The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, October 26, 2022

As part of the inauguration, Rice organized a drone light show on each night of the festivities.

Trans students at Rice talk difficulties, community

MORGAN GAGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Editor’s note: A student interviewed for this story was given the option of remaining anonymous due to currently pursuing restorative justice with another student. The anonymous student was given a false name, which has been marked with an asterix on first mention.

What is community? For Marina Klein, it’s little queer people in your phone, chatting and exchanging compliments and advice in a GroupMe.

“[People in the group chat are] so supportive … they’re always there for you when you need them to be,” Klein, a McMurtry College sophomore, said. “You can be there for them when you have the time as well, because that’s how community works.”

From housing assignments, to using the bathroom, to the name on a student ID, some everyday aspects of the Rice experience come with additional challenges for transgender students at Rice.

For Klein, being away from Rice over the summer gave them the time and space to reflect on their gender. When they returned to Rice for the fall semester, they said that they felt like they were having to “re-meet” people while actively redefining themself.

“I [thought] this kind of makes sense as to why I was struggling so

DesRoches inaugurated

DesRoches inaugurated as Rice’s eighth president

Reginald DesRoches was officially inaugurated as the eighth president of Rice University on Saturday, Oct. 22.

The ceremony, which followed a two-day series of events leading up to the investiture, included student and faculty representatives, in addition to delegates from around 150 universities and organizations.

“The event marks a huge milestone in my career and in my life and the life of my family,” DesRoches said in an email to the Thresher. “It signifies what I have been able to accomplish because of the support so many have given me. It also foreshadows what is to come: opportunity for everyone and an exciting journey that I’m confident will take Rice to the next level.”

After the initial procession, in which undergraduate delegates from all eleven residential colleges, members of the Graduate Student Association and faculty members marched, the ceremony opened with remarks from Robert Ladd, one of the four co-chairs of the Inauguration planning committee.

“This ceremony marks an important and highly anticipated chapter for Rice,” Ladd said at the event. “All of us, the board, our faculty, our students, staff and administration, look forward to continuing and extending the achievements of the university under the leadership of Reginald DesRoches.”

much last semester [and] didn’t feel myself — it’s because I wasn’t seeing myself,” Klein said. “I realized that I didn’t really have time for that [reflection], or like the mental capacity for that at Rice … It’s almost like you don’t have time to be queer, if you don’t already have your stuff figured out, which most of us don’t.”

While coming out has been awkward at times, Klein also said that people have largely reacted positively, though they wish conversations about gender and pronouns would be more normalized.

Cleo Thompson, a Martel College senior, began openly identifying as non-binary at the start of their junior year.

“I didn’t really start going by Cleo or being a little bit more gender nonconforming in how I dress until near the end of junior year,” Thompson said. “As a first-semester senior, that is still very much a recent change, so obviously I still run into plenty of people that I knew as a freshman [or] a sophomore who still call me by my dead name or just do not recognize me, which is dandy, because then I get to reintroduce myself.”

Before coming to Rice, Charlie Maxson said that they found out that they were placed in Jones College – a college that didn’t have many genderneutral bathrooms.

Fred Oswald, another co-chair, said the committee wished to create a ceremony that reflected on the legacy of previous presidents while simultaneously paving a new way forward for DesRoches’ term.

“We definitely thought of how we seek to reflect on the important accomplishments and progress under President Leebron,” Oswald said. “But then we also wish to strike new ground. As we head into this exciting new future under President DesRoches’ leadership, [attendees] see that Rice is not about any one student, or any one faculty member or any one staff member. It’s really about all of us moving forward together.”

The opening remarks were followed by the national anthem, sung by a graduate student at the Shepherd School of Music Tony Domino, an invocation from Reverend Rodney J. Armstrong, greetings from Student Association President Gabrielle Franklin, GSA President Joshua Moore, President of the Association of Rice Alumni Toya Cirica Belle, Chair of the staff council Korin Brody and speaker for faculty senate Alexandra Kieffer.

“As president, we support your plans to develop Rice as an agent of change in the world through its contribution to knowledge,” Franklin said in her speech, “We know that this president will raise Rice to an institution that all of us can be proud to hail from, regardless of where we come from, what we study here and where we go next.”

Roberts’ clutch goal gives soccer a storybook win on Senior Night

Junior defender Jaden Roberts picked the perfect time for her first career goal. With 10 seconds on the clock and the Owls’ Senior Night game tied at zero, graduate forward Grace Collins lined up for a corner kick and sent it into a sea of Owls and Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. The ball bounced to Roberts, whose shot found the back of the net, sending the Owls into celebration as the clock hit zero. After the game, Roberts recounted the dream goal.

For the first 89 minutes and 55 seconds of the game, neither team could find a way to score. A large part of the scoreless spell was senior goalkeeper Bella Killgore, who notched her seventh shutout of the season and contributed three saves to the Owls’ efforts, including a crucial diving save in the 70th minute.

It sure looked like it was going to be nil-nil, but what a great goal for Jaden … That’s a Senior Night that they will remember. It was a great way to send off a wonderful group that’s meant a lot to the program.

According to Killgore, the team didn’t play their best but was able to find a way to win when it mattered most.

“I think we didn’t play that well as a team, but sometimes you just have to find a way to win and wow what a goal from Jaden,” Killgore said.

Brian Lee HEAD COACH

“The ball just bounced my way,” Roberts said. “I know my left foot is not the greatest but today it worked out great. I think it’s like one of those dreams where you score on your senior night. All four years accumulated to this one game, and it feels amazing. It’s very surreal, I can’t fully explain it.”

While they were unable to find the net until the game’s final seconds, the Owls’ offense controlled a large portion of the game, with 13 shots, compared to the Hilltoppers’ seven.

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VIOLA HSIA SENIOR WRITER

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CADAN HANSON SENIOR WRITER

Charles Duncan, Rice alum and contributor, passes away at age 96

KEEGAN LEIBROCK ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Charles Duncan, a former member of the Rice Board of Trustees and the former energy secretary during President Jimmy Carter’s administration, passed away on Oct. 18 at the age of 96.

After graduating from Rice in 1957, Duncan contributed to Rice in a number of ways, notably through donations that would fund the construction of Duncan College and Duncan Hall and his help in creating the Baker Institute.

President Reginald DesRoches said Duncan’s influence on the university is hard to characterize because of its farreaching impact on the university and student life.

“It is impossible to summarize the breadth and depth of Charles’ impact on our university, let alone our city, state and country,” DesRoches wrote in an email to the Thresher. “His steadfast leadership, good nature, humility, civic-mindedness, courage and unceasing desire to make an impact on the world are qualities we all try to emulate.”

Bucky Allshouse, who graduated from Rice in 1971, first met Duncan when they were both on the Rice Board of Trustees. Later on, Allshouse said the two developed a close friendship and would regularly play golf and watch football together.

“He had a great sense of humor — when I would ask him something, he would say, ‘I’m going to tell you more than I know’ and he often did so,” Allshouse said. “Regardless, I found that he knew an awful lot about a lot of different things.”

education of our students … he would often talk about the value of the colleges as part of an integral part of the education of our students.”

Estevan Delgado, a former Duncan College student who graduated in 2013, said he got to know Duncan well when he was elected to be the inaugural representative for the college. When Duno-Gottberg was ending his tenure as Duncan magister, Delgado said that Duncan agreed to write a letter commemorating his time as magister.

“I knew [Duncan] as a really thoughtful and considerate person. He wasn’t someone to talk a lot, and he was an excellent listener,” Delgado said. “This was a man that was not only generous of his wealth to the university, but was also very generous of his time.”

Some years after graduation, Delgado said he was touched by Duncan’s remarks during Duncan College’s 10th centennial celebration, in which he talked about how proud he was of Duncan College’s leaders.

Rice lost one of its biggest fans with the passing of Charles W. Duncan. We will miss him dearly and will forever be grateful for his support and generosity.

Duncan played a role in developing Rice’s and, specifically, Duncan College’s culture during its early stages. Luis Duno-Gottberg, the former Duncan College magister and current Baker College magister, said Duncan would visit the college periodically to visit with students and check on the development of college culture and traditions.

“He was very excited with the development of a new community [at Duncan],” Duno-Gottberg said. “He was very invested in the college model. I think he truly believed that the college system plays an important role in the

HBO Max to return in late November

NISHANKA KUTHURU THRESHER STAFF

“[Duncan] was such an amazing and inspiring philanthropic leader,” Delgado said. “His remarks during the 10th centennial really stuck with me … It made me proud that we’ve been able to build a community and alumni base that is allowing Rice to live up to not only its mission of producing unconventional leaders but allowing people to lead with boldness and tenacity as well.”

Beyond his impact at Rice, Duncan was a family man who valued his community and nation, Allshouse said.

“Charles was an extremely intelligent and generous individual,” Allshouse said. “He was a great family man who was always concerned about the wellbeing of his family, and he was caring for the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the whole country.”

The free HBO Max subscription through Rice is set to return in late November after Philo, a streaming service utilized by the university to provide students access to HBO Max, exited the education market last spring.

Housing and Dining provides Internet Protocol Television for on-campus students and graduate students living in Rice apartments as part of the room and board fees, according to H&D Director David McDonald. The access to HBO Max was a result of University Video Services, a company that provides IP TV to Rice students, partnering with Philo.

Allshouse said that Duncan had a great sense of humor and was always in a good mood.

“Even when he was on the golf course, not hitting the ball very well into the water, he was still positive,” Allshouse said. “It used to frustrate us sometimes how Charles would give a great deal of money to Rice University but would insist on personally digging his ball out of the water to save that two-dollar golf ball. It was just Charles being Charles.”

Allshouse said that Duncan was humble in his many contributions to Rice, often avoiding taking credit for his far-reaching influence on the university.

“Charles never took credit for a lot of the things he did, everything from faculty to direct or indirect student scholarships, to advice and mentorship,” Allshouse said. “It’s just hard to see an area of Rice that he didn’t have some type of impact over.”

President Reginald DesRoches said that Duncan was one of Rice’s biggest supporters and will be remembered for his generosity and support of the Rice community.

“Rice lost one of its biggest fans with the passing of Charles W. Duncan,” DesRoches wrote in an email to The Thresher. “We will miss him dearly and will forever be grateful for his support and generosity. Paula and my thoughts are with his wife, Anne, and the entire Duncan family.”

Duncan is survived by his wife and their two children, Charles III and Mary Anne.

Services anticipates late November to restore this.”

Artie Throop, a Jones College sophomore, said they used HBO Max at least once a week last year to watch multiple shows. Noticing that they no longer had access to this platform in late August, Throop said they felt as though there was no warning.

FROM FRONT PAGE REGGIE

These greetings were followed by a performance of Randall Thompson’s “Alleluia” from Rice Chorale and the Shepherd School’s Brass Ensemble. Alex Moreno-Gonzales, another Shepherd student, composed an original piece, titled New Dawn, for the ceremony, which was also played during the ceremony.

Ruth Simmons, a Rice Trustee Emeritus and current president of Prairie View A&M University, was the ceremony’s keynote speaker. In her speech, Simmons spoke to the importance of DesRoches’ inauguration in light of Rice’s legacy, specifically, the founding of the university, including William Marsh Rice’s background as a slave owner.

“I can almost guarantee that few days will pass when [DesRoches] does not reflect upon the irony of a person of his background carrying on William Marsh Rice’s legacy,” Simmons said.

“His appointment proves once again that whatever the limitations of our vision in our time, future generations can never be permanently bound by them.”

After Simmons’ speech, DesRoches formally donned the presidential robes and was proclaimed the university president before taking the stage. In his first official presidential address, DesRoches talked about his vision for his tenure, including Rice’s academic and social expansion while remaining true to the university’s message of excellence.

“While our ambitions require us to evolve, there is one thing that cannot change, and that is the unique culture of care we have at Rice,” DesRoches said in his address. “The way we treat people with respect and dignity is paramount. We must remain a place where people never forget that at Rice they felt loved, welcomed and special as they received an unequaled education that enabled them to transform their own lives and the world around them.”

GENESIS HAHN / THRESHER

“We were in a position to at least restore TV services by the fall and did so by utilizing Streeme TV,” McDonald said. “However, restoring HBO Max is taking some time, but University Video

“On HBO Max, I was watching multiple shows that I’ve now lost access to … which aren’t streaming anywhere else and aren’t being played on cable,” Throop said. “I especially enjoyed access to Studio Ghibli movies, which aren’t available on any other streaming service. I loved to watch them as I did my art assignments or when I had a bad day, and now I can’t.”

Asha Malani, one of the HBO Max Campus Brand Representatives, said she received many messages from people

asking why their accounts were not working at the beginning of the semester, and her responsibilities as an HBO Max Rep have shifted.

“My job last year was to tell students that they have free HBO Max accounts and show them how to activate them,” Malani, a Will Rice College senior, said. “This year … my job is to encourage students to pay for a subscription themselves.”

Sarah Birenbaum, a Jones junior, said she is excited for HBO to come back.

“I think HBO coming back will be great for bonding,” Birenbaum said. “At least at Jones, we have projectors in our floor lobbies, so having more access to streaming networks will help make the floor closer.”

Hajera Naveed contributed to this reporting.

GAZI FUAD / THRESHER

COURTESY RICE UNIVERSITY

Reginald DesRoches PRESIDENT

Rice’s largest Design-a-thon levels up

Rice hosts COVID booster clinic for campus community

MICHELLE GACHELIN A&E EDITOR

Hosted by Rice Design for the first time, a three-day Design-a-thon titled “Level Up!” was held entirely virtually this past weekend. Students from universities across the country participated in the competition, which challenged them to create a web or mobile application in response to a prompt in financial technology or health and lifestyle. The event also offered practical workshops about design principles from local industry professionals.

Event organizers said the competition was Rice’s largest Design-a-thon yet, with over 250 total participants — for comparison, the 2020 Rice Design-a-thon brought together 116 students, according to a Rice News article. The majority of students were from other universities, such as University of California Los Angeles, Parsons School of Design and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Daniel Cho, one of the event’s program organizers, said that the competition placed a strong emphasis on being accessible to beginners by accounting for participants’ experience levels.

“Design is kind of new, and there aren’t a lot of resources [at Rice] — we don’t have a design major. A lot of our Rice participants are going to be firsttimers, so we wanted to make the [competition] inclusive of all levels,” Cho, a Hanszen College junior, said. “We have a beginner track, so beginners don’t have to compete with very experienced designers.”

Rebecca Yee, who worked on the event’s programming with Cho, said that she focused on growing students’ design experience as a relative newcomer to the field herself. According to Yee, about 70 percent of participants were complete beginners.

“I came into Rice really having no knowledge of design … but the way that I navigated my way through design was actually through the Rice Design club,” Yee, a junior at Wiess College, said. “Our goal with Rice Design is really to provide that support for student designers — whether they want to pursue design as a career or just as a hobby.”

The event’s organizers created an additional prize category for the best beginner group, which was awarded to a team of Rice students who created Presence, an app that emphasizes community support for expecting mothers.

Groups competed in one of two tracks — FinTech, or financial technology, to help users handle their personal finances, or health and lifestyle, to encourage users’ wellbeing. Teams were judged based on four criteria: user experience, visual design, user research and design thinking.

“The way the Design-a-thon works is you choose a track, and then you conduct a little bit of research just to explore that track and see if there are any specific problems you want to address,” Yee said. “We decided on these two tracks, because they’re pretty accessible to college students.”

The winners from the FinTech track were also Rice students. The team’s app, christened “Goos,” analyzes users’ demographic information to create personalized budget plans and compare their spending habits. Erica Friedman, one of four members of the winning team, said that the app also allows people to compare their spending amounts to other users of similar demographic backgrounds.

“When we were doing our market research and doing competitive analysis, we realized that a big issue with current budgeting apps is that they aren’t super user-friendly for people who are completely new to budgeting,” Friedman, a Hanszen sophomore, said. “So we wanted to resolve that by making custom budgets for people.”

Lia Kim, another member of the FinTech team, said the group relied on YouTube tutorials and the event’s workshops in creating their product, and that the process was a learning curve since she had relatively little design experience. As someone hoping to work in user design, Kim said that this experience will boost her career.

“I was interested in UX design coming in as a career path. I never had a project that I started on, and I think this competition kind of forced me to do a project all the way through within a certain amount of time,” Kim, a sophomore at Jones College, said. “It’s a kickstart to my portfolio, and it’s really nice to have something that I can actually present to people and be proud of.”

Cho said participants represent untapped potential, particularly at Rice.

“You can just feel at Rice, especially as a designer, that there’s a large, untapped market and a lot of potential at Rice for design,” Cho said. “It’s really cool that we can promote this event. It’s awesome that we’re getting Rice’s name out, because it’s not really known that much outside of Texas.”

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Rice partnered with the Houston Health Department to provide the third bivalent booster vaccine against COVID-19 to the Rice community. The two past clinics, held on Oct. 11 and 18, vaccinated a total 493 individuals, according to Director of Institutional Crisis Management Jerusha Kasch. The final clinic will take place on Oct. 27.

The decision to host clinics was made after the FDA approved the use of bivalent booster doses for the age range that included Rice’s primary student population in September. This is the second COVID-19 booster for which Rice has held clinics on campus. However, unlike the previous booster clinic held in early 2022, this shot is not required.

The clinics were held in an effort to encourage booster vaccinations among individuals at Rice and provide a convenient location to receive it, Kasch said.

“We feel that the high vaccination rate of our campus has played a big role in keeping our campus safe, and vaccine clinics on campus are convenient for our students and employees,” Kasch said.

According to the FDA, the bivalent booster vaccine provides protection against both the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and a lineage of the omicron variant. Individuals are eligible for this vaccine if they previously received all primary series doses and haven’t received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past two months.

Fatima Akilo, a Sid Richardson College junior, said she wanted to get the booster as an added measure of protection against COVID-19. She said that while she has gotten all of her COVID-19 vaccines at Rice, she felt this experience was different.

“I think I spent a total of two hours in line,” Akilo said. “I was on campus at 8 a.m, so it was worse, [but] I don’t think I had to wait as long in line the other three times.”

Staff member Caitlin Lindsay said she received her booster shot from a clinic held at Rice in order to protect herself and others. She also said it was convenient that the clinic was held in the same building she worked in, the Rice Memorial Center.

“I have received a booster at Rice before,” Lindsay said. “This time did take a little longer, because we weren’t able to sign up for an appointment time, and I wish I could have filled out the paperwork in advance, but from my understanding, that was more so a decision from the vaccine provider.”

Ashley Wu, a Wiess College senior, said she had an overall positive experience with the booster clinic, specifically highlighting its organization and the friendliness of those administering the shots.

“I think this [clinic] was very well organized,” Wu said. “They were able to … keep the line moving, and they were very friendly and clear. If I had questions, the people administering the shot were really good at answering whatever questions I had.”

Brown College senior Bria Weisz said that she is grateful that the option to get vaccinated on campus remains, especially for students without cars.

“I specifically got my COVID booster at the on-campus vaccine clinic, because I don’t have a car [and] getting off campus is kind of difficult for me,” Weisz said. “Even though my experience wasn’t ideal getting the booster, I am still really happy that I was able to.”

Kasch said that she believes keeping up to date with vaccines is a way to practice Rice’s culture of care, and she strongly recommends individuals to get boosted.

“We’ve reached a different stage of COVID-19, and as a university, we’ve shifted our approach toward focusing on personal responsibility regarding health and safety decisions,” Kasch said.

The last booster clinic will be held this Thursday Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the RMC Grand Hall.

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You can just feel at Rice, especially as a designer, that there’s a large, untapped market and a lot of potential at Rice for design.

Daniel Cho EVENT CO-ORGANIZER

Support Rice football at homecoming, they’ve earned it

The last time Rice football made a bowl game, the world was singing “Let it Go,” Ebola cases were in the headlines and it had been a mere 52 years since a certain president spoke at Rice Stadium about going to the moon. Yes, 2014 was the last time Rice played postseason football. In the seven full seasons since, the Owls won a grand total of 20 games. But seven games and four wins into this season, they find themselves on the precipice of their first bowl game appearance under head coach Mike Bloomgren. Let’s make sure to show them the support they deserve this weekend.

The team has exceeded expectations so far this year, beating conference powerhouse University of Alabama at Birmingham and ending what was, at the time, the longest active winning streak in Division I college football with a victory over the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. After Saturday’s overtime

win against Louisiana Tech University, the Owls sit at fourth place in the conference. With just two more wins,

Let’s not make the team play its homecoming game in front of a sea of green in the stands, especially during a year in which they’ve earned our support.

the Owls can guarantee a postseason berth. Conveniently for us, the team has their homecoming game this weekend against the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a chance to close in on the postseason.

Anyone who’s ever been to a Rice football game has seen opposing

fans outnumber ours, usually by embarrassing margins. Let’s not make the team play its homecoming game in front of a sea of green in the stands, especially during a year in which they’ve earned our support.

This weekend is also Rice’s annual Families Weekend. If you have guests visiting campus, bring them to the game. The team could use all the support it can get, and we should show out for our peers.

With the team set to move to the American Athletic Conference next season, they’ll be playing highercaliber opponents with bigger fan bases in more visible games. If we don’t want Rice to be embarrassed in the new conference, we have to start showing up to games.

This weekend is our chance to do just that — supporting our team and helping them secure a vital win in their push for the postseason. Show up.

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FROM FRONT PAGE TRANS AT RICE

“Then [someone] calls me and … gave me a choice to move out or not,” Maxson said. “I [moved out of Jones], so now I have a single [at McMurtry], which is awesome … My first impression [of Rice] was ‘Wow, they actually care, at least enough to call me and ask [if I wanted to] move.”

Artie Throop, a Jones College sophomore, said that there was discussion about creating gender-neutral bathrooms at Jones but that nothing has come of it at this time.

“It’s been a thing for years … but queer people are still spending a lot of time and energy on this,” Throop said. “We should have our bodily needs taken care of easily and be able to move on to more complex issues.”

Quinn* said that he moved off campus this year after dealing with a transphobic roommate. Quinn said that they and their roommate talked about their gender and the pronouns they used — exclusively they/

them pronouns at the time, and now he/they — before housing jack in the spring. While his roommate said it “should be fine,” this changed soon after his roommate moved into a shared house over the summer.

“The first weekend, she was like, ‘We need to talk about your pronouns. I had been thinking about it,’” Quinn said. “Basically, she was like, ‘I can’t affirm your identity. I can’t use your pronouns. I can’t use your partner’s pronouns,’ who is also non binary. I remember she used this metaphor about how I was running off a cliff towards hell and [that] she would not stop trying to save me from running off the cliff.”

When Quinn went to his magisters about the situation, they were told there were two options: having someone switch housing assignments with them or moving off-campus. Quinn said that he felt uncomfortable asking someone else to move into what they felt was a potentially unsafe living situation. He said that the only help that their magisters provided was with communicating with Housing and Dining

about waiving the fee for breaking his housing contract.

Quinn is now trying to pursue the restorative justice process with the person who was originally meant to be his roommate. When he returned to campus, they reached out to the SAFE Office for support, a resource that he later learned could have helped him with on-campus housing if their magisters referred them.

Quinn and several other students interviewed by the Thresher mentioned that they wish resources for students dealing with transphobia were better communicated. Since Title IX provides protections for trans students, the SAFE Office can provide support for students dealing with transphobia.

“Trans students are protected under Title IX, and we encourage them to come to The SAFE Office for help with support and accommodations,” the SAFE Office wrote in a statement for the Thresher. “The people on our staff are well trained allies who are always ready to help students with their needs. There is also a webpage dedicated to resources at Rice, as well as a guide — created mainly by students with staff support — that includes more information and referrals for resources in and around the Rice community.”

While they were able to have many Rice systems reflect their chosen name, Cleo Thompson said that they have struggled to change their name in some Rice systems, especially without having legally changed their name — something that they said can be a difficult process, especially in Texas.

it is in the system, it really feels like you can’t really call it back.”

Multiple students who spoke to the Thresher mentioned being misgendered by faculty and staff. Some also reported that their previous names still appeared in certain Rice communications and portals and would occasionally revert on their emails.

During the previous semester, Moth Almazan said that the debate around the Student Association resolution to denounce Rice swim coach Seth Huston was a difficult, harmful process for him and other trans students he knows.

“I would really walk out of [Senate] crying like so angry, because I didn’t think those kinds of attitudes existed at Rice,” Almazan, a Duncan College sophomore, said. “But of all the places I tried so hard to get out of I was so hopeful that maybe someone would understand.”

Through these difficulties, all of the students the Thresher spoke to talked about how queer and trans community improved their Rice experience to varying degrees. Almazan found community in a trans studies class.

ANONYMOUS JUNIOR

Thompson said that Rice’s theatre community was an important source of queer, trans and nonbinary community for them. Thompson said they have benefited from the experiences of other students in their struggles navigating Rice.

JAYAKER KOLLI CROSSWORD EDITOR

“The information you enter Rice with is so immutable that it really becomes a boundary … so much, both [academically and [socially], even OwlNest really depends on that information,” Thompson said. “Once

“Being trans is not always a happy thing,” Thompson said. “Definitely ever since I’ve really started trying to change my appearance and change how I am presented, I cannot change people’s perceptions of me … But having that community, knowing that I am not alone, that there are people with my life experience very much going through [the same experiences] … doing their best to have a full life … really means the world to me.”

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[My roommate] used this metaphor about how I was running off a cliff towards hell and [that] she would not stop trying to save me.

Quinn

‘An investment in our future’: meet Ruth López Turley Looking back at Rice presidents

FELICITY PHELAN THRESHER STAFF

Ruth López Turley, director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, doesn’t have it easy. She oversees all of the organization’s research operations, raises the money to fund its work and describes herself as constantly in meetings. On top of that, she’s still teaching in her role as a Rice sociology professor. When López Turley thinks about hard work, however, she doesn’t think of jobs like hers.

“My mother worked hard. [She] often worked multiple shifts; [she] often worked night shifts,” López Turley said. “[She] never had benefits, never got paid more than minimum wage, never had a paid vacation, never had control over her schedule. The ‘never, never, never’ goes on and on and on.”

López Turley said her family’s personal experience led to an early awareness of broader systems of injustice and motivated her interest in sociology.

“Very early on, I knew [that] there are lots of things wrong with our society,” López Turley said. “Many, many people work [hard] for next to nothing … Of course, my work is challenging, but it’s nothing compared to the way so much of the world has to work.

And they get paid so much less than we do.”

Prior to becoming director of the Kinder Institute this past July, López Turley served as director of the Houston Education Research Consortium, a Kinder Institute program focused on educational equity research in close collaboration with Houston school districts. For the past decade, López Turley’s personal

experience has fueled her research interests in education.

“The reason I was especially interested in education is because of what I saw it do in my own life. That was my ticket out of poverty,” López Turley said. “I got very, very lucky that I had the right people come into my life at the right time and [give] me the information that I needed.”

The Kinder Institute recently received a $50 million contribution to its endowment. López Turley said she acknowledges the gravity of the funding, especially given the impact the money could have had for other recipients.

“The expectations are sky high, and now we have to deliver,” López Turley said. “These are [precious] resources that could have gone toward lots of other great causes … I get that. I think about that all the time. But I also believe that these resources are well-invested. This is an investment in the future.”

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

In light of Reginald DesRoches’ inauguration this past Saturday, the Thresher looked back at past Rice presidents and their respective inaugurations.

Edgar Odell Lovett

Although never officially inaugurated, Lovett served as the first president of Rice. According to the Thresher’s April 10, 1947 issue, Lovett presided over the university’s formal inauguration in October of 1912 before passing along the university’s reins to Houston in 1947.

William Vermillion Houston

A physicist hailing from the California Institute of Technology, Houston was officially inaugurated in April of 1947 after spending a year in office, according to the Thresher’s April 17, 1942 issue. Deeply invested in science and engineering fields, Houston announced during one of his inauguration speeches changes he had enacted to the engineering curriculum, such as requiring engineering students to enroll in core subjects.

Kenneth Sanborn Pitzer

Pitzer marked yet another West Coaster in the history of Rice presidents.

A Californian chemist, Pitzer was inaugurated Oct. 10, 1962, according to the Thresher’s Oct. 17, 1962 issue. During his speech, Pitzer indicated a higher graduate student enrollment and stronger international presence within the student body as goals for his upcoming presidency. Pitzer ultimately resigned in Aug. 1968, electing to return to his Californian roots as president of Stanford University.

William H. Masterson

Standing a whopping five days, Masteron’s presidency marked the shortest — and most tumultuous — of Rice presidencies. According to Fondren Library’s Digital Scholarship Services, Masterson was appointed in February of 1969, after Pitzer’s resignation. The university’s failure to consult the proper student-faculty Presidential Selection Committee, prompted an outburst of peaceful protest from students and faculty, leading to Masterson’s resignation. It’s important to remember that these protests occurred in the late ‘60s, amid a cultural phenomenon of student rebellion: think feminism, the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement.

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

Halloween costumes to die for

Shakespeare knowledge as Hamlet or flex your pre-med status as a doctor.

Decades

Are you still looking for a costume for that Halloweekend party? Check out these quick, easy costume ideas that can be created with your own closet (and maybe a little help from Amazon).

Album Art

Dress up as your favorite album cover. Meet some fellow Swifties by going as “Red (Taylor’s Version)”, or make it retro and go as Ziggy Stardust. No matter what you listen to, wear it proudly.

Movie Moment

If you’re more of a film buff, wear an iconic movie outfit. From Holly Golightly’s little black dress to Elle Woods’ hot pink courtroom look, there are decades of memorable shots that also make for great costumes.

Major Slay

Tired of telling people your major during the dreaded party small talk? Let your field of choice inspire your costume. Show off your

THRESHER

If you have a big group of friends, try having everyone dress as a different decade! Not only is this costume easy to put together (surely someone has the perfect ‘90s-inspired flannel or ‘70s bell bottoms) but it’s a great way to include as many people as possible in your group costume.

Nostalgia

Can you execute the Winx Club or the Powerpuff Girls better than the modern television adaptations can? Whether by yourself or with friends, your favorite childhood TV show or movie can be a great costume that can come from your closet.

Enjoy the nostalgia and bond with the people that loved the same things back in the day.

Be Bold

If you want to show your school pride, try a costume that only true Owls will understand. Get a pair of wings and go as Sammy the Owl, or track down a bald cap and Be Bald like our favorite presidents.

RIYA MISRA FEATURES EDITOR

COURTESY JEFF FITLOW

COURTESY THRESHER ARCHIVES People move chairs indoors for Leebron’s inauguration in 2004.

SARAH KNOWLTON FOR THE THRESHER

JENNIFER

‘Pride and Prejudice’ adapted for today

“But just being able to have that camaraderie with the cast and crew and knowing that we’re going through this together makes it a lot more manageable and enjoyable.”

Thompson said they also enjoyed the show’s willingness to discuss gender and feminism in an unabashed way.

“There are thoughts on gender roles and gender presentation as we have multiple people double-cast, oftentimes crossing their gender line and presentation,” Thompson said. “[There are also] thoughts on how feminism takes place within a society that didn’t really make any room for it — and I mean that both in Jane Austen’s world and our world as well. It’s always really nice to see shows that breach that subject unhesitantly.”

Though this play is an adaptation of classic literature, Thompson said its style will likely subvert some audience members’ expectations.

“It is a period piece, but [the play] is written in a way that we speak today,” Thompson said. “So if people are expecting a very prim and proper [adaptation], I think they’re going to come away pleasantly surprised.”

Scream for these Haunted Houses

JAZMINE CASTILLO FOR THE THRESHER

With Halloween right around the corner, here are some of the best haunted houses around the city, from family-friendly frights enjoyable for your most faint-hearted friends to the ultimate horror experience that will have you jumping around every corner. Every owl can find a fun time at one of these haunts, no matter if they shriek at the sight of a monster or are scare connoisseurs who fear nothing. All of these haunts are open through the weekend leading up to Halloween — but be warned, not all are for the faint of heart.

MADISON BARENDSE THRESHER STAFF

Last weekend, Rice Theatre performed Kate Hamill’s unique adaptation of the Jane Austen classic, “Pride and Prejudice.” While the show stays true to the main themes and plot of the novel, it revives the source material through a modern comedic lens. Each member of the small cast gets a chance to shine, often playing multiple characters with hilarious results. Additional performances will be featured Oct. 27 to 29 at 8 p.m. in Hamman Hall.

Chiro Ogbo, who plays Mr. Darcy, said he was thrilled to participate in “Pride and Prejudice” because it allowed him to develop his skills as an actor and storyteller.

“This is the first live production that I’ve been in, so it’s exciting to do that for the first time,” Ogbo, a Brown College junior, said. “I wanted to be in a production — I wanted to challenge myself this semester, [and this was] an interesting opportunity for me to create a familiar story in an unconventional way.”

Ogbo said this performance is different from many other Jane Austen adaptations in the way that it showcases the skills of the cast and crew.

“[The script is unique in] the comedic way in which it’s written and the way the casting choices are made,” Ogbo said. “There’s a lot of doubling, and it really

shows the versatility of the cast members and the amazing talent in the way they play multiple characters.”

Taylor Stowers, who plays Elizabeth Bennet, said she enjoyed Hamill’s script because it makes “Pride and Prejudice” more accessible and enjoyable to the audience.

“I think choosing a ‘Pride and Prejudice’ script that has more modern sensibilities has allowed it to relate to the audience a little bit more,” Stowers, a Duncan College sophomore, said. “While some other plays may have had more serious messages, this is a fun critique on feminism and societal convention.”

Skye Bronfenbrenner, the co-director, choreographer and intimacy director for the show, said she found this play particularly interesting in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing.

“This is Jane Austen,” Bronfenbrenner said. “It’s a lot of intimacy that happens from several feet away, so it was really cool to play with that knowing that that has been a part of our lives now.”

[There are also] thoughts on how feminism takes place within a society that didn’t really make any room for it — and I mean that both in Jane Austen’s world and our world as well. It’s always really nice to see shows that breach that subject unhesitantly.

Cleo Thompson

MARTEL COLLEGE SENIOR

Cleo Thompson, the assistant stage manager, said that while preparing for the performance could be stressful, the bonds between the cast and crew made it a much better experience.

“It’s not necessarily a calming time for us,” Thompson, a Martel College senior, said.

Christina Keefe, director of the Rice Theatre program and co-director of the show, said she was drawn to the play because it subverts people’s expectations while creating a comedic adaptation of the novel.

“‘Pride and Prejudice’ is such a universally known title, and I think some people might come in thinking it’s very much a straight-up Austenian take on the play,” Keefe said. “I love the fact that this is both irreverent and serious at the same time.”

Review: ‘Midnights’ not worth staying up for

HUGO GERBICH PAIS THRESHER STAFF

It is obvious that Taylor Swift needed to have gone to bed earlier and reviewed her work before releasing Midnights.

Failing to live to up to the sophisticated and heart-wrenching story telling that brought her critical acclaim, Taylor Swift’s “Midnights (3am Edition)” sees her return to her “You Need to Calm Down,” “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Blank Space” eras, but at least those songs were danceable. While not terrible, the album falls flat, despite several songs showcasing Swift’s songwriting and vocal talent.

At midnight Eastern time, Swift released “Midnights,” and then three hours later she released the “3 am Edition,” which included an additional seven songs. There doesn’t seem to be a reason for why Swift decided to not include these seven songs with the original release. If she was trying to seem chaotic and unhinged, her lyrics already achieve that.

One of my biggest critiques of “Midnights” lies in its lyricism, which often seems lazy and unimaginative, lacking the nuance and creativity we have come to expect from Swift.

Her similes are primitive and prosaic — in “Snow On The Beach,” she writes that “It’s like snow at the beach / Weird, but fucking beautiful.” In “Karma” she writes, “Sweet like honey, karma is a cat / Purring in my lap.” These similes do not feel fresh or inventive, nor do they provide the listener with a new way to vocalize their experience. Perhaps her most atrocious simile is in “Anti-Hero,” where she writes that she sometimes feels “like everybody is a sexy baby.”

Midnights opens with the song “Lavender Haze.” The pulsating bass drum is reminiscent of the opening track of Swift’s Reputation album “... Ready for It?” Yet the power of the song is diminished by its breathy chorus which quickly tires the ear, as her heavily edited vocals sound whiney and scratchy.

“Snow On The Beach” features Lana Del Rey, which you wouldn’t notice as her voice

hardly makes an appearance. Even more frustrating were the musically interesting songs that were ruined by underwhelming lyrics.

“Vigilante Shit” emulates the aggressive verses and heavy snare drums of “Look What You Made Me Do,” yet it once again doesn’t meet our expectations. The bridge is sprung onto us with a chilling effect — sounding like a nursery rhyme in a horror film and souring our perception of the song.

Horror Trails: Drivethru scares for the whole family

Phobia Haunted Houses: Taking it up a notch, spooky houses for those wanting a mid-level horror experience

Creepy Hollow Haunted House: Not for the faint of heart — the scariest houses to be found in H-Town

Purgatory Scream Park: The largest haunt in Texas will give you pumpkin to scream about with a wide variety of sets and themes

Read more online at ricethresher.org.

Top Track: “Mastermind”

The album ends with “Dear Reader,” which is very telling. The song has a seductive chorus with a delicate piano line that contrasts with the electronic verses. In the song’s outro, we are told, “We should find another guiding light,” and I agree. This album’s unimaginative lyricism and unexceptional sound prove Taylor Swift can no longer lead pop.

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

COURTESY PAIGE WILSON

Rice Theatre’s production of ‘Pride and Prejudice’ will be running Oct. 27 to 29 at 8 p.m. in Hamman Hall.

COURTESY REPUBLIC RECORDS

New MFAH exhibit aims to redefine Black power

because it shows how young he was,” Volpes said. “It shows him a little more vulnerable, and it shows him as a teacher rather than someone violent.”

Volpes said she also presented a physical copy of the magazine at the entrance so that viewers could circulate around the exhibit and return to it with a different opinion. While the original Life essay only included five of Parks’ photos, the exhibit features 53 images, providing a broader interpretation of what Parks was trying to convey about Carmichael’s public and private life.

KELTON KECK / THRESHER

CLAUDIA LIN FOR THE THRESHER

The Museum of Fine Arts’ new exhibit

“Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power” explores race and power through the lens of Gordon Parks’ camera. The exhibit, which opened to the public on Oct. 15, features a diverse range of Parks’ photographs, which all aim to offer a nuanced perspective of civil rights activist Stokely Carmichael and his advocacy work.

According to Lisa Volpes, the MFAH’s associate curator of photography, Gordon Parks was the first Black photographer to be hired at Life Magazine, a popular publication during the mid-1900’s.

“Life Magazine was probably the most important publication in America at mid century — more than 25 percent of the population subscribed to Life Magazine,” Volpes said. “So to be a Life photographer really meant that people across the country knew who you were, and he was one of Life’s best photographers without a doubt.”

Since the majority of Life magazine’s readership was white, Parks began producing profiles of civil rights leaders to

introduce people to various social justice issues.

Lisa Volpes, the MFAH’s associate curator of photography, said she solely focused on one specific Life photo essay Parks compiled from 1966 to 1967 about Carmichael, who was the newly elected chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

“Unfortunately, when Stokely said ‘Black power’ on a stage in Greenwood, Mississippi in June 1966, people kind of freaked out,” Volpes said. “They didn’t like those two words together, Black and power. So, in the popular press, in the mostly white press, people started dissecting the term and really rejecting it and also rejecting Carmichael himself as the vision of it.”

Volpes played on Carmichaels’ notoriety by confronting viewers with a large mural of him upon entering the exhibit. Volpes said that by including this compelling image of Carmichael on a larger scale, she hopes to directly contradict the dominant narrative perpetuated by the media that Carmichael was a violent, divisive leader.

“If you have a preconceived notion of Carmichael before you walk in, that mural should already start playing with that,

Review: Cate Blanchett stuns in ‘Tár’

JAY COLLURA THRESHER STAFF

The opening act of “Tár” features one of the most technically impressive shots of the year: a ten-minute, unbroken conversation in which Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) lectures a group of students about the relationship between art and artist in the world of classical music. As both the shot and conversation continue, Lydia’s snappy retorts and oppressive assertions reveal a darker, pretentious nature previously unseen. It becomes clear from this moment that “Tár” is much more than a movie about a composer and her music. Instead, the film is a masterful depiction of an artist’s ego and the consequences she faces for abusing it.

But why does Lydia Tár have an ego in the first place? Writer-director Todd Fields makes this very clear in the film’s opening moments, presented by The New Yorker’s Adam Gopnik. Tár has conducted in a variety of the top orchestras around the world, currently is leading the worldrenowned Berlin symphony, and is one of the few artists to receive an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). This fairly self-important premise often gave way to jargon-filled conversations that initially lost me. However, as the story unfolded, these conversations became engaging due to the power dynamics and inferred histories that surrounded them. Because the audience is only shown a slice of Tár’s life, the film can be difficult to decipher but immensely satisfying to unwrap.

The script is a large part of what makes this unraveling so compelling, but the greatness

on. He was willing to be the driver,” Volpes said. “But he didn’t let that bog him down. He found joy in it too. It was just a beautiful realization for me after hearing all those stories, and it’s one of my favorite things on the wall.”

Beyond the included photos, videos featuring Carmichael speaking at SNCC events are scattered throughout the exhibit. According to Volpes, Parks’ essay admires Carmichael’s successful orating abilities and how it transformed people’s opinions.

“Although there were only five photographs printed in the Life essay, Parks took more than 700 total,” Volpes said. “I had to dig through those and decide what followed the story best and how those could go up on the wall.”

One photo in particular depicts Carmichael and SNCC’s Cleveland Sellers, Jr. smiling brightly in front of a camera, which Parks purposefully captured to emphasize Carmichael’s cheerful personality. According to the photo’s caption, this was a side of him that was often hidden from the national press.

To better understand Carmichael’s true character, Volpes spoke with his son, Bokar Carmichael. Volpes said that his favorite memories were of his father driving and singing at the top of his lungs.

“He was showing us the responsibility that Carmichael willfully and joyfully took

“Parks was always trying to do that with his photographs,” Volpes said. “That was the intent and purpose of so many of his images, and because Parks drew that comparison, I wanted people to have that comparison on the walls. So you see Stokely speakingv about the situations that are in the photos.”

Volpes said she wanted to relay Parks’ perspective of Black power to visitors. Ultimately, the exhibit conveys a broader, multidimensional message that applies to modern social justice movements.

“I hope visitors understand Parks’ vision better. And in Parks’ vision, they understand Carmichael better,” Volpes said. “I want people to walk around and see the sections about voting rights and voter registration, about police brutality [and] about what makes the news and what doesn’t, and really understand that not much has changed from 1967 until today.”

of Cate Blanchett’s performance cannot be understated. Blanchett captures both a cynical edge and a clear passion for classical music, creating a performance that was impossible to look away from. Blanchett’s commitment to the character is much appreciated, as it makes the film feel like a documentary capturing the lives of musicians instead of a room of actors pretending to play instruments.

If I were to describe “Tár” in one word, it would be demanding. It is a long, slow film that rewards the viewer for paying attention and expects you to infer a lot of the details. This is exactly what makes the film worth watching. The viewer is shown what happens when Icarus flies too close to the sun, but the descent is much more calculated and complex than you’d expect.

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

Assessment of Influenza Vaccine

I want people to walk around and see the sections about voting rights and voter registration, about police brutality [and] about what makes the news and what doesn’t, and understand that not much has changed from 1967 until today.

Lisa Volpes

MFAH ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

COURTESY

Grace Collins ends her soccer career where it started

DIEGO PALOS RODRIGUEZ THRESHER STAFF

From breaking assist records to scoring game-winning goals and, last week, earning the United Soccer Coaches national player of the week honors, graduate forward Grace Collins has been all over the pitch and the papers this season, helping the Rice soccer team clinch the Conference-USA regular season title. Despite the graduate transfer’s outstanding season, it came close to not happening after the end of last year.

“I didn’t even know if I was gonna play this year, to be honest,” Collins said.

After finishing off a decorated career at Texas Christian University that included Big 12 Player of the Year and second-team AllAmerican honors, Collins considered not returning for another year of soccer. While weighing her options, the Houston-native thought back to where she grew up and where her passion for soccer was fueled.

“I have a family connection to Rice,” Collins said. “My uncle played tennis here, and my aunt ran track. I went to Rice soccer camps over the years. I have a photo on my

phone of me at a [Rice] camp, I got the MVP award and I had this big smile on my face. I really enjoyed going to those soccer camps when I was little.”

While the decision to play soccer in a tennis-dominated household was, in part, led by her desire to form her own path, her love for the sport drew support from her family.

“My parents saw [that] I had so much fun playing soccer,” Collins said. “My mom definitely was a factor in that; she always drove me to all my practices and really made the extra effort, so she has always been a big person in my soccer career.”

Once she reached middle school, she began playing in leagues and clubs that exposed her to a higher level of competition and showcases. While traveling around the region and performing well at these showcases, Collins began gaining recognition from soccer programs around the country, leading her to several college visits and an early recruitment process.

“I played up [in age group] and went to a few more showcases,” Collins said. “I originally committed to TCU when I was a freshman [in high school], so those showcases went pretty well because I had college interests at a younger age.”

After a successful high school career, leading Memorial High School to a 6A State title her junior year and being named the Gatorade Texas Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Collins began her collegiate career at TCU. As a true freshman, she started in all 22 games and was fourth in points on the team. Her second season was her most successful yet, but she had to overcome both injury and an unprecedented pandemic-affected season.

“I had a stress fracture in my foot, and I had to play the [first half of the 2020-2021] season on it,” Collins said. “I think we played our last [conference] game Nov. 6 and I had surgery Nov. 20. [That season was my most challenging] because of testing for COVID, dealing with an injury [and] the unknown of if we were going to get shut down.”

Despite these challenges, Collins’ success on the pitch earned her Big 12 Player of the Year honors as she led TCU to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. Her form carried on to her final year at TCU where she led the team in assists in another run to the Sweet Sixteen.

Rice soon became an option for Collins after finishing up a degree in Accounting and Finance from TCU. According to her, the academics at Rice followed by connections on the team were what attracted her to the possibility of playing another year of soccer.

“I knew Rice had the Master of Accounting program, and I wanted to come back to Houston, so that was the first thing I thought of,” Collins said. “Then I just talked to Bella [Killgore about the team]. I sort of didn’t think about soccer for a month and then decided to keep playing.”

Her decision to play another year and come to Rice has paid off. While in the McNair School of Business pursuing a masters in accounting, Collins leads the team in goals, assists, points, shots, shots on goal and gamewinning goals, while guiding the team to an undefeated record in conference thus far. According to her, the transition into the new but familiar environment has been swift.

“The coaches have been great; [I’m] trying to step into a role of helping out wherever I can,” Collins said. “The girls here are super welcoming, it was pretty easy [to transition]. It might have to do with maturity, having played college soccer for three years and knowing what comes with the territory, but the transition was super easy for me.”

As Collins closes in on the last few games of her decorated collegiate career, being back in her hometown has reminded her why soccer has been such an important part of her life.

“It seemed like the perfect fit to be at such a great school and end my soccer career with my family around me,” Collins said. “[Playing at Rice] has really reminded me why I love playing soccer and why I’ve stuck with it all these years.”

Movie aficionado Luke McCaffrey stars in new role

PAVITHR GOLI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Luke McCaffrey has starred in a leading role for Rice’s football team this season – fitting for someone who describes himself as a movie buff through and through.

“I love making films,” McCaffrey said. “I have a hidden Youtube channel with scraps that I have made.

I haven’t really shown anyone, probably because I’m too embarrassed.

Growing up, the two things that influenced me the most were movies and sports and so that is kind of where I have always shifted my energy towards.”

Depite donning navy blue and grey on Saturday afternoons, McCaffrey still makes time for his other passion. When he wasn’t playing sports growing up, McCaffrey, who named Wes Anderson and Christopher Nolan as his favorites, loved to write and direct small movies with his brothers and loved to watch classic films.

Luke McCaffrey

redshirt-freshman year. McCaffrey said he has cherished his time at South Main so far and appreciates Rice’s rich culture.

“It has been a blast,” McCaffrey said. “It was a transition at first, not going to lie. It was super different – coming from a small town with a huge school to a big city with a smaller school has been a unique experience. But, I think that the culture built around Rice, the history and the tradition that is everywhere … is something that you don’t see at most schools. Just to be a part of that is something that is a blessing.”

Before eventually joining Rice from Nebraska in the summer of 2021, McCaffrey briefly committed to University of Louisville. When reflecting on his lastsecond decision to come to Houston, McCaffrey said that Rice’s community attracted him.

while being one of the harder decisions that I have made … as time has gone on, I think the confidence in making that decision just really turned into a stronger peace.”

After struggling with injuries and inconsistency at quarterback last year, he made yet another change, switching to receiver. In his first year in the new role, he has emerged as a star, ranking in the top-ten in Conference USA in every major receiver category. According to McCaffrey, he’s taken to the switch just fine.

“It’s been a fun transition,” McCaffrey said. “You come into contact with a lot of people in different ways when you switch positions. It’s been so fun to learn and it has been so fun to continue to grow. [Being a quarterback] has helped me see everything to a certain extent. I think the biggest thing is communication. Whether it is Wiley [Green] before he got hurt, or TJ [McMahon] now, it helps that you can speak the same language with the guy who is playing [quarterback].”

McCaffrey has written some Nolan-esque plot twists into his college football career so far. After beginning his career as a four-star quarterback at the University of Nebraska, McCaffrey transferred to Rice after his

“It was an interesting situation,” McCaffrey said. “I was committed [to Louisville] and right at the last second, I had a change of mind. Rice, being the school that it is and the community that it is, for some reason attracted me. Since I’ve been on campus, all of that has been built into a conviction that I love this community. I love Rice, I love Houston. Making that decision,

After beating Louisiana Tech University behind McCaffrey’s 200-yard, threetouchdown performance, the team has already matched their win total from last year. However, according to McCaffrey, the team must stay mentally strong so they don’t get too far ahead of themselves.

“When you look week-to-week, I don’t think that there is a team on our schedule that we can’t beat,” McCaffrey said. “Obviously, our goal is to make a bowl game, but if you get too focused on that, we almost get into our heads a little bit and overthink.”

As he settles into his new school and new position, McCaffrey looks to be past

Receiver Luke McCaffrey runs with the ball during a recent game. Since transferring to Rice and switching positions, McCaffrey has hit his stride.

his career’s most dramatic plot twists. But according to McCaffrey, it’s the characters, not the plot, that make a movie great anyway.

“I love a lot of the narrative stories and any story built around characters,” McCaffrey said. “Even if the plot isn’t great, if you add a solid character, I’ll love it.”

Rice, being the school that it is and the community that it is, for some reason really attracted me. Since I’ve been on campus, all of that has built into a conviction that I love this community.

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE RECEIVER

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

Forward Grace Collins dribbles the ball during a recent game. A former Big 12 Player of the Year at TCU, Collins transferred to Rice where she’s led the team in goals and assists.

COURTESY GRACE COLLINS

They’re lovin’ it: FB’s McConnection leads them past LA Tech

DANIEL SCHRAGER SPORTS EDITOR

Before junior quarterback TJ McMahon hit redshirt sophomore receiver Luke McCaffrey behind two Louisiana Tech University defenders for a 32-yard touchdown with just over two minutes before halftime on Saturday, Rice’s offense hadn’t scored a point in their last hour-and-16-minutes of gametime. But after going down 10-0, the Owls scored 42 points in the next 35 minutes to leave Ruston, LA with a one-point overtime win. According to McMahon, the touchdown kickstarted the offense going into halftime.

“You can’t get shut out in the first half,” McMahon said. “Points are always big. As you can see, the tides will turn when points come that way … We were like, ‘Hey, we’re still in this game, it’s a three-point deficit that we’re at, we can always come back.’”

Prior to McCaffrey’s touchdown, both teams’ defenses were the story of the half. A 49-yard run set up a short touchdown on the Bulldog’s first drive, and good field position allowed them to get three points out of a 13-yard drive five minutes later. But after losing their starting quarterback Parker McNeil halfway through the first quarter, the Bulldogs offense came to a halt, and three combined turnovers, including a fumble by the Owls’ senior running back Ari Broussard at the goal-line, kept both teams off of the scoreboard for the bulk of the half.

The second half was a different story. While Louisiana Tech went three-and-out on their first drive of the half, their punt was fumbled by Rice’s returner, sophomore cornerback Sean Fresch, and led by backup quarterback Matthew Downing, LA Tech took advantage with a touchdown five plays later. The Owls answered though, with a 45yard run by redshirt senior running back Cam Montgomery that set up a touchdown pass from McMahon to redshirt senior receiver Bradley Rozner. The teams traded touchdowns once again, with Rice’s drive being highlighted by a McCaffrey 66-yard catch and run, before a LA Tech field goal

FROM FRONT PAGE SOCCER

After the win, head coach Brian Lee said that the seniors winning their last home game made the win extra special.

“What a wonderful senior night,” Lee said. “Western kept fighting and got further back into the game and it sure looked like it was going to be nil-nil but what a great goal for Jaden. For her to step up and get the gamewinner … That’s a Senior Night that they will remember. It was a great way to send off a wonderful group that’s meant a lot to the program.”

Roberts, the hero of the game who has played in 31 games with the Owls along with two stints on the Jamaican U17 and U20 National Teams, was one of 13 academic seniors, including some who are listed as juniors due to an additional year of eligibility in said “wonderful group” being honored before the game. The highly decorated senior

brought their lead to 27-21 going into the fourth.

A penalty negated a fourth-down conversion on Rice’s first drive of the quarter, forcing a punt, but the Bulldogs gave the ball right back after a three-and-out. Then McMahon took matters into his own hands, faking the handoff and splitting the heart of the LA Tech defense for a career-long 64 yard touchdown run. According to head coach Mike Bloomgren, the touchdown was a result of a subtle tweak by the coaching staff.

“It was a great job by our coaching staff on the sideline, saying how much the defensive end was bending on the plunge [run] plays and then TJ got loose and did the rest himself,” Bloomgren said.

Another LA Tech three-and-out gave Rice the ball back with a one-point lead, and a nine play, 70-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 17-yard McCaffrey touchdown run out of the wildcat, stretched their lead to eight with four minutes remaining. Bloomgren said that the team is going to try to take more advantage of McCaffrey’s

class has etched their names in Rice soccer history highlighted by a Conference USA championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 during the 20202021 season. But according to Roberts, the bond that the seniors have created is greater than any on-the-field accomplishments.

“I love [these seniors] like family,” Roberts said. “We’ve been together for four years and some just for this current year but as a team on and off the field we’re a tight family. We care about each other, we want to help each other and it feels so good to be playing with them my last year.”

The Owls, who clinched the 2022 C-USA regular season title thanks to a University of Alabama at Birmingham loss on Sunday, now enter a road stretch where they take on their final two opponents before the conference tournament. Thursday’s win improves the Owls overall record to 10-7 and, for just the second time in program history, a perfect 8-0 conference record. According to Killgore, the

versatility, but he doesn’t want that to take away from his performance at receiver.

“[Lining up McCaffrey in multiple positions] is something we talked about when Luke first made the switch [from quarterback to receiver] and now we’re starting to get more comfort and I think we’re starting to see more of those opportunities down the field.” Bloomgren said. “But what a phenomenal job he did as a receiver today, from getting open and making plays after he caught the ball.”

But LA Tech wouldn’t go away just yet. The Bulldogs marched the ball down to Rice’s 34-yard line, where a roughing the passer penalty extended their drive while knocking Downing out of the game. Thirdstring quarterback Landry Lyddy found receiver Cyrus Allen, who made a leaping catch in double-coverage just inches away from the sideline to bring the score to 3533. Not to be outdone by his teammate, receiver Tre Harris snagged Lyddy’s pass on the ensuing two-point-conversion with one hand to force overtime.

It took the Owls just three plays to score in overtime, after redshirt junior Juma Otoviano’s 19-yard run on second down set up his own four-yard touchdown on the next play. The Owls defense forced a fourth-down on the Bulldogs’ next drive, but on the decisive play, Lyddy found Harris for the receiver’s third touchdown of the game. However, instead of tying the game with an extra point, LA Tech opted to try to win the game with a two-point conversion. Lyddy threw a fade to his left, but his pass sailed well over his receiver’s head, and the Owls left Ruston with a 42-41 comeback win. According to Otoviano, who’s been buried on the depth chart for much of the season, the game winning score meant a lot to him and his team.

“It feels amazing,” Otoviano said. “More importantly, I’m just happy that I was able to help my team out today.”

The win moves the Owls to 4-3 (2-1 in the conference) and puts them squarely in contention for a bowl game. They return home to face the University of North Carolina at Charlotte on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Owls are not only looking to mark their first ever undefeated conference season but make a deep run in the postseason.

“We need to take these next couple games of our conference regular season and

just keep getting better,” Killgore said. “We’re going to keep preparing for the [conference] tournament because our goal is to win the tournament and go to the NCAAs.”

The De Lange Conference will focus on the exploration of technology, how it’s shaped by society and culture, and how society should respond to the challenges posed by technological change.

and Registration:

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COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

The Rice soccer team mobs Jaden Roberts (19) after her game winning goal on Thursday. The Owls clinched the C-USA regular season title just days after their Senior Night win.

COURTESY JOSHUA MCDANIEL - RICE ATHLETICS Quarterback TJ McMahon attempts a pass during Saturday’s game against LA Tech. McMahon’s four total touchdowns helped lead the Owls to a 42-41 overtime win.

President DesRoches’ Vision for the Second Century, Second Decade, Second Year

When I accepted the summons for the office of President of Rice University, I realized that I had big shoes to fill. Former President David Leebron led our community to greater heights to maintain our excellent standing in higher education, enhance the undergraduate and graduate student experiences, and support our mission to produce world-changers. David’s Vision for the Second Century (V2C) and its later iteration for the second decade (V2C2) established seven core goals to focus our efforts, and today I am announcing my commitment to upholding these values during my tenure. Below I detail the next step for Rice: the Vision for the Second Century, Second Decade, Second Year (V2C2D2).

Provide Invest

Provide students with state-of-the-art stress relief infrastructure by supplying each residential college with one dildo and one fleshlight each. Students will have the opportunity to learn both independent stress management, as well as how to embody the Culture of Care and give their

Build a new Center for [jhbasfjhb fix later with something about enterprise or excellence]. This new center will be the first of its kind and uniquely benefit students in their academic, co-curricular, and post-graduation pursuits.

Invest in the long-term by stocking up reserves of pillows and air mattresses in the inevitable case of a meteor collision. Rice will be the only academic institution in the state prepared to protect its students from the world’s imminent end.

Expand beyond the hedges to neighboring academic institutions. Beginning with an acquisition of University of Houston, Rice will initiate a series of buyouts to amalgamate the nation’s top universities under the Rice name. This pillar is fulfilled when Rice abolishes the Ivy League and rises to first in the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges list.

Elevate Engage

Elevate campus security to the skies by deploying a 500-drone army to patrol campus and fire missiles at students not found in the Rice University Authorized Persons Database (96% identification accuracy rate).

Extend the semester from 15 weeks to 25, maximizing opportunities for learning and scholarship while reducing opportunities for student discomfort related to lack of work. Student achievement will soar when they stop wasting away on the Tik Tok and the Be Real.

Engage our students with vibrant and entertaining lectures. Professors will strengthen the effectiveness of their lessons under the new faculty distribution requirements, obliging all tenure track professors to incorporate D1: Flashing Lights, D2: Alcoholic Incentives, or D3: Sexually Explicit Audio.

Build Expand Extend

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

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