Students spend day off in the snow, classes go remote Jan. 22
SARAH KNOWLTON NEWS EDITOR
Classes and normal campus operations halted on Tuesday, Jan. 21, due to a winter storm watch, Rice Emergency Management announced Jan. 19. Areas of Houston received up to four inches of snow. Classes and work on Wednesday, Jan. 22, will go remote, Emergency Management announced on Tuesday.
Entry to buildings, including the Rice Memorial Center, was limited to those with swipe access. Campus bus service will be suspended until roads are safe to travel, the announcement read.
North and Seibel serveries remained open with limited operation hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. Retail dining options were also restricted both days. Fondren Library was closed on Tuesday,
but is open Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m.
The Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center was also closed but is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday. The pool will remain closed until Thursday, Jan. 23.
Residential colleges are open to offcampus students wishing to stay in their colleges during the storm. Students were asked to arrive at their colleges by 6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 20 to avoid ice on roads. Several colleges, including Duncan and Jones, also disseminated spreadsheets via GroupMe to volunteer rooms and suites to off-campus students.
For some students, Tuesday morning was their first time seeing snow. James Puckett, a Will Rice College junior from Brownsville, Texas said the experience was cinematic.
SEE SNOW DAY PAGE 2
Lily
Will
throws a
in the academic quad. Classes and campus services were cancelled Jan. 21 due to snowfall and severe winter weather.
Seeing snow for the first time made me feel like I was in ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,’ I did all the things I’ve seen the Peanuts characters do throughout my childhood, like walking to school with friends in a flurry of snow, making a snowman and throwing snowballs around at each other. It was a blast.
James Puckett WILL RICE COLLEGE JUNIOR
Students react to TikTok’s time out
NOA BERZ SENIOR WRITER
On Saturday night, hours before the U.S. ban on TikTok was supposed to go into effect, an unexpected message was displayed on millions of devices across America. Then, screens went dark.
“Sorry, TikTok isn’t available right now,” the message read. “We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!”
A few hours later, early on Sunday morning, TikTok’s services suddenly came back on with a new message welcoming users back to the app and thanking President Donald Trump for his promise to suspend the ban after his inauguration.
For Ricardo Rivera, a Brown College junior, TikTok’s revival was great news.
“I may have been the first one back on the platform,” Rivera said. “I saw a Tweet that they were unbanning it, so I was refreshing it every few minutes to see how to get back on.”
Rivera is one of many Rice students who use TikTok to keep up with friends and for entertainment.
In addition to dance routines and comedy skits, some users, like MyCo Le, see TikTok as a way of learning about what’s happening in the world.
“I do get a lot of my information from there, but I know to be wary of what I consume on TikTok, because obviously you can’t believe everything that you see online,” Le, a Baker College senior, said. “I probably wouldn’t have even known it was going to get banned if I didn’t even see it on TikTok.”
Instagram has Reels, YouTube has Shorts and Snapchat has Spotlight, but Martel College sophomore Audrey Witherspoon said none of TikTok’s competitors really measure up.
Editor’s Note: Audrey Witherspoon is the Thresher’s distribution and office managers.
“TikTok allows for people to post things without social stigma,” Witherspoon said. “I would never post something onto Reels because everyone I know follows me.”
“TikTok has a really great algorithm … but Reels doesn’t have an algorithm that makes me want to stay on it for longer,”
Witherspoon
continued.
Priya Armour, a Sid Richardson College junior, creates college lifestyle videos that have amassed over 30 million views and garnered her over 300,000 followers on TikTok.
Much of Armour’s content is about her life as a pre-med student at Rice, and she often makes videos giving advice to prospective students applying to college.
CHI PHAM THRESHER STAFF
Over a decade ago, Melissa McDonnell Luján ’10 was tasked with redesigning the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston as one of her Rice Architecture studio assignments. Now, after she was appointed the museum’s co-director earlier this month, she’s designing CAMH’s future.
“When I was hired for this job, I just kept remarking to my Rice alumni friends and a couple of my studiomates that … now my student project at Rice is my professional project,” Luján said. “It was certainly a project that has left an impression.”
Before settling in Houston, Luján’s life spanned continents and coasts. Raised in a military family, she moved frequently across the country and spent part of her childhood in Japan before eventually settling in Austin. She began her undergraduate studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and later attended Central Saint Martins University of the Arts in London.
Yet Luján said she didn’t grow up around art or design. Instead, her interest in art began during her freshman year of high school when a Spanish teacher introduced her to Latin American artists. Her fledgling passion deepened after encountering the works of artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Frida Kahlo during a visit to the Museum of Modern Art at age 16, which she said left a significant impression. Soon afterward, a career in design — which she was drawn to as a form of applied art — became clear, she said.
What was really exciting about Rice is that when I came to the open house, the students were so welcoming and we had a lot of fun.
Melissa McDonnell Luján RICE UNIVERSITY ’10
“The pragmatic side of me really appreciated [design],” Luján said. “I wanted the things I was making to have purpose and … the Fashion Institute of Technology just really opened up my world to the types of design. I ended up in a program that was called [Retail] and Exhibition Design [and] ... worked for Bergdorf Goodman through college doing store windows.”
After graduating from Central Saint Martins and moving to Los Angeles, Luján said her then-boss, architect John Kaliski, was the first to encourage her to apply to Rice.
“At the time, I lived in an art warehouse in downtown L.A. and … [my landlords] were these architects, and they had just taught a studio at Rice, so they also encouraged me,” Luján said. “What was really exciting about Rice is that when I came to the open house, the students were so welcoming and we had a lot of fun. While all of the programs myself and my friends were looking at were fantastic academically, [Rice] signaled a quality of life that said this is gonna be a place that I’m gonna have friends.”
KONSTANTIN SAVVON / THRESHER
Lee, a
Rice College senior,
snowball
FROM FRONT PAGE SNOW DAY
“Seeing snow for the first time made me feel like I was in ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas,” Puckett wrote in a message to the Thresher. “I did all the things I’ve seen the Peanuts characters do throughout my childhood, like walking to school with friends in a flurry of snow, making a snowman and throwing snowballs around at each other. It was a blast.”
Almost a year ago exactly, Rice similarly halted campus operations for “severe winter weather.” And four years ago, a severe winter storm that impacted Houston and left many without power and water.
CenterPoint Communications Manager Michelle Hundley told ABC13 that this year, CenterPoint Energy brought in more employees and contractors in anticipation of the storm. The company also updated its online power outage map, she said. ABC13 later reported that Tuesday saw approximately 3,000 outages across southeast Texas.
Many students spent their day off outdoors, sledding in Hermann Park or building snowmen outside of their colleges. In the late morning, students flocked to the academic quad for a campus-wide snowball fight, which ended with possible disciplinary action.
Rice University Police Department officers arrived after groups of students went to the rooftop of Lovett Hall — at least nine students were on the roof at once, according to a drone photo from university.
“RUPD received a concerned call earlier today about a group of students being on top of the roof of Lovett Hall and sliding down it,” police chief Clemente Rodriguez wrote in a statement to the Thresher. “Officers responded, took the names of the students, and referred them to [Student Judicial Programs].”
We were stressed because it was unclear how seriously RUPD viewed the situation, and it put a damper on a fun snowy morning.
Anonymous Student
A student who was on the roof with a friend confirmed that RUPD, upon arrival, took their names and information. The student requested anonymity due to a potential ongoing investigation.
“RUPD gathered students at the top of the stairs, just inside the window used to reach the roof. Two RUPD officers took photos of everyone’s student IDs and let them leave one at a time,” the student wrote to the Thresher.
“We were stressed because it was unclear how seriously RUPD viewed the situation, and it put a damper on a fun snowy morning.”
“It’s important that we all stay safe, especially during extreme weather days,” Rodriguez wrote.
New AI major proposed for fall 2025
ABIGAIL CHIU
THRESHER STAFF
The Faculty Senate will vote on a possible AI major Feb. 5, proposed by Rice’s Committee on the Undergraduate Curriculum. The program has been in development within the computer science department since Spring 2024, and if approved, could be offered as soon as Fall 2025.
Karlianna Kapche, a Duncan College freshman and undergraduate representative in the CUC, said the proposed degree will be a Bachelor of Science, a distinct major in the computer science department. The timeline depends on the voting outcome from the Faculty Senate, and current freshmen could likely still declare this major, said Vicente Ordóñez-Román, an associate computer science professor and CUC member.
If the major is approved, Rice will join similar institutions — the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology — that have developed incorporated AI programs of study.
Neha Rajesh, a computer science major, said she would be interested in potentially majoring in AI. The industry is rapidly expanding, she said, and the major would allow students the opportunity to “specialize in a field that is essentially shaping the future of our world.”
“I think it is very important for students to not only gain the technical skills this major would have to offer but also to be able to understand the ethical challenges that come with the development and use of AI,” Rajesh, a Martel College freshman, wrote in an email to the Thresher.
Though classified under the computer science department, AI would be a separate program, rather than a concentration of the existing computer science major. However, Ordóñez-Román said he would encourage AI majors to take at least one 300-level class from the computer science course requirements to complement their AI education.
Our future resides in today’s young people.
Bernie Banks DOERR INSTITUTE DIRECTOR
The proposed AI major reflects an increasing demand for large language model and machine learning classes at Rice, Ordóñez-Román said.
“Even in my own class this semester, COMP 646: Deep Learning for Vision and Language, which is an advanced graduate course that at most counts as an elective for some programs, there are 35 undergraduate students out of a total of 140 students registered,” Ordóñez-Román wrote.
“If we want to do it right, we have to acknowledge that AI has grown into its own discipline. As a result, there are some foundational topics that would also be needed early into the program that would not allow for a concentration,” OrdóñezRomán wrote. “Personally, I think it would be possible to offer a concentration for students who want to take this path but it would still not be the same as majoring in Artificial Intelligence.”
Under the proposed major, AI classes would overlap with some introductory computer science courses, while also incorporating ethics — co-developed with the philosophy department — and cognitive psychology classes, OrdóñezRomán wrote.
“We have some [existing] classes in artificial intelligence and machine learning offered sometimes as electives but we still plan to develop new versions of these classes that reflect a unified program and offer them more consistently,” Ordóñez-Román wrote.
Kapche said the proposed major “sounds like Rice is acknowledging how the world is running today,” and ensuring its graduates do the same. Ordóñez-Román expressed a similar sentiment.
“[AI’s] history is as long as the history of computer science itself. We do acknowledge, however, that there have been some recent advances that have sparked renewed interest in artificial intelligence,” Ordóñez-Román wrote. “An AI major is timely and would provide Rice students another path to be leaders in industry, academia and government.”
Rice reflects on leadership at MLK vigil
Rice held a vigil to commemorate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jan. 19.
The vigil, held in Kraft Hall, included a reception, followed by a series of talks from Rice professors. The Rice Black Men’s Association and Multicultural Community Relations, within the university’s Office of Public Affairs, helped organize the event.
The vigil began with opening remarks from Trey McCray, president of the Rice Black Men’s Association, and a performance of “Lift Every Voice” from Kiana Day Williams. A speech was then given by President Reggie DesRoches. He was then followed by keynote speaker Bernie Banks, the director of the Doerr Institute of Leadership. Banks then had
a fireside chat with Sherwin Bryant, the director of the Center for African and African American Studies, who served as the moderator. Closing it all out was a poem by Houston Youth Poet Laureate and Sid Richardson College junior Avalon Hogans.
DesRoches said that he appreciated the student and community engagement in the event.
“Sunday night’s MLK Jr. Vigil at Rice was a deeply moving tribute to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s enduring legacy of leadership, resilience and community,” DesRoches wrote in an email to the Thresher. “I am proud of our students for asking such thoughtful questions and for members of the Rice Black Men’s Association and the Office of Public Affairs’ Multicultural Community Relations team for hosting and organizing this wonderful event.”
In his speech, Banks spoke about Dr. King’s message on advocacy, especially looking towards the future.
“The core to Dr. King’s movement was educating people on the things that were transpiring around them, that they thought they had no active role, but that their indifference was actually weakening the fabric of society,” Banks said during the vigil. “Our future resides in today’s young people. Will we challenge them to challenge convention, or will we say, hold the line, don’t let anything change on your watch.”
Ariah Richards, a McMurtry College senior, said she enjoyed attending the event and thinking of the legacy of Dr. King.
“I grew up in Houston, and normally on MLK Day, I would go to a prayer breakfast at my church,” Richards said. “So when I saw they had a vigil this weekend, I really wanted to go. I really enjoyed it, because it reminded me of what [Dr. King] stood for in terms of leadership and service.”
McMurtry senior Julian Riley said that the event also had him reflecting on Dr. King’s resilience as a leader.
“It takes a lot of power — and that doesn’t just pertain to civil rights, that could be in everyday facets of our life — is just being able to stand up for what is right,” Riley said. “That takes a lot of strength, especially when the people that are saying what is wrong are in positions of power, whether it be the majority or literally a position of power above you.”
The vigil was held a day before the national holiday on Monday, Jan. 20. The holiday this year is the same day as the Presidential Inauguration Day. Richards said that the two happening on the same day presented larger questions about leadership.
“You see the dichotomy of a leader that really led in love versus a leader that seems to be leading in greed,” Richards said. “Things always coexist in the same space, and it’s up to us to decide what side we want to be on.”
NDIDI NWOSU / THRESHER
VIOLA HSIA ASST. NEWS EDITOR
COURTESY RICE UNIVERSITY Students have a moment of silence for Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rice breaks university records for voter participation
College 12 selects part of staff leadership
Rice has been recognized by the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge as one of 2024’s most engaged campuses. Harris County precinct data indicates a record number of 1,399 ballots were cast from students and employees living on campus.
This represents an 18% and 35% increase from the 2020 and 2016 elections, respectively. The total number of on-campus registered voters increased a similar 17% to 2,419.
These totals don’t include the 30% of Rice students who live off campus, or the percentage of Rice students who voted in other states.
The rise in civic participation comes after efforts by Rice Votes, Fondren Library’s Kelley Center for Government Information, the Center for Civic Leadership, the Baker Institute for Public Policy and other student organizations who promoted civic education, voter registration and engagement. Katherine Jeng, the student engagement chair for Civic Duty Rice, said she, Solomon Ni and Olivia Roark campaigned for a non-instructional election day.
women and non-binary individuals in politics.
According to IGNITE presidents Carmine Steiner and Aleena Ahmad, the organization was a key collaborator for election day events including the block party as well as the results watch party, which extended from 7 p.m. into the early morning.
“The watch party was pretty much filled — like all of Sid Richardson College commons,” Steiner said. “All of our food was eaten and it was really fun to just sit down in an area where everyone was anticipating the results and talking with their friends.”
Steiner, a McMurtry College sophomore, said she witnessed civic engagement efforts expand across campus during her time as a student, including IGNITE’s recent establishment.
It was really important to us that not only do we get this day off, but the stipulations with the staff and admin were that we had to show them why we needed the day off. To that end, we organized the block party.
“It was really important to us that not only do we get this day off, but the stipulations with the staff and admin were that we had to show them why we needed the day off,” Jeng, a Hanszen College senior, said. “To that end, we organized the block party.”
The block party, organized by Jeng, Roark and Sid Richardson College president Akshay Sethi, took place on Election Day from noon to 4 p.m. in the academic quad and featured voting information, food, campus and community organizations and even a bouncy castle.
Rice IGNITE, a local chapter of IGNITE National, is
Partisan groups, including the Rice Young Democrats and the Rice University College Republicans, were also active in promoting participation on campus.
The RUCR hosted an election day watch party while the RYD engaged students by phone banking, door knocking, and attending rallies.
RYD co-presidents Sammi Frey and Benjamin Kagan said they’ve made conscious efforts to reinvigorate the organization and to engage with Rice’s Democratic community.
“We’ve knocked on doors and been to dorms all across campus,” Frey, a Hanszen College sophomore, said.
“We’ve asked to see if people have plans to vote. We have lots and lots of merch that we’ve been giving out.”
“I do feel that we were successful in engaging students and getting students enthused about some of these Democratic candidates,” Kagan said.
“Obviously, they didn’t win, but we did do our part in helping
Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced the magisters and one resident associate Jan. 4. for the upcoming College 12, set to open fall 2026. In the email, Gorman also announced the establishment of a college 12 website and founding committee.
Luis Duno-Gottberg, one of the magisters for College 12, previously served as the founding magister of Duncan College when it opened in 2009.
He described the experience as highly rewarding and a highlight of his personal and professional life.
“In that role, I saw myself as a facilitator, someone who helped create the conditions for people to come together, share their ideas and collectively imagine what a new community could look like,” DunoGottberg wrote in an email to the Thresher. “It was an extraordinary opportunity to help build something meaningful from the ground up.”
DunoGottberg said that he decided to become a magister for College 12 to provide a space for fostering students’ personal and intellectual growth.
opinions and the experience they bring from their home colleges will influence the creation and establishment of a unique College 12,” Gorman wrote in an email to the Thresher. “While we are excited to have the magisters and an RA in place to support this endeavor, the work of the founding committee will largely be done by students.”
College 12’s first RA, Tamara Jones, will be moving from her position as an RA for McMurtry College. She said her time at McMurtry was a transformative experience.
“In my time at McMurtry, I helped students launch the McMurtry Black Caucus, the first and strongest residential college-based affinity group, and I helped establish McMurtry’s presence on social media through our first official Instagram account,” Jones wrote in an email to the Thresher.
In a world where young people are constantly navigating complex pressures and demands, colleges can serve as places-spaces where they are supported in developing resilience, creativity, solidarity and a lifelong love of learning.
Luis Duno-Gottberg
COLLEGE 12 MAGISTER
“I am thrilled to be part of the process of collectively imagining a new community,” DunoGottberg wrote. “The opportunity to contribute to the well-being and intellectual growth of students is both a privilege and a profound responsibility. In a world where young people are constantly navigating complex pressures and demands, colleges can serve as places-spaces where they are supported in developing resilience, creativity, solidarity and a lifelong love of learning.”
While Duno-Gottberg said he views the magister’s role as a facilitator of dialogue and collaboration, he said he does not want his vision to dominate College 12’s principles.
“As a member of this academic community, I am particularly committed to fostering democratic practices, empathy and solidarity as foundational elements of our work,” Duno-Gottberg wrote. “These principles are not just ideals; they are tools for creating an inclusive and supportive environment where students can thrive and learn to engage thoughtfully with one another.”
Gorman said that the founding committee will contain mostly students.
“Our hope is that student voices and
“I have seen new traditions start and fizzle out or take hold and become a pillar of college culture … I also have working relationships with all of the core teams across campus due to my various roles and have heard a lot of their experiences,” Jones wrote. “Being able to think about culture, tradition, and community in a new and fresh way is such a unique opportunity and I’m so excited for this next adventure.”
Jones said College 12 will be established at a unique time in Rice’s history, but also hopes that its location will help it mesh with other South Colleges.
“College 12 has the benefit of learning from old and new colleges, and will have the distinct history of being the first college built after the peak of a global pandemic,” Jones wrote. “I often say that living on the North side of campus is like living in the quiet countryside, and the South is like the city. I’m sure there will be ample opportunities to explore, socialize and connect between the other South Colleges.”
Kef Nkosi said that while he is sad to see Jones leave her position as a McMurtry RA, he appreciates what she’s done for the community.
“She’s definitely made me feel welcomed and included because she’s kind of like a mom away from home. She doesn’t scold me about certain things, like maybe my actual mom would, and she’s just supportive and finds a lot of my antics comical,” Nkosi, a McMurtry sophomore, said. “Honestly, I’ll miss her, even though she’ll just be some buildings away.”
SIMON LETON FOR THE THRESHER
HENNING LARSEN | KIRKSEY ARCHITECTURE / OBTAINED BY THE THRESHER
PHOEBE SCHOCKET / THRESHER Students pick up presidential candidate posters at the Election Day block party Nov. 5. The block party commemorated Rice’s first non-instructional Election Day.
HONGTAO HU THRESHER STAFF
Report reveals Rice’s lobbying firm’s ties to fossil fuel interests
Rice’s cancer research and sustainability goals are hypocritical to its use of a lobbying firm associated with fossil fuel interests, according to a recent report by environmental group F-Minus.
The report, titled “Hypocrisy 101,” and published Jan. 14, highlights that Cornerstone Governmental Affairs, the lobbying firm that Rice uses, also represents four fossil fuel companies in Texas, including Vistra, its subsidiary Luminant Generation Company and the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association, a trade organization representing the oil and gas industry operating in the Gulf Coast.
The report points out apparent conflicts in Rice’s aims, such as the $45 million awarded to Rice researchers by an agency within the Department for Health and Human Services. The award funded research into implant technology to decrease cancer-related deaths. Some of LMOGA’s member companies operate in Louisiana’s “cancer alley,” where census tracts experience cancer rates up to seven times higher than the national average.
Nathan Cook, senior director of
government relations for the office of public affairs, did not comment specifically on Cornerstone’s association with fossil fuel interests.
“Cornerstone Government Affairs supports our nonpartisan government relations efforts to advance Rice’s legislative priorities,” Cook wrote in an email to the Thresher. “The relationship and work adhere to all conflict of interest and public reporting policies.”
The report detailed other such “conflicts of interest” in Rice’s sustainability goals. The report wrote that in 2022, Rice announced its plan to become carbon neutral by 2030. Vista, one of the clients of Cornerstone, emitted 98.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from produced and purchased electricity in 2021.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to global warming.
In states with more extensive lobbying disclosure than Texas, F-Minus found examples of universities’ lobbying firms, lobbying against university or research interests on behalf of other clients.
For example, the report details a Stanford University report that warned of the risk of gas stoves which helped convince the California
State Assembly to pass a bill requiring health warnings on gas stoves. Stanford’s own lobbying firm, on behalf of Southern California Gas, lobbied against the bill, which was then vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Texas, unlike some other states, does not disclose bill numbers or bill positions for its lobbying, and, according to F-Minus, does not have an entirely clear disclosure system for lobbyist compensation. James Browning, executive director of F-Minus, said that the lack of evidence for such instances in Texas does not necessarily mean that they are not occurring.
For all the good Rice can do with the $45 million grant for cancer research that it received in 2023, it is choosing to give its good name and its money to firms whose clients are contributing to a climatecancer crisis.
Thresher. “And in [Texas,] the company’s Martin Lake Coal Plant is a leading emitter of mercury and sulfur dioxide pollution. And finally, it’s important to note that fossil fuels are responsible for exposing people to carcinogens from extraction sites, compressor stations, and from gas stoves.”
James Browning EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF F-MINUS
“Even without bill numbers, Cornerstone clients like the Louisiana Midcoast Oil and Gas Association are extensively exposing people to carcinogens in [Louisiana]’s Cancer Alley,” Browning wrote in an email to the
Browning said that F-Minus’s research was inspired, in part, by student, faculty and donor pressure to cut ties with fossil fuel interests. He cited the University of Washington’s 2022 decision to exit direct fossil fuel investments as an example.
“So for all the good Rice can do with the $45 million grant for cancer research that it received in 2023, it is choosing to give its good name and its money to firms whose clients are contributing to a climate-cancer crisis,” Browning wrote.
Rice physicists prove existence of ‘paraparticles,’
previously thought impossible
PRASI DESAI SENIOR WRITER
A Rice physics professor has proven the existence of particles that were long thought impossible. Kaden Hazzard and his former graduate student, Zhiyuan Wang, presented their findings in a Jan. 8 Nature publication.
It was previously believed that all fundamental particles fall into only two categories, fermions and bosons, according to Andrew Long, a Rice professor specializing in theoretical particle physics. Electrons and protons are fermions, while photons are bosons, the two fundamental categories of subatomic particles. This maxim is so widely accepted, he said, that it is practically a “guiding principle” in physics.
they cannot be reformulated as bosons or fermions.”
The particle statistics model used to make this claim is known as parastatistics. In their research, Wang and Hazzard worked to refine this model and theoretically demonstrate the existence of paraparticles.
“The idea that you can have new particle statistics, that’s really the novel thing in this paper,” Hazzard said.
[I was] super bored at home, so I worked on a weird mathematical problem to entertain myself. I found a very strange and exotic solution to that problem, and when I interpreted it physically, the idea of parastatistics appeared.
Zhiyuan Wang FORMER GRADUATE STUDENT
The existence of ‘paraparticles,’ a debated outlier that doesn’t belong to either category of particle, was first proposed in 1953, Long said. However, further work in the 1970s debunked that claim, concluding that these paraparticles were just another form of bosons and fermions.
“The ground-breaking work of Wang and Hazzard casts paraparticles in a new light,” Long wrote in an email to the Thresher. “They argue that paraparticles can exist as emergent quantum particles, and that
Wang, a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Germany and the first author of the paper, said the idea first came to him in 2021 during his doctoral degree, at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“[I was] super bored at home, so I worked on a weird mathematical problem to entertain myself,” Wang wrote in an email to the Thresher. “I found a very strange and exotic solution to that problem, and when I interpreted it physically, the idea of parastatistics appeared.”
Initially, Wang said his idea was met with skepticism from others, including Long and Hazzard.
“I liked to think about experiments, be very practical, and [Wang] convinced me that there was some virtue to looking at fancy math when it’s appropriate,” Hazzard said. “It reinforces the idea that you should be really open-minded when a student tells
you something that sounds wrong.”
In order to realize their theory, Wang and Hazzard said they employed advanced mathematical tools such as Hopf algebra, group theory and Lie algebra. According to Hazzard, he had to learn much of this math over the course of the project.
“[These results] further strengthen my belief in the power of mathematics in describing and uncovering laws of nature,” Wang wrote.
While the existence of paraparticles has been proven theoretically, Wang hopes to ultimately observe them in experiments.
According to Long, he is optimistic about the experimental realization of paraparticles, although there is work to be done to merging parastatistics with relativity — another central tenet of physics.
“I’d be willing to bet that an experimental confirmation of paraparticles is not too far away,” Long wrote. “The theory work by Wang and Hazard is helping to pave the pathway to discovery.”
Similar research could prove useful in the quantum information space, according to Wang.
“[Paraparticles] enable a secret communication protocol in which two parties with paraparticles can communicate over long distance … without them ever coming close to each other, and without them leaving any trace that could be detected by a third party,” Wang wrote.
Mustafa Amin, a theoretical cosmologist and physics professor, said astrophysics and cosmology are another space where these particles could be studied. In particular, he is interested in seeing if dark matter particles, which make up the majority of the universe, obey parastatistics.
“Guided by the novel work in this paper, the cosmological implications of particles obeying parastatistics would be fun to work through,” Amin wrote in an email to the Thresher.
GUILLIAN PAGUILA / THRESHER
JAMES CANCELARICH ASST. NEWS EDITOR
EDITORIAL
Consider ethics while designing AI major
From a little-known concept among researchers to generating summaries with every Google search, artificial intelligence’s accessibility has skyrocketed over the past decade. However, its innovation comes at a cost. Training ChatGPT-3 was estimated to generate 552 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, more than the emissions of 559 flights from London to New York. Artificial intelligence can also steal from artists and reproduce racist biases from its data sets.
These concerns are more relevant than ever with the new artificial intelligence major, which could be selected by students as soon as the fall of 2025.
Students studying artificial intelligence should be aware of these ethical issues, and we’re worried that these concerns won’t be kept in mind by a department that currently requires only one ethics class for its computer science major.
To be clear, we recognize the need for this new major. AI has the potential to better the world — or, at least, a whole lot of students’ academics. Many students will enter a workforce where the demand for AI and machine learning specialists is forecasted to grow by 80% in the next five years.
The AI major will be more ethics-minded and interdisciplinary than the computer science major, with required cognitive psychology and ethics classes to be developed with the philosophy department. However, while the AI department is still fleshing out the curriculum, we advocate for a focus on ethics, developing courses in
A degree teaching students how to build neural networks is great, but a degree studying AI’s place in a responsible society would be best.
consultation with humanities departments or even offering an AI ethics concentration within the major. A degree teaching students how to build neural networks is great, but a degree studying AI’s place in a responsible society would be best.
The curriculum of many AI majors available at other universities are similar to
Rice’s model, requiring one ethics class and one cognitive psychology class from a list of approved options. However, we would urge the AI department to ensure these required ethics classes are actually about ethics; MIT, which offers an artificial intelligence and decision making major, allows students to fill their ethics requirement with classes such as Advances in Computer Vision that, based on their course description, are not principally focused on ethics.
Recognizing AI as a course of study also opens up the opportunity to implement AI classes for non-majors. AI writing isn’t always the best, with its propensity to overuse certain phrases and decrease authenticity. How about a FWIS that teaches students how to use AI responsibly and avoid its common pitfalls? Or a linguistics class that studies the features and limitations of large language models?
When the world changes, Rice must adapt. A strong emphasis on the ethics of AI will position AI majors to be not only attractive employees but also responsible citizens. The new AI degree is a step in the right direction, but with all new inventions, we feel that it should be an ethical one.
Students should prioritize American patriotism
Editor’s Note: This is a guest opinion that has been submitted by a member of the Rice community. The views expressed in this opinion are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of the Thresher or its editorial board. All guest opinions are fact-checked to the best of our ability and edited for clarity and conciseness by Thresher editors.
A threat to American values has grown rapidly in recent years: the anti-war movement’s shift to an anti-military stance, calling for divesting from, and in effect dismantling, the defense industrial base. The hyperbolic language found here should alarm Rice students because the U.S. military needs those same companies to develop critical technologies in the functioning of U.S. defense.
The shift is evident in university culture. A growing number of young adults, particularly at prestigious institutions, now oppose American involvement abroad.
The Rice Coalition for Liberation advocated “undermining the economic and political structures supporting the apartheid state of Israel’s actions and reducing the financial viability of its military operations.”
The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee made a stronger claim blaming Israel entirely. The recentlyfailed S.REF 02 at Rice, which asked that Rice “disentangle its endowment from the web of colonial warfare” by divesting from companies and institutions that profit from the “U.S.-Israel war machine,” promoted a negative sentiment against the U.S. as an imperialist nation.
Student Association President Jae Kim wrote a letter stating “50%+ voted in favor” and suggested he would emphasize this support to “further conversations” in meetings with administration. However, with only 38.6% of students voting, this represents a vocal minority of less than 23% of the total student body — just 1,069 of 4,776 undergraduates.
CORRECTIONS
I speak to the remaining 3,707 undergraduates. Together, we must reclaim our patriotism. We should reject the activities of groups like Students for Justice in Palestine, whose umbrella organization has advocated in a now-deleted message on X for the “collapse of the university structure and American empire itself.” We owe America, which provides the privilege of attending institutions like Rice, our gratitude.
Abraham Lincoln famously stated “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”
While this rings true, the current threat appears as follows: a house united to tear down its own structure will surely fall. SJP’s campaign against U.S. military actions indicates a push for dismantling the foundations of freedom, pluralism, welfare, rationalism and, of course, defense that have kept this nation strong.
I grieve the death of patriotism apparent in the 1,069 peers who seemingly declared themselves anti-military when they voiced their support for divestment from Lockheed Martin and other companies who supply the U.S. and Israeli militaries with weapons and non-lethal materials. They seem more concerned with opposing colonialism than preserving freedom. To stand with strength for freedom, we need our military.
We show our loyalties in challenge, not ease, and I will not sacrifice freedom in the name of opposition to perceived imperialism.
To those who voted to pass S.RES 02, is the defense industry only a “war machine,” and not also a critical means of credible deterrence? The empowered American military dispels attacks against us and our allies by adversaries like Iran. Defending liberty is a constitutional principle, and America has a responsibility to defend both its own people and citizens of allied nations.
Timely delivery of weapons technology by the defense industry prevents emboldened aggression. Job seeking students at Rice should recognize that hopes of disbanding the U.S.-Israel military partnership through
In “Sarofim Hall on track for August 2025 opening,” the photographer was Konstantin
pulling funding from associated programs could have jeopardized graduate fellows, DOD-funded research, internships and other professional opportunities.
Most Rice students aim to secure a solid career and provide for their families. That is the essence of the American Dream, which relies on a stable, prosperous America. To the 3,707 Rice students who voted against referendum #2 or did not vote at all, I call on you to reaffirm your patriotism. As we seek jobs at companies which the American environment nurtured, we ought to nurture the foundations of America ourselves.
Let’s show that anti-war, and by extension, anti-American sentiment is a fringe view within Rice, not the majority. Let’s show our gratitude for an America that makes possible the existence of a prestigious university like Rice. Let’s unite to preserve Western values at Rice.
A house like America, standing strong through deep division, deserves an uproar of unity to protect its beacon of freedom. I have relied on Lincoln here, and strongly recommend readers do the same on Feb. 17, the upcoming Presidents’ Day. Rather than merely taking the day off for leisurely fun, I encourage engaging with the textual tradition enclosed in Lincoln’s great speeches and letters to revitalize your patriotism.
Job seekers, especially the young adults at Rice, can show gratitude by dedicating time to public service, not limited to the military. Though only 1% of the population serves, aiding Teach for America or working at National Park Service would nurture the foundations of this house, our house, America.
Jacob Kasner BROWN COLLEGE SENIOR
4801
Email: thresher@rice.edu
Website: www.ricethresher.org The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA, CMA and CMBAM.
Copyright 2024 ricethresher.org
Savvon, not Owen Button.
Students from Los Angeles process wild res, destruction and rebuilding
a Duncan sophomore, said. She, too, eventually received an evacuation notice.
Wren Kawamura woke up at approximately 5 a.m on Jan. 8 to a loud, piercing, emergency alert. Her family has lived in La Cañada, Calif., for over a decade. They were in the path of the Eaton re, one of four wild res in the Los Angeles area killing over 27 people over the last week, although the o cial death toll is unknown.
“I went to the kitchen to grab some [valuables] and the mountain that you can see from my kitchen window was completely on re,” Kawamura, a Duncan College senior, said.
As they quickly gathered their pets and most important belongings, Kawamura said she was contemplating the unthinkable: losing everything in her home.
“I de nitely started crying,” said Kawamura. “I thought our house was fucked … How do you react when you think your house is about to disappear in a blink of an eye?”
Delaney Miller, a resident of East Pasadena, Calif., rst saw the Eaton re from the freeway. This wasn’t the rst time that Miller had seen a wild re in person, but this time around, she said the speed of the Santa Ana winds was shocking.
“We turned a corner and just saw the mountain on re,” Miller, a Jones College senior, said. “Once we exited the freeway we saw street signs and stop signs bending over, almost parallel to the ground.”
At 9:55 a.m on Jan. 8, Miller received an evacuation warning.
Thankfully, the re did not reach Kawamura’s property. However, many California-based students — including Los Angeles natives — found themselves caught near the Palisades and Eaton wild res and facing evacuation orders, just days before returning to Houston for the spring semester.
“I had set alarms for every hour to wake up just to check on what the re looked like outside my window, or in case another one popped up even closer. The winds were so strong it seemed like smaller res were popping up everywhere,” Gabi Varga,
“Most of the videos I make come from direct requests that people send me,” Armour said. “I’ve had a lot of people text me, like incoming freshmen, on Instagram or TikTok and say, ‘You’re the reason I applied to Rice’ and ‘I got in, and you’re the reason I’m coming to Rice.’”
As for many content creators with large followings on the app, TikTok is a source of income for Armour, who earns commission from an Amazon Storefront linked on her account page. She said the ban could prove harmful to many in uencers’ incomes and careers.
“The people who are enforcing this ban, I don’t know if they’re thinking about the livelihoods of a lot of people who utilize TikTok,” Armour said. “TikTok has been crazy for making money in general, and I feel like a lot of people in the U.S., a lot of in uencers, get their livelihood o of that app.”
Evan Davis, a Sid Richardson sophomore, also touted the app’s economic bene ts and raised concerns about free speech.
“In the interest of having a free market and multiple di erent avenues of free speech, it’s always nice to have more options,” Davis said. “If [TikTok] wasn’t a good option, people wouldn’t use it.”
Senators Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton rst raised concerns about TikTok in a 2019 letter urging the acting director of national intelligence to “conduct an assessment of the national security
and stomped it out,” Foord said. “It was such a scary moment because we realized that if we hadn’t been there to grab it, it could have started another re.”
Ashlyn Zhang, a lifelong resident of the Pasadena area, said that growing up in L.A., people were always aware of the possibility of a wild re. They just never expected to be actually in one.
An emergency alert rang out from her phone. Her family readied for a potential evacuation that — thankfully, Miller said — was never executed.
“We packed all of our bags. I got my high school diploma, pictures and other irreplaceable items and put them in a suitcase too,” Miller said.
While Miller’s family did not have to evacuate, the highstrength winds caused a neighboring tree to fall on Miller’s home.
“My ceiling was caving in and the tree fell directly above my bed,” Miller said. “I was so lucky that I wasn’t at home because I probably would have been sitting in bed.”
Lola Foord, a Brown College senior from South Pasadena, Calif., also said she experienced the re up close.
“My parents and I went for a walk on this nature path close to our house, and there was a piece of burning paper that oated down towards us, in this very dry, bushy area. We literally grabbed it out of the air
risks posed by TikTok and other Chinabased content platforms operating in the U.S.” and calling TikTok a “potential counterintelligence threat we cannot ignore.” Donald Trump attempted to ban the app in 2020, although his ban ultimately failed.
In 2023, following an investigation by the Department of Justice into ByteDance’s surveillance of American journalists, then-U.S. President Joe Biden urged Congress to pass legislation giving the U.S. government more authority to police against possible security threats posed by TikTok and other apps. In April 2024, Biden signed a bill into law forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok within 270 days or have it banned in the U.S.
The ban, upheld by a recent Supreme Court decision, threatens the imposition of civil penalties on Apple and Google app stores if they continue to distribute or update TikTok, as well as internet hosting companies if they keep the app running. The law did not, however, require that TikTok immediately shut down its services for users with the app already installed.
Rice computer science professor Moshe Vardi believes the Chinese government has access to user data via TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, he said. Information about users’ political preferences, location and demographics could be harnessed to target polarizing misinformation at individuals across the country.
“You and I are living a di erent reality. I live in the reality that the internet decides to show me. You live in the reality that the
As the immediate threat of the wild res subsides and evacuation orders are li ed, Angelenos have begun to discuss what went wrong and what comes next. Some of these conversations have frustrated Zhang, she said.
“There’s a narrative going around right now, especially from prominent conservative gures, that have perpetuated the idea that California’s focus on DEI, immigrants and the environment is what inhibited the [Los Angeles Fire Department’s] ability to e ectively ght res,” Zhang, a Hanszen College junior, said. “That’s just ludicrous, in my opinion.”
Foord said a lot of media attention focused on the Palisades re, which a ected a uent neighborhoods home to the Hollywood wealthy — the average household income in the Paci c Palisades is 2.5 times higher than the national average, Niche reports. Still, these conversations o en forget the quieter majority, Foord said.
“People assume that everyone impacted was very wealthy and has re insurance,” Foord said. “But there were also lots of motorhomes destroyed in the Palisades that all burned down, that probably didn’t have re insurance.”
Zhang said an emotional weight was felt across the city, especially as the res destroyed neighborhoods and the loved ones’ houses — “a collective grief and heaviness,” she said.
“I was inspired by how quickly our community came together to disseminate resources and information,” Zhang said. “When I had to leave town to come back to school, that was really con icting for me. I wanted to stay and help my community on the ground.”
internet decides to show you … We can see something completely di erent,” Vardi said.
“We trust the Chinese [government] with our very intimate data. That’s one issue. But also the other side is, can they use it to in uence?” Vardi continued. “If they can undermine our democracy, it’s something we should de nitely be concerned about.”
Armour said she is not worried about data security on TikTok.
“I post content for a living,” Armour said. “If you want my information, that’s ne with me.”
She’s not sure the ban will stay in place for long, but if it does, she and many other in uencers already have another place to go. RedNote, an Instagram-like social media app popular in China, recently moved to the No. 1 place on the Apple app store a er over 700,000 users ocked to the app in preparation for the ban.
Vardi said. “I have colleagues in China … They are using Facebook because they’re using VPN to tunnel under the Chinese internet wall … TikTok can be more subversive.”
Some students said they look forward to a break from TikTok’s addictive algorithm and to the time they will get back a er the ban is put in place.
“Since the semester started, I needed to get on less social media,” Davis said. “If it gets banned, I’ll just cool down for a bit.”
It’s a jungle out there. We have no laws to protect our data.
Moshe Vardi
COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR
“If TikTok goes away, I’m already on RedNote, and most of my favorite creators are already on there, so I’ll just keep scrolling on,” Armour said. Vardi said he isn’t con dent the ban will do much to prevent the most dedicated users from nding their way back on the app.
“Exactly how do you ban TikTok?”
“I feel like ridding my life of TikTok might be good for my productivity,” Le said.
Vardi said the ban sheds light on privacy issues within the U.S. in addition to the national security threat posed from abroad. The U.S. is di erent from China in that the government does not exercise total control over social media companies, but a lack of legislative government regulation surrounding privacy rights is something to worry about.
“One of the things that we have not done in this country is really deal with the heart of the issue, with privacy,” Vardi said. “It’s a jungle out there. We have no laws to protect our data.”
“It’s time to regulate social media,” Vardi continued. “TikTok is just an easy case.”
HUGO GERBICH PAIS SENIOR WRITER
FROM FRONT PAGE TIKTOK
COURTESY DELANEY MILLER
COURTESY DELANEY MILLER Local wild res are seen from Miller’s friend’s backyard. While Miller’s family did not have to evacuate, a tree fell on their home due to strong winds.
Without repeat
Place to surf
Ancient stone tool
Oddball
Governess leaves Thorn eld to go to an orchard for her own preservation
Duke in Twel hNight
Sweet ending?
Biblical boat
___ - mo
Thanks, in Copenhagen
A rmative
Reading is Alimental
saba Feleke makes art you can’t scroll past
Outside saba Feleke’s senior art studio, a large scroll painting hangs on the wall bearing the statement: “My 5-year plan is that a Biblelevel miracle will happen.” The painting is a recreation of a screenshot of a post on Feleke’s Instagram, which itself is a screenshot of a Twitter post — only much larger, they said. It is part of a series of paintings created during Feleke’s summer residency at Project Row Houses through the Floyd Newsum Summer Studios Program.
Other paintings in the series depict similar internet ephemera, such as the ‘go piss girl’ meme and an ad for an online game Feleke reposted on Instagram to intentionally “ op,” they said.
“I’m very interested right now in alternative uses of the internet and also in ways we can use it that aren’t just going to feed into the attention economy and make big corporations money,” Feleke said. “The
[scroll painting] is a physical recreation of a digital object, just to highlight the real and visceral and physical e ects that social media can have on us and the ways these ideas and memes have e ects on the real world. With ‘go piss girl’ in particular, the amount of times that people say ‘go piss girl’ in response to somebody going to the bathroom and … not even know that they’re referencing this digital image.”
Inside their studio, a found-object sculpture using a section of highway railing and metal chain rests against a wall. On a table lie a series of what Feleke calls “glitch paintings,” which are colorful recreations of digital glitches. Taped to the walls are texts that inform Feleke’s practice, including two sets of ten: David J. Getsy’s “Ten Queer Theses on Abstraction” and Corita Kent’s “Ten Rules for Students and Teachers.”
“10 is a good number for rules,” Feleke said. “One of [Getsy’s theses] is ‘Capacity and openness are not the same as ambiguity. Refuse ambiguity.’ … It highlights the ways in
which saying ‘Oh, everything’s ambiguous. Art is just subjective’ [is inaccurate] because I think something that I’ve been learning in my art practice is just that … some choices are better than other choices … you don’t really get a choice into being ambiguous. You’re always choosing something over another thing.”
During the summer, Feleke interned for Meow Wolf’s art team in Houston and worked with YouTuber CJ The X on their Kill The Internet project. Outside of visual art, Feleke said they are passionate about sound, which led them to collaborate with classmate Devin Gonzalez and professor Devin Mays on Sound & Situation, a project exploring sound as an artistic medium.
Editor’s Note: This article has been
CHI PHAM THRESHER STAFF
COURTESY SABA FELEKE
Luján said the former Rice Gallery and Media Center were pivotal to her student experience, recalling fond memories of attending exhibition openings and watching films with friends. At the Rice Gallery, she said she was particularly struck by the architectural elements of Sarah Oppenheimer’s aluminum D-17 installation, which penetrated the entire gallery.
“I loved that … every single exhibition was wildly different,” Luján said. “Having the kind of opportunity to get out of that [rigorous academic] space as a student … in any discipline, and just … have access to the arts, I think is really important.”
Reflecting on her time in the Master of Architecture program, Luján said she most valued the semester abroad at Rice Architecture Paris and the opportunity to collaborate on regionalscale projects with professors.
“We were working in Galveston … Fifth Ward … the Museum District,” Luján said. “I feel like Houston as a laboratory was really present in my education.”
One of Luján’s favorite aspects of Rice is its size, she said.
“[The] scale of the university allowed for you to really create community,” Luján said. “Still, some of my closest friends are from my time at Rice.”
After graduating from Rice, Luján worked for the arts nonprofit Ballroom Marfa while teaching studio classes at Texas Tech University at El Paso. Four years later, Luján returned to Houston
to work for the Menil Collection. As Director of Project Development, Luján played a key role in the construction of the Drawing Institute, which she said is the highlight of her career.
In 2023, Luján joined the leadership team of the Contemporary Art Museum Houston, which she said she was drawn to for its partnerships with living artists.
“There’s no collection, so it’s not beholden to … looking at what’s in the holdings,” Luján said. “It’s really kind of free to look at today’s artists … At [collecting museums], that’s not always the case, because there’s many exhibitions that are with artists that are long since deceased.”
Luján said she also values the museum’s strong ties to the local community.
“CAMH is diverse and inclusive … and I think that reflects in the audience [and] staff,” Luján said. “I was really excited about those aspects because museums … have histories of being exclusive.”
Luján attributes the strength of Houston’s art scene today to the efforts of the previous generation in promoting local art while bringing in international artists.
“We just have a fantastic arts community,” Luján said. “There’s less pressure [against being] experimental and trying things than, like, New York City and other cultural centers. I think that that’s also allowed artists and the cultural community [to] embrace and iterate and test ideas in ways that have really helped Houston evolve.”
Luján said she views her leadership at arts institutions as an extension of her architectural background.
“I still identify as an architect,” Luján
said. “At the Menil, I was very much involved in design. [In] the role that I now have at the [CAMH], I’m over finance and HR … but this would be the same case if you worked in an architecture firm … I see myself as an architect … in [the] conception of the project [thinking], what does this organization need? How … are we going to fundraise for it? How do we collaborate with our staff and community to support this project?”
Under her co-direction, Luján said she envisions a future for the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston that prioritizes collaboration and civicscale projects, including building climate resilience and communal spaces. She said she also hopes to see greater
interaction and “connective tissue” between the city’s cultural institutions.
“The Museum District feels very isolated, that you’re on all these islands,” Luján said. “I would say that’s kind of a dream that we can … have a better pedestrian and multimodal experience.”
Luján said that she encourages Rice students to explore Houston beyond the hedges.
“Be a part of your community [and] city,” Luján said. “You have to experience life. You can’t [just] stay on campus [or] in studio. [Find] ways in your academic career to participate in urban life … It can feel very much like a bubble — getting out and being more in the city is really important.”
Review: ‘The Brutalist,’ while ambitious, is a brutal failure
If there’s anything “The Brutalist” is, it’s ambitious. Following visionary architect László Toth (Adrien Brody) through some thirty years of his life — from his postWorld War II immigration to the U.S. to his struggles with a wildly ambitious project — “The Brutalist” reflects its namesake architectural style: massive, angular and carved out of stone.
As much as it is a film about Toth’s ‘tortured genius,’ it is also a film about the sort of personal processes that go into moments of extreme, ‘humanitydefining’ grandeur.
Yet, the problem with “The Brutalist” is the direction it takes with such a story — it is completely serious and uncritical about everything offered, making it very limited in its purported self-awareness.
The three-and-a-half hour long film is pretentiously segmented into four different parts – “Overture,” “Part 1: The Enigma of Arrival,” “Part 2: The Hard Core of Beauty” and “Epilogue,” not to mention its unnecessary 15-minute long intermission.
“Overture” and “The Enigma of Arrival” concern László’s arrival to America, getting his feet on the ground and the beginnings of his career as a designer for a small familyoperated furniture store in Pennsylvania. In Europe, he was forcefully separated from his wife, Ezsrébet (Felicity Jones) and awaits her arrival while attending brothels and developing a heroin addiction.
However, when a wealthy client Harrison Lee Van Buren (Guy Pearce) takes up an interest in Toth, he is commissioned to design and oversee a massively ambitious, multi-million dollar project — a ‘future-looking’ community center built atop of a hill, in commemoration of Harrison’s late
mother. “The Hard Core of Beauty” follows the development of this project, alongside the mental and professional difficulties Toth faces along the way.
Some of the film’s individual moments are absolutely incredible when taken at face value— undoubtedly, it is stunningly shot and the opening scene is really one for the books.
The problem, however, lies in what it does with the narrative and how it is contextualized. It is a film entirely structured around the trope of the ‘tortured genius,’ but doesn’t do anything to offer an actual critique of why he is tortured and properly address the historical circumstances surrounding his ‘genius.’
It is no secret that Toth is meant to be some generational genius. He is the forebearer of some eternal light of freedom and beauty who, displaced from his own home, arrives at some corrupt land and overcomes his struggles by fixating on his divine skill — architecture, or, to this film, the material foundation of humanity.
It is a film that is entirely about the churning of history and attempts to build a future space of belonging. However, the way in which it argues this as comes off as distinctly reminiscent of Martin Heidegger’s historicity – a rejection of modernity in favor of some lost authenticity, that Toth as a figure literally bearing the torch of some divine authority
is existentially situated in the grand historical-cultural forces of his time.
His genius comes from the fact that, by the irascible force of his intellect, he is carving some eternal destiny and legacy, appealing to precisely the same ‘transcendence’ as the German Romantic tradition.
Likewise, it comes off as ostentatiously masculine, and while there are some attempts to critically self-reflect on the sort of machismo at stake here, it never once reverses upon this: at the end of the day, Toth is just an egoic architect pulling towards some high-romantic, vaguelyWagnerian idyll of human progress and the labor which builds nations and communities, and just that.
The women that surround Toth only exist in relation to him (and for the perverse sake of shock value, as you will see). To the film, they are entirely subordinated to him.
One could make the argument that this is purposeful, and that director Brady Corbet’s vision is one of a representational parlor trick, but even if such was the case, it would pale against the film’s much more vocal thematics.
“The Brutalist” never exposes the guise of hyper-masculinity and instead, in its half-baked attempts at postmodernist self-reflection, opts for the claim that Toth’s phallic fakery is the ‘makery,’ and that there is some substance to a completely totalitarian aesthetic.
The same type of valorous, monumental logic that fuels these frankly corny ideals of truth and beauty is precisely the same one behind a dogmatic nationalism, the sort of self-absorbed genius that creates a repressive and prescriptive vision of what ‘home’ ought to be, marked as holy in the act of creation.
This article has been cut off for print. Read more at ricethresher.org
MAX SCHOLL THRESHER STAFF
A24 FILMS
COURTESY FERNANDA VALERA
FROM FRONT PAGE LUJÁN
Senior Spotlight: Naomi Doron makes citrus-colored connections Review: Mercato
Whether working on a piece for her senior studio class, putting together a zine or doodling with friends, Naomi Doron never stops being creative. For Doron, a Jones College senior studying visual art and cognitive sciences, art extends beyond the actual piece — it’s a way for her to connect with others, she said.
“I’ve been trying to put a lot of my time into finding third spaces and spaces of connection through art,” Doron said. “I think originally it was something I lacked as I came [to Rice] … But I’ve realized there are many ways that you can use art as a way to connect.”
With this in mind, Doron created an unconventional exhibit for her studio art class while studying abroad in Amsterdam.
“During that time period, a lot of the people that I loved … their way of showing love was taking an orange and peeling it and splitting it and handing me a half,” Doron said.
Taking inspiration from this experience, Doron paired oranges with her own drawings for her final exhibition.
“I did a series of drawings and I left a bowl of oranges out, and I wrote a sign that said, ‘Take an orange and split it with a stranger.’ And as people came into the space, they would peel the oranges and share it with the people around them,” Doron said.
democratizing art. It’s not this fancy painting that you have to walk into an institution [and] stand five feet away from it,” Doron said.
This year, Doron centered the RWRC’s zine on the theme “embodiment.” Doron said she often reflects on what it means to be comfortable in your own body.
“When I was little, I had no shame. I was so loud about everything,” Doron said. “I’ve been trying to return to that childhood sense of confidence surrounding body and what it means for your body to fill up space, especially when we’re in the state where your bodily autonomy is at stake and sometimes you don’t feel like you have control.”
Bodily themes have also informed Doron’s own artwork outside of the zine, she said. For Doron’s final critique, she created a piece centered around bodies – both in the creation process and the subject matter.
“I’m working on a little bit of a bigger scale, which means that the process of drawing is really bodily,” Doron said.
When I was little, I had no shame. I was so loud about everything. I’ve been trying to return to that childhood sense of confidence ... and what it means for your body to fill up space.
“The back of the canvas is stories that have been rubbed in over and over and then [in] the front I create these contour drawings of contorted bodies … I think the process of kneading the paper with my hands and getting the motion, and then later bodies coming from it is something that I’ve really enjoyed doing.”
Naomi Doron JONES COLLEGE SENIOR
For Doron, an important aspect of this exhibit was its interactive nature.
“I really liked the idea of a gallery space being activated so it’s not just like a regular museum where you can’t touch the art, and it’s very clinical,” Doron said. “I like the idea of turning it into a space that people can exist and live in.”
Doron appreciates working with zines, or noncommercial magazines, for similar reasons. According to Doron, who is art and zine coordinator at the Rice Women’s Resource Center, zines are another outlet for unconventional connection through art.
“Zines are a form of literature and art that can be so easily slapped together and made and printed cheaply. And it’s
A new Italian-inspired coffee shop and grocery store hybrid has found its home on West University Boulevard. Mercato and Company, according to the cafe’s website, aims to provide customers with “a warm, inviting atmosphere that feels like home” and “a friendly and quaint experience.” When I visited, I was pleased to have these claims confirmed. The delicious food and charming ambiance combined to make Mercato a place I’d want to visit again soon.
When I arrived at Mercato, I took a look around the grocery side before ordering. The shop has several small tables with shelf-stable goods ranging from imported dried pasta and trendy tinned fish to fancy jams and extravirgin olive oil. There were also a few coolers available with cold beverages, cheeses and a small selection of prepared foods.
While the setup of the merchandise was aesthetically pleasing, it was somewhat cramped, making the shop difficult to navigate when it was busy.
Although the shop has a few indoor seats, they were all occupied, and I sat out on the patio. The outdoor seating area is serene compared to the hubbub of the indoors and would be wonderful in early spring when it gets a little warmer. The patio was neat, with organized plants around the edges and sparkling clean tables with white marble tops. Additionally, the food was delivered to the table, which was a nice touch.
Mercato’s cafe has a large selection of offerings, ranging from savory
and Co. delights
sandwiches and charcuterie plates to sweet pastries and crafted drinks.
I started with a matcha tahini latte, one of their signature drinks ($6.75). It was sweet with a strong matcha flavor, accompanied by a touch of nuttiness from the tahini drizzled on top. I also tried a ham and cheese sandwich on a croissant ($13), which was delicious: the mozzarella cheese was perfectly melty and complimented the crisp, buttery croissant. Finally, I ordered a berry tart ($9) which, while not lacking, was certainly overpriced compared to similar options from other stores.
The combined price reached over $30 with tax and tip, making Mercato more of a “once in a while” place to visit instead of a regular study spot.
Another aspect to take into consideration when going to Mercato and Company is that it’s about a mile away from Rice Village. If you’re walking to the cafe from campus, the travel time could be up to 45 minutes.
While the walk itself goes through one of the university area’s beautiful neighborhoods, it’s less pleasant in the sweltering heat or blustery cold. There also isn’t a bus stop located close to Mercato and Company, making a car the only way to quickly get there and back from campus.
Overall, Mercato provides highquality food and experience that’s perfect for when you feel like treating yourself. Its cost and distance are prohibitive towards frequent visits, but the next time you have something to celebrate, consider taking a trip down University Boulevard to reward yourself with a sweet (or savory) treat on Mercato’s sunny patio.
Aiden Li, one of Doron’s friends, said that her appreciation for detail and unconventional forms of connection extends beyond her art.
“[Doron] always has amazing spontaneous activities in life,” Li, a Wiess College senior, said. “Let’s play this drawing game now, [or] go lay in the meadow and enjoy the breezes, the sun, the grass and everything. I think that’s remarkable … I would say it’s a necessity of life.”
Li said that being around Doron has allowed him to become less negative and to appreciate small moments.
“Indulge yourself a little bit in the moment and feel the texture of everything,” Li said. “You really have to feel it. And I think she does, which is why I really admire her.”
COURTESY NAOMI DORON
SARAH MOTTELER / THRESHER
SARAH MOTTELER THRESHER STAFF
LILY HARVEY THRESHER STAFF
Veloci Running celebrates a successful launch party
ANA RIVERA THRESHER STAFF
Cross country runner Tyler Strothman hosted an official launch party for his shoe brand Veloci Running Thursday, Jan. 16. The party at Axelrad Beer Garden in Midtown was both a product debut and a celebration of the journey that brought the brand to life. With friends, runners and customers gathering from across Rice and the greater Houston running scene, Strothman said the night highlighted not just the success of the brand, but the people who made it possible.
“Seeing so many people who have been supportive throughout this journey all in one place meant a lot,” Strothman, a Duncan College senior, said. “It wasn’t just Rice, and it wasn’t just the Houston running community — it was a unique blend of both, which made it even more special.”
The launch party was a chance for Strothman to reflect on the hard work that had gone into making Veloci Running a reality and to pass out the first batch of pre-ordered shoes, he said.
“It was just awesome to finally get the shoes on people’s feet,” Strothman said. “That’s one of the most rewarding aspects of doing this — seeing people put them on, feel comfortable and hear their positive responses.”
The numbers reflect this growing enthusiasm. Veloci Running has already sold about 800 pairs, with 29 stores set to carry the shoes. So far, around eight stores have received inventory, with more shipments planned in the coming weeks.
“Right now, we’re working on getting the shoes onto more shelves and onboarding sales reps to grow our reach,” Strothman said. “I’m probably going to take a road trip soon to help expand our store count.”
The atmosphere at Axelrad was energetic and celebratory, with conversations flowing between familiar faces and new customers.
“I’ve watched Tyler work incredibly hard to bring these shoes to life,” said Lovett College junior Grey Beaubien, an avid runner and one of Strothman’s roommates. “Knowing all the stress, late
nights and determination it took to make the shoes a reality makes each run in them a little sweeter.”
Beaubien preordered the shoes in September, and has worn them on four runs since receiving them at the launch party. Beaubien described the shoes as having “a nice balance of comfort and responsiveness, and great lateral flexibility” and is looking forward to seeing if the shoes help him to avoid soreness as he increases his mileage.
“It’s been a long journey, and seeing people excited about the shoes made it all feel real,” Strothman said. “[The launch party] was a moment to take a step back and appreciate everything that’s happened.”
The excitement from the launch party continued at the Houston Marathon Expo on Jan. 17 and 18, where Veloci Running introduced its products to a wider audience. Many attendees purchased shoes on the spot, and some even wore them for the half and full marathons just days later.
“It was incredible seeing people tag us on social media, saying they had just run a half or a full marathon in our shoes,” Strothman said. “That’s really cool — it shows the trust they have in the product.”
Even with the success of the launch party and early sales, Strothman said he knows there’s still a lot of work ahead.
“It’s just really about keeping that noseto-the-grindstone mindset, being willing to do whatever it takes,” he said. “Whether that’s long road trips to visit stores or staying up late to get shoes out, it’s about making sure we reach more people.”
Despite the fast pace, Strothman said he remains grateful for the journey so far.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” he said. “It was hard to even find time to reflect, but I just feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. This has been an incredible experience, and I love that I get to wake up every day and do work that helps people — even if it’s just in a small way, like making sure they’re comfortable on their runs.”
As Veloci Running gains momentum, its foundation remains rooted in the running community that inspired it.
“Running gave me a sense of belonging,” Strothman said. “With Veloci, I want to give that feeling back to others.”
Meeting Andrew Trinidad: From seventh grade physical education to Division I running
the side of the track because I wasn’t in shape at the time.
RT : How do you balance your classes with track?
Andrew Trinidad, a Duncan College freshman, competes for Rice’s track and field team in sprints and hurdles. He is majoring in business with a concentration in finance.
Rice Thresher : How did you get into track originally?
Andrew Trinidad : In seventh grade, my [physical education] coach recommended I do track and field because I had long legs, and I’ve been doing it since then.
RT : Can you describe one of your earliest track memories?
AT : My earliest memories in track and field were probably puking on
RT : Did track always come naturally to you?
AT : I think the thing that came to me the most naturally was the movement of hurdling.
RT : When did you decide to run in college, and why did you choose Rice?
AT : I wasn’t seriously considering track and field in college until my junior year when I started receiving visitation offers from schools. I chose Rice because the new sprints coaches had prior accolades with evidence showing me he could help me reach my fullest potential. Houston is also close to home and family.
AT : I take all my classes in the morning and head to practice in the afternoon. After that, it’s willpower to finish my work in the evening. Working with my teammates makes it easier to focus.
RT : Who has been most supportive of you while chasing your goals? In what ways have they helped you?
AT : The most supportive people in chasing my goals have to be my family and friends. My family is always there for me and my friends have seen me develop into the athlete I am today.
RT : What is your favorite memory from being on the track team at Rice?
AT : Doing workouts with my teammates are, as of now, my favorite
memories. I’m sure that when we enter this upcoming season, there will be plenty more.
RT : What are your goals for this season?
AT : My goal for this upcoming season is to go sub-14 seconds in the 110 hurdles at the collegiate height.
RT : When you’re not running, how do you spend your time?
AT : When I’m not doing my sport I’m usually out with friends watching television or hanging out in one of their rooms.
RT : What is something that most people don’t know about you?
AT : Most people don’t know that I was classically trained in the violin for six years.
KAIRI MANO / THRESHER
(Above) Duncan College senior and Veloci founder Tyler Strothman talks to a customer on Jan. 16 at the company’s launch party.
KATHLEEN ORTIZ SPORTS EDITOR
KAIRI MANO / THRESHER (Bottom) Lovett College junior April Tong examines a pair of Veloci shoes at Axelrad Beer Garden on Jan. 16.
Doubly disciplined: Filippo Aldrovandi combines music with running
EVIE VU THRESHER STAFF
Music and running were not always Filippo Aldrovandi’s passions. In fact, the now Division I runner and Shepherd School of Music violinist said that it took him until high school to decide he wanted to play music and run at the college level.
Aldrovandi was four years old when he started playing the violin.
“My parents forced me to do it, and I feel like that’s how most people start out on an instrument when they’re really young,” Aldrovandi said. “It was kind of a chore until at some point in high school.”
Much like the beginning of his violin career, Aldrovandi said running was not always a favorite activity.
“I used to not like running at all, but my parents would force me to run every once in a while,” Aldrovandi said. “I did cross country starting in seventh grade, but I didn’t take [running] too seriously until my sophomore year of high school which is when I really started to train seriously.”
When applying to colleges, Aldrovandi favored schools with strong violin programs. Upon applying to Rice and auditioning for Shepherd, he was introduced to Paul Kantor, the Sallie Shepherd Perkins Professor of Violin, who also taught Aldrovandi’s former violin teacher.
“Filippo is actually my grandstudent,” Kantor said. “If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s probably because I invented it.”
Kantor said that his interest in Aldrovandi was piqued by their connection, but he found Aldrovandi’s audition “beautifully prepared.”
Throughout the admissions process, Aldrovandi considered the possibility of walking onto the cross-country team. He
spoke to track and cross country coach Jon Warren and provided him with his times from high school. When Aldrovandi was accepted to Rice to study music and found out he could also run competitively, he said Rice was the obvious choice.
His coursework is mostly violinfocused with the occasional nonmusic class to satisfy the university’s distribution requirements. However, he also has runs and lifts for track throughout the week.
“With Filippo, he’s like a model student,” Kantor said. “He is the closest thing to a trouble-free student I have ever experienced.”
Whenever he’s not running, he’s practicing violin either individually or with his quartet.
“Most of my day is dedicated to music. I try to always put that first,” Aldrovandi said. “But that being said, I’m still super committed to the running part. I think running is one of the easier sports to balance with school just because it’s not as time-consuming as other sports may be.”
Kantor said Aldrovandi manages both commitments equally well, especially as few music students are also varsity athletes.
“It must be a heroic effort, but Filippo makes it look easy,” Kantor said. “I never hear whining. I never hear complaining. I never hear stories or excuses — Well, maybe the time he broke his collarbone, but that was okay.”
Kantor characterized Aldrovandi as modest and dedicated, believing both traits are needed to be successful in the disciplines of running and music.
“The dedication he has from running is reflected in the dedication he has from music and vice versa,” Kantor said. “They’re both athletic events: one using large muscles and one using teeny tiny muscles.”
Aldrovandi said he found violin
Sports Mini #9
performance and running equally rewarding, and more similar than they initially appear.
“[Music is] a powerful way to communicate and express something that you want to say without words to connect with somebody and really touch people,” Aldrovandi said. “Much like running, you put a lot of time into it, and then you have a performance and it goes well or doesn’t go well. Either way, you learn something from it.”
This past fall, Aldrovandi played a nonrequired full recital. There he was able to combine his two interests of running and playing violin. Aldrovandi invited all of his teammates to watch this performance.
“Everybody on the team is super supportive of each other,” Aldrovandi
said. “They filled up two or three rows of the concert hall which was super cool. Their support helps a lot.”
Kantor said he remains impressed with Aldrovandi’s ability to juggle all of his commitments.
“Meeting him casually, you would never imagine him as a super overachiever until you know more of his story. How do you do all that? The academic side, the music side, the sports side – how do you make it all work? Most people can’t,” Kantor said. “I have not yet discovered his ‘secret sauce.’”
Aldrovandi said he doesn’t find the balance difficult.
“There really isn’t that much to it,” he said.
COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS
Filippo Aldrovandi runs in the 2024 American Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships. DIEGO
Have you noticed that recently, many things have been happening all of the time? We connected the dots. We cracked the code. We discovered all of the secrets. And we were kind enough to share them with you.
What is the government weather machine up to?
Snowstorm
Jesus? Symbolism?
TikTok Resurrection
Publicity stunt?
Pub Trivia Cheating Epidemic I Saw a Dead Squirrel in the Road
Tea: clocked Bad omen
1 A.M.
Martel is haunted
Where did he take them?
The drinks take a long timebecause they’re fraternizing
Everyone is training for something right now?
Random closures with no notification -- why?
Should he still get paid for this week?
Vampire Casino? WTF?
Founding of Girls into VC
Why is he in London?
Whatarethey training for? Why do they need to be so strong?
Weirdtimes = occult ritual???
Powerlifting Instagram
What was stolen?
New Tables at
Why are they against the window?Arewe supposedtobe watching out forsomething?
Risky Waitlist Ticket Line Cutting
What do they know that we don’t?
Perch Moments
What is happening here?
??? vibes
Rice Eclipse
Whatisbeing eclipsed? Is Elon Musk involved? WhoisElonMusk?
Whyarethey somad?What aretheymad about?
MAD Wiess Public
The Backpage is the satire section of the Thresher, written this week by Andrew Kim, Will Howley, Charlie Maxson, and Max Scholl and designed by Lauren Yu. For questions or comments, please email pookiebear@rice.edu.
