The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Grace Forbes comes to terms with losing her sport

DANIEL SCHRAGER SPORTS EDITOR

Grace Forbes has a sweatshirt that she would wear before every race. Her grandfather, who died when she was young, bought it as a souvenir at the 1998 Rose Bowl, before it was passed on to her.

“He grew up from nothing. He managed to become a steelworker, he provided for his family … I take inspiration from the hardships that he’s been through, and that he’s pushed through them as well,“ Forbes said. “I haven’t worn it since, what, [September 30].”

That day, Forbes, who took second place in the 10,000-meters at last year’s NCAA outdoor track championships, set a new personal-best in the 6k at the Paul Short Run in her native Pennsylvania.

“I didn’t know it was going to be my last race ever, but it was a good race to end at because I grew up racing that course in high school,” Forbes said. “So it was a full circle moment.”

Nine days later, Forbes, an aspiring

Outdoor Show brings music,

food, vendors to Central Quad

doctor, began to feel sick.

“I was observing a surgery, an artificial heart implant, and then I just started feeling terrible,” Forbes said.

“And then it never went away.”

Since then, Forbes said she’s battled muscle soreness, migraines and inability to move her joints.

“This is the hardest time of anything I’ve ever had to deal with,” Forbes said.

For months, Forbes struggled to simply get out of bed.

“I would wake up after sleeping 12 hours, and how I would describe it is I’d wake up feeling like I had run a marathon the day before and then also gotten hit by a truck,” Forbes said. “[To] take a shower or brush your teeth, that was like a monumental thing that I did that day.”

Forbes went to several doctors, but her tests kept coming back normal. By process of elimination, she was diagnosed with long COVID, resulting from a severe bout of the virus she had in late July while on vacation with friends and family in Colorado.

MORGAN GAGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ktru’s annual spring music festival, the Outdoor Show, is returning for what ktru station manager Keegan Pierce described as their “first year back from COVID.” The outdoor festival will take place in the central quad Saturday, April 15 from 1 to 11 p.m.

ODS features a lineup of eight artists: Luna Luna, Hyperfemme, Sunset Blvd, El Lago, Cucucuy, Fea, Syo and BXXNG. According to Pierce and station manager Alexa Scott, artists from across the state and a range of genres were selected as part of the theme “Taste of Texas.”

“We’re usually pulling artists kind of from the local area, or close by just given the budget and all, so we’re going with the theme of taste of Texas,” Pierce, a Lovett College junior, said. “We are excited to show all of the different types of music that come specifically out of Texas.”

ktru and Archi Market partnered to provide a space for student vendors at the event, and Houston-area vendors such as Blessings Plants & Music will be on site in addition to food trucks and a cowboy hat decorating station. In the event of rain, updates on plans and location can be found on ktru social media accounts, and ODS is expected to continue, rain or shine.

For Scott, a Lovett junior, ODS represents a way to show the Rice community ktru’s mission. Scott said ktru is about listening to good music, having a good time and hanging out with friends.

“ODS is a lot more of a rebirth for ktru, because last year, we were able to have an in- person show, but this year, we were able to have a committee working on it,” Scott said. “We’ve had the largest number of DJ applications [in recent memory], and it’s really showing the rest of the community what ktru is.”

Scott, who designed the poster, leaned on themes of rural Texas while trying to represent the “cryptid-ness” of ktru.

According to Pierce and Scott, ktru is an example of the effectiveness of studentrun initiatives. Beyond campus, they both said that ktru has historically had a close relationship with the broader community. There were even, at times, more offcampus than on-campus attendees at ODS, according to Pierce.

“I think that [ODS is] a really cool example of a student-run … event,” Pierce said. “Especially with stuff like Moody X-Fest and things going more towards admin control, I think that it’s really cool that ktru can create a space for students to put something together like this.”

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

I just started feeling terrible, and then it never went away.

Grace Forbes

JUNIOR DISTANCE RUNNER

OSVALDO SALGADO / THRESHER A student moshes as GROUPLOVE performs at the inaugural Moody X-Fest in celebration of the Moody Foundation’s $100 million donation.

OSVALDO SALGADO / THRESHER Andrew Wessen, lead guitarist of GROUPLOVE, headbangs as he plays in Tudor Fieldhouse. Some 1,500 members of the Rice community attended the festival.

COURTESY GUSTAVO RASKOSKY Mariachi Luna Llena, along with Basmati Beats and Rice Philharmonics, performs as an opening act for the headliner, GROUPLOVE.

COURTESY GUSTAVO RASKOSKY

OSVALDO SALGADO / THRESHER Hannah Hooper, GROUPLOVE’s lead vocalist, throws her hands up as she finishes a song.

First-ever Moody X-Fest follows Moody Foundation gift

Rice’s first-ever Moody X-Fest took place on April 7, featuring a GROUPLOVE concert, student performances, brief keynote speakers, complimentary food vendors and Moody Experience-branded merchandise.

Several attendees said they felt positively about the event and hope to see more in the future. The student and headliner performances were an event favorite for Hanszen College junior Yuka Aoyama.

“My favorite part of the Moody X-Fest was definitely the concert. I’ve always wanted an artist to come to Rice so we could go to a concert for free,” Aoyama said.

For Duncan College senior Karen Murambadoro, seeing GROUPLOVE was an exciting experience.

“It was definitely cool that Rice brought someone that a lot of people knew of,” Murambadoro said. “Even if you didn’t know all of their songs, people knew ‘Tongue Tied.’ It was something that people could get excited about.”

Teddy Gilman, a member of the Rice Philharmonics, said he was pleasantly surprised by the Moody X-Fest as a performer and audience member.

“People looked like they were having a really good time. I had a really good time as an attendee, and I also thought it was really cool as a performer,” Gilman, a McMurtry College junior, said. “It’s a setting we don’t really get to perform in very much.”

Murambadoro said this was a good way to get a large number of Rice students to appreciate performing student groups.

“If [Rice] continues to bring in an outside act but still showcases student groups, it brings a lot of purpose to the event. You’re not just going to a concert, but you’re also supporting your fellow students,” Murambadoro said. “I really liked the event including Oh My Gogi and True Dog, which are quintessential to the Rice experience.”

The event planners said they expected about 750-1,000 students to attend, and were thrilled that approximately 1,500 students participated in some portion of the event. According to the President Reggie DesRoches, Moody X-Fest will be held every year.

“Moody X will be annual, coinciding with other showcases that celebrate student talent and experiences, and will most likely transition to a different planning structure involving even more students, because they are at the heart of the Moody Experience,” DesRoches wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Students said that having on-campus concerts with outside performers was something Rice lacked in comparison to other institutions.

“I know other colleges have more events like this where they bring in outside acts and they have festival-type things,” Murambadoro said. “I think it was nice to have a comparable experience in that sense. It is definitely a change of pace of things we’ve had from year to year.”

Event attendees felt that the speeches by DesRoches, Graduate Student President

Dhiraj Jain and Moody Foundation Trustee Elizabeth Moody (’14) added a special sentiment to the event. Student Association President Solomon Ni said he is excited about the Moody Foundation’s contribution.

“I think it was great to hear from President DesRoches, Elle Moody, and the GSA President Dhiraj,” Ni, a Jones College sophomore, said.

“Certainly this gift of $100 million, a portion of which will be going to the new student center, will be greatly beneficial for the Rice student experience beyond the Moody X-Fest. I know [Rice Administration] wants to make a credible commitment to supporting the student experience.”

Aoyama said the involvement of graduate students was another notable aspect of the festival.

“It’s nice that we also invited the [graduate] students and were more inclusive. I can only think of Beer Bike and the Moody X-Fest that we’ve interacted with grad students,” Aoyama said.

However, there were aspects of Moody X-Fest that some students felt could be improved. The event took place at Tudor Fieldhouse, in lieu of the central quad, due to the inclement weather. Both Aoyama and Gilman said that while moving

the Moody X-Fest inside made it really crowded and disorganized, organizers still did a good job making Tudor exciting.

“I knew it was going to be a disaster logistically with how many people were going to be there with lines, but [it] wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” Gilman

Murambadoro said that the Moody X-Fest successfully showcased student groups and the student experience.

“I think the goal that they had with Moody X-Fest was just to get people excited about putting money into extracurricular events at Rice, just investing in the students and the student experience,” Murambadoro said. “I think

Bacchanalia returns after four years

seniors-only ticket link because seniors have never experienced a Bacchanalia before.

“Seniors deserve the opportunity to enjoy this part of Rice culture before they graduate,” Freeman wrote in an email to the Thresher.

“We knew that this was the only chance seniors would ever have to experience Bacchanalia, something that historically has been an important tradition at Rice, and we wanted to respect that.”

it shouldn’t be applied to future publics’ ticketing systems.

“I think [the seniors-only ticket link] made sense, especially for the Brown seniors. This was their first and last ever public at their home college. I think for future publics, the link should be released at one time [because they’re] public part[ies],” Bal said.

According to Freeman, when coordinating Bacchanalia, Brown wanted to preserve the public’s pre-COVID traditions.

had to make it great.”

Linda Wu, a senior from Baker College, said she had a positive experience at Bacchanalia.

“I loved how the public’s theme was maintained throughout the whole experience, from the ticketing to the actual event,” Wu wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Bacchanalia was really sweaty and sticky, but fun!”

Brown College hosted its first Bacchanalia public since the spring of 2019 last Saturday, and the first for all students who have matriculated since 2019. Bacchanalia was first canceled in April 2020, and again in 2021, due to COVID-19. Bacchanalia was set to have its comeback in 2022, but was canceled due to a rise in COVID-19 cases after Beer Bike. Bacchanalia was the first public that used a seniors-only ticketing system. According to Gray Freeman, a senior from Brown and social committee head, Brown provided a

According to Freeman, 200 out of 900 tickets for the public were allocated to seniors. Half of those selected from the waitlist were seniors, and Freeman estimates that some 35% of all attendees at the public were from the senior class.

Adam Zawierucha, a senior at Brown, said that the seniors-only ticket link was a logical decision, especially for Brown seniors.

“No senior [at Brown] has ever experienced a Brown Bacchanalia,” Zawierucha said. “It made sense given that fact.”

Rajpal Bal, a senior at McMurtry College, said while he believes the seniors-only ticket link worked well for Bacchanalia,

“We used all the resources we could find from pre-COVID [social committee heads] to try and bring back the things that were traditional,” Freeman wrote in an email to the Thresher. “The senior tickets were probably the largest difference, and we also put together a wine garden that had some differences from previous years, which we thought all of the seniors would enjoy.”

Lucian Bennett-Brandt, a senior at Brown and second social committee head, said that the social planning committee wanted this year’s Bacchanalia to improve upon previous years.

“We tried so hard to make [Bacchanalia] into something that is a legacy for Brown,” Bennett-Brandt wrote in an email to the Thresher. “We knew that since no one on campus had ever experienced Bacchanalia before, we didn’t have to make it good. We

Kelton Keck, a sophomore at Sid Richardson College, said that while Bacchanalia was fun, it did not seem as wellattended as other publics this year.

“I think people might be burnt out because it’s the end of the year,” Keck said. “It seemed like there were less people there than other publics. I don’t mean that the quality of it was worse. I think it was just as good [as other publics] if not better, because it wasn’t extremely packed.”

Freeman said that despite Bacchanalia being canceled in 2022 because of the postBeer Bike COVID outbreak, the planning process was extremely rewarding.

“Transforming [Brown Commons] was super fun, and we were able to execute so many ideas,” Freeman said. “Planning was incredibly stressful at times and we are so happy that we were able to put something together that everyone enjoyed.”

MARIA VALERA THRESHER STAFF

COURTESY JEFF FITLOW

CAMILLE KAO / THRESHER

COURTESY JEFF FITLOW

COURTESY GUSTAVO RASKOSKY

MORIKE AYODEJI THRESHER STAFF

2023 Beer Bike results reveal no sweeps, but contestations

Rice Program Council released the official results for Beer Bike 2023 on April 5, four days after the races. Hanszen College won the alumni race, the Graduate Student Association won the women’s race and Jones College won the men’s race.

Jones and Will Rice College have submitted formal contestations of the results.

In the draft of Will Rice’s complaint, they alleged “significant errors” in the time calculations in men’s race, and event-wide inconsistencies in judging. They also said there were communication issues between chug judges and bikers.

“Several members of our Chug Team mentioned that our judge was confusing Will Rice with other colleges and vice versa,” Will Rice Bike and Chug captains wrote in the contestation email.

“We suspect that the judges may have been confused as to which colleges they were penalizing during each heat.”

Mahmoud Al-Madi, one of Jones’ bike captains, corroborated the timekeeping and judging issues that Will Rice outlined, citing a specific incident during the women’s race.

“There was a chugging judge that was confused and didn’t clear our chugger to go,” Al-Madi, a senior, said. “Our biker has come in through the pit, we are ready to go, we’re ready to chug [but] the chugging judge would not have us start. We have it on tape, multiple angles. That delayed us at least seven or eight seconds.”

Both teams also alleged penalties that weren’t applied in accordance to the racing rules, one of which involved the number of bikers required per team. According to Al-Madi, the GSA women’s team was not penalized for having the same bikers race multiple times, which should have resulted in a 25-second penalty for the first offense and 50-second penalties for each subsequent one.

Olivia Del Guercio, a second-year graduate student and one of the GSA bike captains, said that while the GSA team was proud of their victory, they also acknowledged that only having five bikers impacted their result.

“As bicyclists, we really crushed it,” Del Guercio said. “But I imagine there would have been a different result also if Wiess had Douglas [Hebda, a bike team captain] go twice or three times, or if [Dani

Knobloch, a Hanszen biker] went three times.”

According to campus-wide Beer Bike coordinator Anne Wang, dividing the races into two heats affected certain elements of the race, such as race start times and length. Wang said the races finished 15 minutes behind schedule, and that the two-heat structure was the biggest logistical challenge.

“Having every college there at the same time, you need all the bikers on [the track], splitting up the time and doing [a longer race],” Wang said. “[It’s] definitely not something that any of us wanted. It reduces hype.”

Terri-Jeanne Liu, a bike captain at Jones, said that while the twoheat structure was implemented due to safety concerns, there were still issues with sufficient distribution of tents and water bottles on the track.

“[I appreciate] the safety aspect that they were going for, but I feel like [they] need to have a lot more resources like tents, water and better planning in terms of avoiding delays between races,” Liu said.

Jonathan Lloyd, one of the Will Rice bike captains, said that the two-heat system also affected the racing technique itself.

“Part of being able to race is being able to draft off people in front of you, and get pulled by people in front of [you] who are setting a faster pace,” Lloyd, a senior, said. “If you’re in the middle of the pack team who is going to get put in a slower heat, you don’t get the benefit of racing against faster people who will push you to race faster. So there’s a lot of race strategy that you lose.”

Peter Reynolds, one of the Hanszen bike captains, said the lack of shade and resources on the track presented time and logistical difficulties.

“It was definitely a little bit of a letdown to have two heats,” Reynolds, a sophomore, said. “It was also certainly harder to be on the track in the heat for so long. They didn’t give us any tents. We had to walk to the other side of the track and hide behind the porta-potty to get shade because we were there for almost five hours.”

Wang said that she hopes certain measures will be put in place for next year’s campus-wide coordinators to have an easier time, considering the two-heat system will most likely remain in place.

“To my knowledge, there’s no way … [the administration] will be convinced of

going back [to one heat],” Wang said. “I too am very dissatisfied by the heat structure. If I had the power, I would change it.”

Despite the difficulties of the twoheat structure, Knobloch, who tied the women’s track record of 1:19, said that the Hanszen team was pleased about the races overall.

“We can’t complain about podiuming in every race,” Knobloch, a senior, said. “We are really proud of all of our cyclists who worked really hard this year, and it’s really nice to see their effort result in some really awesome times.”

Knobloch said she’s excited to see

how Beer Bike is starting to become more competitive across all teams.

“The colleges just keep getting faster and faster,” Knobloch said. “The leaderboard for [the] top 10 times of Beer Bike just keeps getting new people every year, just because more colleges are putting a lot more effort into it. They’re training harder, they’re being really competitive. It’s really exciting to see so many people buy into the race aspect of Beer Bike. I’m glad so many people are excited about it.”

Brandon Chen contributed additional reporting for this story.

VIOLA HSIA SENIOR WRITER

FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER

We had to walk to the other side of the track and hide behind the porta-potty to get shade.

Peter Reynolds HANSZEN BIKE CAPTAIN

‘Quiet but quietly strong,’ Rice remembers Beth Buchanan

other things. She had a strong passion for community service and helping underprivileged people, which began in her childhood and continued at Rice through her thesis work and extracurricular activities.

Mentors and friends alike described her as incredibly intelligent, but noted her impact on them went far beyond her smarts.

Eden King, a professor of psychology and one of Buchanan’s research mentors, met Buchanan during her O-Week and shortly after became her research mentor.

“It sounds so cliché, but she’s just a light. Just this beautiful human. So thoughtful. Quiet but quietly strong. Kind, generous. She just made every place that she entered brighter,” King said.

at Hanszen, as the four would Uber around town their freshman year, spending both mealtimes and downtime together.

Whitney Jin (Hanszen ’21) was a suitemate of Buchanan’s freshman year, and the two quickly became good friends for the next four years.

“I could tell immediately that she was such a radiant person. We met on the first day of school,” Jin said. “The rest is history.”

Aakanksha Khadye (Hanszen ’21), another suitemate of Buchanan’s, said she can’t imagine her life at Rice without her.

at Rice. Bhavana Kunisetty (Hanszen ’21), Buchanan’s O-Week sister and close friend, recalled a time when Buchanan helped Kunisetty move into her new apartment.

It sounds so clich é, but she’s just a light. Just this beautiful human. So thoughtful. Quiet but quietly strong. Kind, generous. She just made every place that she entered brighter.

Beth Buchanan, a 2021 Hanszen College graduate, passed away on Feb. 13 at the age of 23, after her car was hit by a drunk driver near Atlanta, Georgia.

Originally from Fresno, Texas, Buchanan pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Rice, graduating with honors. She was deeply invested in research as an undergraduate, specifically relating to industrial and organizational psychology. She received several university awards including the William Howell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Scholarship.

Aside from research, Buchanan was involved in the a cappella group Low Keys, the service committee at Hanszen College and Orientation Week as an advisor, among

King emphasized Buchanan’s many accomplishments at Rice, from winning psychology awards to creating an excellent senior thesis, all culminating in her attending one of the best graduate programs in the country for her field of study.

“I think she was very humble, so I don’t think she would find pride in the sort of accomplishments that we think about,” King said. “Those things are impressive about her, but I think she probably valued the people in her life and the relationships she formed as the best part.”

Her close friends at Rice all echoed King’s sentiment, believing that Buchanan valued and cherished the relationships she created with friends here. Buchanan developed strong bonds with her freshman suitemates

“She is such an ingrained part of my experience at Rice,” Khadye said. “Even now, when it is hard [to cope] with the grief of her loss, I can only really focus on what a positive impact she made on my life.”

“She [had] this tiny little RAV4 van and she made like 7 trips back and forth … [and] totally moved me into my apartment,” Kunisetty said. “I felt so bad because I was like, Beth, you have to let me pay for something’ … and then she was like, ‘You can just get me a burrito.’ So we went to Freebirds and … it was buy one get one free. And she [said], ‘Yeah, I knew it was buy one get one free, I didn’t want you to have to pay.’”

Eden King PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR

Kunisetty also said she will remember Buchanan for her patience, universal charm and commitment to everything she cared about.

Jin said Buchanan was very relationshiporiented, prioritizing her loved ones and putting them first.

“I feel like it’s hard to meet someone who prioritizes family that much … She was always talking and catching up with her mom, her sister. And even her professors would buy her groceries because they treated her like another daughter,” Jin said. “That is just a testament to how she goes full in [with] people that are close to her, and I think that is why her loss is so devastating, because she is such a prominent, important person in people’s lives.”

Many friends echoed this trait of Buchanan’s, emphasizing her unwavering support and selflessness towards her friends

“She’s just really special. There is no one I’ve met that is incredibly committed, compassionate and clear-minded,” Kunisetty said. “She always knew from the start who she liked and what was important to her … It’s just really admirable.”

Friends also highlighted Buchanan’s humor, recalling her one-liners that were both witty and hilarious. And even more, she was described by many as someone who lived in the moment and was present for those around her.

“She was so easy to talk to and just made you feel heard and [feel like] what you had to say mattered,” Jin said.

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

History chair and former dean Katherine Fischer Drew, remembered

VIOLA HSIA SENIOR WRITER

Katherine Fischer Drew (’44), the first woman to hold a tenured position at Rice, passed away on March 19. She was 99 years old.

Drew, who was appointed as Rice tenuretrack faculty in 1950, was considered a trailblazer in her field both by her colleagues and the university.

Provost Amy Dittmar said that Drew was a dedicated member of the Rice alumni and an award-winning member of the faculty.

“I am grateful that she chose to return to Rice as the first female tenure-track faculty member and spend so much of her life and career here,” Dittmar wrote in an email to the Thresher. “She paved the way for those of us who followed. I value her extensive leadership and commitment to excellence in the humanities at Rice. We are better for it.”

Born in Houston on Sept. 24, 1923, Drew

matriculated at Rice at the age of 16, earning her bachelor’s degree in 1944 and her master’s in 1945. According to a March 28 Rice History Corner Post article by Melissa Kean, the former Rice Centennial Historian, Drew was a member of the Honor Council and Phi Beta Kappa, as well as the recipient of the BryanChapman Scholarship in 1943 and a Franklin Scholarship in 1944.

Kean, who was a graduate student at Rice in the 1990s when Drew was still teaching, said that she befriended Drew through their shared research interest in the American South despite never taking a class together. Kean said she still remembers a moment helping Drew clean out her office around the time of her retirement.

“I spent maybe a week, maybe 10 days with her going through the stuff in her office, and I was blown away by the amount of scholarship she had done,” Kean said. “There were file drawers full of notecards. She started graduate school in the 1950s, taking notes on

note cards. There was nothing online that you could use to store information. And there were just files and files full of these note cards that she had done during her research.”

During Drew’s time as a faculty member at Rice, she served as the acting dean for the then-combined School of Humanities and Social Sciences in 1973. She also chaired the history department from 1970-1980 and the Lynette S. Autrey Professor of History from 1985 until her retirement in 1996.

Carl Caldwell, the former chair of the history department at Rice near the time of Drew’s retirement, said Drew built the humanities department that Rice currently knows.

“She actually built modern Rice,” Caldwell said. “She was one of these people who was involved in the ’40s and ’50s and ’60s in creating what we see now [and] all the foundations that were laid. She had one of those minds that could think through a personal problem or an administrative problem. I consider her one of my close friends here at Rice.”

After she retired, Drew continued to be involved with Rice, serving as the acting chair of the then-named Department of Art and Art History from 1996 to 1998, and had an office at Rice until 2015.

Drew’s research in the American South — including on William Marsh Rice — has informed current day research projects at Rice, including the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice, according to Caleb McDaniel, a co-chair of the task force and the current chair of the History Department.

“It’s a good example of how she was deeply committed to not only the institution, but also to creating a reflective institution that’s interested in its own past, and

COURTESY TOMMY LAVERGNE

recognizing that even Rice has a history that needs to be studied and examined critically,” McDaniel said.

Drew’s colleagues said they remember her not just for her intellectual prowess, but also her wit and humor. Caldwell remembered the first time he met Drew, when he was still applying for a job at Rice.

“She came up to me in the hall and said, ‘I guess white ties are in for men again,’” Caldwell said. “She said it straight faced. I just nearly fell over laughing. She had this dry and often cutting wit about her.”

Kean also said that despite her pioneering position on the faculty, Drew never wanted that to take away from her intellectual accomplishments.

“I held her in absolutely the highest regard,” Kean said. “She was the only woman on the faculty and she just carried herself with such dignity, such calmness and such intellectual power. She wanted no one’s sympathy. She just wanted to be what she was, which was a brilliant student and scholar and a contributor to the institution in many, many ways.”

COURTESY WHITNEY JIN

HAJERA NAVEED NEWS EDITOR

Future X-Fest planning needs student involvement

The first annual Moody X-Fest is in the books, and by most standards it should be considered a success. But if this is to be an annual event — and we hope that it will be — a few adjustments need to be made. First, the name ‘X-Fest’ has got to go. It’s bad. But more importantly, students should be meaningfully involved in the planning process to ensure that future festivals continue to attract student engagement.

To our knowledge, the only solicitation of broad student feedback in planning this year’s Moody Fest was a ranked-choice survey open to students, although it certainly wasn’t advertised as such. With potential artists including Bad Bunny, Robert Earl Keen and Paul Wall, it feels safe to say that none of the names on that survey were plausible Moody Fest headliners. No offense to the (roughly) four Grouplove die-hard fans

GUEST OPINION

on campus, but we’re pretty sure that no one was that excited about them performing. Students went because it was a free concert, and a novel one at that. But if we continue to book B-tier bands, we’re worried students will quickly lose interest.

An event designed to attract Rice students should actually appeal to their interests.

To be clear, we are not calling for a student takeover. No one wants to turn the Moody Fest into a Beer Bike-esque event where a pair of sophomores are stressed beyond belief trying to plan the whole thing.

EDITORIAL STAFF

* Indicates Editorial Board member

But including a few students on the planning committee, or conducting multiple rounds of student focus groups, would go a long way toward making sure that the festival will be well received on campus. An event designed to attract Rice students should actually appeal to their interests.

We’ve also heard rumblings that this “experience” might not be an annual concert, but rather an ever-changing product with different types of events hosted each year. We love that idea, but again, students need to be meaningfully included in the planning process. Because, and we mean this with all the love in the world, we’re pretty sure that a group of middle-aged adults aren’t super in-touch with what types of “experiences” college students will enjoy. Our humble suggestion? A campus-wide game of laser tag — or anything the students actually enjoy.

Event security needs to be bolstered

As a large and diverse community, Rice University offers numerous opportunities for students to socialize and have fun outside the classroom. Some of the more notable events are the student-run public parties. However, in recent years, there has been a trend and movement to push for increased safety at such social events. While I acknowledge that maintaining tradition is important, it is time for Rice University to take more proactive approaches to ensure the safety of its students at social events such as publics.

At public parties, security should be a top priority. Unfortunately, recent incidents have highlighted the failures of current security measures. The combination of alcohol, a tight-knit community and tickets creates a challenging environment for security at publics. While the ticketing measures were implemented with goals of limiting capacity at publics, the actual execution of the ticketing program has created rifts between students and the volunteers running such social events. Having attended the majority of publics and volunteered for the Wiess College and Martel College publics, it’s clear that security volunteers, college socials and coordinators struggle with enforcing the security rules that protect attendees.

As an example, at the Martel public, there were large groups of students let in through the side doors by a security volunteer. The group then proceeded to sneak up into the Martel sundeck with assistance by the same security volunteer. On that same morning, it was communicated to security volunteers that a large group of Lovetteers on the third floor forced their way through RUPD officers and security volunteers onto the sundeck. Besides the fact that such actions are unfair to the students that legitimately got tickets, such failures by volunteers in security roles present a great and life-threatening danger to students.

If security student volunteers are to continue, there is a need for them to be bold, loud and courageous in challenging people. As an example, the most outrageous violation I ever witnessed working security was with two students and the same volunteer that opened the side doors at Martel to allow groups to enter. The two students and volunteer, working together to take a filled water cooler from the first floor, snuck past the RUPD officer and Martel coordinator, spilling water all over the stairs while doing so. The consequences of failures in access control should not occur; students should be proactive in safety and maintaining a secure environment to protect the Rice population from hostile forces.

sniffing dogs along with searches of event attendees. In addition to being deterrents, such initiatives would also give students peace of mind knowing that there are trained professionals on hand to protect them from the many dangers present at publics. While some may contend that such measures will choke many campus traditions to the point of elimination, it is important to note that historically, traditions have successfully been adjusted for safety without sacrificing the meaning of the traditions. For instance, the spirit of Beer Bike today continues despite the elimination of beer from the chugging component of the race, with no sacrifices to the energy and festivities associated with Rice’s most iconic tradition. And at Texas A&M, the Aggie Bonfire since the 1999 collapse has been modified to be much smaller, yet safer than its predecessors, showing that traditions can be maintained without sacrificing safety.

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One possible solution to this issue is to increase the presence of security personnel at these events. Rice University should consider hiring more security guards or partnering with local law enforcement to ensure that these parties are properly staffed. While Rice currently has its police force at publics, they are underutilized as students continue to break through security. There is a need for Rice to bolster its police presence by hiring more RUPD officers or bringing in additional Houston Police Department officers and Harris County constables to protect students at Rice publics. Furthermore, deterrents to would-be troublemakers should be considered, including drug and bomb

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Rice University must continue their proactive approach to ensure the safety of its students at public parties. While such measures may weaken existing traditions or seem inconvenient, such sacrifices must be made to ensure the safety of every single student, no matter the hazard. These measures are a necessary step to ensure that students can have fun and socialize in a safe and secure environment. By prioritizing the safety of its students, Rice University can foster a stronger sense of community and create a more vibrant campus culture.

Luke Han LOVETT COLLEGE SENIOR

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ABOUT

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

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Historically, traditions have successfully been adjusted for safety without sacrificing the meaning of the traditions.

Rice after Roe: Abortion perspectives on campus

DANIKA LI THRESHER STAFF

June 24, 2022 was an awful day, Sarah Eleraky remembers.

“I felt a physical pain that day, I remember feeling heaviness on my chest,” Eleraky, a Lovett College sophomore, said. “It was more than just feeling like I’m stuck in Texas and I can’t get abortion if I need one, but also feeling like we’re going backwards.”

VIVIAN LANG / THRESHER

MORGAN GAGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When Roe v. Wade was struck down in June 2022, the 23 abortion clinics across the state closed their doors to abortion patients. While some clinics such as Planned Parenthood branches continued to offer reproductive healthcare services, others relocated to “haven” states where abortion was still legal, such as New Mexico, or shut down entirely. As of October 2022, nearly half of U.S. abortion clinic closures were in Texas.

This was the final blow in a long history of restrictions on abortion in Texas, some of which were periodically struck down or affirmed by the Supreme Court in previous rulings. Abortion clinic numbers dwindled as a result.

Simultaneously, the state legislature funneled funds into “alternatives to abortions,” including counseling for employment readiness and parenting classes, care coordination for government services, assistance with the purchase of essentials such as formula and diapers and housing and support services through maternity homes.

LifeHouse, though not a Texas Health and Human Services contracted provider, exists at the intersection of these services. Founded in 1988, their website claims they are “only one of two maternity homes in a 14-county area open to minors as young as 12 years old.” The Christian nonprofit is rooted in religious teachings, with the goal of setting up women facing unplanned pregnancies with a “forever family centered on Christ” by providing free lodging, meals, prenatal care, life skills training, counseling, access to work and school and “God’s overwhelming love.”

Claire Hao, executive director of LifeHouse, said that LifeHouse’s mission is to care for women in crisis pregnancy — “to give them hope, to give them a future” — by providing support services as well as modeling parenting and life skills in a home-like setting, with “house parents” who live on the property alongside those they are supporting.

“We call it discipleship in the Christian world, which means, basically, that you’re just teaching as you go. As you’re living your life, others are living their life alongside, you are teaching that way of life,” Hao said. “We hope that our women just feel that love and support.”

According to Hao, LifeHouse, in the last year, added a full-time social worker as

well as a full-time counselor to their staff in order to provide additional support, with the social worker “looking at those larger systematic issues” and counselor addressing “deeper psychological stressors that they may have coming into the ministry.”

Gina “G” House, LifeHouse’s director of development and donor relations, said that opportunities for learning such as parenting, cooking and healthy relationship classes are essential to the program’s goal of setting up parents for long term success. She also hopes that people understand that supporting expecting families takes time.

“There are no quick fixes to these issues,” House said. “We are investing in life, lives, two at a time, we say. Invest[ing] in a life takes time and intentionality and perseverance and commitment and steadiness, and I just think that we have to give our women time to learn to … repair the broken things in their life, to be taught and trained with new, valuable things that they can use out in the community.”

With an ongoing debate between abortion-rights and anti-abortion advocates that, at times, frames antiabortion advocates as calling for birth without providing resources, House says: “The proof is in the history.”

“LifeHouse didn’t just start yesterday. There’s so many decades of women that have come through, that have been supported. Sometimes they’ll have their first child and sometimes their fourth depending on the situation, but LifeHouse has always been a safe haven,” House said. “I think of hope for women and will continue to be that. We stand behind what we say, we give our lives to this and the people that are staff at LifeHouse do as well.”

In order to better advocate for women, Hao said that the community needs to understand that for a woman to have a choice, she needs to have the opportunity to choose to parent or place a child up for adoption.

“We want to be here to say that it is wise for a woman to parent her baby or to put that baby up for adoption,” Hao said. “I’m hoping that our city can get around that and understand that to be pro-woman means also to be pro-life, because we’re allowing the woman a choice.”

Looking across the aisle, Hao said that there is a lack of pregnancy resources overall, whether someone chooses to receive an abortion or carry a pregnancy to term.

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

On that day, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark case that established the constitutional right to abortion. The event was galvanizing for many Rice students involved with reproductive rights movements.

One club on campus impacted by this decision was Planned Parenthood Generation Action, a nationwide network of abortion-rights campus groups sponsored by Planned Parenthood. Allison Stocks started working to establish a Rice chapter for Planned Parenthood Generation Action in 2021.

“We hosted one event with pastries and parenthood … and I gave out buttons,” Stocks said. “But it was too late to become an official club, and so we started off with a slow start.”

In the wake of Roe being overturned, Stocks doubled down on her efforts. She said she raised over $450 via her Instagram story to purchase a steady supply of Plan B, created a program to have Planned Parenthood liaisons available to provide resources to each college and officially registered as a student club.

For many students, the pro-choice movement is about more than just abortion, despite that being its most visible issue.

“Pro-choice, at its simplest, is a movement where people want to be respected,” Stocks, a Lovett College junior, said. “[Being] pro-choice is to strive to be a person who respects other human beings, including their autonomy but also their viewpoints and opinions.”

Talia Levy serves as a peer academic advisor and Rice Health Advisor as well as being a Planned Parenthood liaison. She said she considers being a liaison particularly impactful.

“I’m appreciative that I can offer these resources because they feel a lot more real than the other resources that I offer,” Levy, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, said. “When somebody texts and asks, ‘How do you access birth control? How do you figure out insurance and doctor’s appointments? How do you get Plan B?’ it feels a lot more immediately important than telling somebody how to register for their classes or giving them cough drops.”

Almost all involved in the club are women. As the only male liaison, Thelonious Mercy, a Martel College sophomore, said he believes

that the role of other people is vital in the conversation about abortion-rights and healthcare access.

“It’s really important that we as people without uteruses take a more active role in helping provide those resources,” Mercy said. “So often, cis[gender] men have been in the position of power where they’ve taken away those rights.”

Also impacted was Rice for Life, which was re-started last April, a few months before the consequential Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. Jordan Killinger, a Will Rice College senior, serves as the club’s current president, and Abigail Robert, a Jones College sophomore, serves as the event coordinator.

Robert said she joined the club out of a desire to prevent “vulnerable individuals from having their human dignity denied.”

“[After] the overturning of Roe v. Wade, we felt emboldened to continue with even more fervor taking concrete steps toward helping women,” Robert wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Part of [that] includes providing women resources to be able to live healthy, flourishing lives before, during, and after their pregnancy.”

According to Robert, Rice for Life has undertaken activities such as collaborating with other Rice organizations on antihuman trafficking movements. Outside of Rice, Rice for Life volunteers with LifeHouse, a residential care facility for pregnant teens and young women.

What does it mean to live in Texas?

Texas has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation, banning abortion in almost all cases. Performing an abortion is now a felony crime with a minimum civil penalty of $100,000, and punishable by prison time ranging from five years to life in prison.

Levy said her wariness of Texas as a majority anti-abortion state means she is hesitant to display her involvement with Planned Parenthood outside of her residential college.

“I want to be a resource to students at my college, but I really am not interested in everybody on campus knowing my take,” Levy said. “That is less of a reflection of Rice and more a reflection of Texas.”

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

‘Two at a time’: LifeHouse bridges the gap

COURTESY PLANNED PARENTHOOD GENERATION ACTION RICE CHAPTER

Jump!

ACROSS

Sleepwear, briefly

Disney variety

Prompted

Thor actor

Inception director

Outer layer of famously layered vegetable

What a stenographer keeps

You might try to make them meet

Like a shark who has rejected a deal

Units of electrical power, for short

Plead

Consumeristic cable channel, to fans

Disapproving sound

Drench

Before, to a poet

Jiggly dairy product

“Road work ahead? Uh yeah! __ hope it does!”

Valley in California’s wine country

German “never”

American fast food size option

A phoenetic clue to the four answer pairs in the grid

Crumbly breakfast treat

Added charge

It’s like a bee, but meaner __ alive

Longs for Duke & UNC conference

Skilled

“Fo __!”

“__ Callister,” season four Black Mirror episode

State where you can find a Boulder, for short

Spinning toy

Kinda-sorta

Athleisure brand

Imitates

Competitions that might involve worms?

Captain America actor

Kim Kardashian’s husband for 72 days

You get them from your parents

Put clothes on It can be done because of joy or sadness

Alumni re-explore Rice lore

JONAH SPOSITO FOR THE THRESHER

From setting off fireworks in students’ rooms to painting the ceiling of Hanszen to massive food wars, anything can happen within the hedges at Rice. The Thresher compiled some of the best lore and unique stories from Rice over the years.

May the best man win

Many Rice students know about the steam tunnels, which are a network of passageways below Rice’s campus. In 1977, Phillip Walte (’76) used these tunnels to his advantage. Walters had a predicament: He didn’t know which of his closest friends should be his best man. To make his decision, he set up a series of trials in the steam tunnels. Full of pipes, debris and decades-old graffiti, the tunnels weave through Rice’s history. Many of the entrances are hidden behind locked doors, but Walters worked in the steam tunnels, which gave him official access. After opening the doors for his friends, the chase began.

“There were people in the tunnels, spotters,” Walters said. “We all operated under the basic premise that it’s easier to get forgiveness than to ask for permission.”

Walters had his friends and future wife dispersed throughout the steam tunnels to give clues for a puzzle of his own design. It was a huge success and after fierce competition, one of Walters’ friends won the title. A search party was sent out to find the others.

After this event, Walters and his buddies went above ground to celebrate, but they didn’t just go to the nearest dorm room. They went to Rice’s Bell Tower.

The Bell Tower

Located next to the Rice Memorial Center chapel, the Bell Tower is an unfamiliar space to many Rice students. Chris Reed (’77), however, made the tower a home, according to the Fall 2011 issue of The Cornerstone, the Rice Historical Society’s newsletter at the time.

During his time at Rice, Reed, who also started the steam tunnel challenge continued by Walters, served as student manager of the RMC. After a group of students attempted to break into the tower while Reed was working, he explored the space.

The tower had not been cleaned after its construction, but Reed had a vision. Slowly, the space transformed: Reed brought in wall decorations, furniture, a working toilet and even a nine-footlong chandelier. Although Reed never actually lived in the building, he did use it as a study space. Throughout his time at Rice, he made more additions, including air conditioning and a bed.

The administration discovered the changes that Reed had made to the Bell Tower, but allowed it to remain until he graduated. Reed removed his personal belongings and the rest of the fixtures were relocated.

Save Duncan’s Butt

Baker 13 has its own storied history. To participate in the run, students strip down, cover themselves in shaving cream and leave their mark on windows around campus. The slippery nature of this activity can lead to some destruction of property, such as in 2011 when engineering student Duncan Eddy (’13) broke a Fondren Library window.

on Halloween is one of the few chances in your life where you can run naked with over 250 of your close friends,” Connor Hayes wrote in an oped to the Thresher on November 18, 2011. “All 250 of those who ran with me that night probably remember it not for the exciting time they had streaking across campus, but instead for the moment when the proverbial shit hit the fan. Or, in this case, the moment the butt hit the window.”

Eddy, in an effort to bestow some of his shaving cream upon one of the large windows, jumped backwards towards the window, shattering it and landing himself in the hospital with a wounded rear end. The cost to repair it, according to Rice, was $15,000. To pay for his crime, Eddy collected donations and began selling t-shirts commemorating the incident, which fittingly said “Save Duncan’s Butt.”

Bridgers who sings “Kyoto”

Famous family matriarch

Little bit

Oprah’s cable channel, to fans

Responses when asking Meghan Trainor’s sign and name

Peeving

Rice freshmen’s sex-ed Wishy-washy refusal

“Ceci n’est pas __ pipe.”

Academy Awards slap recipient

Gets hot?

Annoying noise, perhaps Popular game using a D20 “Help!”

Twitter post metric, for short Absolute

Last name joiners

Fly

Suck up to __ capita

Impossible wish after viewing something you shouldn’t have __-roni!

Figure (out)

Common teen insecurity

“__ Give a Mouse a Cookie”

Possesses

Where pirates end up after walking the plank

Like an enthralled audience

Furniture made for feet

Largest ocean

“Wreck my life”

Glee actor

Like an event with champagne often is Home bases, for short Harry Styles spit recipient

Condition you might legally take Adderall for Dino tail?

“Saturdays are __ the boys”

“Hercules” love interest

Coding language that can be used to spice up an HTML document

Gov. agency that bad parents might fear Rice dept. that protects us from hazards

GENESIS HAHN / THRESHER

Rice rotation

According to the April 15, 1988 issue of the Thresher, the William Marsh Rice statue in the Academic Quad has turned its back on Sallyport only once in its existence. On April 12 of that year, a group of 11 students had managed to turn Willy 180 degrees to face Fondren library.

Having spent weeks preparing, they brought their equipment into the Academic Quad under cover of night, using walkie talkies and disguised with code names from the X-Men comic books. They used their engineering expertise to lift the statue several inches off the ground, then rotated it. The turning of the Willy statue made local news and is still considered one of the most elaborate and iconic pranks to take place at Rice.

We all operated under the basic premise that it’s easier to get forgiveness than to ask for permission.

Phillip Walters RICE UNIVERSITY ‘76

ALI MANIACE & IZZI REYNOLDS CROSSWORD WRITERS

‘Dimensions Variable’ plays with the wearable

with a historic artistic inspiration.

“We do want to lead people to think about this idea of otherness in our society … there are these Mughal-era elephant paintings that are made up of all sorts of other animals and humans, and it’s very similar to the message we’re putting out here … [it’s] all about the transmigration of souls … we’re all made up of the same beinghood,” Fitch said. “Each costume is a community.”

Nguyen and Fitch said they hope that the dynamic nature of their art provides audiences with a unique and engaging gallery experience.

“It’s rather carefully planned out … we have a narrative that we’re aiming for,” Fitch said. “We do think there will be some surprise musical events … our friend [Davis] has created a score for us … but there is room to improvise on the spot.”

New brews to sip on

SASWAT PATI THRESHER STAFF

While some off-campus places like Common Bond and Agora may be well known to Rice students, we here at the Thresher wanted to provide some new locales to quench your caffeine addiction, especially during the grind of finals season.

At first glance, they appear to be two precariously-stacked conglomerations of children’s stuffed animals: a forlorn plush basset hound, a worn stuffed hippo and a deflated giraffe. Then, you spot a distinctly human calf protruding from one of the masses, and suddenly they spring to life, two aggregations of animals, seemingly connected by a hive mind, performing a narrative.

This is the Moody Center’s upcoming experience on April 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. Part of the “Dimensions Variable” series, the performance piece is a dynamic response to the current “Narrative Threads” exhibition and is orchestrated by costume designer Tommy Nguyen and director Doug Fitch, both actors in the performance, accompanied by musician Daniel Thomas Davis playing the hurdy-gurdy. Fitch describes the piece as an “intervention” that’s comedically playful in nature but rooted in emotion and deeper meaning.

“We become these two characters who are sort of indefinable — they don’t really fit anywhere, but they fit everywhere,” Fitch said. “Hopefully they’re welcomed by everyone …

representing someone who just doesn’t look like anyone else … just living their lives and inviting everyone to come play with them.”

Nguyen generated the idea of costumes composed from plush toys during a residency at Denmark’s Aros Kunstmuseum in 2019. He said the country’s mistreatment of refugee and immigrant populations during his residency was part of his inspiration for the project, which he formulated upon encountering the donated toys in a search for reusable textiles to work with.

“I found a giant bin of all these preloved stuffed animals that no one wanted to touch … [they were] invested with a lot of emotion from their previous owners and just discarded,” Nguyen said. “I thought, ‘I’m going to make a wearable costume … to say something about immigration.’”

Fitch elaborated on this idea of movement and community that the artists considered integral to their work and identified parallels

Beyond the evening exhibition, the artists intend to host smaller interactive workshops throughout the week leading up to their performance, such as creating sock-puppet characters or plastic bag dresses, maintaining a theme of repurposing everyday objects.

Fitch and Nguyen also placed a strong emphasis on the importance of the whimsical and humorous aspects of their art alongside their more serious inspiration, citing Charlie Chaplin and silent movie comedy genre as the basis for their performance style.

“It’s a classic comedy duo … the idea of these two guys in a peculiar situation … that’s impoverished in one way or another … they’re just finding solutions to the world, getting through life,” Fitch said. “In the art world, it’s very rare that joy is rated as high a currency as sadness … we have this deep message delivered in a very light and funny way.”

Rice Dance Theater reflects on pandemic, past performances

HUGO GERBICH PAIS

THRESHER STAFF

Returning from a pandemic that saw drops in membership, Rice Dance Theater has doubled down on its mission to bring dance to Rice campus just in time for their 5oth year in operation. Their spring 2023 show, “Origins: Celebrating 50 years of Dance at Rice,” ran April 6 to 8.

Like many groups on campus, the pandemic forced the group to modify its offerings. Dance classes went virtual and performances were held on screens rather than stages. Katie Kirkpatrick, co-president of RDT, said she pursued a leadership role to enhance the club after the pandemic halved membership.

“It just wasn’t feeling fun,” Kirkpatrick, a Sid Richardson College senior, said. “I wanted to take on a bigger role to be able to create a more inclusive environment and improve the social atmosphere [and] create a more of a community within the company.”

Leigh Gabriely, RDT’s social coordinator, said she has watched RDT evolve through the pandemic, providing a unique opportunity to reinvent the club.

“It was a really different culture than we’re seeing today,” Gabriely, a Hanszen College senior, said. “The pandemic gave us a blank slate … the culture that existed before was deconstructed to a certain extent.”

The impact of the pandemic is explored within the show itself. RDT commissioned Marlana Doyle, a Houston

Siphon

Key Recommendations: Siphon Slow Brewed Coffee, Golden Milk Latte

As the name suggests, Siphon brews some of their coffee using a siphon — instead of boiling the coffee and reducing its intensity, this method slowly heats the coffee in a vacuum, creating a brew that is less rough and more flavorful. Siphon is perfect for finishing up a paper, with both a large interior seating area and a covered outside area. If you end up getting hungry, Siphon also has an all-day brunch menu with both small bites and full meals.

Koffeteria

Key Recommendations: Pistachio Baklava Croissant, Cocoa Nib Cold Brew

Just minutes away from Minute Maid Park and featuring spacious outdoor seating and a cozy interior, bakery and cafe Koffeteria really shines with their sweets and pastries — although their coffee is nothing to scoff at either. With both a set and rotating menu, every trip can provide a new experience, and virtually every pastry they make has that Instagram aesthetic.

choreographer and the director of the Institute of Contemporary Dance, as a guest choreographer. Her contemporary jazz piece, titled “sigh,” opens with a solitary dancer on the stage.

“It’s about not being alone and feeling supported,” Doyle said. “The main figure in the beginning of the dance starts by herself, but then the community of dancers comes on to join her. That sense of surrounding and support is what she finds throughout the dance.”

Accompanying the performances are exhibits featuring artifacts spanning the club’s history, and Kirkpatrick said they are the product of a serendipitous find.

“We were clearing out the closet, because it was getting really full and other dance groups needed the space, and we found these three big bins,” Kirkpatrick said. “None of us had looked at these things, we didn’t know they existed”

The memorabilia, from VHS tapes to old programs and posters, highlighted the club’s history and growth but also the broader growth of the arts at Rice, according to Kirkpatrick. They learned RDT used to be led by a full-time Rice employee, who was hired specifically to create a dance program, though this ended by 2016.

“We just need to keep pushing the arts,” Gabriely said. “It can be so inspiring to students, and we need more of it on this campus.”

Inspired by their remarkable recovery and growth since the pandemic, Kirkpatrick said RDT hopes to continue this momentum and celebrate the arts at Rice.

“I want students to be happy knowing how long dance has been making people happy at Rice, and that it’s continuing to make students happy,” Kirkpatrick said. “And hopefully, it will continue on for another 50 years.”

Un Caffè Premium Roastery

Key Recommendations: Iced Vanilla Cloud, Butter Croissants

Un Caffè is an intimate coffee shop and roastery just five minutes away from campus. It features a cozy set-up with plenty of light and air. While the coffee here is excellent, the shop’s true highlight is the craftsmanship and care of its wonderful owner, Soonkack Kook. At Un Caffè, Kook makes sure to prioritize the coffee and consumer experience.

Cavo

Key Recommendations: Cafe au Lait, Aeropress

Cavo prides itself on an upscale coffee experience with a variety of non-traditional drinks. Like Siphon, Cavo also has a siphoncoffee maker and other excellent slow-brewed drinks. With plenty of lighting, a chill atmosphere and good food, Cavo is a perfect choice for finals studying.

Rice Dance celebrated their 50th year as an organization with their spring 2023 showcase.

KATHERINE HUI / THRESHER

JULIANA LIGHTSEY FOR THE THRESHER

We become these two characters who are sort of indefinable — they don’t really fit anywhere, but they fit everywhere.

Doug Fitch DIRECTOR & PERFORMER

COURTESY CJ HODGES

Doug Fitch and Tommy Ngyuen in costume for the Moody’s newest “Dimesions Variable” performance.

Keep the pride alive with these pieces of queer media

ARMAN SAXENA THRESHER STAFF

Last week was Pride Week at Rice — so what better time to highlight media created by and on members of the LGBTQ+ community? Here are some of the best pieces of media from queer artists that do an incredible job of illustrating LGBTQ+ experiences.

“Portrait of a Lady on Fire”

Every 10 years, the British Film Institute conducts the Sight and Sound poll, asking critics around the world for their takes on the greatest films ever made. In 2022, “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” was ranked at number 30, the highest ranking for any film from the 2010s.

This profoundly emotional period piece follows the romance of two women, Heloise and Marianne, as they spend a week together on an isolated island off the coast of France. With accolades from the Cannes Film Festival, Cesar Awards and European Film Awards, director Celine Sciamma has earned her title as one of, if not the most, acclaimed lesbian filmmakers working today.

“The Watermelon Woman”

This comedy follows a Black lesbian filmmaker named Cheryl who dives into the life of an actress billed as the Watermelon Woman who was known for playing “mammy” archetypes in the 1930s. Cheryl is looking for love in this hilarious rom-com mockumentary, which sits at the intersection of race, sex, history, love and queerness.

“Peace Beyond Passion” by Meshell Ndegeocello

While many don’t know her name, Meshell Ndegeocello has been

consistently releasing contemporary R&B soul projects since the mid-90s.

“Peace Beyond Passion” is a jazzy and funky album addressing issues such as homophobia, racism and religion. Her work here is reminiscent of Stevie Wonder in the way she meshes mellow soul and funk rhythms with polemic and insightful political commentary.

“Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides” by SOPHIE

The trailblazing Scottish producer and songwriter passed away at age 34 in Jan. 2021, leaving behind a discography that is especially extensive for someone who had only been in the music scene for 10 years. SOPHIE’s “Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides” is a futuristic, noisy and eclectic deconstructed club album that fully establishes them as one of the most important figures in the experimental pop scene. The album features “Immaterial,” a pop anthem about freeing yourself from social constraints of identity — it’s a euphoric track and SOPHIE’s most-listened to song on Spotify for a reason.

“Maggot” by Dazey and the Scouts

Angry, energetic, rebellious and from a distinctively LGBTQ+ perspective, Queercore is a movement born out of the punk rock subculture. “Maggot” is one of the most-acclaimed examples of this movement in recent years and is a noisy, sarcastic and unabashedly queer punk and indie rock project that provides an adrenaline boost just by listening to it.

“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for Fiction, taught throughout the country and made into a film directed by Steven Spielberg,

it’s likely you’ve heard of “The Color Purple.” With the Tony-winning musical adaptation soon to receive the cinematic treatment, there’s no better time to experience the story of protagonist Celie’s journey of first love, faith, abuse and reconnecting with those long lost.

“Giovanni’s Room” by James Baldwin

A pioneering work in BIPOC gay literature, “Giovanni’s Room” tells the story of David and his relationships with the men in his life, including the bartender Giovanni. Author James Baldwin was one of the most acclaimed authors and thinkers of his generation,

spurring documentaries, adaptations and literature on his work and impact.

“Borderlands/La Frontera” by Gloria Anzaldua

Lesser known than the former written work but equally as valuable, Gloria Anzaldua’s “Borderlands/La Frontera” is a trailblazing piece of Chicano media that takes on everything from gender to race to colonialism. It’s a semi-autobiographical work that plays with poetry, prose and the conventions of genre to passionately illustrate the relationship between art, life, sexuality, history and mythology.

Review: Omigod you guys, ‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’ has no set

Award-winning musical “Legally Blonde: The Musical” hit the Hobby Center earlier this month and will continue its run through April 16. As someone who considers “Legally Blonde” to be her favorite movie and has seen the musical a number of times, I was more than excited to see it coming to Houston. The results, however, were rather disappointing. I wanted to love this show, but there were fundamental changes and differences from prior productions in the show that ultimately made it feel less than spectacular.

The set was by far the most disheartening element of the performance. Instead of a built set, the show opted to project various

backgrounds behind the characters to show their location. They also tried to incorporate more modern technology into the show by having texts, TikToks and Facebook emojis on the screens. The result was a musical that felt cheapened by a lack of set and effort. “Legally Blonde” doesn’t need to have spectacular staging, but to barely do anything and project what felt like a Powerpoint presentation on the screen was a serious letdown. They couldn’t even get Elle a desk for her to take her LSAT on — she instead took it on turnedaround bleachers that were later used as classroom seats. This simply made the production feel as though the set was rushed and the quality was sacrificed in order to get the show out on time.

The show also made several minor lyric changes in songs, some due to the lack of

related set pieces, that changed the way the show was originally intended to be perceived. In the iconic scene and title song “Legally Blonde,” Elle and Emmett are supposed to be singing to each other from either side of a door, confessing feelings to one another. The show cut the door prop entirely, instead having them sing to the audience on either side of the stage and completely diminishing the fact that they’re supposed to be making these confessions to each other.

Beyond the set and the lyric changes, the cast members were very strong and made up for some of the disappointment. The show is dance-heavy, and all the impressive numbers were choreographed well and pulled off without a hitch. The most impressive number was “Whipped into Shape,” which includes a stage full of dancers doing in-sync choreography

with jump ropes. All the characters, from Elle herself to the supporting roles of Vivienne or Paulette, are played by actors who know how to sing, and they pulled off the vocals beautifully.

If you are someone who has watched “Legally Blonde” the movie and loved it, or someone who knows relatively little about the premise of the show but wants to be entertained with a highenergy, peppy musical, you will enjoy this production. However, those that know a bit more about the original musical songs and premise might find themselves let down by this retelling of a classic. This show is worth seeing while it’s still playing at the Hobby, just not for the outrageously high prices that tickets are currently going for. If you’re paying more than $100 for these tickets, you’ll find yourself disappointed.

SARA DAVIDSON THRESHER STAFF

COURTESY DRAGER CREATIVE “Legally Blonde: The Musical” features a strong cast of actors, but falls short with their set design.

AMBER WANG / THRESHER

“I got slapped in the face so hard,” Forbes said. “I had a fever. For the first time in my life, I really couldn’t move, like it was a new sensation. Everything hurt. My vision was gone, not completely gone … but I’d have a searing migraine all day.”

Those initial symptoms went away after three weeks. Forbes resumed training and even competed in the first three races of the fall cross-country season with no issues. But her symptoms

returned in early October.

Forbes had been in a similar situation before — last year, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, a chronic autoimmune disorder that left her struggling to make it to class, before recovering to take silver at the NCAAs just months later.

“It was the best feeling ever,” Forbes said. “I was bedridden for two months, and I never really felt like myself. But something happened that day and I just got in another gear. I felt like I finally proved myself.”

However, this time would be different.

No matter how hard Forbes has worked to recover, she said she’s seen little progress.

“I’ve worked so hard to get better,” Forbes said. “And nothing really makes sense … I’ve had to live with the fact that you can’t question things anymore. It doesn’t make sense, and that’s okay.”

Doctors estimate a two-year recovery, which means her collegiate career is over. Forbes, an academic senior but junior in terms of NCAA eligibility, had planned to compete next year. She now intends to return to Pennsylvania after graduating in May and take two years before starting medical school in 2025.

Forbes said she’s leaned on her family and coaches to support her through her recovery.

Grace Forbes

“[Rice head] coach [Jim] Bevan was there [by] my side every single day,” Forbes said. “He would send me a text asking how I’m doing. Unfortunately, the answers were usually ‘terrible,’ but he would always ask … and he would always be contacting professionals asking if there’s anything they can do to fix me.”

To fill some of the void left by running, Forbes adopted a dog, a golden retriever named Murphy. She even fought through her illness to go on a medical mission to Ecuador in December, assisting a team that performed vision alignment

surgeries.

“I pushed myself to go, and I think that was the best decision I could have made,” Forbes said. “I was so tired the whole time, but seeing the look in the eyes of the parents and the kids after surgery was so fulfilling. And it gave me a little bit of energy.”

But after so much of her life had been defined by her sport, Forbes said she struggled to adjust to life without it.

“While running was so important to me, it isn’t just me,” Forbes said. “I’m more than that. And it took a long time to figure that out.” Forbes hopes to compete again someday, just not in the near future or collegiately. But she also knows she may never race again, and she’s forced herself to come to terms with that.

“I have the privilege of living a great life, with not many obstacles,” Forbes said. “[But] having my greatest passion taken away from me has been really hard. It took a lot of time to accept, but I’m finally at the acceptance point.”

Forbes still keeps her grandfather’s sweatshirt around, even if she doesn’t get much use out of it these days.

“I still have that sweatshirt,” Forbes said. “It’s right above my bed. And every night I look at it, and I say, ‘Hey, Gramps,’ and I ask him to look over me.”

‘I want to win’: Ikenna Enechukwu eyes the NFL Draft

CADAN HANSON SENIOR WRITER

There are currently six Rice football alumni on an active roster in the National Football League, and former Owl Ikenna Enechukwu is looking to make it seven. For the decorated defensive end from Kansas City, Missouri, his dreams of getting drafted to an NFL roster are getting closer while, according to Enechukwu, the intensity leading up to the NFL draft is increasing.

“The path to the draft has been crazy exciting,” Enechukwu said. “But yeah, overall just a blessing.”

After concluding his Rice career, Enechukwu turned his full focus to the NFL draft. After the 2022 season, Enechukwu was invited to the East West Shrine Bowl, one of three major collegiate All-Star games, which allows collegiate stars to showcase their skills in front of NFL scouts. Enechukwu, who was coached by the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff as a member of the East team, said it was a great opportunity to showcase his skills against the best in the country and learn from an NFL coaching staff.

“It was just a great experience to play football against some of the best,” Enechukwu said. “It was a confidence boost to throw around these Power Five guys. I know how good I am and I wasn’t worried about the logo on

somebody’s helmet.”

Following the Shrine All-Star Game, Enechukwu set his sights on the NFL combine, an important event where players showcase their physical and mental attributes in front of NFL scouts, coaches and general managers. After spending two months training with X3, a training organization in Fort Myers, Florida, Enechukwu said he was ready to showcase his skills at the combine despite his limited preparation.

“I was confident,” Enechukwu said. “With the short time you have to prepare, it’s really just getting your body to optimum shape and performability to perform these drills. I felt like I was in good shape and I felt pretty much at peace.”

Enechukwu’s confidence paid off with a strong performance. He clocked his 40-yard dash in 4.70 seconds, a vertical jump of 31.5” and a broad jump of 10.0”. His 40yard dash was the fastest time he had ever clocked and, despite not hitting his desired mark in the vertical jump, he later raised his mark at the Houston Texans Pro Day. After his performance, Enechukwu was pleased with his performance, but felt that he had more in the tank.

“I just went out there and did my best,” Enechukwu said. “I still feel like I could have gone even faster even though

it was my fastest time yet. The crown achievement for me would have been to break 4.7, but it was beyond expectations, and I feel like it still turned some heads.”

Enechukwu is ending his career on South Main with 122 career tackles and two Honorable Mention Conference USA All Conference honors. Enechukwu says that the difference in the talent between the Power Five and the Group of Five schools, which affects how analysts and scouts view players, is not as big as they make it out to be.

“Some people say it doesn’t make a difference, but I do think there definitely is bias towards Power Five players,” Enechukwu said. “I’ve played against both Power Five offensive linemen and Group of Five offensive linemen and I can really say there’s a lot of linemen in C-USA that are better than the USC, Arkansas and Texas [players] we played against. I think there is a chip on our shoulders, but [in the NFL], everybody is on the same playing field.”

Putting the draft preparation behind

him, the waiting game has now begun for Enechukwu. With the NFL draft less than three weeks away, Enechukwu, who is projected to be a late-round pick, is not only focused on getting drafted, but on his goal of leading a team to the Super Bowl.

“I just want to be the best player I can be and see how far I can push myself,” Enechukwu said. “I started at the bottom … I didn’t come this far only to come this far. I want to be great. I want to be a top player. I want to be a captain, and most of all, I want to win and take a team to the Super Bowl and win the Super Bowl.”

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

Former Rice Owl defensive end Ikenna Enechukwu in pursuit of an opposing offensive player. Enechukwu is now looking to be the first Owl to be drafted since Christian Covington in 2015.

It was a confidence boost to throw around these Power Five guys. I know how good I am and I wasn’t worried about the logo on somebody’s helmet.

Ikenna Enechukwu FORMER RICE DEFENSIVE END

FROM FRONT PAGE GRACE FORBES

I’ve worked so hard to get better. And nothing really makes sense … I’ve had to live with the fact that you can’t question things anymore. It doesn’t make sense, and that’s okay.

JUNIOR DISTANCE RUNNER

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Award-winning runner Grace Forbes tells her story about recent health struggles.

Peter Chung talks new position, time at Rice

MURTAZA KAZMI THRESHER STAFF

After hearing Peter Chung (Baker ’22), fawn over Rice football highlights or discuss his hometown Dallas Cowboys’ chances at winning a Super Bowl, it becomes obvious that his life’s passion is football.

However, unlike others who find football as a hobby, Chung is building a career in the sport.

The Rice alum recently made headlines as the

director of player personnel after being hired by Houston Christian University, formerly Houston Baptist, at just 21 years old.

Early on, Chung said he found sports more exhilarating than other professions, motivating his interest in the field.

“It’s just something different with sports,” Chung said. “It’s the competitiveness, the adrenaline you get. It’s just so much fun. I’ve tried other internships and [they’ve] been good, but I think just working in that team environment is very fun.”

Perusing the academic offerings at Rice prior to his matriculation in 2019, Chung said he found the Sports Management program as a means to connect his personal interests with his academic pursuits.

Chung says that Rice’s Sports Management program helped him find internships that provided him with many learning opportunities.

“[The] professors do a good job of getting you internships, [so] you can figure out what you want to do,” Chung said. “[Rice is] a Division I program, but you still get to do a

lot of work and get exposed to so many things within recruiting [and so] you learn a lot.”

Chung spent four years working with Rice football’s recruiting department. As the current director of player personnel at HCU, Chung says his experience with Rice football taught him many lessons, particularly on how best to recruit players.

“How we go about [recruiting] is [to] focus on building relationships, focus on connecting the players to the coaches, showcasing what HCU is great at and being honest with these recruits about what [we have] to offer.”

As Chung went through the grueling interview process, he said he found comfort in different groups on campus.

“The main [support system I had] would be my church fellowship, and they did a good job of giving me advice [and] helping me stay grounded [through this process],” Chung said. “That was not just for this job experience, but throughout

my time in college. They really helped me grow my faith, but also [gave me] that support system.”

Despite being new to the job, Chung says that he’s received plenty of support from the HCU staff.

“The staff [has] been very adaptable and listens, but they’re also willing to be straight with me so that we can figure out a way to recruit that fits all parties.” Chung said.

Chung said he does not let his lack of experience faze him, as his focus is now on the day-to-day work.

“It doesn’t really matter if you’re the youngest or the oldest from this group, you were hired to do a job,” Chung said. “I’m still going to be paid the same as the guy who’s the oldest, so I have to get my job done and recruit.”

Looking ahead, Chung says he wants to prioritize his present work at HCU.

“I’ve been focused on doing a great job here. Let’s do everything I need to get done here. And we’ll see where God takes me after that,” Chung said.

Rice Track & Field throw themselves to the top

GOLI ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The Rice Owls men’s and women’s track and field continued to put together a strong outdoor season this past weekend when they traveled to San Diego to compete in the Triton Invitational. The events, which were only for throwers, saw the women’s team record four topfive finishes while the men’s team ended the meet with five top-10 finishes.

On the women’s side of the event, junior Tara Simpson-Sullivan claimed the hammer throw title with a distance of 64.52 meters, her longest of the outdoor season. In the javelin throw, freshman Mckyla Van der Westhuizen took second place in the college portion (and third overall) after throwing for 53.27 meters, her second-longest this outdoor season.

In addition, senior Erna Gunnarsdottir finished fifth overall (and fourth in the college portion) in the shot put, recording a distance of 16.96 m, tying her outdoor season high in the event. Junior Morgan Fey rounded out the top-five finishes of the women’s throwing team when she finished fifth in the discus throw with a distance of 45.41 m. Women’s head coach Jim Bevan said he believes that his team did a great job this past weekend and is excited for the rest of the season.

“It was a great meet for throwers and I am so glad we could compete,” Bevan said. “[Simpson-Sullivan] winning is a very big deal as she beat some very good throwers. For [Van der Westhuizen], it was a great learning experience in the scheme of her development. [Gunnarsdottir] competed very well as did [Julie Perez] and [Fey]. They are a great group and the best group of throwers in our conference by far. We are on the right track to having an outstanding season. “

The men’s throwing team also had a strong performance this past weekend. Junior Elian Ahmar won the college portion of the shot put while placing second overall. His throw of 17.67 meters was his longest throw of the outdoor season, just 0.33 meters less than his personal best. Ahmar said he was proud of his showing in California and hopes to break the school record for the shot put before he leaves the team.

“I was really excited about my

performance this weekend,” Ahmar said.

“I hit a small slump after finishing the indoor season and this meet provided a huge confidence boost. I’m fairly confident my best throw from the meet will qualify me for the NCAA regional championship. Also, I want to break the school record, which is 18.58 meters.”

The Owls had two top-three finishers in the discus throw. Junior Sam Welsh’s 62.04 meters discus throw led him to finish first in the college portion and sixth overall and junior Samuel Woodley ranked third in the college portion and twelfth overall after throwing the discus 57.56 meters.

Men’s head coach Jon Warren was very proud of the throwers’ performance this past weekend and specifically highlighted the top results from the discus throwers.

“I was very happy with how the throwers did in San Diego this weekend,” Warren wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Amongst many other good things, Sam Welsh launched a season-best throw that ranks him [sixth] in the NCAA right now. He was closely followed by Sam Woodley (PR’ed), Nick Hicks and Jorge Hinojosa in the discus who all are in the top [eight] in C-USA right now and this is a very good discus conference.”

In the hammer throw, three of the Rice throwers made the top five in the college portion of the rankings. Junior Shaun Kerry finished the event second in the college portion and fourth overall, throwing for 63.55 meters. Sophomore Cal Abdulky followed with a fourth-place finish in college and sixth overall, and senior Nick Hicks finished fifth place and seventh overall.

Warren, encouraged by the performance of his throwers, said he is looking forward to how the rest of the season will pan out.

“In the end, I am pleased with how this whole group did and I am excited to see where it goes as the regular season winds down and the championship season gets going,” Warren said.

Both the men’s and women’s throwers look to build upon their season this upcoming weekend when they travel to Azusa, California to compete in the Bryan Clay Invite hosted by Azusa Pacific University.

EDITORIAL CARTOON “Two Owls walk into a bar....”

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

Junior Sam Welsh, who transferred from Harvard to Rice last summer, competes in the discus throw. He was among the top performers at the Triton Invitational this past weekend.

COURTESY JEFF FITLOW

Rice alumnus Peter Chung recently became the youngest director of player personnel in the nation, joining Houston Christian University in that role.

It doesn’t really matter if you’re the youngest or the oldest from this group, you were hired to do a job.

Peter Chung DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL AT HCU

PAVITHR

An Owl Days Welcome to the Class of ‘27

visit

The Backpage (Rice’s primary student newspaper) has compiled a handy guide to ensure you get the inside look into what life at Rice is actually like — by students, for students.

Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Rice

1. The Princeton Review has ranked us in the Top 20 Schools for Craziest Residential College-Hosted Parties for the past seven years!

2. We take the Honor Code seriously. Don’t discuss your exams (including your Rice Purity Test score) until you’ve graduated, or face social ostracization.

3. The average Rice student saves a total of $214 over their four years from not having to buy any moisturizer or conditioner thanks to our gorgeous humidity!

4. Firearms aren’t just allowed on campus, they’re the norm! Don’t get caught without one. Yeehaw!

5. Rice gives you $100 of free money, that’s right, FREE MONEY to spend every semester on food!!

6. Fret not, parents: Rice has an extremely strict alcohol policy, and RUPD will mercilessly haze anyone caught infringing upon the rules.

7. Moody X-Fest is one of our most treasured and historical traditions, and we have Drake booked for 2024!

8. Good luck getting into a football game — most Rice sports tickets sell out up to a year in advance.

9. Houston is one of the most walkable cities in the world, so you’ll surely find yourself exploring the city every weekend.

10. Our pre-med retention rate is a whopping 93% and you will not switch to COMP halfway into your second semester.

Demystifying Rice Student Lingo

• Baker 13 - Baker College’s premier 13-member oldies show tune acapella sensation

• “Chubby major” - playful jab used to take engineering students down a peg

• CoC - Culture of ‘Claw, shorthand for Rice’s White Claw-sponsored alcohol policy

• Dingle - handshake Rice students use to greet each other

• Duncaroos - stupid fucking name this one isnt a joke

• FITQ - Fitness Quotient; common residential college tradition in which each Friday, students are administered the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Test and the bottom half of scorers are expelled

• Fizz - super dangerous and scary app that you should probably go nowhere near for the time being

• Jack - pranks the colleges play on each other; originates from one of the first jacks where Lovetteers used a car jack to lift Will Rice commons and plant a bomb underneath

• Munch - name for a student that sexiles their roommate; slang based on “mealtime” with a onenight stand

• NOD - No Oyster Day, the one day a year the serveries offer us food other than oysters

• OC - off-campus

• O.C. - on-campus

• Public - restroom with an open pit for communal peeing, as opposed to a private (bathroom with toilets and sinks)

• Rustication - “rustic vacation”; Rice’s annual student outing to the Houston Rodeo