleges I’ve just never met, because I’ve had no reason to.”

Solomon said publics’ accessibility to the undergraduate population fostered relationships across campus. He said public parties significantly helped promote inclusivity in Rice’s social culture. “[When we have publics] you don’t get the diffused, scattered gatherings that have happened during [the pandemic and] that are a lot more dependent on who you know, what your friends are doing and what they have access to,” Solomon said. “The public parties at Rice play a bigger role than we might even realize in terms of cascading effects on other parts of Rice social culture.”

College socials in a slightly normal year As socials committees grapple with this new reality, many are planning events as best they can given the current circumstances.

According to Solomon, McMurtry has begun planning for Y2K, McMurtry’s public.

“Our strategy – and lots of other colleges are doing this too – is to start planning it as if it’s going to be a full big public as if in a normal year, and then if we have to cut it down from there based on restrictions or directives, we can do that,” Solomon said.

Duncan College junior Kathryn Gonzalez is one of the three heads of her college’s socials committee. Though COVID-19 limited the committee’s plans, she said they were still able to hold several successful party-like events last semester.

“We were really concerned about losing Duncan traditions, but I think we’ve done a good job of keeping those traditions alive and introducing them to underclassmen,” Gonzalez said. “By the time we hosted those events [College Night and Dunc-step], most of the COVID restrictions had relaxed, so both events looked pretty similar to what they would have been before.”

Sophomore Wafa Mohamed, another head of the Duncan socials committee, said she has been working with her fellow committee members to adjust to constantly shifting plans.

“Before Omicron we were really looking forward to publics coming back this semester,” Mohamed said. “With the recent restrictions, we’ve had to reevaluate and figure out what we want to do – maybe shift towards a Duncan-only event, or limit the size, and maybe even have to do it outdoors.”

Gonzalez said Dunc-step, Duncan’s public party normally held in the fall semester, was one of the Duncan-exclusive events the socials committee hosted last semester in lieu of a public party.

“It was just a fun time to have a whole

lot of Texas decor, cowboy decor, everyone dressed up and their cowboy hats and boots, and flannel,” Gonzalez said. “We [had] a bunch of Duncaroos who’ve taken Country Western Dance classes teach everyone else the different dances to different songs.”

Though it may seem counterintuitive, making Dunc-step exclusive to Duncan College may have actually boosted attendance to the event, according to Gonzalez.

“Dunc-step kinda has a bad rap in the university,” Gonzalez said. “Pre-COVID, it was a completely dry public [and] was twostepping-western themed. It’s known for not having a lot of attendees, but this year, we actually had a really good turnout, probably more than [in] my freshman year when it was still public.”

Gonzalez said she thinks that Dunc-step as a college-exclusive event was much more fun because attendees were with familiar faces.

“People can get a little bit nervous dancing in front of others, so having that close community just having fun and goofing around made it a little less awkward,” Gonzalez said.

The Will Rice College Socials Committee has also considered transforming their public party to a private party, according to Bouton.

“We’ve talked about having Risky Business just for Will Ricers if we’re not allowed to have intercollege publics, just so the underclassmen can get an idea of what it’s supposed to be like,” Bouton said.

“I think it’s important to experience that to keep the culture going.”

Townley has also worked to coordinate events amid the pandemic.

“We’ve essentially tried to get as close as possible to a normal semester. The main difference is less cross-college interaction,” Townley said. “Usually we would’ve hosted a public by October, but we couldn’t do that.

We’re still uncertain if we can do one at all this year.”

Jones freshman Walsh Klineberg competed in the college’s Floor Olympics, a yearlong competition between floors at

Jones, and Freshman Hunger Games, a multiround game between pairs from each floor.

The events cultivated a sense of community, Klineberg said, and allowed him to meet new people within his residential college. “[Freshman Hunger Games] definitely brought my floor [closer] together,” Klineberg said. “There were some people I hadn’t ever spoken to until that point. In terms of community building, it was really fun.”

The opportunity to promote community is what makes being part of the socials committee worthwhile, according to Townley.

“When you’re working on an event and really helped plan it, seeing all the people brought together is very rewarding,” Townley said.

Despite the fears that COVID will have enduring effects on the social culture at Rice, change might not be entirely bad, according to Gonzalez. She said freshmen and sophomores, who aren’t attached to previous ways of doing things, have been offering new ideas.

“Because [Duncan is] such a young college, our traditions aren’t as set in place as the older colleges, and we really emphasize embracing new traditions and bringing new ideas to the table,” Gonzalez said. “It’s interesting to hear what [freshmen and sophomores] have to say and have to offer.”

Gonzalez said she thinks COVID-19 won’t affect social culture long-term if people who attended large cross-college events before the pandemic organize them this school year.

“If we’re not able to host these events for the next couple years, then I think that the student body will change their traditions, make new ones, and maybe lose some of what we’ve had previously,” Gonzalez said.

According to Mohamed, socials committees still have hope for normalcy this semester.

“I know it’s very difficult, and I know that there are so many bigger issues than just not being able to host social events,” Mohamed said. “But I do hope that there is a time where people can.”

8 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022

THE RICE THRESHER

Senior Spotlight: Lydia Wang embraces ephemerality of theatre

COURTESY LYDIA WANG

GRACE XU

FOR THE THRESHER Lydia Wang’s love for acting bloomed when she was first introduced to Shakespeare in elementary school, and the Bard has inspired them ever since. She will be graduating this fall with a double major in visual and dramatic arts and mathematics and hopes to continue pursuing theatre in the future, where they can continue to bring characters to life through her own voice.

Wang, a Jones College senior, said that the magnetism of Shakespeare has drawn them into theatre from the start of their acting experience until now; in addition to performing their school productions, she also attended Shakespeare-centered summer camps for several years in high school and has always enjoyed acting in Shakespeare plays.

“The first time I ever acted was in fourth grade. I had a wonderful teacher who introduced us to Shakespeare in a very approachable way,” Wang said. “I am a real Shakespeare nerd at heart. It’s not like I only do Shakespeare, but Shakespeare really drew me in because of how timeless those stories are. Even though they were written 400 or some years ago, they still resonate with a modern audience. You’re not meant to just read it on the page. You’re meant to say it aloud, breathe the words.”

“Much Ado About Nothing” is one of Wang’s favorite Shakespearean comedies.

Her high school production of the play cemented her love for acting, and, now

Wang entered Rice as a VADA and computer science double major, although she eventually replaced computer science with math. They said that while computer science has some overlap with theatre — such as with the program she wrote in high school — math has significantly less, so they will most likely have to choose between the two after graduation.

“I really don’t want to give up theatre entirely. If I were to go into a job that uses my math degree, I still want to participate in theatre in some shape or form,” Wang said.

“The more I think about it, the more I think I may end up going towards theatre for my life because I know that I love it… It’s one of the big constant loves of my life. For math, [my love] waxes and wanes, but theatre, I know I love. ” Wang enjoys acting specifically as a form of creative expression because even for shows such as Shakespeare’s that “have been done hundreds, thousands of times,” she is able to filter the art through their own experience.

“I think it’s really interesting to find words on a page that were written by someone else and still make them your own,” Wang said. “As somebody who’s been raised as a woman, women were not allowed to be actors back then, so it obviously will be different when I am performing as Beatrice compared to some actor in Shakespeare’s time who had to shave his beard and put on women’s clothing and go and perform Beatrice.”

Wang said that the explorations coming full circle, she will play Beatrice in of themes such as womanhood in the Wiess Tabletop production of the show. Shakespeare’s works resonate differently “Beatrice is one of the best characters for them than they do for the characters in Shakespeare. Honestly, she’s got such that she portrays.

“Those lines about being a woman zest,” Wang said. “She deeply and fiercely cares about the people that she cares about are going to be different for me, as and is such an interesting character. She’s somebody who is somewhat unsure of her womanhood,” Wang said. “That’s why one of my dream roles.”

In high school, Wang became heavily I’m going by she/they right now — I’m not invested in theatre and wrote her own so sure, whereas this character is pretty damn sure. [Acting] c o m p u t e r is filtering all these program that things through me.” helps actors learn Wang said, their lines.

As somebody who’s been in the end, she “ Us u a l ly, finds theatre to you need to just raised as a woman, women be a “magical” sit down with were not allowed to be experience because another person actors back then, so it it requires so who can have many individuals the script in their obviously will be different working behind hands as you say when I am performing as the scenes and in aloud the lines, Beatrice compared to some tandem to create an and they tell you if actor in Shakespeare’s impermanent piece you get something of art. wrong,” Wang time who had to shave his “It is something said. “I was in beard and put on women’s that performs for two high school, clothing and go and weeks, and then it’s and all the other perform Beatrice. gone. You take down principles were the set, you put cool seniors. I was Lydia Wang away the costumes, like, ‘Oh God, I JONES COLLEGE SENIOR and it’s not there don’t want to ask them to run my lines with me.’ So then I anymore,” Wang said. “That’s sad, but it’s did the absolute nerdiest thing possible. beautiful because you put forward this one I’m going to run a program [which] runs my presentation, you hope that people see it lines with me. I still use it now to memorize and that they’ll remember it. That’s all you can do. You just hope.” my lines if I can.”

New Year, new hobbies to explore SARA DAVIDSON

STAFF WRITER

As we end the first month of 2022, it’s never too late to pick up new hobbies and learn new habits to set yourself up for success for the rest of the year (and maybe longer). With everything from little habits to fun new hobbies, here are some things to try that embody the “new year, new you” motto.

Make a vision board While this first one might sound stereotypical, a vision board can be a fun and creative way to kickstart figuring out what else you might want to do for the year. It can feature anything from places to travel to academic or physical goals or mottos to be reminded of. Make online boards using platforms like Canva, Pinterest and Piktochart, or create physical ones with a posterboard and old magazines (maybe even old Thresher articles).

Needlework This hobby teaches a variety of techniques, and regardless of the initial goal, each project can provide fun crafts and tangible products. Embroidery, for example, uses fun colors to spice up clothes and tote bags, or simply to make pretty designs as decor. Everything is possible, from simple flowers to monograms and cute phrases. This hobby produces fun outcomes from extra decor to new clothes, and even has plenty of beginner-friendly tutorials on YouTube.

Journaling As the semester flies by, writing down the best memories or even everyday events can help remind us of goals reached, new things tried, or fun nights with friends.

Type journal entries online, or use a simple notebook and pen. There are even websites with journaling prompts if writing down what comes to mind seems dull or difficult. Beginning or ending the day by reflecting can be a great way to stay positive and keep memories intact, and is fun to look back on later.

Read more online at ricethresher.org.

WEEKLY SCENES AND SCREENS –

KTRU COZY SHOW

PRIDE OPEN MIC

“SOUNDWAVES”

KTRU is hosting their annual Cozy Show this Friday, Jan. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Valhalla courtyard. Attend to listen to Washed Up Rookie and DA/ ZE and take advantage of the free hot chocolate and cookies.

Rice PRIDE is hosting their first open mic night Thursday, Jan. 27 from 8 to 10 p.m. in Ray’s Courtyard. Join Rice PRIDE in celebrating “queer art in all forms,” and for those interested in signing up to perform ahead of time there is a Google form to fill out.

The new Moody exhibit “Soundwaves: Experimental Strategies in Art + Music” has its student opening Friday, Jan. 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Moody Center for the Arts. The first 50 attendees will receive free boba tea, and the event will have free food, drinks and music provided by KTRU.

ASTR* LAUNCH Just before the “Soundwaves” student opening, attend the launch of ASTR* Magazine’s new issue Saturday, Jan. 29 from 4 to 6 p.m. for the launch of their fourth issue “SPACE.” There will be free donuts and a plaster-casting workshop.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022 • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Celebrate Lunar New Year in Houston

“Soundwaves” opening at Moody JULIA LI

SENIOR WRITER

ANDREA GOMEZ / THRESHER

MORGAN GAGE

A&E EDITOR

With the Lunar New Year approaching on Feb. 1, celebrations are happening in Houston to ring in new beginnings and the Year of the Tiger. The Lunar New Year is the beginning of the lunar calendar and is commonly referred to as the Chinese New Year, but is actually celebrated by several countries and cultures globally.

With celebrations happening both virtually and in person, there are plenty of opportunities to commemorate the new year across the Houston area.

Lunar New Year Houston Celebrate the Year of the Tiger on Feb. 5 and 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Viet Hoa Center in Houston. Public performances begin at 11 a.m. each day with the performance schedule available on their website. Lunar New Year Houston will feature music, dance, martial arts presentations and more.

Lunar New Year Food Festival For over 30 food vendors with the Otaku Food Festival, visit 8th Wonder Brewery on Jan. 29 and 30 from 12 to 10 p.m. Vendors will offer cuisine from Laos, Mexico, Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and more. There will be a lineup of brews as well as live music.

Texas Lunar Festival For a virtual option, watch the 25th Annual Texas Lunar Festival on Jan. 29 at 10:30 a.m. on Southern News TV’s app, Facebook or Youtube page. The festival is typically attended by thousands of people in Texas but will be available more broadly since the event is entirely virtual amid the current COVID-19 spike.

Lunar New Year 2022 at Asia Society Texas Join Asia Society Texas on Feb. 5 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate the Lunar New Year with performances, food and beverages for sale, and vendors at the event and activities. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required and can be done on their website. Performances by Huaxing Arts Group Houston are ticketed and cost $10 for non-members.

Lunar New Year at River Oaks District Make the trip to the River Oaks District to celebrate the Lunar New Year on Feb. 12 from 3 to 5 p.m. with Soaring Phoenix presenting a Dragon Dance performance that includes acrobats, stilt walkers and traditional costumes. Soaring Phoenix uses their resources to support organizations serving underserved communities and orphanages in Vietnam.

The Moody Center for the Arts is hosting their latest exhibition, “Soundwaves: Experimental Strategies in Art + Music,” to celebrate the history of artistic and musical experimentation, paying homage to visual and performing artists that blend the two together into a melting pot of visual and sonic elements.

This exhibition incorporates the experimental strategies in art and music to illustrate the threads that connect these two seemingly disparate mediums together. The exhibit tackles an array of themes, including perception, memory, passage of time, relationships between technology and the environment and the struggle for social change.

Alison Weaver, the executive director of the Moody Center, said that the exhibit is particularly meaningful this year.

“The exhibit was inspired by the fifth anniversary of the Moody Center for the Arts and the 10th anniversary of the Turrell Skyspace, the first [Skyspace] in the world to feature an embedded speaker system,” Weaver said. “As we celebrate this anniversary year, our hope is that the experimental spirit inspired by the Skyspace will continue to resonate through the next decade of arts at Rice.”

The exhibit features many artists including Nevin Aladağ, Raven Chacon, Jamal Cyrus, Spencer Finch, Idris Khan, Christine Sun Kim, Trevor Paglen, Anri Sala and Jorinde Voigt, among others. The works showcase experiential, sensory responses with undetermined outcomes; Nevin Aladağ’s “Body Instruments,” Jason Moran’s “gestural paintings,” and

Naama Tsabar’s “Transition series” focus on the visceral body of the person who creates, performs and experiences such sensory responses.

The exhibition will be accompanied by performances in the galleries and in the blackbox theater located in the Moody Center.

“We’re looking forward to a season of programs and performances in collaboration with Rice faculty and Shepherd School of Music students, as well as visiting artists and musicians,” Weaver said. “The first is Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. led by conductor Jerry Hou of the Shepherd School, and the second [is] on Apr. 14 by visiting Navajo artist Raven Chacon.”

Two improvisational performances featuring students will be also included in the student-only opening on Jan. 28.

“We’re planning on having free boba tea for the first 50 students attending as a treat to open the new semester,” Marc Armena, the co-chair of the Moody Student Collaborative that is hosting the student opening, said.

Because of the exhibition’s focus, The Moody Student Collaborative is reversing the flow of inspiration of art from music by launching “The Soundwaves Playlist.”

“We launched an open call for suggestions on our Instagram page.

There’ll be six posts, each featuring a different piece from the exhibition where students can comment music suggestions,” Armena said. “Each post is another way to increase their chances to win a $25 Coffeehouse gift card. The finished playlist will be featured by the KTRU DJ at the opening where the winner will be announced.”

COURTESY SARAH MORRIS AND PETZEL, NEW YORK

Review: ‘You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays’

COURTESY HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHING

HUGO GERBICH-PAIS

FOR THE THRESHER

In “You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays,” Zora Neale Hurston powerfully establishes the immense contributions of Black culture and defends its worth. The collection, with an introduction by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Genevieve West, was released on Jan. 18, nearly 60 years after her death. It features essays that have never been published

before, as well as several essays that are being reprinted for the first time.

It has been a privilege to read Hurston’s prose. In her more narrative essays like “High John De Conquer” and “The Last Slave Ship,” she uses elaborate extended metaphor and vivid storytelling to explore the hideousness of slavery. In “How It Feels To Be Coloured Me” her work is stark and clear as she explores Blackness. She writes that she

“feel[s] most coloured when I am thrown against a sharp white background.” In “Bits of Harlem,” the opening essay of the collection, Hurston captures the infectious energy of the Harlem she knew, reflecting it in her writing style by incorporating sections of verse and song in her prose.

Coursing throughout the work is Hurston’s frustration and anger at the racist and demeaning way America has treated Black culture. Hurston artfully expresses herself in each of these essays, showing a command of the English language that few can rival. The collection’s title comes from an essay of the same name, which was published for the first time in the collection. The essay asserts the value of Black creativity, most notably through the use of a wellcrafted extended metaphor that would be at home in the Odyssey. It also explores the hideous legacy of slavery. She writes, “Two hundred and forty-six years of outward submission during slavery time got folks to thinking of us as creatures of tasks alone … when in fact the conflict between what we wanted to do and what we were forced to do intensified our inner life instead of destroying it.”

The collection has immense breadth, ensuring that everyone can find

essays that appeal to them. Many are incredibly informative — reviews of important books, commentary on the trial of Ruby McCollum, explorations of Black spirituality and critiques of the NAACP — while some are more narrative. Even these essays served a purpose — Hurston, through the act of recounting fundamental aspects of the Black experience, ensures that they are not forgotten. These essays wage a battle against the continued erasure of Black culture in this country.

The only complaint that I have regarding the collection is that many essays would be most appreciated if the reader already had prior knowledge on the subject matter. Furthermore, while Hurston’s very readable writing style ensures that this book can be read in one sitting, it would be best experienced if read gradually. There is no need to read them in order, so prospective readers should choose specific essays that appeal to them in the moment.

In “You Don’t Know Us Negroes and Other Essays,” Hurston asks us to recognize and appreciate the contribution of Black people to the nation’s culture. Her work itself demonstrates her point well — her essays are an important contribution to this country and its literary tradition.

10 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022

FROM FRONT PAGE

VICTOR LOPEZ

“I was in love with sports and I was in love with music so I was not sure where I would go in life,” Lopez said. “Should I continue with my sports life or should I go to a school of music and become a musician?”

In his last year of high school, a track and field coach came to his school in search of athletes who could potentially compete at the next level. Lopez started training with this coach and the results showed as Lopez went on to win sprint events and relays. Lopez said that turning into a great athlete was not only rewarding, but fun.

“I loved to run and when I was winning as a young kid, it gave me a lot of confidence and happiness in my life,” Lopez said.

During his final year Lopez was a junior national champion in Puerto Rico and earned interest from multiple universities from the mainland U.S. In the end, Lopez decided to go to the University of Houston, and in 1964, he enrolled as a student athlete. Although it was an exciting time, Lopez said that coming to the U.S. was still challenging.

“It was a shock to me because although I spoke English, when I got to the [United States], it was still difficult to adjust … to a different culture and a different language,” Lopez said.

Throughout college, Lopez competed as a Cougar as well as for the Puerto Rican national team. But his career was put on pause in 1967, when Lopez was drafted to the U.S. army during the Vietnam War. Following his service, he returned to Houston to finish his degree and use his final year of eligibility.

Following graduation, Lopez was a teacher in the Houston Independent School District for a few years before he got a call from a small college in Caguas, the University of Turabo, asking if he would be interested in the Athletic Director position. According to Lopez, he started the program from the ground up, and built up a winning culture in a short period of time.

“There was nothing there at all,” Lopez said. “No office, no equipment, no facilities. I had to start everything from scratch. I was there for six years and we won many championships in the university league. I was also the head track coach … and we had many athletes that made the national team.”

In 1979, Lopez returned to the US and the University of Houston to pursue his Ph.D. At the time, Lopez said he was looking for a part time job and at the same time, Rice University was looking for a head track and field coach to start its women’s program. When he heard about the position, Lopez said he was very surprised.

“When I first heard about the job from a friend, I was like, Rice University, you must be kidding,” Lopez said. “It was a shock to me but I accepted the job.”

Upon accepting the position, Lopez became the first coach of the women’s cross country and track & field programs.

At the same time, Lopez was able to complete his Ph.D. at Rice as a graduate student while working as a track head coach. That year, the inaugural team had a total of six athletes, and according to Lopez, many thought that the program would not succeed. “[When] we started a women’s track program … we had recruited six athletes,” Lopez said. “I took the job and started training that team. People told me those girls can’t even run. From that team, three of those girls became Division II national champions.”

Over his 35 year tenure, Lopez led the

THE RICE THRESHER

Owls to four Western Athletic Conference outdoor track titles, three WAC indoor track championships, one Southwest Conference cross country title, and two WAC cross country titles. During three of the years, the team won all three track championships, indoor, outdoor and cross country which according to Lopez is an extremely difficult feat.

Rica,” Lopez said. “There were many great athletes … Regina [Cavanaugh] won six NCAA championships in the shot put. In other words, she only lost one championship in her four years when she competed for Rice… Now she is a medical doctor and a director of a children’s hospital. She was a fantastic athlete and great student.”

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Former Rice women’s track and field head coach Victor Lopez coaches his team on the track. Lopez was inducted into the Texas Track & Field Hall of Fame earlier this month.

Although Rice track enjoyed lots of Over his 35 years as the Owls head coach, Lopez worked with numerous success, there were plenty of roadblocks athletes who would go on to win and difficulties to overcome according conference and national awards. Under to Lopez. Early in his tenure, Lopez said that it was hard his coaching, 58 to garner support athletes combined for the brand new to win 176 NCAA team.

Division I or One of the parents “The toughest Association for donated a van so we could challenge was Intercollegiate go to track meets. I used [getting] no Athletics for support,” Lopez Women Division to be a driver and we piled said. “One of the II all-America all the athletes in the van parents donated honors. On top of to go compete. a van so we could the success on the go to track meets. I track, Lopez said Victor Lopez used to be a driver he was equally FORMER RICE T&F, XC HEAD COACH and we piled all the happy with how his athletes succeeded in life outside of athletes in the van to go compete.”

Additionally, Lopez said that recruiting athletics.

“I coached and produced 11 athletes athletes was difficult in the beginning that went to be part of Olympic teams in because of the high academic standards the U.S., Jamaica, Barbados [and] Costa that Rice looks for in its applicants.

“Recruiting was not easy at Rice because of the academic requirements,” Lopez said. “There was a myth that was spread that you’re not going to find any academic athletes because athletes don’t like to study … but I proved them wrong.”

Lopez’s athletes continued to excel in the track and the classroom over the years. Even with the numerous team championships and individual victories that his athletes won, Lopez said that looking back, the most important accomplishment was the academic success that his athletes had in the classroom.

“When I retired, they talked about all of my achievements in the athletic field,” Lopez said. “My proudest moment at Rice was having 100 percent of my girls graduate. We were probably one of the few with a 100 percent graduation rate.

And [today], lots of them are in great positions in life like doctors, lawyers, others in finances and others coaches.”

After the 2005 season, Lopez retired as the Rice track and field coach. Upon retirement, Rice re-named the annual Rice University Bayou Classic track meet, which Lopez started in 1981 and at the time was the largest all-female track meet in Texas, the “Victor Lopez Classic.”

He was also inducted to the Rice Hall of Fame and had scholarships named after him and his wife, Evelyn.

As a tribute to the success in the coaching field, Lopez has been bestowed with numerous awards and honors, including eight different hall of fame inductions, including the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Texas Track and Field Hall of fame, and the Aguas Bueanas and Puerto Rico Sports Hall of Fame. Lopez said that although he is incredibly grateful for the awards and accolades, he cherishes his time at Rice the most.

“I consider Rice my second home,” Lopez said. “Just coming to campus every day at 7 a.m., it was like going to a [place of magic]. Inside the Rice campus, you felt like you were nurturing the development of young people through education and through sport.”

Outside of the city of Houston, Lopéz has been involved in athletics all over the world. In the 1990s, he helped train Michael Jordan during his three-peat as an NBA champion as a strength and conditioning consultant. In 2004, he returned to Puerto Rico to coach their track team during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece and now works as a consultant with the national team that brought home its first track and field gold medal during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Lopez said that he was also in contact with Jasmine CamachoQuinn before she won gold and set the Olympic record in the 100-meter hurdles in Tokyo.

Today, Lopez has since retired from the numerous chairman and presidency positions for track organizations and is now helping to organize a large professional track and field event, the Ponce Grand Prix. According to Lopez, the meet is one of the largest in Central America and the Caribbean and will feature numerous world champions and Olympic athletes.

Even in his retirement, Lopez expressed his gratitude for his time at Rice, and also for the alumni and supporters. He said that he will always cherish the family connections he created.

“I treated my athletes like my daughters or my own children,” Lopez said. “I was very strict but I listened to them, I cared for them. It was like a family.”

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022 • 11

SPORTS

Swimming gets conference win against UNT on Senior Day REED MYERS

cold and nobody would be here and we’d be celebrating seniors basically The Owls beat the University of North with our team and their team. [But] there Texas last Saturday in their dual meet 175- were a fair number of spectators here 119, to secure their first win of the season. and we had some parents show up, so it In addition to the competition at the Gibbs ended up being much better than I was Recreation and Wellness Center, the Owls envisioning.”

Saturday marked the Owls’ third home celebrated their seven seniors during their senior day festivities. According to senior meet of the year. According to CanoMarta Cano-Minarro, the meet is always Minarro, she and her team were excited an emotional one, but it was different for another opportunity to race at home.

“It is always great to have home meets,” this time as she was one of the swimmers Cano-Minarro said. being honored.

“In other seasons, “[Senior Day] we’ve only had like always gets really one or two. This emotional,” CanoWe have two more meets season, I think it is Minarro said. “You our third and it’s need to find the to go before conference ... been really exciting balance between It’s kind of a bittersweet to see everyone in getting emotional feeling [for the seniors] the stands. It warms and being aware that you still have because we love swimming your heart a little bit, even on this cold to race a lot, but here but we are also ready day, it [is] special.” it’s always nice to to give our max in our last The Owls have the energy year. combined score here in the last Marta Cano-Minarro of 175 points came home meet.” from 13 golds, six The weather SENIOR SWIMMER silvers, and seven was not shaping up to be ideal swim weather, as a cold and bronzes. Of those 13 golds, 10 were gloomy day loomed. However, according secured by a group of five Owls who won to coach Seth Huston, the weather turned multiple events. Freshmen Arielle Hayon out to be wonderful for the meet, leading and Amelia Kane secured two golds to a more enjoyable senior day than he apiece. Junior Lauren McDougall added golds in the 200 and 500 freestyle, junior was initially expecting.

“The weather turned out great for Zoe Spitz took both backstroke golds and us for senior day,” Huston said. “I was Cano-Minarro went out on top in the 100 really worried it was going to be really Free and 200 Fly. According to Huston, he SENIOR WRITER

RECAP

was pleased with the Owls’ performances in the water, especially considering the recent circumstances his team have faced.

“I was happy with how we swam today,” Huston said. “Knowing where we’re at and how we’ve been training and knowing what we’re going through, we’re not really looking for lifetime bests and stuff like that. I’m looking for the details, are they getting in and out of the walls quick, are they being aggressive coming home and staying in the fight and things like that and those are the things I feel like we are doing well.”

The Owls will look to build upon this momentum as they head into their final meets before the Conference USA

Championships. According to CanoMinarro, these final competitions present mixed feelings for her and her fellow senior swimmers.

“We have two more meets to go before conference,” Cano-Minarro said. “We are really excited to finish our dual meets, to start preparing for conference and I think me and all the seniors are really excited to finish the season. It’s kind of bittersweet feeling because we love swimming here but we are also ready to give our max in our last year.”

The Owls will now travel to San Antonio where they will take on the University of Incarnate Word and Texas Christian University on Friday at 5:00 pm.

WBB falls to Charlotte in their longest-ever game

the Owls went on a run in the second quarter, to even the game at 23 going into SPORTS EDITOR halftime. The 49ers pulled back ahead in The Rice women’s basketball team the third, but Rice leveled the score, and played the longest game in program the game went into overtime tied at 59.

In a slow first overtime period, Rice history on Saturday, falling to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte took a two point lead with just over two in four overtimes. With Rice holding a minutes remaining. Neither team scored lead in the final seconds of each of the again until Charlotte’s Octavia Jettfirst two overtime periods, the 49ers hit Wilson, the Conference USA Preseason game-tying shots to keep the game alive. Player of the Year, beat the buzzer with a The deadlock was finally broken in the game-tying layup. Rice was seconds away closing minutes of the fourth overtime, from winning in the next overtime period as the 49ers pulled away to an 88-83 win, as well, but Jett-Wilson once again hit dropping the Owls to 0-5 in conference a late shot to level, this time with three play. According to head coach Lindsay seconds remaining. According to Fisher, Edmonds, even though the Owls didn’t get each time the game got extended, the the win, they impressed her throughout team tried to muster up enough energy to make it to the final buzzer. the game with their grit and resolve.

“Each one of us wanted this really bad “I’m so unbelievably proud of my and [wanted to] get team,” Edmonds that first win under said. “I know we our belts,” Fisher didn’t get the win said. “We were but they showed constantly saying ultimate heart and I honestly didn’t feel as ‘five more minutes,’ toughness for 60 tired as I was because of ‘one more minute.’” minutes against the adrenaline and the The third a very good and motivation I had to win, overtime was the veteran team.” highest scoring, If the eight- but the day after was with the team period game tough to handle. combining for 22 wasn’t straining points, but neither enough for the Malia Fisher team could hit a Owls, they played FRESHMAN FORWARD shot after Rice tied all 60 minutes with a roster of just eight players due to a it with 41 seconds remaining, and the slew of injuries. Redshirt freshman guard game headed to a fourth extra period.

Maya Bokunewicz played 58 minutes, According to Fisher, as the game wore on, while junior guard Haylee Swayze one- the stakes got higher for the Owls.

“Everything was heightened in this upped her with 59 minutes and freshman forward Malia Fisher played the whole game,” Fisher said. “The competition, hour, but according to Fisher, the fatigue the stakes, the motivation. We wanted this one.” never set in.

With the game tied at 81 halfway “That was the longest game I have been a part of,” Fisher said. “It started through the final period, the 49ers went like a typical game, but the end always on a 4-0 run to finally put some distance comes down to a mental battle. I honestly between the two teams, and they hung on didn’t feel as tired as I was because of for a five-point win. According to Fisher, the adrenaline and the motivation I had while it would have been rewarding to to win, but the day after was tough to get the win, she knows the team gave it everything they had against a team that’s handle.”

Rice fell behind early as Charlotte got currently undefeated in their conference out to a 16-7 lead in the first quarter. But schedule.

DANIEL SCHRAGER

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS The seniors on the Rice swim team pose for a picture during their Senior Day ceremony. In addition to the festivities, the Owls topped North Texas by a score of 175-119.

“It would have felt amazing to know that our efforts [had] been rewarded,” Fisher said. “But at the same time I know every one of us put forth our all. We played for each other and took a top ranked team to four overtimes.”

Jett-Wilson led all scorers with 36 points, while Rice sophomore forward Ashlee Austin nearly matched her with 30. However, the game was largely a defensive battle, with both teams shooting under 40 percent from the field. According to Edmonds, there was a lot to like about the team’s performance.

“There is so much we can take away from this game and while I really wanted this win for the players, we have nothing to hang our heads about,” Edmonds said.

According to Fisher, Rice’s bench also played a big role in the game. Due to heavy snow in the area, most fans were unable to make the game, allowing Rice to feed off of the energy from their bench. Fisher said that this made the team feel as though they had an extra player.

“[It seemed like] we had more than eight players,” Fisher said. “The energy from the bench and the communication that came from them gave us an extra player. Without that energy, I don’t think we would have gone as hard as we did.”

While the Owls are still searching for their first C-USA win, each loss this season has been by a lower margin than the previous one. According to Fisher, this game, their closest of the conference season, showed the progress that they’re making in the first year of Edmonds’ tenure.

“There is a lot of growth and a lot of positives that come from this game,” Fisher said. “Charlotte wasn’t expecting us to come in how we did. This game shows everyone that Rice can compete and we aren’t going to lie down without a fight.”

The Owls will once again look for their first conference win when they host Louisiana Tech University on Thursday at 7:00 p.m.

COURTESY CHARLOTTE ATHLETICS Sophomore forward India Bellamy takes on a defender during Rice’s recent game against UNC Charlotte. The Owls took the 49ers to four overtimes before falling 88-83.

12 • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022

BACKPAGE

According to a recent poll administered by the Student Association, 81 percent of Rice undergraduates agree that Sammy the Owl is “not sexy at all” or “only a little sexy.” In response to these disappointing numbers, SA has drafted and passed a resolution to update the Rice mascot.

Last redesigned in 2006, the current design features an unflattering jersey outfit, concealing all of Sammy’s natural curves. Along with the absence of bling-bling and those ghastly below-the-knee shorts, the only word to describe this Sammy is boring.

Illustration by Ndidi Nwosu

Rice has since hired an elite team of unpaid art interns who are working around the clock on Sammy’s makeover. Inspired by research under the #acl hashtag on Instagram, the artists have completely upgraded the mascot’s closet. The preliminary draft (see above) includes a bright crop top and 4” short shorts leaving little to the imagination.

New accessories range from a variety of jewelry to high heels and glasses, which the interns stated were also inspired by “the hot M&M.” He is also set to begin making appearances at Baker 13 sporting nothing but his stylish new bucket hat.

Since the redesign, the Office of Admission has projected a 58 percent increase in applications and a skyrocket to No. 8 in the U.S. World and News Report’s 2023 ranking of Best National Universities. Similarly, the Rice Parent to Parent Network Facebook group has also witnessed a 266 percent increase in activity.

“Rice will not be satisfied until Sammy is deeply appealing and totally androgynous until you couldn’t resist having a drink with him,” an anonymous provost said. “That’s the goal. When you’re totally turned on, we’ve won.”

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.