The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, February 21, 2024

SA SA presidential presidential debate debate centers centers around around budget budget

Black History Month

VOLUME 108, ISSUE NO. 19 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

AHITAGNI DAS / THRESHER SA presidential candidates Jae Kim (right) and Trevor Tobey (left) speak about their platforms at the Thresherhosted debate in Pub Feb. 19.

JAMES CANCELARICH

SENIOR WRITER

Student Association presidential candidates Jae Kim and Trevor Tobey discussed their vision for the presidency and the SA at the Thresher’s SA debate on Monday, Feb. 19. Candidates for secretary and treasurer, the other contested elections, also took the stage during the night.

Kim said he emphasizes advocacy as a vehicle for change, and Tobey, while acknowledging the importance of advocacy, said that change will come from fiscal responsibility. Kim is currently the Brown College president, and Tobey is the Hanszen College senator.

“I believe [in] financial responsibility, spending money on the things you actually care about and organizational efficiency

— not just passing useless resolutions and useless statements, but putting our money where our mouth is on those issues,” Tobey, a sophomore, said.

“I don’t think our greatest strength is with our money, it is with our voices, the relationship we build with administration and the relationship that we build with students,” Kim, a junior, countered. “However much money we have in our budget, administration has 10, 20, 30 times that, so I really want to advocate effectively to use that money from administration rather than the budget we have from SA.” Kim pointed to his prior experience with the SA as a new student representative, senator and college president as a strength of his candidacy, particularly when it comes to advocating administration to make change.

He joked that he was on texting terms, but “not

calling [terms] yet,” with David McDonald, the director of Housing and Dining.

Tobey said that his prior experience with the SA showed him some of the organization’s shortcomings.

“I think that we fail to have inclusive dialogue in our Student Association,” Tobey said. “When I was an NSR, I can’t remember a single no vote happening within the Student Association.”

Both candidates agreed that the SA often pushes out resolutions and statements that have no tangible impact on student experience.

Another source of debate was the Blanket

ISSUE 2024

SEE SA DEBATES PAGE 2

Tennis roots Condoleezza Rice visits Rice University propel Grear into final Rice season KRISHNA CHALISE

FOR THE THRESHER

KATHLEEN ORTIZ

THRESHER STAFF

Alyss Allen Grear wasn’t yet pregnant with her sons when she made a silent wish for twins. It was the late 1990s, and Grear was watching Serena and Venus Williams play tennis on her television. She had never played tennis in her life, but watching the Williams sisters, she decided that one day she wanted her kids to play the sport.

“I remember [hearing] Richard Williams tell their story about how he got them into tennis really young because you have a natural partner,” Allen Grear said. “I remember thinking, if I ever have twins, I’m going to put them in tennis.

“Sure enough, I had twins. And, you know, here they are.”

SEE GREAR PAGE 11

COURTESY TONY GREAR Honing his skills since an early age, Trinity Grear has devloped into a top player on Rice’s tennis team.

Condoleezza Rice, a former United States secretary of state and national security advisor under President George W. Bush, came to Rice to speak with David Satterfield, the director of the Baker Institute, as a part of the Shell Distinguished Lecture Series Feb. 15.

President Reggie DesRoches opened the event and presented Rice with the James A. Baker III Prize for Excellence in Leadership.

“History best remembers Rice for her role during the difficult times after the 9/11 attacks where she was a crucial advisor to George W. Bush … She then succeeded Colin Powell as secretary of state during Bush’s second term, a role from which she forcefully advocated for human rights in the United States and around the world,” DesRoches said in his speech.

According to the Baker Institute, the Baker Prize for Excellence in Leadership is awarded to those who bridge between the world of ideas and the world of action.

The event was hosted in the Brockman Hall for Opera’s Morrison Theater. Some 100 students and community m e m b e r s assembled in the Central

RICHARD LI / THRESHER Condoleezza Rice speaks with Baker Institute Director David Satterfield in the Brockman Hall for Opera’s Morrison Theater Feb. 15.

Quad across the street from the Baker Institute to protest Rice’s visit to the university.

Satterfield did not respond to a request to comment for this article.

At the start of the event, a few protesters inside Morrison Theater interrupted Rice and chanted, “From Iraq to Palestine, occupation is a crime,” before being escorted out by Rice University police officers. They had signs that read “War Crimes OFF Our Campus” and “Baker Oils the War Machine.” A Rice University police officer told the Thresher that they removed between two and four protesters from the event.

Rice acknowledged the protestors’ presence.

“The thing about democracy is that it is noisy sometimes,” Rice said.

Activists have protested Rice over her role in starting the Iraq War and in authorizing “enhanced interrogation techniques,” accusing Rice of supporting war crimes, torture and genocide.

Rice spoke about numerous topics at the event, including her time serving as the first Black female secretary of state, free speech, the impact of wedge issues in American politics and foreign policy from Iraq to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Around 500 people attended the event in

SEE CONDOLEEZZA PAGE 2

Community members protest Condoleezza Rice event at Baker Institute read more on page 3

2 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

FROM FRONT PAGE

SA DEBATES

Tax, an $85 fee that each student pays as a part of their tuition to fund student organizations including the SA. Kim said that the Blanket Tax brings in roughly $400,000 annually, and that he wants to explore raising the tax in the future.

“What I really want to emphasize is that it’s not all pocket money for us. We fund Beer Bike with that, we fund [the Rice Programs Council] with that, we fund the Thresher, Campanile, Honor Council [and] UCourt. All of that is funded through the Blanket Tax,” Kim said.

Alongside reorganizing Blanket Tax distribution, including continuing the returning of funds from the Campanile, Kim said he hopes to create a unified funding source which cultural clubs can request money from, rather than having it split across the Initiative Fund, Student Activities/President’s Programming funding, the multicultural center and more.

Tobey said he does not believe the SA adequately uses its existing money. He said he would like to reallocate the current budget to better fund cultural clubs and events before increasing the Blanket Tax. “I think that what we have right now

THE RICE THRESHER

is enough, but we are just not spending it effectively,” Tobey said. “I’m not opposed to raising the Blanket Tax once we’re actually doing good things for students, once we’re a legitimate organization that can say we are making change and working for students.”

Both candidates advocate for late-night dining options as part of their platforms.

Tobey said that the SA budget can be used as leverage for administration to make change.

“I’m willing to pay administrative bonuses to staff who will stay late at serveries to keep serveries open later … I also think we should have healthy late-night food options, and I think that the new vending machines are great, but they would be even greater if they were able to take Rice ID,” Tobey said.

Kim responded by saying that he was not sure if administrative bonuses were possible to enact.

“Based on multiple meetings with H&D, the problem is not that they don’t have the money to give the staff more time, it’s just that a lot of the staff rely on public transport, so no matter how much you pay them, they don’t have a means of going back home, they can’t [stay later] … I want to expand H&D’s student worker pilot program which started a couple years ago,” Kim said. He said that the student worker pilot program would have students working the serveries during

FROM FRONT PAGE

CONDOLEEZZA

person, and over 1,500 people watched the virtual stream, according to Avery Franklin, a media relations specialist for the Office of Public Affairs.

DesRoches later told the Thresher that he believes it is important to have speaker events at the Baker Institute.

“It’s important that academic institutions like Rice [University] foster an environment for discussions like the one that happened at this event,” DesRoches wrote in an email. “Hearing from leading voices and varying perspectives fosters both intellectual engagement and personal growth.”

At the event, Rice spoke about how her life experiences such as growing up in segregated Birmingham, Ala., led her to become the first African American woman to be secretary of state.

“We are not perfect but we keep working toward a more perfect union,” Rice said. “I think our challenge is to make sure that generation after generation understands how extraordinary it is to have these [democratic] institutions.”

The conversation moved to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rice referred to her work facilitating the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access and the Agreed Principles for Rafah Crossing, two documents that aimed to improve economic development and the humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza.

Rice then brought up Satterfield’s role as President Joe Biden’s special envoy for Middle East humanitarian issues. Rice reflected on Israel’s military campaign in Gaza in retribution for Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which has killed nearly 30,000 and thrown the Gaza Strip into a humanitarian crisis, according to The Washington Post.

“At some point [now] the Israelis are going to have to decide that they have done enough damage to Hamas to knock them back,” Rice said. “[A resolution] doesn’t mean, by the way, the Israelis occupying Gaza, because I’m the one who negotiated the Israelis out of Gaza in 2005 … I think the Israelis can run counterterrorism operations for a long time.”

Satterfield then asked Rice a couple of questions submitted by students. The first question asked Rice to reflect on the U.S.

invasion of Iraq in 2003. The invasion was justified by accusations — later shown to be false — that then-Iraqi prime minister Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

“What you know today cannot affect what you did yesterday,” Rice said in response. “We thought [Hussein] was reconstituting his weapons of mass destruction … If Japan is buying large amounts of chlorine, then you probably

I think our challenge is to make sure that generation after generation understands how extraordinary it is to have these [democratic] institutions.

Condoleezza Rice

FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE

think they’re doing swimming pools. But if Iraq is doing that, you think this is for nerve gas. For a variety of reasons, I think we misread what was going on there.”

Though Rice said that the Middle East and Iraq were better off without Hussein, she conceded that she doesn’t know if the U.S. government would have acted differently had they known that Hussein hadn’t fully reconstituted weapons of mass destruction.

“In the moment, you do what you know,” Rice said.

Rice then moved on to emphasize the importance of patience in diplomacy.

“Our impatience with people who are trying to find a way to a more decent life, our impatience with people who are coming out of tyranny and don’t quite get it right with their constitution … We, of all people, ought to be patient,” Rice said.

“How can the United States of America, that counted my ancestors as threefifths of a man in the first Constitution, and then realized that [in] over a couple hundred years we’d get to a place that I could be secretary of state — how can we be impatient with people who are just starting that journey, [transitioning into a democracy]?”

later hours as opposed to staff members.

In their concluding statements, the candidates spoke about their intentions with the SA presidency, highlighting the differences in their platforms.

“I think that advocacy is action,” Kim said. “There are so many changes I want to see in the Student Association, but building upon the experiences and the tangible projects that I’ve already worked on, I’m committed to further improving the life of Rice students across campus in areas of diversity, equity and inclusion, accessibility and student life.”

“I think that we really have an opportunity here to change the way that the Student Association operates for students,” Tobey said. “I really think that we have failed students over the last few years and we have the opportunity to turn that around.

It doesn’t start with advocacy, it starts with action. I made specific plans on the budget to fund the projects that I’m going to carry out. That means mental health initiatives, late night food options, expanded student discounts and $10 printing credits.”

Candidates for SA treasurer Josh Stallings, a sophomore at Duncan College, and Thomas Ngo, a McMurtry College freshman and NSR, further discussed the SA budget after Kim and Tobey exited the

stage. Stallings spoke about potentially raising the Blanket Tax to better fund student organizations through the Initiative Fund, which allocates money to finance new events. Ngo said that he was also considering raising the Blanket Tax, but that reallocating the existing budget could better fund organizations as well.

Candidates for SA secretary Chelsea Asibbey, a freshman at Baker College, and Calla Doh, a Hanszen freshman and NSR, also debated their potential role. Asibbey and Doh both discussed increased use of social media to disseminate information and increased use of polling to gauge student opinions.

“Hopefully as secretary, I get the unique opportunity to continue to not just represent the communities I come from, whether it’s first-generation or low-income or the African American community, but allow us to bridge that gap between what the Student Association does and what the student body receives from them,” Asibbey said.

“I want to push for reform and increase the role that SA plays in your life as students here. I’m excited to focus on areas of reform such as sustainability, diversity and student life,” Doh said. “I want to give you guys really accessible and easy entry points to get in touch with SA and engage with us.”

Tuition to increase over next academic years AISHA KHEMANI

FOR THE THRESHER

Incoming undergraduate students matriculating in the 2024-2025 academic year will pay $62,874 in tuition, a 9.9% increase from the current price tag, according to a Feb. 9 announcement. The cost of oncampus room and board will rise to $18,094 with campus fees at $925, bringing the total cost of attendance up to $81,893.

This change doesn’t apply to current and continuing students, whose tuition will follow the pattern of previous years and rise by $2,754, an increase of 4.5%. This is the fifth consecutive year of tuition increases and the highest the university has seen in recent years.

This follows a similar increase across most private four-year institutions, which the College Board reported average 4% for the 2023-2024 year.

These rates will continue to increase for underclassmen in the 2025-2026 school year, who will pay $66,540 in tuition.

Upperclassmen will continue to see tuition increase by $2,690 from $59,784 to $62,474 in accordance with previous patterns.

Provost Amy Dittmar said the tuition increase is vital for Rice to maintain its standing as a competitive institution.

She also emphasized the university’s commitment to providing “generous” financial aid.

“Rice offers a student-centered and personalized education for all students,” Dittmar wrote in an email to the Thresher.

“Meeting the increasing needs of our students, and their success is our top priority.

We are enhancing the leading individualized approach that we provide while boosting the generous, loan-free financial aid through the Rice Investment and other programs.”

President Reggie DesRoches said that while Rice understands the financial challenges faced by families, the increase is necessary to continue to meet the needs of students in the face of increasing enrollment.

“We aim to empower students from all income levels to achieve academic and personal success at one of the best universities in the country, and to develop them into the leaders and problem-solvers of the future,” DesRoches wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Enrollment has steadily increased over the years, and we anticipate that trend to continue and are focused on meeting the needs of our students.”

DesRoches said the university is committed to meeting the full financial needs of all its students. The Rice Investment scholarship program continues to cover full tuition, fees and room and board for students with family incomes below $75,000.

“Rice is bolstering its commitment to providing a top-notch personalized education while ensuring access and affordability through our loan-free financial aid programs, notably the Rice Investment, for students from all backgrounds,” DesRoches wrote. “Rice recognizes the financial challenges faced by students and their families and will continue to meet the full financial need of qualified, admitted students and provide loan-free aid. The university expects the total amount spent on aid will be its highest amount ever.”

Rice plans to invest $150 million in grantbased aid and scholarships during the 20242025 academic year and another $160 million during the following year, according to the Feb. 9 news release. These are the largest investments the university has ever made towards its financial aid program, Rice said.

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

Annual undergraduate tuition has increased above the rate of inflation since 2013, Rice data shows 60,000

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024 • 3

NEWS

Community members protest Condoleezza Rice event at Baker Institute announcing the protest, Rice Students for Justice in Palestine wrote, “While ASST. NEWS EDITOR Rafah remains under threat of ground Students and community members invasion and experiences constant gathered in the Central Quad Feb. 15 bombings by Israel, Rice University to protest Condoleezza Rice, former shamelessly upholds legacies of secretary of state and national security imperialism that enable the global war advisor to George W. Bush, coming to machine.”

According to a protester who campus, demanding that the university “divest from death.” A Houston Police identified as an Arab student and part of Department officer at the protest Rice SJP’s leadership team, this protest estimated nearly 100 protesters were in was held because they don’t want “war criminals on campus.” The person spoke attendance throughout.

Ahead of the demonstration, on the condition of anonymity due to protesters accused Rice on social concerns of doxxing because of their media of being a war criminal who was position with Rice SJP. “We don’t want people on our the architect of the Iraq War. In a Feb. campus who are in part responsible 12 Instagram post for the death of a million innocent Iraqis,” the Rice SJP leadership member said.

“The same day, [the university] decided to host [information technology c o m p a n y ] Hewlett Packard Enterprise on AHITAGNI DAS / THRESHER campus, which Community members protest former Secretary is a major part of of State Condoleezza Rice’s visit to the Baker the way Israel’s Institute Feb. 15. prison systems are allowed to

BELINDA ZHU

Workers for Palestine gave speeches. continue existing.

Phrases including “Rice, Rice what do “We don’t want war criminals on our campus. We don’t want people enabling you say? How many kids have you killed genocide on our campus,” the protester today? Condi, Condi what do you say?

How many kids have you killed today?” added. and “Israel Leo Luna, a bombs, Rice pays! member of the How many kids Party for Socialism did you kill today? and Liberation We don’t want war Divestment is our who attended the demand! No peace protest, said he criminals on our campus. on stolen land!” cannot support a We don’t want people were chanted university inviting enabling genocide on our throughout the someone like Rice campus. event. to speak.

Levi Bullen, “ G i v e n Rice SJP leadership member a member of Condoleezza Rice’s involvement in the Iraq War, Houston Democratic Socialists of and given how instrumental she was America, said protests like this are what in having that happen, the fact that bring about change.

“The national narrative around she continues to be an advocate in the imperial court and continues to have Palestine has shifted over the last 15 gigs in this manner is something that we years,” Bullen said. “This shift is largely can absolutely not support, especially due to organizing being done by many given it continues to fund the U.S. war different organizations. This shift doesn’t machine that Israel will inevitably be a happen by itself so we can’t be silent.”

The Rice SJP leadership team member part of,” Luna said.

Protesters held Palestinian flags said that they wanted the university to and posters bearing slogans such as divest from Israeli interests.

“We want Rice to end all partnerships “Hands off Rafah!” and “End all U.S. Aid to Israel.” Protest organizers from with Israel and with companies that Rice SJP, representatives from University help like Raytheon and [Department of of Houston SJP, Scholars Against The Defense] contracts like HPE,” the student War on Palestine, Palestinian Youth said. “We want all those contracts ended Movement, Houston Democratic because we don’t want our university Socialists of America and Healthcare helping Israel perpetuate genocide.”

S.RES 12 calls for housing accomodations for trans and gender non-conforming students commission, who was also part of the group of students introducing ASST. NEWS EDITOR the resolution, said that she hopes The Student Association passed this resolution will make this issue a a resolution to provide support priority for the administration.

“It’s just a matter of admin and and begin the process of providing accommodations for transgender other groups on campus putting [these and gender non-conforming students accommodations] as one of their Feb. 12. The resolution, which was priorities and just getting it done,” introduced Jan. 24, passed with Ayodeji, a senior at McMurtry College said. “There’s a lot of small things that everyone in attendance voting in favor.

The resolution proposes creating will go a long way. Ultimately, why not a map of gender-neutral bathrooms make people feel more included and around campus and within residential comfortable on campus? That’s the colleges. The resolution also focuses whole goal of our committee.”

Cole Holladay, one of the coon providing resources during Orientation Week and revising the presidents of Rice PRIDE, who was new student form to outline these new consulted during the drawing up of this accommodations and emphasize the resolution, said they have had concerns with H&D’s general response to the form’s confidentiality.

Katherine Painter, a Brown College issue in the past.

“One issue I have had with H&D’s new student representative who introduced the resolution, said she was response has been that they have previously been pleased with how unwilling to it proceeded. make changes “When we to existing introduced the i n f r a s t r u c t u re , ” resolution, there I think having this Holladay, a junior were a lot of [resolution] is a very Martel people who spoke good springboard to have from College, wrote in opposition, not in an email to necessarily to the some big conversations, the Thresher. issue, but just not only with student “Instead, a to how we were organizations ... but also representative trying to attack with the bigger players from H&D has it,” Painter, a stated that they freshman, said. that can make a bigger would just shuffle “At this Senate, tangible impact on Rice [gender nonI felt really good through legislation and conforming] and because no one [transgender] voted against policy. students into it. It’s like a Amogh Varanasi colleges that have reaffirmation that DUNCAN COLLEGE NEW STUDENT existing, inclusive what we’re doing REPRESENTATIVE infrastructure.” is good. Not that David McDonald, the H&D interim I ever questioned that; [the resolution associate vice president, said H&D had passing is] just some more support.”

According to Painter, further steps been working with key stakeholders include more meetings with Housing at Rice to provide gender-inclusive and Dining on how to implement these bathrooms as residential colleges are renovated. changes.

“As colleges are built and Morike Ayodeji, the director of the SA’s diversity, equity and inclusion reconstructed, we are paying special

VIOLA HSIA

attention to adding allgender inclusive RICHARD LI / THRESHER restrooms, including in S.RES 12, a resolution to provide support Duncan [ C o l l e g e ] , and begin providing accomodations for McMurtry, New transgender and gender non-conforming Sid [Richardson students, passed unanimously with everyone College], and in attendance voting in favor Feb. 12. the three new wings for Baker, Hanszen and Will Rice [Colleges],” McDonald wrote in an email to the Thresher.

“We have also designated three bathrooms in Baker to be gender inclusive.

Jones North and South also have first floor suites that have gender inclusive bathrooms. We are also adding a gender inclusive restroom to Brown College the summer of 2024.”

McDonald said that if students feel uncomfortable with their college in the right direction to make campus accommodations, they should consult infrastructure more accessible to their college coordinator of the SAFE gender nonconforming and transgender students,” Arnez Gonzales, a junior office.

Jae Kim, Brown president, who from McMurtry, wrote in an email to was part of turning the bathrooms the Thresher. “We are working closely in the Brown basement into gender- with the SA’s DEI committee to see this neutral bathrooms, said he hopes resolution actually be implemented by students know that gender-inclusive H&D, so the work has just begun.”

Duncan NSR Amogh Varanasi, one of accommodations can be made the authors of the resolution, said that throughout campus.

“I feel like every college, if they really he hopes the passing of this resolution dedicated themselves to it, especially will open up larger conversations for the DEI representatives within the the SA regarding other causes in Rice’s college … [should] make it so that every community.

“I think having this [resolution] college will be able to equally, fully support students that might not be is a very good springboard to have comfortable with gendered housing,” some big conversations, not only with student organizations like Rice PRIDE Kim, a junior, said.

Holladay, along with Rice PRIDE co- and Student Association and Senate, president Jorge Arnez Gonzales, said but also with the bigger players that that this resolution was a positive step can make a bigger tangible impact on Rice through legislation and policy,” forward.

“We think that this is definitely a step Varanasi said.

4 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

THE RICE THRESHER

EDITORIAL

Jae Kim for SA president

Due to his previous successful undergraduate population.

Many of Kim’s plans build off previous initiatives, desire to correct flaws within the Student Association and passion initiatives he spearheaded as Brown College for student advocacy, we, the Thresher senator and president. This includes Editorial Board, endorse Jae Kim for SA improving housing accommodations for transgender and gender non-conforming president.

Kim has three years of experience students, expanding the Student Success working within the SA as a new student Initiatives food pantry and increasing study representative, senator and college spots on campus. His knowledge of who president. He has learned ways to improve to work with and how to design projects to make them the efficacy and successful will success of the make him adept at organization. For achieving his goals instance, Kim as SA president. wants to ensure [Kim’s] knowledge of who While Tobey that intense to work with and how to shares some of research and design projects to make goals, his conversations with them successful will make Kim’s ideas for achieving stakeholders occur them are less before introducing him adept at achieving his detailed and harder r e s o l u t i o n s , goals as SA president. to achieve. Both rendering them more beneficial. His advocacy-centered want to expand late night dining options, approach is poised to get students engaged but Tobey’s plan to negotiate pay bonuses in the SA, which has been a shortcoming for Housing and Dining staff working extra of the organization for years. Further, he hours using SA money raises concerns wants to bridge existing gaps between about overextending the SA’s budget. college presidents and other SA members Additionally, Tobey wants to provide to benefit the colleges using SA’s funding subsidies for off-campus therapy, but he provided little additional information on and connections to administration.

Both Kim and his opponent, Hanszen his plan to do this during his interview with College senator Trevor Tobey, want to the Editorial Board.

Tobey has valid criticisms of the SA’s restructure the Blanket Tax, an $85 part of each student’s tuition that goes to the inability to effect change due to loose SA, Rice Program Council, student media resolutions and vast conformity within the organizations and other student groups organization. Kim is running with a team, that serve the entire Rice community. many of whom echo his ideas. While a Importantly, both candidates want to ticket can be helpful for voters and close create a separate source of money for collaboration is important, it is even more recurring events that are not covered by important to allow for disagreement in the the Initiative Fund. Unlike Tobey, Kim SA, something that Tobey sees as lacking. wants to explore raising the Blanket We hope that the future SA executive Tax, which has remained the same since committee will encourage diverse ideas 2015 in spite of inflation — something we both from the student body and within the agree is necessary to sustain the growing SA itself.

EDITORIAL

Chelsea Asibbey for SA secretary In a rather rare contested election, the other hand, has made explicit her hopes Student Association has two candidates to better connect SA with various clubs on the upcoming ballot for secretary: on campus, increase SA outreach through Chelsea Asibbey and Calla Doh. Due to her existing avenues and connect with Rice’s fresh perspective outside of the Student diverse communities.

Social media also plays a large part in Association, willingness to take initiative on her own ideas and emphasis on serving the secretary’s platform, and Asibbey has Rice communities, we, the Thresher solid plans for changing and improving Editorial Board, endorse Chelsea Asibbey the SA’s current social media strategy.

Largely through Instagram, she plans to for SA secretary.

Both Asibbey and Doh are running make the SA social media more interactive, on similar platforms of transparency, with public surveys to garner student opinion and accessibility and frequent updates bridging the gap on Senate meetings between the SA and and resolutions. the students. Each Asibbey has made As a business cited the need for explicit her hopes to management more interactive major, she says social media better connect SA with she has the social and working to various clubs on campus, media savvy to do increase dialogue increase SA outreach it. on resolutions Asibbey’s outside the SA. through existing avenues dedication is We feel, however, and connect with Rice’s evident.

Despite that Doh stakes diverse communities. lacking an official her own campaign too heavily on presidential candidate Jae SA position, she said she regularly attends Kim’s platform, neglecting to form many weekly Senate meetings of her own volition — a feat in and of itself. Despite having less secretarial goals of her own.

While we acknowledge that Doh experience within the SA, we believe her has admirable goals for the SA, such as dedication and visions will serve her well initiatives to support campus sustainability in the role.

Throughout her campaign, Asibbey and Rice PRIDE, we feel she could be more successful pursuing these goals through has consistently emphasized her goal of other positions. For the record, we think “leaving things better than she found it.”

Doh would make an excellent college We’re confident that, for the SA, she will do senator or committee chair. Asibbey, on the just that.

ENDORSEMENTS Jae Kim SA PRESIDENT

Josh Stallings SA TREASURER

Chelsea Asibbey SA SECRETARY

EDITORIAL

Josh Stallings for SA treasurer

Due to his experience as the current less money per student today than Student Association deputy treasurer, nine years ago. Countless student we, the Thresher Editorial Board, organizations rely on Blanket Tax and Initiative Fund money for informative, endorse Josh Stallings for SA treasurer.

Running on the ticket of presidential fun and widely attended events, yet candidate Jae Kim, Stallings has echoed we’re running low on cash.

Another key part of Kim’s platform many of the sentiments that make up Kim’s campaign, which we also which Stallings reiterates is increasing the number of support. Stallings’ Blanket Tax h e a d l i n i n g Organizations, proposal is to with a focus consider raising on Rice PRIDE. the Blanket Tax, We are mindful of yet While Stallings a fee on student another increase to acknowledges tuition that student tuition, and we b u d g e t supports student encourage the Blanket Tax l i m i t a t i o n s groups. in how many Some nine Committee to find ways organizations can o r g a n i z a t i o n s , to realign spending, but it have Blanket Tax including the status, he told us Thresher, Rice goes without saying that he hopes to focus Program Council, student organizations on groups with University Court have less money per far-reaching and and the SA itself, student today than nine inclusive impacts negotiate annual on large parts budgets with years ago. of the student the Blanket Tax Committee, which the SA treasurer runs. body. We support directing SA funding Other student clubs can request one- toward this goal, though we don’t know time allotments through the Blanket if Blanket Tax status is the best way Tax Committee’s Initiative Fund for new to achieve it. Regardless, it requires a comprehensive look at funding, and we events.

The Blanket Tax is written into the believe Stallings is the best person for SA constitution and has been set at the job.

Stallings’ opponent, Thomas Ngo, a $85 since 2015. Adjusting for inflation, $85 today would have been just $64.41 current new student representative for nine years ago — a decrease of nearly a McMurtry College, possesses a good quarter of its real value. At the same time, vision for the role, but we are not sure the inflation-adjusted undergraduate he has amassed enough experience to tuition has increased from $41,560 in become the treasurer. In an interview 2015-16 to $47,643.59 (in 2015 terms) for with the Editorial Board, Ngo rightly said that international students like students matriculating in 2024-25.

Stallings said he wants to explore himself bring a different and important raising Blanket Tax as an option to perspective to finance. We hope that continue supporting Blanket Tax Ngo, who joined the Blanket Tax Organizations, which have operated Committee earlier this semester, can with a budget that is essentially remain a valuable voice at the table.

Editor’s Note: Features editor Sarah shrinking. We support this exploration.

We are mindful of yet another increase Knowlton and Arts and Entertainment Hadley Medlock recused to student tuition, and we encourage editor the Blanket Tax Committee to find ways themselves from this editorial due to to realign spending, but it goes without close personal relationships with one of saying that student organizations have the candidates.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024 • 5

OPINION EDITORIAL

Why we endorse Student Association candidates

As the Student Association elections roll around, so do our candidate endorsements. These endorsements are neither new nor novel. We’ve been writing them for years, alongside student-run and larger newspapers alike.

The Thresher doesn’t endorse candidates — the Editorial Board does. We keep our editorials and news coverage entirely separate. Rice is small, we know. When conflicts of interest arise, from personal relationships (again, Rice is small) to outside extracurricular commitments, Editorial Board members recuse themselves as needed. You’ll even see that in one of our editorials today.

Every year, the Editorial Board sits down with the candidates for contested SA executive positions to learn more about their experiences, interests and platforms. We collectively weigh the merits and flaws of each candidate, coming to decisions as a board. Endorsing a candidate doesn’t mean we believe in their platform unequivocally, nor does declining to endorse a candidate mean we disavow everything they stand for.

Meanwhile, our reporters — typically a team of assistant news editors and senior writers, never overlapping with the Editorial Board — cover the election as it unfolds in real time. Neither coverage

influences the other. Our endorsements are opinionated; our reporting isn’t.

The Editorial Board is composed of section editors, the managing editor and the editors-in-chief, whose jobs are to know about and inform our campus community. At its core, this is why we write our endorsements: to inform you, our readers. Endorsements are not a mandate on how to vote, but rather a trustworthy opinion, written by student journalists knowledgeable about the campus community with the opportunity to ask candidates tough questions. At the end of the day, only one body can decide the vote — the students.

EDITORIAL

Vote ‘no’ on constitutional amendment

On your 2024 Student Association ballot, you’ll see something in addition to the standard races for executive positions: a constitutional amendment. We urge you to vote “no.”

The new constitution was originally approved by the Senate in April 2023 on a 21-1 tally. However, only about 10 percent of undergraduates voted in the corresponding special election, less than the 20% necessary for ratification. Former SA president Solomon Ni reintroduced the proposed constitution earlier this year, and now students have another chance to vote.

Though there are beneficial changes, some amendments are so worrying that we must oppose the new constitution. Our primary concern is the removal of a series of longstanding safeguards against low turnout, thin majorities and secrecy.

Article IX of the new constitution stipulates that a simple majority may pass a constitutional amendment with no required minimum voter participation. The current constitution needs two-thirds approval with at least 20% turnout, which protects the student body from constitutional changes that do not garner broad awareness, participation and satisfaction. Some may argue that low turnout plagues Student Association elections, that the 20% participation requirement essentially blocks any constitutional amendments. However, it is the SA’s job to make students care — and they used to be rather successful, with more than half the student body voting in the 2018 SA election.

We fear that one day, the SA will quietly push a constitutional amendment special election when students are not paying attention, making drastic and dangerous changes to the elected student body that manages $400,000 of our money. Does it

sound like we’re catastrophizing? Maybe, but that’s exactly why these protections exist.

Another proposed change is the threshold for resolutions to pass the Senate.

Currently, two-thirds of voting senators and college presidents must approve. The new constitution decreases the cutoff to half.

Lots of Senate votes are unanimous or nearunanimous, so the two-thirds requirement is not difficult to meet. In a Student Association

Our primary concern is the removal of a series of longstanding safeguards against low turnout, thin majorities and secrecy. where many undergraduates are unaware of week-to-week resolutions, we believe that a slightly higher threshold would protect less informed students.

Finally, Article III, Section 3 of the new constitution removes the stated requirement that all Senate votes be conducted by roll call, which records each representative’s vote for their constituents to review. The reason for this removal is not entirely clear. If the goal was to allow voice votes, which are especially quick for unanimous decisions, then we urge the Senate to explicitly permit voice votes instead of loosening the constitution’s language. We fear that this removal could lead to secret ballots, which run antithetical to representative democracy.

To be clear, this proposed constitution improves the existing document in many areas. For one, it is much easier to read and navigate; additionally, it brings solid procedures for filling vacancies and

approving contracts.

Arguably the most beneficial series of changes is to the Blanket Tax. There are seven voting members on the Blanket Tax Committee, which dispenses some $400,000 of student tuition money annually. Currently, three are students appointed by the treasurer with no requirement that they hold elected office; in the new constitution, these three members would need to be senators. This change decreases the risk of a treasurer appointing three unqualified friends to form a majority bloc on the Blanket Tax Committee.

Even more crucial is the change to the Blanket Tax allocation review. The Senate will take a more involved role in approving the dispersion of student funds to the Blanket Tax Organizations. It’s vital that our elected representatives are hands on when managing our money.

We fought for one last clause in the refined Blanket Tax system. The Thresher reports — sometimes critically — on the Student Association and Senate. Leaving our entire funding up to that body raises a conflict of interest, where we might temper our coverage out of fear of losing our funding.

The new constitution would implement a minimum stipend for the Thresher to protect our editorial independence from the Senate we cover.

It is with difficulty that we oppose this new constitution. The changes to the Blanket Tax system are strong and needed, and the document overall is far more user friendly and accessible. However, we cannot overlook the removal of protections against low engagement and shadowy, small majorities. We urge the Senate to pass a new constitution that improves the Blanket Tax system while continuing to safeguard a representative Student Association.

EDITORIAL STAFF * Indicates Editorial Board member Prayag Gordy* Editor-in-Chief Riya Misra* Editor-in-Chief Nayeli Shad* Managing Editor NEWS Brandon Chen* Editor Maria Morkas Asst. Editor Viola Hsia Asst. Editor Belinda Zhu Asst. Editor OPINION Sammy Baek* Editor FEATURES Sarah Knowlton* Editor Shruti Patankar Asst. Editor ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Hadley Medlock* Editor Juliana Lightsey Asst. Editor Arman Saxena Asst. Editor SPORTS Pavithr Goli* Editor Diego Palos Rodriguez Asst. Editor Andersen Pickard 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 Steven Burgess Asst. 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 BUSINESS Edelawit Negash Business Manager Korinna Ruiz Advertisement Vanessa Chuang Distribution

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

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 2024

ricethresher.org

CORRECTIONS

In “Heartstruck,” the answer to 43 across was “on trial.”

6 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

THE RICE THRESHER

See and be seen: Black history at Houston museums MARGO GEE

THRESHER STAFF Celebrate Black History Month by checking out the best Black art and museums Houston has to offer, from local artists and beyond.

Kehinde Wiley: An Archaeology of Silence at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston After an exhibition of his portraits of the Obama family last year, Kehinde Wiley has returned to the MFAH. His newest body of work, “An Archaeology of Silence,” juxtaposes the life-giving nature of portraiture with the harsh reality of systemic violence against Black and Brown people, centering his subjects in elegant repose on beautifully lush backgrounds. Make sure to pick up a University Partnership Program card from the Office of Student Activities if you are interested in attending with free admission.

THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show at Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston The Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston has a plethora of offerings this Black History Month. In the museum itself, catch the opening of “THIS WAY: A Houston Group Show” showcasing the history of Houston Freedmen’s Town, a community of formerly enslaved people located in what is now the Fourth Ward.

At POST Houston, the Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston is hosting The Reading Room, a pop-up reference library of Black art with its own wealth of events.

Buffalo Soldier National Museum The Buffalo Soldier National Museum exists to center the efforts and experiences of Black Americans in the military over the course of America’s establishment and into the present day.

Current exhibitions include showcases of the uniforms of Buffalo Soldiers, tools that were used in the field and the story of Cathay Williams, a Black woman who served as a Buffalo Soldier for two years until she was discovered to be a woman.

The museum also has several historical reenactments scheduled for Black History Month.

The Houston Museum of African American Culture Created in celebration of Black art and culture in Houston, Texas and beyond, the Houston Museum of African American Culture is opening two exhibitions this Black History Month.

“Pervs, Preppers, and the High Chaparral: Michael Abramson’s Chicago South Side Photographs” showcases the booming nightlife of Chicago’s South Side during the 1970s, and The Bert Long Jr. Gallery Spring Survey Exhibition features a display of newer Houston-based artists, one of whom will be awarded a solo exhibition in the gallery next summer.

WILLIAM LIU / THRESHER

The Kinsey African American Art & History Collection at Holocaust Museum Houston Compiled over the course of a 50-year marriage and considered one of the most comprehensive collections of Black art outside of the Smithsonian Institution, the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection illustrates the lives of Black Americans with art pieces, rare books and more. The collection spans nearly five centuries, beginning prior to the establishment of the U.S. and continuing

into the present day.

Rice University’s Calendar of Black History Month Events Rice staff has also compiled a list of Black events to attend in and around campus, including speakers that will be coming to Sewall Hall, and films being shown by Rice Cinema. This list includes off-campus events, so be sure to check locations for the latest lectures and exhibits. Signs with QR codes to the full list of events are posted around campus.

Nancy Niedzielski shares her love for Lovett SHRUTI PATANKAR

ASST. FEATURES EDITOR While most universities have student resident assistants overseeing housing, Rice’s culture is defined by its rare residential college system, which features adult magisters and resident advisors. Lovett College’s current magisters, Mike Gustin and Denise Klein, are finishing their last year in the role.

Lovett sophomore Isabella Barone reflected on Gustin and Klein’s contributions to the Lovett community.

“I think everyone at Lovett really loves the current magister, Mike. He’s been really great so far so [we’re] sad that he’s leaving,” Barone said.

Nancy Niedzielski, Lovett’s next magister, is currently an associate professor and the chair of the linguistics department. In her 25 years at Rice, her primary focus has been in sociolinguistics, the study of language and the role it plays in society.

Outside of teaching, she also works as a forensic linguist, performing linguistic analysis on documents and

GUILLIAN PAGUILA / THRESHER

recordings involved in court cases.

Her current research focuses on the connection between automated speech recognition, artificial intelligence and the law.

Niedzielski’s interest in the magisterial role stems from her experience as a college associate and divisional advisor. “[Being an associate] was just fantastic … I really liked divisional advising, though, because I think it’s exciting to have people come in that have a tiny idea about what it is that they want to do in college. They’re just kind of unaware of all of the different majors and opportunities that they can have,” Niedzielski said. “When I think about my college experience, there were students and there was faculty. You appreciate your faculty, but you never interacted in a way that you get to with [Rice’s] college experience.”

Niedzielski said that she is eager to embrace a foundational Rice tradition.

“When one of my family members would come to me and say, ‘Well, why should I go to Rice?’ the college system is the first thing [I say],” Niedzielski said. “I’d like to be part of it much more intimately than you can be as an associate or divisional advisor.”

Serving as magister will allow Niedzielski to have a much more active role in the Rice co m m u n i t y, shaping Lovett’s

know what it is, but there’s a vibe to culture and supporting its students.

“I don’t want to come in and change Lovett that just really resonated with everything, but it seems like a great way me.”

Lovett External Vice President, David to influence these students who are going to go out and do great things,and Shaw, served as a member of the student just have the whole world in front search committee responsible for of them,” Niedzielski said. “It’s very choosing Niedzielski. He emphasized the exciting to me to think about being an importance of finding a magister that fits with the culture. integral part of “One thing we [students’] Rice really talked about experience … I see was fit: what a myself making Lovett magister their lives at Rice I don’t know what it is, is as compared to better and easier but there’s a vibe to Lovett one of the other in some aspects, that just really resonated colleges,” Shaw, a and making them junior, said. “We more aware of with me. really like how all of the kinds Nancy Niedzielski Nancy seemed of different INCOMING LOVETT MAGISTER open, available — opportunities someone you could go talk to about silly that there are.”

Niedzielski said her top priority as things, like TV shows and football games, magister will be to create a welcoming, or something serious. She seemed very supportive environment at Lovett using knowledgeable and approachable.”

“We’ve had really positive first the on-campus tools available to her.

“I’m really interested in the whole interactions with her. We’re sad to see [diversity, equity and inclusion] push our current magisters go, but really on campus … There are groups that excited for what the new era’s going to feel that they don’t want to get involved bring,” Shaw continued.

Barone also spoke of the importance in the college experience [because] they just don’t feel like it’s for them,” of having a magister that lets students Niedzielski said. “I think the college take the lead as necessary. “[Gustin] definitely let Lovett work system is such a huge bonus … It would be great if everybody felt like that was independently of him,” Barone said. true and everybody felt like they could “He was involved, but not too overly involved. We want the magister to let us take advantage of it.

Even more than her experience as do our own thing but be there when we an associate, Niedzielski feels as if need her for support.”

As she prepares to step into the role she shares a personal connection with this July, Niedzielski’s enthusiasm is Lovett. “[Lovett’s] the hippie place, you evident.

“I’m just really excited,” Niedzielski know … I like that sort of laid back, chill aspect of Rice and [for Lovett], it’s said. “[I] just can’t wait to sort of jump just the vibe,” Niedzielski said. “I don’t in.”

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024 • 7

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Well, well, well: how Rice stays hydrated

Those who walk near the Ralph S. O’Connor Building for Engineering and Science may hear the faint droning noise of machinery coming from the Central Plant, one of Rice’s two power plants that provide energy and water to the campus. Through the maze of pipes, wires and metal structures stands a fence door guarding one of the Rice’s lifelines — a water well.

“We roughly use about 100 million gallons of water [every year] for domestic water use,” Hugh Ton-That, the director of plant operations, said. Ton-That oversees the operations of both power plants on campus. “Basically the whole core of the campus — all the buildings around the loop and the North Colleges and South Colleges — are tied into this [well] system. Everything else is tied directly to the city.”

Rice’s personal water well has helped the campus through crises, including the 2021 freeze. According to

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ROHAN PALAVALI / THRESHER Rice’s personal water well has sustained campus through climate crises like the 2021 winter freeze.

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Rice’s Facilities and Capital Planning Department, when the university opened its doors in 1912, this well was its only source of water. Since groundwater levels are generally more stable and reliable than those of surface water, architectural firm Cram, Goodhue and Ferguson decided to take advantage of an aquifer deep in the ground of the university. The well was placed next to the Power House, now called the Central Plant, the university’s only power plant at the time. “[Our well] is unique. Most wells or most water systems just bring the water to a tank and then have another set of pumps to pump it out to the buildings,” Keaton Kinstley, an energy and water analyst under the Office of Sustainability, said. “This pump actually is an all-in-one package, so it can pump all the way to [the] South College[s] in one self-contained cell.”

This means that the well is not connected to external pumps or mechanisms — it powers its own water distribution. “The water comes through, it’s chlorinated, disinfected with just a pure chlorine gas and then sent out to campus,” Kinstley continued.

Today, the university obtains about 80 percent of its water from the City of Houston, according to the Rice Office of Sustainability. At any given moment, both systems are working in tandem to provide Rice with the water it needs to cool its machinery, provide students with drinking water and much more.

The university strives to maintain a balance between use of city and well water.

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

HOANG NGUYEN

1 Large quantity 5 Gets an A+ on one’s midterm 9 Zesty flavor 13 Arcade game pioneer 14 Act of faith 15 COMP major’s creation 16 “The Boy Who _____ Wolf” 17 Like some verbs 19 With 24-Down, post-WWI cultural revival featuring works of Zora Neale Hurston and Aaron Douglas, among others 21 Midwestern apology 22 Telecom giant 23 Cornell’s town 28 Enzyme ending 29 Take to court 31 Fast fashion retailer 32 Movement in the 1960s and ’70s featuring works of Nikki Giovanni and Amiri Baraka, among others 36 Nevada city 37 The scarlet letter 38 Cake unit 40 Placed down 41 Nepal neighbor 43 Abode 45 Uncle, in Uruguay 46 Be untruthful 48 Precious stone 49 Lennox and Leibovitz 51 UPS rival 52 Barnyard bleat 55 Art genre featuring works of Octavia Butler and Janelle Monáe, among others 59 Lip ointment 62 Land measure 63 Wish granter 64 Acronym often seen in BLM protests 65 Footnote abbr.

66 _____ Allan Poe 67 Big name in elevators, or the main character of “Sex Education” 68 Heaps 69 Any minute now

CROSSWORD EDITOR

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1 Throat ailment, for short 2 Actor Michael who portrayed Alfred in “The Dark Knight Rises” 3 51, for one 4 Snarky response to unsolicited advice 5 Most-wanted celebrities 6 Actor Michael of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” 7 Make, as money 8 Coinage 9 Fort Worth school, for short 10 MSN rival 11 What a reality TV show contestant might have to sign 12 Berlin’s land, abbr.

13 Prefix with phobia or polis 18 Acquire 20 Take the wrong way?

24 See 19-Across 25 Economic bloc that includes Laos and Vietnam, for short 26 Shaped like a megaphone 27 In unison 28 Trendy berry for smoothies 29 Eye sore 30 Takes advantage of 32 Water filter brand 33 Russian revolutionary 34 Supplementary item 35 Few and far between 39 “You spin me _____ ‘round...”

42 Hebrew letter 44 Floods 47 Tel Aviv locale 50 Poetic feet 51 Climatic scenes in some samurai movies 52 “You got it!”

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54 Part of USA 56 Pus preceder 57 Social org. unavailable at Rice 58 Start over 59 Chinese bun 60 Perform in BakerShake, perhaps 61 My ___ Massacre

Revolutionary Marxist Students aren’t revolting yet NOAH BERZ

THRESHER STAFF All five students I approached outside Brochstein Pavilion last Saturday had the same answer to my question. Had they heard of the Rice Revolutionary Marxist Students?

Nope, not really.

With only three regularly attending members, Rice RMS occupies an unassuming presence on campus that only a handful of students are aware of.

The club was founded by its current president Zachary Katz, who said his interest in Marxism was sparked by Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.

“I was wondering why someone [like Sanders], who has general policies that are good for people, like healthcare and less tuition for colleges … [would] not be successful in his presidential run,” Katz, a Brown College junior, said. “I was thinking maybe the answer is not working within the system that we have in the U.S., and then I started learning more about socialism.”

When Katz started at Rice in fall of 2021, he said he noticed a lack of any leftist political presence on campus. In December 2022, with the help of some Houston-based alumni from RMS chapters at other universities, Katz began putting up flyers around campus and spreading the word about a new Rice RMS chapter, hoping that it would catch on.

Regular weekly meetings began the following spring.

Rice RMS is part of a national organization with study groups at nine universities, now including Rice. The RMS National Committee designs curricula for study groups and publishes a biannual political magazine called “Red Horizon,” presenting a Marxist perspective on a range of current events and issues. But according to National Committee member Aleksei Kassa, student involvement is low nationwide.

“Overall in the country right now, we see pretty low levels of student involvement in politics, with a few exceptions once every three or four years, such as what we see [with] Palestine demonstrations or Black Lives Matter back in 2020,” Kassa, a junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said. “For each university it’ll be somewhere between two to four students leading the study, and then you’ll have three or four students who attend regularly.”

“There’s a lot of things that go against the active involvement of students within political life,” Rice RMS co-head Maheen Majumdar, a highschool classmate of Katz and UMass Amherst alumnus, said.

Katz said it’s also possible that students just don’t understand what RMS is really about.

“The name is Revolutionary Marxist Students, and when people hear ‘revolution,’ they might think that we’re trying to put on a revolution, like, immediately … but that’s not what we’re trying to do,” Katz said.

Members say Rice RMS is primarily concerned with finding engaging ways to teach and discuss Marxist theory and analyze past socialist revolutionary struggles with students at all levels of understanding and experience.

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

GUILLIAN PAGUILA / THRESHER

8 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

THE RICE THRESHER

Stuart Weitzman talks about his step into success

COURTESY JEFF FITLOW

JULIANA LIGHTSEY

ASST. A&E EDITOR

There’s an iconic photograph of Aretha Franklin accepting her award for Favorite Soul Album at the 1983 American Music Awards. In it, the singer beams as she clutches her award in one hand and holds up a pair of glittering high heels in the other. Emblazoned on the insole of the shoes are the words “Stuart Weitzman,” a name that Franklin thanked in her acceptance speech alongside her producers and colleagues.

The name might have a familiar ring to the fashion forward, evocative of the high-end footwear brand whose sole struts rampant on red carpets and adorns celebrities such as Gigi Hadid, Sofia Richie and Jennifer Aniston. Perhaps less familiar to our cultural lexicon is the man to whom the name belongs: Weitzman, founder and designer of his eponymous shoe brand. Weitzman visited Rice Feb. 12 and spoke about his entrepreneurial journey to business students in McNair Hall’s Shell Auditorium.

No stranger to personal style, it was apparent that Weitzman has had his fingers (and perhaps, his toes) in the design process of his footwear company. The freshly retired CEO sported an all-white ensemble paired with a flashy set of chrome sneakers, as he narrated his role in the company’s innovations, both in advertising and developing their most iconic shoes.

“I had absolutely planned to go to Wall

Street,” Weitzman said in an interview with the Thresher.

The aspiring entrepreuner’s intended career path, following graduation from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, soon changed trajectory after seeing one of his shoe designs, which he had sketched as a favor for a family friend’s company, sold out in the window of a Bergdorf Goodman. “[It was] as if you wrote a song and you hear it on the radio for the first time — that’s what it was like to see this design of mine on 5th Avenue in one of the finest shoe stores in New York City,” Weitzman said. “That took care of Wall Street for me.”

At his talk, Weitzman was accompanied by a PowerPoint detailing what he considered foundational tenets, or “truisms,” that defined his journey following the founding of his company in the 1980s. Speaking to an audience of mostly women, Weitzman was accompanied by bold, black capital letters emblazoning the words “Risk,” “Imagination” and phrases such as “You can’t do it alone.”

Weaving a narrative that reflected both an innate passion for design and an insightful navigation of the business world, Weitzman explained how he mobilized his roles as CEO and head designer to engineer the brand’s monumental success.

Entering the footwear industry, Weitzman said he recognized the need for a distinguishing factor in an oversaturated market. He found his niche in designing

he took inspiration from Julia Roberts’ shoes bridal shoes.

“Once you’re in the closet, they make more in the 1990 movie “Pretty Woman.” Weitzman combined the resurgence of ’90s fashion room for you,” Weitzman said.

After establishing his brand, Weitzman with his signature employment of celebrity expanded his horizons towards red carpets endorsement, designing a special pair of and celebrity endorsements. He noted in the thigh-high boots for Taylor Swift that his talk the importance of the iconic Aretha became a staple in her 1989 tour performance wardrobe.

Franklin moment, The process explaining how the of designing singer’s enthusiasm and advertising in displaying the products primarily shoes and thanking If the people who are to women generates him, in front of a supposed to love you curiosity about how broadcast audience Weitzman, as a of 13 million, worked do, then you’ve been man, so successfully wonders for his successful ... all the rest is catered to a female brand’s exposure. extra. demographic. He did We i t z m a n this, Weitzman said, recognized his keen Stuart Weitzman by listening to the ability to have his FASHION DESIGNER female voices around finger on the pulse of the fashion world in the earlier stages him in order to understand his customer base.

Weitzman said that of the 73 managers of his career. In such a dynamic industry susceptible to trends, he said that designing in his company, 71 of them were women. with a healthy mix of creativity and timeless To him, the presence of so many female staples allows his brand to evolve at pace with perspectives allowed the company to make informed decisions about both visual appeal the fashion world.

“I always create a collection that is 70% and comfort, a combination that came to evolutionary — if you looked at what I made define the brand’s appeal in a time where last year and [compared that with] this year, aestheticism and functionality were virtually you would see I evolved a bit,” Weitzman said. irreconcilable in fashion.

“If a girl likes the way a shoe looks, she’ll “But I need the other 30% to be revolutionary.

If I made 25 revolutionary looking shoes and shove her foot in and she’ll suffer … that didn’t two of them clicked, that was success … and seem to be necessary to me,” Weitzman said.

“I have a wife and two daughters, and they the evolutionary shoes, they always sold.”

Although Weitzman had undeniable would say, ‘Why can’t you make comfortable success in keeping his customer base shoes that look great instead of old lady shoes engaged, he admitted that one crucial mistake that are comfortable?’ So I put that into my he made was not recognizing the fashion career.”

Weitzman retired in 2017, selling his industry’s shift towards a younger generation namesake company to the fashion brand of consumers.

“I woke up one day and realized our Coach for $574 million. When looking back customer, who is very loyal, is now 15 years on his career, however, Weitzman said he older,” Weitzman said. “Younger gals are chooses to define his accomplishments starting to spend the money … how do I get through his personal values, not material milestones, a quality he emphasized to the that new market?”

Weitzman was quick to find his solution, audience at the conclusion of his talk.

“Everybody’s success can be defined by through a combination of skillful advertising and paying attention to contemporary style other things in their career,” Weitzman said. influences. He explained how a particular “But if the people who are supposed to love style of thigh-high black leather boots became you do, then you’ve been successful … all the a best-seller with a younger demographic after rest is extra.”

Review: ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ is less than the sum of its parts Lisa struggles with the many trials of young womanhood — uncomfortable family dynamics, getting her crush to notice her, “Lisa Frankenstein” is a horror/comedy making friends at her new school — until directed by Zelda Williams and written by the Creature (Cole Sprouse), resurrected Diablo Cody of “Jennifer’s Body” fame. from the grave of a Victorian bachelor While the film is aesthetic to the max, has pianist, lurches into her life. With the arrival interesting cinematography and includes of her first real friend, Lisa’s focus shifts to some satisfying performances, it fails bringing the corpse back to working order to live up to Cody’s previous works. The — he’s missing an ear, a hand and a special protagonist is foundationally unlikable, the extra part that isn’t revealed until the last tonal shifts will give you whiplash and its 15 minutes (but won’t surprise anyone who focus on references of other, better movies noticed the film’s PG-13 rating). She helps him by harvesting the just reminds you that needed pieces from you could (and really those who’ve slighted should) be watching her, falling in love with something else.

Director: Zelda Williams the Creature in the Lisa Swallows process.

(Kathryn Newton) is Once the opening a high-school misfit, credits finish, the cast out by her peers for, ostensibly, her black-and-white gothic habits and, in reality, her festering movie’s best quality begins to shine: its wound of a personality. After the tragic presentation. The cinematography is welldeath of her mother at the axe of a masked done, with interesting lighting and creative slasher, her father quickly remarries, camera work. The set design is impressive, expanding the Swallows family with ditzy layered with details that make the locations step-sister Taffy, played by Liza Soberano feel lived in. The aesthetics of the movie in the best performance of the film, and are certainly very ’80s — there’s vaporwave wicked stepmother Janet, melodramatically coloring and strong geometric patterns positively dripping from the frames. The portrayed by Carla Gugino.

SARAH MOTTELER

FOR THE THRESHER

COURTESY UNIVERSAL PICTURES

style is very in-your-face, which could be too much for some viewers, but I found it to be one of the movie’s strongest points.

While the style is certainly there, “Lisa Frankenstein’’’s substance is lacking. The plot is consciously derivative, a “comingof-rage” story in the mold of “Carrie” and “Teeth.” It doesn’t do anything as well as or better than the films that have come before, though, and it doesn’t do anything fresh to make it worth its runtime. The tone lurches between silly and serious, never quite able to blend the horror and comedy together into a cohesive genre. The Creature could’ve counted the number of times I laughed on

his one remaining hand, and the “horror” made me cringe more out of cringe than any other emotion.

The protagonist herself is difficult to root for too – Newton delivers a good performance, but there’s just nothing compelling enough about Lisa to make her acerbic personality worth dealing with.

Every conversation she had with another character merited eye rolls or audience cringes: the main reason she has any chemistry at all with the Creature is because he can’t talk.

Overall, “Lisa Frankenstein” is a visual feast but mental famine, lacking a certain

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024 • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Black Art at Rice: Doyin Aderele talks writing, magical realism SHREYA CHALLA

that it was always hard to find characters and stories that she could see herself in.

SENIOR WRITER “As I started getting more into writing, Drawing inspiration from her Nigerian I really wanted to see more of myself. I heritage and ancient Yoruba culture, Doyin started writing stories that surrounded Aderele is currently working on her senior black characters and different cultures seminar project, an African fantasy novel to contribute to the growth of the genre that she has been developing for a year. of Black fiction,” Aderele said. “I’ve been Aderele, a senior at Sid Richardson College, reading more authors in those realms lately, has been studying creative writing since her and I just really want to be a little bit more a freshman year at Rice and mostly writes part of that genre, because I think it’s really fiction, focusing on fantasy and magical important to have that representation in books and art.” realism.

Along with “I started Nigerian and writing when I was Yoruba culture, in middle school…

Aderele said that The stories I wrote I started writing stories her inspiration weren’t very good, comes from but it just really that surrounded Black fantasy writers like stuck with me. I’ve characters and different Octavia Butler and always been a big Tomi Adeyemi, reader [of] fantasy cultures to contribute to the author of and mythology the growth of the genre of “Children of Blood novels like Percy and Bone.” She’s Jackson,” Aderele Black fiction. also benefited from said. “I first started Doyin Aderele workshopping her involving myself SID RICHARDSON COLLEGE SENIOR senior seminar in magic realism seriously in my junior year. I took a fairy tale project with fellow cohort members.

“Before, all my writing [was] a pretty class [called] Fairytales and Fear Tales … It inspired me to put my own twist on writing solo experience. I’ve just written stuff and then revised on my own a little, but I think fairy tales.”

Growing up as a reader, Aderele said working with other people has been really

Campus coffee showdown PARKER BLUMENTRITT

Brochstein Pavilion Price: $6.22 (in Tetra) Wait Time: Short Flavor: Very good Seating: Got a table I went to Brochstein at 10:45 a.m. on a Thursday and waited in line for only a few minutes before ordering.

I was able to get a table and get my drink shortly after. It had good vibes for studying, not too loud or quiet.

The coffee was excellent: very sweet and creamy.

Dandelion Cafe Price: $6.60 (in Tetra) Wait Time: Insanely Short Flavor: Underwhelming Seating: Got a table I went to Dandelion Cafe on a Wednesday afternoon around 2 p.m.

The line was super short, and my coffee was ready almost immediately after ordering. I was able to get a table. The space also has good vibes for studying. The coffee was quite underwhelming, particularly the espresso flavor.

Audrey’s Price: $5.41 (not Tetra) Wait Time: Short Flavor: Very Good Seating: Got a Table

THRESHER STAFF

From restaurants to hair salons, Houston is rich in celebrating Black culture through businesses. Visiting some of these Blackowned businesses may be the best way to celebrate the diversity Houston has to offer.

Though Black History month may almost be over, these businesses are open year-round.

NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER Despite not taking Tetra, Audrey’s coffee was comparable in flavor to Brochstein while being a bit cheaper. It also had the best seating and study vibes, as they had large tables with comfy booth seats and outlets. I went at 10:45 a.m. on a Thursday, and it was not too crowded with quick service.

Coffeehouse Price: $3.50 (in Tetra normally) Wait Time: Short Flavor: Okay Seating: No empty tables While Chaus by far is the most affordable, it tends to struggle in other categories. I went around 12:45 p.m. on a Monday and the wait was shorter than usual, possibly due to the time of day but could also be related to the fact that they could not take Tetra at the time. Despite the smaller crowd, there were no tables open inside so I had to sit in the RMC instead. The flavor of the coffee was okay, though not as flavorful or sweet as Brochstein or Audrey’s.

Final Thoughts Audrey’s was the all-around winner, as it was delicious and moderately priced, with great seating options and vibes. The best value, though, goes to Coffeehouse, whose latte was nearly half the price of its competitors. Brochstein wins for convenience, as it is centrally located, takes Tetra, and is quite delicious but is still more expensive than Audrey’s.

MARK MUNYI / THRESHER belonging in a culture that feels both familiar and foreign. According to Aderele, it was one of her favorite pieces to write.

“Sometimes you feel like an outcast or just distinct from your own culture when you’re not always involved in or engrossed in that culture,” Aderele said. “I think as I’m writing, it doesn’t feel as personal but then once I get through it, I find connections to my own life. I like to look at my personal experiences and feel how I felt or things I saw and try to weave that in just to make it feel a little bit more real.”

Check out these Black-owned businesses around Houston CHIARA MORETTI

THRESHER STAFF

With the addition of the Dandelion Cafe this semester, Rice’s on-campus coffee shop population just gained a new member. With this increase in options, we decided to compare campus’s four coffee shops to see which is the best spot for a caffeinated pick-me-up. To keep the rankings as equal as possible, the same drink was ordered from all four shops: an iced vanilla latte with whole milk. Each coffeeshop is being judged on four categories to help inform your choice of coffee establishment.

eye-opening and helpful,” Aderele said. “I’ve been able to not only share my work with others and get good feedback, I’ve also been able to read my fellow cohort members’ work, assist them and then get a little bit of inspiration for myself. It’s been a good experience.”

As an English major, Aderele said that she has been able to focus more on taking her writing seriously by taking fiction-writing classes under published, award-winning professors like Bryan Washington and Kiese Laymon. “[Writing] used to be a hobby I did on the side. But now I’ve seen that I really want to take it seriously and perhaps make it a career in the future,” Aderele said. “Reading [my professors’] work and learning from them, I’ve been able to figure out my own voice. I think taking these classes has been a great influence on my personal writing.”

Aderele’s recent short story, inspired by her own experiences, tells the story of a young girl who travels back home to Nigeria for her grandfather’s funeral. The protagonist struggles with her identity, her relationship with her father and her sense of

Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill This award-winning grill has been featured on the Food Network and is one of the most well-known authentic Jamaican restaurants in Houston. Located on Bellfort Avenue, the menu features a wide array of items such as jerk chicken and curry goat. According to food critic Keith Lee, this is some of the best food he has ever had. If you enjoy spicy and affordable Caribbean cuisine, then this restaurant is worth a try.

Salon Rose This salon located in Montrose offers a variety of services such as blowouts, hair coloring and twist braids. With a 4.8 star review on Google, customers report highly regarding the overall atmosphere. Many reviews spoke highly of the customer service with most of the staff treating them kindly. If you’re in need of hair services, then this salon may be the place for you.

Trez Bistro & Wine Bar Voted one of the best wine bars in Houston, this wine bar includes a tasty selection of drinks and appetizers such as cheese, pizza and meatballs. Shawntell McWilliams,

owner of Trez, has a strong focus on local partnerships, allowing local Houston artists to display their artwork at the bar. Though this bar is located in Memorial and is strictly 21+, its focus on community and delicious food and beverages may be worth the trip.

Kindred Stories This small bookstore was founded by a woman who strived to create a safe place for powerful works written by Black authors.

Their mission is to make books accessible to the Third Ward community — a diverse, yet underprivileged neighborhood. If you are a bookworm or desire to read Black literature, then this relaxed bookstore has many options to choose from.

The Spot If you want to “let loose” on a weekend, then this lounge and bar is the place for you.

Featuring special theme nights and live music, The Spot provides the sense of community that everyone’s longing for. Located only seven minutes from Rice, this bar is relatively accessible for students (just make sure you have a designated driver).

Dandelion Cafe Though this cafe does have a location in Bellaire, we have one in our very own O’Connor Building. If you haven’t checked out this cafe yet, then you’re quite late to the game. Dandelion has a variety of food and drink items such as coffee, smoothies and chicken and waffles. Starting off as a small coffee shop, owners J.C. Ricks and Sarah Lieberman have since expanded into a full-on restaurant menu.

JENNIFER LIU / THRESHER

10 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

THE RICE THRESHER

Owls one game back of first in the AAC, split last week’s matchups CADAN HANSON

SENIOR WRITER

Rice women’s basketball split their pair of matches last week, beating East Carolina University at home on Wednesday 75-57 before losing on the road to the University of Alabama at Birmingham 87-74 on Saturday.

The pair of games moved the team’s record to 15-10 on the season and 9-5 in conference play, enough to put them in a three-way tie for second in the American Athletic Conference as of publication. The Owls play their final three games of the regular season on Feb. 25, March 2 and March 5.

On Wednesday, Feb. 14, the Owls hosted the Pirates at Tudor Fieldhouse. After taking the lead with two minutes left in the first quarter, the Owls never let up and went on to win by 18. Junior forward Malia Fisher led the team’s offensive attack with a 22-point performance, and three other Owls scored in the double figures. Defensively, the Owls forced 16 Pirate turnovers, but the largest statistical advantage was the 50 bench points for the Owls while holding the Pirates to four.

“I just keep saying that I’m so impressed with how deep this team is,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said after the game.

“Different people step up every night and

find ways to help us score and help us win. They are all ready when their name is called. I’m just so proud of the group, it was a total team effort.”

Riding a three-game win streak, the Owls traveled to Alabama to take on the Blazers.

In their only matchup of the season, the Owls and Blazers went back and forth with the Owls holding the lead late in the third quarter, 53-51. However, a quick run gave the Blazers a six-point lead going into the fourth which they never relinquished, winning by a 13-point margin, 87-74. After the game, Fisher said she was disappointed with the Owls’ complacency.

“We took this game for granted,” Fisher said. “We did not have the right mentality to come out and compete against a team who’s been trying to beat us for the last three years. They are a great team, but we hurt ourselves on Saturday and it’s not a feeling that we want to feel ever again.”

Following the loss, the Owls find themselves in a three-way tie for second in the AAC as of publication, one game behind the top-seeded University of North Texas, whom they are slated to face in their final home game of the season on March 2.

Tied for second is UAB, to whom the Owls just lost, and the Temple University, whom the Owls will face at home Feb. 25. With

the end of the regular season fast approaching, fifth-year guard Destiny Jackson likes where her team is but knows that each game going forward is important.

“We are in a pretty good spot standingswise but we can’t get complacent,” Jackson said.

“These last few games are very COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS important, so Junior guard Emily Klaczek attempts a layup on it’s crucial that we last Wednesday’s home win against East Carolina take it one game at a University. The Owls lost to the University of time. No pressure, no Alabama at Birmingham on Saturday, putting diamond.” them one game back of first place in the AAC. The Owls took the court last night against the University of “The best thing we can do is learn Memphis in Memphis. The Tigers were sitting at 11th in the conference but bested and grow,” Fisher said. “We dropped the the Owls on Rice’s home court when these ball, but it has made us reflect on our two teams last faced each other. According preparation and think about who we want to Fisher, the Owls need to grow from the to be finishing out the season and going into the postseason.”

UAB loss and finish the season strong.

Owls swept by Fighting Irish in season-opening series ANA RIVERA

FOR THE THRESHER Kicking off the season with high hopes, Rice baseball faced a tough start this past weekend. They were swept by the University of Notre Dame at home in their opening series, unable to secure a victory over three games. The Owls suffered a 3-1 loss on Friday night, followed by a 9-5 defeat on Saturday afternoon and concluded with a 13-10 loss on Sunday.

“You definitely want to start off with a win on Opening Day,” Cruz said.

“Ultimately, it came down to a mistake, an error on our part and things that led to some runs. That was the difference in this first game.”

After junior starting pitcher Parker Smith completed a seamless 1-2-3 inning to start the game, senior infielder Nathan Becker drove in a run with a two-out RBI single, giving the Owls an early lead. In the top of the second, Smith faced pressure as he loaded the bases and walked a batter, resulting in a run.

With the score tied at 1-1 through five innings, the Owls brought junior right-

handed pitcher Jack Ben-Shoshan to relieve Smith with runners on first and second. However, Ben-Shoshan struggled, allowing an infield single and hitting the next batter, giving the Fighting Irish a 2-1 lead. The inning concluded with the score at 3-1 after a fielder’s choice play by the senior first baseman Jack Riedel.

Cruz said that Smith remained competitive, even though this wasn’t his strongest performance, and added that the offense wasn’t at their best either.

“Parker was good. I was looking at his numbers, and despite not being at his best, it’s still one earned run,” Cruz said. “But ultimately, we scored one run, and we have to score more to win a ball game. I think our offensive side of what we’re doing is way better than what it showed today.”

On a positive note, Cruz pointed out sophomore pitcher Davion Hickson’s standout performance. The transfer from Florida State pitched impressively, yielding no hits or runs in four innings.

“I’m really happy for Davion,” Cruz said.

“He came in and pitched exceptionally well. Davion takes everything to heart and executes to give us a chance to succeed.”

COURTESY RICE BASEBALL Junior pitcher Parker Smith pitches on opening night against the University of Notre Dame. The Owls were swept at home by the Fighting Irish to open their season.

On Saturday, Rice junior starting pitcher J.D. McCracken took the mound, but Notre Dame quickly took the lead in the first inning. In the bottom of the first, Jack Riedel’s home run tied the game 1-1, followed by Manny Garza’s single that gave the Owls a 2-1 lead. Riedel stayed productive, hitting a sac fly in the fourth to extend the lead to 3-2.

However, Notre Dame capitalized on passed balls and wild pitches to regain the lead. Despite this, McCracken struck out the next batter, minimizing the damage.

In the bottom of the fifth, graduate student outfielder Brendan Cumming’s triple allowed Garza to score, tying the game.

The game remained back and forth until the top of the eighth inning when senior closer Tyler Hamilton’s walk led to sophomore pitcher Garrett Stratton giving

EDITORIAL CARTOON

up a crucial home run, putting Notre Dame ahead 6-4. In the top of the ninth, Rice brought in redshirt junior pitcher Tom Vincent, who struggled, giving up significant hits and errors, resulting in a final score of 9-5 in favor of Notre Dame.

The Owls struck first on Sunday, with Florida State transfer junior infielder Trayton Rank’s two-run home run giving them the lead in the bottom of the first.

Sophomore pitcher Jackson Mayo started on the mound for the Owls and held Notre Dame to no earned runs through three innings. Despite Rice extending their lead to 3-0, Notre Dame capitalized with two consecutive homers off junior reliever Mauricio Rodriguez.

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

“Owl-American”

HONG LIN TSAI / THRESHER

“Top of the 9th to you!”

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024 • 11

SPORTS

FROM FRONT PAGE

GREAR

Just like their mother had hoped, her twins Trinity and Origen Grear started playing tennis when they were around 6 years old. Trinity has now played for 15 years. His final season at Rice is just getting started, and he is one of the topthree players on the team, head coach Efe Ustundag said.

“I hope that as a team we can have the best season we’ve had in a few years,” Ustundag, whose team started the season 5-4, said. “And, also, send [Trinity] out with hopefully a conference championship or an NCAA bid that I believe this team can do.”

While the stakes are higher today, Trinity has been serious about tennis since he started playing.

When they were little, Trinity and Origen would go out to the tennis courts with their dad, Tony Grear, on the weekends. Tony, who never played tennis, would sit on the sidelines studying tennis YouTube videos while the twins were on the court.

“If I picked up a racket right now, even after sideline coaching and yelling at them, I still cannot hit the sweet spot,” Tony said. “I can’t do it. But they were good enough and committed enough. I guess I wasn’t patient enough, but they were. Whatever I saw on YouTube, we practiced it.”

When it was time to go home, Trinity would cry. Despite often being on the court for five hours, he wanted to stay and practice longer. In hindsight, his mom regretted making him leave before he was ready. Trinity is grateful for the balance his parents provided for his intensity, though.

“They are there to support me in whatever way they can, so I think I naturally love the sport,” Trinity said of his parents. “The kind of guidance that they gave me, it was perfect. I think I was

able to make a lot of my own decisions, and then they just supported me along the way.”

Trinity’s serious and competitive nature was obvious off the tennis court as well. He strived to get the best grades. Trinity consistently earned the fastest time in his class at the annual elementary school turkey trot. His dad once saw him practicing his karate moves in the middle of the night before a big tournament the next morning.

“He’s never needed very much micromanaging,” Tony said. “Whenever he realizes what the task has been, he’s going for it. I’ve always felt like my role is to just help him to be efficient in whatever his processes are based on my experience as an adult.”

While they continued to explore other sports, Trinity and Origen began training at the Junior Tennis Champion Center in College Park, Md., when they were around 8 years old. The boys were urged to start pursuing only one sport seriously around age 10. Trinity said choosing tennis was the natural decision.

When the twins were 12, though, Origen hurt his knee and needed surgery.

Trinity described the injury as the catalyst for them eventually choosing different paths for high school. While Origen decided to go to public high school and continue to play tennis there, Trinity started training and doing school with JTCC. “Most of the best players in the country are going to do online school and train pretty much all day because in tennis it’s very international,” Trinity said. “We need to be able to train, to travel to tournaments and we need the flexibility that online school provides in order to get recruited and to really get better.”

Trinity was full-time at the tennis academy by ninth grade. He spent three and a half hours doing his online school before training for four hours.

Trinity caught Ustundag’s eye through his rankings. Trinity was top-40 in the country among his class. He was a five-star tennis player. Ustundag said he had the chance to watch him a lot as he was recruiting.

“Everybody I spoke with just had a lot of positive things to say about him,” Ustundag said. “It was one of those things [where] every tournament I watched him, I just saw something a little better.”

Trinity started the recruiting process during his junior year. He didn’t have a “dream college” in mind. Up until committing to Rice in March of his senior year, he wasn’t 100 percent sure what he was looking for in a school.

Trinity did online school from Maryland during his first semester at Rice because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When he arrived in January of his first year, he was the only freshman on the

team. While the transition wasn’t easy, Trinity credits the environment on the team for making him a more wellrounded person today.

He remembers that before coming to Rice, a tennis loss would be detrimental and feel like his whole world. He still cares about his results, but he has an easier time feeling grounded because he has found other things to care about, too.

As he looks to graduate in May with a double major in Business and Sport Management, Ustundag says that on his senior day he will probably have multiple fans whose kids will be vying for the opportunity to present Trinity with his senior award.

“You know, it’s not just the speed and the athleticism and stuff,” Ustundag said. “He’s got that attraction of a good person, athlete, student-athlete that makes it easy to cheer for him.”

KATHLEEN ORTIZ / THRESHER Senior Trinity Grear hopes to cap his career as an Owl on a high note by winning the conference or qualifying for the NCAA National Championship tournament.

COLUMN

Rice MBB have significant improvements to make before March For the Rice men’s basketball team, the transition from Conference-USA to the American Athletic Conference was never going to be easy. Just last year, the AAC featured two of the top 15 college basketball squads in the nation with the No. 2 University of Houston and No. 14 University of Memphis.

Although Houston departed to the Big 12 at the end of the 2022-23 season, the competition never got easier for Rice basketball: Florida Atlantic University, which made a historic Cinderella run into the Final Four last year, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, among other teams, moved with Rice from the C-USA to the AAC. However, despite this tough transition, the Owls’ play this season has been nothing short of a disappointment.

Rice sits at a 9-16 overall record, going 3-9 record against conference play, good for fourth-worst in the conference.

According to KenPom, a widely respected statistical database in college basketball known for conducting advanced analyses, the Owls rank 228th among the 362 Division 1 college basketball teams nationwide. KenPom’s database puts the Owls 12th out of the 14 teams in the conference.

The Owls’ primary weakness lies on the defensive side of the ball, which KenPom currently ranks as the 228th in the country. More specifically, they allow opponents to score 76.7 points per game, the 310th in the nation.

Their main defensive struggles come from defending the three-point line, with opposing teams converting 36.3% of their shots beyond the arc, good for the 31st

highest three-point percentage allowed in the nation.

Another major weakness on the squad is the team’s fouling numbers. The Owls commit a jaw-dropping 15.0 personal fouls a game, which puts them as one of the most undisciplined teams in the nation. Due to the high amount of fouls committed by Rice, opponents visit the charity stripe frequently every game, giving them a further advantage over the Owls. The Owls’ opponents take advantage with their numerous visits to the free-throw line as they make 74% of their free throws, which is the 52nd best free-throw conversion rate amongst D1 opponents.

Although some might argue that the statistics could be inflated due to the Owls’ increase in competition since they moved to a new conference, when comparing the overall strength of schedule, the difficulty in opponents that the Owls face has not increased significantly.

According to Sports Reference, the Owls’ currently have the 106th hardest schedule in the nation, compared to the 123rd most difficult schedule last season.

Luckily for the Owls, though, all teams in the AAC qualify for the post-season tournament where the Owls have a chance to rewrite the tale of their regular season. With March rolling around the corner, the Owls have just three weeks to improve upon their weaknesses before the AAC Conference Championship starts on March 13 in Fort Worth. Their final six games of the regular season take place against conference opponents, giving the Owls a perfect opportunity to improve their record against conference foes and

improve their seeding for the conference tournament.

Currently, the Owls would be the 10th seed in the tournament and would face off in the second round of the tournament against the 7th seed, the University of North Texas, who currently have a 14-11 record overall and 7-6 against conference opponents. The Mean Green, historically, has been a tough opponent for the Owls.

In their 29 overall head-to-heads, the Owls have won only eight times.

If head coach Scott Pera and his team can focus on fixing their significant

defensive flaws and discipline issues, the Owls have a chance to draw a less formidable opponent in their inaugural AAC conference championship tournament.

Pavithr Goli

SPORTS EDITOR

12 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2024

BACKPAGE

SA Presidential Election Prez-Off By now, you’ve all read about Jae’s and Trevor’s platforms and student government experience…

But who is willing to lose more friends?

Who will pay more money?

Who is ready to give up everything?

How bad do they really want this?

Forget about the endorsements. Let the candidates themselves prove who really deserves your vote at the Election Day Prez-Off, hosted by the Student Association. Each of five gnarly events will evaluate how much they embody the most important values of the SA President position:

ADVERSITY - 1 V. ALL W/ RICE MEN’S RUGBY Can our candidates handle the pressure of office? Jae and Trevor will demonstrate they can walk the walk by running a rugby ball as far down a field as possible with the Rice Men’s Club Rugby team defending. Highest sum of yards traveled over eight attempts each prevails.

CARES ABOUT YOU - O-WEEK CAMPUS-WIDE NAME GAME Can someone really care if they don’t even know your name? The SA President candidates will be provided with a flashcard deck of all four-thousand students at Rice University and a twenty minute study period. First names are worth one point, full names are worth two, and each wrong answer will be scrutinized by a panel of CDOD TAs for constituting a microaggression.

INTEGRITY - PERSONAL STATEMENT PUBLIC RECITATIONS Normally, no one will judge you for the things you say in your personal statement, but we ought to hold our candidates to a higher standard. Jae and Trevor will be asked to read their Rice personal statements in front of a full house of peers, open to the public.

Will they stand by their embellished rhetoric with pride? Or crumble under the shame of their high school writing melodrama?

ACCURATE REPRESENTATION - FAMILY FEUD How well do Jae and Trevor really know Rice students’ opinions? From servery rankings to hidden kinks, we polled 100 Rice students and asked them the BIG questions to put our candidates’ understanding of the people to the test.

LEADERSHIP - HUMAN CENTIPEDE EXPERIENCE A strong leader should always be able to support their team, even when the going gets tough. In the Human Centipede Experience, we’ll learn how long they can handle the pressure of leading the pack.

Jae and Trevor will alternate being the front of the centipede—last man crawling wins.

WED, FEB 21. 10 PM. PUB. BE THERE. 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.