wide student programming board and was an active member of the college’s business club, student honors council and multicultural student association.
On a spring night, Andrea Rodriguez Avila was wrapping up her Peer Academic Advisor training. Her close friend, Karen Martinez, wanted boba tea; it was nearing the end of the semester, and everything was “messy and unorganized,” she said. The two went to The Tea Nook on campus — Andrea had never been. “We talked the whole way there,” Martinez said, and all through their wait in the line.
“I could talk to her about anything,” Martinez, a Jones College junior, said. Martinez had transferred to Rice in the fall, one semester before Andrea.
“Whenever I was having trouble last semester, like deciding what I wanted to do for housing, we briefly discussed rooming together ... Her giving me that support meant a lot.”
Originally from Nottingham, Maryland, a northeastern suburb of Baltimore, Andrea transferred to Rice at the beginning of the Spring 2024 semester. At the Community College of Baltimore County, where she attended before transferring, Andrea served as president of honor society Phi Theta Kappa, chaired the college-
At Johns Hopkins University, where she spent last summer at a Mellon Foundation-funded research fellowship, Andrea produced a humanities research project titled “El Cadejo: A Mirror of Mayan Roots and Religious Oppression,” according to her LinkedIn.
Transferring colleges was not an easy feat — especially when it meant coming to a small, closeknit university like Rice in the middle of the school year. Martinez said that she sought out Andrea early on, bonding over what they shared: a similar uprooting, a similar love for makeup and a similar penchant for procrastinating essays.
“She was just really brave and really balanced in doing things. She was self-assured. She knew what she was capable of.”
By the end of her first semester at Rice, Andrea had already thrown herself into political science courses, in addition to having spent months as an Honor Council representative and a Jones PAA. Her fall was shaping up to be even more involved.
She was just really brave and really balanced in doing things. She was selfassured. She knew what she was capable of.
Karen Martinez JONES COLLEGE JUNIOR
“We would talk about what transferring was like. She was not scared at all, really,” Martinez said.
Over the summer, she joined the Transfer Student Association as its events chair and the Hispanic culture club Raíces Unidas as its social chair.
On Monday, Aug. 26, Andrea was on the Student Association’s agenda for immediate consideration to be appointed the SA’s deputy parliamentarian.
“She was super enthusiastic,” SA president Jae Kim said. “She was excited to get involved campus-wide … She had lots of ideas on what she wanted to do with the SA and lots of
different areas of advocacy she was interested in.”
Andrea had also just joined the Doerr Institute as a student ambassador.
“[As] a transfer student, [Andrea] took charge of her leadership development immediately upon coming to Rice and wasted no time enrolling in programs and getting involved as a leader on campus,” Stephanie Taylor, Associate Director of Leader Development at the Doerr Institute for New Leaders, said in a statement to the Thresher.
After interviewing Andrea for the Raíces Unidas position this summer, president Ana Rivera said she was struck by her ambition so soon in her time at Rice.
“From the moment I spoke with her,” Rivera, a Baker College sophomore, said, “she was just ready to go and make her time at Rice the best she could in the next few years she had planned. She wanted to be there for the Rice community, for the students, in any way possible ... it tells her story of the person she was.”
Reflecting on their friendship, Martinez echoes a similar sentiment: “She knew what she wanted and how to get it.”
RUPD, HPD investigating alleged murder-suicide at Jones College
Rice University Police Department is investigating an alleged murder-suicide on campus at Jones College, according to a Rice Alert sent at 5:39 p.m. to the Rice community.
The victim, Rice junior Andrea Rodriguez Avila, was found shot at Jones, university president Reginald DesRoches confirmed in a press conference.
The suspect was a male, unaffiliated with Rice, found with a self-inflicted gunshot. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.
There was no sign of forced entry, and RUPD Chief Clemente Rodriguez said Avila had likely given him access to the building.
This is a speech that no president ever wants to make... tonight, we will wrap our arms around our students
RUPD officials arrived at the scene at around 4:30 p.m. Aug. 26, DesRoches said, in response to a request for a welfare check from one of Avila’s family members.
Reginald DesRoches RICE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
Residential halls are only accessible to Rice students through swiping a university ID.
The suspect and Avila had a preexisting romantic relationship, Rodriguez said. RUPD found a note written by the suspect indicating the two had a “troubled relationship.” Rodriguez did not comment further on the contents of the note.
“This is a speech that no president ever wants to make,“ DesRoches said in his Aug. 26 press conference. “I want all of our students, our parents and the entire Rice community to know that the Rice campus is safe. There is no immediate threat, and tonight, we will wrap our arms around our students. As a parent of a past Rice student, I can only imagine how devastating this must be.”
Students and faculty received a shelter-in-place notice, which lifted at 6:49 p.m. All classes and activities have been canceled for the remainder of the day, according to a 6:04 p.m. Rice Alert. The Houston Police Department responded to the scene. A Houston Fire Department ambulance and Houston Forensic Science crime scene van were parked outside Jones and Brown Colleges.
This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.
RIYA MISRA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
RIYA
RIYA MISRA / THRESHER A memorial garden in honor of Andrea Rodriguez Avila, Jones College junior, sits outside Huff House.
RIYA MISRA / THRESHER Rice University Police Department and Houston Police Department officers gather inside Jones College on Monday, Aug. 26.
MLFA files Title VI complaint against Rice, alleges ‘discriminatory treatment’ in university’s tabling of S.RES 02
Department of Education already investigating Rice in separate Title VI case
RIYA MISRA EDITOR IN CHIEF
The Muslim Legal Fund of America filed a complaint against Rice with the U.S. Department of Education, alleging the university violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through “discriminatory treatment of its Muslim and Jewish students advocating for Palestine,” according to an MLFA press release. The complaint was filed Aug. 12, on behalf of two unnamed Rice students, in response to the university’s indefinite tabling of S.RES 02, a resolution urging the Student Association to boycott and divest its spending from Israel-aligned companies, in the spring.
MLFA — which has previously filed Title VI complaints on behalf of Harvard University and Brown University students — declined to provide a copy of the complaint upon request. At time of publication, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has not yet opened an investigation in response to MLFA.
The Department of Education has already opened a separate Title VI investigation into Rice, launched July 30, according to the OCR’s database of pending cases. The specific nature of the complaint is unknown. A spokesperson for the Department of Education denied a request for comment.
“A U.S. Department of Education website indicates that its Office of Civil Rights is investigating Rice under Title VI, but Rice has received no details about the matters being investigated,” a university spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Thresher. “We also have not been notified of any complaint by the MLFA, so we do not have any details about it or response to its allegations.”
When the OCR formally investigates a complaint, it issues notification letters to the complainant and the recipient, according to the OCR’s case processing manual. A spokesperson for the Department of Education did not respond to a request for clarification on the timeline of issuing notification letters.
the actions of Rice administrative officials are appropriate, or if they are, in fact, a chilling of free speech and taken to specifically target a particular affinity group of shared heritage and its allies.
“The [university’s] handling of the Student Association’s actions and freezing their ability to go forward … bothers us as an organization, as well as bothers our clients,” Jump continued.
in financial consequences, including decreased or eliminated federal funding.
Let’s say the [Department of Education] comes to the conclusion … that Rice did discriminate on behalf of certain ethnicities and religions. That [would] give us more ability to continue our advocacy.
Matti Haacke RICE SJP ORGANIZER
“Coming into this fall semester, we don’t want to see the same thing happen again.”
‘They didn’t wait for the outcome of the vote’
Discussion on S.RES 02 halted just four days after its introduction on the SA floor. An unnamed student had filed a discrimination complaint with the Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity, requesting that the Senate refrain from voting on the resolution. AEEO director Richard Baker approved their request as he investigated the allegation, notifying SA President Jae Kim and the resolution’s authors on March 27.
The [university’s] handling of the Student Association’s actions and freezing their ability to go forward … bothers us as an organization, as well as bothers our clients
Christina Jump MLFA CIVIL LITIGATION DEPARTMENT HEAD
Christina Jump, MLFA’s civil litigation department head, said she’s aware of the active investigation but that MLFA’s complaint has “been in the works for some time” and is “in no means reactive.”
“We wanted an outside, neutral party,” Jump said in an interview with the Thresher, “which [is] the purpose of the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, to have the opportunity to take a look objectively and determine whether
“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, according to a copy of the order previously obtained by the Thresher. At the time, Baker did not respond to a request to confirm the validity of the text. “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.”
“I don’t know of any other times that officials with Rice University have prevented debate like that,” Jump said. “They didn’t wait for the outcome of the vote.”
Debates over ‘legal jeopardy’
Since its introduction, S.RES 02 has been the subject of a volatile legal debate.
In March, Rice general counsel Omar Syed told the Thresher that S.RES 02 would face an “uncertain” legal terrain if passed. A university spokesperson then said failure to comply with federal nondiscrimination laws may result
“There’s absolutely nothing that a student resolution, even if passed by the Student Association, would obligate Rice University to do,” Jump said. “Therefore, there’s no legal jeopardy for Rice University.” If passed, S.RES 02 would have implemented an ethical spending advisory board to monitor allocation of SA-disbursed funds — including the Initiative Fund and approximately $400,000 of annual Blanket Tax funds — to ensure compliance with the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement.
Texas state law prohibits state agencies from “contracting with businesses that boycott energy companies, discriminate against firearm entities or associations or boycott Israel,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote in a legal advisory published Oct. 18, 2023.
“Every judge in the country would say that the [legality of S.RES 02] is not ripe for consideration,” Jump said. “It’s a hypothetical. It’s dependent on a resolution that hasn’t been passed and actions that weren’t taken.”
Moving forward with MLFA’s complaint
The OCR has acknowledged MLFA’s complaint and transferred it to the appropriate regional office, Jump said. The OCR will then gather information and decide whether to open an investigation. It may dismiss an allegation for reasons including, but not limited to, lack of OCR jurisdiction over the subject matter, lack of sufficient detail or failure to “state a violation of one of the laws or regulations that OCR enforces,” according to the case processing manual.
Matti Haacke, an organizer with Rice Students for Justice in Palestine, described the complaint as “part of a broad set of tactics of advocacy.”
Haacke said he did not file the original complaint, but has been in touch with MLFA as a Rice SJP representative.
“Let’s say the [Department of Education] comes to the conclusion … that Rice did discriminate on behalf of certain ethnicities and religions,” Haacke said. “That [would] give us more ability to continue our advocacy.
“In regards to resolutions in the future,” Haacke continued, “it [would] allow us to put forth resolutions that are in line with our ideals of justice and kind of put pressure on Rice to uphold both our legally protected right to express ourselves … as well as just the moral aspect of ensuring that we are allowed to express ourselves without targeted discrimination against specific ethnicities and religions.”
Rice adds ED II to application process
BELINDA ZHU ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Rice introduced an Early Decision II plan June 17 that took effect in the 202425 admission cycle. Students applying in the ED II round must submit materials by Jan. 4, 2025 and will receive decisions by mid-February. The deadline for ED I remains unchanged from Nov. 1.
Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva said Rice added an ED II cycle after years of interest from Rice’s “counselor community, from private and public schools alike.” ED II will encourage applications from students who may need more time to discover their options, Romero da Silva said.
“We know not all students are ready to make the commitment to apply Early Decision to Rice, or any school, by an early November deadline,” Romero da Silva wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Some students are still discovering their best options and learning about
We know not all students are ready to make the commitment to apply Early Decision to Rice, or any school, by an early November deadline.
Yvonne Romero da Silva VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT
strong financial aid opportunities like the Rice Investment. Other students may want to have a strong performance in their senior year factor into the consideration of their application file, but also want to be able to let Rice know we are their number one choice.” As Rice continues with its expansion of McNair Hall and construction of two new residential colleges, the university is on track to grow with its undergraduate enrollment — a plan first announced in 2021. With the introduction of ED II, Romero da Silva said Rice will “be very close to hitting target undergraduate expansion,” a projected 4,800 students, with the incoming class of 2028.
“Going forward, ED II will help us maintain our target enrolling populations,” Romero da Silva wrote.
COURTESY JEFF FITLOW
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary major that addresses environmental issues in the context of what we know about Earth, Ecology, and Society.
Earth’s changing water cycle
Extreme weather
Atmosphere and Ocean
Manage Earth’s natural resouces
Natural Hazards
Information about the ENVS major:
In addition to its science core, the major also seeks to provide students with some appreciation of social, cultural, and policy dimensions of environmental issues.
Environmental impact on viruses
Model Earth’s future climate
Communityecology and conservation
Biodiversity
Evolutionary genetics
Forest Ecosystems
Carbon Cycle
EEPS ENVS advisors:
Dr. Sylvia Dee Sylvia.Dee@rice.edu
Dr. Emma Beer Emma.Beer@rice.edu
Dr. Carrie Masiello Masiello@rice.edue.edu
EEB ENVS advisors:
Dr. Amy Dunham aed4@rice.edu
Dr. Evan Siemann Siemann@rice.edu
EDITORIAL STAFF
Amplifying resources during a time of loss
We don’t know what to say, and quite frankly, we don’t know what you all want to hear.
To Andrea Rodriguez Avila, may you rest in peace.
To the Rice community, we
stand with you.
After the unthinkable tragedy on Monday, we wanted to highlight some resources on and off campus in lieu of our weekly editorial. We hope students and the larger Rice community can use these resources as we process this tragedy and mourn the loss of Andrea.
Rice-affiliated resources:
Rice Women’s Resource Center
Phone: 713-348-2813
Email: womenrc@rice.edu
Website: women.rice.edu
Location: 1st floor Ley Student Center
Rice Student Health Services
Phone: 713-348-4966
Email: hlsv@rice.edu
Website: health.rice.edu
Location: Morton L. Rich Health Services Center, next to Brown Magister’s House
**Title IX Confidential Employee
Rice Counseling Center
Phone: 713-348-3311
Website: wellbeing.rice.edu
Location: Gibbs Recreation & Wellness Center
Satellite Location: Morton L. Rich Health Services Center **Title IX Confidential Employee
Student Wellbeing Office
Phone: 713-348-3311 (available 24/7)
Email: wellbeing@rice.edu
Website: wellbeing.rice.edu
Location: Gibbs Wellness Center
*Within the colleges: Rice Health Advisors
Rice University Police & Emergency Medical Services
Phone: 713-348-6000 (24/7 assistance)
Website: rupd.rice.edu
Location: RUPD building, near entrance #8
The SAFE Office
Phone: 713-348-3311
Email: titleixsupport@rice.edu
Website: safe.rice.edu
Location: Gibbs Wellness Center, Suite 150
*Within the colleges: STRIVE Liaisons
To our readers — please take care of your loved ones and yourself.
Rice-endorsed resources:
Bo’s Place
Phone: 713-942-8339
Offering free grief support services for children, families and adults in their grief journey.
Everytown
Phone: 646-324-8250
Provides mental health guidance and emotional support for survivors.
Grief Recovery Center
Phone: 832-413-2410
Provides support for all types of mental health issues and grief.
Crisis Intervention of Houston Phone: 832-416-1177
Available 24/7
Operates free and confidentally, providing crisis and suicide prevention counseling.
Alexander JFS
Phone: 713-667-9336
Provides off-campus counseling and support for all after any significant loss.
National resources:
National Domestic Violence Hotline Phone: 800-799-7233
Website: thehotline.org
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Phone: 988
Website: 988lifeline.org
Jimmy DeNicco on empathy and economics
had a natural affinity for economics, it was the moral implications of the field that truly captivated him.
“It’s about understanding how to give people better lives, give them access to the things that they need,” DeNicco said.
“And that is when I really fell in love with it. It had that moral component to it, that human component to it.”
blossomed into nearly a decade of teaching at Rice.
“I’m just an all in person. I have a hard time doing things halfway,” DeNicco said. DeNicco’s involvement at Rice also extends beyond the classroom. During his first semester at Rice, DeNicco was asked to be a faculty associate at Baker College.
Jimmy DeNicco never thought he would be a professor – he had his sights set on working for policy makers in Washington D.C. A graduate school requirement to teach a class won his heart, changing the trajectory of his career.
“[T]he first time I ever taught … that’s the closest I’ll ever get to being a rock star,” DeNicco, a lecturer in the department of economics, said. “I just really enjoy the back and forth with students. I love connecting with people.”
Feeling directionless in his youth, DeNicco chose to pursue a degree at the Naval Academy, where he initially studied economics since the institution did not offer a business degree. While he found that he
After transferring to Drexel University, DeNicco graduated in 2005. Shortly after, he found himself at work, sitting at a cubicle — finishing his work in an hour and struggling to find things to occupy the other seven hours of his workday. This led him back to academia, where he earned his Ph.D. at Drexel University in 2013. He started working as a visiting professor at the University of Tampa; a year later, he began pursuing roles elsewhere, eventually bringing him to Rice.
“I really didn’t think I had a chance at the job,” DeNicco said.
He was required to teach a sample class as part of the interview process.
“I just ignored the professors. I just looked at the students and I … went into Tasmanian devil mode,” DeNicco said. “I just spun around that room. I put as much energy as I could put out, as much interaction with the students as I could give, and apparently they really, really liked it.”
That energy and connection paid off, and what started as a two-year contract has
[T]he first time I ever taught … that’s the closest I’ll ever get to being a rock star.
Jimmy DeNicco ECONOMICS PROFESSOR
He pioneered Baker traditions such as Deers and Beers, where students are able to connect with each other over burgers (vegetarian and venison) and drinks. Today, he helps organize Baker’s annual Renaissance Fair trip and sponsors several on-campus clubs such as Rice Rally and Pancakes for Parkinson’s.
DeNicco also works with students beyond those in his classes, including fresh-faced new students as part of his Divisional Advisor role. Along with other representatives of the School of Social Sciences, he hosts talks, answers questions and introduces different majors to incoming freshmen.
“I … just try to make connections,” DeNicco said. “Maybe we come from different places. Maybe we even believe different things … I invite them into my world and make them feel welcome at Rice,” DeNicco said.
This openness and willingness to share parts of his life reflects in his efforts to make his classroom a space where students feel comfortable and engaged.
“When you’re willing to share who you are with your students, it … makes you a little bit vulnerable to them, and makes them more willing to be a part of what you’re doing,” DeNicco said.
For DeNicco, the most important part of his role at Rice isn’t just teaching economics — it’s being someone students can rely on.
“I want people to understand economics … but the responsibility of being this person in students’ lives that they can get to know and trust and come to talk and ask questions and rely on to tell them the truth … that’s probably the most important thing that I do here,” DeNicco said.
Felicity Phelan said DeNicco’s dedication and enthusiasm inspired her to pursue her economics major.
“I came into Rice with a completely different major, but his enthusiasm for the subject and how clearly he explained everything got me interested in the subject,” Phelan, a Duncan College junior, said. “I never felt bored in his class. Even in a giant lecture, he made the effort to get to know us as individuals and connect with us. DeNicco is such a fun and warm guy and I would encourage everyone to take his class.”
Amelie Carlton, a lecturer in Rice’s economics department, reflected on DeNicco’s warmth and humor.
“Jimmy was one of the first professors to introduce themselves to me when I started teaching at Rice University,” Carlton said. “When people engage with Jimmy, he will always make you laugh. Whenever we talk with students, I always learn something and smile … Rice is a better place because of this legend. Does it get any better than learning with a smile?
Sodapop AVA MCCLUNG CROSSWORD EDITOR
SAM BALAKRISHNAN FOR THE THRESHER
COURTESY GUSTAVO RASKOSKY
Discover the world around you...
Model Earth’s future climate
Make habitable planets in the lab
EEPS 101: The Earth
Rove on Mars
Dig into living soils
Break rocks to understand earthquakes
Use sound to see below the Earth’s surface
This course offers an interdisciplinary overview of the geology, physics and chemistry of the Earth.
EEPS 106: Investigating Earth’s Surface
Students will learn the fundamental processes that shape the Earth’s surface and explore the relative time scales and magnitudes on which these processes operate through field trips and hands-on experiences.
EEPS 109: Oceanography
An introduction to the oceans, with an emphasis on how the physics, chemistry, geology, and biology of the oceans are linked.
EEPS 114: Discoveries in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Seminar
Overview of exciting discoveries, research and recent advances in Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, facilitated through discussions with faculty, as well as laboratory visits and demonstrations. Topics may vary.
EEPS 115: The Planets
The physical, chemical, and geological development of the solar system from 4.6 billion years ago until today. All planets, their major satellites, comets, and asteroids will be discussed.
Do you have a time in your calendar that needs filling, but don’t want to spend thirty minutes walking in the August heat or $30 on admission? Consider checking out one or more of these activities within one mile of Rice — all free or discounted with a Rice ID.
See five levels of exhibits at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (0.4 miles)
The Houston Museum of Natural Science displays 16 permanent exhibits over four floors and a lower level, ranging from minerals and matter to fossils and Fabergé eggs. Rice students can receive a free membership card by showing a Rice undergraduate ID at the ticket counter. Membership privileges include free admission to the permanent exhibits and reduced rates for the planetarium, butterfly center and limited-time exhibits.
Hear complimentary music performances at the Miller Outdoor Theatre (0.5 miles)
The Miller Outdoor Theatre hosts free bands, choirs and other performing group shows for eight months of the year (between mid-March and mid-November). Tickets for the amphitheater’s covered seats can be booked online at milleroutdoortheatre. com starting the day prior to the performance, with any remaining unclaimed seats offered to the public 10 minutes prior to the performance’s start time. The large lawn outside of the amphitheater is also open for seating with no reservations required.
Badolina Bakery & Cafe offers sweet and savory pastries, as well as a variety of hot and iced drinks, from its Rice Village location across from Hopdoddy Burger Bar and Mendocino Farms. Open from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, Badolina’s delicious pastries and calming ambiance make it an ideal location for offcampus studying. Rice students receive a 15% discount with a school ID, and baked goods are half-off from 4 p.m. till closing.
Smell the animals (whether you want to or not) at the Houston Zoo (0.6 miles)
The Houston Zoo is home to more than six thousand animals and six hundred species. The exhibits group animals by area of origin, family or, in the case of the Children’s Zoo, expected visitor demographic. Rice students can reserve free tickets via the zoo’s website (houstonzoo.org) under the “discount tickets” tab, then show their Rice ID at the ticket window to enter.
Feel carefree at the Japanese Garden (0.2 miles)
Located within Hermann Park, the Japanese Garden was designed in the early 1990s by acclaimed Japanese landscape architect Ken Nakajima. The scenic garden contains a traditional teahouse surrounded by winding gravel paths, flowing water and lush plants. The garden is beautiful throughout all four seasons and is a great place to visit for a peaceful walk in nature. Admission is free and the garden is open from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. March through October and from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. November through February.
Perseverance. Humility. An eye for beauty. Qualities you must keep close at hand (perhaps in the back pocket of your favorite jeans, or tucked into your worndown sneakers), ready to be drawn upon at a moment’s notice. Any seasoned, stylish or frugal Houstonian can attest: these are vital components of a thrifter’s repertoire.
Purchasing secondhand clothing at a discounted price has evolved throughout the past few years. Once primarily relegated to those in search of necessary clothing but unable or unwilling to pay retail prices, thrifting has since been appropriated in the modern cultural milieu as a trendy ‘hack’ to acquire one-of-a-kind clothing for cheap. Gen Z saw thrifting skyrocket in popularity during the pandemic, thanks in part to social media. For better or for worse, young people flooded local thrift stores like never before: secondhand shopping is now a way to curate a unique wardrobe in a time of overwhelming conformity to brands or styles, an avenue for finding affordable designer or vintage pieces and in the increasing socially-conscious sentiment, a sustainable alternative to mainstream clothing overconsumption.
Although the trend has tapered out some since 2020, thrifting remains a popular and genuinely viable manner of shopping among many young people. Houston offers a variety of thrift, secondhand or vintage stores, and it can be overwhelming or confusing to know where to start, especially for those unfamiliar with the area or with limited means of transportation. Whether you haven’t had much success with thrifting so far, are looking to branch out from your few stores of choice or have never set foot in a secondhand store before, here are some places to start.
Thrifting in Houston
The most important elements of a successful thrifting experience are respectfulness and intentionality. Although thrifting may be a fun hobby for some, it is an essential shopping trip for others, and it’s crucial to be mindful of this in your conduct. Each clothing item could be of some value to another person, even if it may not appear so to you. Being intentional about your purchases will also improve your experience: lower prices make overconsumption more tempting, but consider if that item would just sit collecting dust in your closet. If so, it might be better served left on the rack
for someone else. Going in with a plan of specific items you’re looking for, a mental catalog of the clothes you already own and some idea of how you would style pieces will allow you to successfully tailor your thrifting experience to your needs. Another important consideration for thrifting is hygiene: because items are pre-owned, some prefer to wear gloves in their perusal of clothing. Regardless of your preference on gloves, it’s strongly recommended that you wash any clothing you purchase before wearing it.
Finding the popular spots
If you’re looking to maximize your thrift stores per square foot traveled, some of the most popular clusters of stores are found either on Montrose Blvd or S. Shepherd Dr. However, both areas come with an important caveat: if you’re in search of the most affordable options, your wallet may be better served elsewhere. It’s important to distinguish between vintage stores and thrift stores, because many stores that sell vintage clothing appraise the value of their items higher than what you might expect from a traditional thrift store. That said, many of these options do tend to have more trendy or stylish pieces that require less of a hunt to find.
Pavement
1657 Westheimer Rd
Pavement on Westheimer boasts a large selection of consignment clothing and reworked vintage and among the Montrose contingent has average-to-high pricing.
Buffalo Exchange
2901 S Shepherd Dr
A consignment clothing store on Shepherd Dr with a good selection of stylish and on-trend pieces. Students can buy and sell clothing (for 50% value in store credit or 25% cash value).
Leopard Lounge
1639 Westheimer Rd
Another incredibly popular Montrose spot for high-quality vintage (especially leather) clothing, shoes and accessories, though prices tend to be a bit higher.
Thrifted Threads
2606 S Shepherd Dr
Another vintage clothing store on Shepherd, popular for graphic tees and streetwear style items.
Editor’s Note: This article has been cut off for print. To read more, visit ricethresher. org.
SARAH MOTTELER THRESHER STAFF
JULIANA LIGHTSEY A&E EDITOR
BRYAN MENDOZA / THRESHER
JENNIFER LIU / THRESHER
‘Imaginal Disk’ takes Magdalena Bay to extraterrestrial heights
ARMAN SAXENA A&E EDITOR
In the fall of 2021, pop duo Magdalena Bay’s playful debut album “Mercurial World” introduced many to the group’s blend of catchy pop melodies with elements of House, R&B and Electronic music. That album became one of the most acclaimed and beloved pop albums of the decade so far, and few would have imagined that the duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin would top their previous effort when their latest project “Imaginal Disk” was announced.
With “Imaginal Disk,” Magdalena Bay has announced themselves as the contemporary masters of the pop concept album. More psychedelic and surreal than anything they’ve produced before, “Imaginal Disk” is an eclectic amalgam of the duo’s trademark catchy pop rhythms with electronic, rock and psychedelic sounds that take the duo into new and exciting musical directions. Like “Mercurial World” before it, “Imaginal Disk” is a concept album through and through, a decision that gives the project a cinematic feel. According to the artists, this cinematic atmosphere is intentional, as they were inspired by everything from ’70s surreal horror cult classics like House and Suspiria to the ’80s fan favorite Flash Gordon. In the album’s narrative, aliens implanted an “Imaginal Disk”
with consciousness into the foreheads of apes, leading to the creation of humans. The protagonist True’s body rejects this disk upgrade, prompting her to embark on a quest to understand the essence of humanity. Across 15 tracks, Tenenbaum and Lewin explore themes of identity, technology and the essence of humanity. These philosophical earworms are purely catchy at first glance, but gain additional resonance once one pays attention to the themes their lyrics are weaving.
The album’s first highlight track is a great example of this. “Killing Time” deals with thoughts of feeling like life has passed you by. The song’s outro contains the core of the track.
Tenenbaum sings “it only takes a minute to forget a week/count up all the years that we spend asleep/if time is meant for living, why’s it killing me?” The outro ends with the narrator deciding to take control of their life (and in the context of the narrative, deciding to find their humanity), saying “Now I’m taking mine.” Once the narrator makes this decision, and after the ambient chillwave “True Blue Interlude,” the album steps into full gear for the rest of its length.
Practically every song that follows would be an album highlight on any other project, and it’s difficult to single out certain tracks when there’s so much to love on almost every one. “Image” is a standout of these standouts that blends the synthy dance-pop that the duo is
known for with a sensual mysteriousness. This is the album’s second lead single, and this addictive track is possibly the closest thing this album has to a radio hit. Its blend of disco and synthpop is reminiscent of Jessie Ware, but adds a quirky and surreal sensibility more reminiscent of an artist like Grimes.
The album’s lead single “Death and Romance” is another album highlight and is the first major example of the album’s rock influence. “Vampire in the Corner,” “That’s My Floor,” “Angel on a Satellite”
and “The Ballad of Matt & Mica” are all stellar examples of that guitar-based pop-rock instrumentation. Like “Image” before it, “Death and Romance” is a reminder of this album’s ambition. The song is incredibly catchy at its core, but with the addition of funky, atmospheric influences from early ’90s UK bands like Spacemen 3 and Electronic, it sounds like something wholly unique.
Editor’s Note: This article has been cut off for print. To read more, visit ricethresher.org.
COURTESY MOM + POP RECORDS
Top Track: ‘Cry for Me’
Football looks to maintain forward progress in 2024
ANDERSEN PICKARD ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
“Forward progress” is a football term that refers to the distance a player advances forward while possessing the ball. Once a player’s momentum has been impeded and they are tackled backward, their forward progress is deemed to have stopped and the ball is spotted at that point on the field.
But forward progress could take on an alternate meaning in Houston this fall as Rice Football embarks on a 12-game schedule.
The Owls’ year-by-year winning percentage has increased every season since Mike Bloomgren took the head coaching job in 2017 (excluding the 2020 season when the season was condensed to five games due to COVID-19).
Rice went 2-11 in Bloomgren’s first year at the helm. Fast forward to 2023 and the Owls finished with a 6-6 record. With an 0.500 finish, Rice clinched a bowl game for the second consecutive season.
conference opponent Temple University.
The younger Warner completed 57.5 % of his passes for 3,076 yards, 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season in the AAC.
Other notable transfers include redshirt junior defensive end Michael Daley (from Brigham Young University) and sophomore punter Alex Bacchetta (from Penn State University) who joined the Owls in the spring semester, and versatile graduate offensive lineman Chad Lindberg (from the University of Georgia) .
Bloomgren previously expressed his belief that joining the AAC gave Rice a boost in the recruiting process.
“I don’t know if we could have got in these conversations [with recruits] before the AAC,” Bloomgren said.
You just talk about how much more cache that is, playing teams that people know. That just makes us a lot more attractive to a recruit.
Mike Bloomgren HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
However, unlike the 2022 team, the 2023 Owls secured the additional contest based on their record alone, rather than academic merit.
Now, with Bloomgren entering his seventh season as head coach, the program reaches a pivotal point. Will the Owls improve their win total yet again, or will forward progress be halted?
Additions and subtractions headlined a busy offseason for Rice ahead of its second season in the American Athletic Conference. The Owls enter 2024 without impactful players like quarterback J.T. Daniels (retired), wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (drafted) and defensive end Coleman Coco (graduated).
Rice was busy in the transfer portal, with its biggest commitment coming from junior quarterback E.J. Warner. The son of NFL legend Kurt Warner transferred from intra-
Bloomgren added that the Owls played nine games on national television last year, so the additional exposure across the country helped introduce Rice to potential transfers and high school recruits.
“You just talk about how much more cache that is, playing teams that people know,” he said. “That just makes us a lot more attractive to a recruit.”
However, the transfer portal can hurt a program as well. Cornerback Tre’Shon Devones transferred to Duke University after a standout season with the Owls in which he registered 45 tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes defended. Defensive lineman De’Braylon Carroll departed for Texas Tech University after tallying 47 tackles, nine tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in his final season at Rice. Cornerback Jordan Dunbar made 55 tackles between 2021 and 2022, redshirted last year and has since transferred to Kansas State University.
Rice welcomes back many returning players on all sides of the ball, including senior running back Dean Connors and
redshirt senior outside linebacker Josh Pearcy. Both players were recognized among Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s 50 Most Important Players in Texas College Football. Warner also made the list.
Connors led the Owls’ backfield in 2023, tallying 771 rushing yards, 403 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. He showed poise as a runner, receiver and blocker, making him a strong candidate to play all three downs this upcoming season.
Pearcy has missed just one game over the last three seasons, making 152 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks along the way. He registered one forced fumble in each of those three campaigns.
The offense will also try to replace McCaffrey at wide receiver. Redshirt sophomore Rawson MacNeill, sophomore Landon Ransom-Goelz and senior Kobie Campbell are candidates to lead that effort. The passing attack will also funnel through senior tight end Boden Groen.
Defensively, Pearcy and redshirt sophomore Izeya Floyd will make a big impact up front while redshirt seniors Chris Conti and Myron Morrison anchor the linebacking core. Redshirt junior Plae Wyatt, senior Gabe Taylor and versatile senior Sean Fresch will headline the defensive backs.
FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER
Rice football players line up during last year’s home game against the University of Houston. This year’s first home game will be against Sam Houston State University on Aug. 31 at 6 p.m.
Special teams was one of Rice’s biggest weaknesses in 2023. Punter Conor Hunt’s 35.9 net yards per kick was the 11th-lowest among all FBS punters (minimum 20 attempts). Primary kicker Tim Horn made just eight of 12 field goal attempts, which ranked 20th-worst among all FBS kickers (minimum 10 attempts). Job security may be at an all-time low for Hunt and Horn as they face competition from Bacchetta and redshirt sophomore Enock Gota, respectively.
A long offseason of recruiting, practice and preparation will come to an end when the Owls open up their season with a home game against non-conference opponent Sam Houston State University.
The Sam Houston Bearkats had one of the worst offenses in Conference USA last year but could improve in 2024 after upgrading at quarterback and returning several offensive linemen to bolster their running game.
The Bearkats had a stout defensive line last season but could take a step back in 2024 with new faces tasked to take on larger roles. The linebacking core has plenty of experience and could prove to be the strength of Sam Houston’s defense, provided they’re not stretched thin helping out the defensive line.
Rice’s clash with Sam Houston kicks
Culture shift drives early success for Rice Soccer in 2024 season
ANA RIVERA THRESHER STAFF
As Rice Soccer kicks off its 2024 season, the atmosphere around the program is one of optimism and steady growth. Coming off a 3-13-2 record, head coach Brian Lee said he was confident in the team’s development due to a strong offseason and a commitment to improvement.
“I think there’s been progress every game,” Lee said. “We have had four games this season, and we are thrilled with where we are. The girls had a great offseason, came back super fit and committed, and we’re just growing as a group.”
The team’s goal of building a cohesive unit has extended beyond fitness and technical skills, Lee said. He emphasized
the importance of team culture, drawing comparisons to previous seasons and highlighting the positive shift this year.
“Last year, I didn’t think our culture was great, and the results of our season proved it,” Lee said. “In the years before, we had a solid culture and strong results. It is a super important part of the team that starts with me and the staff. We’re super proud of the leadership group on the team. They’ve done a great job.”
Several new players have also joined the team. According to Lee, integrating these new faces has been a focus, and the results are beginning to show on the field.
“Bailey Deering, our strength and conditioning coach, did a fantastic job with the returnees, and our coaching staff brought in some high-quality, highcharacter new players to help the cause as well,” Lee said. “When those two crossroads met, it paid off with a good start.”
Lee said freshman forward Dayo Tennyson has already emerged as a critical player in the team’s early success due to her maturity and poise on the field.
“She’s a great student-athlete and a really good fit for Rice,” Lee said. “From day one, she’s really worked hard to establish herself in the team and then
been calm when she got the chance.”
Lee said this year’s team has focused on fostering a supportive environment where players are encouraged to push each other to improve, both on and off the field. The culture, according to Lee, is what will drive the team forward as they navigate the challenges of the season.
“As the season progresses, I’m just excited that they want to keep improving, and we enjoy being around each other,” Lee said. “From the staff right through all the players, day-to-day is fun and everybody receives a lot of value from watching everybody else improve.”
The Owls have started the season with a 3-1 overall record, including an undefeated 3-0 at home. They secured victories against Texas State University, the United States Naval Academy and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Their only loss came in Tallahassee against Florida State University, the top NCAA-ranked team as of August 19, 2024. As they prepare for conference games in the weeks ahead, the team will look to build on this solid foundation.
The Owls will host Lamar University at Holloway Field on Thursday, August 29, at 6:05 p.m. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
COURTESY OF RICE ATHLETICS Freshman Allie Love makes a move against a University of Texas Rio Grande Valley defender Aug. 25.
New South Main Collective to open doors for athletes
DIEGO PALOS RODRIGUEZ ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
As Name, Image and Likeness policies become the norm in collegiate athletics, its evolving influence continues to shape Rice athletics’ landscape. Rice was the only remaining university in the American Athletic Conference without an athleticswide NIL collective last semester, but on Aug. 2, 2024, Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland announced the creation of the South Main Collective as the official NIL collective of Rice Athletics.
NIL collectives are independent organizations affiliated with the athletic department of a university to raise money to compensate college athletes for using their name, image and likeness. The South Main Collective is operated by former letterwinners Bobby Bramhall, Ben Westcott, Jimmy Comerota and J.T. Trauber. This one collective will unify the existing football, baseball and men’s basketball collectives, as well as incorporating all other Rice Division I sports.
now, President [Reginald] DesRoches and all the good athletic momentum we have right now [come together].”
Prior to the creation of the football team’s The Brotherhood in March of 2022, organization president Westcott explained that many of the modern pieces of the collective were already in place.
“I had been working with the football staff in a leadership and internship program for about 10 years prior to the advent of NIL, so we were already working with the football program and the kids to help them get summer jobs and line them up with interviews and help them get jobs out of school,” Westcott said.
Yes, there is an exchange of money, but there is something deeper. How do we make sure that once sports are over with, how are they getting into the professional world of whatever it is they choose to do?
Tommy McClelland DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
“The South Main Collective will provide NIL possibilities to Rice studentathletes while also helping to prepare them for life after college through professional development and networking opportunities,” McClelland said in a press release.
According to Bramhall, Sports Attorney and General Manager of the South Main Collective, the delay between the creation of NIL collectives for football, baseball and men’s basketball and the South Main Collective comes down to the current administration’s interest in advancing athletics as a whole at Rice.
“I think it’s obviously been needed, because in my opinion, Rice is a top-tier national institution; we’ve proven in almost all sports that we can win at the highest level,” Bramhall said. “But for whatever reason, a school like Rice, I think sometimes athletics doesn’t get prioritized in the way that it can or should, until an [athletics] administration like we have
“When NIL became available, we just sort of transitioned from that leadership and internship program into our NIL program.”
McClelland also emphasized that the leaders organizing these collectives have their sights set on more than just NIL deals.
“[The collective] is not simply a transaction of funds, but rather tethered to internships, assistantships and making sure that they’re providing mentorships in the process,” McClelland said. “Yes, there is an exchange of money, but there is something deeper. How do we make sure that once sports are over with, how are they getting into the professional world of whatever it is they choose to do?”
Current Rice football offensive captain Dean Connors and former Owl JT Daniels both explained on the organization’s Vimeo website that they were able to secure opportunities with private lending and real estate companies through The Brotherhood network. The Brotherhood also facilitated an upcoming sponsorship deal between a “brand name, national telecommunications company” and a Rice football player.
“If your business is painting houses, you got to paint that first house so you can show somebody what your work looks like,” Westcott said. “I’m hoping that opens the door for us to get more national deals.”
Because of a third-party partner covering all administrative costs, the South
Main Collective also guarantees that Rice athletes receive 100% of any sponsorship deals that they can secure through the collective, something that not many other school collectives do. If a company or individual chooses to sponsor a single athlete, that athlete receives the entire deal’s worth. If they choose to sponsor multiple or all athletes in a team, the money is divided equally amongst all the players.
As a former Rice baseball player, Bramhall explained that having NIL opportunities would have not only allowed players to be more engaged in the community but also provided them with more reasons to finish their eligibility at Rice.
“I think we would have had tons of retention,” Bramhall said. “We all wanted to be at Rice when we were there. We talked about this. A lot of my teammates had talked about NIL now versus when we were there; had there been NIL opportunities, you had some players that would have skipped going to the draft.”
Although one of the main goals of the South Main Collective is to allow student athletes a better chance at NIL deals, it also emphasizes enhancing the Rice experience as a whole, something that booster Randy Block ’94 believes sets Rice collectives
apart from other schools.
“At some schools, [the schools] just pay [the athletes]; I can say that for the Rice basketball NIL collective, we’re doing things the right way,” Block said. “We’re not trying to give out million-dollar deals to student athletes when we think the better long-term play for them is to get a degree from Rice, go to graduate school, get a great job and use that Rice degree to make a lot more money than you can make from NIL, and I think that is a very unique way of looking at it.”
By reaching out to Rice alumni that may not be as familiar with athletics anymore, McClelland explained that the collectives are a great way to re-engage with the greater Rice community.
“I would personally invite [alums that haven’t been back to Rice in a while] to come and sit with me at a game ... and spend time with our student athletes,” McClelland said. “When you realize that our student athletes have their textbooks, and they’re studying because they have a physics exam coming up next week, it is by far the most inspiring thing, because the Rice student athletes are here for the right reasons. The core of what we’re doing is educating student athletes and preparing them for life after ball.”
EDITORIAL CARTOON
“Come back in a few years.”
HONG LIN TSAI / THRESHER
Sylly Week Schedule 2024 Sylly Week Schedule 2024
MONDAY
Wet Campus
12 AM - 11:59 PM
Everywhere
When it rains, we dance! Visit dei.rice.edu for a list of culturally-sensitive rain dances workshopped by the Office of DEI to celebrate the return of classes and booze.
Mock College Night
7 AM - 11 AM
Residential Colleges
Freshman-Senior Mixer
Freshman-Senior Mixer
9 PM - 12 AM
9 PM - 12 AM
RMC Grand Hall
RMC Grand Hall
Get to know your Rice peers as early as possible in the first inter-class mixer of the year! Make your own promise rings awaiting the arrival of Pumpkin Grades, and bring the whole family out for the O-Week fatherdaughter dance! Dress code: school uniforms for freshmen and professor outfits for seniors.
TUESDAY
Freshman Flu Panel
2 PM - 3 PM
Tudor Fieldhouse
Wake up at 7 AM for a Montessori-style introduction to socially acceptable day drinking! Mock College Night participants pretend to drink alcoholic beverages out of empty Solo cups and act inebriated in class so they know what to expect for the real thing.
Wizard Staff Wednesday
9 PM - 12 AM
Residential Colleges
Hump day! In classic Sylly Week tradition, as a player finishes a drink in a red Solo cup, they stack their next into the last empty cup. The player with the longest staff at the end of the night wins, and staffs taller than their owners grant wizard status!
Beach Pub
10 PM - 2 AM Pub
Want to learn how to protect yourself from the annual backto-school malaise? Join us in the RMC Grand Hall to hear harrowing accounts from (and shake the hands of) students actively experiencing the mystery virus. Walk-in panelists are happily welcomed.
WEDNESDAY
Candle-Lit
11 PM - 2 AM
Lovett Sundeck
Light it up for Candle-Lit! Students are invited onstage to take a hit from the Trauma Bong and share their most distressing life experiences in a bracket-style trauma-dumping competition. Winners will be crowned each round based on how silent the crowd is after they finish talking. RHAs will host a debrief session after the event concludes.
THURSDAY
The Reckoning
2 AM - 5 AM
Pub bartenders have created a very special drink, just for tonight! The Galveston-ade contains Malört, stale beer, and locally-sourced soil (we think). Utterances of the Ken “my job is beach” joke or adjacent will trigger an unappealable semester-long Pub ban.
FRIDAY
Campus-Wide FITQ (Freak in the Quad)
12 AM - 11:59 PM
Academic Quadrangle
That’s it, whether it’s done or not, we are getting freaky in the Quad again, just like the glory days before Spring 2023 when admin changed the F in FITQ to Friday. Among other freaky deaky festivities, we will be standing in “freak” formation for the triannual Google Maps satellite photo of the Quad at 3:07 PM!
Location to be revealed in a collective dream
Don’t forget to bring tight pants and Lactaid.
SATURDAY
Don’t Mess With Texas Party
10 AM - 2 AM
Martel College Quad
Yeehaw! Grab your cowboy hats and gallop on down to the first public of the year! (Keep reading if you’re not a Martelian) But do NOT go on Martel Sundeck—we heard only weird losers party there, and we hired a guy to hold onto a rope tied to the roof, precariously attached to a piano. Also, someone just took a shit there (PU!), and last year someone got altitude sickness. And there are bear traps.
Kim, Will Howley, Charlie Maxson, and Max Scholl and designed by Lauren Yu.
