The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, March 20, 2024

HOW RICE GOT HERE

Women’s basketball callin’ Baton Rouge Owls head to first March Madness since 2019

Rice won the American Athletic Conference Tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Rice was the lowest-ever seed (No. 10) to win the AAC Championship.

LSU was the 2023 National Champion, beating Iowa 10285 in the final.

LSU is led by Angel Reese, the SEC player of the year.

GAME INFORMATION

The game: No. 14 Rice at No. 3 LSU

Tip-off: Friday at 3 p.m. in Baton Rouge, La.

Watch: ESPN or Fubo

Tickets: Available on SeatGeek

Jeremy Zucker announced as X-Fest headliner

‘all the kids are depressed’ singer-songwriter to be lead act at second Moody Foundation concert April 19

VIOLA HSIA ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Singer-songwriter Jeremy Zucker will headline the second annual Moody X-Fest on April 19, according to Jeremy Miller, Rice’s communications director for Development and Alumni Relations.

Zucker is known for songs like “comethru,” “you were good to me” and “all the kids are depressed,” which have each garnered hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify.

“I am so excited to come to Rice University,” Zucker wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Houston I’ll see you soon!”

X-Fest will be held in Founder’s Court, rain or shine. There will be a stage, food vendors and giveaways, though Miller said further details about the festival’s layout — including weather accommodations — have not been figured out as of publication.

Vendors will include Oh My Gogi, Wokker HTX, Dripped Birria, Raising Cane’s, Pudgy’s Cookies and Dough Cone, Miller said. The festival’s organizers have reached out to several student groups to perform, with Basmati Beats and Rice Lions already confirmed.

Full event details can be found on the official Moody X website.

Miller said Zucker was selected after Moody reached out to a couple of talent agencies for potential acts within the organization’s budget, which Miller declined to share. A survey

was then sent out last month to both undergraduate and graduate students to gauge interest and rank potential performers, garnering a total of 841 responses. According to Miller, 48% voted Zucker as their first choice, with 16% voting him as their second.

GROUPLOVE headlined the inaugural X-Fest last year, held in Tudor Fieldhouse, which saw around 1,500 students in attendance — this year, Miller said they’re anticipating a crowd of 1,500 to 2,000 people. The festival began as a celebration of the Moody Foundation’s record-high $100 million donation to Rice.

“Given that this is our second year to host this event, we think our campus will be aware of what to expect and excited to see the performers,” Miller wrote in an email to the Thresher. “All of these events, including our signature food and music festival on April 19, are continuing to build awareness about the transformational gift from the Moody Foundation known as the Moody Experience. Ultimately, we are looking forward to the students’ enthusiasm when they experience all that is Moody X-Fest this year.”

One additional change to this year’s festival, Miller wrote, is the introduction of Inquiry Weeks, a series of events designed to showcase “research, design, and creative work” by undergraduate students, which will happen in the weeks leading up

COURTESY KATHERINE HUI Jeremy Zucker at his “is nothing sacred?” tour Nov. 7, 2023 at Terminal 5 in New York City. Zucker is headlining Rice’s second Moody X-Fest.

FROM FRONT PAGE MOODY X-FEST

to the concert.

“The Moody Experience is all about supporting students’ educational journeys beyond the classroom, and we’re excited to see the breadth of their work across the disciplines,” Miller wrote.

Abby Schuh, the associate director at the Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry, the department in charge of Inquiry Weeks, wrote in an email to the Thresher that events during Inquiry Weeks will include symposiums, performances and presentations.

I am so excited to come to Rice University, Houston I’ll see you soon!

Jeremy Zucker

SINGER-SONGWRITER AND MOODY X-FEST HEADLINER

Provost Amy Dittmar wrote to the Thresher that she was excited for students to experience this year’s X-Fest, and was especially glad that the headlining act was students’ first choice.

“The Moody X-Fest is a fun, high-energy celebration of the Moody Foundation’s gift, which supports many aspects of students’ education beyond the classroom,” Dittmar wrote. “I look forward to seeing the growing impact of the foundation’s transformative gift and the celebration of it through the Moody X-Fest.”

Beer bikers required to spend five hours on track for certification

VIOLA HSIA ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Beer Bike riders are now required to spend at least five hours practicing on the track to get certified to race in Beer Bike, after revisions to the biker and pit crew requirements.

Although biking certifications have existed in previous years, the five hour requirement is a new development from the Rice University Cycling and Triathlon club, campus-wide Beer Bike coordinators Willa Liou and Daniela Covarrubias said in an email to the Thresher.

Pit crew certifications had existed before COVID, and were reintroduced this year.

Suraj Chandramouli, the RUCT vice president, said they initially planned to mandate 10 hours on the track, but halved the required time after hearing bikers’ concerns about reaching the threshold. According to Chandramouli, the new certifications were the result of making sure bikers would have enough experience on the track, something that wasn’t always guaranteed in years past.

“One of the things that I noticed when I helped run certifications last year was that a lot of the bikers just sort of showed up and [didn’t] really know what they were doing,” Chandramouli, a Hanszen College junior, said. “The hour requirement is sort of a way to ensure that people put in the time necessary to have the very baseline skills to safely participate.”

To get certified last year, bikers only had to show they could clip on and off the bikes, as well as successfully completing a lap, according to Ilina Goyal, a member of Brown College’s women’s bike team.

Nicholas Lindell, a third-year Ph.D. student and captain of the Graduate Student Association’s men bike team, said that, while the new time constraints pose challenges, he appreciates the improved safety.

“We can brief our riders on how to be safe, and how [Chandramouli] thinks we need to be safe as well,” Lindell said, “I’m hoping that that kind of gets implemented in future years as well because it’s better

organized than it was in the past.“

Ben Meisburger, a senior at Jones College and captain of their men’s bike team, said that the certifications haven’t posed a recruitment problem at Jones, although that can be largely attributed to the college’s interest in biking.

“How do you get five hours in a week?

That’s tough,” Meisburger said. “At the same time, if you haven’t spent five hours biking on a road bike, you probably shouldn’t be bike racing. So overall, I think the certifications are a step in the right direction, but I can see why some colleges would not be a fan of them.”

New pit crew requirements stipulate that each team must perform at least four consecutive catches and throws. This must include two men’s bikers, two women’s bikers and one first-time biker, and they can have no crossing the line violations, according to the Beer Bike committee’s executive liaison Anne Wang. Like the bikers, pit crew members have to sign up for slots to get certified.

Ayaan Riaz, Will Rice College’s pit crew captain, said the new certifications were released rather recently, surprising the pit crew, who didn’t have to undergo a certification process next year.

“We were caught off guard — we did not know certifications were happening for pit until this past Saturday,” Riaz, a sophomore, wrote in a message to the Thresher. “But we have practiced at mock bike, will continue to practice and will simply perform the same for the certification.”

Andrew Kim, Lovett College’s pit crew captain, wrote in an email to the Thresher that he was glad these certifications are now required. However, he also wished the certifications had been released a little earlier.

“I’m very glad they added pit crew certifications this year for the sake of bikers’ safety, especially given past crashes resulting from unsafe launches and catches,” Kim, a junior, said, “That said, I wish the certification process (and other new Beer Bike rules) had been more clearly

FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER

If you haven’t spent five hours biking on a road bike, you probably shouldn’t be bike racing.

Ben Meisburger

JONES COLLEGE BIKE CAPTAIN

publicized earlier — as captain, I had no idea it was a new requirement and deadline I had to meet until days before. In any case, the pit crew certifications are a long overdue and appreciated precaution for bikers across campus.”

Brian Bishara, another Lovett pit crew captain, wrote in an email to the Thresher that the certifications are a step in the right direction.

“We are benefiting from having experienced members on the team to help with training the others, and I am more than confident that Lovett’s Beer Bike pit crew will be ready when the time comes to get certified,” Bishara, a junior, wrote. “Ultimately, we should all prioritize each other’s wellbeing and uphold our Culture of Care to ensure that Beer Bike is as fun as possible for everyone.”

Editor’s Note: Ayaan Riaz is the Web editor, and Andrew Kim is a Backpage editor for the Thresher.

Rice issues policy for poster takedown, display spaces and content

HOPE YANG THRESHER STAFF

Posters are now required to be taken down 10 days after they’re first put up or two days after the event they advertise, according to a new Rice policy. Administrators are working on additional guidelines for putting up and taking down posters in shared building spaces, Kelly Fox, the executive vice president of operations, finance and support, said.

Rice issued Policy 856 on Feb. 27. Previously, poster rules were loosely established across other policies and documents, according to Provost Amy Dittmar.

Dittmar added that posters now require certain pieces of information and

FAITH ZHANG / THRESHER

must be in designated spots.

“The poster policy now requires that posters clearly and visibly display the name of the sponsor, the date of postering and the email address and/or phone number of the sponsor,” Dittmar wrote in an email to the Thresher. “It also defines a process for designated spaces where postering is allowed … Posters may be displayed only on bulletin boards or other spaces … designated for postering.”

Adam Vuong, the assistant design editor for the Rice Campanile, said that when operating by the old poster policy, he would put posters around residential colleges where he thought appropriate.

“Some of the places [to put posters] you have to get pre-approved … like the RMC,” Vuong, a sophomore at Will Rice College, said. “[In residential colleges]

I had to look for places where it’s appropriate to put a poster … like bulletin boards and doorways and [spaces] where there are posters nearby.”

Vuong said that the new policy would limit spaces for clubs to advertise, since there are already a lot of posters on bulletin boards.

McKenna Tanner, managing coordinator of Rice Players, said she hopes that there will be an increase in spaces for displaying posters going forward.

“I hope that Rice buildings put up more bulletin boards to give all organizations the ability to advertise according to the policy,” Tanner, a senior at Hanszen College, wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Katherine Jeng, president of the Rice Taiwanese Association, English Undergraduate Association and Civic Duty Rice and the publicity director for the Chinese Student Association wrote in a message to the Thresher that the policy may make it difficult to read events.

policy and will keep it in mind,” Jeng wrote.

Maximillian Knyazev-Julinski, a Brown College freshman, said that poster spaces in Brown were not very noticeable, and he liked finding out about events through posters around the residential college.

I’ve seen H&D ripping [posters] down, and I’m like, ‘Oh no, you already have to clean Baker 13, not this too.’

Maximillian Knyazev-Julinski

BROWN COLLEGE FRESHMAN

“Sometimes it is annoying when the bulletins are all filled up and you can’t find any specific event because there are so many, or if you can’t find a thumb tack,” Jeng, a junior at Hanszen College, wrote.

Jeng wrote that the policy has not created much of an impact for her clubs due to other publicity avenues.

“Most of our club advertising is done through social media, Listserv, OwlNest or word of mouth, so it doesn’t impact us that much, but we’re still aware of the

“The bulletin boards we have at Brown College are kind of tucked away; it’s not very obvious,” KnyazevJulinski said.

“We put posters everywhere, on doors where we enter, on pillars, [and] elevators … I feel like I’m part of something just by seeing them happen … and I might check it out. I would have never done it if it was tucked away on bulletin boards.”

Knyazev-Julinski said that organizations often leave their posters for Rice Housing and Dining to take down.

“I’ve seen H&D ripping [posters] down, and I’m like, ‘Oh no, you already have to clean Baker 13, not this too,’” Knyazev-Julinski said. “It’s kind of annoying for them at least.”

Largest staff division unveils plan to better serve Rice

PRASI DESAI SENIOR WRITER

The Division of Operations, Finance and Support, formerly known as Finance and Administration, released a five-year strategic plan to enhance “operational excellence,” customer experiences and inclusivity.

OF&S supports initiatives including finance, campus safety, infrastructure and sustainability. The division supervises 1,018 staff members and over 20 different offices including the Rice University Police Department, Human Resources, the Office of Information Technology and the Disability Resource Center.

Michelle Thackray, the associate vice president for operational excellence and engagement, co-chaired the steering committee of the strategic plan. She said the plan emphasized anticipating the needs of campus community members and creating a better user experience.

vice president for operations, finance and support, the rebranding and plan better reflects the purpose and goal of all the departments under OF&S.

“We are here to enable and support this overall mission and vision of the university,” Fox said. “We are the backbone.”

Under the steering committee, there were numerous working groups that collected feedback from Rice community members to refine goals for the strategic plan.

Leah Hester, the assistant director of financial and research systems in the controller’s office, said her experience on the customer experience working group was collaborative.

Something that our group was really passionate about was creating meaningful human connections because we believe that’s just one fundamental element that makes Rice great.

Leah Hester ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, FINANCIAL AND RESEARCH SYSTEMS

“We’re actively working to enhance the processes and the ways that we’re interacting with data just to make things more streamlined,” Thackray said.

According to Thackray, the steering committee incorporated feedback from 50 individuals among administration, new university hires, faculty and students when developing the plan. Feedback from students provided important insight regarding student needs, she said.

“[The students] did make it very clear that being brought into conversations that we’re having on a regular basis about things that impact them and them having a seat at the table is of vital importance,” Thackray said.

The plan affects every department overseen by OF&S. According to Kelly Fox, the executive

“Our team got really close,” Hester said.

“Something that our group was really passionate about was creating meaningful human connections because we believe that’s just one fundamental element that makes Rice great.”

The plan is a step in the right direction for OF&S, according to Hester.

“I think our plan is aligning with the university’s needs and our promise to the greater campus community,” Hester said.

Fox said OF&S will continue to evolve in the future to better meet the needs of students and the strategic plan will help the department in this endeavor over the next five years.

“The manner in which we’re going to engage and think about our work is absolutely informed by the strategic plan,” Fox said.

According to Thackray, feedback from the campus community regarding ways to change or improve the strategic plan are welcomed.

“Even though the planning process is complete, we’re always going to be looking for ways to improve,” Thackray said.

Rice launches Center for Nanoscale Imaging Sciences

Lab, expressed excitement about the center’s role as a unifying force in the Rice community.

“Our lab is quite aware of the various types of microscopy utilized across campus, but it’s very scattered,” Hsyung, a senior from Will Rice College, said. “I believe one of the main reasons for constructing the center is to centralize and raise awareness of the microscopy resources available campus-wide. This consolidation should facilitate collaboration, which is incredibly fascinating.”

The Center for Nanoscale Imaging Sciences, housed within the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, launched at the beginning of March, aiming to improve the capture, analysis and interpretation of images at the nanometer scale.

George N. Phillips Jr., the associate dean for research at Wiess School of Natural Sciences, said the center will foster interdisciplinary collaboration across academics with diverse backgrounds.

“Interdisciplinary research is often a much more effective way to attack new problems than traditional departmental research,” Phillips said. “For this reason, the Center will help accelerate this research and help Rice compete in the international research arena.”

Anna-Karin Gustavsson, an assistant professor of chemistry who leads the center, emphasized the team’s initial motivation.

“Since we started working on establishing the Center, our goal has been to bring together researchers and create a community around imaging, particularly nanoscale imaging,” Gustavsson said.

Angel Martí, a professor of chemistry who serves as a member of the center, elaborated on the advantages the Center will offer to the research community.

“The Center will be able to unify and bring together different techniques and problems across departments to understand things at the nanoscale. This platform will benefit researchers by allowing them to interact, exchange ideas, collaborate, find common goals and move forward,” Martí said.

Ivana Hsyung, a chemical and biomolecular engineering major who is currently researching within Gustavsson

Highlighting the constraints of conventional microscopy methods, Martí spoke about the center’s strategy to integrate advanced technologies. This integration aims not only to enhance the observation of finer details but also to effectively address existing challenges within the field, he said. Ultimately, their goal is to push the boundaries of research by broadening the scope of exploration.

“I envision a future where we gain deeper insights into the structure, function and molecular attributes of biological systems,” Martí said. “We aspire to enhance our ability to perceive finer details, potentially leveraging single-molecule techniques to achieve sub-micron-level resolution.”

Dong Yan, a graduate student in applied physics at the Robinson Lab, said he is eager to discuss potential nanophotonic techniques at the center.

“I’m particularly excited about delving into the Nanoscribe Quantum X, the latest iteration of Heidelberg’s maskless lithography system, and a dicing system capable of cutting substrates with fabricated features as small as 1-2mm post-cut size, if feasible,” Yan said.

Hsyung expressed she is also looking forward to the new equipment at the center.

“We’re currently employing custombuilt optical setups incorporating fluorescence microscopy,” Hsyung said. “However, the prospect of acquiring new machines, such as optical tweezers and Cryo-EM, is truly exciting and could significantly enhance our research.”

Jimin Wu, a graduate student in bioengineering at the Robinson Lab, emphasized the prospective advantages these tools will offer for students.

Editor’s Note: Ivana Hsyung is the Arts and Entertainment designer for the Thresher. This story has been cut off for print. Read the full article at ricethresher. org.

Kim holds first senate of term

Student Association president Jae Kim led his first senate for the 2024-25 session March 18. He outlined his expectations for the year, highlighting transparency, communication and uplifting and amplifying the voices of all students.

During the SA meeting, he said he wanted to increase the collaboration across the SA and be intentional in the resolutions that are shared and passed. He emphasized that there would be no tolerance for any form of “bias, marginalization [or] aggression.”

Kim, a Brown College junior, said that he wants to prioritize empowering students to use the SA as a platform for advocacy. Specifically, he wants to advertise the fact that every undergraduate is a member of the SA and can write resolutions alongside college presidents, senators and new student representatives.

“[I want to make] sure our resolutions are intentional, thoughtful and feasible,” Kim said in an interview with the Thresher. “Also, [I want to] make this a really safe space, especially if we have anything more contentious that comes up, like making sure we can disagree, but we do so in a respectful way, in a way that maintains a culture of care within this body.”

BRYAN MENDOZA / THRESHER

WENSHI CHEN FOR THE THRESHER

COURTESY JEFF FITLOW

MARIA MORKAS ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Rice joins new federal AI Safety Institute Consortium

VIOLA HSIA ASST. NEWS EDITOR

Rice joined the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Artificial Intelligence Consortium, which aims to support safe practices and uses of AI.

Rice’s Ken Kennedy Institute is leading the effort to further discussion about AI as a stakeholder in the consortium established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Executive Vice President for Research Ramamoorthy Ramesh said that the university will work with academic experts and government and industry researchers and organizations to promote the safe and smart use of AI. Given Rice’s prominence in the computer science field, Ramesh said it’s important that the

university shares its knowledge within the consortium.

“We have a social responsibility to share that expertise with others, through this consortium and other outreach activities such as the Ken Kennedy Institute’s High-Performance Computing Conference,” Ramesh wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Rice scientists are respected and trusted leaders in this field, and we must be at the forefront of discussions around responsible AI.”

According to Lydia Kavraki, the director of the Ken Kennedy Institute, more than 200 stakeholders are involved in this consortium.

“Members of the Ken Kennedy Institute are invited to participate in key NIST committees that will shape the directions and recommendations for the development and practice of AI in the future,” Kavraki wrote in an email to the Thresher. “There is a pressing need to set the standards and develop the tools we need to mitigate the risks and harness the immense potential of artificial intelligence. We estimate that about 10 of our members will be involved.”

Fred Oswald, a professor in the psychology department and a member of the National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee, said he was pleased to suggest Rice to be part of the NIST.

“The Ken Kennedy Institute is committed through its work to ensure safe and trustworthy AI technologies,” Oswald wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Therefore, it was a pleasure to enthusiastically recommend the institute to NIST as a charter member of

the U.S. AI Safety Institute Consortium.”

The consortium was established after President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order Feb. 8 that outlined a strategy to establish new standards for AI safety and privacy for the U.S.

Devika Subramanian is a professor of computer science and is one of the Rice faculty members who is involved in work for the consortium. The most important part of the Consortium’s work is to implement new safety features, she said, while at the same time, not inhibiting further progress within the field.

vice president for information technology

Paul Padley have recently established an AI Advisory Committee, chaired by Oswald. Dittmar said the committee has not met yet; however, she said the advisory committee was created to provide insight on how AI affects the university’s mission, policies and operations both inside and outside the classroom.

We don’t want to constrain innovation, to put so many guardrails that you can do nothing interesting, right? On the other hand, you don’t want to say it’s the Wild West. There’s clearly a balance that has to be struck.

Devika Subramanian PROFESSOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

“We don’t want to constrain innovation, to put so many guardrails that you can do nothing interesting, right?” Subramanian said. “On the other hand, you don’t want to say it’s the Wild West. There’s clearly a balance that has to be struck.

“The best way to do that kind of thing is to bring people who make these AI products … academic researchers who also sort of contribute core ideas and help evaluate these systems,” Subramanian said. “And then, of course, we should never ignore the user community.”

According to Ramesh, separately from this consortium, Provost Amy Dittmar and

“Before this committee formed, [Padley] gathered an informal group to provide insights on teaching tools, and at the start of the academic year, we sent a message to faculty with guidance on using generative AI,” Dittmar wrote in an email to the Thresher. “The new committee will bring forth ideas and provide insight on issues related to AI across teaching, as well as supporting research and university operations.”

Subramanian said she’s glad that the work within the consortium is happening now, before something potentially more harmful happens in the future.

“I’m thrilled that we’re thinking about it now, rather than after the big disaster when we all throw our collective heads,” Subramanian said. “I’m thrilled to be part of this effort. And I hope something good comes out of it.”

NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER

EDITORIAL

What we want to see from Jae Kim’s presidency

Jae Kim has assumed the role of Student Association president, having led his first Senate meeting Monday night. We hope that Kim will foster serious deliberation within the SA and make meaningful change through concrete initiatives. Here are the changes that we want Kim and the new SA cohort to focus on during the 2024–25 term.

Explore raising the Blanket Tax

The Blanket Tax has remained $85 since 2015 — equivalent to $112 today with inflation. Rice had 3,800 undergraduates in 2015; 10 years later, we have 1,000 more. A larger student body means existing organizations need proportionally more money, but it also fosters new initiatives to address broader interests. There is a need for increased funding to support activities and services for the whole student body.

The SA should determine how much more students would be comfortable paying. Get student input on whether

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

students want more Blanket Tax Organizations, and if so, which ones would serve them.

Gain student input for campus construction projects

The construction of colleges 12 and 13 and the redesign of the RMC, among other upcoming projects, provide an opportunity to shape Rice buildings to fit the needs of the current and future student body. It will be critical to know what stakeholders need so that these buildings can best serve them.

The SA should represent its constituents in meetings with the administration. Stress accommodations for transgender and gender non-conforming students in the new residential colleges. Ensure that temporary relocations during the construction of the RMC are just as accessible as the new building will be. Make sure the administration can’t ignore student voices.

Expand late night dining options

We commend Kim for the work he has done so far to provide more healthy dining options outside of servery hours and his promise to keep working on this issue. Talk to students to learn what hours and types of food would best fit their needs.

Increase student engagement

Every year, SA candidates promise to improve their relationship with the student body, yet student engagement remains dismally low. To make this change happen requires effort from everyone in the SA: Host the town halls. Publicize resolutions on social media. Actively seek out input from students who don’t already engage with the SA. We believe that Kim and his executive committee can reach more students if they think creatively and put their energy into it.

I’m proud to call the Thresher home

I still can’t believe it’s over.

Today ends my term as editor-inchief of the Rice Thresher. I’ve been involved with the paper since freshman year — even before the semester began, actually, since I was one of those annoying freshmen who wanted to start over the summer.

I wrote a few times as a new student, but life often got ahead of me. It was 2020, after all, back when we all wore masks outside and anxiously awaited Kevin Kirby’s COVID-19 response weekly updates.

By sophomore year, I became a senior news writer. I quickly realized that the Thresher was my home. I was shocked that a year of isolation didn’t seem to shatter the Thresher’s social side; in retrospect, we spent more of our meetings gossiping than working. It was a thrill to write, to receive edits and to eventually see my byline in print.

Only in my junior year did I realize I wanted to pursue a career in journalism. Former editors-in-chief Ben BakerKatz and Morgan Gage gave me the opportunity to create my own special projects desk, and we did award-winning work. First, I led an investigation into Rice’s developments in Houston’s historically-Black Third Ward. Then, some six months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, we wrote a history of abortion rights at Rice. We even ran a project about baseball, the best sport in America. Art Director Robert Heeter made eye-catching designs in print, while a team of developers built a stunning website.

Finally, it was time to run the show.

Riya Misra and I took the reins in May 2023, built our team and eagerly counted down to the fall. When we returned in August, we dove into the daunting task of telling the stories of the largest student body in Rice’s history.

I don’t think we ever could have anticipated the term we had. It’s been a historic 10 months in so many ways, from the sudden removal of Willy’s statue to the campus’ response to the Israel-Gaza war and a $33.75 million legal settlement — not to mention a certain lingerie party gone wrong, the Baker Institute for Public Policy’s 30th

As I look back at the last year, I recognize that I’ve experienced a slew of emotions leading the Thresher — but none more than pride.

anniversary gala and so much more.

Each of our front pages tells the story of a busy week, with far too many of the details still stuck in my head. Our editorials provided sharp but fair critiques of the day’s news, and we solicited reams of guest opinions and letters to the editor. And our lengthy list of long-term initiatives is still pasted to my wall, barely half checked off.

As I look back at the last year, I recognize that I’ve experienced a slew of emotions leading the Thresher — but none more than pride. I am deeply

proud of every single story and editorial we ran, every photo we printed, every illustration we commissioned.

None of it would have been possible without the best team in the world. Some 150 students have contributed to the paper this year, including more than 30 core masthead staff. Our writers, photographers, illustrators, editors and designers are immensely skilled, and each person was individually such a pleasure to work with. I’m thrilled to call you all friends.

To Katharine Shilcutt, the director of student media: We could not have made it far without you. I will always remember your advice, your stories and your friendship with gratitude.

To Riya, my fantastic co-editor: I wouldn’t have wanted to do this with anyone else. You’re going to crush it next year. Just please remember how to convert the backpage to an image.

To my friends and family: You carried me through the hardest days. Your enthusiasm for and encouragement of my work meant the world to me.

And to the Rice community: Our newspaper would be nothing without you. Thank you for trusting us with your stories.

Prayag Gordy OUTGOING EDITOR-INCHIEF

CORRECTIONS

In

In

The

©

“David Leebron joins Texas-focused policy center as incoming president and CEO,” Marc Watts was the chairman of Texas 2036’s board of directors.

“Women’s History Month,” drive-thru window was 42 down, not 41.

Blast from the flask: a dive into college night’s history

SAM BALAKRISHNAN FOR THE THRESHER

Although borgs and tinted water bottles come to mind when Rice students hear the words “college night,” the tradition had very different beginnings.

The event began as a formal occasion, but throughout the decades has featured everything from wrestling matches to motorcycles. Food fights were a yearly occurrence and no matter the dress code, alcohol was almost always involved.

Will Rice was the first to hold a “college night meeting” in April 1957, according to the Thresher’s April 5, 1957 issue, originating as a college bonding and business event. Will Rice students congregated in the college commons during the evening “for coffee and dessert … Speakers [presented] brief talks at the meeting, and a general business section [was] conducted.”

Wiess followed the same year, holding dinner and voting for its constitution in the commons. One week later, Wiess College held a second college night during which the following year’s executive committee members were elected.

The Thresher archives next referenced college night in 1965, when it was referred to as a “candlelight supper” for the men’s residential colleges. Only Wiess seemed to have called it “college night,” with other colleges simply planning an elegant Friday evening meal. A Hanszen College drama was planned for the same night, presumably following dinner, as part of a series of events planned for Homecoming.

Although it had innocent beginnings, college night was not without debauchery. During Sid Richardson College’s college night in 1984, two male students showed up wearing togas, playing music with a tape recorder and carrying a blender to mix drinks. This greatly offended then- magister John Clark, who, according to the Thresher’s December 7, 1984 issue, required the students involved to either sign a document of disciplinary probation or face rustication.

GUILLIAN PAGUILA / THRESHER

was cited as the cause of the food fights. In the fall of 1989, more food fights than ever broke out — according to the Thresher’s March 16, 1990 issue, Sid Richardson created $700 in food fight damage from 36 broken glasses, 22 broken dinner plates and some tables and chairs, which were damaged after Sid Richardson students drove motorcycles into commons.

The next year, college nights suffered fewer food fights as colleges implemented a variety of rule changes to avoid further incidents. Lovett established a semiformal dress code to encourage a more professional attitude among event-goers and provided entertainment in the form of a few upperclassmen wrestling matches, entitled “Hulkamania.” They also imposed a $25 fine on food fight instigators and changed the format of the dinner to be a buffet-style, while Sid Richardson took a more low-key approach and changed the event to a Saturday night dinner.

The fun factor was very small and the lame factor was very high.

Unnamed

“Many members of Richarson [sic] felt that Clark’s ultimatum was inappropriate and that the people involved are guilty of no wrongdoing,” the Thresher reported at the time. “‘It was as quiet a college night as Sid Richardson has ever had,’” Marion Hicks, then-Director of Food and Housing, said.

Senior CLASS OF 1987

While it had its mischievous moments, college night was still quite a formal affair through the 1980s, with many colleges traditionally hosting the event at the Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall. In 1987, Brown’s college night was held there and included a dinner and reception, followed by an award ceremony and a barbecue at the Magister’s House. Wiess followed a similar schedule, according to current Brown College coordinator Christy Cousins ’94.

Changeover traditions: greeting or punishment?

HUGO GERBICH PAIS SENIOR WRITER

Baking, roasting and challenges: This isn’t the recipe for your favorite cooking show, they’re college changeover traditions. The outgoing college government leaders are about to leave, ceding their positions to those rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in need of a resume booster –though some are motivated by an altruistic love for their college. This power vacuum needs to be filled and nearly every college celebrates changeover in a slightly different way, from the whimsical to the disgusting.

Jones College

Who let Jones cook? For their changeover, incoming cabinet members have various foods thrown at them. It’s even worse for their incoming president, who has all the ingredients of a cake poured on them — from eggs to butter to flour.

Hanszen College

While Jones fights with food, Hanszen’s cabinet members battle it out in the political arena. On the last cabinet before changeover, the incoming president impeaches their predecessor with creative charges. They wrap up changeover with a creatively named “changeover FITQ” where the outgoing cabinet members present their successors with crazy costumes that they have to wear for the afternoon.

Wiess College

For a college that prides itself on having the most traditions, Wiess is seriously lacking in the changeover department. They don’t seem to have any set traditions, though last year they did roasts and a TFFW (Team Family Friday Wiess).

Martel College

Martel may not have three O-Week coords from their own college, but at least they have some interesting changeover traditions. Festivities begin with some sort of team competition between the incoming and outgoing members; past sports include foosball and dodgeball. The outgoing president then gives a speech from the middle of a circle, after which the other outgoing members then pass the Martel torch to their replacements.

Will Rice College

Will Rice has two different changeovers: fancy and trashy. Classy changeover is a nice dinner limited just to the incoming and outgoing members of the executive committee. Trashy

changeover is open to the entire college, and each outgoing EC member gives their replacement a challenge. Failure to complete it leads to a punishment. Apparently, eggs, water or pies to the face are common.

Lovett College

Like all fun things on campus, Lovett’s changeover takes place in its basement. Outgoing leaders put their replacements to the test by making them play a game related to their role. This year the incoming secretaries had to populate a Google Calendar as quickly as possible, while the chief justice had to do an alcohol quiz.

Baker College

The college behind Baker 13 has a surprisingly tasteful and wholesome changeover tradition. Each of the outgoing cabinet members gives their replacement a gift. For some positions, like president, the same gift has been handed down for over a decade. For CJs, the gifts are cumulative — the outgoing CJ gives their replacement a Squishmallow, as well as a collection of Squishmallows from previous years.

McMurtry College

What better way to celebrate changeover than with ice cream? In 2021, McMurtry started Sunday Sundaes, where they enjoy free sundaes on their sundeck. They do a special Changeover edition, where the incoming EC members serve the ice cream. They also incorporate some of the chaos seen at other colleges, hence this year’s “declaration of war” on Duncan College.

Duncan College

The newest college hasn’t had the opportunity to develop any specific changeover traditions beyond simply going insane. The outgoing EC passes the most ridiculous resolutions possible for the incoming EC to handle — last year, Duncan seceded from the Student Association, while this year Duncan accepted McMurtry’s “declaration of war” and allocated $500 to jack them.

Brown College

Food fights first broke out during Baker’s college night in 1986, its first college night since the legal drinking age was raised from 18 to 21 earlier that year.

“The fun factor was very small and the lame factor was very high,” an unnamed senior told the Thresher at the time.

Prior to college night, Baker held several college-wide meetings to discuss potential changes following the increased drinking age. Baker students and faculty decided on dividing inner and outer commons into “wet” and “dry” zones. Underage drinking still occurred in dry zones, however, which

“College night for us at Wiess was a really formal night. It was kind of like the way things are for Associates Night,” Cousins, a former Wiessman, said in an interview with the Thresher. “We would get dressed up, some people would bring wine, the Associates would be there too and then afterwards we had talent shows … that was the evening and then there were room parties after that.”

The early 2000s marked the beginning of the modern college night. In 2003, students were reported to be drinking in class, with one student making an inappropriate gesture when asked to take part in a demonstration in CHEM 121 and another student mouthing, “I am so wasted right now.”

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

Brown’s changeover traditions incorporate a little bit of everything. Their incoming members roast their predecessors, complete with slideshows. In response, the outgoing member gives a challenge to their incoming counterpart. This year’s challenges included making the internal vice president — who runs housing jack — create a house of cards, while the incoming junior treasurer had to do a times tables quiz. The punishment is relatively mild compared to other colleges: a few squirts from a water gun await any incoming officer who fails a challenge.

Sid Richardson College

Sid Rich also does roasts and gifts to celebrate changeover. Outgoing members are roasted by the incoming cohort, and then the outgoing members give their replacements gifts. Truly a lose-lose situation for them.

Caffeine Crawl

ACROSS

“____ it fun,” hit Paramore song

Little kisses Fed economist Greenspan Defrost _____-garde

“Bad Habits” singer Steve Olympics hurdler & bobsledder Jones “Hooray!”

Caesar’s last words to Brutus Group convened at Rice to review booze matters, abbr.

Sluggish walkers “C’___ la vie!”

Suffix with expert Ariana Grande song “_____ _, next” Comes in six or twenty-piece varieties “_____ & _____,” caffeine establishment found in Rice Village ___-mo, a type of replay

Console that included Super Mario World, for short

What people often call UC Berkeley _ ___ in the Pod: maternity brand

Something you (probably) don’t want to see at Fondren

What close friends should have Sitcom family in Springfield Olympics broadcaster Bob 2023 movie about Mr. Jordan

Texter’s however

A rural producer, in Latin America

Fabric fuzz

When repeated, an expression to mimic the descending sound of a trombone Pound, like a headache “Yikes!”

Fencing sword

She has, in Panama

Popular over-the-shoulder bag

Previous attorney general William 2022 live-action Star Wars show featuring Diego

Luna Online auction website

DOWN

Element-bending show, abbr.

Waffle House and Denny’s competitor

Simba’s mate in “The Lion King”

Someone might give these when saying their opinion

Proof of hours worked

Cruel

Mafia boss

Was aware

Lingerie items

It’s tapped in a pub

What you might not want your period to be

Pretends

Big Apple sch.

Columbus school known for football, abbr.

Pilot’s workplace

Cookbook amts.

Most prominent language of India

First-string squad

Sirs’ counterparts

Grass stem

Good thing to find during sex

Kagan of the Supreme Court

Some tadpoles, eventually

Supply and demand subj.

Complete

Civil rights leader _______ Scott King

Halloween month

Classic Japanese theater

Spoil

Small drink sample

With 51-Down, summer soccer competition for which Argentina is the current champion Neighbor of Mex.

Knee-ankle connector that you might need pads for

Enraged

Double negative?

2-Down’s faked name change “___ _ chance!”

Personal pronoun Spider’s creation

Rice business clubs bring in the big bucks

SHRUTI PATANKAR ASST. FEATURES EDITOR

Energized by Apple Stocks notifications and armed with Audrey’s lattes, teams of Rice students are recreating Shark Tank here on campus. The rapidly growing business major’s popularity has made way for investing clubs with hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding.

Founded in 2017, the Rice Undergraduate Investment Fund allows students to work together to invest real portions of Rice’s endowment. The fund currently has 90 members, including a three-person executive board. Members are divided into nine investment sectors and a larger portfolio review sector.

Each of these sectors specializes in a different realm, from healthcare to real estate, with students pitching an investment plan related to their industry to the executive board at the end of every semester. Abhi Gorjala, RUIF’s president, said the club has been a resounding success with highly profitable student pitches.

“In 2017, we were given a little shy of $30,000 [from Rice’s endowment]. We haven’t received any donations since, at least any significant amount, and we’ve grown it to about a little shy of $50,000 now,” Gorjala, a McMurtry College senior, said.

knowledge about finance.

“It’s just really cool to see how many kids are interested and able to participate,” Baig, a McMurtry junior, said. “All of us definitely felt that when we joined initially we weren’t experts by any means, and so people took a bet on us and gave us the opportunity to join and get our feet wet.”

The experiential learning opportunities RUIF provides differ from the conventional, community-based organizations most majors have. Caroline Mazur-Sarocka, the president of the Rice Business Society, said that both RBS and the investing clubs play different roles on a business major’s resume.

“Rice Business Society is basically the pre-eminent resource-based organization on campus,” Mazur-Sarocka, a junior at Sid Richardson College, said. “It’s more so there to help connect students to a lot of the resources that they need.”

Right now, we’re at $300,000 in funding. Our goal is $3 million.

Mazur-Sarocka is the co-director of RUIF’s training program alongside Baig. She noted that RBS’s resources and the information taught in undergraduate business courses are key tools in succeeding in both investing clubs and internships outside of Rice.

Pranai Reddy RICE VENTURE FUND CO-FOUNDER

RUIF also runs a training program for Rice students interested in learning more about investing, but who are not an official part of the fund. The fall cohort had about 100 new students — their biggest group yet, according to Sonia Baig, a co-director of the program.

Baig said that the seven-week program provides a crash course on the basics of investing, taking calculated financial risks and preparing stock pitches. She highlighted the value of being able to join without any prior experience or

“Rice’s business major gives you a big breadth of exposure to different areas of business, which is great,” Mazur-Sarocka said. “When it comes to honing in on one specific area that you’re interested in, that’s where being able to consecutively work across different sectors in an undergraduate investment fund really helps develop a niche that makes you competitive relative to other applicants and makes you more well-rounded.”

Baig echoed Mazur-Sarocka’s belief in the growing importance of hands-on business extracurriculars.

“I’ve learned probably 50 percent of everything that I know [about finance] from those clubs, and then the other 50

percent from classes,” Baig said. “There’s a really good combination to be had there, regardless of your major.”

While relatively new when compared to other on-campus extracurriculars, RUIF has set a precedent for a growing number of specialized investing clubs that are new to the scene. Rice Venture Fund, currently in its first semester, differs from RUIF in two ways: a focus on investing in new startups and innovators as opposed to established companies, and a whopping $300,000 budget, nearly 10 times RUIF’s initial budget.

While RUIF receives their funding from Rice’s endowment, RVF has amassed their pool of finances through large donations from alumni and venture capital firms.

“Right now, we’re at $300,000 in funding. Our goal is $3 million. We envision that fund to last nearly 10 years, but if we invest and the returns pay off, it can be evergreen and hopefully be endowed one day,” Pranai Reddy, one of RVF’s co-founders, said.

According to Reddy, the club’s ambitious drive and distinctive approach to investment make it a valuable addition to Rice’s business community.

“It’s not a lot of systematic work. It’s a lot more intuitive, and a lot more personal. You’re investing in a company before they have financials to show,” Reddy, a Brown

College junior, said. “It applies to so many industries beyond just hardcore finance.”

Raj Shroff, an investment associate at RVF, said the team is currently searching for new ventures to invest in.

“We haven’t deployed our first investment yet, but we’re looking at a couple right now. Our check size is about $25,000 to $100,000 per company,” Shroff, a Sid Richardson College freshman, said. “We really are interested in supporting Rice [student] founders. We want Rice founders to think of us immediately when they consider starting a venture.”

Another key player in Rice’s emerging investing scene is the Rice New Energy Fund. Established in the fall of 2021, RNEF provides an avenue for students to invest in companies leading the energy transition. Like RVF, RNEF’s funds of about $300,000 come largely from alumni interested in promoting business education.

Erica Friedman, RNEF’s chief operating officer, explained the slew of recent changes in RNEF’s administration in light of growing popularity.

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

COURTESY PRANAI REDDY

MFAH’s ‘Vertigo of Color’ explores a summer of artistic experimentation

ASST. A&E EDITOR

Four galleries of art tell the story of previously-unestablished Henri Matisse and André Derain and their shared 1905 summer spent in Collioure, a fishing town in the South of France. Titled “Vertigo of Color: Matisse, Derain, and the Origins of Fauvism,” the exhibit opened Feb. 25 at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

The galleries provide a glimpse into how Matisse and Derain reimagined the use of color in paintings at Collioure, birthing a new stylistic movement and sending shockwaves through the art world.

According to Ann Dumas, the exhibit’s curator, the artists’ rapture at the intense quality of sunlight in Collioure drove their creative experimentation throughout their nine-week tenure in the town.

“You can really see, in these works, the excitement they were getting from the force of the Southern light,” Dumas said. “Matisse was just bowled over by the sheer brightness of it.”

Both Matisse and Derain display a unique palette of pink, orange, yellow, green and blue, unrealistically vibrant in their hues. Beyond this saturation, their unnatural employment of color — such as Derain’s

red sailboats in “Fishing Boat” or Matisse’s pink seawater in “Open Window” — made their works especially striking, according to Dumas.

“Neither artist felt obliged or restrained to use color naturalistically,” Dumas said. “Color itself becomes a force in the works, irrespective of what hues they were actually seeing.”

The first gallery consists of Matisse’s and Derain’s portraits of one another, as well as a large collection of Derain’s paintings from Collioure.

The second gallery comprises primarily Matisse’s works from the summer. Despite the cohesive style of unintuitive color and untamed brush strokes the artists shared, Dumas said they each employed distinct gazes with which they viewed Collioure.

quicker sketches rather than completed compositions.

“Their approaches were very different,” Dumas said. “Derain usually stuck to his paint … [Matisse] had a different project in mind. Many of his works served as proprietary studies for his larger works back in his Paris studio.”

The third gallery of the exhibition is largely dedicated to depictions of Matisse’s wife, Amélie. Matisse’s family accompanied him to Collioure, and Amélie Matisse modeled often for both her husband and Derain, a fact exhibited clearly by their numerous portraits of her, distinguished among the abstract landscapes by her blue and white robe. The final gallery comprises some of the artists’ works after Collioure, including Derain’s “The Turning Road,” a vast painting from 1906 aptly displaying the techniques he refined in Collioure.

“It’s one of the greatest masterpieces of the Fauvist movement,” Dumas said.

Also incorporated in the exhibition is documentation of critics’ reactions to both artists’ revealing of their groundbreaking works at the Salon, one of the most prestigious art exhibitions in Western Europe. Despite the cheerful hues of their experimentations and serenity of their surroundings, Matisse and Derain were both plagued with anxieties and self-doubt during their time in Collioure.

Color itself becomes a force in the works, irrespective of what hues they were actually seeing.

Ann Dumas CURATOR AT THE MFAH

“This color has messed me up. I’ve let myself go with color for color’s sake. I’ve lost all my old qualities,” Derain wrote in a letter to fellow artist Maurice de Vlaminck.

Review: ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ is an amped up yet romantic thriller

JAY COLLURA FILM COLUMNIST

Distributed by: A24

Neo-noir is one of my favorite genres — it’s often a perfect blend of crime, action, dark comedy and snaking narratives that equally enthrall and disgust the audience.

The genre can reflect the omnipresent shadows of society, but “Love Lies Bleeding,” director Rose Glass’ sophomore feature, takes a different approach. By amplifying the grime, grit and violence that noir stories are known for, Glass has also elucidated some of the genre’s sanguine undertones, constructing a lurid thriller that simultaneously commits to surreal bleakness and powerful romance.

Derain was enamored with the port of Collioure, reflected in the numerous paintings of sailboats exhibited in the first gallery. Matisse focused more on nature, and explored different mediums such as watercolor and ink, often opting for

Correspondence of both Derain and Matisse, included in the “Vertigo of Color” catalog, revealed a tension between the artists’ enjoyment of capturing their surroundings and internal conflict over their daring methods.

Review: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ misses the punchline

joy in the antics of a giant panda that knows kung fu and loves dumplings.

says. Po forgives Zhen, who had betrayed him, showing that mistakes don’t define us forever. There’s a missed opportunity in not delving deeper into the redemption arcs of the villains that were brought back from the spirit realm. Shifu could have mended his relationship with Tai Lung, which would have added more emotional depth to the narrative.

Powerful is certainly the operative word — “Love Lies Bleeding” is a film about control and the lengths people can go to seize it. The story follows Lou (Kristen Stewart), a manager at a New Mexico gym who quickly falls for Jackie (Katy O’Brien), a new face in town looking for a place to train before she competes in a Las Vegas bodybuilding competition. As the film continues, the relationship between the two begins to unravel, as Lou’s criminal family slowly starts to creep back into her life.

Both parts of this story hinge on the chemistry between the two leads, who do a great job depicting both an intense passion and a building rage toward their inability to fully grasp the opportunities given to them.

“Kung Fu Panda 4” brings us back into the vibrant world of Po and his kung fu adventures. The movie kicks off with a playful nod to the franchise’s own commercial success as Mr. Ping unveils his new noodle shop: Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu. However, the absence of the Furious Five, beloved warriors of the franchise, disappoints both characters in the film and the audience.

While the film retains its trademark fun, some jokes crash like the Urn of Whispering Warriors. Although the comedy wasn’t up to par with its predecessors, it’s hard to not find some

Visually, “Kung Fu Panda 4” dazzles with its stunning scenery. Yet, like with some of the jokes, there was no time to appreciate the gorgeous shots. I found myself wishing for a pause at moments like the iconic cherry blossom tree and the introduction to Juniper City seen in past movies.

That said, the introduction of Zhen, the new dragon warrior, injects a fresh energy into the franchise. Zhen serves as a Robin Hood-esque character with her hood and underground gang of criminals. Additionally, her unique backstory and mannerisms set her apart. Zhen’s progress throughout the movie from thief to hero makes her step into the role of dragon warrior fitting.

Distributed by: Universal

“Kung Fu Panda 4” stays true to the franchise tradition of sharing a lesson. The wisdom imparted in this film was “it’s never too late to do the right thing,” as one of the characters

However, the decision to pass on the dragon warrior mantle from Po feels abrupt, lacking a solid motivation that aligns with the established lore. Shifu says it’s time for Po to give up being dragon warrior and to become a spiritual leader, but Oogway didn’t appoint a dragon warrior until he was on his deathbed.

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

Stewart is perfectly cast, as her trademark self-restraint slowly unravels parallel to her character’s carefully constructed plans. O’Brien is the standout, though — her physicality matches her bodybuilder persona, and she captures a certain aimlessness essential to the romance perfectly. Ed Harris can also not go unmentioned. The Hollywood legend plays Lou’s villainous father perfectly, channeling a chilling apathy into his best moments.

This core trio enables both the romance and the power struggle central to the film, which unravels in a satisfying, albeit conventional, manner. If you have seen a Coen Brothers film, you will know what to expect, but the romance central to the story adds a new dimension to the mix that keeps everything fresh. Rather than dark comedy capturing the audience, the tension builds as the audience grows fond oft the relationship between the two leads.

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

KRISTAL HANSON

THRESHER STAFF

COURTESY UNIVERSAL PICTURES

JULIANA LIGHTSEY

COURTESY MELANIE FAHEY

The MFAH’s “Vertigo of Color” exhibit features the work of Henri Matisse and André Derain.

Review: ‘eternal sunshine’ is introspective but fails to take risks

ASHLEY WANG FOR THE THRESHER

To say that Ariana Grande has had a tumultuous four years since the release of her last album, “positions,” would be an understatement.

Recently, Grande has been making headlines nonstop. She’s had a divorce from a two-year marriage, a starring role in the Hollywood adaptation of “Wicked” and a new relationship that’s been met with allegations of homewrecking. On “eternal sunshine,” Grande gathers all the messy, still-fragile emotions stirring in her mind and holds them up to the light.

The album’s “intro (end of the world)” is a false start; though sincere, it feels like a watered-down version of “imagine” from her 2019 project “thank u, next.” Where the album truly begins is on its second track, “bye,” as Grande’s theatrical roots shine through. The song’s bright piano and orchestral hits amplify its message of setting oneself free from a relationship that just isn’t working anymore.

“don’t wanna break up again” is melodically unimpressive but provides a nuanced portrayal of a relationship that’s falling apart. On this track, Grande oscillates between wanting to leave and wanting to stay, between blaming herself and recognizing that the other person failed to put in the effort she deserved.

The album’s titular track, “eternal sunshine,” marks a return to Grande’s signature style of R&B-pop inflected with the trap beats that were all over 2020’s

“positions.” The lyrics reference the 2004 film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and its focus on yearning for someone who’s caused deep heartbreak. Ironically, the song lacks memorability despite its status as the album’s thematic centerpiece, but its sound is fittingly dreamy and remorseful.

“supernatural” is Grande’s ode to a new love, enveloped in warm ’80s synths. Even though her enunciation in the chorus leaves something to be desired, the bubbly, hopeful sound of “supernatural” makes it well-suited for driving top down at night. This is also the case for “we can’t be friends (wait for your love)” in the album’s latter half, which somewhat succeeds in evoking Robyn’s “Call Your Girlfriend” and is at its most moving when performed live. In “true story,” Grande paints herself as an ironic villain, mocking the media’s portrayals of her. The production of “true story,” though, far exceeds anything interesting Grande might have to say about celebrity gossip. The beat is Timbaland-esque, simultaneously sleek and bouncy; it sounds like a seamless mashup of Aaliyah and Ginuwine.

Grande finally finds her footing in “the boy is mine.” While the classic R&B duet between Brandy and Monica it takes its name from is silky smooth and undeniably ’90s, Grande’s “the boy is mine” is bold from the outset and a likely candidate for the next song to soundtrack a million TikTok edits. The track’s hypnotizing pre-chorus builds to a sultry, percussive hook, which ends

with Grande’s most addictive use of vocal chops since 2016’s “Let me Love You.”

The first single from the album, “yes, and?,” is far too lyrically weak for a comeback song but is saved by its references to Madonna’s “Vogue.” Aside from the release of a version with Mariah Carey that many joked sounds more like a competition than a collaboration, “yes, and?” is a glossy, catchy enough addition to Grande’s work.

In its final stretch, the album has an undeniable warmth. However, it stumbles in its attempts to slow down and evoke the earnestness of earlier Grande songs, like 2020’s “pov.” “i wish i hated you” suffers from predictable

lyrics, while “imperfect for you” sweetly waltzes listeners into a gimmicky chorus. The effect of these missteps is a sense of approaching vulnerability without actually achieving it. As an album closer, “ordinary things” is unconvincing in its claims of entering an idyllic new romance.

While still an enjoyable listen, “eternal sunshine” offers tropes we’ve already heard Grande execute with greater precision on her past records, whether it’s breathy vocals in R&Bpop soundscapes or ultra-sentimental lyrics. “eternal sunshine” certainly has its highlights — but for now, it might be best for fans to revisit Grande’s older discography.

Review: RuPaul’s memoir proves he should stick to drag, queen

HUGO GERBICH-PAIS SENIOR WRITER

RuPaul is a celebrated singer, entertainer and undeniably the most famous drag queen of all time. However, with his recently released memoir “The House of Hidden Meanings,” he demonstrates that he is an author in name only. The work is painful to read, and its content is full of glaring contradictions and hypocrisy.

The memoir, released March 5, follows his life from early childhood to middle age, ending before his most successful venture starts — “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

“The House of Hidden Meanings” begins in Atlanta, as a current-day RuPaul searches and then brings back his tapes from the American Music Show, which was his first time performing for the public. Atlanta was where RuPaul spent much of his adolescence and time as a young artist — to his credit, he paints a vivid picture of the queer and Black community there during the early late ’70s and early ’80s. The same can be said for his vibrant depiction of San Diego, where he lived until he was 15.

However, he constantly tries his best to jolt readers out of this imagery. He unceasingly adds his current day perspective to these moments, using them as a launchpad to tell us about inspirational lessons he learned. At times, every other paragraph seems to end with a Pinterest-worthy quote.

RuPaul writes insightful and profound commentary that pierces gay culture’s entanglement with toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia. Just chapters later, though, he demonstrates the exact attitudes he was able to critique so well. This is just one example from the many times that RuPaul rails against the erasure of radical queerness in our culture, while being guilty of the same crime.

He discusses how he was able to become a mainstream performer, rather than an artist on the fringe. Attempting to step beyond the New York club scene, RuPaul writes about how making his drag more palatable — or, in other words, de-queering it by removing the radical aspects of his performance and costuming.

Written by: RuPaul

He seems to have forgotten one of the first rules we learn as writers — show, don’t tell. Every single memory is sandwiched between weird self-help-esque sentences that ruin it. There were also several vignettes, like a particularly egregious one that concerns picnics, that felt like they had been ripped out of a mediocre Common App essay.

He wrote that he would be most successful if he pushed the gender binaries less, and therefore decided to present himself as more womanly. I have no doubt that RuPaul made this decision out of necessity, as mainstream America was not ready for such a transgressive entertainer. However, it was frustrating because RuPaul doesn’t even spend one sentence examining the choice he made. It felt incredibly ironic, given what a good job he does in other sections of the book exploring the very same issues.

Throughout the book, RuPaul claims that from the day he was born, he was meant to be a superstar — a theme that, while meant to be inspirational, comes across as simply hypocritical. He denounces people with big egos, just after unironically telling readers he was fated to be famous, all while trying to stay relatable.

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

COURTESY HARPERCOLLINS

COURTESY REPUBLIC RECORDS

Top Track: ‘the boy is mine’

Preview: #14 WBB travels to #3 LSU for first round of WBB National Championship

KATHLEEN ORTIZ THRESHER STAFF

Rice women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Edmonds’ jaw dropped as her players, family and fans cheered and danced around her. The 14th-seeded Owls saw their name pop up on the big screen as the first-round opponent to No. 3 Louisiana State University in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

After the initial shock wore off, Edmonds took her phone out and snapped a picture of the screen. Then, her mind immediately went to scouting the reigning national champions as she hugged graduate senior Destiny Jackson and junior Malia Fisher.

“No game was going to be easy,” Edmonds said. “They’re a talented team. They have a lot of players. Obviously [LSU head coach Kim] Mulkey is a hall of fame coach, but we’re going to go in, we’re going to give it our best shot and see where the chips may fall.”

The Owls went 9-9 this season, in their first year in the American Athletic Conference. They won their conference tournament to secure a spot in March Madness for the first time since 2019. Prior to the AAC tournament, though, Rice had lost five conference games in a row.

“We could have helped ourself a little bit in the regular season and finished out some games the way we were capable of

finishing them out, but without those skids I don’t know if we play with the same fire in the tournament that we played with to get the win,” Edmonds said. “It’s kind of a tradeoff. If you win all those games, are you as hungry to get the championship? I don’t know.”

The team’s hunger for a championship began before the season ever started. Juniors Sussy Ngulefac and Emily Klaczek, a center and a guard, respectively, said a conference championship was always on their minds when they transferred to Rice this year. Ngulefac transferred from Samford and Klaczek from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Ngulefac led the Owls with 15 points in the AAC Championship game against East Carolina University. Klaczek finished with 14 points.

“I remember after the AAC win, me and coach hugged each other and said, ‘This is exactly what we wanted,’” Klaczek said.

Ngulefac, Klaczek and the rest of the team had to step up more than expected in the tournament after sophomore standout Dominique Ennis suffered a season-ending injury in the quarterfinal game against the University of North Texas.

“I think our team is deep, I think we’re prepared for this and I think we just needed someone else to step up,” Edmonds said. “No one has to be Dominique Ennis, but everyone needs

to be a better version of themself, and I thought they did that.”

No matter the circumstances, Edmonds continued to repeat how excited she was to be playing in March.

The first round of March Madness will take place at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La., on Friday.

The PMAC is about a four-hour drive from the Rice campus. Tickets are sold out on

LSU’s website, but are still available on SeatGeek.com.

“I told someone earlier, ‘As long as there’s a ball and a court and an opponent and Rice women’s basketball is still in the game, I am fired up no matter what,’” Edmonds said. “That stands true, so we have to get back to film and get that figured out. We’ll take it one day at a time.”

EDITORIAL CARTOON “Owl-American”

Kraule’s record-breaking pentathlon caps strong week

ANDERSEN PICKARD ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Rice’s track and field program was represented in both the men’s and women’s departments at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston from March 7-9.

Senior Eliza Kraule finished fifth in the women’s pentathlon with 4,353 points. She set a personal best and also broke both Rice and American Athletic Conference records. Along the way, she secured First Team All-American honors for the first time in her career.

“Following the pentathlon eventby-event was a true treat,” head coach

Jim Bevan said. “To put together a performance like this in her first national meet is a true testament to Eliza’s competitiveness and resilience while overcoming adversity. She’s had three pentathlons this indoor season and has had three consecutive personal bests. What more can you ask for?”

Kraule continued to set personal bests with a 6.36-meter long jump — which placed first in the event — and a 2:22.74 finish in the 800-meter run where she came in ninth.

The women’s team was also represented by senior Tara SimpsonSullivan, whose 20.92-meter weight throw ranked 12th among competitors.

Simpson-Sullivan exceeded expectations after she entered the field as the No. 15 seed.

The men’s team also sent a representative to the championships in senior Alexander Slinkman, who finished seventh in the pole vault and earned First Team All-American honors for the first time in his career. Slinkman missed his first two bars before clearing the 5.30-meter bar. He also cleared the 5.40-meter bar on his first attempt.

“When Slinkman missed his first two bars, that was stressful,” head coach Jon Warren said. “However, he rebounded well and cleared the very next one, too. I am very proud of him to bounce back from conference and earn First Team All-American honors. Every year, this is one of the greatest sporting events in the world.”

While much of the Rice community embarked on spring break getaways, the track and field teams continued to compete. At the University of Texas at San Antonio Invitational on March 15 and 16, Rice was represented by several competitors on the podium.

For the men’s team, senior Sam Welsh led the way as the lone firstplace finisher with a 57.46-meter discus throw, which was more than seven meters farther than second place.

Junior Cal Abdulky and senior Shaun Kerry finished second and third, respectively, in the hammer throw. Junior Jorge Hinojosa placed second in the shot put and third in the discus throw. Freshman Christian Edgar finished the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.41 seconds, which was just 0.06 seconds out of first place.

Rice also placed on the podium in the 4x400-meter relay; their 3:18.26

time ranked second behind a group from Our Lady of the Lake University. The women’s team wasn’t represented on a field podium until Saturday when freshman Josie Taylor finished third with a 1.7-meter result in the high jump. Senior Morgan Fey also finished third with a 46.67-meter discus throw.

On the track side, Rice women led the way with a first-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay, edging out their only opponent, a team from Our Lady of the Lake University, by nearly four seconds. Rice also placed on the podium with a time of 3:48.70 in the 4x400-meter relay, finishing third.

The Owls were represented in individual track competitions, too, as senior Kennedy Gamble placed second in the 100-meter dash (11.48 seconds).

Two other events filled the men’s schedule over spring break, including the Kirk Baptiste Spring Break Invitational at the University of Houston on March 14. Sophomore Matt Kumar landed on the podium after his 5.05-meter pole vault while Edgar finished third in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.20 seconds.

The men’s final competition of the week came at the Texas Southern University Relays on March 15 and 16. Rice occupied all three spots on the podium for the men’s mile with sophomore Andrew Murray finishing first (4:05.45), followed by junior Elliot Metcalf (4:10.07) and sophomore Gus Gannon (4:16.37).

The Owls’ season is still young, but a home meet is fast approaching. Rice will host the 41st Annual Victor Lopez Classic this week, with collegiate events scheduled for March 22 and 23.

“We’re going dancing”

HONG LIN TSAI / THRESHER

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

Senior Eliza Kraule, senior Tara SimpsonSullivan and senior Alexander Slinkman pose at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston. Kraule broke Rice and AAC records in the pentathlon at the meet.

Pera dismissed as men’s basketball head coach

RIYA MISRA & ANDERSEN PICKARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

Rice men’s basketball head coach Scott Pera has been dismissed, athletic director Tommy McClelland announced March 14.

The Owls ended their men’s basketball season March 13 with a loss in the American Athletic Conference tournament opener. They fell 88-81 to Wichita State University, finishing their season 11-21 overall and 5-13 in the AAC.

They concluded their first year in the AAC with a second-to-last placement and a tie for the worst record in the conference.

“Over the course of this season, it became apparent to me that a change in the leadership of our men’s basketball team was needed for it to become a championship-caliber program,” McClelland wrote in the press release.

“President DesRoches and the Board of Trustees have shown a great desire for this program to take its place among the best in the AAC and agreed with my

assessment that a coaching change was the appropriate step towards reaching that goal.”

Pera declined an interview. “I am extremely grateful for my time [at Rice],” he wrote in a text message to the Thresher. “I loved the kids I coached and the relationships I made. I will miss it.”

Pera arrived at Rice a decade ago, serving as assistant coach for three years before his promotion to head coach in 2017. Before joining Rice, Pera was the assistant coach at the University of Pennsylvania and Arizona State University. Pera had previously spent 14 years in high school basketball, coaching the likes of James Harden.

During his time leading the Owls, Pera helped land top players like Drew Peterson, a three-star recruit. Then, in October 2022, Pera convinced four-star Keanu Dawes to pick Rice over offers from Power 5 schools such as Oklahoma State University, Texas A&M University, Brigham Young University, the University of Utah and the University of Texas.

“He’s a relentless recruiter. He works really hard in every aspect of his craft as a head coach, but in recruiting he’s great at developing relationships with the kids and their parents,” Chris Kreider, who worked under Pera at Rice from 2017 to 2019, said in an interview with the Thresher. Kreider is currently the assistant men’s basketball coach at Southern Methodist University.

“Pera has the unique combination of

work ethic [and] relationship building,” Kreider continued. “He’s been around some of the best players to ever play, James Harden and all those guys, so he knows what it looks like.”

Under Pera’s tenure, the Owls had two consecutive postseason appearances in the College Basketball Invitational tournament in 2022 and 2023. Launched in 2008, the CBI tournament hosts 16 Division 1 teams that did not make March Madness. Rice lost in the first round in 2022 and in the quarterfinal in 2023. The Owls have appeared in four March Madness tournaments in program history but none since 1970.

Pera, who went 96-127 (0.430) at Rice, leaves South Main after his secondworst season as the men’s basketball head coach. He amassed the third-most wins of any head coach in Rice history, and his 0.430 winning percentage is the seventh of the 11 Rice coaches with over 100 games. None of the program’s head coaches have maintained a winning record since Don Suman, who went 132105 during his tenure from 1949 to 1959.

“Some people might look at it as a tough job and want to be somewhere else, [but Pera] embraced everything about Rice,” Kreider said. “He believed in the whole experience, the Rice experience, and it came across in how he recruited.”

Assistant coach Van Green will serve as the interim head coach while Rice launches a national search to find Pera’s successor, McClelland said.

Men’s Basketball eliminated from AAC tournament in first round

On the same day that Rice women’s basketball won the American Athletic Conference tournament in their inaugural season, the No. 13 Rice men’s basketball team lost in the opening round of the men’s AAC tournament to the No. 12 Wichita State University Shockers, 88-81.

Their loss encapsulated what was a disappointing season for the Owls, who went 11-21 overall and were tied for last in their debut season as members of the AAC.

Following the loss, Rice Athletic Director Tommy McClelland announced the dismissal of head coach Scott Pera after seven seasons leading the Owls. Pera, who went 96-127 (0.430) at Rice over his career, leaves South Main as the third most-winning head coach in program history. In his last season, he led the Owls to an 11-21 record, his second-worst season in his Rice career.

The Owls stormed out to an early 15-4 lead behind a pair of threes from fifth-year senior Travis Evee. Rice extended the lead to as much as 13 at the 14-minute mark, but the Shockers went on a huge run, closing the gap and taking the lead with seven minutes left in the half. By the time the halftime horn sounded, the Shockers were up 13, 52-39.

“What a seesaw,” Pera said. “We jumped on them early, we were really clicking on both sides of the ball. Then they got settled and made some shots and then closed the half like how we started.

“Thirteen is such a big number to come back from because you spend so much energy doing that, and then every play becomes under a microscope down the stretch,” Pera added. “[Colby] Rogers hit some shots, credit to him and credit to Wichita.”

The Owls spent the first half of the second period chopping down the lead until a threepointer from senior Alem Huseinovic gave the Owls the lead back with 11:07 left on the clock, 61-60. The remainder of the second half was tightly contested, with the lead staying within two scores until under two minutes left in the game when a pair of threepointers by the Shockers sealed the coffin.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” Evee

said. “They’re great players over there, starting with Rogers. He made a lot of tough shots. I thought the defense was solid. We gave [Rogers] a couple of looks that we would want to have back, but they made some tough shots. I think we really stayed together, and focused our energy to climb back in it and weather that storm.”

The Owls performed above average offensively, shooting 52.7% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. However, on defense, they were unable to stop the Shockers, who set an AAC Championship record shooting 72.4% from the field in the first half.

The Owls were led by Evee with 24 points, sophomore guard Mekhi Mason with 22 of his own and Huseinovic with 15. Fifth-year senior Max Fiedler left it all out on the court in the final game of his career, contributing eight points, eight rebounds and a careerhigh 12 assists.

“Our leaders stepped up and everyone was focused,” Evee said. “They had built a lead to start the second half that we had to climb back from. Under six minutes, it was a one-point game so we were right where we wanted to be. We gave ourselves a chance to win this game.”

The early exit from the 2024 conference tournament marks the end of an era for the men’s basketball program. Additionally, the end of the season means that both fifth-year seniors, Evee and Fiedler, played their final collegiate basketball games.

“It’s been a great five years,” Fiedler said. “I’m super, super thankful for Rice University, Rice basketball and to a lot of really, really great people. I’m just super thankful to be a part of it.”

“This one is probably going to sting for a while. It’s not the way that we want it to go out, but I think in about a week or two, whenever this wears off, I’ll really be able to look back and really be thankful for everything that this university has given me,” Evee said. “I’m going to miss playing with these guys. I’m going to miss putting on the jersey and going to miss being in the locker room with these guys. Looking back on this in a couple of weeks, I’m going to be thankful for sure.”

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS

The Owls fell 88-81 to Wichita State University in the first round of the AAC Men’s Basketball Tournament. Head coach Scott Pera was fired following the game, ending his seven year tenure at the helm of the program.

CADAN HANSON SENIOR WRITER

MARIA LYSAKER / RICE ATHLETICS

Scott Pera watches his team during a November 2023 men’s basketball game against Clayton State University. Pera was dismissed as Rice’s head coach March 14.

PUB FINAL FLOOR PLAN UPDATES FOR READMISSION OF STUDENTS UNDER 21

Welcome back, kids! After full consultation of Pub Management, the Alcohol Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) is excited to announce that Pub will soon be reopened to Rice students under 21. Although we put faith in students to practice responsible drinking habits and uphold the Culture of Care, today we are releasing an updated Pub floor plan with several precautionary safety improvements.

• New kids menu (students must show ID to prove they are under 21)

• Kid Cuisine packaged meals

• Apple juice

• Chocolate pea milk

• Soft padding on sharp bar corners and edges

• Outlets protected with outlet covers

BAR

• Pre-made song request buttons (incl. Chicken Dance, Ring Around the Rosie, What Does the Fox Say)

• Ageappropriate entertainment, incl. seesaws, sandpit, iPad station

TABLE STAGE

KIDDIE KORNER [NEW!] DOORS DARTS

updated with APACapproved velcro-tipped darts

BOOTHS DOOR COUCHES

• Attendant at door to teach students how to pull trig

• Puppy training pads for incontinent student accessibility

• Sinks equipped with stepstools

BATHROOMS

21+ only

• $3 cover for students over 21, $18 cover for students under 21

• Students under 21 must be accompanied by chaperone over 21 (Chaperones Of Under-Graduates At Rice program to accept upperclassman volunteers)

• Wristbands of students under 21 linked together with safety walking rope

2/3 of the Backpage are now too old, too out of touch, and too geriatric to connect with the Rice community. For the overall wellbeing of campus, do your part and APPLY TO BE THE NEXT BACKPAGE WRITER!

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

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