The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, April 3, 2024

ADMIN ORDERS SA TO TABLE BDS RESOLUTION

SJP hosts ‘people’s town hall’ in protest // From South Africa to South Main, a history of SA and admin clash // What to know about the BDS movement

FULL COVERAGE ON PAGES 2-3

beer bike

GUILLIAN PAGUILA / THRESHER

After discrimination complaint, Rice orders SA to table resolution divesting from Israel-aligned companies

companies on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement’s list.

Bridget Gorman and SA advisor HeatherReneé Gooch.

“Based on those discussions, I decided that his authority precedes the Senate’s independence as the student governing body,” Kim said.

“What I’m concerned about is, is this setting a precedent?” Kim added. “It’s on Dr. Baker’s timeline now.”

Kim sent a notice through the SA’s public listserv March 30 announcing the tabling of the resolution. He told the Thresher he does not know the timeline nor any procedural details of Baker’s investigation.

Baker, Gorman, Gooch and Rice general counsel Omar Syed did not respond to interview requests.

in antisemitic speech and acts on university campuses.” The governor specifically called for universities to ensure that organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine “are disciplined for violating these policies.”

Rice must comply with federal civil rights laws, including Title IV of the Civil Rights Act, which “prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance.” Compliance with these laws ensures that large swaths of Rice’s funding — including “campus wide federal student financial aid, federal grants and other financial resources” — aren’t jeopardized, a university spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Thresher.

The Student Association is indefinitely tabling a resolution to boycott and divest SA funds from Israel-aligned companies after a student filed a discrimination complaint with the Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity, Student Association President Jae Kim told the Thresher.

Richard Baker, the director of the AEEO, notified Kim and the resolution’s authors of the complaint March 27. The complainant had requested that the Senate withhold voting on the resolution, which Baker granted while the complaint is being investigated, Kim said.

The Thresher obtained Baker’s order from a person familiar with the complaint. Baker did not respond to a request to confirm the validity of the text.

“Until further notice, you are directed not to vote on [S.RES 02] or any equivalents to [S.RES 02]. Also, until further notice, you are directed to take all necessary steps to ensure the Student Association does not vote upon it or any equivalents,” Baker wrote. “As a reminder, Rice’s Code of Student Conduct requires students to comply with directions from Rice officials, and makes it a violation not to do so.”

It was not immediately clear what procedural steps the Senate used to table the resolution.

Originally timed for a vote on Monday, April 1, the resolution would have prohibited SA-managed funds — some $400,000 of student activity fees — from going to

BDS describes itself as a non-violent movement that works to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.” However, some Jewish groups call the movement antisemitic and say it is aimed at “delegitimizing” Israel.

A university spokesperson told the Thresher that the equal opportunity office instructed the SA to table the resolution. They declined to provide additional information at that time.

“The student association has tabled the resolution citing instructions from the Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity,” the spokesperson wrote.

The resolution’s authors claimed the administration’s response was an “overstep of power,” saying they were “surprised and disappointed” by the resolution’s tabling.

“Given other axes of pressure to dismiss the resolution, in the form of administrative concerns as well as targeted harassment and threats, we believe this is a direct violation of our freedom of expression,” they wrote in a statement to the Thresher.

“We view this as an overstep of power by the administration on Student Association proceedings.”

The resolution’s sponsors spoke on the condition of anonymity due to safety concerns.

Kim said there is little precedent for Rice’s administration to “dictate” SA processes. After receiving Baker’s order, he consulted with Dean of Undergraduates

An ‘uncertain’ legal terrain

Two senators introduced S.RES 02, “Student Association Boycott and Divestment from Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza,” at the Monday, March 25 Senate meeting.

S.RES 02 faced its first legal questions as soon as it was introduced. At the March 25 Senate, one student claimed that the resolution could open Rice up to litigation.

“Nearly every other university that has passed a resolution like this is currently under investigation by the Department of Education for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act,” Duncan College junior Simon Yellen said at Senate.

The next day, Syed told the Thresher that the resolution would face legal uncertainties as it progressed.

“If this resolution moves forward, the legal terrain will become very uncertain, especially because there are alternative approaches that can be used to express the humanitarian sentiments in this resolution while upholding the Rice community’s commitment to education, conversation, dialogue, nondiscrimination and inclusiveness,” Syed wrote in a statement.

Under Texas law, state agencies cannot enter contracts with entities that boycott Israel.

On March 27, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed an executive order requiring higher education institutions to update free speech policies to “address the sharp rise

Earlier this week, the sponsors of the resolution told the Thresher that “any legal issues raised” were “likely fearmongering tactics to discredit the resolution.”

“In our initial discussions with legal representatives, passing this resolution would not impact any federal or state contracts, funding or other services and any mischaracterization is a clear attempt by an opposition to place fear into our representatives in regards to voting,” they wrote.

The resolution

S.RES 02 would have created an “Ethical Spending Advisory Board” to monitor compliance with the BDS list. The ESAB would track the spending of all SA-disbursed funds to look for violations of the BDS targets. The board would be subsidiary to the Blanket Tax Committee and would consist of five voting members: three senate members, the SA’s external vice president and one member of the Blanket Tax Committee.

The SA manages about $400,000 in funds from Rice’s student activity fee, known as the Blanket Tax. Some large student groups — such as Rice Program Council and the student media organizations — get annual budgets from the Blanket Tax, and other student organizations can request one-time allocations through the Initiative Fund.

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

Rice SJP hosts ‘people’s town hall’ after admin orders tabling of BDS resolution

Rice Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a “people’s town hall” in response to Rice’s order for the Student Association to table a resolution divesting student activity fee funds from companies on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions list.

The town hall took place following the April 1 Senate meeting in Fondren Library’s Kyle Morrow Room — exactly where the Student Association Senate meets.

“Arrive for Senate at 9 p.m. when we were supposed to hold a vote,” Rice SJP announced in an Instagram post a few days prior to the town hall, “and stay after as we build solidarity and share experiences of targeted harassment or suppression.”

After an hour-long Senate session last week, when S.RES 02 — titled “Student Association Boycott and Divestment from Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza” — was introduced, the April 1 Senate had no agenda, did not reach a quorum and quickly adjourned.

S.RES 02 called for the Student

Association to prohibit student activity fee money, officially known as Blanket Tax funds, from being spent at target companies of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement such as Intel, Chevron and McDonald’s. BDS says these companies profit “from the genocide of the Palestinian people,” while some Jewish groups say BDS is “one tactic in the long history of campaigns and efforts to delegitimize and isolate the State of Israel.”

Richard Baker, the director of Rice’s Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity, instructed the SA to table the resolution on March 27, after an unnamed student filed a complaint against the resolution’s authors and the SA president under Rice’s anti-discrimination policy.

The Thresher obtained Baker’s order, which said that the accused students could face disciplinary action under the Code of Student Conduct if they did not “take all necessary steps” to stop a vote on S.RES 02.

“For privacy reasons, Rice does not publicly comment on specific investigations, especially regarding

students,” a university spokesperson said in a statement to the Thresher.

About 30 students attended Rice SJP’s town hall, with discussion spanning the resolution itself, other instances of judicial investigations and fears some students have about participating in Rice SJP events.

“When we heard that this resolution was being tabled, we kind of just felt that it was important to speak to our base and hear the concerns of the people … [and] talk about how we kind of view this as a suppressive tactic,” Matti Haacke, an organizer with Rice SJP, said in an interview after the town hall.

The event began with Haacke and another Rice SJP organizer accusing Rice of a “huge overstep of power” and a “direct violation of free speech” by ordering the SA to table S.RES 02.

The university spokesperson told the Thresher that Rice is not legally bound by the First Amendment but has a “deep respect” for open expression.

“Rice has deep respect for the thoughtful, open and provocative exchange of ideas,

opinions, scholarship and arguments that lie at the heart of student and faculty life. Private universities, like other private nonprofits and businesses, are not parts of the government. For that reason, they are not legally required to honor the First Amendment,” the university spokesperson wrote.

“Rice realizes that personal expression and academic freedom are important and conducive to the conversation and learning that occurs on a university campus. Rice strives to honor those expressive principles even as it complies with federal civil rights laws that require it to maintain an environment free from unlawful discrimination,” they continued.

Attendees asked questions about the timeline of Baker’s investigation, which remains unclear. What is apparent, one of the resolution’s sponsors said, is that S.RES 02 will almost certainly not receive a vote before the end of the semester.

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

PRAYAG GORDY & RIYA MISRA SENIOR EDITOR & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

PRAYAG GORDY / THRESHER

From South Africa to the Willy statue, admin and SA conflict

SARAH KNOWLTON NEWS EDITOR

When the Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity instructed the Student Association to table a resolution adopting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement for Blanket Tax funds, the authors of the resolution called it “a direct violation of [their] freedom of expression” and an “overstep of [administration’s] power.” SA President Jae Kim called the action unprecedented.

This isn’t the first time that administrators and the SA have come into conflict. International issues like the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa caused turmoil as student and university opinions diverged. Closer to home, the construction of the Ion in Houston’s historically Black Third Ward and the Down With Willy movement were also intensely debated. Faculty members themselves — and their sometimes controversial opinions — have sparked several resolutions.

In the face of the administrationordered pause on S.RES 02, “Student Association Boycott and Divestment from Corporations Complicit in the Ongoing Genocide in Gaza,” similar administrative decisions throughout Rice’s history may point to the future of the resolution.

Vietnam: “We had no intention of leaving”

In the midst of the Vietnam War, CIA recruiters visited campus to meet with Rice graduate students. On Nov. 10, 1969, approximately 40 students gathered in the RMC to stage a sit-in and deter students from meeting with recruiters.

“We had no intention of leaving until we were certain that the CIA had left the campus,” protester Bill Katzenberg said.

“You people are disrupting the normal operations of this university,” then-dean of students Fred Wierum told the students, asking them twice to end their protest.

After about an hour, Wierum informed students that the recruiters had left campus for the day. When students did not end their sit-in immediately, they were threatened with disciplinary probation. Three students were escorted to Wierum’s office after being identified as “demonstration leaders.”

Following the incident, Wierum wrote a letter to Thresher reporter Karolyn Kendrick requesting she meet with him regarding her participation in the protest. Wierum alleged that Kendrick attempted to hide the identity of one of her fellow protesters and blocked Wierum from proceeding down the hallway where the recruiters were located. Kendrick published Wierum’s letter in the Thresher, along with her response. She was placed under disciplinary probation later that month.

“It is terribly sad to see a man stripped naked against his will, but it is even sadder to see a man clothed only in a title,” Kendrick wrote at the time.

In 1970, Kendrick attempted to run for editor-in-chief of the Thresher. Still under probation, her candidacy was disqualified by the SA. The SA voted to approve Kendrick

as a candidate given that she continued to appeal her probation. Wierum said in a speech to the SA on March 10, 1970 that regardless of her appeal status, he held the opinion that Kendrick was ineligible. He also indicated that if one of her appeals was upheld, he would re-appeal that decision.

In May of that year, Kendrick was suspended. John Mauldin was elected as editor-in-chief instead.

South Africa: “Acts against humanity”

In the 1980s, a number of universities, including Barnard College and the University of Arizona, chose to divest from companies operating in South Africa during apartheid. On Oct. 4, 1985, the Thresher reported that the Rice Board of Governors opted not to divest.

“While the Board abhors a continuance of the policy of apartheid, it does not believe that disinvestment in companies doing business in South Africa will benefit the cause of those suffering from the apartheid policy,” the Board wrote in a statement.

Though the Board would not completely divest, chairman of the Board and Duncan College namesake Charles Duncan said that the Board would not invest in companies that did not abide by the Sullivan principles, a set of corporate guidelines intended to promote racial equality and pressure South Africa into ending apartheid.

On Oct. 21 of that year, the SA proposed a resolution to call on the university to reconsider their decision regarding divestment, but the resolution failed. Instead, a resolution agreeing with the Board of Governors’ decision narrowly passed on Dec. 2, 1985 after then-president George Rupp spoke in favor.

Rupp explained that rather than divesting from all corporations doing business in South Africa, Rice would only invest in those that opposed apartheid.

“I for one favor stringent governmental sanctions against South Africa, and I think that such political and economic pressure from the United States and other governments can and will have an effect,” Rupp said. “But this effect may be enhanced if economic forces within South Africa are also persistently pushing for change in the policies and practices of apartheid.”

Homophobia: “He probably would think hard about it”

Rice’s former head football coach Ken Hatfield was quoted in the Chronicle of Higher Education speaking about gay athletes on Nov. 1, 2002. Hatfield said that homosexuality went against his religious beliefs as a Christian, and that if one of his players came out to him, he would be concerned about the impact that that player might have on the team.

“[Hatfield] says that while he would not necessarily kick a player off the team for being gay, he probably would think hard about it,” the article read.

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

What to know about the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement

SPRING CHENJP MANAGING EDITOR

Debate during Student Association meetings and a town hall hosted by Rice Students for Justice in Palestine followed Rice’s tabling of a proposed SA resolution to withdraw SA-disbursed funds from Israel-aligned companies. The resolution, S.RES 02, was developed in accordance with guidelines created by the international Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement.

What is BDS?

The BDS movement says it institutes “non-violent pressure on Israel” through targeted boycotts and divestment from Israel and companies perceived to support it, until Israel “end[s] its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantl[es] the Wall” around Gaza, recognizes equal rights for ArabPalestinian citizens of Israel and advocates for the right of return for Palestinian refugees.

The BDS movement said it is inspired by the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.

Associate professor of history and Arab-American Educational Foundation Chair in Arab Studies Abdel Razzaq Takriti said BDS was created in response to the perception that states engaged in human rights violations are unlikely to change their policies without international pressure.

“[Boycotting] is one of the only nonviolent means [of protest] available while resisting colonialism,” Takriti said. “BDS … raises the social cost and the political cost of an occupation or a colonial project.

“There are other forms of protests available, of course, but this one is very tangible,” Takriti continued.

Takriti said the BDS movement is notable as a call to action from the “oppressed population calling for that boycott.”

“The BDS call of 2005 was issued by Palestinian civil society organizations,” Takriti said. “The workers unions, the feminist unions, different human rights groups, and they’re, of course, all under military occupation.”

The BDS movement says it opposes all forms of racism, including antisemitism.

“BDS campaigns target the Israeli state because of its responsibility for serious violations of international law and the companies and institutions that participate in and are complicit in these Israeli violations,” the BDS website reads. “The BDS movement does not boycott or campaign against any individual or group simply because they are Israeli … Israel is a state, not a person. Everyone has the right to criticize the unjust actions of a state.”

Economic impact of BDS

According to Takriti, “the impact of [a] boycott is something that is unclear.”

The BDS movement claims it has impacted the European Union’s 2013 declaration of “Israeli entities and their activities” operating outside of preJune 1967 borders to be ineligible for “grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU.” It also claims to have played a role in the 2021 divestiture of Norway’s largest pension fund from 16 companies with “activities linked to the Israeli settlements” in the West Bank and General Mills’ 2022 exit from its Israeli joint venture.

Though the European Union and Norwegian pension fund explicitly cite Israeli settlements in the West Bank as reason for divesting, General Mills does not, instead citing resource prioritization and product portfolio management.

Takriti said boycotts against South Africa were helpful “in the process of democratizing the country” and said there are “similar dynamics” in the case of Gaza.

“Had the apartheid regime [in South Africa] still been welcomed by all the major Western powers and had it been treated as a state that should be supported, then [it] would have been very difficult to end apartheid in that country,” Takriti said.

There are other forms of protests available, of course, but this one is very tangible.

Historical campus divestiture from South Africa can serve as an example for activists seeking to implement BDS in the present day, Takriti said. Numerous American universities divested from companies operating in South Africa during the 1980s.

Abdel Razzaq Takriti ARAB-AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION CHAIR IN ARAB STUDIES

The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizen’s Rights, Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions and General Union of Palestinian Women are among the listed signatories on the BDS movement’s July 2005 call.

“Many people say, ‘Why are you just boycotting Israel, not boycotting everything that happens anywhere in the world?’” Takriti said. “The answer is there’s a specific call coming from that place, from the people who are affected by Israeli policy, saying, ‘Please, support us by stopping your support for the state.’”

Criticism of BDS

Some Jewish groups say the movement’s aim of “eradication of the world’s only Jewish state” is antisemitic.

“The rhetoric about human rights, they cover the wish to annihilate the State of Israel,” Gilead Sher, Baker Institute fellow and former chief of staff to former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, said. “This is the true objective of BDS.”

“It’s difficult for me not to see [BDS] as just outright antisemitism,” professor of religion David Cook said. “The moralistic perspective and singling out [of] Israel that the BDS movement has, in my opinion, is entirely unjustified, and it lacks all historical and even contemporary context.”

“[BDS] is not impossible to implement,” Takriti said. “It’s been done before, in relation to South Africa [on] many different campuses.”

Cook said he felt “there is some level of exaggeration as to how effective” boycotts were in ending the South African regime. Additionally, he pointed out parallels to regimes accused of committing human rights violations, such as Russia and Iran, saying contemporary sanctions against them have not been effective.

“It’s true that a certain section of the business class has been hurt in Russia,” Cook said. “But the war effort of Russia has not collapsed at all, even though sanctions have been pretty intense against the country for the last two years … and [the] same way we can say, with Iran, too. Iran has been under sanctions for the last 25-some years. Where is the collapse?”

Legislative and institutional response

Texas is one of over 30 states with anti-BDS laws. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote “Texas law prohibits state agencies and political subdivisions from contracting with businesses that … boycott Israel,” in a legal advisory issued October 2023.

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

COURTESY THRESHER ARCHIVES

Jones College senior Chad Chasteen comments at an SA special meeting convened to discuss Hatfield’s statements Nov. 8, 2002.

Newly admitted students met with expansion, support

BRANDON CHEN & SARAH KNOWLTON SENIOR NEWS EDITOR & NEWS EDITOR

Jazmin Mendoza, one of the 7.5% of applicants admitted to the Rice class of 2028, fell in love with campus at first sight.

“Since I live in California, I wasn’t really able to go visit a bunch of other colleges out of state. I only visited one college out of state, and that one college was Rice,” Mendoza, a high school senior from Santa Rosa, Calif., said. “I flew to Houston and went to go visit Rice, and I literally fell in love … I’m the first generation in my family to go to college, so it was huge to find out [that I got in].”

Rice admitted 2,439 students from 32,459 applicants March 26, according to Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva. With a 7.5% admit rate, this is the third consecutive year of record-low acceptance rates. The Thresher previously reported 7.7% and 8.56% acceptance rates for the classes of 2027 and 2026 respectively.

This admissions cycle saw 4.5% more applicants than last year’s 31,049.

4,800 by Fall 2024 and begins construction of two new residential colleges, which would raise undergraduate on-campus capacity to over 3,500.

Rice has remained test-optional for the class of 2028. 22% of this year’s admitted students did not submit test scores, compared to last year’s 21%. While some universities, such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgetown University and Dartmouth College have reinstated test policies, Rice will maintain its testoptional policy for the 2025 application cycle.

After the typical interview process, [the interviewer] took the time to ask me questions about myself, and we even talked about our favorite Taylor Swift songs. I really appreciated the welcoming sense I got before and during my application process, and the support I was provided before I was even accepted.

Bailee Byrd ACCEPTED STUDENT

Despite shrinking acceptance rates, Rice continues to expand its undergraduate enrollment to a projected

“This was another spectacular class for Rice, and the newest admits represent the most selective class in Rice’s history once again,” Romero da Silva wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Aaron Thomas, an admitted student from Houston, said that this selectivity was part of Rice’s appeal for him.

“I applied to Rice because it allowed me to be academically competitive at a topranked school while being able to stay home with my family,” Thomas wrote to the Thresher. “I think the

Pub goes cashless after two burglaries

JAMES CANCELARICH ASST. NEWS EDITOR

The Pub at Rice announced that it will be going cashless via Instagram on April 1 following two incidents of burglary. The first burglary occurred between March 19 and 20 and the second on March 30, according to Rice University Police Department crime logs.

Roughly $600 was stolen from Pub during the first burglary, according to general manager Maya Gerke.

The burglary was reported to RUPD March 21.

Gerke, a Jones College junior, said an employee discovered the first burglary during an opening shift after finding Pub’s two cash boxes empty. As of March 28, Gerke said she is still waiting for developments from the first investigation.

Rodriguez wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Gerke said the Pub employees closing the night prior to the first burglary followed proper procedures.

“We’ve been closing everything correctly, things are locked. The person who came in got past several locked doors. We don’t know how it happened,” she said.

We’ve been closing everything correctly, things are locked ... We don’t know how it happened.

Maya

Gerke said the burglary exacerbated Pub’s current financial stress, caused in part by 21 and older age restrictions and consequent falling attendance.

Gerke PUB GENERAL MANAGER

She said that she hopes that reopening to attendees 18 and older on April 11 will increase profitability and help Pub recover financially from the burglary.

however I trusted that I [would] end up wherever God wanted me to go.”

While admitted student Amy Wang said she appreciated the school’s academic rigor, she cited community as a key factor in her decision to apply to Rice.

“Honestly, what intrigued me [about] Rice from the start was its unique way of creating a community,” Wang, a high school senior from McKinney, Texas, wrote to the Thresher. “From the residential college system [to] the stories I’ve heard of students always uplifting and supporting each other, I knew that Rice would be a place where I’d thrive not only academically and careerwise, but also in my personal and social

pursuits.”

Houstonian Bailee Byrd echoed a similar sentiment, expressing interest in Rice’s campus culture.

“With Rice, I was really intrigued because of the residential college program and the flexibility of the curriculum process that I wasn’t really seeing with other schools,” Byrd wrote to the Thresher. “After the typical interview process, [the interviewer] took the time to ask me questions about myself, and we even talked about our favorite Taylor Swift songs. I really appreciated the welcoming sense I got before and during my application process, and the support I was provided before I was even accepted.”

Honor Council passes new amendment allowing confidential accusations

student wants to see the other student just get screwed over?’ So that’s why one of the procedural factors was that we don’t tell the person who accused the student any updates,” Thom, a Duncan College sophomore, said.

Honor Council judicial chair Pedro Ribeiro distinguished between confidential and anonymous accusations, clarifying that this new amendment would only allow the former.

“It’s not anonymous because [Honor Council] knows who submitted the accusation,” Ribeiro, a McMurtry College junior, said. “It’s just not disclosed to the accused student.”

Prior to this amendment, the accuser’s identity was divulged at the hearing — now, their identity is protected throughout the investigation.

Ribeiro said that this amendment comes after an increased demand for confidential accusations this year.

Gerke did not respond in time for publication to a request to comment on the second burglary or on the decision to go cashless.

RUPD Chief of Police Clemente Rodriguez said he is unable to provide any information on the first burglary at the time of publication as the investigation is ongoing.

“We use all resources at our disposal to investigate and hold perpetrators accountable,”

“We make money off of attendance and people buying drinks, of course, so we haven’t been as profitable this semester ... We’re definitely nervous going into big pub nights [because] we need money to buy drinks and keep stock,” Gerke said.

“I think for sure there’s no question that we are going to get more people coming in just because people can finally come back to Pub.”

Students can now confidentially accuse each other of honor code violations, according to a procedural amendment the Honor Council announced in an email to students March 27. Violations can be reported anonymously by students through a Google Form, while faculty and teaching assistants will continue reporting violations through email.

The new process implements a preliminary investigation, where the Honor Council reviews the accusation and may contact the instructor or involved parties to determine if the accusation has merit, according to the email. During a preliminary review, the Honor Council cannot reach out to the accused student — if the accusation is found baseless during this step, the accused student would never be notified and an investigation wouldn’t proceed. If an investigation moves forward, the accused student would then be notified. The accuser wouldn’t receive updates on the case.

Honor Council has included provisions to prevent abuse of the confidential form, communications chair Olivia Thom said. One remedy is the new use of a preliminary review, which scraps baseless allegations before they proceed into a formal investigation.

“Another consideration was, ‘What if the

“This year specifically, we’ve received several accusations, with some from students,” Ribeiro said. “We’ve also seen an informal increase in students asking, ‘Oh, if I accuse a student, will my identity be revealed?’ Students are generally unwilling to come forward if their identity is revealed.”

Thom added that this new amendment was passed with hopes of increasing student engagement.

“We wanted to focus on the student aspect of the honor code,” Thom said. “After all, our council is student-run. We thought that it is paramount to keep the spirit of the code that students have the ability to have trust amongst themselves. We wanted to make sure that they are included in the process and don’t feel ostracized for the process.”

Gabriel Ong, a Brown College sophomore, said he can understand how this new amendment could “make people more comfortable with upholding honor,” but he doesn’t think it will garner widespread support from the student body.

“It’s nice to know who your opps are. From the perspective of the general student body, the new resolution seems like a convenient way for snitches to get away without the requisite — and some might say deserved — social punishment they would otherwise have to face,” Ong said.

BELINDA ZHU ASST. NEWS EDITOR

ASHLEY ZHANG / THRESHER

ASHLEY ZHANG / THRESHER

Honor Council’s new confidentiality policy is misguided

At 10:02 a.m. on March 27, students across campus received an email with the subject: “Honor Council Confidential Accusations.” Students — many of us included — feared the worst upon seeing an Honor Council email in their inbox.

The email was not a notification of personal violation, but instead highlighted a key change in procedure: Students may now anonymously accuse their peers of violating the Honor Code. The accuser’s identity is never revealed to the accused; under old policy, the accuser’s identity would be divulged at a hearing. Consequences of this change also include a longer inquiry period where the Honor Council conducts a preliminary investigation about the accusation’s validity, contacting professors, graders and involved parties — everyone but the accused themself.

The Honor Council and code are supposed to foster student trust and encourage students to hold each other accountable, but the Honor Council’s

fundamental issues, both new and preexisting, actively counteract its purpose.

Lightened sanctions in exchange for pleading guilty without trial (reminiscent

In a court of law, defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Here, guilt seems to be all but an expectation.

of a plea deal structure) and the lack of rules specifying until when a violation can be reported through a statute of limitations tip the scale against the accused. Accused students are bound by complex regulations, forbidden to discuss their case with a professor that likely harbors suspicion about their innocence, unauthorized to access evidence about their case without

navigating bureaucracy and stuck waiting on a result while their semester ticks by.

In a court of law, defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Here, guilt seems to be all but an expectation.

Without fixing the fractured relationship between the Honor Council and the student body, adding changes that allow for more anonymous, reckless and trivial accusations of academic dishonesty is irresponsible. Rice prides itself on preparing students for the real world, where people need to communicate with their peers face-to-face, even about disagreements.

That said, there are situations where confidentiality can shield students from potential harm when bringing accusations. The Honor Council should review confidentiality requests on a caseby-case basis, evaluating potential risks and student reasoning when making their decision. Confidentiality can, and should be, on the table — just not a guarantee.

Student Association’s Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions resolution is antisemitic

The March 26, 2024 Thresher article “Senate debates resolution to boycott, divest SA funds from Israel-aligned companies” does not accurately or completely characterize my opposition to S.RES 02 as I expressed during the March 25 Student Association meeting. S.RES 02 empowers an “ethical spending advisory board” to prevent student organizations from spending Blanket Tax funding on corporations deemed to be “complicit in the violation of the human rights guaranteed to Palestinian civilians.”

Because Rice University’s Jewish student cultural organizations are inextricably connected to the State of Israel through programming and professional staff, there is no protection that Blanket Tax funding would be withheld from these student organizations, should the resolution pass.

When I asked what guarantees the resolution includes to ensure that Jewish student organizations are not denied Blanket Tax funding, the reply was an explanation that the full Senate can overturn a decision made by the “ethical

GUEST OPINION

spending advisory board.”

This is neither an explanation nor a guarantee.

A suggested amendment to S.RES 02 would exclude Jewish student organizations from being considered “unethical” on the “ethical spending advisory board’s” list of prohibited organizations. Yet this type of amendment simply illustrates the arbitrary nature of the resolution and renders the resolution moot. An additional response from other senators meant to alleviate my concern was that the full Senate not only could, but would certainly, overturn an “ethical spending advisory board’s” decision that targeted Jewish student organizations. Further, I was told that I simply need to trust the Senate.

While in theory I support an “ethical spending advisory board,” I do not trust the SA to act impartially, especially when their intentions as expressed in the resolution are clearly to implement an antisemitic boycott, divestment, and sanctions policy on Rice’s campus.

The resolution is antisemitic because

it holds Israel to a double standard, rejects the Jewish people’s right to selfdetermination and demonizes Israel and the Jewish people (including Rice’s Jewish students) through false accusations of colonization and genocide. Applied here, BDS also implicates Rice’s Jewish students for real or perceived actions of the State of Israel.

Just this week, Governor Abbott recognized the proliferation of antisemitism on college campuses and called for greater protection of Jewish students.

Rice University’s Jewish students, and all Rice students, deserve more than this resolution’s marginalization and empty reassurances to trust the SA.

Warren Weissbluth BAKER COLLEGE JUNIOR

Keep war criminals off our campus

This February, current director of the Baker Institute, David Satterfield, invited former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to speak on Rice’s campus. Condoleezza Rice is infamous for her central role in launching the illegal U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. After an introduction by President Reginald DesRoches — where he celebrated Condoleezza Rice’s bloody legacy — Satterfield and Condoleezza Rice sat together as two never-elected bureaucrats with decades of experience directing colonial violence between them to discuss the ongoing genocide in Gaza and “the delicate balance between free speech and incitement.”

CORRECTIONS

In order to protest the event, I along with four other Rice graduate students organized a banner drop inside the lecture. Our banners read “War Criminals Off Our Campus” and “Baker Oils the War Machine.” This political action was designed as a direct message to Satterfield and to Rice University administration.

We were forcibly removed from the lecture less than one minute after revealing our banners. As we were physically removed from the event, we chanted as a protest to the silencing of our speech. We were all subsequently charged by Rice’s Student Judicial Programs with disruption of a university event.

This swift crackdown on peaceful and desperately necessary protest reflects the increasing boldness with which bureaucrats and administrators are now silencing legitimate protest.

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

Erica Augenstein HISTORY PH.D. STUDENT

In “Rice sailing club sets sails for competitions,” Leo Marek is the club treasurer and Taylor Griffeth is a club member.

In “Review: ‘TYLA’ is a refreshing, self-assured debut,” the song “Water” has reached half a billion streams.

In “BRC Express shuttle expands to off-campus population,” Rice’s sustainability program coordinator is Kristianna Bowles.

Phone:

Email:

Website:

The

CMA and CMBAM.

© Copyright 2024 ricethresher.org

LPAP instructors discuss their lifetime of learning

BRYAN MENDOZA / THRESHER

HONGTAO HU THRESHER STAFF

For Dan Gorman, an Introduction to Fencing (LPAP 172) instructor, the level of investment in students is one difference between LPAPs and private clubs.

“Most of the students have been waitlisting for the fencing class for a while and by the time they get into the class, they’re really invested in having done that class,” Gorman said.

Chienli Wu — who currently teaches

the Fundamentals of Tai Chi Sword class (LPAP 103) — says that even though he can only teach fundamentals during a single semester, dabbling in the area has profound benefits.

“Maybe after another year, another semester, you’ve already forgotten the movements in the form, maybe you don’t quite remember after a year or two. But what I want students to learn in this class is to know their bodies better,” Wu said. “You can sense every part of your body, you can control your body, even in daily life … are you 100% sure every part of your body listens to your mind?”

LPAP’s instructors come from a variety of backgrounds. Wu, now 78, began learning tai chi in Taiwan when she was 10 years old, and after immigrating to America, she taught at the Chinese Community Center for 20 years. After one of her students, a then-instructor at Rice, invited Wu’s husband to teach martial arts at Rice, Wu eventually joined the LPAP program as a tai chi teacher.

“Elizabeth [Slator, the Associate Director of Recreation Programs] always told me, ‘Start to teach!’, but I didn’t have time. A few years ago, I finally said ‘Okay, I have time to teach now,’” Wu said.

Gorman began fencing in college and moved to Texas as his wife was attending Texas A&M for grad school. He began taking lessons from a Houston instructor, who later asked him to become a coach.

“Pretty soon I was driving down to Houston two to three days a week to teach classes here … and then in 2005, I moved down to Houston and started coaching at a club here in town full time. It was just kind

of a serendipitous thing. At no point in my life until I was hired did I think, ‘I’m going to be a fencing coach for a living,’” Gorman said.

Some instructors teach more than just LPAPs and co-teach. Janet Rarick and Benjamin Kamins have co-taught The Alexander Technique (LPAP 151), a type of alternative medicine that deals with posture and alignment training, for five years alongside a potpourri of MUSI courses at the Shepherd School of Music. As for how they do both? Kamins cites the universality of movement.

“What I like about the Alexander Technique is that it’s absolutely practical,”

Whether you’re sitting [at] a computer or playing a bassoon, it doesn’t matter what it is — you go through the same processes to move. This is how we can teach an LPAP as easily as we can teach a class over at the Shepherd School.

Benjamin Kamins LPAP 151 INSTRUCTOR

Kamins said. “We all move in the thought processes involved in movement, no matter what the movement is,” Kamins said. “Whether you’re sitting [at] a computer or playing a bassoon, it doesn’t matter what it is — you go through the same processes to move. This is how we can teach an LPAP as easily as we can teach a class over at the

Please Don’t Bang On My Door At 4AM This Saturday

ACROSS

Cash dispensers, for short Christian of couture

“Letters from Iwo ____”

Precipitate

Prefix meaning “hundred”

Japanese fish cake stew

Germany-based grocery chain “Breaking Bad” actor Paul In case

Intense military offensive Slacken

Low island

Sunbather’s goal

Wishy-_____

Atmospheric pressure measurer “Rocket Man” singer John Pension law acronym Portuguese greeting Simba, for one

Shepherd School.”

For the uninitiated, the Alexander Technique may seem like a different form of your average meditation course. But Rarick and Kamins assert that’s not the case.

“The Alexander Technique has seven fundamental principles that were very much part of what we learned … these principles are done all [at] once, one after another, yet all at once,” Kamins said.

For most instructors, what students learn in LPAPs inevitably extends into their personal lives.

“[The Alexander Technique] helps [students] clarify their intention and helps them find a way to be useful in their movement and their thinking, which is universal,” Kamins said.

Wu stressed that tai chi expands beyond self-defense, focusing also on relaxation and control.

“A very important part of [tai chi] is relaxing,” Wu said. “In daily life, you are often too tense. You are too nervous. Your muscles have nervous striations. So, relaxing is something you need to practice, you need to learn to be able to relax every part of your body.”

While Gorman said he believed that his courses teach the importance of decisiveness and self-discipline, to him, fencing is simply something that everyone can enjoy.

“If you have a group of people, and you have sticks just lying around, they’ll pick them up and start sword fighting. It’s kind of a cultural route for everybody. Everybody has some kind of sword thing in their past … when you give somebody a chance to experience fencing, there’s a good chunk of the population that’ll go back to that route,” Gorman said.

They don’t care about your feelings, according to some Villain’s hideout ___-Balls (Hostess product)

Malia’s sister

Entourage Liver disease

On the fringes

Knight’s title

“___ de Replay” (Rihanna debut song), or triplet-forming call in Japanese mahjong Perched on Regular service attendee Dance party allegedly frequented by Asian American youth

Lubricate ____ facto

Corporate bigwig, briefly The Great and the Terrible Space org.

“____ No Mountain High Enough”

“The Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Leakes

DOWN

Like some keffiyeh wearers

Smaller than grande

Type of skirt

Rat out

Letter opener

Cross letters

Great Plains tribe

Carnival game

She might take Dolly

saturday, april 6

the Thresher’s spectator guide

design by robert heeter & alice sun insert paid for by the Rice Program Council

at a glance

We are proceeding with a two-heat racing format for both alumni, women’s and men’s teams. After last year’s experience with heat and insufficient shading, we will be providing shading over the bleachers for spectators. Our priority this year is to shorten the wait time before races and make all processes more efficient. Beer Bike 2024 will still be conducted in its full-blown glory with the water balloon fight, parade, and other festivities.

changes this year

• Chuggers will not be breathalyzed this year

• Adding a built-in break between the water balloon fight and parade to allow students to dry off/change

• Check-in occurs before the day of while onboarding will occur at the track to expedite the process of check-in by allowing participants to do so before the date

• Shaded spectator areas

schedule

UNTIL 9:15AM

9:15AM

10AM

10:20AM

11AM

11:30AM

12:15AM

12:45PM

1:30PM

2PM

College-specific events @ RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES

Water balloon fight @ FOUNDER’S COURT

Break

Parade begins SEE MAP ON PAGE 10

Alumni, Heat 1: LOVETT, GSA, BAKER, WIESS, MARTEL, MCMURTRY

Alumni, Heat 2: JONES,HANSZEN, WILL RICE, BROWN, DUNCAN, SID RICHARDSON

Women’s, Heat 1: LOVETT, GSA, BAKER, WIESS, MARTEL, MCMURTRY

Women’s, Heat 2: JONES,HANSZEN, WILL RICE, BROWN, DUNCAN, SID RICHARDSON

Men’s, Heat 1: LOVETT, GSA, BAKER, WIESS, MARTEL, MCMURTRY

Men’s, Heat 2: JONES,HANSZEN, WILL RICE, BROWN, DUNCAN, SID RICHARDSON

a special thanks to these organizations

• RUPD & Rice EMS

• Wellbeing & Counseling Center

• Student Judicial Programs

• Parking

• Risk Management

• Environmental Health and Safety

• Alumni & Alumni Office

• Housing & Dining

• Facilities Engineering & Planning

• Student Activities

• Academic Affairs & Strategic Partnerships

CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

• Rice Bikes

• Rice Thresher

concessions

Donuts (parade), Marco’s Pizza, Mendocino Farms, Taco Cabana, Whataburger, HEB

67th edition

beer bike :

college theme coords

Baker

Gintendo: Super Beerio Kart

Subway Slurpers: Endless Chaser

GINcent Van Gogh

Tweaxas: Remember the Alamimosa

Diary of a Tipsy Kid: Rodrink Rules

Monsters DrINC. We booze because we choose.

Beéryonce: Drunk in Lovett

Scooby Brew: Boo-ze Cruise on the Drinkstry

Buzzed Light Year

Guinness and Ferb: 104 Days of Inebriation

The Lion Keg: Hakuna Mavodka

Bar-bie

Kartikeya Singh, Piper Winn, Jay Collura, Jesus Adame, Nick

Chloe Chan, Felipe Lerner, Madeleine Katherine Arquitt, Rafe Neathery, Stickney

Nayna Nambiar, Hari Gotluru, Suhartono, Basma Bedawi, Katherine Hemish Thakkar

Jerome Cerio, Peter Stern, Skyler Mike Wang, Leo Zhang, Connor

Olivia Goganian, Camila DeAlba, Timraz, Luisa Tolda, Ashley Kase, Munroe

Liz Avakov, Pooja Sashital, Abel Shourya Munjal, Sol Saenz

David Almanzan, Isabella Barone, Cotter, Ethan Kelly, Bruce Hurley, Navarro, Debi Saha, Erica Takang

Akshay Sethi, Matthew Bitz, Mangla, Ethan Kao, Priya Armour

Audrey Pizzolato, Andrew Cormack, Robinson, Azari Gurley, Ellie Jacob Hahn, Sofia Pellegrini,

Marc De Guzman, Puneetha John, Megan Worstell, Laxmi He, Ariah Richards

Dhruv Patel, Anna Delesalle, Hugo Gerbich Pais, Spring Xia

Emil Binny, Priyan Pathirana

teams & themes

april 6, 2024

captains bike chug

Caitlin Claxton, Nick Harrison

Madeleine Lucid, Neathery, Lucy

Gotluru, Aryana Katherine Jeng,

Skyler Zinker, Connor Nguyen

DeAlba, Wed Kase, Madison

Abel Limachi,

Barone, John Hurley, Ana Sofia Takang

Sienna Tu, Kush Armour

Vivian Zheng, Virginia Baskin, Braedon McCants, Eric Breyer

Priyanka Subramanian, Nikita Tripurana, Jasmine Lee, Josh Borja, Ethan Schwartz, Nick Foglia

Amanda Hogan, Valentina Osoria, Zarek Lu, Peter Reynolds

Kelly Dahlin, Kasia Hochwald, Chase Geyer, Connor Nguyen

Catherine Russell, Delaney Miller, Mira Srinivasa, Andrew Buehler, Ben Meisburger, Walsh Klineberg

Carissa Witt, Annie Winkelman, Dan Zislis, Maximillian Knyazev-Julinski

Nicole Heyer, Ryan Wang

Anna Tetreault, Maggie Bowers, Liam Ruiz-Steblein, Giulio Valfre Zaydenman, Nahom Zerai

Isabelle Ruble, Mary Mikos, Aaron Chu

Rose Whitt, Marissa Giangiori, Jacob Straube, Paul Filerio

Madeleine Lucid, Katherine Arquitt, Felipe Lerner. Subash Jagadeesan

Vy Luu, Kian Robinson

Ava Fradlin, Ben Bridges

Gracie Chiang, Jack Turner

Sofia Lakhani, Cooper Donnalley

Alexa Scott, Pavithr Goli

pit

Kyle Zhao, Steven Szladewski

Ayaan Riaz

Emery Engling

Caitlin Reddig

Maaz Zuberi, Vishnu Susheer

Madi Brazeal Cormack, Yelena Mandelker, Howie Qian

Goli, Arwyn St. Giri, Melody

Anusha Srivastava, Emily Gianotti, Davis Jackson, Arie Ogranovich, Nathan Nguyen, Sam Wu

Katie Hart, Xia Rachel Toole, Pia Arana, Trey Fishbach

Daniela del Rio Pulido, Nicholas Lindell

Hanna Frampton, Pratyush Mohapatra

Sofia Pellegrini, Ethan Nguyen, Marco Stine

Bela Nelson, Jackson Hughes

Sharon Quinn, Khoi Nguyen

Ali Campbell, Alex Raterink

Andrew Kim

Randall Schultz

Evan Pitigoi, Ethan Nguyen

Kyle Clayton

Dhruv Patel, Alex Elliot

Lucia Rivas

parade judges

Todd Ferguson, assistant teaching professor of sociology

John Hutchinson, professor of chemistry

Nele Lefeldt, assisant teaching professor of neuroscience

extended servery hours

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

Breakfast

Continuous service

Dinner @ ALL SERVERIES @ NORTH & SEIBEL @ NORTH & SEIBEL

keck hall float judging west lot float drop-off

south stadium lot end of parade student entrance to races inner loop

track & stadium

6AM – 10AM

6AM – 4PM

5PM – 7:30PM

north colleges

founder’s court water ballon fight start of parade

south colleges

parade route

event coordinators

STAFF ADVISOR

Tahj Blackman ASST. DIRECTOR OF CAMPUS EVENTS

CAMPUS-WIDE COORDINATORS

Daniela Covarrubias HANSZEN ’25

Willa Liou BAKER ’26

AREA COORDINATORS

Katherine Cheng JUDGES & OUTREACH, MCMURTRY ’24

Wiley Liou CONCESSIONS, BAKER ’26

America Salas PARADE & WATER BALLOON, WIESS ’25

Carmine Steiner TRACK, MCMURTRY ’27

“

“

I look forward to being able to see the entire campus come together for a day of fun and community spirit! The committee spends all year planning, so it’s a bit surreal to see it all play out in real-time, we can’t wait to see everyone there!

– Tahj Blackman

I am so excited to see all the hard work that the college coordinators, staff and Beer Bike area coordinators have put into the event.

– Daniela Covarrubias

“

It resonated with me to see how many faculty, staff, alumni and community members have an interest in volunteering their time to this event.

– Katherine Cheng

Daniela Covarrubias

Willa Liou Katherine Cheng

Wiley Liou

Tahj Blackman

America Salas Carmine Steiner

Pick(nic) your way around campus

KRISTAL HANSON THRESHER STAFF

Whether looking to frolic, study, pretend to study or just indulge in some serious snacking, springtime beckons for you to picnic. So grab your backpack (because who actually owns a picnic basket?) and head outdoors to one of these charming locations.

Ralph S. O’Connor rooftop

Take your picnic game to new heights (literally) by making your way to the O’Connor building’s fifth floor balcony. On your way up, you can grab some fries or a sweet treat at Dandelion Cafe. From the balcony, you’ll be treated to sweeping views of downtown Houston that’ll have you feeling on top of the world.

Founder’s Court

Grab your friends and head to Founder’s Court for a lively hangout. Whether tossing a football or a frisbee, this expansive green field offers plenty of space to play and unwind against the iconic backdrop of the Sallyport. Be ready to be caught in the back of a tourist’s photo.

On the 180°

Rule the picnic game by throwing down your blanket on the massive granite slab in the engineering quad. This picnic throne towers over the quad, offering a prime vantage point for soaking in the sunshine and ambiance of campus life.

Hermann Park

For a change of scenery, take a leisurely stroll from campus to Hermann Park. With benches scattered throughout the park and a plethora of attractions, including tranquil gardens and museums, it’s the perfect destination for a day of exploring and relaxing. During your

trip, you can take advantage of your free entry at the Houston Zoo to share a meal with the sea lions during their daily feeding.

McNair Hall

The courtyard behind McNair Hall is the perfect place to enjoy the weather. Grab some Audrey’s coffee and settle in on a bench for a view of the Skyspace and the city. Make sure to bring your sunglasses, as this spot is sunny from morning to evening.

Brockman Hall for Physics fountain

For a serene place to study and picnic, look no further than the fountain by Brockman Hall. The nearby tables make for an easy study spot, while the calming fountain alleviates the stress of upcoming exams.

Reckling Park hill

The hill beyond Reckling Park’s left field fence is the grassy knoll of picnic dreams, with built-in grills ready to cook up your feast. The baseball entertainment makes this spot a home run for grill masters and sports fans.

Brochstein Pavilion

Got a hankering for some outdoor dining but don’t want to stray too far from food? Fear not, because Brochstein’s got you covered. Grab your grub to-go and make a beeline for the nearby Central Quad. Or, cheat a bit and just grab one of Brochstein’s outdoor tables to picnic at.

Skyspace

When golden hour approaches, the Skyspace lights up, echoing the sunset’s colors and making for a peaceful picnic experience. Pair with a charcuterie board for a sophisticated snacking experience that’s as aesthetically stunning as it is delicious.

TUESDAY APRIL 09, 2024

OURI’S SHAPIRO SHOWCASE RESEARCH COMPETITION

9:00 AM- 1:00 PM Kyle Morrow Room

HUMANITIES DAY

10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Grand Hall and Farnsworth

MEDICAL HUMANITIES PRACTICUM SHOWCASE AND EXHIBIT

2:30 PM - 6:00 PM Farnsworth Pavilion

CENTER FOR CIVIC LEADERSHIP SPRING SHOWCASE

5:00 PM- 6:30 PM Grand Hall

A P R I L 0 9 T H - 1 3 T H

WEDNESDAY APRIL 10, 2024

OURI’S SHAPIRO SHOWCASE RESEARCH COMPETITION

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Farnsworth Pavilion

FONDREN UNDERGRAD CREATIVE WRITING SHOWCASE

7:00 PM Sewall 309

THURSDAY APRIL 11, 2024

NATURAL SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Tudor Fieldhouse

SOCIAL SCIENCES UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SHOWCASE (SSURS)

12:00 PM - 5:45 PM Kraft Hall

FRIDAY APRIL 12, 2024 SATURDAY APRIL 13, 2024

OURI'S SHAPIRO SHOWCASE FINAL AND INQUIRY AWARDS

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Farnsworth Pavilion

NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER

Outdoor Show spotlights music, local artists

Houston, a Jones sophomore, said.

ktru hosted its 32nd annual music festival, the Outdoor Show on Saturday, March 30, with student cover band Sunset Blvd opening and Philly-born artist Binki headlining.

Sunset Blvd kicked off the festival with a mashup of popular songs from familiar artists. According to guitarist Harshitha Pelaprolu, the band was full of adrenaline upon finishing their set. She said having the PA system fully turned up makes the experience worth it.

“My favorite part is actually hearing everybody,” Pelaprolu, a Martel College senior, said in an interview with the Thresher.

Jules Houston, who serves as bassist, back-up vocalist, violinist and ukelele player for Sunset Blvd, said the audience set the performance apart for them. This was Houston’s second time playing at ODS, their first having been in the fall of 2022, soon after the creation of the band. Vocalist Harveen Kaur, a McMurtry College senior, and then-roommate Pelaprolu wanted to participate in ktru’s Battle of the Bands and connected with Houston and Sebastian Sy, a Jones College junior, through social media.

Sunset Blvd weren’t the only students on stage. Student DJs like Jay Han, a Jones junior who goes by “Ruff” onstage, and Maaz Zuberi, a Jones junior, mixed up hits to keep the energy going between sets. Houston-based artist HYPERFEMME also entertained crowds with her DJ prowess. Mixing femme-forward songs with a house and hyperpop aesthetic, she had attendees torn between staying on the dance floor and purchasing food from the local Greek-Mexican-KoreanAmerican fusion food truck, Foreign Policy. Students, parents and children alike were in Central Quad enjoying the evening’s festivities.

After Sunset Blvd, Houston-based indie band Blossom Aloe took the stage. The local group expanded on their group’s start in an interview before their set.

Knowing people are enjoying what we’re creating boosts my energy.

Jules Houston JONES COLLEGE SOPHOMORE

“Knowing people are enjoying what we’re creating boosts my energy,”

“We had all been musicians to some degree, and after I auditioned, I never stopped coming [to practice],” Henry Huelskamp, Blossom Aloe’s guitarist, said.

Two other members of Blossom Aloe, guitarist and back vocalist Josh Vargas and bassist Aaron Uriz, connected over music in 2020 during the COVID-19 lockdown. According to Vargas, they made an album together with eight songs.

“Once we were ready to play live shows, we needed another guitarist

Fall humanities courses to restore your humanity

SARAH MOTTELER THRESHER STAFF

With spring semester rapidly approaching its end, students are beginning to look at fall course offerings. If looking at the general announcements is making you feel generally unhappy, consider adding one of these humanities courses for a little spot of joy in a sea of despair.

ARTS 230: Comics and Sequential Art

If you like to read manga or comic books in your free time (whatever little of it you may have), consider learning more about the medium and creating a work of your own in this course. “Comics and Sequential Art” is exactly what the title says: students will learn about the history of comics and read several notable examples of the media.

ARTS 230 will meet from 6 to 8:50 p.m. every Monday and Wednesday.

COLL 103: Origami: Making the Mundane Beautiful

For many students, the fall semester is too packed for a standard three-credit hour course. In this case, look to the college courses for a one-credit hour class that won’t derail your graduation plans.

because I was doing most of the playing,” Vargas said.

Uriz said he knew Huelskamp from club swimming and reached out to him to audition for the band. Later, after a round of auditions, they offered Coyle the role of lead vocalist.

“[We] had a really good chemistry, and we started writing a song together and said, ‘Ok, this is working pretty well,’ so [Blossom Aloe] asked me to be a permanent member,” Coyle said.

Since then, Coyle has expanded her lyrical capabilities to interweave narratives into the band’s songs. Blossom Aloe said their most recent album, “Summer Days Heavy Rain,” was a culmination of different experiences in their lives.

“Summer Days Heavy Rain is about … an embrace of change, moving forward, moving out of adolescence and figuring shit out in your 20s,” Coyle said.

Alongside the music, there were also other activities at the show, including an eight-foot cutout of Big Tex to paint, a mechanical bull or shopping stalls such as Thrift Dahan and Archi Market. ODS offered free cookies, Red Bull and cotton candy, while Foreign Policy and Kona Ice trucks had food available for purchase on-site.

Towards the end of the night,headline artist Binki riled the crowd up with witty bits between songs. From mentioning Howard Hughes to grooving on stage, Binki gave a performance full of stage presence and personality. He had the crowd dancing and head-bopping with well known hits like “Sea Sick” and even a sneak peek at an in-progress demo.

COLL 103 will meet from 8 to 8:50 p.m. every Monday.

FILM 336: Cinema and the City

Want some motivation to work on your “want to watch” list? Enroll in FILM 336, where students will watch movies from throughout the 1900s and 2000s and discuss the depiction and function of urban spaces.

FILM 336 will meet from 1 to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday.

ENGL 269: Science Fiction and the Environment

If you’re tired of real science, engage with some fictional science in ENGL 269. This course dives into the ways that science fiction has held up a mirror to society’s beliefs and challenged dominant ideologies.

ENGL 269 will meet from 4 to 5:15 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.

THEA 304: Costume Design

Do you have an inner theater kid waiting to break free? Indulge your dramatic side with the theater department’s costume design course.

THEA 304 will meet from 10:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.

ARIELLE NOAH THRESHER STAFF

MARLO WILCOX / THRESHER Binki, a Philadelphia-based artist, headlined the 32nd annual ktru Outdooor Show this past Saturday, March 30.

English majors open Pandora’s box for senior projects

SARAH MOTTELER THRESHER STAFF

While waiting for a train last summer, Gabby Franklin realized what her senior project would be: a modern play retelling the myth of Pandora’s Jar. Franklin, a Brown College senior, is required — like all seniors majoring in English — to participate in a yearlong seminar course, where students produce long-form writing projects.

“[One] minute I was waiting for the transit system, and the next I was just in tears for so many reasons … it just felt like I was a cog in this machine, and it just became this cycle, work, study, grind, work, study, grind. And I just had this moment of denial,” Franklin said. “[This] can’t be all there is … [Is] this what I had been preparing for all these years for?”

Her feelings about higher education, opportunity and anxious anticipation resonated with the original story, she said.

“‘Pandora’ is a play about a student’s college decision as a modern retelling of Pandora’s [box] to examine how the external powers we’re caught between, like family history, financial circumstances and school situations, factor into our decision to pursue higher education and opportunity today,” Franklin said. “I hope that through this story, this play brings solidarity to the difficulties of opening our jars and releasing our decisions out into the world.”

I really get to be in conversation with a lot of the issues that are impacting me and my peers today.

McKenna Tanner HANSZEN COLLEGE SENIOR

That summer, Franklin also started reading the story of Pandora’s box.

While many projects were started just this school year, others have been in the works for much longer. McKenna Tanner, a Hanszen College senior, started developing the historical fiction novel that would become her senior project in her freshman year and has been working on it ever since.

Tanner’s novel takes place in the

Review: ‘Cowboy Carter’

challenges the country genre

EMELIA GAUCH THRESHER STAFF

Beyoncé’s much-anticipated country album is more than just country. Instead, “Cowboy Carter” defies the genre, sprawling to include country and noncountry covers alike, R&B tunes and acoustic ballads.

On an Instagram post 10 days before the album’s release, Beyonce wrote about not feeling allowed into the space of country music, referencing the backlash she faced for performing “Daddy Lessons” with the Chicks at the Country Music Association Awards in 2016. Using the concept of a fake country radio called “KNTRY” on “Cowboy Carter”, Beyoncé creates her own space in a genre that has declined her entry.

The album opens with “American Requiem,” a song with beautiful vocal layering and a powerful build-up in a homage to church and worship music. “American Requiem” reflects on Beyoncé’s mourning for what America could be, including poignant lines on the criticism Beyoncé has faced for being both “too country” and not “country ‘nough.”

She gestures to the key role Black musicians have and continue to play in the development and popularization of country music and breaks the fourth wall, almost speaking to the audience and criticism she expects to receive with lines like “If that ain’t country, tell me what is?”

incorporating background countryinspired instrumentals.

Musical covers and artist features are the highlights of the album. “II MOST WANTED” with Miley Cyrus is a catchy acoustic experience. The two women’s voices blend well, with Cyrus’s rasp and Beyoncé’s clear tones complementing each other. In “JOLENE,” with updated lyrics, tight vocal runs, hand clapping and voice stacking, Beyoncé balances the line between paying homage to Parton’s original song and making it her own.

The updated lyrics in “JOLENE” turned a song about insecurities to one about confidence and self-defense, playing with the scorned woman trope in country music (Think “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood and “Fist City” by Loretta Lynn).

Top Track: ‘Ya Ya’

From there, “Cowboy Carter” dances to two-step, hip-hop and the line in between. Some songs, like “SPAGHETTII” featuring Linda Martell and Shaboozey, are more akin to the dance and house-infused synths of Beyoncé’s previous album “RENAISSANCE”. Yet even songs like “SPAGHETTII,” that feel further away from conventions of the country genre, have country-like background instrumentals and acoustics underscoring the song. This grounds each song in the country genre inspiration and distinguishes the album from “RENAISSANCE”. Others tracks, like “BODYGUARD” and “ALLIIGATOR TEARS,” reflect the folk-rock sounds of Fleetwood Mac and Carole King while

summer of 1968, as three college students take a road trip from New York to Houston. According to Tanner, the novel is partially inspired by her grandparents, who went to Rice in the late ’60s and fell in love here.

“I chose to make the road trip in my novel mirror [my grandmother’s] experience of leaving New York and entering a very different environment and city when she came to Houston,” Tanner said. ”I feel like writing this novel has allowed me to better understand where they’ve come from.”

Tanner isn’t just looking to the past, though. In her novel, she’s hoping to

BRYAN MENDOZA / THRESHER

reflect the questions and concerns college students have in the present, too.

“I’ve been really interested in the similarities between the 1960s and the 2020s. I think we as college students now are dealing with a lot of the same questions and concerns that young people were dealing with in the late ‘60s,” Tanner said.

“[In] writing about these three college students from 1968, I really get to be in conversation with a lot of the issues that are impacting me and my peers today.”

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

Review: “A Night of Knowing Nothing” is an intimate portrait of activism

ARMAN SAXENA A&E EDITOR

Rice Cinema presented three films as part of the Glorious Things series, a collaboration between Rice Cinema, Rice Humanities Research Center and FotoFest, on March 22 and 23. Organized by assistant professor of art Sindhu Thirumalaisamy, the films detail stories from the perspectives of marginalized groups that are connected by a common theme: the intensifying of authoritarianism at Indian universities. “Does Your House Have Lions?” focuses on university suppression of queer students, while “We Have Not Come Here to Die” and “A Night of Knowing Nothing” center on student protest movements that swept India after the death of Rohith Vemula, a student, activist and Dalit, the lowest ranking group in traditional Indian caste hierarchy.

Directed by Payal Kapadia, “A Night of Knowing Nothing” was the last of the three to be screened and has received the most critical acclaim of the bunch, winning the Golden Eye for Best Documentary at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. Kapadia’s first featurelength film, it is a powerful debut that sometimes feels disjointed yet nevertheless packs an urgent punch.

these movements a human face. Under her direction, the anger of the protesters seems tangible and raw due to her emphasis on the activists’ humanity. While the film sometimes struggles with juggling the intimacy of L’s letters and the unadulterated anger of the protest scenes, Kapadia mostly succeeds in grounding a student movement in the stories of individual human experiences.

As even Rice’s administration is being criticized for what some consider to be “oversteps of power,” “A Night of Knowing Nothing” may resonate with those who believe that their institutions are suppressing student voices; it’s a film with the preoccupations of student activists at its core. It also references the cinematic tradition of protest film by including references to filmmakers who were known for the polemic political statements they imbued into their cinema, such as JeanLuc Godard, Ritwik Ghatak and Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Performed by: Houston Ballet

Dolly Parton’s feature on the “Cowboy Carter” album and Dolly’s Instagram post saying “Beyonce is giving that girl some trouble and she deserves it!” act as endorsement of these changes.

“YA YA” invites listeners to the second act of the album. The song has a powerful quick beat and an exciting rhythm, as well as a sample of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” and a reference to progressive rock-pop hit The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” From there, the album’s sonic palette continues to diversify. “RIVERDANCE” emulates house music and banjo, while “TYRANT” and “SWEET HONEY BUCKIN’” incorporate trap beats. The mixing on each song still calls back to the country genre.

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

The film starts with a stunning shot of people dancing at a party. Narration plays over this scene, and it becomes clear that the words we hear are letters by L, a university student, written to her lover, K. While this lively yet silent scene plays, L speaks to her beloved, expressing how even at this party, she misses him. The audience eventually comes to know that K was forced by his parents to stop seeing L, as she was of a lower caste than him. While L is initially forgiving of K, as the film goes on, she grows angry with K and his inability to stand up for their love against his parents.

This intimate story of heartbreak and betrayal is laced throughout the fabric of the story, sometimes as the center of a scene and at other times supplementing sequences of student activism. The film’s raucous protest scenes are invigorating, and as Kapadia contextualizes the institutional discrimination these students are fighting, the movie becomes a call to action. By interweaving human stories and these scenes of protest, Kapadia attempts to give

The film also serves as an introductory perspective into India’s student activist movements. For those unaware of movements across Indian universities fighting for the Muslim, DalitBahujan castes and LGBTQ+ communities, the film is a riveting crash course. In that way, the film, even with its detailing of discrimination, authoritarianism and hate, can be a source of hope for some with its illustration of perseverance and people who will risk anything to fight for what they believe in.

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

COURTESY PARKWOOD ENTERTAINMENT

Teeing off: Rice’s newest club sport drives toward inclusivity

ANA RIVERA THRESHER STAFF

Sophomores Alexa Vela and Brayden Bowin often golf at Memorial Park, down the road from Rice campus. The two sport management and business majors established the Rice golf club on Feb. 14 of this year. According to them, their leadership reflects a vision that seeks to broaden the appeal of golf, making it more accessible and meaningful to a diverse group of people.

“When I first came to Rice, I thought this would have been the perfect place for golf, but that wasn’t the case,” Bowin said. “Through the Rice golf club, we aim to popularize the sport across campus and cultivate a culture that will eventually be as prominent as other club teams here.”

According to Bowin, this statement isn’t just an observation; it’s a call to action. The Rice golf club is attempting to challenge common stereotypes and invite a broader community to experience the fellowship and joy the sport can foster.

“The biggest misconception in people’s minds is that golf is a rich and pretentious sport, exclusive to those with access to a country club,” Bowin said.

Vela’s own entrance into the world of golf at 6 years old reinforces her club’s goals and the sport’s potential to resonate across all types of backgrounds. Nobody in her family grew up playing golf. Instead, it

was watching Tiger Woods at the Masters and seeing a commercial for a youth golf program that began her golf journey.

“Golf has taught me and allowed me to really hone in on patience and confidence, providing me with a sense of empowerment when I feel like nothing else really has,” Vela said.

Bowin’s personal journey with the sport also started young and evolved into a passionate pursuit.

“My dad would take me to the course back home, but it wasn’t until high school that the game became more serious for me,” Bowin said. “When I actually played on the team and realized that I was good my senior year, I knew that golf was going to be a big part of my life.”

Bowin and Vela were inspired to start their journey out of a shared love for the game and a deep passion for the industry. They saw an opportunity to blend their academic pursuits with their personal interests, aiming to make a significant impact in the sports world.

“Our mission and visions for Rice club golf are to invite people to the game regardless of background or experience,” Vela said. “Golf is unlike any other sport because you spend hours with people at a time, and it’s not always about competition.”

Vela’s words shine a light on the club’s plan to leverage golf for building community, embracing inclusivity and

fostering personal growth. Vela addressed the need for broader representation within the sport, especially for female golfers at Rice, as another motivator for creating the new club.

“The fact that Rice does not have a women’s golf team was something that gave me drive,” Vela said. “Through this club golf team, it provides a space for girls on campus to play, granting them a place they can play competitively or just for fun.”

As they look forward, Bowin and Vela share their excitement for what lies ahead for the Rice golf club. They anticipate a community that not only achieves competitive success but also deeply values

inclusivity, unity and mutual respect.

“We’re looking forward to meeting people who like golf,” Bowin said. “Having a collective group of people who play golf is a great time. Playing tournaments, traveling to places like Waco and Dallas — it’s fun to play against other colleges.”

Their journey, marked by passion, showcases a dedication to reshaping golf’s role at Rice.

“It is exciting to see how much this club will grow,” Vela said. “Whether it is by being introduced to golf, playing recreationally or competing at a higher level, the opportunities for students are endless.”

Five players from the men’s basketball program entered the transfer portal since head coach Scott Pera’s dismissal March 14. The group of potential transfers is headlined by freshman forward Keanu Dawes, a former four-star recruit, and sophomore guard Mekhi Mason, who has reportedly engaged in conversations with at least a dozen Power 5 programs. Other transfers include sophomore forward Andrew Akuchie, junior guard Cameron Sheffield and sophomore guard Camp Wagner.

The transfer portal allows Division I athletes to explore opportunities at other schools. As of August 2022, the NCAA allows basketball players to activate their

60-day transfer window following the championship selection. They may return to their previous school if the program welcomes them back, if they fail to receive interest or find the right fit for them. New head basketball coach Rob Lanier has left the door open for all five players to return to Rice if they share his vision for the program’s future.

“If you’ve bought in, you’re one of us,” Lanier said during his introductory press conference. “If you’re not about that, we’re going to help you move on because you don’t fit.”

Amidst the potential losses, Rice has already gained one new player. Emory Lanier, Rob Lanier’s son, transferred from Southern Methodist University after his father accepted his new position at Rice.

KATHLEEN ORTIZ / THRESHER

Sophomore sport management and business majors Brayden Bowin and Alexa Vela co-founded the Rice club golf team in February 2024.

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Burger Kings via P-Cards

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task force investigating loopholes to send monetary aid