Sarah Bartos LOVETT COLLEGE JUNIOR
JADEN DHALIWAL, RICE ATHLETICS
COURTESY
At least they might be the answer to a trivia question someday. The Rice football team lost their opener to No. 14 University of Southern California on Saturday by a score of 66-14. But if new Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley leads the fallen powerhouse back to its former heights as is widely expected, maybe some lucky fan ten years from now will win a round of shots for the table by remembering that his first opponent was the Owls. Despite the lopsided final score, 33-point underdog Rice kept the game close for the better part of the first half. However, an injury to redshirt junior quarterback Wiley Green, along with a slew of interceptions that USC returned for touchdowns, ensured that the Owls wouldn’t come close to spoiling Riley’s debut. After the game, head coach Mike Bloomgren said he was surprised at how quickly the game got out of hand. “That did not go the way we thought it would or the way we wanted it to,” Bloomgren said. “I thought we started the game off fighting them back and forth, making some good plays in there. Obviously they’re an explosive offense … I guess they’re going to do that to a lot of people.”Ledby a potential Heisman Trophy contender in quarterback Caleb Williams, a prized transfer whom Riley brought with him from the University of Oklahoma, the Trojans took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in seven plays, highlighted by a 43-yard third down completion, to score the game’s first touchdown. Rice responded, putting the 60,000 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on notice with a 16play drive that nearly took up the entire rest of the first quarter. Twice facing third and long, Green found redshirt junior wide receiver Luke McCaffrey, playing his first game since switching positions from quarterback, to keep the drive alive. McCaffrey’s third catch of the drive set the Owls up with a first and goal at the USC seven yardline, but the Trojans held their ground, tackling McCaffrey inches shy of the goal line three plays later to force a fourth down. Bloomgren gambled on his offense, and redshirt junior running back Ari Broussard punched in the tying score from one yard out. The next drive, the Owl defense managed to force a third and long but Williams hit receiver Kyron Hudson on a crossing route for 29 yards to extend the drive, and running back Austin Jones found the endzone three plays later. Rice quickly found themselves facing a third down on their next possession, but a pass interference penalty on Green’s incompletion to redshirt senior wide receiver Bradley Rozner was overturned on review, forcing Rice’s first punt of the game. The Trojans capitalized and in just four plays they had doubled their lead. Redshirt senior running back Cameron Montgomery nearly cut the lead back to seven on the first play of the next drive, when he gashed the Trojan defense on a run up the middle for 55 yards. A sevenyard Montgomery run brought the Owls to the USC 13-yard line, but an incompletion and one-yard run forced a fourth-andtwo. Bloomgren again gambled, but this time it had a very different result. Green rolled left off of a play-fake and had McCaffrey wide open in the flat for the first down, but the ball bounced off of the yardsCalenhandsreceiver’squarterback-turned-handsandintotheofUSCdefensivebackBullock,whoreturnedit93forthescore. to 10
Running back Ari Broussard scores a touchdown against USC on Saturday. Despite Broussard’s two touchdowns, the Owls fell 66-14 to the Trojans.
new dining policies DANIEL SCHRAGER SPORTS EDITOR SEE FOOTBALL PAGE
The SA Resolution to Structurally Address Disordered Eating was introduced by Sarah Bartos, Skye Fredericks and Morike Ayodeji, who were all SA senators at the time. The resolution calls for H&D to provide food outside of servery hours and to provide moremealflexibleplanoptions for students with underlying foodrelatedAccordingissues.to David McDonald, senior director of H&D, the additional meal period is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. “The fourth meal period is designed to accommodate students that will have difficulty eating during the scheduled lunch hours due to class conflicts or otherwise would like to eat another meal or have snack items for later,” McDonald wrote in a statement.Bartos,a Lovett College junior and current SA secretary, said that while she applauds H&D for the work involved in providing food for campus, she feels that the requirement for students to swipe for more plates after the first entry is contrary to the goals of the resolution. “Part of the way that they’re branding [the new policy] is to say that it addresses [the SA resolution] when it really doesn’t,” Bartos said. “I think that’s great [for H&D] to try to work with student leadership and say that they support the things that we did, but I feel like it’s also important to listen to the students and the reasons behind making that.” When she received the announcement during the summer, Bartos said that she was initially excited to see that the meal plan was altered, but that changed when she realized the details of the new plan. “[As] someone who wrote the resolution, [the changes to the meal plan] made me really sad because I don’t want to be the reason that some people can’t go back into the servery,” Bartos said. “For a while, I felt a lot of guilt about it.”
[As] someone who wrote the resolution, [the changes to the meal plan] made me really sad because I don’t want to be the reason that some people can’t go back into the servery. For a while, I felt a lot of guilt about it.
VOLUME 107, ISSUE NO. 3 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022
Editor’s note: A student interviewed was given the option of remaining anonymous in the interest of keeping their experiences private. The anonymous student was given a false name, which has been marked with an asterix on first mention. Starting this semester, Rice Housing and Dining implemented significant changes to their dining policies, including an additional meal period, additional 25 meal swipes for the full meal plan and a required additional swipe for any entree plates after the first entry, without any changes to the price of the meal plan beyond what was previously budgeted for the 2022-2023 academic year. These changes were cited as being in response to the Student ResolutionAssociationtoStructurally Address Disordered Eating Patterns in the Rice Community. However, differing opinions exist about whether the changes address the concerns that prompted them.
Pick 66: Tipped passes, turnovers and tackling woes doom Owls in opener against No. 14 USC Students discuss adjusting
KATHERINE HUI / THRESHER
MORGAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEFGAGE
SEE MEAL PLAN PAGE 4
“Paris is a wonderful urban environment [and a] very international city where Rice already has a number of mature programs,” Levander said. “So there were a lot of reasons why it made sense to think about expanding our existing academic programs.” According to Levander, the initiative was bolstered by President Reginald DesRoches’ commitment to furthering Rice’s international reach. DesRoches said that a Paris campus will provide faculty with opportunities to further research and scholarship collaborations with European colleagues, and support teaching across all disciplines during the academic year and summer.“The Rice Global Paris Center builds on Rice’s presence in Paris, which started 20 years ago with the Rice Architecture Paris Center,” DesRoches said. “We want to expand our presence in Paris so that we can increase our research and scholarly impact, expand our international visibility and grow Rice’s reputation as a top-notch researchLevanderuniversity.”estimates that the building will be ready for use in about five months, once it is officially approved for public use in accordance with France’s planning regulations.Thenew center will also provide study abroad opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students from all fields of study, according to Levander.
“For Rice students — undergraduates in particular, but graduate students as well — [next] summer semester is the one to look out for because I would hope and anticipate we’ll have a number of Rice summer school courses available in our Paris campus,” Levander said.
The center will be housed in the Hôtel de la Faye, an hôtel particulier or grand townhouse first built in the early sixteenth century.
Peter Rodriguez, the dean of Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business, said he plans to leverage the new property by increasingly hosting courses in Paris for the MBA program’s global learning opportunity, which has already hosted courses in other locations around the world. “For us at the business school, it’s an opportunity to gain business experience through Rice-owned property,” Rodriguez said. “We require that every MBA student complete the Global Field Experience, where they work on company problems abroad for courses that focus on consulting needs or local projects.”
New Rice Global Paris Center houses university’s first satellite campus COURTESY CAROLINE LEVANDER FORDESIGNTHE THRESHER paid illustrator or page designer positions open, applications due Friday, Sept. 9 APPLY AT linktr.ee/thresher
The building has six classroom spaces with varying levels of capacity, accommodating around 125 students in total. Levander said that the establishment will function as a smaller Rice campus in the heart of Paris, and that its central location in the Marais district sets Rice apart from peer institutions.
2 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 THE RICE THRESHER
Rice is opening its first international campus in Paris, which aims to be fully operational midway through next spring semester. The Rice Global Paris Center will be Rice’s hub in Europe, expanding education and research opportunities for students and faculty alike and facilitating strategic collaborations with global partners. The center will be housed in the Hôtel de la Faye, an hôtel particulier or grand townhouse first built in the early sixteenth century, according to the opening ceremony brochure. The building, currently unoccupied, was also the site for the center’s launch ceremony June 29. Caroline Levander, Rice’s vice president for global and digital strategy, said the university’s existing footholds in Paris made the city an attractive location.
MICHELLE GACHELIN A&E EDITOR
“At our opening, the mayor of Paris Centre, Ariel Weil, thanked Rice University for bringing the university back into the center of the city,” Levander said. “I think that is something that we are very proud that we’re doing. So many Parisian universities are gradually developing space on the periphery of the city — I think we are very different in that we are bringing students right into the center of Paris life.” Brian Bishara, who had the opportunity to attend the launch ceremony as part of the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen’s International Summer Experience in Engineering Design Paris summer internship cohort, said that he was impressed by the new“Thebuilding.new place is amazing, compared to what it was. I think they have the only vineyard in Paris, and that alone is so cool. They also have a well [and] multiple stories, and it’s also in the heart of Paris in a really great location,” Bishara, a Lovett College sophomore, said. “Unfortunately not all of it was open for us to check out, but what we were able to see was a huge step up.”
Talia Levy, a French Studies minor who participated in the Rice in France program this past summer, said she is interested to see the scope of the center’s research offerings. “Especially as someone both with a French background and also pursuing STEM research, I’d be interested to see if the use of the campus [would overlap with] something like the [Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication] and the Rice in France program, or if it would be exclusively graduate research or research specifically in the biomedical field,” Levy, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, said. Levander urges interested students to contact her by email with any input about the center. “This is a big experiment for Rice — we want it to be successful,” Levander said. “Our students are really smart and innovative. We’re at this wonderful moment of wanting our community to be creative with us, and students are a crucial part of our communities, so ideas are welcome. Nothing’s off limits right now.” Rodriguez echoed Levander’s statement, saying that the center offers new“We’repossibilities.stilltrying to figure out what we can do there,” Rodriguez said. “I think you’ll see lots of efforts made to offer courses, short experiences or faculty conferences. It’s wide open at this point, but it’s a great opportunity to try new things.”
COURTESY CAROLINE LEVANDER
Paul Padley, vice president for IT and chief information officer, said that the iO project is a redesign of many of the business processes that the university uses, and that any change that significant is going to have problems along the way. Many improvements to the system have been implemented since its introduction last year, according to Padley. “It’s a process of continuous improvement and adjustment ... That’s the way modern software works,” Padley wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Just like your phone receives regular updates and new capabilities, the software behind [iO] is being continuously updated with new and improved features.”
David Messmer, director of the First Year Writing Program at Rice, said that iO issues persist for graduate students who become Rice employees. In general, however, Messmer said he believes the iO situation is in a better place than a year ago, but it still has a long way to go. “One of the things that I know we’ve encountered is, when people make the transition from graduate students into an employee, there have been a lot of [issues] that we’ve run into [including] having trouble getting benefits, getting pay and losing access to the library,” Messmer said. “It seems like the system doesn’t quite understand the idea of the same individual taking on a completely different role.” Tax headaches Escobar said that the iO system also gravely complicated things such as filing for taxes for graduate students in fellowships.“Alotofthe students don’t get coded in the [iO] system as employees. Rather, they get quoted as contractors, which means that their taxes aren’t taken out from their paycheck, and they are given different tax brackets depending on what they make,” Escobar said. “Before iO, the distinction didn’t really matter because Rice already took off the taxes for any graduate student who was getting paid.” According to Escobar, the confusion around taxes was especially difficult for some of the international students.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 • 3NEWS
“I think just looking at that does not solve the bigger issue,” Shin said. “I wish there was a more direct iO point of contact for everyone in general, especially for [student-run businesses], because our needs are so specific.”
Student-run businesses, organizations, graduate students and faculty are among those who continue to experience ongoing struggles with Rice’s transition to ImagineOne, a payment system that replaced Banner last year. In a system rollout that former president David Leebron described as “terrible” at faculty senate last October, iO caused many issues such as delayed payments, inaccessibility to grant money and inability to track spending and funds.
“Having hundreds of people have access to [iO] and not really have the tools they need to fully utilize that in a yearround position makes it very difficult for [iO] to be effective,” Shin said.
BONNIE MANAGINGZHAOEDITOR
“In a corporation, there’s a very clear hierarchy, and everyone’s an employee,” Messmer said. “And so the idea that people hold multiple roles, and in those roles things are very fluid, is something not baked into the design. So they’re having to kind of figure that out on the fly.”Shin, on the other hand, said that she thinks iO would have worked better for a school that doesn’t have that many students and employees in charge of the financial and personnel back ends.
Alilonu, Coffeehouse’s current finance manager, said that many things relating to the operations of recognize[sometimes]theinapproval,facultywe’rethroughcertaingettransitionbyneedbusinessesstudent-runnowtobeapprovedstaffsincethetoiO.“It’stoughtoapprovalforthingsiObecausestudents,andwhodothatwhoworkpayrollandonfinanceside,don’tusasadults
“Whenever we talk about purchasing, or reimbursements or any sort of getting materials for our research, it’s been pretty complicated,” Escobar said. “From my standpoint, it seems like the administration wasn’t even aware that students seemed to have those permissions [before iO].”
Escobar said that even though many graduate students have found roundabout ways to get access to these permissions, the iO system makes their jobs more complicated and frustrating than before. “The selling point [for iO] was that it was supposed to make things better,” Escobar said. “But now, if in my department, someone makes a purchase, we have to fill out a PDF sheet that contains all the items that we’re going to hold, the item that we’re going to order, the catalog number, any specific details. Then we send a screenshot of the cost of the item in a cart, and then send that to our purchasing department, so that they go ahead and fulfill the iO cart and submission process.”
“It can take a while for access to be provided, as the institution, understandably, needs to ensure people only have access to what is needed,” Lindsay said. “However, this can cause a delay in managers being able to access needed information, tools, etc. I give a lot of credit to our [student-run businesses] for their patience and willingness to adapt.” Grad students’ gripes Mario Escobar, a Ph.D. candidate from the biosciences department, said that there are also increased restrictions for graduate students due to the iO system.
Having hundreds of people have access to [iO] and not really have the tools they need to fully utilize that in a year-round position makes it very difficult for [iO] to be effective.
Chaös at Chaüs Jinhee Shin, the general manager of Rice Coffeehouse, said that the transition to iO last year was a very difficult process. “There were a huge host of problems that came with [iO],” Shin, who worked as Coffeehouse’s finance manager last year, said. “I could not see the budget and how much money was going in and out of our account, and I didn’t know how to do credit card deposits or cash deposits properly because the spreadsheet for that was different from what I had been used to. The way we do interdepartmental transfers was also really hard … I felt like I was relearning my Shin,job.” a Martel College senior, said many problems continued all throughout her term as finance manager and are still ongoing today. For example, Coffeehouse is still without a fully accurate budget tracker, sheChidimmasaid.
“Because, on top of handling immigration, you now have the risk of ‘well, if I’m not being considered an employee, and I’m being considered a contractor,’ that in a lot of students’ minds was a violation of visa requirements,”
Jinhee Shin RICE COFFEEHOUSE GENERAL MANAGER
and entities that should be getting approval for things,” Alilonu, a Wiess College senior, said. “It’s understandable, I would say … but it makes things take a lot longer, and it just impacts ourAccordingbusiness.”to Alilonu, there are many other iO-related issues that Coffeehouse still faces, including their finance dashboard being so outdated that their monthly credit card sales do not show up in the system until up to two months later. “That’s problematic because it doesn’t allow us to do proper accounting on our end,” Alilonu said. “My advisor told me to set up a 30-minute call with someone, and they helped me make it more streamlined for Coffeehouse’s needs … But it still doesn’t really fix the issue.” Shin said that one concern that did get improved last year is employees can now adjust their own time sheets. However, Shin believes it was only a very minor problem among more urgent issues.
A year later, struggles with ImagineOne persist
“I understand you have a new system, it messes some things up,” Messmer said. “[But] what happened a little bit too much was a kind of, ‘Well, we’ll fix it and you’ll get paid the next paycheck,’ which … could be two weeks or more. So I think that the important thing is to have a system in place to deal with as you are working on fixing all those problems, having something in place to work around the system if that’s what needs to happen.”Messmer said that he believes iO has all the markings of a system that was not designed with the university in mind, but rather something much more corporate.
Shin said that for the past year, Caitlin Lindsay, associate director for student-run businesses, helped her reach out to the people she needed to contact. “[Lindsay] was super helpful … but I also think that the [administration] should have done a better job reaching out to us,” Shin said. “I definitely felt like we were not getting the support we needed at that time … If we have someone that we can [directly] point our problems to, it would be very helpful because I feel like I’m always just directed to many piecesbothinteractionmanagers’runandcarddashboardtorequiringwoulddepartmentssaiddepartments.”differentLindsaythatfewseestudentsaccessthefinancialortimeapproval,student-businesswithoftheseaddsalayer of complexity to their work.
Escobar said. “It brought a lot of confusion and panic to [international] students.” Escobar said that there have been a lot of voices from the graduate students asking for more support. Unfortunately, a lot of the responsibility was left either to the department level or to the individual level, and there wasn’t any action towards individualized help. “Some departments were able to help with guidance for their students on what to do and how to process these new payments, but other departments weren’t able to do that,” Escoar said. “It’s such a big undertaking for us individual students to get professional help [for taxing]. To my knowledge, there wasn’t any sort of event or any sort of aid in that aspect.” The institutional problem According to Messmer, what should have been better last year from the very beginning was figuring out how to have workarounds when the system does fail.
4 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 NEWS
Verma said RUPD was eventually able to catch the individual and retrive the bike.
Ken Chen, a sophomore from Hanszen College, who experienced a bike theft in 2021, said he had concerns about the bike registration system. “It was only after I lost my bike that I knew we needed to contact RUPD to register our bike first,” Chen said. “Even if I did know about it, I might not know where to register.” In general, Rodriguez recommended students contact RUPD if they see something suspicious.
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Gabby Franklin SA PRESIDENT
“If I ever needed [to be swiped into the servery] … people have been really nice about swiping in,” Cruz said. At times, Cruz said that other students have given him the second plate available when they swiped into the servery. “Because apparently you get two plates … for one swipe, [other students] just give you the extra plate and kind of carry on our day there,” Cruz said. “Admittedly, it makes it a bit kind of embarrassing having to ask [to be swiped into the servery], but [the system]H&Dworks.”alsoclarified that, to combat fraud, students can no longer swipe into serveries when they forget their student ID by giving their identification numbers. According to McDonald, this is the result of stricter adherence to requiring students to swipe their ID for entrance, which has always been the official policy. While some students have requested extensions to dinner hours, McDonald said that extending servery hours later into the evening or night presents staffing concerns. However, H&D is still looking at options for additional servery hours, he said. “[Extending dinner] is a little bit more difficult to resolve,” McDonald said.
“The best thing is to be a good witness, to call RUPD, get a good description of clothing, height, weight … also make note of which travel direction they go,” Rodriguez said. In light of these thefts, Rodriguez said students should lock their bikes properly, secure the bikes in areas that have more people passing by, and register their bikes with RUPD. Rodriguez also said that RUPD would publish a video on their website that discusses the best ways to secure bikes.“Because there are just so many bikes spread out on campus, it’s difficult for us to secure every bike. Therefore, we try to educate as much as we can,” Rodriguez said. “People should make sure that they lock their bikes correctly, putting their U-shape lock around the frame and the back wheel, having the lock facing down to make it harder for others to pick it. You can also add a second lock, like a reinforced chain lock that can secure your front wheels around with the frame.” thefts continue to plague campus, but remain below 2019 levels NDIDI NWOSU THRESHER [Housing & Dining has] done their best to provide consistent food throughout the day [and] provide extra meals for students not only on campus, but off campus [students] who rely on their friends to get regular meals.
LIN THRESHERLU STAFF
(Editor’s note: Cali Liu is the Thresher’s assistant photo editor) “On moving-in day, I walked by [the] Duncan bike rack, the place I parked my bike, and just saw a wheel of my bike plus the [Rice University Police Department]recommended U-shape lock. I saw that someone left the rest of my bike up further,” Liu said. “I completely understand why they might choose move-in day just because people would move stuff in and out and no one would notice.”Shikhar Verma, a junior from Duncan College, said he witnessed a bike theft in late August outside of Duncan.
Bike
“There’s a couple of things going on there. The first part of this is that not all of our staff drive. They use public transportation, when Houston transportation turns off at 10 o’clock, and nine o’clock in some cases … It becomes kind of a safety [concern] for folks to be walking home at night.” Franklin said that she encourages students to be patient as campus adjusts to the new meal plan. “Please know that you should give the plan as much grace as possible,” Franklin said. “It’s been implemented this year. It will be in place for at least four to seven years … There’s a lot of questions, and if everyone could give it a chance, read through all the documentation and ask questions to their representatives. That would be wonderful.”
“When I came back for dinner, I saw a guy entering Duncan from a far corner,” Verma said. “ I noticed that he was going towards the bike rack, and he started pulling on [the bikes]. Accidentally, one of the bikes was left unlocked. He got on it and started riding off.”
Rodriguez said. “So there has been an increase in [bike thefts].” Rodriguez said that the highest number of bike thefts have occurred near Duncan College and Will Rice College.“Both Will Rice and Duncan have reported five bike thefts between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31,” Rodriguez said. “After Will Rice and Duncan, Lovett College has reported four bike thefts this year.” Cali Liu, a sophomore from Duncan College, had her bike stolen early on in the semester. She said that along with hers, she noticed six other bikes were disassembled with parts missing.
According to Bartos, the core of the SA resolution was additional flexibility in dining options. She said that while the additional meal period helps with that goal, she doesn’t believe the changes overall are in service of that and said that this is only the beginning of working towards necessary changes. “Get involved with your college government as well as the Student Association to try to fix [issues related to disordered eating],” Bartos said. “I think this is just a first step. It might not be a step completely in the right direction, but I think it shows that they’re willing to makeAccordingchanges. to McDonald, only the addition of a fourth meal period was meant to directly address the resolution. Other changes to dining policies were made to financially accommodate for the fourth meal“Withperiod.disordered eating, it is very complex, and there’s lots of layers on it,” McDonald said. “It’s really difficult for us to accommodate every possible criteria involved in disordered eating, so the one we were focusing on the most is the one where students want to eat multiple times during theAccordingday.” to McDonald, H&D does not claim to completely address the SA resolution.“We’renot claiming that we can just solve disordered eating ... but we’re trying to chip away at it little by little in response to the SA Resolution,” McDonald said. “We agree with [the resolution], but it’s very difficult when you’re looking at an international population, lots of different restrictions and dietary needs and serving 10,000 meals a day. A one-size-fits-all can be a very difficult model, but we tried to do that.” Charlie Mendes, a Brown College senior, said that he and his friends have struggled with under or overeating because of the changes to the swipe system. “I’ve had lunch every day this week, and I’ve either left [the meal] too hungry or having to throw out a bunch of food because … I didn’t gauge my hunger well enough,” MendesEllen*,said.a Martel College junior who struggles with disordered eating, said that the changes to the meal swipe system has exacerbated her struggles with disordered eating.“Ithink one misconception that a lot of people have about eating disorders is that it’s like a weight loss thing … but it really is a control thing. So anything that mitigates my feeling that I have control over my body strugglesEllenandremaineatingphysicalthatnewsaid.behaviors,”[disorderedexacerbateseating]Ellen“Ithinkthemealplandidabit.”Duetotheeffectsofdisordersthatthroughoutafterrecovery,saidthatshewithdigestive and health issues. To mitigate that, she said that in the past she would get small quantities of several foods before returning into the servery for an additional plate once she tested how she would react to those foods. “I can’t really do that anymore. What I do instead is I kind of get the variety but large quantities. I think that that’s a huge waste because that’s more food than I want to eat,” Ellen said. “So I either throw it out and feel guilty about that afterward, which is never good for eating disorder behaviors, or I eat all of it and then feel guilty because I ate all of it. Then I’ll usually just skip a couple of meals … I feel like it encourages a binging and then restrictive cycle.” Ellen said that confusion about how the system works has also made this more difficult. However, she said that she supports “Munch,” the additional meal period added this semester, which she said makes it easier for students with conflicts either during lunch or dinner periods to get food.In an attempt to clarify confusion, McDonald said that while students have to swipe into the servery to receive additional entree plates, after their initial swipe they can return for smaller plates as well as drinks. SA President Gabby Franklin said that the new plan does the best it can to provide better options to students while balancing other concerns such as inflation and the supply“Therechain.are a lot of factors at play here … They’ve done their best to provide consistent food throughout the day [and] provide extra meals for students not only on campus, but off campus [students] who rely on their friends to get regular meals,” Franklin, a junior at Brown, said. “On top of that they’ve done their best to preserve and increase the number of [food] options available.”Charlie Cruz, a McMurtry College sophomore who lives off campus, said that he has utilized the new swipe system’s ability to be swiped into the servery by other students, especially with the ability to use swipes that they didn’t utilize for breakfast or other meals.
Rice University has seen a rising amount of bike theft on campus since the start of this year, according to Clemente Rodriguez, the chief of police and director of public safety. Rodriguez said 36 bike thefts were reported so far this year, the highest number since 44 were reported in 2019. “I think what we are seeing is, as more students are back on campus … postpandemic, there is more opportunity for people to steal bikes on campus because there are more people on campus,”
FROM FRONT PAGE MEAL PLAN
Over the summer, Rice Housing & Dining announced significant changes to the dining schedule and meal plan that went into effect at the start of the semester. The most notable change was the addition of a new meal time, affectionately known as “munch.” The other adjustment implemented the following change: “Re-entry to ANY servery requires a student to swipe to receive up to two entree plates again.” First, we want to commend H&D for attempting to address an SA resolution passed last semester that called for “more flexible meal plan options.” Further, the implementation of this new meal period without causing an additional raise in meal plan price is greatly appreciated. But just a few short weeks into the semester, confusion around the new meal swipe and servery entry policies has overshadowed the improvements made to the meal plan overall. Confusion began in the first week of classes, when most students understood the policy to mean that they could only receive one plate per swipe. Admittedly, that confusion could’ve been clarified by simply reading the H&D FAQ page. But then, during the second week of classes, college presidents attempted to clarify by saying, technically, students could retrieve their second plate from the cashier after exiting the servery and eating their initial meal. Students began to follow that guidance, but H&D cashiers seemed unaware of this policy in some instances, and confusion ensued. Originally, we had planned to write this week’s editorial promoting our solution to the allocation of plates while regulating who can access the servery. We spoke to students, college presidents and staff, but it was only after speaking to David McDonald, the senior director of Rice housing and dining, that the policy becameAccordingclear. to McDonald, students can reenter the servery as many times as they’d like for drinks and portions in smaller plates and bowls that are available throughout the servery. The only line that seems to explain that policy in the FAQ states “the swipe and plate(s) is the ticket to entry and once you have that it is all you care to eat.” We’re used to reading and interpreting campus policies, and we cannot connect that FAQ statement to the policy as McDonald explained it to us. We believe that the specifics of the meal swipe and servery entry policies were not made remotely clear. Students don’t know, college presidents don’t know and, by many accounts, H&D cashiers also do not fully understand these policies.
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Fizz will fizzle out eventually, but what remains must be a commitment to building a positive and accepting campus. In the aftermath of a pandemic, one of the loneliest periods of recent human history, we should spend less time anonymously toeing the line between what is shareable and what is not and instead devote our energy, online and off, to supporting and caring for what comprises the wonderful and inspiring core of this community: each other.
Shortly after arriving at Rice for the fall semester, I noticed a piece of purple paper peeking out beneath my room’s door frame. “An app just for Rice Students!” announced the cardstock. The ad was for Fizz, a social media app launched by two Stanford University students my equal in age at their university just one year ago. Wary but curious, I downloaded the app. It was, in a word, unpleasant. Users of social media like Twitter and Reddit have come to accept the daily buzz of thoughts that probably should have stayed thoughts, questionable quips and the general chatter that together lay the foundation of the short-form internet. But Fizz is different. Fizz is right next to us. The closeness of Fizz is what gives the app its gravity; it’s also the reason our community needs to detach itself from it. The draw of an app like Fizz, and there have been many before it, is that it is built like a digital pub. Each university is a unique sociocultural petri dish; Fizz exploits this by requiring users to sign up with their university email address while, critically, keeping its users anonymous. In theory, the system ensures the safety of an online community by sheltering Fizz users from bad actors outside their university’s borders while simultaneously encouraging a free and open discourse within them. But what it means in practice is that posts that rate the attractiveness of women at Rice on a sliding scale or comments like “I definitely expected this app to have more nudes and dark secrets” may have been sent out from a phone on the other side of your classroom. Maybe even beside you. There is a troubling darkness to this version of college – internet reality. Fizz’s proximity and familiarity, combined with its promised anonymity, breeds a new kind of toxic potential in cyberspace. Hyperfocused bullying, harassment, public ridicule and social ostracization represent just a fraction of the possible fallout from an app explicitly tailored to the follies of young adults in the loosely moderated forum-in-miniature. I recognize that by writing this article, I will become a target of that type of vitriol. As aforementioned, Fizz is not the first app of its kind. In fact, it’s not even the first to capture the attention of Rice students. In the last decade, dozens of apps have been built and launched by debatably wellintentioned, enterprising college students with a knack for code. All of them have attempted to make a centralized platform to socialize – masquerade-ball style – in the digital milieu. Almost all have died off shortly thereafter in the wake of hatespeech or harassment scandals. Facebook, being one of the first, seems to have been the singular exception to the rule. Fizz, however, has a layer of polish that similar apps have not perfected: competition. There is a leaderboard to aspire to: students with the most upvotes are ranked by popularity. Social media “karma” isn’t new, but Fizz’s exact model of competition is, and it’s wildly effective. The interface is simple but intentional. The purple and white color scheme snags our tap-Instagram-reflex while Fizz’s bold sansserif font choice gives the app an energy that borrows more from Slack or Monday. com than subreddits or the Twitterverse. Taken together, Fizz has its addictive dial cranked to the maximum. Generation Z and, increasingly, Generation Alpha, are the first humans to be fully embedded within the still-emerging social media landscape. For better or worse, TikTok fame, double taps and daily BeReals have become intrinsic parts of our shared and disparate identities. What we should not and cannot allow is the debasing of our closest communities. As it concerns Rice, we must strive to promote a healthy campus discourse, resisting the temptation to hollow out and diminish our generally open, progressive, embracing and friendly culture by exposing Rice’s repressed underbelly. We have to leave alone our cynical and disingenuous impulses in the pursuit of a Rice common culture that is built on respect, inclusivity, diversity, both intellectual and personal, and compassion.
Riley Barker HANSZEN COLLEGE JUNIOR
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 • 5THE RICE THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF * Indicates Editorial Board member Ben Baker-Katz* Editor-in-Chief Morgan Gage* Editor-in-Chief Bonnie Zhao* Managing Editor NEWS Hajera Naveed* Editor Maria Morkas Asst. Editor Keegan Leibrock Asst. Editor OPINION Nayeli Shad* Editor FEATURES Riya Misra* Editor Nithya Shenoy Asst. Editor ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Michelle Gachelin* Editor SPORTS Daniel Schrager* Editor Pavithr Goli Asst. Editor SPECIAL PROJECTS Prayag Gordy* Editor BACKPAGE Timmy Mansfield Editor Ndidi Nwosu Editor Andrew Kim Editor COPY Jonathan Cheng Editor Annika Bhananker Editor PHOTO, VIDEO, & WEB Katherine Hui Photo Editor Cali Liu Asst. Photo Editor Jasmine Liou Video Editor Camille Kao Asst. Video Editor Eli Johns-Krull Asst. Video Editor Brandon Chen* Web Editor DESIGN & ILLUSTRATION Robert Heeter Art & Design Director Anna Chung News Siddhi Narayan Opinion Katherine Chui Features Ivana Hsyung Arts & Entertainment Robert Heeter Sports Lauren Yu Backpage BUSINESS Edelawit Negash Business Manager Ariana Moshiri Social Media Jazmine Castillo Distribution ABOUT 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.
The fact that it took a direct conversation with the senior director of housing and dining to clarify the servery entry policy is disappointing, to say the least. The policy, as it has been explained to us, is quite reasonable. But we call on David McDonald and H&D to send a campus-wide email clarifying the policy once and for all. Editor in chief Morgan Gage recused herself from this editorial due to her reporting on the corresponding story in our news section.
Phone: (713) 348 - 4801 Email: thresher@rice.edu Website: www.ricethresher.org
OPINION
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The new meal plan policy needs to be clarified
Fizz’s proximity and familiarity, combined with its promised anonymity, breeds a new kind of toxic potential in cyberspace.
Shadows of anonymity: Fizz should fizzle out
GUEST OPINON
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“I like to be in new environments when I study, so sometimes I’ll go out and find a coffee shop that seems cool,” Harrison said. “Campesino Coffee House is a good one. Black Hole Coffee House is also a good one.”
Outside of books, Houston also boasts an expansive thrift scene, according to Ryann Tudor, a Wiess College junior. Tudor says that Houston’s thrift shops can often encompass many different aesthetics and brands. “I feel like the thrifting throughout Houston is very dependent on what area [you’re in],” Tudor said. “Montrose is where you’re going to find the curated, 30 dollar t-shirts. Other places probably have truer vintage stuff you’d find at your grandma’sCombeshouse.”saidhe tries to seek out thrift stores that are more affordable than Montrose’s special vintage selections. “Once we realized that maybe the Montrose area wasn’t the best for thrifting, we started to go even further, to different Goodwills and Family Thrifts,” CombesJoachimsaid.said they seconded Combes’ sentiment about seeking out thrift stores further“Myaway.favorite store is Family Thrift, because we found one that has a different price each day,” Joachim said. “It’s more of a cheap thrifting vibe ... and I think that’s wonderful.”
Off campus spots to visit with your next METRO ride RIYA FEATURESMISRAEDITOR KATHERINE HUI / THRESHER People lounge and work on the first floor of Agora.
Spotlight:
Nature Harrison, a self-professed outdoorsy person, said she also enjoys venturing into Houston’s parks. “When I came to Rice, I knew I was going to be sacrificing a bit of immediate access to a forest right next to me,” Harrison said. “But I love the parks in Houston. It’s literally right across the street, but Hermann Park is great. I love Memorial Park too, my friends and I will go running there sometimes.” Kai Cowin, a Hanszen College sophomore, said he likes to visit Hines Waterwall Park, a circular man-made waterfall in Uptown Houston. “It’s a cool place to just chill out. You can meet your family there,” Cowin said. Outside of the nature that Houston has to offer, Harrison also said she frequents Momentum, an indoor rock climbing gym, with the Rice Climbing Club. “[Momentum is] cool because we get to interact with people in the Greater Houston community who are also climbers and get to engage in something that we all really enjoy,” Harrison said.
“It has tons of different international food options that are more difficult to get here,” Joachim said. “And, both POST and Phoenicia Market are very easily METROable.”Erin Harrison, a Baker College senior, said she appreciates Houston coffee shops as a way to simultaneously explore new areas, while also being productive.
Senior Hunter just tries to have a decent time really good, I feel like my is to
6 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 THE RICE THRESHER
Food & Coffee
empathetic people who exist.
job
lot of my time in high school trying to get better at debate and trying to find synonyms for ‘therefore’ and the right ways to make people listen to you.” It wasn’t until later that Brown said he realized the toxicity of the debate world, where he said people were often objectified and belittled. The insincerity he experienced made him shrink away from the debate world after a few years, Brown said. “There were a lot of times when I felt like people saw me as an object,” Brown said. “People would politic and network and it always felt like [their] compliments were insincere. I felt like a lot of the people I was around were sociopaths and it just felt so inhuman and unnatural.” Brown said his background in debate has provided him insight into how not to operate within leadership roles. Many of the people he engaged with during his time in debate, according to Brown, were templates for the kind of person — and ultimately, president— that he wanted to avoid becoming. “Debate has given me a lot of exposure to what not to do as president,” Brown said. “I feel like one thing I’ve recognized is that we force ourselves to be so formal ... and I don’t think that’s how you reach people. I think you just have to be genuine. Recognize that you don’t need to pretend to be somebody that you’re not, you don’t need to see other people as objects. You just have to be clear with your motivations and your intentions.” Outside of his time at Rice, Brown says he lives off-campus this year, where his responsibilities as president don’t necessarily transfer over. “I operate like a savage, like some kind of caveman. I [have] nothing in the fridge currently belonging to me,” Brown said. “In the pantry, there is a jar. Not even of peanut butter — of peanut butter powder. There are three boxes of cereal in that pantry. And that’s what gets me through the day ... I don’t fuck with milk, Indeed,personally.”ashispenchant for dry Special K Protein cereal may suggest, Brown says he appreciates simplicity in his life and hobbies. “We make life so complex. I don’t think it needs to be that complex,” Brown said. “I think really at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to have a decent time.” And a decent time, he has. Despite his presidency, Brown says he is willing to hand off much of his job’s credit to the coworkers and peers who surround him. “A lot of really talented people make [stuff] happen,” Brown said. “I highlight those people and give them advice. But a lot of times, I feel like more of an advisor or a counselor rather than the guy that’s doing things. There are really good, empathetic people who exist. I feel like my job is to empower those people.” Keeping in line with his sentiments as college president, Brown said he wants to use his degree after graduation to continue empowering people. “People who don’t have those support circles, people who can’t afford to pay rent, people where college was never even an idea ... that kind of massive disadvantage exists,” Brown said. “So I think, more than anything else, I just want to find a way to help equalize that playing field. I want other people to have the chance to fuck up, because I have had a lot of Nearingopportunities.”theend of his time in college, Brown said he reflects on his time at Rice and offers up advice to both his peers and the larger Rice community as a whole. “What I’ve learned, especially at Rice, is that nobody gives a shit,” Brown said. “So don’t be afraid to look stupid. Just have a good time. Pad thai, melodica and a good fucking time. That’s all I need to tell Rice.”
For some of the best dining options that Houston has to offer, Evan Joachim, a Brown College sophomore, said they recommend POST Houston. POST Houston is an old post office that has been transformed into one of Houston’s cultural hubs, equipped with a marketplace, workspaces, a music hall and a sweeping rooftop view, according to POST’s website. “One reason that I came to Houston was because of the diversity in food,” Joachim said. “POST is a great example of where you can try a bunch of different cuisines in one place.” Joachim said they also enjoy visiting Phoenicia Specialty Foods, a Mediterranean marketplace, for a similarly diverse culinary experience.
Shopping Riley Combes, a sophomore at Brown, said he has visited a number of bookstores across Houston that are perfect for any English majors, or simply students looking to pick up a new read. “I’ve been to Kaboom Books, which is just outside of Montrose. [It is] a huge bookstore; they must have almost 100,000 books in there,” Combes said. “I’ve also been to Brazos Bookstores, which is in Montrose.And,for a better bargain, Combes said he recommends Half Price Books, which offers older books at a cheaper price.
empower those people. Hunter Brown MCMURTRY COLLEGE SENIOR RIYA FEATURESMISRAEDITOR
HUNTERCOURTESYBROWN Hunter Brown holds up the anCollegeMcMurtryflagduringO-Weekevent. There are
Hunter Brown lives for three things: pad thai, melodica and a “good fucking time.” “Have you ever seen a piano that you blow into? That’s the melodica,” Brown, a McMurtry College senior, said. “It truly is the Swiss Army knife of musical instruments. And I’m going to say, it’s my favorite pastime. I can spend an hour just blowing intoWhenthat.” he’s not dreaming about the melodica or working as the president of McMurtry, Brown said he majors in political science and social policy analysis. A speech and debate kid since middle school, Brown said practicing debate placed him on a trajectory towards his majors. “I’m studying political science and social policy analysis because I wanted to make a difference,” Brown said. “And also, largely because of my speech and
At any given time throughout the night, you’d be hard-pressed to find available seating at Agora. A Greek marketplacethemed cafe situated in Montrose, Agora is open until 2 a.m. Its coffee, eccentric interior decorations and late hours attract hosts of Rice students looking for an enjoyable spot to spend time outside of the campusAgorahedges.isoneof Houston’s many studentfriendly attractions. The Thresher talked to Rice students and rounded up some of Houston’s best offerings, from restaurants to parks to shops, that encourage students to venture out into the greater Houston area.
awesome,”“CaptivatingaccompaniesthegrewBrownargumentativeallbackground,debateitwastheonlythingthatIfeltlikewasonthattrackthatwegetputon.”Aself-professedchild,saidhequicklytoappreciateconfidencethatspeechandpeoplewasjustBrownsaid.“SoIspenta
Brown
CROSSWORDKOLLIWRITER
When the Betty and Jacob Friedman Holistic Garden moved last semester from behind the Moody Center to behind the Gibbs Recreation Center, it provided an opportunity for more cross-campus connection with the space. Joe Novak, the garden’s director, said he noticed an uptick in the amount of visitors in the Holistic Garden since May. “I’m excited about the fact that we’re so much closer to the campus’ academic core and where the students’ colleges are, instead of being hidden in the secret over there by the Media Center,” Novak said. “We will also be included in campus tours and in various campus events because we’re now so much closer.”
Urban nature is such an important thing, and I’m glad that more people have access to this haven.
“I really love urban agriculture being accessible,” Rhatigan said. “I don’t think it’s something people think about as an option for better food supply and more joy. Urban nature is such an important thing, and I’m glad that more people have access to thisNovakhaven.”said that he wants to continue having more students use the garden. In order to increase its visibility, the garden is working towards hosting at least one large campus-wide event every semester. “We’re hoping to do something big with Owl Together in the fall, much as we do something big with Earth Day in the spring,” Novak said. “We’d love to get students into the garden, learning to cook fresh Rhatiganproduce.”said that the garden’s previous location had many plants that have not been added to their new location.
COLLEGE
“It’s just a really beautiful opportunity to talk about the importance of biodiversity and how our local climate has changed and the importance of native plants,” Rhatigan said. Novak said that the garden hasn’t completely settled in yet, since there are still more things to replant and modify. For instance, the garden staff want to add educational exhibits around the garden, such as one on the life of an urban tree.
Hagan said that, although she is excited for the garden’s future, she is nostalgic for the development of their old location. “It’s gonna take years to get this site looking mature enough, so I do miss that,” Hagan said. “It’s a lot of work right now, but it’s also an opportunity to do things better.”
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 • 7FEATURES
ACROSS DOWN Amid a move, a second start for Rice’s Holistic Garden ZOE SENIORKATZWRITER
According to Jade Hagan, the garden manager, the garden wants to start taking advantage of its convenient new location. For example, the garden is partnering with the Wellbeing Center to start Wellbeing Wednesdays, a time for Rice students to de-stress in the garden, which will begin Sept.“The14. idea [for Wellbeing Wednesdays] is to raise awareness of the mental and physical health benefits of gardening,” Hagan said. “The more people that know about the garden and that are using it, the better for us, because we’re here for the students.”Inaddition to a collaboration with the Wellbeing Center, Hagan said the garden is also working on developing a Lifetime Physical Activity Program with the Rec Center. According to Hagan, the LPAP would focus on gardening and physical wellbeing in nature. “We want students and faculty and people who are interested in this [LPAP],”
She said she is looking forward to the replanting of the native pollinator garden.
Hagan said. “People who might be, you know, not the gym type, but want to get some physical activity; gardening might fill that gap for them.” The garden also wants to host summer workshops on topics ranging from general gardening advice to gardenbeensophomore,atotherapy,horticulturalaccordingNovak.KatRhatigan,BakerCollegehasastudentworkerfor nearly a year. Rhatigan said that she is glad that there is more awareness about the benefits of gardening in the Houston area.
JAYAKER
Kat Rhatigan BAKER SOPHOMORE
ZEISHA BENNETT / THRESHER Kat Rhatigan looks after crops at Rice’s Holistic Garden.
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The Houston Center for Contemporary Craft is kicking off their new series of seasonal craft markets this Saturday, Sept. 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Shop crafts and goods from a selection of local artists and vendors. Fall Craft Market Archway Gallery, a local artistowned gallery, is presenting “Found & Made,” a collection of sculptures from Damon Thomas. The artist will be present at the opening reception to speak about his work. ‘Found & Made’
Kanisha Feliciano RICE ALUMNA
Read more online at ricethresher.org. Now that school is officially in full force, students have been hitting the books. However, there are plenty of literary worlds waiting to be discovered beyond the rigid spines of our Organic Chemistry textbooks.
ANNE RUBSAMEN FOR THE THRESHER
ELI THRESHERMENDOZASTAFF
This summer, Rice alumna Kanisha Feliciano graced the storied Broadway stage, performing as the first Latina and second Black woman to play the leading role of Christine Daae in Broadway’s longest-running musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera.” Feliciano said that the experience was a dream come true. “My performance as Christine was surreal,” Feliciano said. “I grew up watching her, and now I was on stage, in the costumes. I was very much aware that I was in the act of achieving a childhood dream.” Before her Broadway success, Feliciano was working towards a different future as an opera singer. After earning her undergraduate degree from Westminster Choir College, Feliciano gained a Master of Arts in music from the University of Houston, where she landed several prominent roles in operas performed at the Moores School of Music.“They have four operas a year; I got two principal roles my first year and three principal roles my second year,” Feliciano said. In auditions for one of her roles, Feliciano questioned whether her racial identity would undermine her chances of being cast because the character, a historical figure, was white. When she did win the role, Feliciano’s confidence was“Iboosted.thinkthat was a good lesson on which spaces you belong in, and, as a performer of color, I feel so many times that I walk into a room and maybe, I’m not wanted or I’m viewed as not qualified enough,” Feliciano said. “That was the first instance where I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I can do this.’” After her masters, Feliciano earned an artists diploma from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice, where she reunited with Professor Nova Thomas, the voice coach she was paired with during her freshman year at Westminster.“Therewere sounds that I just had never made before that Professor Thomas kind of plucked out of me,” Feliciano said. “She taught me how to practice.” When Feliciano temporarily lost her voice in 2020 after participating in Black Lives Matter protests, Thomas helped her recover her sound and encouraged Feliciano to audition for the role of Christine in an open casting call for “Phantom of the Opera.”
8 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 THE RICE THRESHER
COURTESY KANISHA FELICIANO Feliciano graced the storied Broadway stage last June as the first Latina and second Black woman to play the leading role of Christine Daae in “The Phantom of the Opera.”
This independent bookstore in Rice Village has been a Houston staple since 1974, and they’re still going strong. Locally owned by 27 Houstonians since 2006, the store offers the best of both classic and recent releases in a variety of genres, from children’s fiction to music to social justice topics.
Kanisha Feliciano makes Broadway history
Later, when an understudy role for the part of Christine opened, Feliciano was able to join the production, leading to her performance in the lead role as Christine. Although Feliciano’s role as Christine was short-lived, the process was fruitful: she met her agent while auditioning and quickly began auditions for other shows. In the weeks after her initial audition for “Phantom,” Feliciano learned that she had also been cast in the Broadway musical “Flying Over Sunset,” all over Zoom. She had auditioned by singing into her laptop microphone, with Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning director James Lapine as her digital audience and her boyfriend listening with his ear to the“Idoor.grew up knowing James Lapine,” Feliciano said. “He’s legendary. He hired me right on the spot. I tried to play it cool. I kind of made him say it a couple times.” Landing a Broadway musical without the chance to show off in-person stage presence is an impressive feat, even for a performer as seasoned as Feliciano. “You know, this box is so different from being on stage,” Feliciano said while making a square with her fingers to represent her computer screen. “I’m not a television actress. They’re kind of trained to play to this tiny little camera. I was entirely out of my comfort zone.” But she landed the role despite her initial uncertainty, taking on the role of Clare Boothe Luce’s daughter, Ann, in December of last year. Feliciano credits her experience at Rice as foundational to her success, describing Rice as a dream school. “Rice taught me all the practical things that you don’t really think of going into being a musician,” Feliciano said. “Everywhere that a young opera singer wants to be, every competition that they want to sing in and win, Rice kids were there, always.”
Quarter Price Books
Brazos Bookstore Murder by the Book Kaboom Books
“I auditioned and got a call back, which was like, holy crap, and then I got another call back, and then I got coaching. And eventually they flew me to New York,” Feliciano said. “Altogether, I sang for them six times [before getting the job].”
Just north of downtown Houston, this New Orleans-based used book franchise offers finds from all time periods. They boast a collection of over 100,000 books spread across 84 sections including fiction, art, history and more. This store is more of a used book store than the others on this list. It’s full of rare finds for low prices, and the person running the store has been there for decades and is always willing to talk about his collection and Houston over time. While focused more on nonfiction, there are still some old fiction novels and religious texts for those interested.
“Professor Thomas rescued my voice,” Feliciano said. “After lockdown and all the protests in Houston, my voice was shot. I was having a lot of technical problems. We did nitty-gritty [training] for a full year, then I booked a Broadway musical.” Feliciano’s training was put to the test throughout the lengthy audition process.
Somi Head to the Miller Outdoor Theatre for a free performance from Grammy Award-nominated jazz vocalist Somi this Saturday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m.
Just across from Brazos, Murder by the Book is a store dedicated to horror and mystery novels. They regularly host late-night author events and have a book subscription service for fans of crime fiction. They’ve had numerous book signings since their opening in 1980 from authors like James Lee Burke and Daniel Silva.
WEEKLY SCENES AND SCREENS
t Bookstores you’re bound to love
Now is the perfect time to check out the local independent bookstores hidden around Houston. Whether you have specific titles in mind or want to help support your community, there’s a store for everyone.
The Menil’s Associate Curator of Modern Art will speak about Swiss artist Meret Oppenheim’s collage work during the free program this Sunday, Sept. 11 at 3 p.m. Menil Curator Talk
My performance as Christine was surreal. I grew up watching her, and now I was on stage, in the costumes. I was very much aware that I was in the act of achieving a childhood dream.
The Thresher likes coffee, and we’ve written about our favorite Houston spots before. That said, there are still a latte of great finds beyond the hedges. To avoid the risk of giving you déjà brew, here are some new coffee shop finds you might not have heard of yet.
Day 6 Coffee Co. This Black-owned spot in downtown’s Historic Market Square District is decorated with local artwork that’s also for sale, and is sure to be playing some easy listening hits at any point in the day. Try their rotating selection of cheesecakes or the shop’s signature Texas latte, made with caramel and vanilla bean. To avoid the hassle of finding parking downtown, take the METRO’s Red Line from campus.
SASWAT PATI THRESHER STAFF Review: ‘Rings of Power’ is a solid albeit muddled start
MICHELLE GACHELIN / THRESHER It’s safe to say that in regards to the high expectations surrounding it, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” has proven to be a solid start for the next story to come from the world of Tolkein. Though not immediately gripping like HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” the first two episodes of “Rings of Power” effectively build the foundation of the plot while presenting some of the best visuals I’ve ever seen from a television show. For some context, “Rings of Power” is the most expensive TV show ever produced, with a budget of $1 billion dollars for the entire first season. Because of this, expectations were naturally high for whether “Rings of Power” could live up to the original “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy, which is widely considered one of the best fantasy adaptations of all time. The series is set nearly 3,500 years before the films and will explore how the titular Rings were created and how Sauron made the One Ring, storylines that featured heavily in J.R.R. Tolkein’s “Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings.” To that end, the first two episodes of “Rings of Power” accurately replicate Tolkein’s stories. In the first episode, there were moments where I was astonished by the scene’s beauty, and the score only serves to enhance that awe. While the production value of the series is top notch, the plot and its pacing, while good, are not spectacular. The first two episodes primarily serve to introduce the series’ many disparate characters, and from my count, there are four major storylines being developed. The “main” storyline centers around the elves, specifically Galadriel (Morfydd Clark), as they seek to hunt the evil antagonist Sauron. Galadriel is motivated by a desire to avenge her brother, whom Sauron killed. She has to go on her own because as the centuries have passed, many of the elves no longer see Sauron as a threat. Other plot threads include a forbidden romance between an elf and a human, a mysterious meteor that is discovered by some harfoots (think hobbits) and the forging of the rings of power.Ofthe four storylines being developed, Galadriel’s is by far the clearest and most engaging, and Clark does a good job of portraying the elven princess as a seasoned combat veteran. Her action scenes are very well choreographed, and viewers can likely empathize with her search for vengeance against the evil foe. However, the rest of the storylines are not nearly as fleshed out, which leads to my greatest concern of the series’ premiere: there still is too much mystery surrounding what the show’s conflict will actually be about. While our heroes have begun to be established, there could be more foreshadowing to keep viewers engaged.
For example, aside from one scene at the start of the first episode, the presumptive antagonist Sauron is nowhere to be seen. The hook was still nonexistent by the end of the second episode, which ended on a flatThatnote. said, I believe that “Rings of Power” has succeeded in establishing the charm and wonder of Tolkein’s MiddleEarth on the small screen. This show has great potential, and viewers are sure to be rewarded for tuning in weekly with more incredible visuals and hopefully more developed storylines.
Review: Kenny Beats exhibits his producing prowess on ‘Louie’
The album’s personal fingerprints make it a fitting tribute to his father and provide touches of emotion that allow certain tracks to shine.
These coffee spots are grounds for a caffeine run
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 • 9ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
La La Land Kind Cafe Brightened with yellow decor and the sunny demeanor of their baristas, this coffee chain aims to spread kindness. Even better, they founded We Are One Project in 2017, an eight-week career-readiness internship program hosted for foster youth. Try the iced La La Latte, a honey-based espresso drink topped with ‘la la froth,’ which is reminiscent of Starbucks cold foam. Or taste their Perfect Latte, a concoction of espresso, organic bell milk — nonfat with a splash of heavy cream — and their own secret sauce (don’t tell, but it’s maple and vanilla). While a slightly longer drive from campus, the shop is nestled in the Heights’ M-K-T shopping mall for those interested in window shopping or a little retail therapy. GACHELIN A&E EDITOR
Kenny Beats is one of the best producers working in hip-hop today. The producer’s status as a go-to collaborator for many of the genre’s innovators (with Vince Staples, Denzel Curry and Rico Nasty, to name a few) is certainly enough to prove this lofty endorsement. With “Louie,” Kenny proves that his success is not a result of his clients’ star power but rather because of his ability to converge seemingly conflicting sounds and confidently use authentic instrumentation. Described as a “deeply personal tribute to his ailing father,” “Louie” serves as a 33-minute mixtape composed of easygoing instrumentals, interlaced with brief vocal harmonies and snippets relating to the fatherson relationship at the core of the album. This structure is reminiscent of classic beat tapes like J Dilla’s “Donuts,” though with a greater emphasis on relaxed instrumentation. Smooth guitars, pianos, synths and a wide variety of drum kits are employed throughout the album, giving each song its own distinct feel and tone. The beginning couplet of “Parenthesis” and “Hold My Head” does a great job of establishing the general sonic structures at the core of the album. The former track is a sample-laced, chill beat driven by the drums and high-pitched vocal melody, whereas the latter song is a bouncy track textured with guitar strums, synth hits and stacked vocals. These approaches highlight the two different directions songs tend to take on the album: mellow and drum-driven or layered andOtherenergetic.testaments to Kenny’s instrumental talent come later on in the record, such as in “That Third Thing,” which exchanges the typical vocal melody for a propelling bassline from R&B and soul artist Thundercat. “The Perch” also stands out because of the glitzy synth that both contrasts and compliments the harsh kick drum at the center of the beat. The track is intercut with snippets of Kenny’s father acting as an on-air DJ, reminding listeners of the album’s detail.astheIHand”Perch”tracksflourishesfather-sonsentimentaltheme.Thesepersonalmakesuchas“Theand“Hotstandout,andwishthatsomeofothertrackshadmuchattentiontoManyinstrumentals washed over me without leaving much of an impact. No song was poorly crafted, but not everything had the staying power that I wanted. While Kenny’s production is the star of the show throughout the album, some other highlights come from collaborations with other artists. Rather than traditional hip-hop verses, most collaborators provide their voices, resulting in free-flowing, serene segments rather than structured rhymes. In “Family Tree,” British rapper Slowthai slowly raps along to a guitar loop, creating an easy, flowing track rather than a straightforward hip-hop song. In a similar vein, “Still” sees JPEGMAFIA, a mainstay of modern experimental hip-hop, create various vocal snippets that layer on top of the beat. This restrained approach is contrary to the featured artists’ usual dominant presence, but Kenny’s ability to pull the correct sounds for the track from potentially discordant sources makes both songs great. On the whole, “Louie” is a very strong debut album from Kenny Beats, showcasing just how versatile he can be. The album’s personal fingerprints make it a fitting tribute to his father and provide touches of emotion that allow certain tracks to shine. However, most songs’ loose structure renders them forgettable, even if they are well constructed. Kenny has proven that he is a great producer, but I want to see him tackle more genres and work with an even more diverse set of artists if he chooses to create something on his own again.
Top Track : “Hot Hand” JAY THRESHERCOLLURASTAFF
COURTESY XL RECORDINGS
Cavo Coffee Located on the edge of Rice Village near the corner of Bissonet and Kirby, this modern spot is decorated with leather couches and plenty of cowhide — spot the massive longhorn skull on the far wall. Although they may not be very bovine-friendly, their beans are all sourced from their own roasting company Cleo Roasting Co., apparently named after the team’s French bulldog (also featured on a couple canvases on the wall, right next to the longhorn). We highly recommend their iced Autumn Spice latte, made with local Blue Heron Farm’s bourbonflavored cajeta — a sweet, caramel-like sauce — and house-made allspice syrup.
The Coffee House at West End This cozy three-story building was originally built in 1930 by West End Baptist Church, serving as a church and then a food pantry. It reopened in late 2021 as a coffee shop, and even runs its own mini library. Just borrow a book of your choice from the second floor bookshelves, and bring it back when you’re done. Located in the Heights, this spot is a little further away from campus, but still accessible by car or METRO bus (take bus 65 from campus to Rice Village, and then bus 27). Try their new Pumpkin Spice latte or classic West End Latte, made with their signature house syrup. Drink it on the rooftop patio when the weather’s nice.
BlendIn Coffee Club Founded by Weihong Zhang, an exacademic with a PhD in Biochemistry, this spacious and stylish study spot roasts all their coffee beans in store, calling it a “treeto-cup coffee experience.” Sit, chat or study on the eclectic collection of chairs in the office space right outside their doors, but remember to bring a sweatshirt if you do. Hop on bus 56 from the south side of campus and take a stroll through the nearby Buffalo Bayou Park on your way back.
MICHELLE
After receiving the 30th most votes in last week’s American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, the Rice volleyball team narrowly missed an opportunity to cement their top-25 status in a nail biting loss to No.18 University of Oregon . After winning the first set, the Owls fought off an Oregon comeback to force a fifth set, where they lost 15-11. Following the loss, head coach Genny Volpe said that she was pleased with the performance against such a high caliber team. “Oregon is a very strong team [that] I believe will compete for the PAC 12 title,” Volpe said. “We had some great moments, especially on the defensive side of the ball … I believe today we proved that we can compete with the best.” The Owls raced out to a strong start taking the first set 25-21. The combination of a 10-2 Owls run and a plethora of Duck service errors allowed the Owls to take set one. The Ducks bounced back to take sets two and three with scores of 25-21 and 25-20, respectively. In set two, fifth year setter Carly Graham put up 12 of her 53 assists alongside 14 digs to complete a double-double. The Owls soared back to take the fourth set by eight points with a convincing offensive performance tallying 16 kills with a .324 hitting percentage. However after the team’s were even in the fifth set at nine apiece, the Ducks won 6 of the last 8 points to take the match. Despite falling short of the win, Volpe said she was pleased with her team’s ability to adjust mid-match and force the Ducks into an uncomfortable position in the fifth set. “I was very happy with how we competed ... especially in the opening set,” Volpe said. “After being down by at least six points, we bounced back and found a way to win set one, without much offensive production. It was a great defensive match for both teams, and I was really pleased with how our offense came around after the first set. It came down to one or two plays at the very end that went Oregon’s way. It could have gone either way, so we are trying to look at the positives from this match and bring that into this week’s games.”
Three plays into the opening drive of the third quarter, McMahon’s pass bounced off the hands of an open Rozner, right to USC linebacker Shane Lee, who outran McMahon to the endzone. Just three plays later, McMahon was hit as he threw and his pass fluttered to USC
CADAN HANSON SENIOR KATHERINEWRITERHUI/THRESHER
Volleyball loses five set back-and-forth battle with No. 18 Oregon
Fifth-year senior middle blocker Anota Adekunle attempts a spike. Adekunle reached 1,000 career kills on Saturday but the Owls fell to No. 18 Oregon in five closely fought sets. To say things snowballed probably is understatement.an Mike Bloomgren HEAD COACH
Offensively, junior outside hitter Danyle Courtley led the Owls with 22 kills and added on two blocks while junior Sahara Maruska contributed to the effort with 12 kills. Defensively, junior libero Nia McCardell, the back-to-back C-USA Defensive Player of the Week, put up a season high, 32 digs, which is the second most in her career. A highlight of the loss for the Owls was that Anota Adekunle has added to her list of numerous awards and accolades, which already included multiple Conference-USA First Team selections, 2021VolleyballMag.com Honorable Mention All-American honors and two U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team selections (2020 and 2022). The fifth year middle blocker from Humble, Texas became the sixteenth Owl in Rice Volleyball history to reach 1,000 career kills. Following the milestone, Volpe said that she was impressed by the milestone, especially considering Adekunle’s position.“Anota is one of the most exciting, dynamic attackers in college volleyball today,” Volpe said. “You don’t often see this from a middle blocker, but I think this shows how truly special she is. I’m so proud of Anota not only for her play on the court, but for her leadership and competitive spirit that has brought to our program.”Despite losing to the Ducks, the Owls didn’t leave Oregon empty handed. They opened the tournament with a 3-0 win against the University of California, Davis (25-16, 25-17, 25-9) led by Graham who put up 31 assists, five kills and six digs. Following the tournament, Volpe said that there is still work to be done, but that the Owls showed potential. “We are still working things out like many other teams at this point in the season so it’s exciting to see our potential,” Volpe said. “We talked about holding ourselves to this match performance standard in practice and I’m looking forward to getting back in the gym with this group.” Going into the tournament, the Owls were 3-0 and they left Oregon 4-1. After losing their four game win streak, the Owls now look ahead to a difficult nonconference schedule featuring nationally ranked Creighton University and Baylor University. In regards to where the team is at, Volpe said she is pleased with what she has seen so far. “I think what I appreciate most about this team right now is their eagerness to learn and get better,” Volpe said. “We have a lot of different players that are making contributions each day, which I think makes us a big threat as we head into conference season soon.” Following their home opener against McNeese State University on Tuesday, the Owls will take on Brown University on Friday, Sept. 9th, at 6 p.m. in the first game of the Adidas Invitational I. Saturday, the Owls take on Texas A&MCorpus Christi at 3 p.m. followed by a 2 p.m. Sunday showdown with Texas Tech University.“Itwill be great to play in front of our fans and be home for the first time this season,” Volpe said.
10 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 THE RICE THRESHER
To make matters worse for the Owls, Green injured his arm attempting to tackle Bullock on his way to the endzone and wouldn’t return for the rest of the game. According to Bloomgren, losing Green, as well as Montgomery who would leave the game at halftime, brought their offensive production to a halt.“We were doing some great things,” Bloomgren said. “We were averaging seven [yards] a carry at halftime. You lose your starting quarterback and you lose a runner who rushed for 99 yards in the first half, the game changed for us offensively.”Withjunior TJ McMahon in at quarterback for Green, the Owls looked as though they had been held to a fourth down early in the next drive but a review found a targeting penalty that extended the drive. The very next play, Mongomery repeated the trick with a 31-yard run to put Rice in the red zone, and Broussard capped the drive with his second touchdown of the day to bring Rice back within 14, just under two minutes before halftime. In the closing seconds of the half, the Rice defense forced one of just two fourth downs all game to hold USC to a field goal, and headed into halftime down 17. According to redshirt senior guard Shea Baker, he was proud of his team’s response to the turnover going into the half. “We were playing well,” Baker said. “The first pick-six, that’s adversity, [but] we were ready to come back from it.” That optimism disappeared within the first few minutes of the second half.
linebacker Ralen Goforth, who, not to be outdone by his teammates, also returned it for a touchdown. To quote many an infomercial, but wait, there’s more. Four plays later, a McMahon pass bounced off of Rozner’s hands and found defensive back Xamarion Gordon for USC’s third interception in just under four minutes of game time. This one wasn’t returned for a touchdown, but USC reached the endzone for the seventh time two minutes later to put the game very comfortably out of reach. “To say that things snowballed probably is an understatement,” Bloomgren said. Down 52-14, Rice’s offense came to a halt, punting or turning the ball over on downs on each of their remaining possessions. USC scored one more touchdown before taking out their starters. Rice did manage to force one punt against the Trojans’ second team but they also gave up one more touchdown to bring the final score to 66-14. According to graduate safety George Nyakwol, the Rice defense was ready for what USC threw at them, they just didn’t “Lincolnperform.Rileystuck to his [blue] print,” Nyakwol said. “These guys were definitely beatable. They didn’t do anything special. We were really beating ourselves.” The Owls now return to Houston for their home opener against McNeese State University, which kicks off this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. According to Bloomgren, he thinks the team showed enough flashes this week to make him confident they can bounce back against the“ICowboys.don’tsee anything as terminal,” Bloomgren said. “I’m not gonna hang my head on this [game], as a matter of fact I’m gonna go to work on McNeese as soon as I get back and move forward. I still think we’re a very, very good football team, and I think we showed it in spurts today but certainly not for a complete game.”
FROM FRONT PAGE FOOTBALL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 • 11SPORTS Airfare was kept to a minimum over the weekend, as the Rice soccer team played a pair of games against crosstown rivals. The Owls got their second win of the season last Thursday when they beat Houston Baptist University 1-0. On Sunday, the Owls fell to the University of Houston 3-1, in a match that should henceforth be referred to as the ‘Bayou Cup.’ According to head coach Brian Lee, the year is still young, and he’s enjoyed seeing newer players step up when they’ve been called “Overall,on.it’s still early,” Lee said. “We’re rotating so much. It’s good to see some new kids playing … [and] to see people stepping forward as well.” With a number of players sidelined with injuries, the team came out strong against a solid HBU team on Thursday. Within the first three minutes, the Owls were already inches from taking the lead. After a cross from junior midfielder Shiloh Miller, sophomore attacking midfielder Mikala Furuto got a solid shot on the ball, but her attempt was cleared at the line by the Huskies’ defense. While Rice continued with the pressure for the next half hour, they struggled to find chances up front. On the other side of the field, however, the Owls’ defnesive line of juniors Shelby DesRoches and Jaden Roberts, as well as freshman Carsyn Martz, were stonewalling all Husky attacks, giving the Owls’ offense more opportunities to create chances. Their shot finally came in the 29th minute when graduate transfer forward Grace Collins put in a cross off a corner that found senior midfielder Madison Kent just in front of goal, heading it in to give the Owls a 1-0 lead. “It was a great serve by Grace [Collins],” Lee said. “Madison [Kent] is quite athletic and did a great job of getting her head on it and close to frame.” The rest of the game was controlled by the Owls. Despite not scoring again, they had seven shots on goal in the game, and their defense allowed only two shots on goal the entire game, securing the 1-0 victory. On Sunday, the Owls made their way across town to play the University of Houston. Like in past games, the Owls applied early pressure that almost got them a goal with a Collins shot from inside the box that was saved by the Cougars goalkeeper. With ten minutes to go in the half, as both teams began breaking through each others’ defensive lines, UH had an opportunity from a half volley outside of the eighteen-yard box. The impressive strike flew just wide of diving senior goalkeeper Bella Killgore and hit the back of the net, giving UH a 1-0 lead.
The Owls kept up the offensive pressure, but were unable to find a scoring chance until just a few seconds before the halftime whistle blew; Collins dribbled into the box and was taken down for a penalty. As the referee stopped the time, Killgore jogged up from her goal and stepped up to the penalty spot. Killgore won the battle of the keepers, placing her shot right of the Cougars goalkeeper, who dove the opposite way. With that, both teams went into the locker room tied at 1-1. Starting in the second half, senior midfielder Delaney Schultz fired a shot from outside the box that hit the bottom of the crossbar and bounced right on the goal line and into the hands of the UH goalkeeper. The next chance went to the Cougars as their striker was able to break free from a tackle and shoot it on goal, escaping the hands of Killgore and rolling inside the net to give UH the lead. Not long after, the Cougars capitalized on another chance off a corner kick, bringing their lead up to 3-1. The rest of the game didn’t offer much as neither side could find any scoring opportunities. After the game, Lee talked about the differences between the first and second half. “Tonight, the first half especially was a big step forward, we played really well,” Lee said. “To be honest, sometimes in [this] game, you don’t get what you deserve. I still thought we were okay in the second-half. One of [ours could have gone] in, when we hit the bar. They scored the first time they were anywhere near our goal in the secondhalf, so that was a bit unfortunate.” Regardless of the result, the Owls are happy to have Schultz back from injury as her presence was already felt. Despite only playing thirty minutes, she had the most shots for Rice and produced the clearest chance of the second half. “It felt good [coming back],” Schultz said. “Limited minutes, but [I’m] just trying to get back out there and help the team. It was disappointing tonight that I wasn’t able to do more, but I think we’ll bounce back. My ankle is feeling good” Lee emphasized the importance of the returning players as well as getting the squad back to full fitness. “It’s good to see Delaney [Schultz] coming back and [Kallie] McKinney getting some minutes,” Lee said. “We’re just trying to get healthy [before conference].”Theloss dropped the Owls to 2-4 on the season, with conference play approaching quickly. Despite their struggles against non-conference opponents, Schultz said that at the end of the day, conference is what matters most for the season. “I think [we’ve] had a tough nonconference, but when conference starts, it’s a new season,” Schultz said. “We’re looking to start fresh and get going in terms of conference play, so we’re excited for that, too.”
Soccer beats HBU, to‘BayoulosesCup’UH
DIEGO PALOS RODRIGUEZ FOR THE THRESHER COURTESY
The Owls travel to San Marcos, Texas to play Texas State University on Thursday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m.. On Sunday, Sept. 11, they host the reigning NCAA champions, Florida State University, at 1 p.m.
JUAN DELEON Senior midfielder Madison Kent dribbles against the University of Houston. Kent scored the Owls’ only goal in Thursday’s win against Houston Baptist before they fell to the Cougars on Sunday.
JFK 60th DAY23059DAY??? 10:00 AM - 10:02 AM 10:05 AM - 10:14 AM 10:20 AM - 11:40 AM 11:45 AM - 1:00 PM 1:00 PM - 1:15 PM 1:15 PM - 1:30 PM 1:30 PM - 6:30 PM 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
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Doug Brinkley finishes reciting “American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race” Ted Cruz delivers remarks: “It’s Not That Hard, I Literally Went to the Moon Last MatthewWeek” McConaughey delivers slam poetry rendition of John F. Kennedy Speech
Anniversary Event Calendar
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Closing Ceremony: Rice University renamed JFK University Will Go To Jupiter (To Get More StadiumKennedyRicefromZoomingHUMACommonsStupider)320inCancunStadium you for attending the 60-year anniversary celebration of the John F. Kennedy speech. Return next week for more information on the 60-year and one-week anniversary celebration of the John F. Kennedy speech! sure to use the “Because It’s Hard” filter with the hashtag #WeChooseToMoveOC to share your favorite moments! by Viagra and Life
Doug Brinkley begins reciting entirety of “American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race” Moment of Silence for Kennedy KennedyAssassinationAssassination Reenactment Keynote speaker Ellen DeGeneres delivers special remarks: “How I Mentored John F. Kennedy” Rice Eclipse explains rocketry with condom and banana Willy Statue replaced with JFK statue HUMA 320 Inner Loop Inner Loop RMC Grand Hall
Opening Ceremony: Mike Bloomgren runs through a wall Mike Bloomberg runs through a wall “We Choose to Slay Down the Boots House Yass” performed by Sammy the Owl Lunch catered by Fizz Live Entertainment: Sammy the Owl cage fights UT’s Bevo the Bull Sammy the Owl funeral Football uniforms revealed with entire JFK speech written on them Look at the Moon Rice does not play Texas Berlin
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12 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2022 BACKPAGE The Backpage is the satire section of the Thresher, written this week by Andrew Kim, Ndidi Nwosu, and Timmy Mansfield with special guests Daniel Schrager, Ben Baker-Katz and Pavithr Goli, designed by Lauren Yu. For questions or comments please email dilfhunter69@rice.edu.
Humans land on Mars Rice beats Texas ProbablyMars also Mars DAY ONE DAY TWO DAY THREE Thank
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11:11 AM - 11:30 AM 12:00 PM - 12:02 PM 12:03 PM - 12:05 PM 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM 1:00 PM Will Rice College renamed to “Will Go To Jupiter (To Get More Stupider)” College
