Moody X-Fest exists because of the Moody Foundation's 2021 $100 million donation for "beyond the classroom" experiences. Brown College senior Sara Davidson, a member of this year's new student advisory committee, warmed up the crowd by rattling off just a few of the programs that money fuels - from Moody Global Fellows to new humanities research grants.

The festival began with a performance from Mariachi Luna Llena, one of five student acts chosen through the festival's new campuswide application.

"Mariachi Luna Llena definitely expanded my horizons … these were very compelling performances," said José Cicerchia, a lecturer in the department of modern and classical literatures and cultures.

Jones College junior Hayne Lim said K-pop dance crew BASYK's performance was a highlight.

"BASYK always puts on such a good performance," Lim said. "I feel like BASYK really fits the Moody vibe because they're really festive and they're all about the visuals and getting everyone's energy up."

BASYK president Hanna Zhang said the team spent months polishing a set that carried over from their Cypher showcase a few weeks prior.

"The energy was really high, really nice, and I think overall, we all were pumped for our last performance of the semester," said Zhang, a Duncan College junior.

For some performers, the quad-sized crowd was a thrilling first.

"I had never performed any of this in front of a crowd before," said Amy Wang, a Kasama performer and Lovett College freshman. "Honestly, [performing] was so fucking fun."

X-Fest veterans arrived armed with a game plan to take advantage of the seven vendors. Duncan junior Amy Lee said visiting Moody X-Fest for the food has become a ritual among her friends.

"It became our tradition to come and grab food … of course, we love free food and to see people around who I would have not run into in my classes and catch up," Lee said. "I've seen people grabbing [food] very strategically, going and grabbing six boxes."

Back in October, 1,560 students ranked potential headliners; bôa topped the list.

Some students said they knew bôa only through the TikTok revival of their 1998 song "Duvet." Martel College sophomore Sarah Tabrez, who voted for the band in the fall because of the song's popularity, said she was thrilled her vote paid off.

"I voted for them in the survey and they're actually playing … I'm so happy," Tabrez said.

Sid Richardson College junior Arjun Surya said he crammed before showtime.

"I have listened to ['Duvet'] before on Spotify…and it's pretty good," Surya said. "I listened to 'Twilight' on the way here just to get my homework done, so I would recognize more than one song."

McMurtry College freshman Stella Shrinsky-de Armas, a self-described longtime fan, staked out the barricade.

"[bôa] played everything I wanted to hear," she said, guitar pick and set list in hand. "'Drinking' is like the best song ever."

bôa vocalist Jasmine Rodgers turned the quad into an interactive experience: she led a "Happy Birthday" serenade for a fan named Kyle and dedicated "Beautiful & Broken" to "anyone that feels a little bit broken but also a little bit beautiful."

Before the inevitable closing song "Duvet", Rodgers teased the audience.

"You've been so deliciously patient," Rodgers said. "[The next song] is called something that we only call it in the U.K., here you call it a comforter."

"Duvet" - bôa's most streamed song - sent phones skyward and voices hoarse. Shrinsky-de Armas said she stood "a foot" from the stage.

"I ascended, it was beautiful," Shrinsky-de Armas said.

Initially unfamiliar with bôa's discography, Collin DeSoto, a McMurtry freshman, said he left with a larger playlist.

"I would say I discovered some new songs today," DeSoto said.

According to Moody X-Fest program manager Andy Osborn, attendance has climbed from an estimated 1,500 in year one to just over 2,000 this year.

"That growth is the best metric of success we have," Osborn said in an email to the Thresher. "Students keep showing up, so we'll keep growing the event with them."

Elijah White, a McMurtry freshman, said the turnout was the best part of the show.

"It's really hard to get some Rice kids out of their caves," White said. "Seeing them actually come out and enjoy themselves was cool."

Amid nationwide threats to research funding, over $10 million of research funding is proposed to be cut at Rice by the government, President Reggie DesRoches said in a KHOU 11 interview. Two-thirds of undergraduate students are involved in research with Rice faculty, DesRoches said.

The program provides funding for up to one year for graduate students, postdocs and research faculty whose federal grants have been terminated or reduced. Costs will be split, with half from the researcher's department and the other half from centralized university sources.

Funds for the Bridge Funding Program will be drawn from several sources, including the Rice endowment, Provost Amy Dittmar said.

"The operating budget provides funds for strategic investments in addition to the ongoing operations," Dittmar wrote in an email to the Thresher. "The centralized bridge funding will be funded as part of the university's strategic investments reflecting the strategic importance of faculty research."

Rice currently withdraws about $400 million or 5% of the university's endowment each year as part of operating expenses, which represents around 40% of the university's operating revenue. About half of this revenue goes to financial aid.

"Bridge funding is intended to be a temporary support mechanism, structured as a cost-sharing partnership among the central administration, school, principal investigator's department and the PI," the Bridge Funding Program website reads.

The university is currently under investigation by the Department of Education for "race-exclusionary practices" in graduate student admissions. If found guilty, Rice could lose access to more federal funding.

Rice has also testified in lawsuits against the National Institutes of Health's proposed funding cuts, and faculty have offered testimony on the value of research funding in Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas, Dittmar said.

The university's Office of Research Development has provided resources for bearing scrutiny, including adding a decision tree for grant seekers to avoid language related to diversity, equity and inclusion that could trigger flags for research funding under the Executive Orders and Funding section of its website.

In addition, the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence is naming a director of communications and projects in free expression, Dittmar wrote.

Academic institutions, particularly the most prestigious private universities, are often cast as the ultimate backstop against threats to civil society, which is precisely why Columbia was so strongly condemned for caving to the Trump administration's demands.

That said, we don't need to look far to see that what universities are presently doing is anything but unprecedented. Rice's own history makes clear the university's long-standing relationship to pressing social and political change: obstructionist at best, active antagonist at worst.

Below are what I identify as three core pillars of how Rice has responded to "inflection point" moments like this one, which I believe are instructive for how we ought to understand these institutions.

#1: Feign helplessness, typically under the guise of "bureaucratic challenges"

Rice administration has cited "the bounds of the law" and "[external] economic headwinds" as reasons for limited support on matters such as international student safety and research funding. The university would love to do more, it purports, but there is simply nothing else that can be done due to factors beyond Rice's control.

This claim is patently false. A recent Thresher editorial mentioned clear actions related to providing legal assistance and protecting private spaces that the university could implement to better support international students. Rice's April 22 message announcing "even more" help merely offers to pay for initial consultations if outside immigration lawyers are needed, while requiring a ticket for the upcoming commencement ceremony is the extent of spatial safety measures.

On the financial side, Rice has been dubbed one of the most "Trump-proof" universities in terms of its institutional capabilities and relative lack of federal reliance. Rice's endowment exceeds dozens of countries' entire GDP; notably, about half of this funding is not restricted by specific usage requirements. As former Vassar College president and economist Catharine Hill wrote to The Harvard Crimson, "In times of crisis some of the normal rules/practices around endowment spending can/should be relaxed. If you do not use reserves for this type of situation, what are reserves for?"

Hiding behind dubious bureaucratic hurdles to avoid bolder action is hardly new. During its desegregation process in the early 1960s, Rice leadership fiddled around with a lawsuit requesting court permission to change the university charter before admitting Black students. Even Rice's then-president Kenneth Pitzer acknowledged this was unnecessary: the charter already granted authority over admissions decisions, and the original text, designating only Houstonians as beneficiaries, had been sidestepped many times prior. Only in this moment of potential social progress did contrived technicalities become a cause for hesitancy.

#2: Use institutional tools to water down the fight for change

What responses Rice has mustered are far from an institutional challenge to the realities of this moment. Outright authoritarian immigration policies have essentially been met with a travel advisory and emails referring community members with questions or concerns to various offices, the usual note about the Wellbeing and Counseling Center tacked onto the end.

Likewise, Rice pats itself on the back for hopping aboard a lawsuit against federal funding cuts, contributing a "lengthy, detailed, and sworn" declaration that would easily fit on a single page of the Thresher.

Rice's track record in the face of injustice over the years is similarly devoid of meaningful subversion. A "Special Presidential Commission" convened after the university refused to allow anti-Vietnam War activist Abbie Hoffman to speak on campus. Records indicate the group never held a single meeting, let alone fostered any tangible changes.

Years later, as the divestment movement during South African apartheid gained momentum, Rice instead adopted the Sullivan Principles, a set of guidelines so feeble the South African government expressed support for the largely symbolic alternative to genuine economic pressure. Opportunities for the university to make a more substantial impact are, through institutional structures, often whittled down to inconsequential tinkering.

#3: All the while, aid and abet the systems attacking social and political freedom

The April 11 statement regarding international students described the barrage of detentions and visa revocations as "unsettling for all of us." At the same time, Rice has taken part in bolstering the immigration policing apparatus that carries out these heinous activities.

Rice was evidently not unsettled when partnering in government-sponsored imaging and compressive sensing research that has "direct application…for military, law enforcement, and border security uses." Rice is also a university partner of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center, a research consortium affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Universities champion an idealistic self-portrayal that, to quote Rice administration, prioritizes "supporting our students, advancing discovery, [and] making an impact in our community and on the world."

That would be ideal: higher education institutions could and should be bulwarks that leverage their place in society to act independently from and counter the ideas and tools of fascism. If history is any indication, such an approach from universities like Rice would be the truly unprecedented part.

In many ways, the current landscape of American higher education is unprecedented. Sweeping cuts to federal research funding, overt government efforts to control academic departments and censor campus protests and arbitrary arrests and visa revocations have rightly been criticized as ushering in the latest iteration of fascism.

Academic institutions, particularly the most prestigious private universities, are often cast as the ultimate backstop against threats to civil society, which is precisely why Columbia was so strongly condemned for caving to the Trump administration's demands.

That said, we don't need to look far to see that what universities are presently doing is anything but unprecedented. Rice's own history makes clear the university's long-standing relationship to pressing social and political change: obstructionist at best, active antagonist at worst.

Below are what I identify as three core pillars of how Rice has responded to "inflection point" moments like this one, which I believe are instructive for how we ought to understand these institutions.

#1: Feign helplessness, typically under the guise of "bureaucratic challenges"

Rice administration has cited "the bounds of the law" and "[external] economic headwinds" as reasons for limited support on matters such as international student safety and research funding. The university would love to do more, it purports, but there is simply nothing else that can be done due to factors beyond Rice's control.

This claim is patently false. A recent Thresher editorial mentioned clear actions related to providing legal assistance and protecting private spaces that the university could implement to better support international students. Rice's April 22 message announcing "even more" help merely offers to pay for initial consultations if outside immigration lawyers are needed, while requiring a ticket for the upcoming commencement ceremony is the extent of spatial safety measures.

On the financial side, Rice has been dubbed one of the most "Trump-proof" universities in terms of its institutional capabilities and relative lack of federal reliance. Rice's endowment exceeds dozens of countries' entire GDP; notably, about half of this funding is not restricted by specific usage requirements. As former Vassar College president and economist Catharine Hill wrote to The Harvard Crimson, "In times of crisis some of the normal rules/practices around endowment spending can/should be relaxed. If you do not use reserves for this type of situation, what are reserves for?"

Hiding behind dubious bureaucratic hurdles to avoid bolder action is hardly new. During its desegregation process in the early 1960s, Rice leadership fiddled around with a lawsuit requesting court permission to change the university charter before admitting Black students. Even Rice's then-president Kenneth Pitzer acknowledged this was unnecessary: the charter already granted authority over admissions decisions, and the original text, designating only Houstonians as beneficiaries, had been sidestepped many times prior. Only in this moment of potential social progress did contrived technicalities become a cause for hesitancy.

#2: Use institutional tools to water down the fight for change

What responses Rice has mustered are far from an institutional challenge to the realities of this moment. Outright authoritarian immigration policies have essentially been met with a travel advisory and emails referring community members with questions or concerns to various offices, the usual note about the Wellbeing and Counseling Center tacked onto the end.

Likewise, Rice pats itself on the back for hopping aboard a lawsuit against federal funding cuts, contributing a "lengthy, detailed, and sworn" declaration that would easily fit on a single page of the Thresher.

Rice's track record in the face of injustice over the years is similarly devoid of meaningful subversion. A "Special Presidential Commission" convened after the university refused to allow anti-Vietnam War activist Abbie Hoffman to speak on campus. Records indicate the group never held a single meeting, let alone fostered any tangible changes.

Years later, as the divestment movement during South African apartheid gained momentum, Rice instead adopted the Sullivan Principles, a set of guidelines so feeble the South African government expressed support for the largely symbolic alternative to genuine economic pressure. Opportunities for the university to make a more substantial impact are, through institutional structures, often whittled down to inconsequential tinkering.

#3: All the while, aid and abet the systems attacking social and political freedom

The April 11 statement regarding international students described the barrage of detentions and visa revocations as "unsettling for all of us." At the same time, Rice has taken part in bolstering the immigration policing apparatus that carries out these heinous activities.

Rice was evidently not unsettled when partnering in government-sponsored imaging and compressive sensing research that has "direct application…for military, law enforcement, and border security uses." Rice is also a university partner of the National Counterterrorism Innovation, Technology, and Education Center, a research consortium affiliated with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Universities champion an idealistic self-portrayal that, to quote Rice administration, prioritizes "supporting our students, advancing discovery, [and] making an impact in our community and on the world."

That would be ideal: higher education institutions could and should be bulwarks that leverage their place in society to act independently from and counter the ideas and tools of fascism. If history is any indication, such an approach from universities like Rice would be the truly unprecedented part.

The men's first addition of the offseason came Thursday when redshirt junior center Stephen Giwa announced on Instagram that he was transferring from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to Rice. Giwa averaged 20.9 minutes, 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds through 27 games this past season.

Two days later, the men's team secured another major commitment from Prairie View A&M University junior guard Nick Anderson, who also announced his decision via Instagram. Anderson started all 12 games he played this past season, averaging 31.6 minutes, 18.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists. During his Dec. 22 game against Rice, he posted season-highs in free throws made (six) and rebounds (10).

Additionally, head coach Rob Lanier's program received a commitment Tuesday from Mount St. Mary's University sophomore guard Dallas Hobbs. He made 26 starts through 30 games last season, averaging 12.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He hit a buzzer-beater shot to increase the Mountaineers' lead during their NCAA tournament game March 19.

The women's team made its first additions since being defeated in the American Athletic Conference championship March 12. Head coach Lindsay Edmonds announced the signings - both transfers from the Atlantic Coast Conference - in a press release April 18.

Sophomore guard Louann Battiston joins the program from Duke University, where she averaged just 3.4 minutes throughout 12 games this past season. Battiston previously played on the Belgium U20 Women's National Team.

Rice also signed freshman center Myah Hazelton from Virginia Tech University. She appeared in eight games off the bench last season, scoring six points and grabbing three boards over 354 minutes. Prior to committing to Virginia Tech in 2022, Hazelton had offers from schools such as Boston College, Harvard University, the University of Mississippi, Syracuse University and the University of Virginia.

Football lands major QB commitment

Rice football added a significant playmaker Friday as quarterback Aiden Smalls committed to the Owls, according to an Instagram post.

Smalls completed 130 of 214 passes for 1,948 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions at Clayton High School in Clayton, N.C., last season. He also rushed 150 times for 1,006 yards and an additional 12 touchdowns on the ground.

Many recruiting databases list Smalls at the "athlete" position, highlighting his versatility on the field. He has played wide receiver before, too, but Rice views him as a quarterback.

Smalls had previously been linked to North Carolina State University, which offered him an athletic scholarship to play quarterback. He also received offers from other Atlantic Coast Conference programs such as Duke University, Boston College and Virginia Tech University.

A member of the 2026 recruiting class, Smalls runs a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, according to his X bio. He was the 2024 Greater Neuse River Conference Offensive Player of the Year and has been designated as a three-star recruit by Rivals.com.

O'Rourke began with a speech covering Texas Governor Greg Abbott's private school voucher bill, Democratic Party failures and President Donald Trump's crackdown on immigration and abortion access.

Speaking on a platform of inclusivity, O'Rourke said the issues he touched are relevant to all Americans, regardless of party affiliation.

"The goal today is not even to promote the Democrats, it is to bring us all together," O'Rourke said in his speech. "If you voted for Donald Trump…I'm glad you came."

RYD co-president Sammi Frey said she felt proud that so many Rice students showed up in support of O'Rourke and the fight for what O'Rourke called a "democracy under trial."

"[O'Rourke] is a very authentic speaker, and I think that he will be able to resonate with the students because he cares so much about what's going on in this country right now," said Frey, a Hanszen College sophomore.

Calla Doh, also a Hanszen College sophomore, took the stage along with several other students to ask questions after the former congressman finished his opening remarks.

"We have this incredible opportunity right now to rebuild, to create new alliances and collaborations across party lines," Doh said onstage. "As we [students] go to our homes or internship locations this summer, how can we be a part of this [rebuilding]?"

Doh, teary-eyed after stepping down from the stage, said seeing Rice students gather on campus to hear O'Rourke speak gave her hope in the face of national turmoil and Rice's apolitical climate.

"There is a lack of political involvement and mobilization on campus," Doh said in an interview with the Thresher. "I think Beto's presence here and the fact that so many students have given up their lunchtime, their classes to be here marks a significant shift."

O'Rourke responded to student concerns around the Trump administration's funding cuts and restrictions on social services like abortion access and transgender healthcare.

"Counterintuitively, count yourself lucky to be alive at this moment of truth," O'Rourke said. "No pressure folks, but we cannot fuck this one up."

Matti Haacke, a senior from Sid Richardson College, said in a comment to the former congressman that he hopes Rice students continue to show up for campus protests and rallies without O'Rourke's "celebrity appearance." Responding to Haacke's statement, O'Rourke said he "couldn't agree more."

"The people turning out here don't turn out to other protests," said Haacke, a Rice Students for Justice in Palestine organizer. "I hope that the calls to fight that we've heard from Beto, from other students, help people feel energized to come out to other things on campus."

One graduate student said they learned of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System terminations through the American Association of University Professors and the Rice Grad Campaign social media posts. SEVIS is an online portal managed by the Department of Homeland Security that tracks a student's immigration status.

A SEVIS termination means students lose all employment authorization and cannot re-enter the US, which also applies to the dependents of graduate students on associated F-2 or M-2 visas.

A SEVIS termination is not the same as a visa revocation. The Trump administration's officials said last week that solely SEVIS terminations, which are the vast majority of cases, do not impact a student's non-immigrant status or equate to a visa revocation on their own.

There is uncertainty around what the implications are for international students, and some students are electing to leave the country rather than be deported or face other legal repercussions.

"Like many other international students on F-1 and J-1 visas, I also experience the threat and reality of visa and SEVIS revocations; it is not merely a bureaucratic inconvenience - it is a direct threat to my identity as a graduate student and my future," Student A, who was granted anonymity for their safety, wrote in a message to the Thresher. "The constant self-monitoring of my visa status and SEVIS updates adds a layer of daily vigilance."

After consulting with their advisors and fellow students, this student is choosing not to travel this summer.

A second international graduate student, who has also been granted anonymity for their safety, said they found out about the terminations through the arrest of Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil.

"That was the first thing to alert us, international graduate students in school, and we started talking about it," Student B wrote in an email to the Thresher. "I think we all underestimated what [immigration enforcement] can do, how they can act."

The first publicized arrests occurred at universities in the Northeast, but the student said they knew it would come to Texas eventually despite the sense of safety afforded by Rice's private status.

"A violation to one is a violation to all … Especially after the abduction of Rümeysa Öztürk, I started to look back and check my surroundings whenever I am walking down the street," Student B wrote. "I cannot help but feel somebody is coming for me. Some nights, I just unlock my phone and update my mails app couple of times to see if I received any news from [the Office of International Students & Scholars]."

Student A said their degree requires international fieldwork, but current uncertainties put this work in limbo. Although Rice has conveyed support through emails, the student said they felt the institutional protection for international students is limited.

The Rice Grad Campaign said in a statement to the Thresher that Rice administrators have created a culture of fear around seeking and providing aid to those facing revocations or terminations. This includes the university not providing financial support to international graduate students facing legal challenges around their status.

"At Rice, the graduate students facing revocations and/or SEVIS terminations immediately lost their graduate student stipend - and thus their only possibility to earn income in the United States and were referred to lawyers without any support for legal fees," the statement read. "Rice administrators went out of their way to make [harboring law threats] known to community members attempting to organize fundraisers for affected students."

The Rice Grad Campaign listed four demands including full financial support for legal fees of students facing SEVIS termination or revocation, letting Ph.D. students continue to receive the full amount of their stipend and for students who have lost their stipend in these last few weeks be compensated retroactively. In addition, the Rice Grad Campaign called for Rice to adopt the provision of the Sanctuary Campus Petition and to commit to a real culture of care and transparency.

"All of this is unconscionable, and it all reveals that Rice administrators feel no responsibility to some of our most vulnerable community members who are also some of the most vital members of our intellectual space," the statement read. "International students bring incredible knowledge and experience to our campus. The university should bear a special responsibility to the many international students that it agrees to sponsor - but this has never been the case."

F1 visa-holders cannot legally work in the U.S. except for their sponsoring educational institutions, and Ph.D. students who face SEVIS termination also immediately lose their stipends.

The Office of News and Media Relations did not comment on stipends.

President Reginald DesRoches wrote in an email to the Rice community that he believes Rice can both follow the law and honor its values.

"Within the bounds of the law, we are also doing all we can to support students who have been personally impacted," the email read. "Finally, if visa problems complicate a student's academic progress, Rice stands ready to identify other feasible ways a student can continue their progress toward a degree."

A recent campuswide email said the Rice Paris Global Center and other partnerships with international universities were options for students who need to leave the U.S. but want to stay with Rice.

The Rice chapter of the American Association of University Professors said in a statement to the Thresher that they were concerned that the Rice administration has acted precipitously in response to SEVIS terminations and visa revocations.

"We have asked for a daily monitoring of SEVIS records, to keep Rice students enrolled, and not to terminate their university employment," Rice AAUP wrote in an email to the Thresher. "We have no confirmation that this is being done or even of the total number of cases at Rice. Providing adequate support to our international students who are feeling abandoned and vulnerable is only possible if Rice administration shares this information."

A recent report from the American Immigration Lawyers Association said there have been more than 4,700 SEVIS or visa revocations since January 20. In a review of over 300 cases, 50% of affected students were from India. Only two students from AILA's review had reported ever engaging in political protest.

DesRoches' email affirmed support for Rice's international community and acknowledged the challenges they are facing.

"Rice has not publicly and unequivocally committed to fighting for its students," Student A wrote. "Despite all this, I am proud to say that at Rice there has been significant community support."

The American Civil Liberties Union published an open letter to university general counsels arguing that continuing normal housing and services support for students does not violate harboring unlawful noncitizen laws, so universities should not cease these services for fear of prosecution.

The Rice Grad Campaign and AAUP Rice said they have been supporting international students via WhatsApp groups, "Know Your Rights" trainings and connecting students to legal clinics and advocacy networks. Student A said this highlights the power of community organizing in a time of crisis.

"To live under the current threats of visa revocation is to be academically ambitious while facing existential uncertainty," Student A wrote. "It means working twice as hard for opportunities that could be erased by an algorithm, a border officer's judgment, or a policy shift. It's to be in the classroom while carrying the burden of displacement."

Hanszen College won the alumni race, Wiess College won the first heat of the women's race, Hanszen won the second heat of the women's race and Will Rice College won the men's race. According to Beer Bike campuswide coordinator Wiley Liou, the results for the women's race were split because the heats took place across different days in different conditions.

"Because there will be no realistic way to compare the two heats for the women's races, it would not be appropriate to stack them together into one definitive list," wrote Liou, a Baker College junior, in an email to the Thresher. "For this reason, we [released] women's results as two separate results for each heat."

Liou said that both the men's and alumni races were calculated as usual because both alumni heats occurred on the original race day and both men's heats happened on the rescheduled race date.

In addition, Sid Richardson College did not race during the alumni race due to an ability to fill their roster, according to the Rice Program Council. The result for the first heat of the women's race came after an amendment which calculated the repeat biker penalty against the Graduate Student Association and moved them down the ranks.

This Beer Bike was the first time results spanned two different days after a lightning warning interrupted the race after the first women's heat April 5. The original races were canceled after the first women's heat due to the warning, and the second heat of the women's race and both heats of the men's races took place April 18.

Liou said the structure of the rescheduled races was an anomaly and will not become a permanent change.

"Regarding concerns about spectatorship and rosters, 'Bike Bike' was not supposed to be an indication of where Beer Bike is headed in the future; it simply reflected the accommodations needed to make these makeup races possible," wrote Liou. "We hope that [the makeup races] can set up a good foundation for future makeups if they are to be planned by future student-led committees."

For the rescheduled heats, the relay teams had six bikers and six chuggers rather than the traditional eight. Throwers - pit crew members who traditionally help the bikers push off from the starting line - were also not allowed on the track. Bikers began the race with a standing start and had to begin riding entirely on their own.

Another modification was the ban on spectators. The event was livestreamed in each college's commons.

"Ever since the spectatorless format was set in stone, our intention was always to have some sort of alternative way to enjoy the race," Liou wrote. "We were working up until Thursday night to get all the details confirmed, so we're really glad that Rice Athletics was able to provide a seamless livestream that many seemed to embrace."

Suraj Chandramouli, a bike captain from Hanszen and part of the Bike Captains Planning Committee, said that he thought the rescheduled event was a success.

"Every team who didn't get to race got the opportunity to race [at the rescheduled event]," said Chandramouli, a Hanszen senior. "We got the livestream up, which was a big win. We really wanted that to happen, because without spectators, it would have been a bit of a bummer to have no one actually be able to watch the races."

Watching the livestream instead of attending the races in person, Sid Richardson College freshman Anjali Menezes said she was disheartened by the change.

"I am sad that the races are a spectator-free event because I was very excited and eager to watch my first-ever Beer Bike races," said Menezes said. "I think the energy and support that spectators bring can really make a big difference for the bikers."

Duncan College junior Ryker Dolese said the watch parties were able to preserve some of the spirit of Beer Bike.

"Even though the watchparties don't feel the same as a normal Beer Bike, it's definitely nice to be able to celebrate with other people in your college, and there still is a strong spirit here," Dolese said.

The switch to a spectator-free Beer Bike occurred amid concerns regarding the administration's restrictions on campus culture. The current Student Association President, Trevor Tobey, ran on a platform that included "preserving the traditions that make Rice special," referring to administration-sponsored public parties.

Liou said he is grateful for groups - from the Student Center to the Bike Captains Planning Committee - who made both events happen.

"We are very grateful for everyone who has been appreciative of our efforts not just in the planning of the makeup, but also for our year-long dedication to the original event," Liou wrote. "The future of Beer Bike is strong and this tradition isn't going anywhere."

SA president Trevor Tobey said that increasing the Initiative Fund - a source of Blanket Tax money for any student organization launching new initiatives - will make up for current limited Student Activities/President's Programming funds and potential cuts by the federal government.

"I think it will create a competitive environment for finances at Rice," said Tobey, a Hanszen College junior. "The political atmosphere and everything makes this move so important because it gives us the financial flexibility to fund the things that students most care about."

Several senators and students spoke against the funding allocations, including Lovett College President Ayush Suresh, who said there were flaws in the budget approval process.

"If the Senate votes to reject the budget, there are all these kinds of threats of budget failure and people not being funded in the future," Suresh continued. "I believe that there needs to be some sort of amendment to the way that we do this funding so that Senate can have an amendment process to the proposed budget."

Will Rice College president Mary Margaret Speed said there was poor communication during and after the discussion that made the situation appear worse than it was.

"I especially did not appreciate the message we were asked to potentially send out that recruited cultural organizations to reach out to us and essentially blamed the [RWRC] if we were voting no," said Speed, a junior. "I think that that was unfair and I want to say that going forward I would appreciate it if communications were more considered."

Hanszen College senator Dorian Echasseriau, who voted no, said the budget did not meet BTO needs. Echasseriau said they believed there were other alternatives allowing changes to the budget.

"The students of Rice are entitled to a fair and comprehensive budget, not one that fails to meet essential needs or is altered in ways not prescribed by the constitution," Echasseriau, a freshman, wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Following the approved BTO budget allocation, BTO organizations are able to apply for a one-time increase in their allocated budget for the coming fiscal year. The SA will vote on funding increases for RWRC and other BTOs April 23.

Suresh said the reliance on one-time budget increases instead of amending the budget points to changes that need to occur with the fund allocation process.

"The fact that we're going to have to resort to multiple different one-time increases to satisfy people is indicative of the fact that this is an incomplete and poorly designed process," Suresh said.

Suresh said he would feel satisfied with the budget passing if RWRC was able to get a one-time increase.

"Provided that a satisfactory one-time budget increase for the RWRC is achieved, passing the budget was the most straightforward approach," Suresh wrote in an email to the Thresher. "I knew that the vote was almost certain to succeed, and I chose to vote no in protest of what I felt like were significant procedural issues that underlaid this entire saga."

Suresh added that cutting RWRC budget so that events would potentially be funded through the Initiative Fund contradicts the BTO structure.

"Blanket Tax Organizations are voted on by a two-thirds majority in [the] SA Senate to be considered trustworthy organizations of the community," wrote Suresh. "Though the SA cites their movement of RWRC events to the new Initiative Fund as increasing equity, it simultaneously redirects funds from an organization that has actively worked to and succeeded in increasing its presence on campus."

SA treasurer Jackson Darr said that the Initiative Fund will be one of the largest in Rice history, and will be an open process on a rolling basis.

"It'll be a very quick turnaround in knowing when you're going to get funding for your event, unlike the previous Initiative Fund where it's all one group of allocations in the fall and then one in the spring," said Darr, a Lovett College freshman.

"We knew we were close with a lot of these teams, and if we took these doubles points, that we were going to be in a really good position to possibly win these matches," said Efe Üstündağ, the men's tennis head coach.

Ranked fifth in the conference, Rice opened the weekend's competition with a 4-1 victory over No. 4 University of Tulsa.

Junior Santiago Navarro and sophomore Petro Kuzmenok overcame a 4-1 deficit to tie their court before eventually winning and earning the doubles point for Rice. The Owls also answered an early Tulsa singles win with three consecutive victories, sealing the win and punching their ticket to the semifinals.

Rice advanced to face No. 1 University of South Florida Saturday, and both teams saw momentum swing in their favor at various moments throughout the match.

Freshman Tommy Czaplinski and senior Eduardo Morais secured the doubles point for Rice, and although USF briefly pulled ahead in singles play, the Owls rallied to win.

"After the first two matches, we really started to believe that [winning the tournament] could be possible," junior Kabeer Kapasi said.

In the conference championship Sunday, Rice faced off against No. 2 University of Memphis, which hosted the tournament. The Owls earned a doubles point before the third game went final, and a brief Memphis run was stifled by Kuzmenok, who won his singles court to reclaim the lead for Rice. Soon after, Navarro won his third set, clinching the championship for the Owls.

"Once I hit that shot, it was just so many different emotions," Navarro said. "Throwing my racket was my first instinct, and then just looking at the guys running at me and celebrating with them is the best feeling in the world."

Kapasi was named the tournament's most outstanding player, going 5-1 overall.

"That's a very special honor," Kapasi said. "All of it comes down to the support I had from the other guys pushing me every day, trying to help me to be better and supporting me throughout the season."

The tennis team's first AAC title breaks an eight-year drought without a conference championship. As conference champions, the Owls get an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. The Owls will learn their tournament seed during the selection show April 28, giving them more than two weeks to prepare before the tournament begins May 15.

Üstündağ believes the timing of this year's tournament can benefit Rice.

"We get a little bit of a break in the sense that there's one more week of school [remaining], so we can stay in our routine," Üstündağ said. "Everybody's already locked in and ready to go."

Last year, Rice earned an at-large bid into the tournament but lost 4-0 in the opening round to Texas A&M University.

The MCCSL was designed to encourage students and activities to spill out of its open first floor and onto the adjacent lawn, wrote Alan Maskin, the lead architectural designer for the project, in an email to the Thresher.

"We saw these new buildings as an opportunity to finally 'complete the Quad'- fully framing the outdoor space as it was conceived 130 years ago," Maskin wrote.

In addition to several outdoor seating locations, the design includes an outdoor stage where students can watch film screenings and attend concerts, and a courtyard with amphitheater-style seating. Bridget Gorman, dean of undergraduates, said the outdoor features are one of the most exciting aspects of the design.

"I hope I'm walking into the central quad on a sunny day and I'm seeing students sitting on the steps outside of the pavilion, and in tables and chairs all around the outside of the new building," Gorman said.

Inside, the complex will include Rice Coffeehouse, also known as Chaus, expanded meeting rooms, study spaces and an additional café.

"We envisioned these interior spaces as dynamic hubs where placemaking, nature, and community naturally intersect," Maskin wrote. "The interior design of the new building draws inspiration from the allure of a shaded grove, guided by the concept: 'meet me at the grove.' Much like a campus landmark, the grove becomes a rooted living space, an embodiment of Rice University's spirit and community."

The building's upper floors will house student support offices that are currently scattered across campus, including the deans' offices, the Disability Resource Center and Office of Academic Advising. The relocation of these and other offices was a key motivator for the project, said Kate Abad, associate dean of undergraduates.

"The idea is to create spaces where students can feel welcome," Abad said. "You're not just going straight into someone's office, but feel welcomed and can learn about all the services we have."
Gorman said feedback from the Student Association was accounted for in the MCCSL's design.

"I don't think I was at all surprised when I saw the content of [the feedback], because we've known for some time about students' desire around space, for student clubs operating, around dining, around performances," Gorman said. "The new building gets us down the path to where we want [to] go with that, and my hope is that with the renovation [of the RMC] that'll really round it out."

The new building will feature three Farnsworth Pavilion-sized spaces and a 500-square-foot conference room. The Center for Career Development will occupy the building's fourth floor, while the Office of Academic Support for Undergraduate Students will have a dedicated space for its drop-in tutoring services.

The building will also address feedback from Chaus, general manager Alysa Bijl-Spiro said.

"Over the last few years, we've encountered some mechanical and environmental issues with the older space," said Bijl-Spiro, a Duncan College junior. "We're looking forward to moving into the new one so that we can serve our customers more efficiently and more reliably".

Kate Hilton, a Chaus barista, is hopeful that the new space provides additional seating to cope with the growing student body and space for new offerings, she said.

"Definitely [a] larger space with more amenities and more areas for students to gather is needed, but I hope they try to maintain that kind of cozy atmosphere that Chaus has," said Hilton, a senior at McMurtry College.

In an effort to limit disruptions to the building's current tenants, the Rice Memorial Center will remain open and receive renovations after the MCCSL is complete.

"Before, when we were going to build [the MCCSL] where [the RMC] was, we would have displaced everything, probably for two years," Gorman said. "That would have been a semi-traumatic process to put everybody through. So I think we're deeply relieved that by doing it this way, we don't have to do that."

The Office of Student Activities is the only office housed in the RMC that will not relocate to the new building, Abad said.

Student media organizations and Pub at Rice will also stay in their current locations. Head bartender Gabi Varga said that Pub's location is crucial to its operation.

"I cannot express how grateful we are to be able to stay here," said Varga, a Duncan College sophomore. "Pub is a center of social life here at Rice and part of that is because of our space."

As Rice's enrollment increases, the need for additional student space has become more urgent, Abad said. Beyond providing additional square footage, she said the MCCSL will enable student success and enhance the Rice experience.

"We want our spaces to align with where we are as a university, and I'm excited that we'll have a brand new facility to be able to help make that happen," Abad said.

Upon joining the sports section, I noticed a large disconnect between students and the sports culture at Rice; most students I saw attending soccer games were athletes themselves. I wanted to bridge this gap by telling stories from the field, both good and not so good, and informing the community about Rice athletes and teams. As Name, Image and Likeness grew, my focus shifted to off-the-field experiences, where I've had the pleasure of diving deep into this new realm and its impact on Rice athletes. While there's still a lot to be done, I hope that at the very least I've bridged this gap for students, alumni and athletes alike.

I'm eternally grateful to have met some amazing people over these last three years. Every single student athlete, coach, alumnus, staff member and student I've interviewed has helped me tell these unique stories.

Chuck Pool, Tim Andrzejewski and Anthony Roberts: thank you for putting up with my endless emails. Y'all are the backbone of Rice Athletics and don't get nearly enough credit.

Daniel Schrager, Pavithr Goli, Cadan Hanson and Ben Baker-Katz: thank you for showing me the ropes and giving me an outlet to nerd out about all things sports.

Kathleen Ortiz, Andersen Pickard and Evie Vu: I'm excited to read y'all's stories next year. Y'all are going to kill it.

Students: go to the damn games. Your presence does make a difference.

As for myself - although I'm becoming an Aggie next year, I'll always be an Owl first.

Upon joining the sports section, I noticed a large disconnect between students and the sports culture at Rice; most students I saw attending soccer games were athletes themselves. I wanted to bridge this gap by telling stories from the field, both good and not so good, and informing the community about Rice athletes and teams. As Name, Image and Likeness grew, my focus shifted to off-the-field experiences, where I've had the pleasure of diving deep into this new realm and its impact on Rice athletes. While there's still a lot to be done, I hope that at the very least I've bridged this gap for students, alumni and athletes alike.

I'm eternally grateful to have met some amazing people over these last three years. Every single student athlete, coach, alumnus, staff member and student I've interviewed has helped me tell these unique stories.

Chuck Pool, Tim Andrzejewski and Anthony Roberts: thank you for putting up with my endless emails. Y'all are the backbone of Rice Athletics and don't get nearly enough credit.

Daniel Schrager, Pavithr Goli, Cadan Hanson and Ben Baker-Katz: thank you for showing me the ropes and giving me an outlet to nerd out about all things sports.

Kathleen Ortiz, Andersen Pickard and Evie Vu: I'm excited to read y'all's stories next year. Y'all are going to kill it.

Students: go to the damn games. Your presence does make a difference.

As for myself - although I'm becoming an Aggie next year, I'll always be an Owl first.

Greg compared coaches to future bosses and teammates to future coworkers. From sports, he said, players can learn about the kinds of people they work well with, how to be a good teammate and how to be a good leader.

"It was never about trying to go to college and play sports," Greg said. "Those were real possibilities, but that's not really why they started it."

Graiden began playing T-ball on the dirt fields in Farmington, New Mexico as a kindergartener. Once Landon reached that age two years later, he followed suit.

"I always looked up to him and what he did, and he played baseball, so I consequently played baseball," said Landon, a Brown College sophomore.

The first time they played together, Graiden was in fourth grade, and the team had to bring on second grader Landon to fill in as an extra player.

Robyn said Landon was proud to get to play on Graiden's team, and Graiden was encouraging and inclusive to his younger brother.

"We loved it, because to be at the same place at the same time was awesome," Robyn said. "To see their friendship develop on and off the field was really special."

Graiden said that he knew he wanted to play for Rice when he was little after watching Rice beat the University of Texas at Austin on TV.

"As soon as I got recruited to Rice, I didn't have a doubt in my mind that's where I was going," said Graiden, a Will Rice College senior. "I didn't want to go anywhere else."

When Graiden came to Rice, he said he felt like something was missing during his first two years.

"I was, for one of the first times in my life, not with Landon, and I was like, 'This is kind of weird,'" Graiden said. "Then he got here, and it was like, 'Okay, now we're back to normal.'"

Landon said he received offers from larger universities like Texas A&M University, but ultimately he decided that Rice was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

"I thought that I wanted to be part of the team that puts [Rice baseball] back on the map," Landon said. "So I was like, 'Man, that'd be super cool to go into a program and help it get to meet its potential.' That's what we're trying to do right now. We're trying."

At Rice, Graiden mostly plays second and third base while Landon plays catcher. Through the 2025 season, Graiden is batting .326 over 19 starts while Landon is batting .277 over 40 starts.

The brothers said at Rice, they have had to learn how to deal with failure they did not face in their middle and high school careers.

"I think [we] just fail more often than we used to," Landon said. "Having someone that I trust has been good to keep me steady and keep me going and keep me motivated."

Robyn said she is proud of how after a loss, the boys make their way back onto the field. Since Robyn and Greg are now based in Katy, Texas, they are able to attend almost every home game.

"It's super easy on my mom and dad to be able to come watch both of us at the same time," Graiden said. "It's really just a huge blessing."

Graiden and Landon said that faith is a large part of what guides them as brothers and teammates.

"A big part of our success at Rice, on and off the field, has been through our faith," Landon said. "Me and Graiden are strong believers, and we've done our best to uphold ourselves as such … I think that's kind of shaped us into the young men that we are today."

Greg said that he is proud of how Graiden and Landon represent themselves and their family by upholding their faith.

"You can't replace your integrity," Greg said. "It's hard to earn, and you can lose it really quickly. I think faith's a piece of that, being a man that can be respected and trusted."

Robyn said that she raised them to uphold their faith as one of the many facets of their identities.

"I think when they were younger, their identity was in baseball," Robyn said. "We always tried to emphasize that they were so much more than baseball, because baseball is a game that kind of beats you up."

"I think as they got older, they really ended up leaning into their faith," Robyn continued. "That just really helped kind of to figure out who they were, besides just only being a baseball player."

Outside of baseball, Graiden and Landon are both pursuing degrees in business.

Graiden said the most valuable resource he has used at Rice has been the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Through Lilie, he said he has been able to expand his hat brand Coyote Creek Hat Co.

After Graiden graduates this spring, he said he plans to broker commercial insurance in the oil and gas sector. However, he, Landon and their younger brother, Tanner, a junior in high school, will pursue something together in the world of entrepreneurship in the future.

Graiden is also engaged with plans to get married this summer.

As Landon looks to the future, he said he is concentrating on his Rice career.

"Right now, I'm just focused on winning baseball games," Landon said. "I'm trying to be the best version of myself as I can [be], as a person and also as a baseball player."

Greg said that Rice has been instrumental to who his sons have become.

"Rice has made a special imprint in our family," Greg said. "All your experiences kind of shape who you are, and I think they're both shaping up to be pretty good dudes."

Torque comprises about 20 players, including captains Ria Stevens and Sophia Figueroa.

Figueroa said the roster size has grown significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic, in part due to a large number of freshman participants this year.

With plenty of new faces on the team, Torque's upcoming trip to nationals in Burlington, Washington will represent a new experience for undergraduates who were not on the roster for the 2022 berth.

Figueroa encouraged her teammates to cherish the opportunity.

"We play teams from New York, Virginia - teams that we would never cross paths with otherwise," said Figueroa, a Lovett College senior. "It's a cool opportunity to play against them and also learn from them."

Torque won the South Central D-III Women's Conference Tournament from April 12-13 in Fort Collins, Colorado. The competition included schools such as Colorado College, Trinity University and Truman State University.

Figueroa said there was lots of buzz and excitement when the Rice faced Colorado College in the conference championship.

"Everyone else in the region was against Colorado College, so we had like three other teams cheering with us against Colorado," Figueroa said. "That was crazy. It was probably 60 people on the sideline just chanting Rice stuff and talking to us."

Although club ultimate frisbee brings out the competitive side of Torque's players, Figueroa said it also provides a sense of community.

"It really brings people together because you're like, 'Oh, this is really fun,' and you want to keep showing people it, and so it kind of just accumulates from there," Figueroa said.

Jones College sophomore Richie Su played ultimate frisbee as a senior in high school. Upon being accepted to Rice, she immediately checked to see if the university had an ultimate frisbee team.

"I am an international student from China, so at first I was a little scared about American culture in general and also the style of frisbee," Su said. "It turned out [to be] a very smooth transition, and everyone was very welcoming."

Su said she benefits from going beyond the hedges and traveling to various competitions with Torque.

"We go to different cities and have games, and in the afternoons we'll leave the field and go to some coffee shop and do work together," Su said. "You've got to have some change of environment, so I think that's very helpful for my life at Rice."

As finals season approaches and many students delve into textbooks and study guides, the team will continue to practice three times a week - an increase from their biweekly practices last season.

Since Figueroa, as a senior, is getting closer to submitting her final undergraduate assignments, she plans to use ultimate frisbee as a break from studying and encourages her teammates to do the same.

"College can get really overwhelming," Figueroa said. "Having a team sport or a club that you really enjoy - it's a built-in support system. Digging into that and taking advantage of it to the fullest is definitely helpful."

When Torque's players go their separate ways after final exams end, preparation for nationals will continue.

Players will be sent home with frisbees so that they can practice with family, and Figueroa said she also encourages them to study teams, games and strategy on YouTube.

The national tournament is from May 17-19, when Torque will have a chance to display their skills against some of the best programs in the country. D-III pool play is scheduled to begin May 17, followed by quarterfinals and semifinals May 18, should Rice qualify. The championship will take place May 19.

"[We're] just going back to our basics," Figueroa said. "It can get really easy to be like, 'Oh, I'm going to do this crazy trick right now,' but if you just go step-by-step basics, that can bring you far."

Baseball at University of Memphis

April 17 - Rice 10, Memphis 5

April 18 - Rice 9, Memphis 5

April 19 - Rice 2, Memphis 13

Men's Tennis at AAC Championship

April 18 - Rice 4, University of Tulsa 1

April 19 - Rice 4, University of South Florida 3

April 20 - Rice 4, University of Memphis 2

Women's Tennis at AAC Championship

April 18 - Rice 4, Tulane University 2

April 19 - Rice 2, University of Memphis 4

Women's Volleyball vs. University of Houston

April 18 - Rice 3, Houston 1

What's next from April 23 to 29

Men's Golf at AAC Championship

April 21-23 - Away

Baseball at University of Alabama at Birmingham

April 25-27 - Away on ESPN+

Men's Track and Field at J. Fred Duckett Twilight

April 26 - Home

Women's Track and Field at J. Fred Duckett Twilight

April 26 - Home