The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Rice Management Company terminates leases for

Oh My Gogi

BRANDON CHEN FOR THE THRESHER

On Dec. 27, 2022, Rice Management Company notified YoYo’s Hot Dog and Oh My Gogi their leases to operate in Rice Village will be terminated effective Jan. 31, 2023, according to an email obtained by the Thresher.

Morgan Lera, investment manager for Rice Management Company, which is responsible for the university’s endowment, oversees Rice Village.

“Rice Village created an opportunity for temporary popup tenants to operate within Rice Village parking lots for the last several years,” Lera wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Parking needs are becoming more critical as Rice Village continues to attract a diverse mix of national and local tenants and, as a result, the temporary pop-ups are scheduled to close.”

Kevin Dang, co-owner of YoYo’s Hot Dog, said that the notice came as a shock.

“When we first got the news that Rice was kicking us out, we were incredibly panicked,” Dang said. “Our general focus week by week is just making sure that we’re able to have the number of ingredients ready to serve our customers. That’s usually our most common concern: operations. We never have to worry about anything other than that. Now, we have to worry about where we are going to even operate in addition to our business.”

In the mid-1980s, Rice University began buying land in what we now

know as Rice Village. Throughout the last few decades, RMC made large purchases to consolidate the Rice Village district. Over the years, property management has changed hands a couple times, landing on Houston-based REIS Associates LLC in 2019.

make sure that it fits both Rice and ourselves. They’ve just basically told us, ‘Hey, no, we don’t see you developing with us. So unfortunately, we’re ending this relationship.’ So it definitely shocked us to our core.”

RMC declined to comment on the future of Rice Village.

Many Rice students expressed shock at the news of the closures. Renzo Espinoza, a Wiess College junior, said that when he heard the news, he decided to take immediate action and created a petition on Change.org, which has accrued 4,500 signatures at the time of publication.

Weston Twardowski uses theatre to spotlight environmental issues

HADLEY MEDLOCK ASST. A&E EDITOR

Both on and off the stage, theatre has long been a part of Weston Twardowski’s life. From professionally acting to directing shows to co-founding his own theatre company in Los Angeles, Twardowski has made his love for the stage into a living. Now the program manager of the Diluvial Houston Initiative and lecturer in theatre and environmental studies at Rice, Twardowski finds his passion for theatre and academic research intertwining with a pertinent issue — environmental justice.

“[As] I continue to think about the research topics that interest me, it’s very much tied to how my research can also move beyond an academic readership and into public change,” Twardowski said. “[A] site that I’m very passionate about for that is in any kind of environmental work, environmental justice [or] climate justice. And some of that is art making, and some of it is really thinking about what an artistic approach brings to the kind of advocacy and activism we care about.”

“The new management company came in, and they started revamping a lot,” Dang said. “They moved us around a few times in the past few years, and they also changed our lease to an annual lease as well. The reason why they did that was … they phrased it like they weren’t sure [where] they’re taking the development of Rice Village to, so they wanted to keep their options open and keep us only on an annual lease temporarily. And so we were like, ‘Okay, well, we have no choice.’”

Dang said that they tried negotiating with RMC after the notice was given.

“We asked Rice if it’s possible that we can move to a different corner of Rice [Village],” Dang said. “We’re very mobile. We just want to

“I hadn’t seen any other petitions or any other means of which to reverse the decision, at least from a student perspective … so I … literally made it on my phone in like, 30 seconds, and then I just posted it in our Wiess group chat and it just started spreading,” Espinoza said.

Christi Nguyen, Jones College senior and Houston native, recalls going to YoYo’s in high school.

“I grew up in northwest Houston, and in high school, YoYo’s Hot Dogs was known as a must-try institution,” Nguyen said. “Every so often, my friends and I would make the 40-minute drive and wait in sometimes hour long lines to come visit and every time it felt like YoYo’s was so proud and happy to serve us their one-of-a-kind hot dogs. And to know that it was a local, Asian business, it made me even prouder to be served by it.”

After graduating from Northwestern University with an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in theatre and drama just last year, Twardowski was able to utilize his dissertation to delve into this intersection between performing arts and environmental activism.

“And so [the work that] really grew out of my dissertation research project was on post-Katrina performance in New Orleans, and thinking about how places that had been through environmental catastrophe use arts and performance as a method of healing community and kind of reestablishing civic identities within the area,” Twardowski said.

A native of New Orleans who lived through Hurricane Katrina, Twardowski has long turned to theatre and art as a source of healing, restoration and community, and considers it an educational tool.

“I lived through Katrina [and] was very much in the aftermath of Katrina. How I put my life back together was making art,” Twardowski said. “Some of the most important work being done by some really impressive advocates and activists in the city of New Orleans, and some really incredible nonprofits, are done by artists.”

When we first got the news that Rice was kicking us out, we were incredibly panicked.

Kevin Dang CO-OWNER OF YOYO’S HOT DOG

YoYo’s,

The more that my research went into thinking about environmental catastrophe, the more climate change just became kind of inescapable in my headspace.

Weston Twardowski THEATRE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES LECTURER

FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER

Kamryn Sanamo, Martel senior, passes after battle with brain cancer

NAVEED & MARIA MORKAS NEWS EDITOR & ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Kamryn Sanamo, a Martel College senior, died on Jan. 5 at the age of 21 after a battle with brain cancer. She was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor on July 9, 2021.

Born in Louisiana, Kamryn grew up in Katy, Texas before attending Rice University on a full scholarship. After her first surgery from a basketball injury in seventh grade, Kamryn developed a strong passion for medicine and wished to become a pediatrician. After graduating high school, Kamryn earned entry into the highly competitive Joint Admission Medical Program, guaranteeing admission to a Texas medical school.

Dusty Sanamo, Kamryn’s mother, described her as the most ambitious, motivated and determined woman — a sentiment strongly echoed by her friends and professors. Kamryn’s empathy, evident even through some of her hardest battles, especially stuck with Dusty.

“One afternoon, after a long day of appointments at MD Anderson [Cancer Center], she mentioned how bad she felt for the older patients and [that she] ‘couldn’t imagine how hard it was for them,’” Dusty said. “That will always stick with me, because I’m pretty certain those older people were looking at her

thinking the same thing about her, a 21 year old who should not have to sit at MD Anderson all day.”

Savannah May met Kamryn in sixth grade, where the two became close friends through their shared interests in basketball and academics. They both matriculated at Rice on the same career path and were roommates during their freshman year.

“She was a really good friend to me, like the first friend [I] had at Rice,” May, a Martel senior, said. “She helped me through a lot. She was just an overall great human being. Honestly, when we were kids, I thought she was perfect. Because everything she did, she did with so much ease, and it was always right. I really admired that about her.”

As a Kinesiology major, Kamryn took anatomy in Spring 2020 with professor Wendy Schell. Schell said that, despite arriving early to her classroom every day, Kamryn would always be there waiting for her.

“It was always very impressive to me that someone who lived off campus and commuted from Katy could get there before I did, at 7:45 [a.m.],” Schell said.

“And I just thought how remarkable [it was to] have to come in from so far, and be not only on time but 15 minutes early every day.”

Schell said that Kamryn, then a freshman, was one of the most hardworking students she has ever taught.

towards wanting to become a pediatrician and really ate up any of the sciences that were very applicable to the human body and towards medicine,” Schell said. “We communicated frequently by email of ‘I found this article or saw this topic’ or things that related to class, and she just really kind of took things to another level very independently, was very much self-directed, which [was] remarkable for a freshman too.”

Family, friends and professors alike were inspired by Kamryn’s strength and bravery in fighting her illness.

Augusto Rodriguez, a professor in the Kinesiology department, taught Kamryn in two classes during her time at Rice. Rodriguez similarly was struck by Kamryn’s determination to learn and by her work ethic, despite her diagnosis.

Schell said Kamryn’s determination was apparent in everything she did.

“She was very willing to take on anything, whether it was fighting cancer, studying for a test or trying to knock it out of the park for whatever class it was that she was involved in, or just being a good friend,” Schell said. “Nothing was too much of a challenge for her. She had a heart of a lion, ‘I’m going to be this or I’m going to do this extremely determined.’”

Dusty recalled the proud moment when Kamryn received her Rice graduation ring, days before her passing.

May MARTEL COLLEGE SENIOR

“She was always on time, she was reaching out about questions, about making sure that she was on the right track,” Rodriguez said. “I remember thinking that, if it were me, I would probably put everything aside. I mean, I was really impressed how much she wanted to finish school and to keep living

May hopes that people can see how tough Kamryn was.

“Kamryn was one of the toughest people I know,” May said. “The fact that this whole entire time, what she was going through, she never actually gave up, and I’ll always admire that about her. And in the middle of everything, she was still coming to Rice, she was still taking classes … at the end of the day, she was only like three credit hours away from graduating – she’s definitely an

“At that time, she was barely responsive, but she gave me a huge smile as I told her what I was slipping on her finger,” Dusty said. “She would have graduated May 2023, on time with her class even after taking a year off for chemotherapy and radiation. I know she will be there in spirit for the ceremony.”

Dusty said that Kamryn maintained her religious faith, even in the worst trials.

“No matter what the results of scans or tests, she remained optimistic and focused on God’s word,” Dusty said. “She stayed focused on being completely healed. Her miracle of complete healing came, but it came on the other side of Heaven’s gates.”

May said that she hopes people remember Kamryn’s powerful strength.

“I hope people can see just how tough she was, and just how much of a fighter she was,” May said. “At the end of the day, Kamryn had big plans for herself, and she wanted to see them through. And nothing was going to stop her.”

FROM FRONT PAGE YOYO’S, OH MY GOGI

The news brought a resurgence of customers to both YoYo’s and Gogi the night after news of their imminent departure broke.

“They’ve always had huge lines, but I’ve definitely noticed a huge increase in the amount of customers that both establishments have been receiving,”

Espinoza said. “People were taking pictures with Mr. YoYo like he was a celebrity. It definitely seemed like they were showing love for both of the food trucks and if anything, they were looking to get in a couple of last meals if the worst case scenario comes true.”

According to Dang, leaving Rice Village will force YoYo’s to cease operations temporarily while they find another suitable location. Dang also said that their plans to open a brick

and mortar YoYo’s shop are on hold, pending permit approvals from the City of Houston.

Oh My Gogi’s management could not be reached for comment on the lease termination. They did indicate, however, that they now plan to operate their food truck from the parking lot of the Upper Kirby Car Wash at 3835 Farnham St. They also have a permanent storefront location near the Galleria.

Dang said that YoYo’s has a deep appreciation for Rice and its students and will try to stay involved with the Rice community.

“We love the opportunity that we’ve had with Rice,” Dang said. “We hope to always stay with Rice and be a part of their culture … If this is the final hurrah, we will try to host one last event with Rice University before we have to move someplace else. We’re trying everything we can to stay in the Rice community.”

HAJERA

I hope people can see just how tough she was, and just how much of a fighter she was.

Savannah

COURTESY DUSTY SANAMO

COURTESY DUSTY SANAMO

Hanszenites talk new wing, ongoing improvements

SPRING CHENJP THRESHER STAFF

Students began moving into the new wing of Hanszen College on Jan. 5 after supply chain shortages delayed the wing’s completion to late December from early August, as originally anticipated.

The new Hanszen wing was built with cross-laminated timber, an environmentally-friendly material in line with the university’s objective to construct a building achieving LEEDSilver certification.

Hanszen President Dani Knobloch said the completion of the new wing will strengthen the college’s culture.

“It’s been tough the past couple of years with people fragmented between Hanszen and Sid and not having a quad,” Knobloch, a senior, said. “[Now] we have a quad; we have a space where we can host events. People are closer to [the] commons, so they’re hopefully more likely to come to [the] commons.”

Lily Remington, a Hanszen sophomore, said she appreciates the new wing.

“Furniture is [being moved in] now, so most of the terraces have furniture. I think the lobby’s going to have furniture in the next couple of weeks, and hopefully by the end of February, we’ll have the reading nooks.”

Maddox Spinelli, a Hanszen freshman, said he noticed many students experienced small issues in their dorms during movein, including issues with water pressure and door locks.

“A lot of locks weren’t set properly so doors weren’t opening or closing. In my room, the toilet pipe isn’t quite tightened, so it leaks when you flush it,” Spinelli said. “We have low hot water pressure in my room, so we have to take cold showers right now.”

However, Knobloch said the new building lacks some features in comparison to the building that previously stood in its place.

“A lot of the spaces we had in the old building don’t exist in the new building,” Knobloch said.

HANSZEN

“I’m so excited to have moved in there,” Remington said. “The room’s really nice, and the bathroom’s really nice because the old building has communal bathrooms, so I’m happy to have my own bathroom.”

Although students were able to move in, Knobloch said Housing and Dining staff are still working to furnish common spaces. Housing and Dining could not be reached in time for comment.

“One of the main things that needs to be done is the reading nooks that are supposed to be by the windows, those aren’t all in yet,” Knobloch said.

“There’s no laundry room [within the building], no bike locker [and] no basement. We have three terraces; those are really nice, but they’re not quite as big or as private as our old spaces were.”

Hanszen off-campus committee head Anushka Agrawal said she believes the new wing will increase demand for oncampus housing.

“Before [the construction of the new wing], it was generally that people moved off-campus and stayed off-campus because it was nicer housing,” Agrawal, a junior, said. “There wasn’t as much fighting to be [on-campus]. Whereas now, [Hanszenites] really want to be on campus.”

Rice announces changes to May Commencement Ceremonies

VALERA FOR THE THRESHER

Graduation ceremonies will now become one event for each graduating group, removing the all-student commencement ceremony generally on the second morning of graduation weekend, according to President Reginald DesRoches from a campus-wide email sent on Jan. 10.

DesRoches said that a condensed commencement ceremony will allow graduates to have a more rewarding graduation experience.

“A series of specialized ceremonies that allow each graduate to cross the stage, hear their name read and receive their degree will be a more fulfilling experience for

students and their families than spreading the components over two days,” DesRoches wrote in an email announcing the changes.

According to DesRoches’ campuswide email, there were several reasons that motivated administration to make these changes, including concerns about the Houston summer climate and adding additional burden to graduates and their families.

“We believe the changes made to the May commencement will not only increase attendance, but make commencement a more enjoyable occasion for everyone involved — students, parents, faculty and staff alike,” DesRoches wrote in an email to the Thresher. “This year is ideal to implement such changes given the new

“It’s good that it’s on one day; I think it’s easier for relatives or friends to come see [the ceremony],” Lateef said. “Overall, it could be better because I’ve heard people in the past complain about the first [ceremony] being really early [in the morning].”

Will Rice College senior Arjun SethiOlowin said that he agrees with the administration’s decision to condense the graduation ceremonies into a single ceremony.

“The reasons outlined for the commencement changes make a lot of sense, and I am glad I have one less [ceremony] to attend … I already was of the opinion that having two separate events didn’t really make sense and combining them seems like a good decision,” SethiOlowin wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Sethi-Olowin said that his family won’t need to adjust any plans because of the commencement ceremony changes.

“My mother and brother were already planning on coming for the weekend, so the timing actually works a little better because my brother doesn’t need to miss classes to make a Friday evening event,” Sethi-Olowin wrote in an email to the Thresher.

administration and our increased student body size.”

Duncan College senior Adnan Lateef said that he expects these commencement ceremony changes to have a positive impact on his overall graduation experience.

MARIA

CHANNING WANG / THRESHER

FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER

Students were able to move in to the new Hanszen building on Jan. 5.

[Now] we have a quad; we have a space where we can host events. People are closer to [the] commons so they’re hopefully more likely to come to [the] commons.

Dani Knobloch

COLLEGE PRESIDENT

Payment system revamped at Rice Coffeehouse, eliminates processing issues

TANYA RICHARDS FOR THE THRESHER

Rice Coffeehouse instituted a new payment system, Revel, on Jan. 11. The move was prompted by frequent creditcard processing problems that the business experienced in previous semesters, Caitlin Lindsay, the associate director of facilities, events and student run businesses, said.

Coffeehouse was previously using a point-of-sales system called Shopkeep, which had several limitations, Lindsay said.

“You were able to use credit cards … but there were just some times the credit card machine wasn’t working correctly because it was just a little bit old, and so credit cards were down on random days,” Lindsay said. “We want to be operational a hundred percent of the time, not ninety-five percent.”

Chidimma Alilonu, the previous Coffeehouse finance manager, initiated the transition to the more reliable Revel payment system.

“The implementation of the Revel system was a long process but something that I’m really proud that Coffeehouse was able to do,” Alilonu, a Wiess College senior, said. “I wasn’t able to complete [the project] during my term, and the new management team has been instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition after I stepped down at the beginning of this year.”

Lindsay said these initial hiccups with Tetra were nothing to worry about, as it was not a problem with Revel itself.

“There were a few little challenges [on Wednesday], but those were not caused by the new point-of-sale system. So if you had stopped by Coffeehouse on Wednesday, you may have seen that they weren’t accepting credit card or Tetra [at that time],” Lindsay said. “That was not in any way the fault of the new point-of-sale system,; it was a networking piece that we were able to figure out with IT.”

Santiago Parra, a Hanszen College junior, said he had a successful transaction Friday morning, just days after the system changes took place.

“It was perfectly fine,” Parra said. “I’ve been fine the whole time, I actually didn’t know there were any issues happening. All I knew was that Tetra wasn’t working.”

The transaction process has also become more streamlined on the employee-end with Revel, according to Lindsay.

“As of right now, all of your payment options are completely open for you. It’s a fairly intuitive system for [the employees]. It’s been working well,” Lindsay said. “You click a piece, and it’s right away going to ask you, ‘Okay what size is that, do you want to add these pieces,’ so it’s actually helped them to speed along their process.”

Coffeehouse employee Timauri Carby said that the new system will take time to get used to, but she is happy the switch was made.

“I like that we are able to credit [more consistently] especially since I don’t have to deal with customers who are frustrated with me for not being able to take credit,” Carby, a McMurtry College freshman, said.

Campus BCycle stations suspended indefinitely

NAYELI SHAD OPINIONS EDITOR

All Rice University rentable bike share stations, except for the Biosciences Research Collaborative station, have been temporarily suspended as of December 2022 without a designated return date. The closures are part of a city-wide suspension of 75 of the 153 Houston BCycle stations.

Houston BCycle, run by the nonprofit Houston Bike Share, rolled out the station suspensions from November to December 2022 to cut costs in order to keep the network running. According to a statement by Houston BCycle, the rapid increase in stations over the last 10 years of operation has not been matched by sufficient growth in revenue and funding to sustain them.

Board Chair and Interim Executive Director of Houston Bike Share Maya Ford said that stations closed were chosen based on reliability, location and ridership to maximize operations.

“Our goal was to squeeze the network to a way that still allowed for ridership in a very consistent way that allows us to be able to afford it, and then to negotiate a better system very quickly that we can implement so that it’s more consistent,” Ford said.

Ford said that bike share is a fairly new phenomenon with many aspects from software to hardware to maintain, and that when the opening of the Rice stations was first agreed upon, BCycle did not fully account for what it would cost to sustain the operations.

“I think that we were in startup mode and what we agreed upon initially [didn’t] end up being the same in the end,” Ford said.

Executive Director for Sustainability Richard Johnson said that he was surprised to receive the announcement on Dec. 5 from Houston BCycle that they would be temporarily closing most of the Rice stations.

“For their financial situation to deteriorate to the point where they’ve had to temporarily close so many stations

in their network really caught me offguard, because I would have expected BCycle to work with those entities to resolve financial shortfalls before we had reached this point,” Johnson wrote in an email to the Thresher.

According to Ford, Houston Bike Share is working with the City of Houston, Harris County and METRO to find a solution by the end of January and reopen BCycle stations by the end of March.

Marshall said the bike share stations are meant to benefit not only the Rice community but the surrounding Houston community as well.

“You’ll notice a lot of them are kind of near the access points to campus, like near the Entrance 3 garage,” Marshall said. “There’s also one at the graduate apartments in the [Rice] Village, which is effectively another Village station; even though it’s there for our students, it can be used by others as well.”

Rebecca Yee, a Wiess College junior and EcoRep, said she has used the Rice BCycle stations to make short trips off campus and finds biking to be a sustainable way to travel into the surrounding area.

“I do think they are useful in that situation, so it’s kind of unfortunate that students who are looking for those more short-term rides and may not want to have a bike long-term or lug it around the entire semester can’t do that,” Yee said.

Houston Bike Share chose which stations to suspend based on ridership, power source reliability, location and proximity to other transportation options like the METRO.

EXECUTIVE

Director of University Relations Greg Marshall also said that the Rice bike share stations will be reopened at some point, but there is no set date or operator.

“The question is, would BCycle simply find more funding, or would another organization take it over?” Marshall said. “That’s in negotiation.”

Johnson and Marshall both said they have been reassured of the Rice stations’ popularity from BCycle’s network statistics. In 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the eight stations received ridership of 21,626. The number of rides decreased to 12,853 in 2020, went up to 16,058 in 2021 and then dropped to 12,924 in 2022.

“The university stations came offline in part because they’re not used 365 days,” Ford said. “It costs us money to operate all parts of the network.”

Johnson said that he hopes the bike share stations are restored on Rice campus soon to allow for more diverse transportation options on and around campus.

“We’ve tried to build a portfolio of transportation options for the Rice community — and in particular students — so that owning a car is not a necessity for attending or working at Rice. Transit passes, the ZipCars, the shuttle bus services, bicycle infrastructure and the BCycle stations are all part of that portfolio,” Johnson wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Hopefully the closure of the BCycle stations does prove to be just brief and temporary, because we are committed to the concept of a thriving bicycle sharing network at Rice and in Houston.”

KELTON KECK / THRESHER

The majority of Rice BCycle stations have closed down.

For their financial situation to deteriorate to the point where they’ve had to temporarily close so many stations in their network really caught me off-guard, because I would have expected BCycle to work with those entities to resolve financial shortfalls before we reached this point.

Richard Johnson

DIRECTOR FOR SUSTAINABILITY

HAJERA NAVEED / THRESHER

Rice Coffeehouse implemented the new Revel payment system on Jan. 11.

The RMC needs to reread their mission statement

We reported at the end of last week that popular late-night food spots YoYo’s Hot Dog and Oh My Gogi are being forced out of Rice Village by the end of the month. Justifiably, Rice students and the local community were outraged — a petition to the Rice Management Company titled “Save Yoyos and Oh My Gogi” has over 4,500 signatures as of publication.

First, we feel it is important to question the reasoning the Rice Management Company, which owns much of the land in Rice Village, used to defend their decision. They claimed a critical need for more parking spaces from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. in a

parking lot for businesses selling sunglasses and upscale furniture, all of which close at least an hour before YoYo’s and Oh My Gogi open their doors.

Though the Rice Management Company’s decision was clearly business driven, they should consider and support the best interests of the Rice community. In fact, removing a walkable, relatively cheap food option runs counter to the RMC’s stated mission of providing support for students “regardless of ability to pay.”

Students want more safe and accessible late-night food options, and the Rice Management Company needs some creative

thinking to continue furthering its mission of enhancing the university community. YoYo’s and Oh My Gogi have moved around Rice Village in the past, and maybe the RMC can find another nearby parking lot in their vast land holdings. Perhaps we can invite YoYo’s and Oh My Gogi to campus with a spot in the Greenbriar parking lot or across the street in the Greenbriar Annex lot.

Though the next steps may not be clear, the outpouring of support for keeping these two businesses operating within walking distance of campus cannot be ignored. It is worth exploring every possible solution to keep this vital part of our community strong.

Too many people are comfortable with their fatphobia

Editor’s Note: The following opinion piece contains references to fatphobia, disordered eating, thoughts of self harm, suicidal thoughts and child abuse.

On Dec. 21, the following message was posted on Fizz:

“Fat people are disgusting and I’m tired of people like you sugar coating it saying it’s ok. If you don’t want to be disgusting eat healthier and go to the gym. Yes of course some people will have it harder than others but that’s life, that doesn’t mean you get to hide under your ‘genetics’ and pretend you don’t look disgusting when you’re clearly obese and unhealthy.”

The comments following it were full of blatant fatphobia, with dozens of upvotes. Sadly, this isn’t something new at Rice or limited to Fizz. Fatphobia is rampant throughout the culture here, often unsaid but rarely unnoticed, at least by those of us directly affected by it. But even that understates the importance here — fatphobia is harmful to everyone, including people who are “normal” sizes, because it encourages body dysmorphia, eating disorders, bullying and hatred on all levels and at all ages, and those who are posting these comments should be ashamed of themselves.

I’m writing this because I am fat. Supposedly synonymous with: disgusting, vile and lazy. But, fat is not a bad word, despite the fact that the student body seems to think it is.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Y’all say that being fat results from poor self control or laziness, but I was seven when I realized that I was fat, when I first wished I could cut off pieces of myself, even though my habits were the same as my peers. Even without getting into the science — that there are uncontrollable factors that make people larger from differences in genetics to varying gut bacteria — do you think it’s ok to put a seven year old on a diet? That’s when I was first introduced to one.

The only time in my life that I could ever be considered thin was when I was 12, living in an abusive home, depressed, suicidal and starving myself. Once out of that home, I gained the weight all back, and then more.

I was told I took up too much space but would still never be enough. Would you tell that kid the same things you were saying hiding behind anonymity on Fizz?

Then, I came to Rice, where nearly everyone is skinny. And I know you all noticed I wasn’t from the moment O-Week started. It was a mutual understanding. But at some point, I decided I was done hating myself, done trying to earn the respect that everyone else had by default. You tell me I need self control. Fewer calories in than calories burned. Go to the gym. As though I haven’t known that since before I hit puberty. As if I don’t know how many calories are in each piece of safety chicken and my maintenance caloric intake. If you’re

going to be so obsessed with my body, at least tell me something I don’t know.

Every one of you should reconsider how you treat the fat people in your life. You claim to “worry about my health,” even with my normal blood pressure and pulse and other stats, because fat people in good health don’t fit into your worldview. No matter what you were taught growing up or what you think is happening with someone else’s health, fatphobia is not okay.

Just like any other hatred, this needs to be called out. I know you’re fatphobic, and you know you’re fatphobic, so next time, say it to my face and face the fact that I’m a real person that you’re choosing to hate because of something that doesn’t affect you in any way. Or change. Look up resources on how to battle fatphobia, both internally and what you hear from those around you. Be a good ally, or at least try not to be an asshole to those who don’t look like you. Don’t mention someone’s weight, how much they’re eating, or that they should hit the gym, whether that friend is big or small. And if you refuse to change, then realize that you’re just a hateful, bigoted person and accept that fact — you are choosing to hate an entire group of people for physical characteristics that have no impact on your life.

Jazmine Castillo MCMURTRY COLLEGE SENIOR

Rice needs more streamlined democracy and less Ed. Board tabloidism

Last week, I quit my role as Student Association director of elections because I need to take more time for music and academia this semester, but there are two additional reasons I left the position relevant to campus politics that I want to share.

First: the Thresher Editorial Board is the most vocal critic of the Student Association, and I did not want to battle tabloidism through March. The Board has published 11 editorials since 2017 criticizing or complaining about the SA. Last year, the Board opted for a curt, holier-than-thou message to the entire Rice undergraduate population: “Vote. It’s not that hard.” The Board will hide behind positive SA coverage, press privilege and good intentions, but by publishing backhanded, sardonic jabs which dramatize Student Association news without seriously considering what publicly undermining their peer Blanket Tax organization will accomplish, the Board ends up further pushing Rice students away from the ballot each year, delegitimizing the very institution it claims to support. The Thresher is a fantastic student-run newspaper, but the Board’s implicit claim that they keep the flame of campus democracy alive is hypocritical.

Second: I left because I felt that, though there have been many successful, virtuous projects completed by past student Senates, the current approach of the legislative body lends itself generously to stagnation. Between executive board dawdling, Thresher election sensationalism, the naturally narrow scope of SA committees and the rarity of ballot initiatives (which would otherwise enable all Rice undergraduates to vote on important campus matters), SA has acquired a reputation as generally apathetic. Additionally, strict proceduralism keeps Senate structure as rigid and slowmoving as national government. In their current form, the SA’s rules of decorum and various regulations have become, as Kafka wrote of in “Before the Law,” gatekeepers of swift or sweeping action. The Rice undergraduate community is neither properly self-governing nor fully engaged because SA proceedings lack experimentation and flexibility. Leadership has expressed no public interest in reimagining SA’s perception problem or fixing internal structure.

Despite my own criticisms, I believe the Student Association is vital to Rice campus. Rice students pay an $85 “union

due” each year to SA and other student-run organizations, which means undergraduates have a real financial incentive to vote in SA elections. However, most Rice students are unaware of the tax and view elections as largely inconsequential. Low-participation will not suddenly shift because of a few condescending Thresher editorials or an extended campaign period. However, as I wrote last March, there is a solution: SA should implement universal voting and prioritize frequent referenda/initiative elections on driving issues instead of shifting the responsibility of action onto an SA legislative process, which takes anywhere from months to years to carry out. I tried to move this idea forward as director of elections, then independently through a ballot initiative, but was stonewalled at every turn. Ultimately, we can generate interest in SA, expand nonelected engagement and make our only selfgoverning, student-run institution far more democratic and egalitarian, but we must be one, united student body in this effort.

Riley Barker HANSZEN COLLEGE JUNIOR

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Owls run past the hedges, into Houston

RIYA MISRA FEATURES EDITOR

The Chevron Houston Marathon, Houston’s annual marathon hosted every January, took place on Jan. 14 and 15 this past weekend. Rice students, faculty and even president alike took part, running anywhere from 3.1 to a whopping 26.2 miles.

President Reginald DesRoches, who ran the half marathon with his wife Paula, said this year’s race marked a milestone in their long tradition of marathon running.

“Paula and I enjoyed running our 10th half marathon this past Sunday,” DesRoches wrote in an email to the Thresher. “As always, we began training after Thanksgiving with the goal of being ready by the time of the run. What we enjoy most is seeing so many different people from all over the city supporting this wonderful event.”

Linda Wu, a Baker College senior, said that her love for running unexpectedly developed during her sophomore year.

“I’m an international student from China, and I don’t have a car [here]. So I haven’t been exploring Houston that much. [I enjoyed] just simply running on the street, which I almost never did in Houston — I did a lot in my hometown, but not here,” Yang, who ran Saturday’s 5K race, said.

Although Gustavo Raskosky, Rice’s video and photography specialist, grew up in Houston, he seconded this sentiment of marathons shedding new light on his city.

“This race is a lot of fun because I grew up in Houston. So you see a lot of familiar faces, [and] that’s just cool to see the city in a different light,” Raskosky, who ran the full marathon, said. “There’s a quote somewhere where if you want your faith in humanity restored, stand at the end of a marathon.”

Jenny Judge RICE ARCHITECTURE UNDERGRADUATE ADMINISTRATOR

“For me, I think [running] came out of a desire to destress. So it’s more for my own mental health,” Wu said. “I used to hate running so much … [but] it feels very empowering.”

Wu, who spontaneously signed up for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, said she spent the past two months training for the upcoming marathon by running around Rice’s Outer Loop. For other students like Anna Frey, who also ran the half marathon, the decision was more deliberate.

“I had done [the marathon] last year and I had a really fun time. So I decided to do it again, and try and do even better,” Frey, a Brown College senior, said.

Corina Do, a Sid Richardson College senior, said she prepared for the half marathon by following training videos online in the prior months. The biggest challenge wasn’t the physical exertion, though. According to Do, it was striking a balance between training and being a student.

“I guess balancing it with schoolwork and social life was probably the hardest,” Do said. “A lot of times my friends have late night activities, and it was just hard to sort of sacrifice those events.”

A perhaps unexpected benefit of participating in the run was venturing beyond Rice’s hedges. Yiyi Yang, a Lovett College junior, said that the marathon gave her an opportunity to explore Houston, which they previously hadn’t done.

Despite running being a solo activity, Raskosky said that the race brought out a large community of dedicated runners, both from Rice and Houston alike.

“It’s really fun to see people kind of break their own boundaries,” Raskosky said. “And on top of that, the second best thing there is the energy that you feel in the air, whether you’re spectating and cheering people on or you’re in the race. You’re feeling all the energy, you’re making friends along the way.”

Now that the marathon is over, many participants say they find themselves wondering about what’s next on their list of goals.

“After this huge thing that you’ve worked towards, [and trained] for so long is done … Now I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s done. What’s next?’” Wu said.

Others are preparing for their next marathons, like Raskosky, who recently qualified for the Boston Marathon. But in general, the most unifying post-marathon feeling is one of satisfaction. Jenny Judge, Rice School of Architecture’s undergraduate administrator, said that crossing the 26.2mile finish line was as much a mental accomplishment as a physical one.

“We challenge ourselves sometimes mentally,” Judge, who hit a personal best during the race, said. “Sometimes [you’re] just sore and know that you gave your full effort. And I think that’s one of the things I enjoy about marathons, the difficulty and the finishing of it.”

Hubert King, a Lovett sophomore who ran the full marathon, summarizes his running experience with the most relatable sentiment of all.

“[I feel] pretty good. Pretty tired. Oh, my legs hurt,” King said.

Behind closed doors: FLI students navigate SSI resources

MICHELLE GACHELIN A&E EDITOR

How does a school ranked No. 1 for both its race/class interaction and quality of life provide resources for students experiencing financial, academic or personal burdens? The Office of Student Success Initiatives, and by extension Rice’s resources for first generation and/ or low-income students, runs largely through word of mouth, according to director Araceli Lopez.

“SSI has really operated a lot on word of mouth by students since our inception in 2014 … We’re kind of a one-stop shop for everything,” Lopez said. “I like to tell students to think of us as a triage center — if you have a concern or a question or don’t know exactly who to go to, you can come to us and tell us what’s on your mind. We can help you either resolve that or give you the skills that you need to resolve that.”

According to the associate director, Taylor Breshears, the SSI publicizes their events through their listserv, in addition to Instagram, GroupMe and their advising appointments. The SSI offers support and community-building events for FLI students through FLI Friday luncheons, accessibility funds, an anonymous food pantry and FLI Ambassadors — undergraduates who support other FLI students and identify as such.

America Malacara, a FLI Ambassador, said that many FLI students are hesitant to use resources such as the Magister’s Fund, the Access and Opportunity Portal and Rice Mutual Aid because they feel like somebody else needs it more than them.

“It’s not even just imposter syndrome,” Malacara, a junior at Sid Richardson College, said. “It’s also combined with this guilt that makes you feel like you shouldn’t be asking for help. Since a lot of us are here on full ride scholarships, or QuestBridge scholarships, we feel like because we’re so fortunate to have those things that we have to stick through it and be successful and not have to ask for help.”

The SSI also provides first-year programming and relies partially on information sessions held during Orientation Week to inform new students of its existence and resources. According to Malacara, the FLI programming offered during O-Week is largely inaccessible, and they themselves felt isolated during their first year at Rice.

“I felt very alone — there was no support system there,” Malacara said. “Because of that, I had to take some time away from school. When I was able to come back, that’s when I was able to find the FLI community, and that’s what really gave me the support system I needed to keep going.”

Malacara said that they decided to become a FLI Ambassador to give back to the FLI community after they helped them build their support system at Rice.

“I’ve heard from several people that O-Week was not helpful at all,” Malacara said. “Sometimes, because they’re FLI,

they’re unable to really emotionally connect with their own family because our culture is based on ‘O-Week families forever’ … That’s kind of where we step in — sometimes to repair the sense of community that they never got, and other times it’s just to help broaden their scope.”

In addition to lacking O-Week FLI programming, Malacara said that other FLI resources such as the food pantry are not very accessible. Students, such as Malacara themselves, aren’t likely to know the pantry’s location in an office facing Ray’s Courtyard.

“I had already been an ambassador for a year at that point, and I never knew the pantry was right there,” Malacara said. “The worst part is I’ve literally encouraged people to go to the pantry. I guess nobody ever asked me where [it] was.”

Malacara said that most people who come to them don’t know about the FLI GroupMe, events or Instagram. Breshears said in an email to the Thresher that the pantry was used 79 times from August to December 2022, according to their anonymous postpantry usage survey. Of those 79 times, 19 were new users, but they said the pantry’s visibility could still be improved.

Debi Saha, a FLI student and the chair of the Student Association Diversity Inclusion Committee, also said that the food pantry’s hours of operation are inaccessible. Saha advocated for relocating the pantry to a more accessible location through the Food Access and Insecurity Coalition. Currently, students have to ask the SSI office for access to the pantry.

“One of the reasons [the SSI was] resistant towards the idea of having an open door pantry is that it needs to be in a private location,” Saha, a Lovett College junior, said. “You don’t want the students to feel embarrassed, but it’s far more embarrassing to actually have to ask them.”

Ultimately, the biggest message that SSI staff want to share with the Rice community is one of inclusion.

“Rice creates a nice web of support so that students can feel safe to go to them, but I think a lot of our students still feel some kind of shame, or guilt or shyness,” Lopez said. “Show up as you are here. I’ll share with you my struggles as an undergrad student — I was also a first-gen [student]. I understand the pressures of having to figure it out because so many people are relying on you. Everyone here in this office gets it.”

And I think that’s one of the things I enjoy about marathons, the difficulty and the finishing of it.

HAI-VAN HOANG / THRESHER

I had already been an ambassador for a year at that point, and I never knew the pantry was right there.

America Malacara

SID RICHARDSON COLLEGE JUNIOR

COURTESY JEFF FITLOW

Guggenheim Fellow Tomás Q. Morín on music, inspiration

SARAH KNOWLTON ASST. FEATURES EDITOR

Poet and assistant creative writing professor Tomás Q. Morín does not like musicals.

“I’ve never liked the movie ‘The Sound of Music.’ That was one of the first [musicals] that I really intensely disliked,” Morín said. “As an adult, when I discovered [jazz saxophonist John] Coltrane’s version of ‘My Favorite Things,’ it just completely blew my mind, and while it didn’t change my feelings about the movie, it definitely changed my feelings about the song.”

Morín has spent the past year writing, amongst other works, a short collection of poems in conversation with Coltrane’s album ‘My Favorite Things,’ after receiving the Guggenheim Fellowship in April 2022.

The fellowship, first awarded in 1925, describes itself as an award for individuals who demonstrate exceptional creativity, ability and promise in the arts.

“[The Guggenheim Foundation is] this group that has been around for so long, [it’s] so prestigious and has such a strong

commitment to helping support the work of writers and other artists,” Morín said.

“It’s like the ultimate pat on the back, not just for what you’ve done but for what they believe you can do.”

For Morín, the fellowship has allowed him to reevaluate his career goals for his writing, creating a space to focus on his art without external influence.

“It’s strange but also really wonderful to be creating art without having some external marker of validation at the finish line, like this project will only mean something or be a net positive if I actually get it published,” Morín said. “I think that’s how I’ve been coming at it before, and now it just feels more organic and wholesome.”

Rather than focusing on publishing, Morín said he has spent his year seeking joy.

“When we talk about a book coming into the world, a

lot of times you are working for free,” Morín said. “Thinking of it in that way, it’s practical, but also it can be very self defeating. Instead, count those hours as hours of joy and play. Who wouldn’t count that as a win?”

Morín is the author of several poetry collections and a memoir entitled “Let Me Count the Ways.” His works explore difficult themes, including his obsessivecompulsive disorder and his father’s struggles with substance abuse.

“I’ve written a lot of difficult, sad poems over the course of my life,” Morín said. “I don’t want to just be the sad poet.”

Now, Morín is writing from brighter places — namely, Italy, where he spent a summer writing residency in a 16th-century castle in the Umbria region. Morín said that some of his poetry was inspired by his trip, but the majority of his work draws upon the banality of life.

“I feel like a lot of my inspiration for my work comes from very simple, mundane, day-to-day things,” Morín said. “Silly thoughts just go across the stage of your mind and most of us, we just chuckle at them and then just keep going and let the thought pass. But for me, those kinds of thoughts are the source of a lot of my poetry.”

Morín, who studied Spanish at Texas State University and Johns Hopkins University, has also worked as a translator. He developed the English libretto for the bilingual opera “Pancho Villa From a Safe Distance” and translated Pablo Neruda’s “The Heights of Macchu Picchu.”

“I felt like I was able to bring in my skills as a poet in a different way,” Morín said. “I usually have a very hard time catching and finding those opportunities, but if I just kind of sit back and do my work and put my work out into the world, eventually something fun and exciting will find me.”

For Morín, the Guggenheim Fellowship has allowed these exciting projects to find him while also providing the time and space to explore them.

Oh nori they didn’t: Lovetteers try for sushi world record

KATZ SENIOR WRITER

It’s a frequent joke that Rice students never travel beyond the hedges of campus. But a group of students at Lovett College are trying to change this stereotype with a single sushi roll.

Lovett’s sushi committee, founded by Resident Associate Naoko Ozaki during the 2021-2022 academic year, has two objectives: break a world record for the longest sushi roll and use the event as a catalyst for local outreach.

“When I was being interviewed [for the RA position], it was during the major part of the pandemic, and I felt that the students were kinda disconnected from each other,” Ozaki said. “[I wanted] something that we could do as a group.”

In her previous time as an associate for Lovett, Ozaki said she taught classes on sushi-making and wanted to continue that tradition during her time as a RA.

Haydn Howe and Brian Bishara are the unofficial student leaders of the sushi committee. According to Bishara, a Lovett sophomore, the committee has been working on the sushi roll project since it began.

“From its outset, the goal of the sushi committee has been to unite the Houston community towards bringing awareness to various causes here such as mental health and kidney donation,” said Howe.

The sushi committee plans to roll three miles of rice, nori, cucumber and carrots into one record-breaking roll, Howe said.

“We have around four students involved in the everyday operations of the sushi committee,” Howe said. “We are hoping to find [an additional] 400 students at Rice who would like to achieve this world record title with us.”

The sushi committee would like to extend the event beyond Lovett, as well as beyond Rice’s campus, said Ozaki. The committee is working with partners in Rice Village, as well as other local businesses, to fund the event.

“Outreach is a big focus for us at the moment,” Bishara said. “We are planning to publicize the event by word of mouth, on social media platforms and through college secretaries and announcements. We are also looking to have sushi rolling training sessions for all people who want to be a part of the record.”

Finding a place to put multiple miles of sushi is no easy feat, either. According to Ozaki, the committee plans to rent out a large event room for the rolling to take place, with sushi rolled along tables in a circular formation.

“To achieve the three miles, we have decided to roll the sushi in a circle and stack the sushi rolls into a triangle, with four or five rounds of the sushi roll comprising the base and then stacking them up until one round of the sushi roll lays at the top,” Howe said.

Originally planned to be on Jan. 14, the sushi rolling has now been postponed to work through some logistics, according to Howe.

“With an ever-evolving timeline, our plan becomes more unique and fun, but also more difficult to put a deadline on,” Howe said.

Ozaki said she wanted to use the event to show Rice students the importance of giving back to their community. According to her, the committee plans to donate any money they make to four charities: Mental Health America, Ronald McDonald House, National Kidney Foundation of South Texas and cancer research.

“I don’t want it to be a selfish event, where we get the benefit, and I don’t want it to be a selfless event, because it sounds like we are sacrificing ourselves,” Ozaki said. “I want it to be ‘self-ful,’ from everybody, not just us, so people who realize that we care [about our community].”

The

MEET THE PANEL

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Claudia Zettner ’95 (ME), PhD Professor in the Practice, Rice Center for Engineering Leadership

Leteshia Lowe Senior Software Engineer, IBM President, Society of Women Engineers - Houston

Stefanie Breyer ’95 (EE) Founder, Breyer Coaching; former Senior VP of Product, National Instruments

Gender Factor: Leadership Double Standards in tech

Sandy Anuras ’01 (ME) Chief Technology Officer, Sunrun

I don’t want to just be the sad poet.

Tomás Q. Morín ASST. CREATIVE WRITING PROFESSOR

ZOE

NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER

COURTESY TOMÁS Q. MORÍN

Senior Spotlight: Hannah Usadi colors outside the lines

convey some fragment of a conversation or someone’s perspective.”

Usadi acknowledged that although she wanted to accurately convey people’s experiences, the art that she produces is inextricably colored by her understanding of their perspective.

“It ends up being a reflection of my perspective of what they say because at the end of the day, I’m the one drawing the pictures and depicting them,” Usadi said. “So, a lot of what I’m trying to focus on is that feeling of getting as close as you can to another person’s perspective, but ultimately realizing that you can never fully know or understand them. Feeling that distance but also edging up on that closeness is what I want all of my different projects to culminate in.”

of coincidences. Among these are three acrylic paintings Usadi created for the biology department.

“The biology mural was because Dr. Novotny was my [Orientation] -Week Associate. And she [told me], ‘We are looking for someone to do a mural.’ And then I was like, ‘I could honestly do that.’ And she was like, ‘Really? Come by!’” Usadi said. “It could have only happened at a place like Rice where everything is so interconnected … if people know you have something to offer, that skill can be utilized throughout so many parts of campus.”

Usadi also encouraged other artists and creatives to have confidence in their work and continue seeking out opportunities despite fear of rejection.

Rice owes much of its visual landscape to Hannah Usadi, whose art reaches from the end pages of the 2021-2022 Campanile to President Desroches’ holiday card and Pub merchandise. Although Usadi started drawing and painting as a child, her distinct artistic voice has emerged more recently.

“It was really this year that I found my niche, at least for the time being … which is more comic, character-based stuff,” Usadi, a Will Rice College senior, said.

During quarantine, Usadi found a platform to further develop her style through her Instagram account.

“I had so much on my mind that it felt like an outlet to help organize some of the weirder things I was thinking,” Usadi said. “It started because I’ve always been interested in experimenting more with [my art]. I also grew up loving comics — Calvin and Hobbes, all of that stuff.”

Usadi’s coursework at Rice has inspired and refined much of her work.

FROM FRONT PAGE TWARDOWSKI

Through avenues like making posters, singing at events and performing productions, Twardowski said many social justice movements around the globe have relied on art for awareness and encouraging engagement which continues inspiring him to take his work beyond academia and into creating public change.

“I have seen really phenomenal theater works that are community based and build community, that build coalition and educate the public. That work is incredibly exciting to me,” Twardowski said. “The more that my research went into thinking about environmental catastrophe, the more climate change just became kind of inescapable in my headspace.”

An avid proponent of storytelling and sharing the narratives of others, Twardowski is also helping to organize a five-day climate activism workshop this summer for traditionally marginalized and under-resourced Houston-area

“[Senior studio] has given me the discipline, but then also the freedom to not only make a lot of [art], but stuff that I like,” Usadi said. “And just going to everybody’s studios, it’s so inspiring. I don’t know if you’ve watched ‘Glee’ before, but it honestly feels like ‘Glee.’ Each person has their own thing going on. I’m like, ‘Dang, this guy is like making a rap song. And this other person is making these really intricate 3D-printed sculptures.’”

Usadi’s Instagram and artistic style at large have expanded to include painting, digital art and multimedia modes of storytelling. Usadi continues to channel and explore these creative intersections for her senior thesis.

“It started out with my interest in comics and conversation fragments with people and insightful things that they would say that stuck with me,” Usadi said. “And then I’d want to put their perspective into the world in a way that was easily palatable for everybody to see and understand. I’ve made comic collages, put comics on boxes or done animations over audio to achieve the same effect of combining word with image to

high school students. Twardowski said this program, hosted through the Center for Environmental Studies and in collaboration with the Houston Climate Justice Museum, will be centered around an interdisciplinary environmental justice curriculum and reflecting on students’ personal connections to nature.

“The idea is climate and environmental justice education. I think over time it will be through different art methods, but this year we’re starting with theatre because that’s my background.”

Twardowski said.

“Some of what we’re going to be doing is story building activities and monologue work, [and] we’ll probably have some different games where we try to connect to nature in different ways. I’m really keen to bring some science folks into this … and think together about some of the problems they’re looking at.”

Twardowski has also worked to support marginalized communities in theatre by founding his own company, Third Culture Theatre, with his friends in 2017. He said the company was founded as an anti-

While Usadi’s art negotiates proximity and positionality in storytelling, she is also no stranger to striking a balance. A double major in mechanical engineering and studio art, Usadi said she appreciates the ability to do both technical and creative work, as well as opportunities to combine the two.

“The good thing about engineering and art is that the two are so different, so I don’t necessarily feel like I’m burnt out when I’m switching between the two,” Usadi said. “That was definitely my intention, coming in as engineering and art [majors],” Usadi said. “I knew I liked to build and create things. I can use the more practical, technical elements of engineering and then combine it with the creativity of art.”

“Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. The worst thing they do is say no, or that they went with another artist or that they just don’t need your services at the time. And the best case is that it’s something that they really appreciate, and it leads into other projects,” Usadi said. “To have that confidence and not undervalue your own work [is] something I still struggle with sometimes.”

Hannah

WILL RICE COLLEGE SENIOR

Usadi plans to work in an engineering role for McMaster-Carr in Atlanta after graduating, but hopes to eventually pivot into a design-related job.

Usadi said many of her artistic opportunities at Rice have come from a series

“I hope to end up doing something more creative combined with arts eventually, if they can help me go to design school,” Usadi said. “It’s hard to find the perfect things, but I’m reminding myself career paths are nonlinear, so I’m just trying to find my own way to get there.”

racist and feminist organization with the purpose of representing marginalized communities on the stage in a way they want to be represented.

“Our mantra is ‘centering traditionally marginalized communities.’ The stories that we were really interested in telling were those that are not often seen on stage,” Twardowski said. “[In] turn, we get folks who come to our stuff who normally wouldn’t consider themselves theatergoers.”

Third Culture Theatre finds itself with a large range of performance material, covering topics from addiction in the LGBTQ+ community to biracial identity in America.

While breaking into a creative field is not always the easiest endeavor, Twardowski urged others to pursue their passions in the arts and understand there are always unexpected opportunities out there.

“[Follow] that drive. Follow what you’re interested in because chances are if you are passionate, if you love what you’re doing, you’re going to find opportunities. They may be unexpected and they may be strange … but that’s often the most exciting work and the stuff that can end up being a real spark,” Twardowski said. “So go be creative. We need more of it. We crave more of it.”

Follow what you’re interested in because chances are if you are passionate, if you love what you’re doing, you’re going to find opportunities. They may be unexpected and they may be strange … but that’s often the most exciting work and the stuff that can end up being a real spark.

Weston Twardowski THEATRE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES LECTURER

KATHERINE HUI / THRESHER

Theatre and environmental studies lecturer Weston Twardowski recently graduated from Northwestern University with a Ph.D. in theatre and drama and founded his own theatre company.

Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself. The worst thing they can do is say no, or that they went with another artist ... To have that confidence and not undervalue your own work [is] something I still struggle with sometimes.

Usadi

HANNAH SON FOR THE THRESHER

KATHERINE HUI / THRESHER

Will Rice College senior Hannah Usadi balances her engineering studies with art, which she explores through cartoons and storytelling.

Kiss quality TV goodbye: Best reality shows to hate-watch

NISHANKA KUTHURU THRESHER STAFF

Now that the semester has started, it’s officially time to procrastinate again. Here is a list of the best worst new reality television shows to hate-watch. Disclaimer: Once you start watching, you won’t be able to stop.

“Dated and Related”

How involved would you say you are in your siblings’ love life? Close enough to make out with strangers, go on dates, and then debrief about your encounters in a shared bed together at the end of the night?

In “Dated and Related,” six pairs of siblings search for love (and $100,000 in prize money). Over the course of 10 episodes, the siblings mingle with, swap and settle down with their housemates in an attempt to be the couple that is most likely to “make it” in the real world.

“Too Hot to Handle”

How much self restraint would you have if a $100,000 grand prize was on the line? Watch 10 attractive singles battle their primal sexual instincts in a beautiful tropical paradise with only a white, cone shaped robot named Lana to keep them in check. An Alexa-like AI that surveils the contestants every move, Lana deducts money from their prize amount for every rule break. With only their personalities and wardrobes full of swimsuits, these horny individuals must put aside passion in order to beat the challenge and leave the island with some of the prize money.

“Are you the one?”

Pitting human connection against empirical data, this reality dating show matches couples together based on a series of in-depth questionnaires. The objective of the show is that these algorithmically theorized pairings are withheld from the contestants, so they must work together to figure out who their perfect match could be. In a struggle between feelings and logic, these 20 singles attempt to get 10 perfect matches before their time is up in order to gain true love and a cash prize.

“Love is Blind”

Could you fall in love with someone you have never seen face to face? In “Love is Blind,” people attempt to find their soulmates through the power of conversation and an emotional connection. Separated by a wall at all times, these individuals meet, fall in love with and get engaged to people all in the span of a few weeks. Only being able to see their partner after getting engaged, these couples try to make it in the real world and decide whether they want to say “I do” or not at the altar.

“Catfish”

As online dating increasingly becomes a societal norm, how do you tell whether someone you are talking to over the phone is legitimate or not? Sometimes these online relationships go beyond just swiping right on an app and instead turn into chatting for years on end with relative

Review: Home Slice Pizza fires up new Houston location

strangers who live across the country. On “Catfish,” hosts Nev Schulman and Max Joseph get these long-term online couples to meet in real life for the first time and finally reveal whether the particularly hesitant, sketchy partner who refuses to video chat is actually a catfish.

“The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On” “Get hitched or call it quits.” This Netflix show examines how many couples

will get married when presented with an ultimatum. “The Ultimatum” focuses on long-term couples who have come to an impasse: one person is ready to take the next step and say “I do,” but the other is less certain about it. The couples can choose whether to get engaged straight away or engage in a switcheroo situation, where they become romantically involved with other participants to explore their options before they get cuffed for life.

Review: New Netflix flick falls flat

JAY COLLURA THRESHER STAFF

One of the most amazing parts about coming to Rice and getting to meet people from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures is that you are exposed to a variety of opinions and ideas that help mold you into a more well-rounded individual. One of the most fascinating opinions that I feel people bring with them is their taste in pizza. Whether a debate between Pizza Hut and Papa John’s or New York versus Chicago, we all have opinions on how we like our pies.

Now, there is a new challenger in the pizza arena: Home Slice Pizza, located about 10 minutes north of Rice campus. Originally founded in 2005, Home Slice has received critical acclaim for its parlors in Austin, and last month, the franchise opened up a location in Houston, bringing authentic NY-style pizza to H-town.

The first thing I noticed about Home Slice was the ambiance. I visited on a Thursday night, and it was nearly impossible to even get a parking spot. Before I make any comments on the food, I would first like to extend my appreciation to the entire staff at Home Slice, who were all extremely friendly to me in my time there and went above and beyond in their service to me and all of the other customers present. Once inside, I ordered one slice each of the Margherita

pizza and the spinach and mushroom white pizza, along with a slice of tiramisu. The spinach and mushroom white pizza was incredible — the balance between the crispiness and texture of the crust and the number of toppings and cheese was perfect. I felt satisfied with every bite, and even though I didn’t enjoy the Margherita pizza quite as much, you definitely get enough bang for your buck in terms of the quality of ingredients used and serving size. The outer crust had substance while still holding true to the thin and crispy style reminiscent of premium pies. The pizza as a whole was structurally sound, even after I reheated my leftovers. As for the tiramisu, while I would have liked a bit of a stronger coffee flavor, it was still excellent.

It is important, however, to realize that Home Slice is not a substitute for Little Caesar’s or other fast food pizza spots. Their prices are considerably higher than commercial pizza chains; one slice cost $4.50, and the tiramisu cost $8.75. Buying an entire pizza may be more cost-effective, especially when the bill is split between friends. I don’t go on very many dates, but if I did, I would definitely consider Home Slice Pizza as a great date spot to take someone that I really liked. The service, the atmosphere and the food are all at the highest level, and I most certainly recommend giving Home Slice a try sometime soon.

The strongest part of “The Pale Blue Eye,” a collaboration between Netflix and director Scott Cooper, is its premise. Christian Bale plays a detective tasked with solving a murder at West Point in the 1830s. To solve the crime, he teams up with a young Edgar Allen Poe and discovers a web of occult, gothic horrors that underlie the seemingly simple academy. This concept is incredibly sharp — the film creates a backstory that informs Poe’s invention of the mystery genre and casts Bale, a proven actor, in the leading role. However, the film itself is unconfident in this premise and often feels hollow. The end result is a movie that is watchable (if a bit boring), but not nearly as special as it could be.

The key component of every detective or procedural crime story, in my opinion, is the cast. The characters need to be well-defined and the actors need to create depth in the relatively short runtime of a film. “The Pale Blue Eye” attempts this, but always seems to fall short. Christian Bale’s performance as detective Augustus Landor is appropriately cold and stern, but the character feels underdeveloped due to a lack of unique writing. His tragic backstory that unravels throughout the film is very obvious and standard for the mystery genre. Similarly, Harry Melling, who plays Edgar Allen Poe, does a great job of playing the young, somewhat naive cadet, using a Southern accent to create levity and momentum in the story. But again, the character writing becomes one note over time, making the character increasingly irritating.

The other elements of the film also only inspire backhanded compliments. The film is well-shot and constructed, but feels very cold and empty. The camera didn’t allow the audience to sleuth alongside Bale’s character, it just uncreatively presented the events as they occurred. Furthermore, the dialogue often felt contrived. The characters always knew what the

right questions were, and those being interrogated were dismissed almost as soon as they were introduced. There were frequent lines that I recognized from the collective consciousness of the mystery genre that could have been disguised by the script better.

It should be noted, however, that all of these issues that I take with the film could be deliberate choices. Bale’s cold performance and the hollowness of the cinematography align with the dark themes of the film. The evil nature of crime is being explored, so it follows that the film would appear unwelcoming. However, other films in the genre are able to appear both intentional in their decision-making and capture a sense of criminal emptiness (watch “Cure” from 1997). “The Pale Blue Eye” does not exist in this camp because of the frequent bits of narration and contrived dialogue that betray this tone. If the filmmakers were intentionally creating something hollow, then the film’s story would have been less straightforward.

Despite all of these issues, the film is certainly competent. The premise made it easy to watch, but equally frustrating because of the lost potential. If you are a fan of historical, revisionist fiction and the mystery genre, there may be some fun to be had here. However, the bad outweighed the good and the film failed to live up to the lofty expectations I had.

HAMZA SAEED FOR THE THRESHER

LILY REMINGTON / THRESHER

COURTESY HOME SLICE PIZZA

Evee beats the buzzer as MBB bests UTEP in chaotic final minute

DANIEL SCHRAGER SPORTS EDITOR

If momentum really is as powerful a force in sports as countless armchair coaches and talking heads would claim, someone forgot to tell Rice junior guard Travis Evee. Up by five with 30 seconds to go, the Owls men’s basketball team allowed a quick basket, turned the ball over, allowed another layup, turned the ball over once more and committed a foul with six seconds remaining to give the University of Texas at El Paso a chance to take the lead with two free throws. The Miners’ Tae Hardy hit both free throws, and Rice, now trailing by one, appeared on the verge of a collapse of somewhere between normal and epic proportions. But Evee told “uncle Mo” to sit down, driving the length of the court to sink a left-handed floater as time expired to give the Owls a whiplash-inducing 83-82 win.

After the game, Evee said he knew the shot was going in as soon as it left his hand.

“It felt good leaving my hand,” Evee said. “It was kind of a tough angle. But I believe I can make that shot.”

The game’s beginning was just as close as its ending. The teams traded baskets throughout the first half and neither team led by more than five in the game’s opening 13 minutes. The Miners pushed ahead behind

a 13-3 run around the five-minute mark but a scoring tear from junior guard Quincy Olivari, who scored 11 points in just under two minutes, closed the gap to one, before a pair of late free throws gave the Miners a three point lead going into the break.

The Miners inched ahead to a seven-point lead in the opening minutes of the second half.

But after the lead had been narrowed to six, back-to-back-to-back threes from Olivari — who scored a game-high 23 points — and Evee gave the Owls their first lead since the 11-minute mark in the first half.

I don’t think it’s much of a secret that they don’t like us. We don’t really like them. But they’re going to play hard every game we face them – they want to beat us just as much as we want to beat them.

Travis Evee JUNIOR GUARD

Another pair of baskets from the Owls’ two star guards extended their lead to seven, and they withstood a push from the Miners, never letting the lead slip below three until the game’s final seconds.

Up by three with a minute to go, Evee connected on a pair of free throws to put the Owls back up by five. A quick UTEP dunk to close the gap to three was canceled out

seconds later when junior forward Max Fiedler took a foul and hit both of his free throws. But the Miners refused to go away and drove the length of the court in three seconds for a Mario McKinney Jr. dunk. Then, Hardy picked off an errant pass by sophomore guard/ forward Cameron Sheffield, leading to another McKinney basket. Up by one, Olivari turned the ball over with seven seconds left and Hardy drew a foul with six. According to Rice head coach Scott Pera, once Hardy made his first free throw, part of him wanted the second shot to go in as well.

“In a way, you want him to miss because you want it to go to overtime,” Pera said. “But I also know it would’ve been harder to get the play off … depending [on] who got the rebound. Well he made it, so we could get the ball into Trav.”

Pera called a timeout between Hardy’s two shots to draw up the Owls potential game winner. According to the head coach, he got

the exact look he wanted, but ultimately Evee’s flash of brilliance decided the game.

“We wanted a high, flat ball screen from Max so Travis was going fast,” Pera said. “I figured they would switch, well if he’s going fast and has a bigger guy on him he’s got a better chance of A, getting around him or B, getting a shot off. And then he did the rest.”

With the Owls moving to the American Athletic Conference next season, this was the potential last chapter in a rivalry that Pera said has grown increasingly competitive in recent years. After the game, the Miners opted not to wait for their hosts to finish celebrating Evee’s shot, and headed to the locker room before shaking hands with the Owls. According to Evee, the Owls know exactly how their cross-state rivals feel about them.

“I don’t think it’s much of a secret that they don’t like us,” Evee said. “We don’t really like them. But they’re going to play hard every game that we face them – they want to beat us just as much as we want to beat them.”

After beating the University of Texas at San Antonio 88-82 on Monday, the Owls now sit at 13-5 on the season and 4-3 in conference play. They head to Denton on Thursday to take on the University of North Texas at 7:00 p.m.

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

Junior guarrd Travis Evee celebrates with fans and teammates after hitting the game-winning shot against UTEP on Saturday. After losing a late lead, Evee’s shot gave the Owls a 83-82 win.

Swimming sweeps SMU meet in preview of new-look AAC

Huston said. “They raced so smart and competitively at the [College Swimming Coaches Association of America] Open Water Championships in December, and this weekend they just kept doing what they have been doing and that is swimming within themselves and out racing opponents to the finish.”

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

CADAN HANSON SENIOR WRITER

Over the weekend, the Rice swim team traveled to Dallas for their first meet of 2023 against three American Athletic Conference foes. Across the two days of competition, the Owls swept the meet, defeating Tulane University 247-68, the University of North Texas 254-93 and Southern Methodist University 171.5-161.5. Following the sweep, head coach Seth Huston was really pleased with how hard the team fought.

“I’m really proud of the grit and determination the team showed today on the back half of the meet,” Huston said. “We need to take the momentum of this weekend into the championship portion of our season. There are still a lot of details to address in order to continue to get better.”

On day one, Rice dove into the meet with a first place finish in the 400-meter relay, with senior Zoe Spitz, freshman Lily Cramer, sophomore Arielle Hayon

The Owls finished the day with a onetwo finish in the 100 backstroke, with Spitz claiming gold and junior Imogen Meers bringing home silver. In the 200 freestyle, McDougall claimed her second gold of the night. Later, Meers secured gold in the 50 freestyle with sophomore Morgan Bartley coming in third. To cap off the night, Kane climbed to the top of the podium, winning the 400 individual medley.

places in the 500 freestyle, with Dyson taking home gold. Dyson’s double gold performance was enough to earn her AAC Swimmer of The Week, joining Spitz and Hayon on the list of Owls who have won the award this year. To close out the weekend, the 200 backstroke saw Spitz finish first, followed by Meers in second and McDougall won the last event for the Owls in the 100 freestyle with Meers again claiming the runner-up position.

With Conference USA’s swim league losing too many members to sustain a season this year, the swim team moved to the AAC a year earlier than Rice’s other teams. After completing the sweep in their first meet against multiple AAC opponents, without any divers, Meers, who brought home four medals, was thrilled with the outcome of the weekend.

Over the stretch of day one, the Owls won six of the nine swim events. Despite being in the middle of a rigorous training cycle, Huston was happy with the way they competed at a high level.

As a team, we knew it was important to have a good performance as it was our first big meet against AAC competition. To come away with a triple sweep was the best possible outcome.

Imogen Meers

JUNIOR

and senior Lauren McDougall. Success followed the Owls into the second event, the 1000 freestyle, where they claimed the top four spots in the race including a gold for freshman Ella Dyson. Sophomore Amelia Kane and senior Shannon Campbell who placed second and fourth respectively, along with Dyson were also a part of the 2022 National Open Water Championship team that won nationals back in December. When asked about the success of the distance swimmers, Huston accredits their success to their training for the open water championship.

“Our distance swimmers have really been training at such a high level,”

“I was very pleased with how the team competed this weekend,” Huston said. “This meet culminated our biggest and most intensive training cycle of the season. We are physically tired and the team really responded with great attitudes and great race execution.”

The Owls opened up day two in the same fashion, with a victory in the 200 medley relay, with Spitz, Hayon, Cramer and senior Sini Koivu leading the charge. The distance crew carried their momentum from Friday into Saturday and claimed the top four

“Overall the meet went really well,” Meers said. “As a team, we knew it was important to have a good performance as it was our first big meet against AAC competition. To come away with a triple sweep was the best possible outcome.”

The Owls return to competition next weekend as they travel across town to take on the University of Houston. With just two meets left before the conference championships in February, Huston said that the weekend gave the team confidence and momentum going forward but difficulty in selecting the championship team while everyone on the team is competing at such a high level.

“All the schools [this weekend] were members of the AAC, so it was a great preview of what lies ahead at the AAC Swimming and Diving Championships,” Huston said. “SMU will definitely be contending for the championship, so a dual meet victory over them was big. We have difficult decisions to make on selecting our conference championship squad.”

Crosthwait’s career-high leads women’s basketball past UTSA

PAVITHR GOLI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The Rice women’s basketball team came back from an 11-point deficit in the second quarter to defeat the University of Texas at San Antonio on Monday night by a score of 78-76. Their second straight win against Conference USA opponents, the Owls are now 3-4 in conference play and have a 12-4 record overall. The Owls were led offensively by senior guard Katelyn Crosthwait, who scored a careerhigh 23 points against the Roadrunners while also tying the school record for threes scored in a game with seven.

According to head coach Lindsay Edmonds, she was proud of her team for getting the win, especially after they spent a lot of their time on the road last week.

“Winning’s hard and winning in conference play is hard,” Edmonds said. “We had a really long week being in Tennessee on Wednesday and then going to El Paso Saturday and [turning] around here [tonight] playing. I thought we had a slow start but we found a way.”

The Owls and Roadrunners started the game by trading baskets during the first couple minutes. However, the Roadrunners managed to jump out to an eight-point lead by the end of the first quarter despite efforts by Crosthwait and senior forward Ashlee Austin to counter the Roadrunner baskets. In the second quarter, the Owls trailed by as much as 11 points, but cut into that deficit with a 9-0 run with three minutes left in the half. A three-pointer by Crosthwait with 36 seconds left gave the Owls their first lead since leading 2-0 at the start of the game. However, a last-minute layup by the Roadrunners gave UTSA a 39-38 lead going into halftime.

After a Crosthwait three to start the half, the Owls retook the lead at the beginning of the third quarter and never looked back. Crosthwait, Austin, and sophomore forward Malia Fisher helped the Owls build a lead in the third quarter. The Owls continued to use their momentum entering the fourth quarter. Up by 11 points with three minutes left in the entire game, the Owls almost squandered their lead when Roadrunners staged a 9-0 run to cut their deficit to two points with a minute and a

half remaining. However, several key free throws made by senior guard Destiny Jackson extended the Owls’ lead to five. A UTSA and-one cut the lead back to two, but Rice ran the clock down to two seconds, and UTSA’s last-second effort couldn’t connect.

According to Edmonds, the strong performance by the Owls in the second and third quarters allowed them to survive the late push by the Roadrunners.

“We won the second and third quarters, which put us in position to

have a few slip-ups in the fourth and we were still able to finish the game out,” Edmonds said. “I’m proud of our fight and our toughness. We could’ve laid down, but we had some adversity tonight, and we didn’t lay down. I think we showed [that] toughness all through the non-conference season and so that was good to see again.”

The Owls will try to carry their momentum forward when they host the University of North Texas on Jan. 19 at 7:00 p.m.

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

Senior guard Destiny Jackson attempts a layup during Monday’s game against UTSA. Jackson and the Owls topped the Roadrunners 78-76.

Freshman swimmer Ella Dyson competes during a recent meet. Dyson took two golds as the Owls swept their first major AAC meet.