The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, November 1, 2023

VOLUME 108, ISSUE NO. 10 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Clinton and Baker discuss foreign policy at Baker Institute gala

NOD shut down early as medical resources ‘overwhelmed,’ police altercation BRANDON CHEN, PRAYAG GORDY & RIYA MISRA

NEWS EDITOR & EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

RIYA MISRA

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and James Baker came to Rice Oct. 26 for the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s “Raising a Meaningful Voice” 30th anniversary gala. Henry Kissinger was slated to be the third guest of honor, but canceled due to an injury.

He gave a short virtual address instead.

The discussion was moderated by Norah O’Donnell, the managing editor and anchor

CALI LIU / THRESHER

of CBS Evening News, and covered foreign policy topics such as the IsraelHamas war, the Russo-Ukrainian war and what O’Donnell called China’s “increasingly aggressive moves.” Around 1,000 people attended in person and 3,000 watched the virtual livestream, according to Rice News.

Directly across the road, between 200 to 300 Rice and Houston community members congregated to protest ongoing violence against Palestinians and to highlight allegations of war crimes against Kissinger, Clinton and Baker.

In a statement to the Thresher, Shannon Moriarty, the Baker Institute’s director of communications, wrote that Rice invited the three former secretaries of state because they represented both political parties and were known to the Rice and Houston communities.

“Everyone has a right to express their views in a civil manner,” Moriarty added. “Both Rice University and

Emergency personnel, crisis management and the Wiess College magisters ended Night of Decadence nearly two hours early Oct. 29, according to Jeff Falk, Rice’s director of news and media CALI LIU / THRESHER relations.

Hillary Clinton and James Baker, More than two dozen moderated by Norah O’Donnell, students required medical discuss foreign policy at the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s 30th the Baker treatment on-site, and anniversary gala. Henry Kissinger Institute seven Rice students was slated to attend, but welcome and were transported to area canceled due to an injury. encourage the hospitals, Falk said. Rice expression of University Police Department different points of Chief of Police Clemente view.”

Rodriguez said there were no tasers Nithya Shenoy, a coused or arrests made, contrary to president of the Baker Institute Student many rumors that circulated in the Forum, said that executive members aftermath of the party. of the Baker Institute Student Forum “To be clear, there was no use received tickets to the gala, along with of any intermediate forms of force seven tickets for other Rice students. such as pepper spray, taser or For the public, ticket prices ranged from baton. The health and safety of all $1,500 to $100,000. attendees was our top priority,” Kate Frucht, a Baker College senior, Rodriguez wrote in an email to the was one of the students chosen to attend Thresher. the gala free of charge. Frucht, who said In a Sunday email to students, she eventually wants to work for the Wiess Chief Justice Renzo Espinoza Department of State, was excited to hear said that Rice crisis management the speakers’ takes on foreign policy. decided to slowly shut down NOD “Both [Clinton] and Baker were super once medical resources were calm,” Frucht said. “They disagreed “overwhelmed.” As this happened, about a variety of different issues, and a few students had an altercation it was really interesting to see how they with Rice University police officers, presented their opinion.” according to Espinoza, which sped The gala opened with an introduction up the timeline. from President Reggie DesRoches and a pre-recorded message from Director of the Baker Institute David Satterfield, who was recently appointed special I didn’t know what was envoy for Middle East humanitarian happening. I didn’t issues and spoke from the U.S. Embassy know why they [were in Israel.

SEE BAKER GALA PAGE 2

Community members protest Baker Institute SPRING CHENJP

ASST. NEWS EDITOR Students and community members gathered outside the Baker Institute to protest the “Raising a Meaningful Voice” gala held Oct. 26. A Rice University Police Department officer at the protest estimated 200 to 300 people were present at its peak.

Dozens of protesters remained at the end of the night, when the gala finished around 9:30 p.m. They led chants from the Central Quad as gala attendees departed.

The gala, which marked 30 years since the Baker Institute’s founding, was headlined by Henry Kissinger, James Baker and Hillary Clinton, three former secretaries of state. Kissinger was slated to attend in person but gave a virtual address due to an injury.

Many protesters accused the three of supporting war crimes and genocide.

Earlier in the week, organizers held an “Anti-War Teach In” to discuss the legacies of the speakers and American intervention across the world.

Protesters held Palestinian flags and posters bearing slogans such as “End all U.S. aid to Israel” and “Stand

with Palestine! End the occupation now!” Protest organizers from Rice Students for Justice in Palestine and representatives from the Party for Socialism and Liberation gave speeches, interspersed with chants including “Free, free Palestine” and “Hillary Clinton, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

Anna Rajagopal ’23, an organizer with Rice SJP, said they felt RUPD placed unjust restrictions on the protestors, placing barricades farther away from the Baker Institute than previous protests and limiting the number of megaphones used.

“Despite the fact that we had previously agreed upon us on having megaphones, because they’re not amplified sound, when RUPD saw that we had 11 megaphones, they said they can either take them or we’ll have to put away all of them except for three,” Rajagopal said.

Chief of Police Clemente Rodriguez confirmed RUPD had earlier allowed the use of megaphones for the protest but was concerned about noise disruptions from using multiple megaphones at one time.

SEE SJP PROTEST PAGE 2

FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER Students and community members protest the Baker Institute gala, which hosted Henry Kissinger, James Baker and Hillary Clinton. Many protestors accused the three of supporting war crimes and genocide.

handcuffing me].

I didn’t know who was behind me, to be honest. I couldn’t even see. I didn’t hear anything they said, so I didn’t know what they wanted me to do.

Anonymous student

“At the peak of the night, all of Rice and Houston medical resources at NOD were becoming completely overwhelmed.

Any more stress on campus and city resources would have put us in a very bad position,” Espinoza wrote.

“Once [the altercation] transpired, the shutdown of the party was accelerated.”

A student involved in the altercation with RUPD, who requested to remain anonymous due to privacy concerns, said she was handcuffed by RUPD after grabbing her friend, who she said was being taken out of Wiess commons in handcuffs by RUPD. “The next thing I noticed [was] someone grabbing at me from behind … and then I was just being shoved to the ground,” she said.

“These two grown men were pinning me to the floor, pulling my arms behind my back and handcuffing me, and I was probably screaming

SEE NOD 2023 PAGE 3

2 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023

THE RICE THRESHER

FROM FRONT PAGE

SJP PROTEST

FROM FRONT PAGE

BAKER GALA

Baker also offered a few introductory and its obligation to minimize civilian words in which he discussed his political deaths. While Clinton acknowledged and personal relationships with Clinton the difficulties of getting foreign aid into and Kissinger over the years. Baker served Palestine, she said it’s imperative to try. as White House chief of staff, secretary “The debate has been really binary, yes of state and secretary of the treasury for [or] no, black [or] white. Well, that is not Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, and the reality on the ground,” Clinton said. “I he is the namesake of the Baker Institute. hope David Satterfield is over there trying “History will show that [Clinton] and to help us figure out how we’re going to I have been on opposing sides of many get fuel where it needs to go and not be issues,” Baker said. “Hillary and her diverted to be used by Hamas.” husband [Bill Clinton], of course, sent Attendees Lisa Rich and John me unceremoniously to an involuntary McLaughlin, who said they are roundtable retirement from public life when she helped members of the Baker Institute, said they Bill [Clinton] beat my dear friend, George particularly appreciated hearing Baker and Bush, in the 1992 presidential election.”

Clinton’s perspectives on the Israel-Hamas O’Donnell said that in light of the war, coming from different political parties. numerous ongoing foreign policy issues, Baker is a Republican, while Clinton is a the United States is facing “one of the most Democrat. dangerous times for the world in decades,” “Their comments around getting a sentiment both Baker and Clinton aid into Gaza, really good to hear. Both echoed. of theirs,” McLaughlin said. “[It was] “We have a number of very visible interesting that [Baker] was so forceful urgent crises … But then we have long-term about that.” challenges that we have to deal with, like Shenoy said the gala showcased the the assault on democracy,” Clinton added. complexity of foreign policy issues.

“I completely agree with [Baker] that we “This is not something a lot of students have internal and external threats that have access to,” Shenoy, a Sid Richardson have to all be dealt with at the same time.”

College senior, said. “I hope that Rice The first topic on the evening’s students get more opportunities like this in agenda was the ongoing Israel-Hamas the future.” war. O’Donnell specifically asked Baker Prayag Gordy contributed to this and Clinton about Israel’s response to reporting.

Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which has included This story has been condensed for print. thousands of airstrikes and a siege of the Read the full article at ricethresher.org.

Gaza Strip.

“I’m very concerned about a wider escalation,” Baker said. “This is a very difficult situation that Israel is facing because no one would question their right to retaliate … I think the Biden administration is trying to do whatever we can to tamp things down and to prevent overreactions.

And one overreaction, in my view, is to shut off fuel and electricity and food and medicines to a civilian population.”

CALI LIU / THRESHER Clinton — who has Around 1,000 people attended the Baker historically advocated for Institute Gala in person.

BISF executive a two-state solution — said members and seven Rice students received that Israel is dealing with tickets for the gala. For the public, ticket a “terribly complicated prices ranged from $1,500 to $100,000. equation” of balancing retaliation against Hamas

FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER

“This concern was shared with the organizers,” Rodriguez wrote in an email to the Thresher. “The agreement reached was that they could continue using three megaphones that would be used individually among the speakers.”

Rodriguez also said that increased vehicle traffic required the protest location to be moved further back in Central Quad as a safety precaution, and that RUPD agreed upon the location with protest organizers.

The Oct. 26 protest saw an increase in turnout from a Rice SJP protest in May against the Baker Institute’s “Israel at 75” conference, with 30 to 60 protestors at its peak, according to Rajagopal.

Lovett College freshman Devika Dua said she found it important for Rice students to express disagreement with the gala.

“I think it’s huge that political figures are coming to visit Rice, and obviously it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Dua said. “But I think it’s also very rightful for our end to have this protest going on right in front, because they deserve to hear how we feel about it.”

Rajagopal said they were dissatisfied with what she called a “non-response” to the Israel-Hamas war from Rice’s administration. An Oct. 11 statement cosigned by President Reggie DesRoches and other members of the administration referenced Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and said “Rice’s diverse community includes Israelis and Palestinians as valued

members.”

Rice SJP released an open letter Oct. 20 calling for the Office of the President to “stand firmly against” antiMuslim and anti-Palestinian sentiment. As of Oct. 31, the letter has garnered 364 signatures.

“Our demands are that Rice University release a statement acknowledging the horrors that Palestinian people have had to suffer through at the hands of Israel, that they stop applying a double standard to Palestinian students [and] that they divest completely from Israel,” Rajagopal told the Thresher. “We want Rice to commit to an end to the siege [on Gaza] and to protecting Palestinian, Muslim and Arab students.”

In addition to undergraduates, protestors included Rice graduate students, alumni and students from the University of Houston.

Alumnus Nick Cooper ’91 said he’s been passionate about activism in the past and wanted to speak out against American military aid to Israel.

“I’ve been warning everybody [who] will listen to me for many years that Israeli apartheid is going to create all kinds of horrors,” Cooper said. “My first [instance of] activism in high school was against South African apartheid. It’s a family value of mine, my family is Jewish, that we should be opposed to genocide, apartheid and ethnic cleansing, and that’s exactly what Israel is doing.”

Cooper added that a member of his band is in Gaza.

“We haven’t heard from him in a week,” Cooper said. “We don’t know if he’s alive, and we’re going to do everything we can to bring pressure to end the bombardment and have a ceasefire.”

Jacob King, a graduate student at the University of Houston, said his research focus in history informed his participation in the protest.

“As someone who is trying to be both a professor and work in public policy to use my knowledge of history to help people, I don’t like seeing the humanizing of war criminals like Kissinger, Clinton and Baker,” King said. “This [protest] is the first step to really doing something about it.”

BISF hosts event about long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict BELINDA ZHU

FOR THE THRESHER The Baker Institute Student Forum hosted a panel titled “​​Addressing the IsraelGaza Crisis: Humanitarian Efforts and Political Economy of Gulf States” on Oct. 25 to discuss the current war and long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its relation to other Arab states.

Kristian Ulrichsen and Kelsey Norman, both fellows for the Middle East at the Baker Institute, were speakers at the event. The panel was moderated by BISF co-president Siddhi Narayan.

BISF general board co-director Rithika Iyengar said the event allowed experts to share their knowledge on the conflict, making foreign policy accessible to students.

“Sometimes [students] don’t know where to look,” Iyengar, a McMurtry College sophomore, said. “Sometimes the Western media has a certain bias, and it’s hard for students to get a full-fledged perspective on the issue. Interacting with fellows who are experts on the issue allows for a more

holistic understanding.”

The event started with an introduction to the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

According to Norman, many students don’t have a lot of background on the conflict and wanted to learn more.

Norman said the conflict can be traced back to the Palestine Mandate when the area was under British rule. She said that it led to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, resulting in generations of Palestinians being displaced across the region.

According to Ulrichsen, there are many different starting points of the conflict depending on how far back one goes.

“2007 could be a starting point when Hamas took over the Gaza strip,” Ulrichsen said. “[In] 1967, [there was a] six-day war between Israel and its Arab neighbors which ended in decisive military victory by Israel.

[It resulted in] Israel seizing and occupying the Arab territory in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. [Hence], 1967 can also be seen as the beginning of Israel occupying Arab territory.”

Rahul Santhanam, a Wiess College

freshman, said prior to this discussion, he had little knowledge on the geopolitical situation of the Middle East.

“I learned much about the historical context of Gaza and responses across the Middle Eastern countries towards the conflict,” Santhanam said.

Ulrichsen said the Oct. 7 Hamas attack brought back old memories for the Jewish communities.

“It drew on the worst memories of Israeli and Jewish people when Jewish communities were killed for simply being Jewish and memories of Holocaust and World War II,” Ulrichsen told the Thresher in an interview. “The fact that it took place in Israel, which was established after World War II to prevent anything like that from happening … had a huge psychological and social impact on Israel and will continue to do so for a long time.”

Students also asked about U.S. involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict currently and in the past.

Norman said she views the immediate future from a humanitarian point of view

and sees a ceasefire as allowing a pause in the violence before a solution is discussed.

However, according to Norman, the U.S. is not in favor of a full ceasefire. “[The U.S.] said they would support a humanitarian pause, which would be a much smaller form of a ceasefire,” Norman said.

Norman further said it is important for students to be politically informed due to prevalent media polarization and misinformation, and to learn more regardless of which side students stand on.

“Only with more understanding are we going to be able to find ways to come to a solution,” Norman said.

FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 • 3

NEWS

Organizations hold ‘Anti-War Teach In’ before Baker Institute gala had on Latin America.

“I have deep knowledge about FEATURES EDITOR the role of Kissinger and the Multiple Rice and Houston organizations U.S. in Latin America,” Ochoa led an “Anti-War Teach In” event in the said. “Many countries in PCF 1 graduate student commons Oct. 24. Latin America have very The event was organized in response to deep roots in expressing the Baker Institute’s 30th anniversary gala, their solidarity with the which hosted former secretaries of state struggles of Palestinians.

Hillary Clinton, James Baker and Henry There is a longer historical lens to understand what’s Kissinger.

In a Sept. 29 Instagram post announcing happening.”

UH undergraduate the teach-in, Rice Students for Justice in Palestine called Kissinger, Clinton and student Carlos Alvariño then spoke on United States Baker “architects of war and imperialism.”

Graduate student co-organizers Erica intervention in Latin American Augenstein and Zainab Abdali said that politics, and an undergraduate they were inspired to host the teach-in to student speaker from the Rice Marxist Students discuss the historical context of the Israeli- Revolutionary Palestinian conflict and the roles that addressed the role that universities play Clinton, Baker and Kissinger have played in in U.S. imperialism. Graduate student Karen Siu drew comparisons between the global affairs.

“We definitely wanted to not let this just long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict go by as historians and scholars of anti- and American military intervention in Cambodia, Laos colonial literature,” and Vietnam.

Augenstein said.

The event “With the aggression concluded with a in Gaza, the legacies With the aggression in presentation from of people like Gaza, the legacies of Rice alumnus and Kissinger became Rice SJP alumni so obviously clear people like Kissinger supporter Anna and the dangers became so obviously clear Rajagopal ’23 and of not countering and the dangers of not UH alumnus Aliya these types of ideas Khawaja ’21 on became present and countering these types of ideas became present and similarities between urgent.”

Hindutva — the The teach-in urgent. desire to establish was a collaboration an entirely Hindu between Rice Erica Augenstein Students for Justice GRADUATE STUDENT CO-ORGANIZER society in India — and Zionism. in Palestine, the Rice SJP member Matti Haacke attended Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Houston both the teach-in and the “Protest the Democratic Socialists of America, the Rice Genocide Gala” demonstration held Oct. 26 Revolutionary Marxist Students and the across Alumni Dr. from the Baker Institute Rice Asian Diasporic and Asian American gala.

“Rice needs more events like this where Research Collective.

The event opened with remarks from [students] bring up social discourse more,” Rice history professor G. Daniel Cohen and Haacke, a Sid Richardson College junior, University of Houston Arab history professor said. “Especially being in Texas, there’s Abdel Razzaq Takriti, who provided a prime opportunity … With action items historical background on the relationship happening through SJP, I hope there can be more things like this.” between Israel and Palestine.

Graduate student Nina Nevill said that History professor Laura Correa Ochoa also spoke on the parallels between Latin she attended the teach-in out of a desire to American independence movements and show her support for groups that advocate the current situation in Palestine, as well as for Palestine.

“I think that any sort of group that stands the impact that Kissinger in particular has

SARAH KNOWLTON

CALI LIU / THRESHER Multiple Rice and Houston organizations led an “Anti-War Teach In” event in the PCF 1 graduate student commons Oct. 24. The event was organized in response to the Baker Institute’s 30th anniversary gala.

against injustice and oppression, we need to be in support of,” Nevill said. “Solidarity amongst our community is really important, even if we’re not part of those groups.”

Vivek Venkatraman, a representative of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, discussed the concept of war and the reasons why governments resort to violence in his presentation. He told the Thresher in an interview after the teach-in that the PSL hoped to support student groups involved in advocacy for Palestine.

“We’re here in solidarity with groups that represent the Palestinian struggle [such as] SJP, other Palestinians, the Muslim Student Association and so on,” Venkatraman said.

“Now is the moment where the working class people, the regular people, can fight back to have our voice heard, and events like this give us the space to have those conversations.”

Venkatraman also said that the gala’s invitation to Kissinger, Clinton and Baker — whom he described as “the architects of war” — shows that international issues have an impact on the Rice community. “[Rice students] are amongst the brightest minds of our generation,” Venkatraman said. “We want the brightest minds of our generation to love peace, to love humanity, to want to build a better world, not to be influenced by these warmongers who want to funnel you into defense contractor jobs or consultant [jobs] for this weapons manufacturer or that one … We want the bright minds to be the bastions of hope and peace that will bring dignity to the working class people.”

Students walk out of class, fundraise for Palestine East right now is assistance, according to the Department exactly what they did of State.

FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER “I’m really upset that our taxpayer in 2003,” Beram said.

“That is why I had to dollars are being used to fund ethnic leave my home. That cleansing,” Saha said. “Regardless of what is why my family and Hamas did, genocide is not acceptable.”

The protest filled the courtyard.

I had to flee.”

Beram cited Students engaged in protest chants such violence against as “Free, free Palestine” and “One, two, Palestinians as three, four; genocide no more.” Rice SJP another key reason declined to comment on the walkout.

Shortly after the walkout, Rice MSA she was protesting.

“This morning began its fundraiser, selling boba and I saw a video of a Palestinian flags in Ray’s Courtyard as a Palestinian child with part of its annual Charity Week.

SPRING CHENJP Claire Morton, who purchased boba his legs blown off and his face melted off,” ASST. NEWS EDITOR Beram said. “It reminded me of how one tea at MSA’s fundraiser, said they learned about the walkout Students walked out of class to chant of my aunts died. from the recent and make posters in support of Palestine Her face was also Rice SJP teach-in. as part of an event organized by Rice melted off and she “I was already completely I’m glad to be involved Students for Justice in Palestine in Brown was in support of the Garden at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 25. The walkout unrecognizable. in real action and Palestinian cause came as the Israel-Hamas war continued I think the least I [supporting] in any and against Israeli can do is show my into its third week. way that I can, through imperialism,” The Rice Muslim Student Association support and show showing up at protests and Morton, a also held a fundraiser that day, where up.”

Brown College Lovett College contributing monetarily. all proceeds were to be donated to the sophomore, said. non-profit organization Islamic Relief, senior Debi Saha “But I’m glad to said she walked Claire Morton according to MSA’s Instagram post. be involved in Duncan College senior Deema Beram out due to her BROWN COLLEGE SOPHOMORE real action and said part of the reason she joined the d i s a p p r o v a l protest was due to her identity as an Iraqi of United States military aid to Israel. [supporting] in any way that I can, through The U.S. currently provides Israel with showing up at protests and contributing refugee.

“What the West is doing in the Middle $3.8 billion dollars per year in military monetarily.”

FROM FRONT PAGE

NOD 2023

and crying. I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know why they [were handcuffing me]. I didn’t know who was behind me, to be honest.

I couldn’t even see. I didn’t hear anything they said, so I didn’t know what they wanted me to do.”

Other students also told the Thresher they witnessed RUPD lead multiple students out of the Wiess quad in handcuffs. Rodriguez did not respond to a question about the number of students who were placed in handcuffs.

The student said that RUPD brought her to a room with Rice Emergency Medical Services and was told that Student Judicial Programs would be contacting her before letting her go.

Rodriguez said that individuals were removed from the party for not following the rules. He did not confirm the number of students who were removed.

“There were a couple incidents in which we had to physically restrain and remove individuals who would not comply with our instructions,” Rodriguez wrote.

The student said that she sustained multiple physical injuries from RUPD officers, alleging “excessive force” from the officers.

“I had a lot of physical injuries after how they treated me,” she said. “[There is] a pretty big scar on my back, pretty dark bruising on my ribs, tenderness on my hands all the way up to my arms and then bruises on my knees and my head. I still have the scratches on my wrist and tingling in my fingers.”

“I was just in lingerie and I wasn’t armed … which I don’t think warrants that much force,” the student added.

Rodriguez did not respond to further questions about the altercation or force used in time for publication.

In 2012, when 11 students at NOD were hospitalized, the dean of undergraduates at the time reconvened the Alcohol Policy Advisory Committee, which led to hardened restrictions on hard alcohol and the number of people allowed at private gatherings.

Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman declined to comment for this article and said that Rice will communicate with students later this week.

Many partygoers were in the Wiess quad when NOD ended, queued to enter the commons where a DJ was playing music. The line was created by request of Crisis Management to count capacity and follow fire hazard laws, according to Espinoza’s email.

“The line that was created to re-enter commons was something new at this NOD that we had not seen before or planned for as a NOD team,” Espinoza wrote. “This was something we were required to follow.”

Emaline Davis, a security volunteer and freshman from Will Rice, said many people were confused by how the party ended.

“All the security guards were really confused because people started freaking out when the party flared out. They kept asking the security guards what happened, but none of the security guards knew,” Davis said. “We were just as confused. We went back to our home base [and said], ‘Do you want us to help clear people out or clean up?’ and they’re like, ‘No, no, just go home everyone.’”

Spring Chenjp contributed to this reporting.

4 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023

University takes the wheel with shuttles to vote AMY CAO / THRESHER

RICHIE SU

THRESHER STAFF Rice’s civic engagement organizations and the Student Association have organized shuttle buses to facilitate the community’s participation in the upcoming Houston mayoral election.

From Oct. 28 to Nov. 3, voting shuttles will run every day from Rice to the Texas Medical Center voting center. The Rice Transportation buses will operate from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekdays and from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on weekends, in 30-minute intervals.

On Election Day, Sewall Hall will open as a voting precinct.

Katherine Jeng, a Rice Votes democracy fellow, said the purpose of voting shuttles is to ensure eligible citizens have the opportunity to vote and to make the process more convenient and inclusive. Rice Votes is a campus coalition of staff, faculty and students focused on civic engagement.

“This year, we are strengthening the early vote shuttles so that any member of the Rice community can [use] a free shuttle to an early voting location,” Jeng, a Hanszen College junior, wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Student Association President Solomon Ni said the shuttles make voting more accessible to eligible voters at Rice.

“I think voting [shuttles are] a way to make voting and exercising your civic duty more accessible,” Ni, a Jones College junior, said. “[The goal of the] Student Association and the administration is to equip students with the tools they need to be civically engaged and make it as easy as possible for them.”

It is important that students vote in this election, Associate Director for the Center for Civic Leadership Veronica Reyna said.

“This election is important for students to vote in because local government affects so much of our quality of life on a daily basis,” Reyna said. “Early voting provides the best opportunity to fit voting into students’ schedules [and] also helps alleviate long lines at the Sewall Election Day location.”

Ni said they and other Rice staff members initially intended to establish an early voting location on campus instead of organizing voting shuttles.

“Originally, it was a dialogue around getting [an] early vote location on campus. And it’s really difficult to identify a location, so we did not have the most adequate amount of time to pursue it,” Ni said. “But the director of government relations, as well as myself, want to continue to push Rice to have [an] early vote location, because in 2020 we did have an early vote location at Rice Stadium.”

NEWS

Students talk financial aid challenges MARIE VALERA

THRESHER STAFF

Rice has joined over 360 colleges in the United States in making a commitment to financial aid transparency, according to a news release from the Office of Public Affairs. The announcement says Rice reaffirms its commitment to remaining a loan-free institution.

Paul Negrete, the executive director of university financial aid services, wrote in an email to the Thresher that the Rice Investment continues to support and open opportunities for students. The Rice Investment, launched in 2019, offers full tuition, fees and room and board for families with “typical assets” who make less than $75,000, full tuition for families making $75,000-$140,000 and half tuition for families making $140,000$200,000.

“The Rice Investment and our commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated need with loan-free financial aid are at the center of one of the most generous financial aid policies in the nation,” Negrete said. “With such a generous financial aid policy, Rice is more affordable and opens doors to students so that cost is not prohibitive.”

However, some students say they have had mixed experiences with Rice’s financial aid system. According to Kimberly Dorsey, a Brown College junior, the financial aid office was unresponsive and lacked transparency during her financial aid process.

“I had to call [the financial aid office] several times. They didn’t notify me when I needed to upload additional requirements. It was very frustrating,” Dorsey said. “I submitted all my requirements by February, and then they added an extra requirement. Since I didn’t meet that extra requirement by the deadline, all of a sudden, [they said] ‘We’ll get back to you when we get back to you.’”

I had to call [the financial aid office] several times.

They didn’t notify me when I needed to upload additional requirements.

It was very frustrating.

Kimberly Dorsey BROWN COLLEGE JUNIOR

Negrete told the Thresher that because of the complicated and personalized nature of the financial aid process, it can delay responses and prompt the office to request additional documents from students.

“More complex income situations may require additional documentation,” Negrete wrote. “In other cases, we may request certain documents when a FAFSA has been selected for federal verification.

Our goal is to provide a prompt response and accurate information. We are working to improve response time. However, even what appears to be a simple financial aid question can have other complexities which require additional time to research and reply.”

America Malacara, a senior at Sid Richardson College, said that even though her financial aid package was able to cover many of her expenses at Rice, her financial situation still presents challenges for her educational goals.

“Seeing just how expensive rent and groceries are has definitely made me prioritize my paid work over school at times, and it most certainly has made me reconsider my career goals,” Malacara wrote in an email to the Thresher. “It would be very inaccurate to say that [financial aid] has been an enjoyable part of my experience. I would consider it more of a survival tactic.”

Kai Hung, a senior at Brown, said that

financial aid has been essential to his overall experience at Rice. “[My] financial aid package often … includes a little bit extra for living expenses … it’s always helpful,” Hung said. “I think if I was in a position where I feel like I had to ask home for money to cover for expenses, I would feel the sense of guilt that I would start picking up campus jobs that doesn’t really align with my goals … Financial aid has allowed me to be more in charge of how my time is spent.”

Malacara said that more support for first generation low-income parents may improve the financial aid process at Rice.

“I saw how helpful it was to have someone from the Office of Financial Aid present at one of the parent sessions during Owl Access,” Malacara said.

Negrete said that demand for needbased aid has been stable over the past several years, and Rice does not expect to change its financial aid process currently.

“About 70% of undergraduate students [apply] for financial aid at Rice each year,” Negrete wrote. “At this time, we do not anticipate changes to the current financial aid system from an increased student population.”

RICHARD LI / THRESHER

Old Sid demolition delayed due to bee colony and weather Sid Richardson’s exterior walls and further complication arose with broken equipment, FOR THE THRESHER according to Neyra.

“A beekeeper was called in to gather The demolition of the old Sid Richardson College building was not completed in and re-home the bees … The work was October as originally planned due to weather stopped on four occasions to relocate the conditions, bees in the demolition site and bees and allow the work to safely resume,” other complications, according to Faith Neyra wrote. “The high-reach demolition Neyra, a communications specialist in the equipment [used] … had a hydraulic leak, requiring repairs that took several days.” office of finance and administration.

Another delay occurred due to an Neyra said the date of completion has American Robin nesting on a nearby oak been pushed back to Nov. 10.

“The site will continue to be active tree, which needed to be trimmed for the through December 1 to finish debris haul-off demolition to proceed. Construction crews and material recycling efforts,” Neyra wrote chose to postpone the pruning to avoid disturbing the bird. in an email to the Thresher.

Sid Richardson College president Keegan Rice is planning to build two new residential colleges, one of which will sit in Leibrock said that a piece of rebar broke a Old Sid’s footprint. Both will use reclaimed kitchen window in the new Sid building building materials from Old Sid, the Thresher during the demolition process. “[The event] created a lot of chaos at the previously reported.

In addition to the extreme heat creating time,” Leibrock said. “So in response to that, unsafe conditions for the construction admin made a lot of changes about New Sid [safety precautions].” team, bees were Changes surrounding the new Sid discovered Richardson building began Oct. 16, in Old including closing the south entrance, boarding up windows facing the demolition and locking the “west side large terrace,” according to an email sent to Sid Richardson students from magister Melissa Marschall.

Clark Hindman, a sophomore at Sid Richardson, said he was the only one in the kitchen when the rebar broke the window. Hindman said he didn’t sustain any injuries aside from a few cuts.

“I [heard] a loud crash behind me and … see little ANDY LIU / THRESHER bits of glass landing around and I just see the window’s

HOPE YANG

blown up,” Hindman said.

Leibrock said many students disagreed with boarding up windows, which limited natural sunlight in rooms, and blocking the south entrance. The pushback led to changes such as covering windows with mesh to allow some natural sunlight.

“I brought some of those concerns to Dean [of Undergraduates Bridget] Gorman and other people from admin, and they were receiving it from other channels as well,” Leibrock said. “So they met with their construction managers, and I believe some of the architects on the project, and they made changes, including opening up the south ramp.”

Sid Richardson sophomore Anderson Schroeder was one of the students whose dorm window was boarded up.

“Really, the best we got was they decided to cut little holes in the window now,” Schroeder said. “So at least we have some sunlight. It’s better than nothing, but it definitely looks like a prison cell.”

According to Neyra, the window covers will be removed by Nov. 17.

Sid Richardson senior Randall Schulz said he was unhappy with the demolition process.

“I wish they would go about it a little more quickly and in an organized way,” Schulz said.

Maggie Bowers, a sophomore at Sid Richardson, said she was concerned about the impact on air quality due to demolition.

“I was sitting and eating lunch outside the other day, and dust was falling onto my food,” Bowers said. “You can see it accumulating on the phone screen.”

Sid Richardson senior Karen Lu said that she hopes the process will be finished soon.

“I mean, it has to happen at some point, right?” Lu said. “I just wished it didn’t have to happen while we were here.”

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 • 5

THE RICE THRESHER

EDITORIAL

NOD shutdown highlights a need for change

In the early hours of Oct. 29, the 50th Night of Decadence public at Wiess College was abruptly cut short. In an email to all students, the Wiess team in charge of organizing the public justified the shut down due to the complete overwhelming of Rice and Houston emergency services, which was promptly accelerated after an altercation between RUPD and several students.

We thank the caregivers, Rice Emergency Medical Services, CJs and all others involved for doing everything they could to assist their fellow students and respond to this unexpected turn of events. But the escalation of the situation and the eventual need to shut down the public demonstrates an alarming shift in alcohol and party culture at Rice.

While discussions including NOD talks, Critical Thinking in Sexuality and Orientation Week CJ talks are required across all residential colleges, other resources like alcohol counseling referrals are not offered

equally. Though important, proactive talks are clearly not enough; resources must be offered to remedy behavior so that people

The escalation of the situation and the eventual need to shut down the public demonstrates an alarming shift in alcohol and party culture at Rice. drink safely at future parties.

Restrictions on parties and hard alcohol, while a likely response to incidents like this year’s NOD, are not the solution either.

We’ve seen time and time again that banning hard alcohol or alcohol-related gatherings will not stop people from drinking — but it could make them less likely to seek medical

help. No student, especially one who needs assistance, should avoid REMS out of fear for their future at Rice.

Part of rebuilding a culture of care at Rice means looking out for each other, whether that is dialing REMS when things get serious or keeping a friend who is too intoxicated from entering a public. But measures should be taken to keep this situation from happening in the first place. Count your drinks. Seek out support from peers or professionals to learn how to manage drinking habits. Learn your limits and stay within them when and if you choose to drink. NOD has demonstrated that our resources in the moment are finite, and we as responsible students need to change the way we approach alcohol to avoid overextending those resources again.

Editor’s Note: Editors-in-chief Prayag Gordy and Riya Misra and news editor Brandon Chen recused themselves from this editorial due to reporting on the corresponding story in our news section.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

No feminism without sex positivity Last week’s Thresher included a guest opinion objecting to the 2023 Night of Decadence theme, “NODie Dreamhouse: Cum On Barbie, Let’s Get NODy.” I applaud the article’s authors for their commitment to challenging latent and linguistically-embedded sexism in their campus community — everything around us, even something as silly and salacious as a NOD theme, can and should be examined for carried biases and perpetuated marginalizations. But “Cum on Barbie” is not one of those cases.

The article claims that “cumming” on Barbie (taken to be a stand-in for women more broadly) “diminishes Barbie’s autonomy and reduces her to an object designed solely to satisfy the cisgender heterosexual male’s desire.” I find no basis, however, for the idea that ejaculating onto a person implies a lack of autonomy or enthusiasm on the part of the receiver; ideally, people of any gender would be able to engage in any consensual sex act without it having any bearing on

their autonomy or personhood. I don’t dispute that some instances of ejaculation could hold meanings of misogynistic domination and female passivity for viewers or participants. But applying that reading of the act to all possible “Cum on Barbie”’s actually perpetuates a patriarchal view of sex as something that men enjoy, seek out, benefit from and women passively endure but are ultimately degraded by, rather than a mutually-desired experience of intimacy.

The article correctly points out that Internet search results for “cum on” overwhelmingly display male hegemony over women and thus indicate a patriarchal bent. To that, I would say that pornographic media is going to be dominated by phalloand androcentrism because media in general, and our society in general, are dominated by phallo- and androcentrism.

I would argue that popular depictions of any sexual allusion, including those used for past NOD themes, would carry the exact same undertones of misogyny and

female objectification the articles’ authors unearthed in their search. But that doesn’t mean we as individuals, as Rice students or as NOD attendees can’t reject and rewrite the narratives that are being handed to us.

As America Ferrera’s “Barbie” monologue so astutely discussed, you’d be hard-pressed to find a trait or action that has not at some point been weaponized against women or used to enact domination. These past instances of harm should not be reasons to cut women off from aspects of public or intimate life. Just because sex — or, for that matter, Barbie — has been used to stigmatize, degrade and marginalize women doesn’t mean we don’t have a right to take it back.

DUNCAN COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

Speak out against antisemitism questioning powerful institutions — but as I sit watching the speakers, I wonder: Why isn’t there more acknowledgement of the fact that on Saturday, Oct. 7, we saw the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust? As a Jewish student, this worries me.

According to the Anti-Defamation League, there has been an approximately 400% increase in antisemitic incidents across the United States since the attack, many of which have taken place on college campuses. For example, on Oct. 14, an Israeli student at Columbia was assaulted with a stick outside the school’s main library; the next day, Cornell history professor Russel Rickford was quoted calling Hamas’ attack “exhilarating” and “energizing”; and more recently, a video was released depicting a group of pro-Palestinian

* Indicates Editorial Board member Prayag Gordy* Editor-in-Chief Riya Misra* Editor-in-Chief Nayeli Shad* Managing Editor NEWS Brandon Chen* Editor Spring Chenjp Asst. Editor Maria Morkas Asst. Editor OPINION Sammy Baek* Editor FEATURES Sarah Knowlton* Editor ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Hadley Medlock* Editor SPORTS Pavithr Goli* Editor Diego Palos Rodriguez Asst. Editor BACKPAGE Timmy Mansfield Editor Ndidi Nwosu Editor Andrew Kim Editor COPY Jonathan Cheng Editor Annika Bhananker Editor PHOTO, VIDEO, & WEB Cali Liu Photo Editor Francesca Nemati Asst. Photo Editor Camille Kao Video Editor Ayaan Riaz Web Editor DESIGN Alice Sun Art & Design Director Chloe Chan News Siddhi Narayan Opinion Jessica Xu Features Ivana Hsyung Arts & Entertainment Kirstie Qian Sports Lauren Yu Backpage SOCIAL MEDIA Michelle Oyoo Abiero Manager Priya Armour Asst. Manager Cassidy Chhay Asst. Manager BUSINESS Edelawit Negash Business Manager Korinna Ruiz Advertisement Vanessa Chuang Distribution

Felicity Phelan

GUEST OPINION

Tuesday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m.: Dozens of Rice students and community members gather in the Graduate Student Bubble for an anti-war teach-in because the Basker Institute has plans to celebrate former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger, Hillary Clinton and James Baker at an upcoming gala. The flyer for the event calls the former secretaries “architects of war and imperialism”; intrigued, I, too, make my way there.

The teach-in is profound in its wide ranging coverage of the United States government’s bloody involvement in projects of colonialism and imperialism around the world, and owing to its recent escalation, presenters connect their ideas to the current conflict between Israel and Palestine. The ethos of the event seems generally positive — giving a voice to the oppressed and

EDITORIAL STAFF

protestors at Cooper Union banging on one side of locked library doors with frightened Jewish students on the other. I could go on. But for the most part, despite this drastic increase in antisemitic activity at American colleges and universities, when I look around at my fellow students, I don’t see concern. I don’t see outrage. This silence frightens me.

Editor’s Note: This guest opinion has been cut off for print. Read it online at ricethresher.org.

Noah Berz

BAKER COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

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.

Letters to the Editor must be received by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication and must be signed, including college and year if the writer is a Rice student. The Thresher reserves the right to edit letters for content and length and to place letters on its website.

Editorial and business offices are located on the second floor of the Ley Student Center: 6100 Main St., MS-524 Houston, TX 77005-1892 Phone: (713) 348 - 4801 Email: thresher@rice.edu Website: www.ricethresher.org The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA, CMA and CMBAM. © Copyright 2023

CORRECTIONS In “Rice Students for Justice in Palestine holds ‘Honoring Our Martyrs’ vigil,” the third speaker identified themselves as a thirdgeneration Palestinian refugee, not a third-generation Palestinian-American.

In “Rice celebrates 20-year partnership with QuestBridge,” Harvard University was incorrectly labeled a QuestBridge partner institution.

In “Climate change spurs evolution, Rice biologists discover,” Scott Carroll’s last name was incorrectly printed as “Davis.”

ricethresher.org

6 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023

THE RICE THRESHER

Cin-Ty Lee keeps an eye on the sky ADAM LEFF

THRESHER STAFF Until Oct. 24, there had been 270 distinct species of birds seen on Rice campus.

That all changed last week when birders on an Audubon birding walk led by Rice professor Cin-Ty Lee, who teaches in the earth, environmental and planetary science department, spotted a green-tailed towhee.

The green-tailed towhee is a rare find for Houston, and the excitement among the gathered birders spread fast.

“You started to see 20 people running … everyone was looking, and then word gets out, it goes to the community beyond just Rice,” Lee said. “Within an hour you’ve got people coming in from far away to see this bird.”

One reason Lee said the green-tailed towhee likely landed at Rice was that the environment around Harris Gully mirrors the habitat of the bird’s breeding grounds.

To preserve biodiversity on campus and

FAITH ZHANG / THRESHER Cin-Ty Lee started birding when he was 9 years old. Now, he’s described as “one of the best birders in the Houston area.”

encourage more novel species to come to Rice campus in the future, Lee said it is essential to maintain the Harris Gully natural area. He said he tries to publicize that resource as much as possible in order to help ensure that it is preserved.

“It’s about sharing that in an urban area you can take care of the land in some way that you don’t necessarily completely kill all biodiversity,” Lee said. “My main dream, my main mission … is to make sure that that place lasts forever even after I’m retired or dead for future generations to see nature in an urban area because we’ve destroyed so much of it.”

Lee said that he values birding because it encourages people to preserve natural spaces. He also said he appreciates the birding community’s ability to bridge ideological and cultural barriers.

“With the birds, I’ve met so many people that … maybe they don’t agree with me on [some] of my views, but they can see that I’m a human. I see them as a human, because we are meeting at the same level. We’re talking and we’re enjoying nature together,” Lee said. “That has been very special to me, in learning about people and even learning about myself. So it’s not just about the birds. It’s about the people too.”

Lee said he has seen the birding world change and grow more inclusive over the years.

“It’s just a fantastic community and such a supportive community of each other, all people of different ages, different ethnicities, different religious backgrounds, different races, it’s great,” Lee said. “30 years ago, it was not like this … I was probably the only non-white bird watcher that I knew, but now it’s quite different.”

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HOANG NGUYEN

CROSSWORD EDITOR

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Lee got his start birding at 9 years old, when a family friend brought him a book on identifying common birds and took him on a birding trip. He has particular memories of spotting a vermillion flycatcher.

“When I saw this, at nine, I thought, ‘Wow, there are things out there that are this beautiful?’ I got hooked and started looking for birds in my local area, and then I never stopped,” Lee said.

Graduate student Grant Parajuli, who is one of the founding heads of the Rice Student Birding Club, said that Lee has maintained that same sense of wonder and that it adds to his talent as a birder and leader.

“He’s someone who has been birding for an incredibly long time. He’s one of the best birders in the Houston area, period,” Parajuli said. “But even though [Lee] is so experienced, he still has that curiosity of someone like me, who’s just starting out, and seeing that in a leader ... is really inspiring.”

Devin Von Arx, a member of the birding club and novice birder, said that Lee’s knowledge is especially helpful for beginners.

“He is a fabulous teacher to the intro birdwatchers. He is there and he wants to explain what’s happening. He’ll teach you how to identify birds, he’ll teach you good practices of a birdwatcher,” Von Arx, a Hanszen College sophomore, said. “He truly wants people to learn about this passion of his and he’s really good at teaching it.”

One skill Lee said he has developed over his years as a birder is observation. He tries to instill the importance of this skill in his students in the courses he teaches.

“Drop the textbook. Go outdoors. Go look and go see,” Lee said. “Observation is the

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most important.”

One particular method Lee said he uses to hone his observation skills is drawing and painting birds. He said that this helps familiarize him with the small details and differences between birds which the average viewer might not notice.

“You really learn how to observe and look at the birds. I think a lot of people, if you talk to them, they are going to be like, ‘Oh, Cin-Ty is very good at identifying birds, seeing the subtle differences in birds,’” Lee said. “Well, the only secret is if you draw them, you can do it.”

Editor’s Note: This article has been cut off for print. Read the full article at ricethresher. org.

1 Did a garden job 5 College education, to some 9 Angsty teens, perhaps 13 Gumball’s sister 15 Vibe 16 ____ and digest 17 Open again, as a keg 18 Blood-sucking bats-man?

19 Kelly Clarkson, for one 20 Dodgers’ defeaters, recently 23 NM time zone 24 NYC resident 25 Source of hope 28 Carjacking, for short 29 Female horse 31 “Everything Everywhere All At Once” actress Stephanie 32 Diamond theft?

36 Winter wear 37 Lubricated 38 Pitcher’s stat.

39 Crannies’ companions 40 Give up 41 Three-act drama on the diamond?

43 Salary snatchers, for short 44 Spanish cat 45 Comedian Schumer 46 Academy Awards 48 “Love Dive” Kpop group 49 Boston skyscraper, with “the” 52 2022 World Series champions 56 Smelly smell 58 ____ Grey tea 59 2011 tropical storm 60 January 6 event 61 Minnelli or Koshy 62 Maroon 5 hit 63 Fancy party 64 Like some snails 65 Ages

DOWN

1 Proscribed by Islamic law 2 Standouts 3 “In your face!”

4 Catcher for 52-Across 5 Mubarak’s predecessor 6 Sour milk product 7 Saudi native 8 Ghastly and ghoulish 9 Christensen of “Parenthood” 10 Future MD’s struggle 11 Spanish bear 12 Where Nischal hails from 14 Displayed 21 Palindromic flatbread 22 Degree bestower?

26 Japan’s famous port city 27 Out of one’s mind 28 Lea Michele’s show 29 Peach savior 30 Rapper Rocky 32 Path leader?

33 S, A, and B 34 Alma mater?

35 Ernie’s homie 36 Mime’s mission 39 Yankees, to the Red Sox 41 Grad cap hangers 42 Volcanic ooze 44 “Despicable Me” protagonist 47 Heart part 48 Wedding acquisition 49 Marinara sauce brand 50 Saoirse of “Little Women” 51 Junkies 53 Head’s opponent 54 Ricey pasta 55 “Fo sho!”

56 Nonprofit URL ending 57 ___ de los Muertos

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 • 7

FEATURES

New courses to explore this spring semester AMY LI

FOR THE THRESHER It’s already that time of year — students across campus are looking to craft the perfect spring semester schedule, one that satisfies both their interests and their graduation requirements. The Thresher has compiled a list of never-before-seen courses without prerequisites that any student can take to fulfill some graduation requirements — and to explore something interesting and new.

ASIA 210: Japanese Pop Culture with Mamiko Suzuki If you’re a fan of manga or anime, you’ll love ASIA 210, which analyzes a wide variety of Japanese popular cultural texts, including film, television, literature, music, manga, animation and more.

Students will learn about these texts and consider how these texts shape global popular culture and how consumers around the world interact with them.

ASIA 210 fulfills a Distribution I credit

and an Analyzing Diversity credit and will be offered from 4 to 5:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

HIST 102: Democracy, Power, and Industry in Modern Europe Since the French Revolution with Carl Caldwell Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through Europe’s wildest historical adventures.

HIST 102 delves into the span of time from the French Revolution all the way to the collapse of the Soviet system. There’s a lot to explore — students will learn about everything from the development of the nation-state to decolonization.

HIST 102 fulfills a Distribution I credit and will be offered from 9 to 9:50 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Students cannot register for HIST 102 if they have credit for HIST 326.

HIST 261: History of Modern Science with Luis Campos The history of modern science may not sound riveting, but it’s actually quite a bit of drama. Get ready to time travel all the

way from 1543 to today and get an extensive debrief on the debate surrounding the origins of modern science and its many valuable, contested legacies.

HIST 261 fulfills a Distribution I credit and will be offered from 11 to 11:50 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

HUMA 137: What is Democracy in America? with James Sidbury What is democracy, really? To what degree can the United States call itself a democratic society? This course looks at U.S. history from the American Revolution to the age of Black Lives Matter.

HUMA 137 fulfills a Distribution I credit and will be offered from 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

POLI 323: American Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties with Joseph Cozza Grab your popcorn and get ready for POLI 323, a constitutional show that’s sure to leave you both informed and

entertained. This course explores the Supreme Court’s historical interpretations and applications of the U.S. Constitution to cases involving civil rights and liberties. From privacy and personhood to First Amendment speech, students will examine the legal drama that unfolds in the highest court in the nation.

POLI 323 fulfills a Distribution II credit and will be offered from 1 to 2:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

PHYS 145: Traces of Life with Jason Hafner Ever wondered how scientists in medical clinics, labs or the jungle know whether or not life is lurking? It might surprise you to learn that they use scientific instruments heavily dependent on physics. In PHYS 145, students will learn the secrets of how these instruments work in a variety of environments.

PHYS 145 fulfills a Distribution III credit and will be offered from 3 to 3:50 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

CAAAS gets a makeover NOAH BERZ

FOR THE THRESHER One does not have to go further than Rice’s own website to learn about its 1891 charter, which originally designated the school for “the instruction and improvement of the white inhabitants of the City of Houston and State of Texas.” More than 100 years later, Rice has seen a surge in the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and Black scholarship, especially in the Center for African and African American Studies.

On Jan. 1, 2024, Sherwin K. Bryant will start as the new director of CAAAS, as well as an associate professor in the Department of History. Currently an associate professor of African American studies at Northwestern University, Bryant received his Ph.D. in history from Ohio State University in 2005 and went on to pursue postdoctoral research projects and fellowships including a Fulbright scholarship in Peru.

Bryant is known for his groundbreaking research on slavery and race in the early modern African Diaspora. His 2014 book “Rivers of Gold, Lives of Bondage: Governing through Slavery in Colonial Quito” advanced the understanding of slavery in the Americas as having significant political importance and was the first English-language examination of slavery in Ecuador and southern Colombia.

Those who have met the new director, like CAAAS student advisory board member Jaylin Vinson, say he is as personable as he is knowledgeable.

“You can definitely tell he’s very passionate about people,” Vinson, a Sid Richardson College junior, said.

Vinson and other student advisory board members had the unique opportunity for a meet-and-greet with Bryant last spring.

“I just remember [how in] our conversation, he was asking a lot of great questions, really trying to get a sense of how I thought of the pulse of the program, and also just [about] being a Black student at Rice,” Vinson said. “I could definitely tell that he had a lot of investment in the future of CAAAS being very integrated and embedded in the perspectives and experiences of current students.”

Bryant said he is excited to take full advantage of the new opportunities in Rice’s up-andcoming Black studies program and to further establish Rice as an epicenter of Black scholarship.

“Rice has a growing group of dynamic scholars situated within the Center for

African and African American Studies,” Bryant wrote in an email to the Thresher.

“I [am] excited about working with this growing community of scholars to make CAAAS a major research hub addressing Africa and its diaspora across the Americas.”

Bryant’s appointment as the new director CAAAS is one of many recent developments aimed at expanding the center. Founded in 2019, the CAAAS is significantly younger than African and African American studies departments at other schools such as the University of Texas at Austin, which opened its Department of Black History and African American studies in 1968.

In light of recent education limitations and legislation inhibiting DEI efforts at US public institutions, Rice is now able to give resources to programs that other schools may no longer be able to fund. According to Anthony Pinn, the founding director of CAAAS, this puts Rice in a unique position. “[Public institutions] have to be mindful of the political waves and inclinations in a way that we don’t,” Pinn, an Agnes Cullen Arnold professor of humanities, said, “and so I think that kind of frees us to think differently.”

Rice trustee Terrance Gee and family recently donated $1 million to CAAAS to fund the new Anthony B. Pinn Postdoctoral Fellowship. On Oct. 6, the Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice released its final report, calling on the university to ensure the “[commitment of] significant resources to the further growth of the Center for African and African American Studies.”

Caleb McDaniel, a co-chair of the task force, said another step would be to designate a physical space on campus to house CAAAS. Editor’s Note: This article has been cut off for print. Read the full article at ricethresher. org.

HAI-VAN HOANG / THRESHER

UNIV 201 Research Readiness What is undergraduate research?

Is undergraduate research right for me?

How do I apply for research positions?

Open to students in all majors Learn about types of research Identify opportunities at Rice and beyond Draft application materials

Spring 2024 MW, 3:00 - 3:50 MW, 4:00 - 4:50 TR, 4:00 - 4:50

1 credit - 7 week, pass/fail UNIV 201 is a pre-requisite for :

SER Scholars

Sustaining Excellence in Research

COURTESY GUSTAVO RASKOSKY

Paid research position Expanded in 2023: includes students in Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Business Students who are from first-generation, low-income, or under-resourced backgrounds are strong applicants

Summer Undergraduate

SURF Research Fellowship

10-week summer research program for students from under-resourced backgrounds who lack research experience Matching with a Rice research mentor Workshops for professional development $5,000 award

WWW.OURI.RICE.EDU

8 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023

THE RICE THRESHER

Review: ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ expands a pop triumph

HADLEY MEDLOCK

A&E EDITOR

An album that signaled Taylor Swift’s final move from the world of country to mainstream pop music, “1989” was full of catchy tracks, albeit cheesy at times — sorry, “Welcome to New York” — that truly cemented Swift’s pop stardom and fueled an ever-growing Swiftie fanbase. Nine years later to the day, Swift re-released this album as “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” the next stop on her years-long journey of rerecording all of her original masters.

Though this remake didn’t ignite any previously nonexisting love for some songs, it did reaffirm the love had for others.

There’s no denying the improvement in Swift’s vocals from the original tracks. The majority of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” felt, like her other re-recordings, miles more crisp, clean and smooth than the original versions. A couple songs, however, were obviously different, whether due to small production changes, or the lack of mania and emotion in her voice that she brought to the album in her mid-20s.

“Clean” and “You Are In Love” are two of the more obvious examples of improvement between albums. Swift’s smooth, mature vocals give these tracks new life and more depth — her voice just feels more comfortable and confident in the lower register and less strained when she hits the higher notes.

“I Know Places” is another track that greatly benefited from a new version, if only because it’s a vocally difficult song.

The high notes in the original version of the song were almost shrill, but Swift feels much more in control of those notes on this new track and hits the iconic “We run” in the middle of the song with a subtle growl to her voice.

“New Romantics” and “Style” were the re-recordings that felt most disappointing, but that’s only if you’re meticulously comparing each version to the other. At times, these tracks just don’t pack the same sort of pop punch that their original versions do, feeling somewhat emotionless in their delivery and overly clean at times.

The album also introduced five more of Swift’s signature ‘From The Vault’ tracks

overall song may have felt more powerful without the expectation the title set, there is still something to be said for her lyrically understated approach.

“Suburban Legends” was just okay, and I still don’t think I really understand what it means to be a “suburban legend” anyway.

It was hard to look past the lyric’s clunky similes like “I let it slide like a hose on a slippery plastic summer” or the line “tick tock on the clock” that could only conjure images of the early 2000s Ke$ha song.

“Is It Over Now?” is a synthy gem of a vault track that looks back at an onand-off-again relationship and feels very emblematic of the “1989” era. It’s a rather scathing breakup song that finds its power in trademark Taylor Swift melodrama as she sings, “Oh, Lord, I think about jumping / Off of very tall somethings / Just to see you come running.”

“Say Don’t Go” is another vault track highlight that feels like it could have been COURTESY REPUBLIC RECORDS left off the original version in favor of “All You Had To Do Was Stay.” The slow buildup to the bouncy yet devastating chorus is well that are just as dreamy and synth-full as the done and overall makes for a good listen.

“Now That We Don’t Talk” is short but other songs, though some would feel more comfortable on Swift’s album “Midnights” sweet — in fact, it is the shortest song in all of Swift’s discography. With snarky lines at this point.

Because of its provocative title, “Slut!” like “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock was easily one of the most anticipated / Or that I’d like to be on a mega yacht,” Swift struggles vault tracks to accept the end from the of a relationship album. After while realizing it’s listening to ultimately for the it, though, better. the title “1989 (Taylor’s almost felt Top Track: Version)” is an like clickbait.

‘Is It Over Now?’ overall success, While I reinvigorating admire Swift’s an album of pop reclamation classics with new of a life, especially with misogynistic word often thrown at her throughout some of its new releases. For die-hard her career, the song simply wasn’t what Swifties with hyper-specific attention the title led me to believe. Expecting a to detail, different production and “Blank Space” or even “reputation”- squeakyclean vocals on some tracks can esque meditation, the slow, twinkly, hazy either overwhelm the songs or make them actuality of the song was quite a shock. fall flat — but for the most part these While the line “And if they call me a slut / changes aren’t noticeable, especially after You know it might be worth it for once” and a few listens.

Meet the ACL artist: Husbands Neil Young, stuff like that. When I got into middle school, my brother started A&E EDITOR taking me to concerts,” Davis said. “ I Born and raised in Oklahoma City, started playing guitar when I was 12 or musician Danny Davis’ self-described surfy, 13 and have just been writing music ever beach pop sound might be surprising, since. I had a pop punk band, then a folk given his roots in a land-locked state. band, then a pop folk band and now I’m Drawing musical inspiration from The in Husbands.”

I caught up Beach Boys, Davis, with Davis Oct. 7 who’s part of the during Weekend band Husbands, One of Austin said the sort of When you see them Limits, music he most dancing and singing along City shortly before wants to emulate his performance. is what people can to the music, it’s the most While his band dance to. rewarding feeling you performed at “[Our music] could have. And that only Lollapalooza is pretty guitar happens live. in Los Angeles heavy. I think the and Firefly in simplest way to say Danny Davis Dover, Del. this it is just indie rock, MUSICIAN year, David though,” Davis said. “I’ve always loved music with sing- said Husbands has only recently started along choruses and things like that. I love a performing at large festivals. Davis said he good hook, so I try to write music like that.” loves watching the crowd interact with his Davis said he grew up playing and performances. “[My] favorite thing is just watching listening to music with his dad and has been part of multiple bands since his people move and sing along to the music just because the goal of it is to connect with teenage years.

“Since I was a kid, my dad would play people and feel like you’re communicating cassette tapes — the Beatles, the Eagles, something,” he said. “When you see them

HADLEY MEDLOCK

COURTESY KELSEY DAVIS

dancing and singing along to the music, it’s the most rewarding feeling you could have. And that only happens live.”

While large venues are something new for Davis, he said he’s not one to get nervous when it comes to performing.

“You sort of just zonk out [on stage], and it’s a playing music with your friends kind of thing,” he said. “It’s mostly just an awesome experience, especially at the big stages like this. [Performances] are special days you look forward to for a long time.”

Shortly after ACL, Davis released a new album called “Cuatro.” Davis said he often draws his lyrics from what weighs heaviest on his mind. He originally formed Husbands with long-time friend Wil Norton and said that part of this album formed as

a reflection on recently losing Norton as a bandmate and songwriting partner. “[“Cuatro”] is also about my songwriting partner who has formed the band with me [who] recently left the band because he got a new job, had a kid and started a venue in OKC,” Davis said, “So it’s kind of writing about navigating the emotional dynamics of losing a songwriting partner. We’re totally good friends, but it’s still going to be heavy.”

Davis also said that previous albums found him wishing he could quit his 9-to5 job and move away from the U.S. — in “Cuatro,” he did.

“This latest record is about [when] I quit my job that I hated, and I moved to Costa Rica,” he said. “The sun shines in there.”

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘City of equality’: Scott Colman on Ludwig Hilberseimer an architect, though. He received his undergraduate degree in communications SENIOR WRITER from the University of Technology Sydney Architect and anarcho-socialist in Australia. Though he now holds multiple Ludwig Hilberseimer is the subject of degrees in architecture, Colman said his Scott Colman’s latest book. “Ludwig communications education has deeply Hilberseimer: Reanimating Architecture informed the way he approaches the field.

“The communications degree that I had and the City” details the influence of was interesting. There was a lot of critical Hilberseimer on urbanism.

Colman said that Dadaism, an early and political theory,” Colman said. “It was a great grounding in 20th century antithe history of ideas war movement and particularly that Hilberseimer political ideas. was immersed So I have this in, formed the My view of architecture is foundations for much less a kind of business background, and I’ve had [an interest H i l b e r s e i m e r ’ s for profit and more of a kind in architecture] all work and of practice for engaging along … I guess I has informed and communicating with tend to approach Colman’s as well. architecture “He was trying the public and society in through that lens.” to rethink the general.

Colman’s metropolis, the first job as an middle of the Scott Colman architect was in city, and was ASST. PROF IN ARCHITECTURE a government trying to take our contemporary technology and transform it office in New South Wales, Australia into a city for everybody … a city of equality that designed a large portion of the city, as opposed to a city of inequality,” Colman including office buildings, schools, childcare centers, parks, train stations and said.

Colman, an assistant professor at the public housing. After this, he worked for a Rice School of Architecture, wasn’t always firm that did both for-profit and pro-bono

SHREYA CHALLA

Review: ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ is a film for the devoted fans HAMZA SAEED

COURTESY SCOTT COLMAN

the theory and reality of architecture.

Just as there are economists working in corporations and more theoretical economists, there are architects working on the ground and those that are more conceptual.

“Architecture’s place in the academy is trying to negotiate those two things, and I’ve always been interested in that relationship. I think [Hilberseimer] is someone who is a role model in the field,” Colman said. “He’s kind of amazing, in that sense. He was an important teacher, and he was someone who considered theoretical principles, but also was engaged with the reality of how things manifest in the world.

I’m really interested in that connection.”

Review: ‘The Killer’ returns to familiar territory JAY COLLURA

THRESHER STAFF

THRESHER STAFF

Starting off as a standalone lorefilled game in 2014, the “Five Nights at Freddy’s” franchise has expanded to toys, books and now, a muchanticipated movie. The FNaF empire has now revolutionized both the indie gaming sphere and the internet horror genre as a whole. As a result, the investigative journalists here at the Thresher spent a night at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza to determine if this film was a soulless cash grab of an adaptation or if Freddy truly had been cooking.

The film follows the troubled Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) as he looks for another job in order to maintain custody of his sister, Abby (Piper Rubio). After accepting the position of night security guard at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, however, Mike begins to realize something is a little off at his new gig — the animatronics get a bit quirky at night. That seemingly innocent quirkiness quickly develops into murderous intent, though, and Mike must protect himself and his sister, all while confronting his past connections with Fazbear Entertainment.

It is important to analyze this film through both the lens of an esteemed and reputable film critic, as well as a fan of the series. While the movie somewhat stays true to the franchise’s lore, fervent followers of the FNaF franchise may realize that essential parts of the lore have been revised within the film to make it more palatable for general audiences.

Some continuity issues and plot holes do appear as well, likely from the film’s pacing issues. Extra time is spent on scenes that don’t overly contribute to pushing the plot forward. As a result, the movie springs rather vital (and graphic) information on viewers all at once. Furthermore, a few major plot points are ignored outright.

For example, usually, when you’re on the job, you tend to notice giant piles of blood staining the workplace. Mike just mops around them, but honestly, having worked night shifts before, we can’t really blame him.

Visually, though, this film was a joy to experience. Massive props must be given to the costume design and special effects

work, building community centers and halfway houses for Indigenous clients.

“That was my first experience … this notion that architecture was a public, stateled function. That’s been very influential on me,” Colman said. “My view of architecture is much less a kind of business for profit and more of a kind of practice for engaging and communicating with the public and society in general.”

Colman said that Hilberseimer formed similar ideas on the discipline. He said Hilberseimer had a big influence overall on important ideas in the field of architecture, especially on sustainable and left-wing design that tries to rethink the creation of cities independent of capitalist forces.

Hilberseimer is viewed as seminal in landscape urbanism, and, according to Colman, his ideas are important to those even outside of architecture.

“We grow up in a world and we think that the world is just the way it has to be, maybe even all it always was,” Colman said.

“But everything around us is completely constructed according to values of inequality and exploitation. [Hilberseimer is] trying to think through how the world can be constructed, [but] not in that way.”

Colman said that he was drawn to Hilberseimer’s work because he was interested in the way it considers both

COURTESY UNIVERSAL PICTURES teams. There is an art in balancing a realistic, live-action look for an adaptation while still being true to the creative design of the original series, and the team behind this film nails it. The designs of both the pizzeria and the animatronics are spectacular. They make you feel like you, too, could find yourself in the situation of being chased around a pizza place by killer robots possessed by the souls of kidnapped children. Hate when that happens, right?

The quality of acting is a mixed bag.

Matthew Lillard, of “Scooby-Doo” and “Scream” fame, was great as Steve Raglan, though it would have been nice to see him with a bigger role in the film. Grant Feely, officially listed as Ghost Kid (Blonde Boy), acted his heart out and will no doubt appear in my nightmares tonight. Elizabeth Lail’s performance as Vanessa left a bit to be desired. At times, she seemed to be nearly as robotic as, well, the robots. This could be the fault of an awkwardly written character, though, that mostly hovers over the story as a plot device.

Overall, it still was an enjoyable film.

The frequent references to the larger FNAF franchise, strikingly accurate set design and beautiful art direction of the film make it clear that this was a love letter to the fans. However, it must be said that this is a PG-13 horror film that isn’t technically remarkable and still requires viewers to fill in storyline gaps themselves. Despite this, “FNAF” was still a fun watch and one to see if you’ve ever been a fan of the franchise, at least for a dose of nostalgia. Just please don’t touch the springlock suits, okay?

Despite ongoing industry strikes, 2023 has been a good year for Hollywood, specifically for well-known auteurs. David Fincher’s “The Killer” once again proves his firm grasp on the thriller genre, and joins the likes of Wes Anderson and Martin Scorsese’s releases as one of 2023’s best films.

“The Killer” is Fincher’s second cinematic collaboration with Netflix, alongside 2020’s “Mank,” and a continuation of their longtime partnership that began with his work on “House of Cards.” It is a shame, however, that “The Killer” was born from a streaming partnership, as it’s a film that demands to be seen on the big screen with the best speakers.

The film utilizes the perspective of an unnamed assassin who prides himself on his perfect kill record and attention to detail. However, the hitman is immediately confronted with a new challenge as he does the unthinkable — misses his target. This sends him on a downward spiral, as he has to deal with both the criminal underworld that has now opened up beneath him and his newfound lack of control over a previously familiar and comfortable world.

Despite this premise, the film is not really concerned with the action set pieces and showdowns like a “John Wick” movie, though the fight scenes are career highlights for Fincher. Rather, the film focuses on the procedural perfectionism of the assassin and the ego associated with being a perfectionist in the first place.

Michael Fassbender, who is perfect as the titular killer, displays a smoldering coldness throughout the runtime of the film, never allowing for emotional outbursts but never seeming fully in control. It is clear that more than anything, he is frustrated with his new situation, and this frustration is written all over Fassbender’s face.

Fassbender also lends himself to the film’s narration. The nihilistic attitude of Fincher’s “Fight Club” reemerges in a very direct way, as the hitman nihilistically broods about both the miserable state of the world and his ability to see above it all. Rather than coming off as annoying, it is clear that Fincher is poking fun at this pessimistic worldview. No matter how precise Fassbender’s narration is, it is

always underscored by his comically large ego or another lapse in control.

The film’s coldness is what will make it decisive — there are prolonged, repetitive sequences of the hitman setting up for his next task, and though the killer occasionally loses his grip, it is clear he will always be in the driver’s seat of the criminal underworld he occupies. However, this repetition is precisely the point of the film.

“The Killer” is criticizing and examining the folly of being a perfectionist but does not exclusively condemn the results of it. If these themes sound familiar, it’s because they are incredibly reflective on the part of the director. Fincher is known for his extensive production work and demanding shoots, and this film feels like him examining this element of his artistic process.

Regardless of the detailed subtext of the film, it’s also gripping on the surface. The camerawork and special effects create an appropriately chilly atmosphere, matched by inspired uses of shaky camera work.

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who are some of the best composers working today, contribute grungy, driven tracks to the soundtrack that match the intensity and discomposure found within the film. Sound design is always a strong point in Fincher’s films, and each noise is perfectly placed to immerse the viewer in the stressful nature of each situation. The Smiths also are frequently needle-dropped to match the edginess and contradictory nature of the main character, and this choice gives the film great energy outside of the more thrilling moments.

Taken all together, Fincher’s trademark frigid style makes the film great, but somewhat inaccessible at times. If you are able to break through the ice, there is an appropriately self-reflective and invigorating story about the pitfalls of perfection. If you can’t, what’s left is still a well-crafted, if repetitive, thriller movie.

COURTESY MASRECORDS

10 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023

THE RICE THRESHER

Owls drowned by the Green Wave in latest AAC loss ANDERSEN PICKARD

THRESHER STAFF

“We came up short” has become an alltoo-familiar refrain for Rice football head coach Mike Bloomgren, who uttered this four-word statement again following a 3028 loss to the No. 22 Tulane Green Wave on Saturday evening at Rice Stadium.

The defeat dropped the Owls to 4-4 on the season.

It didn’t take long for Rice to fall behind against the Green Wave, who entered Saturday with an AAC-best 6-1 record,

EDITORIAL CARTOON

undefeated in conference play. Tulane’s running back broke free for a 43-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage, setting up a field goal. They got the ball back moments later on a punt and quickly delivered again, this time completing a 38-yard pass as a result of Rice defense’s blown coverage.

Shortly thereafter, the Owls’ secondary surrendered a 26-yard touchdown pass, digging an early 10-0 deficit. The Green Wave had scored 10 points on just nine plays over the course of four minutes.

The Owls did find success on their second offensive drive, moving 82 yards down the

“Owl-American”

HONG LIN TSAI / THRESHER

“Ooh, you almost had it. Gotta be quicker than that.”

field over the course of seven plays and roughly four minutes.

The possession concluded with a five-yard touchdown rush from senior running back Juma Otoviano to put Rice on the board.

Tulane answered with a one-yard touchdown rush, aided by a pass interference call against Rice junior safety Gabriel Taylor to extend the drive.

The Green Wave found the end zone again on their next possession, then picked off Rice graduate quarterback JT Daniels to set up a field goal, giving Tulane a 27-7 lead going into halftime.

The Owls’ first-half struggles on offense had created several opportunities for Tulane to score points, much to the frustration of Bloomgren.

“Offensively, we went three-and-out three times in the first half,” Bloomgren said. “That’s not helping anybody. We had one guy screwing it up every time, every down. That’s no way to play offense.”

Rice relied heavily on the ground game to open the second half. Junior running back Dean Connors converted a pair of third downs to keep the offense on the field while Otoviano broke off a 21-yard gain and threeyard touchdown.

The Owls’ defense came up with a key play on the ensuing Tulane drive when Taylor picked off the Green Wave quarterback and returned the ball 72 yards, giving Rice great field position. Daniels then connected with a diving Boden Groen for the junior tight end’s first career receiving touchdown.

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Junior tight end Boden Groen catches his first career touchdown against the No.22 Tulane Green Wave this past weekend. The Owls lost 30-28 to the Green Wave to fall to 4-4 on the season.

In the early minutes of the fourth quarter, Tulane converted a 43-yard field goal. This kick was crucial for the Green Wave as it gave them a two-possession lead over the Owls, who haven’t achieved a fourth-quarter comeback since Oct. 22, 2022.

In an attempt to change that fact, Daniels and the Owls led a scoring drive that culminated in a 35-yard strike to junior wide receiver Luke McCaffrey. With the catch, McCaffrey moved into seventh place among the Owls’ all-time touchdown reception leaders. Daniels praised the receiver for his ability to make big plays at key moments.

“When there’s the right time for it, you know he’s going to be there,” Daniels said.

As Rice’s defense took the field with less than nine minutes remaining, the goal was simple: Stop Tulane and get the ball back in Daniels’ hands.

“Everybody is fighting and competing,” Bloomgren said. “We’re just trying to find a way to get one more stop. That’s what championship programs do.”

Editor’s Note: This article has been cut off for print. To read more, visit ricethresher.org.

Record-breaking performance brightens Golf’s poor fall slate CADAN HANSON

tournament was a turning point of the fall season.

“The Wichita State event was a It’s been a semester of swinging and critical moment for us in the season,” missing for golf as they’ve placed in the Kirchdorfer, a graduate student, said. bottom half of all but one invitational “After two mediocre events to start the year, it was t h e y ’ v e important for us to competed at, piece a good event until recently. together and move Their most things in the right recent outing The Wichita State event direction. We’ve turned out to be a was a critical moment for seen quite a bit record-breaking us in the season. After of good golf from occasion for the two mediocre events our team at home Owls. when preparing, Golf started to start the year, it was so it was exciting off the fall slate important for us to piece see all the hard of tournaments a good event together and to work come to with two average fruition.” p e r f o r m a n c e s move things in the right Kirchdorfer at the Argent direction. opened up the F i n a n c i a l tournament Classic, finishing Jay Kirchdorfer shooting a 68 in tenth out of 16 GRADUATE STUDENT GOLFER round one and a 67 teams (+6), and finishing 15th out of 22 teams (+22) at the in round two, with the second day setting a new career-best for a round. His twoMark Simpson Colorado Invitational.

The team wrote a different narrative day performance was enough to put him earlier this month with a record in at the top of the leaderboard in a fivebreaking performance at the Grier Jones way-tie at nine under par. Additionally, Shocker Invitational in Newton, Kan. both his -9 performance and score of 135 hosted by Wichita State University. The tied the school record through 36 holes. team placed third overall and shot a On day three, Kirchdorfer continued his final 17 under par, a new school record. hot streak, shooting a 69, which was Their best performer this season, Jay good for second place, four strokes off Kirchdorfer, who led the Owls with a the winner.

“Jay [Kirchdorfer] has been solid the second place finish at the Grier Jones Shocker Invitational, said that the entire fall,” head coach Justin Emil said.

THRESHER STAFF

“He’s a strong team leader and is under par almost every round.”

Other notable performances for the Owls that made the top-50 included junior Raghav Chugh who tied for 11thplace at six-under par, sophomore Lukas Boandl who tied for 27th at one-under par and freshman Jaivir Pande who tied for 40th at three-over par. Kirchdorfer was pleased with the overall team performance, especially against strong competition.

“Flipping the script and breaking a team scoring record was exactly what we needed to build momentum for our last fall event. I think we’ve just scratched the surface regarding what this group can accomplish,” Kirchdorfer said.

Golf then played their final tournament of the fall season this last weekend at the Steelwood Collegiate Invitational.

Traveling to Loxley, Ala., the Owls finished last place in the tournament.

Prior to the Invitational, Kirchdorfer said that a strong performance

in Alabama would be a great momentum boost looking forward to the spring season.

“I’d love to see us finish the fall with a strong finish in Alabama. The tournament has a great field with some of the top college players in the country,” Kirchdorfer said. “I think this event is an opportunity to show how high our ceiling is against some solid teams.”

Editor’s Note: This article has been cut off for print. To read more, visit ricethresher.org

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Graduate student Jay Kirchdorfer hits a ball at a recent golf tournament. After a poor fall season, Rice golf team is looking forward to competing in the spring season.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023 • 11

SPORTS

Soccer season ends with loss DIEGO PALOS RODRIGUEZ

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The Owls lost to the University of Texas at San Antonio 2-0 on Thursday in their last game of the season on Senior Night. Out of the twelve teams in the American Athletic Conference for women’s soccer, Rice was one of four to not qualify for the AAC Women’s Soccer Championship tournament, finishing their season with a 1-7-1 conference record and 3-13-2 overall record, not winning a game at home.

The last time the Owls finished with a losing record in conference was in 2011.

This is also the first time in the 23-year program history that the Owls didn’t win a game at home.

The first half was relatively quiet except for a header from freshman forward Sophie Zhang inside the box that was caught by the Roadrunner goalkeeper. The second half was marked by two UTSA goals, both in the first 15 minutes.

The Owls were unable to answer despite late efforts and a close chance from graduate forward Ellen Halseth and senior midfielder Mikala Furuto with 12 minutes left in the game.

Despite the loss, sophomore defender Carsyn Martz believes that the team showed improvement from the beginning of the season.

“I think our team gradually improved since the start of preseason,” Martz said.

“We had a lot to figure out with a lot of seniors graduating and a lot of new players coming in, so it was a bit of a rocky road, but we got better and better and improved.”

This season saw the Owls struggle from the get go. Aside from two early non-conference wins against Texas Southern University and Northwestern State University, the Owls were winless until a recent victory against Temple University. In that run of losses, Rice dropped four straight by a combined score of 20-5.

“For our standards, [this season was]

obviously really poor,” head coach Brian Lee said. “But there [were] a lot of things [that contributed to that]. Everytime we turned around, something was going wrong. Our preparation over the summer wasn’t great, our coaching decisions took us forever to get to the right setup to give ourselves a chance in games, so anything that could go wrong did.”

In the last few games of conference, however, Rice came away with better results. The Owls kept a close game against a high-powered No. 9 University of Memphis at 2-0 and remained competitive against the rest of their conference opponents, winning one, tying one and holding one-score deficits against the rest except for UTSA. “We have to prepare better,” Lee said.

“The kids have to get fitter. We’ve got several kids that we don’t know if they’re good or not, or good enough or not, because they can’t run. Towards the end of the season that got a little better, but we’re so far behind the eight-ball with our summer preparation last year.”

Part of this process includes the integration of incoming players next year. According to Lee, next year’s class is one to keep our eyes on.

“We’re going to have six or seven [freshmen coming in],” Lee said. “We really like our incoming class. We think it’s the best group we’ve ever brought in, but there’s still one more year of [graduate] transfers for their fifth year. We’ve been able to get big time contributors, so we’ll probably try to get five [to] ten of them as well.”

Martz echoed this, also looking toward the future as an opportunity to improve upon this season.

“By the looks of it we’ll probably have a lot [of players] coming in just to make the atmosphere a little bit more competitive,” Martz said. “If we can get our fitness up and work on some formations, that would be beneficial to our offensive output and defensive production in the back. I’m excited to start off in the spring and see where we can go from there.”

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Junior midfielder Natalie Gorji dribbles the ball during the Owls’ loss on Senior Night to the University of Texas at San Antonio.

The Owls ended their season with an overall record of 3-13-2.

THE SAMMY AWARDS Player of the Year: Ellen Halseth Newcomer of the Year: Jordyn Mariam Season Highlight: Kallie McKinney and Mia Brumlow braces in 5-2 win vs. TSU Season Lowlight: 6-0 loss to UNT Goal of the Year: Sophie Zhang vs Temple; assisted by Ellen Halseth

COLUMN

Rice can stop the Pony Express

VIVIAN LANG / THRESHER

Saturday’s game against Southern giving up 8.8 yards per pass attempt.

Methodist University will be Rice These deficiencies were apparent in Football’s final game against old the eight-minute, six-second, 54-yard Southwest Conference foes in 2023. fourth-quarter time-sucking drive that The Owls will take the field with a 4-4 cemented Tulane’s win. record, not having won at home since The Owls have to tighten up in September, while the Mustangs seek to these areas to beat SMU and continue extend their four-game win streak and their overall upward trajectory. The improve to 7-2 on the season.

Mustangs have averaged 4.5 rushing A glance at the series record, 48- yards per carry and 8.5 yards per pass 41-1 in favor of SMU, does not offer an attempt. They have generated 1,458 accurate understanding of how the more yards than their opponents, rivalry has ebbed and flowed over its while the Owls lead their opponents by 107 year history, with the two programs only 13 yards. Even though quarterback swapping decade-long periods of JT Daniels is averaging 8.7 yards per dominance. pass attempt and running back Dean The Owls are 17-7 against SMU since Connors 5.8 yards per carry, the Owls 1987, when the Mustangs’ football can’t win if the defense is allowing 20 program was first downs, 28 shut down points and 393 for two years yards per game, over recruiting as they are on violations. The To win regularly, it has to average in 2023.

Mustangs had be a priority not just to SMU has a lost only 3 of slightly less score a lot, but to stop the solid, slightly 22 games to the Owls from 1965 to other guys from scoring, less proven the suspension, too. offense than showing just how Tulane, which excellent SMU was in the preceding offers the Owls an opportunity to years and just how devastating that demonstrate some hidden defensive punishment was. This period of Pony ability. Whatever else happens, Rice supremacy rose out of over thirty cannot keep getting beat on defense years of competitive play, with neither if they want to achieve consistent school winning more than twice in a success; just because the firefight row from 1932 to 1953. that ensued on Sep. 9 against the The rivalry’s beginning, however, University of Houston came out in the belonged solidly to Owl dominance: Owls’ favor doesn’t mean that all of In 1916, Rice won its first ever game them will, as proven against Tulane against SMU 146-3. and the University of Connecticut. For If Rice wants this new era of enmity every high profile game to come down in the AAC to be more like those to such inconsistent circumstances is beginning years, they will have to learn not conducive to long term, dynastic from Oct. 28’s down-to-the-wire loss winning. To win regularly, it has to be to No. 21 Tulane University. The Owls’ a priority not just to score a lot, but to offense has not scored fewer than 24 stop the other guys from scoring, too. points since the season opener against The contest at Rice Stadium Nov. 4 the No. 7 University of Texas at Austin, at 6:30 pm will be the first between the and the 21-point second half against schools since SMU left Conference USA Tulane was yet another demonstration after the 2012 season. It will be Rice’s of the team’s capacity for explosive 103rd Homecoming game, a series in play. Rice’s offense is not what lost to which they are 47-52-3.

Tulane, and likely not what could cost them against SMU. On Saturday, Rice’s defense forced only a single Tulane punt and Landry Wood allowed two fourth-down conversions THRESHER STAFF on three attempts. The Green Wave outrushed the Owls by 112 yards. Rice faced similar difficulties in the air, permitting 15 passing first downs and

12 • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2023

BACKPAGE

BACKPAGE DEAN GORMAN TELLS ALL: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AT NOD

• Students tranquilized after full moon triggers sudden aggression • Houston PD officers held captive by horde of freshmen and forced to “Do The Stanky Leg” • Read our exclusive interview for more…

LIFE IN THE JAILHOUSE:

Wiess Socials Await Tribunal for the Crimes of 800 Other People Chi Alpha boycotts STEM following new course CHEM 371: Intro to PENIS (Proton-Enhanced Nuclear Induction Spectroscopy)

“My culture is not your costume.”

BAKERITES WANTED AFTER PURPLE GORILLA FOUND SHOT IN THE HEAD CW: GORE, ANIMAL CRUELTY PETA calls out “Harambe of the 2020s”

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

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