The weekend coincided with Dis-O, an event following freshman Orientation Week meant to introduce new students to party culture at Rice.

According to an email sent to Baker College by Chief Justice Alex Giangiorgi, the residential college presidents had an emergency meeting with Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman on Monday to discuss the alcohol consumption over the weekend. Giangiorgi wrote that a campuswide alcohol ban was considered in the meeting.

"Threats of a dry campus being levied were seriously discussed," wrote Giangiorgi, a junior, in his email. "If the behavior patterns from the weekend continue this week, it is very likely we will face campuswide sanctions."

According to a GroupMe message sent by Sid Richardson College President Arjun Surya, college presidents were told that many of the hospital transports were for freshmen.

The Office of the Dean of Undergraduates also cancelled all social committee events for Will Rice College for the first week of classes, according to an email sent by Will Rice President Mary Margaret Speed. Speed wrote that the cancellations were due to "many violations to the Alcohol Policy" as well as failure to properly register the events.

Jones College Chief Justice Sam Forman wrote in an email to his college that the administration is also carefully watching Jones College concerning alcohol consumption. Forman said that the upcoming public, Martel's "Don't Mess With Texas" party, would be watched closely.

"If anything like what happened on Saturday happens again this week or at Martel Texas Party … campus will go dry," wrote Forman, a junior. "Specifically, we have extra eyes on us."

Bridget Gorman, dean of undergraduates, said she was concerned and disappointed by the incidents.

"As part of their orientation, all students receive alcohol education training, and our alcohol policies and expectations exist for a reason," Gorman wrote in an email to the Thresher. "Excessive drinking is unhealthy and dangerous, and more broadly falls short of our standards for personal responsibility, civility and respect for others. I am working closely with college magisters and student leaders to reinforce these expectations for behavior among our students."

Rice last faced campuswide alcohol sanctions following Wiess College's public party, "Night of Decadence," in October 2023. The party was shut down early after more than two dozen students required medical treatment, and seven Rice students were transported to hospitals. Following the incident, public parties were cancelled through spring break, an alcohol policy advisory committee was convened to reevaluate the university's alcohol policies and NOD was permanently cancelled.

Although a specific number of emergency transports from move-in weekend was not released, Lovett College President Ayush Suresh said in an email to his college that the number of students transported was comparable to the seven NOD transports.

"This rivals numbers last reached at the NOD public in 2023, which caused campus to go dry for an entire semester," wrote Suresh, a senior.

The college presidents and chief justices emphasized the importance of safe drinking practices, avoiding hard alcohol and holding other students accountable in their messages.

"We just want to be more intentional about how we drink at Rice and make sure that everyone can engage safely with events at Rice," Suresh wrote.

The price for the required on-campus meal plan was raised to $3,200 from last year's $3,050.

Beth Leaver, the interim assistant vice president for housing, dining and hospitality, said that the cost increase was unrelated to the new unlimited swipe program.

"The cost increase is part of our regular, anticipated annual adjustments driven by inflation in food, labor, and operating expenses," Leaver wrote in an email to the Thresher. "The decision to move to unlimited swipes did not prompt the increase-it was made independently to enhance the student dining experience and address long-standing concerns around access, equity, and wellness."

Leaver said that the unlimited swipe program was introduced as part of a plan to make dining more accessible at Rice. With unlimited swipes, Leaver said that students would not have to worry about tracking meals.

"The previous plate-per-swipe model often led to rationing behaviors, stress around usage and increased food waste," Leaver wrote. "Moving to unlimited access removes that barrier, aligns with best practices at peer institutions, and reinforces our commitment to student wellness and equitable access to meals."

In addition to the changes to the on-campus meal program, H&D also implemented across-the-board cost increases to off-campus dining plans. H&D is also introducing a new 10 to 11 a.m. snack period. Leaver said that the change was a pilot for expanded non-peak access, with the future goal of a continuous dining model.

In a campuswide email, H&D said that students would be provided with ten guest swipes per semester and that additional guests could be covered with tetra points. After the rollout, the guest swipes were increased to 15.

Leaver said that the guest swipes did not apply to family members, who could be swiped in using regular swipes.

The email also said that "flexible guest swipe options are included," and that students could use Tetra points for additional guest swipes. However, it is unclear if students will be able to purchase more guest swipes as part of their meal plan.

It is also unclear how the unlimited meal swipe plan will be enforced. On Facebook and Fizz, rumors circulated among students and parents expressing concern for a "cooldown period" for swiping into the serveries, to ensure students use only one swipe per meal. Some parents of Rice students expressed concern that they would have to purchase larger off-campus dining plans for their students if the swipes were more strictly enforced and off-campus students could no longer get swiped in by their on-campus friends. The H&D website denies the addition of a "cooldown period."

"We recognize that some off-campus students previously relied on shared swipes from friends, which was not an intended feature of the capped plan," Leaver wrote. "Under the new unlimited model, swipes are tied to individual use, and guest access is managed separately through a defined allocation."

The meal plan options for off-campus students remain at the same finite number of swipes as last semester.

In previous years, a common dilemma among on-campus students was that their 375-swipe meal plan was too excessive, with some having hundreds of unused swipes left over at the end of a semester, as they do not roll over.

The Student Association partnered with H&D to create a meal swipe donation program in 2020 as a solution to this issue, allowing students to donate fixed numbers of their swipes to off-campus students in need.

Last year, the Student Association's meal swipe donation program saw record successes, providing 16,905 meal swipes to off-campus students in its first donation round, according to former SA president Jae Kim. The program was expanded with a mid-semester donation period in March.

Leaver said that H&D is working with Student Success Initiatives to update the donation system in what she described as a more streamlined process.

"Instead of relying on donated swipes from other students, H&D will allocate meal swipes directly based on student need," Leaver wrote. "We will continue to collaborate with SSI to ensure that every student who applies for assistance through their office receives as much support as we can provide."

According to a campuswide email from Housing and Dining, the Rice Swipe Support System provides a block of meal swipes at the beginning of the semester free of charge for students without meal plans. The program is intended for students facing barriers to meal access, either due to "financial or personal hardship."

The form to request swipes, which was open until Aug. 20, notified students by Aug. 26 to let them know whether they will be receiving swipes.

The program is funded by H&D and managed in partnership with the Student Success Initiative, with support from the Student Association, according to the campuswide email.

Students can also now donate their unused Tetra points to "expand" the new SSI program, the email reads.

Taylor Breshears, the associate director of the SSI, said that students can expect to receive a similar number of donations with the new program.

"We prioritize students who are Pell [Grant]-eligible and on need-based scholarship, live off campus, and do not have a meal plan," Breshears wrote in an email to the Thresher. "My hope and intention are for students who are recipients of the meal swipes in fall 2025 to have a comparable experience to recipients in the previous two semesters."

This change comes two weeks after students raised concerns about the new on-campus meal plan providing unlimited swipes for the student on the plan, but only 15 guest swipes.

Breshears wrote that her team will take into consideration the limited ability for students to swipe in their friends when determining need.

The email also encouraged students interested in advocating for food insecurity to join a new student group called Stock the Nest. The group will support initiatives aimed at fighting food insecurity, such as assisting with the Rice Food Pantry, which is an anonymous resource that provides food and hygiene products.

Previously, the student section was sections 115 and 116, which are located on the visitors' side of the field near the south end zone. The announcement on Monday relocates students to the home side of the field near the north end zone. Students will now be seated close to the ramp that players and staff use to get from the Brian Patterson Sports Performance Center to the field.

Rice Athletics' announcement also notes that the relocation will move students "out of the sun and into the fun." With all home games scheduled for the afternoon or evening, positioning students on the home side of the field will keep them shielded from the sun for some or all of the game.

"We're excited about the move," Student Association president Trevor Tobey wrote in a message to the Thresher. "Shifting the student section to a cooler, shaded area will be a game-changer and bring students closer to the action for key moments like the team entrance. We're pumped for this season and expect this to be the loudest year yet."

The decision to relocate the student section was made collaboratively by Rice Athletics, Rice Rally Club and members of the Student Association, according to deputy athletic director Kevin Dwan.

"This is something that we have been talking about and asking Athletics to consider for a long time," Rice Rally co-president Priya Armour said. "We really wanted to give students a place where they could sit comfortably for the game, to hopefully encourage more people to stay for longer."

Armour said that, during previous seasons, many students would relocate to the home side of the field or leave the stadium altogether, rather than spending the entire game in the designated student section. She hopes that offering students protection from the sun will encourage them to arrive earlier for tailgate activities and remain energetic during the whole game.

"A larger and more energetic student section will create a better home-field advantage for the team, which will help lead to more wins," Dwan wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Although the relocation of the student section is official, some components are still in the works. Rice Athletics is seeking the community's input as it works on naming the new student section.

An email went out to all students with a form to submit name ideas for the new section. Submissions will close Wednesday, with the five most popular ideas being put to a final vote.

"Personally, I'm a big fan of [naming it] the Rice Bowl, but we will see where things end up," Tobey wrote.

Students' first opportunity to enjoy the new seating arrangement will come on Sept. 6 at 6 p.m., when Rice hosts its home opener against the University of Houston.

Hermann Park & Buffalo Bayou Park

Hermann is your closest cheat code: pack a picnic, hop the miniature train and catch a free show at Miller Outdoor Theatre when the weather cooperates. When you want skyline views and room to wander, head to Buffalo Bayou Park. Miles of trails, bridges and water-level overlooks make it a go-to for sunrise runs, golden-hour photos and clearing your head after a long Fondren session. The Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern is gorgeous, especially around sunset.

POST Houston

Part food hall, part culture hub, part "wow, that view." Inside you'll find stalls from across the globe - ChòpnBlok is a standout - plus rotating pop-ups and events. Take your haul to the rooftop for one of the best panoramas of downtown.

Meow Wolf Radio Tave

If you've ever wanted to step inside a music video, this is your portal. Radio Tave is Meow Wolf's immersive, choose-your-own-adventure interactive exhibit - wildly creative, a little pricey and the kind of sensory overload you won't forget. Go with friends, split up, compare what you each discovered and accept that you each noticed something mind-blowing that someone else completely overlooked. That's half the fun.

The Orange Show sites

The original Orange Show folk-art maze is temporarily closed for restoration through 2025, but the folks behind it still run three Houston gems. Smither Park is a living mosaic garden where artists add tiles and trinkets week after week. The Beer Can House is exactly what it sounds like - a house that looks like it's made of its owners' drink of choice. And every April, the legendary Art Car Parade rolls out: lowriders, hot glue, glitter and joy. Mark your calendars.

The Menil Collection

Free for Rice students and one of the city's crown jewels, the Menil Collection jumps from Picasso to Matisse without feeling stuffy. The modernist-style galleries make museum time feel human-sized. Walk a block to the Rothko Chapel when you're ready to turn down the volume - it's a quiet, contemplative space that resets your brain between college crashouts.

Houston Botanic Garden

Yes, it's a bit of a drive - around 20-30 minutes east of campus - but it's worth it for a full-on plant escape. Meandering paths, themed gardens and enough shade to make August bearable. Bring a camera, a friend and a water bottle. Wander the arid beds, culinary plots and boardwalk loops, then hang for golden hour when everything glows.

The Houston restaurant scene

Houston has one of the best food scenes in the nation, and there's so much to try. Some favorites of Rice foodies include Aga's (Indian-Pakistani), Nua (Thai), Oishii (Japanese), Bahel (Ethiopian), Cooking Girl (Chinese), Sushi by Hidden (Sushi), Mensho (Japanese), Rosie Cannonball (Italian) and Traveler's Table (Global). Consider this a starter list - grab friends, pick a neighborhood and eat your way across the city over your four years here.

According to a press release issued Monday, the university will partner with Nike as the official outfitter of Rice Athletics ahead of the 2026-27 academic year. Rice also announced that Game One will become the official uniform, apparel and footwear supplier of the athletic program.

In addition to the press release, Rice revealed the new partnership with a video posted across social media. This video is how redshirt junior running back Quinton Jackson first received the news.

"I was pretty excited," Jackson said. "When you think about Nike, you think about all the amazing athletes that Nike has signed, like Michael Jordan and LeBron James. I was a Nike kid growing up, so I was very excited for a partnership."

Jackson added that he believes the strength of Nike's brand, track record and global influence will bring additional notoriety to Rice. As of 2021, Nike was the primary apparel partner for 52.3% of the Division I FBS programs, as well as 60% of Power 5 programs. The company's $37.6 billion brand value in 2024 ranked second among all fashion brands, only behind Louis Vuitton.

Sophomore guard Aniah Alexis was making breakfast when the news broke. One of Alexis' teammates informed her of the new Nike partnership, and she started jumping up and down in excitement.

"I think Nike is the most-known brand in sports, so it's a privilege for us to transition to Nike," Alexis said.

Monday's announcement represents a major shakeup for Rice Athletics, which has been outfitted by Adidas since 2013.

Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland said that several major apparel brands approached Rice about a potential partnership before the university settled on Nike.

"The power of the Nike brand is unmatched, and outfitting our men and women in their apparel is another step in our mission to provide a best-in-class experience for our student-athletes," McClelland said.

Although the financial terms of the new partnership were not disclosed, Randy McIlvoy of KPRC posted on X that the agreement begins July 1, 2026 and is set to last seven years.

Nossel took the podium last Tuesday as part of the "Diversity and Community at Rice Presentation," an O-Week program spearheaded by the Office of Access and Institutional Excellence. She was invited by Alexander Byrd, the office's vice provost. Incoming students were required to attend the event.

During her speech, Nossel provided examples of what she described as tolerance.

"A math teacher was teaching a class about oblique angles," said Nossel, according to an excerpt of her speech she emailed the Thresher. "He reached his hand up straight and a little bit forward. Looking at it up there for a minute, he uttered the words 'Heil Hitler.' The students were taken aback."

The teacher was then fired, Nossel said, but later context led to him being reinstated.

"The students were in the room and knew that the words had just fallen out of his mouth, essentially by accident," Nossel's excerpt read. "The school administrators needed to understand those things to fairly judge the speech."

Nossel also cautioned new students to be aware of what they say during protests.

"If you're protesting, think about what slogans you chant," Nossel's transcript read. "What do [the slogans] mean to you, and what might they mean to others. To an Israeli or a Palestinian student, or the child of an ICE agent or an undocumented immigrant, a victim of sexual assault, someone who aspires to be a cop."

The purpose of this talk was to emphasize the importance of free dialogue and context, Nossel said. The purpose of this talk was to emphasize the importance of free dialogue and context, Nossel said. Kaz Nam, a Lovett College CF, wrote in a message in the Lovett Advisers GroupMe that Nossel used problematic examples to express her point.

"The Diversity Presentation Speaker said some really problematic stuff," Nam, a junior, wrote in their GroupMe message. "CFs warned rice [sic] staff this was a bad idea but they didn't listen to us."

In 2024, during her tenure as CEO of PEN America, she faced criticism regarding PEN's stance on the Israel-Hamas war. Writers and activists accused the organization of failing to support Palestinian voices, highlighting Nossel's previous pro-Israel statements. Nossel stepped down in October 2024, following the criticism. She denied that the war was the resignation's impetus, according to AP news.

"I do not condone the speech whatsoever, but just make the point that once those who heard it - or heard about it - understood the intent and context their reaction to it changed," Nossel wrote.

Despite the backlash, Byrd stood by his decision to have Nossel speak to freshmen.

"Suzanne Nossel's experience at PEN America and her writings on free expression - 'Dare To Speak' and 'Is Free Speech Under Threat?' - made her well-suited to address the challenges of sustaining open dialogue in a diverse environment," Byrd wrote in an email to the Thresher.

For new student Zaid Rashid, Nossel miscommunicated what he saw as respectable intentions.

"I understand the point she was trying to make," said Rashid, a Lovett College freshman. "Free speech is a good thing, but the way she did it was really, really bad. It was the kind of opinion that values all opinions, when some opinions could be more harmful than others."

The speech comes during a contentious time for diversity programming in higher education. CFs overhauled the language used in their diversity PowerPoint presentations, changing phrases such as "microaggressions" to "everyday slights."

"Dr. Byrd asked us to meet, and we went over the guidelines that the legal council had given us," Nam said. "We just needed to make sure specific phrases weren't said, that it was framed in a particular way."

While Nossel stressed the importance of conscientiousness, she acknowledged the difficulty of topics surrounding free speech.

"I begin by stressing an obligation of conscientiousness with language - being aware of the sensitivities of those to whom you are speaking and taking them into account as you choose how to express yourself," she wrote. "I believe that is necessary in a diverse society."

The one-sided nature of the speech also hindered some opportunities for dialogue, Nossel said.

"These issues are complex and that large setting did not allow an opportunity for comments or back-and-forth," Nossel wrote.

Disclaimer: This article was updated for clarity on Aug. 29.

Joey Valence & BRAE

One great thing about catching an artist right before a release is you might hear the new stuff first. That's exactly what Joey Valence & BRAE did Sunday - debuting cuts from their Aug. 15 drop. Think indietronica-laced rap bangers, big hooks and nonstop energy.

ASAP Rocky

Yes, he was 20 minutes late (which is honestly early for him), but Rocky still put on a show. He performed "LVL" and "I Smoked Away My Brain" live for the first time ever and threaded older favorites into newer material. It felt like a celebration of more than a decade of bangers - big visuals, tight pacing and pure swagger.

Amaarae

We didn't catch her Lolla set, but her afterparty more than delivered. bLAck pARty opened with a silky R&B-soul warmup, then Amaarae hit like a spark - biggest hits, nonstop crowd work and a Chicago nod with three Chief Keef tracks back-to-back. She spiked the energy with Travis Scott and Playboi Carti's "FEIN," then previewed tracks from her newest project "Black Star"."Fineshyt" and "S.M.O." were instant club weapons that had the room levitating.

T-Pain

T-Pain has been perfecting his live set for two decades and it shows. He stitched hits like "Bartender" and "Buy U a Drank" with crowd-pleasing covers - "Don't Stop Believin'," "Tennessee Whiskey" - so everyone had something to belt. The balance between Auto-Tune sparkle and raw vocals made the whole field feel like a karaoke party with a world-class band.

MARINA

MARINA's set was pure fun, charisma and energy - she's a star and she knows it. The T-Mobile lawn was dancing and singing to every word as she rolled through "Bubblegum Bitch," "Primadonna," "Are You Satisfied?" and premiered the live synth-pop banger "EVERYBODY KNOWS I'M SAD" from PRINCESS OF POWER. Big hooks, bigger presence and zero dead moments.

Djo

Joe Keery's Chicago homecoming leaned into nostalgia in the best way. Between woozy psych-pop grooves, he projected home videos from his DePaul days and played a sweet video message from Charlie Heaton. "End of Beginning" blew the roof off, but the whole set felt like a personal scrapbook - warm, analog and surprisingly intimate for a massive stage.

The Marias

Visually, The Marías had one of the weekend's best sets. Saturated colors, gorgeous silhouettes and camera-ready moments were everywhere. María's breathy vocals floated over sleek basslines, and the band's arrangements gave every song extra lift. It was a set designed for your camera roll and for swaying with your friends - stylish without ever feeling empty.

Doechii

Doechii is simply one of the best live performers right now. Building on her Tiny Desk and Colbert momentum, she brought tight choreography, a celebration of queer culture and a clear love for old-school hip-hop. City Girls' JT popping in was the extra jolt. Start to finish, it felt like she turned the big stage into her own world.

TWICE

TWICE are K-pop royalty, and as the first K-pop girl group to headline Lolla, they owned it. Fireworks, crisp choreography, colorful visuals - the whole package. Their crowd control is next-level, and the harmonies stayed locked the entire time. It was confident, joyful and the kind of headlining moment that cements a legacy.

Olivia Rodrigo

Pop anthems, outfit changes and … Weezer? Olivia's set checked every box. She ripped through "bad idea right?," "vampire" and "good 4 u," then brought out Rivers Cuomo mid-show - a cross-generational dream moment for a lot of us (read: me). It was polished but still felt feral and fiery in the right places, which is her sweet spot.

Tyler, the Creator

No one brings pure energy like Tyler. He sprinted between snarling "NEW MAGIC WAND" delivery and the softer croon of "See You Again," joking with the crowd and running the stage with total confidence. By the end he looked completely spent - which makes sense when you leave everything out there. Controlled chaos, exactly what you want.

Sabrina Carpenter

With a hair flip, wink and a pink bodysuit, Sabrina treated her Lolla headliner like a coronation. She opened with a "Busy Woman"/"Taste"/"Good Graces" triple punch, then shocked the park by bringing Earth, Wind & Fire for "Let's Groove"/"September." A "bed chem" × "Pony" mashup, playful fuzzy-cuff arrests of TWICE, the signature "Juno" pose, and a soaring "Please Please Please" capped a set teasing her next era, "Man's Best Friend."

Two Friends

Two Friends closed out their set with an unforgettable performance combining fiery visuals, 500+ synchronized drones and live instruments. Surprise guests Corbyn Besson and Natalie Jane kept viewers on their toes while their announcement of their return to big bootie land sent crowds into a frenzy.

I'll admit it: I came into "Ginny & Georgia" expecting another glossy Netflix soap that looks great in a weekend binge but evaporates from memory by Monday. By the end of season three, I realized I'd been doing something I rarely do with shows like this: I was taking notes. Not on the plot (though it's as twisty and outrageous as ever), but on the characters. I loved them. I was grinning from ear to ear watching them scheme, stumble and monologue their way through impossible situations. That's when I knew: this show had done something right.

There's a moment midway through the season that crystallizes everything fascinating and frustrating about "Ginny & Georgia." Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey), under house arrest, sits in her bathroom preparing for her murder trial. She's improvising makeup with toilet paper and commissary supplies, ankle monitor gleaming. It's absurd, it's ingenious and it's deeply humane. In that scene, she's a character you want to root for, even though you absolutely shouldn't.

The brilliance of season three lies in how it makes you confront that contradiction. For two seasons, the series has invited us to cheer for Georgia as she eliminates abusive men and manipulates her way into stability for her kids. She's a survivor, a mother, a self-styled protector. This season asks a more uncomfortable question: what happens when your anti-hero crosses a moral line you can't explain away? The surprising answer is that you root for her anyway and then sit with the discomfort of realizing it.

And it's not just Georgia. What became more interesting this season was how Ginny (Antonia Gentry) began to inherit some of her mother's traits. Not the mascara tricks or wedding-planning prowess, but the deeper survival strategies - reading people, keeping secrets, shaping the truth to fit the moment. She doesn't just live in Georgia's world; she starts to operate like her. It's subtle at first, but by the finale, the through-line is clear: Ginny & Georgia is a mother-daughter villain origin story.

As a writer, I found it hard not to treat this season as a case study in building compelling villains. The plot? Outrageous, overstuffed, sometimes just straight cringe. The characters? Consistently magnetic. Georgia works because the writers give her a code - protect the kids at all costs - and then repeatedly put her in situations where following that code means doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Ginny works because she's still figuring out her code, and every bad decision she makes feels like a warped act of self-preservation. Both are deeply flawed, sometimes infuriating, but impossible to ignore.

It helps that the performances are fully committed. Howey plays Georgia as a high-wire act: charm as misdirection, vulnerability as a weapon. Gentry gives Ginny a quieter intensity, letting us see the calculation behind her guarded expressions. Katie Douglas (Abby) and Sara Waisglass (Max) continue to turn their supporting roles into mini masterclasses on how to play teen drama without slipping into caricature.

Is the season perfect? No. It still leans too heavily on soap-drama mechanics: cliffhangers, padded subplots, melodramatic pacing. There are moments when the moral tension gets drowned out by courtroom implausibility or another high-school meltdown. But when the show stays locked in on Georgia and Ginny as a duo, it flies into my drama-starved heart.

The most interesting thing about Season 3 isn't the trial verdict, the romantic entanglements or even the town's endless supply of secrets. It's how the show forces you to interrogate your loyalty as a viewer. You know Georgia's done terrible things. You know Ginny is on a slippery slope. And yet, you cheer. You keep watching. You want them to win, even if "winning" means outmaneuvering the law or emotionally outflanking someone who deserved better.

In the end, "Ginny & Georgia" succeeds where so many dramas of its kind fail: it builds characters who earn your attention scene after scene, even when the plot strains credulity. This season may not change your moral compass, but it will make you aware of how easily the right mix of charisma, chemistry and calculated chaos can bend it.

If Season 4 can trim the excess and keep that focus, we might get an even sharper portrait of this messy, magnetic duo. But for now, I'm just grateful for a show that makes me think, feel and take notes.

I first heard of "Weapons" when I noticed it sitting at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. That number has since dropped, but it speaks to the wave of acclaim the film has ridden since its release. And while I don't agree with the score, I get why the hype built so quickly. "Weapons" is the kind of horror-comedy that blends unsettling dread with moments of absurd humor, a tonal balancing act that feels rare in a studio horror film.

The movie's riveting opening stretch is the film at its best. Seventeen children suddenly vanish from their homes at 2:17 a.m., all from the same classroom, running into the night as if pulled by some unseen force. The premise is instantly gripping, helped by the viral real-world marketing campaign that staged children running through Times Square. The atmosphere that follows is suffocating. Zach Cregger's nonlinear structure - jumping between a grieving teacher, a frustrated father and other townspeople - initially promises layers of depth and meaning. For about an hour, "Weapons" feels like a mystery worthy of the hype.

That hype wasn't accidental. "Weapons" sparked a high-profile bidding war before a single frame was shown, with studios fighting to secure the "next Jordan Peele" project. Add to that a stacked cast, plus Cregger's newfound reputation after "Barbarian," and expectations were almost impossible to meet. The hype framed "Weapons" not just as a film, but as an event: an allegory-heavy, conversation-starting "masterpiece."

There's a lot to admire here. Cregger has a knack for finding horror in the mundane: suburban homes cloaked in silence, lit-up convenience stores, children running barefoot under streetlights. At first, the film plays like a slow-burning investigation, focusing on Justine (Julia Garner), the ostracized teacher, and Archer (Josh Brolin), the grieving father. But just as you settle into their story, the film detours into the lives of a self-serving cop and a desperate junkie. Some have called this lazy - a way to pad the runtime and delay the inevitable reveal - but that's the point. The mystery of the missing children isn't the story; the story is the town's sickness itself, and each perspective is a different symptom.

Through Justine, we see a community so desperate for a scapegoat that it turns on the one person actively trying to help. Garner is phenomenal, portraying a woman whose grief and guilt are weaponized against her by neighbors who'd rather invent a villain than confront a complicated horror. Through Archer, we see a father's grief curdle into obsession, his rationality collapsing into circular thinking that blinds him to the apparent rot around him. The film's thesis sharpens here: institutions and instincts fail us in the face of senseless tragedy. The police, represented by Alden Ehrenreich's unraveling Paul, are more concerned with reputation than public service. The school, led by Benedict Wong's passive principal, prioritizes appearances over student welfare. The real monster in "Weapons" isn't supernatural at all - it's the systemic neglect that allows evil to fester in plain sight.

But for all its strengths, Weapons also falters. The film gestures at allegory - guns, parasites, suburban decay - but never digs deep enough to pay them off entirely. By the end, the mystery narrows into something more conventional than its ambitious setup promised. The slow-burn intrigue loses steam, and what initially felt layered and unsettling resolves into a payoff that doesn't quite match the buildup. Combined with some head-scratching character choices and a reliance on "mystery-box" pacing that confuses withholding with depth, the film ultimately feels less profound than it wants to be.

That's where the confusion sets in. Critics have called "Weapons" the "best horror film" of the year. I don't see it. It's stylish, entertaining and occasionally haunting, but not groundbreaking. In fact, the best moments aren't scary at all. They're the sly, absurd touches of comedy that puncture the dread. The film's sense of humor is dry, uncomfortable, almost Coen Brothers-esque, and it hits. Those beats remind you why Cregger, with his comedy roots, is an exciting filmmaker to watch: he knows that horror isn't just about what makes us scream, but what makes us laugh nervously right after.

So, should you watch it? Absolutely. Even if it isn't the genre-shifting masterpiece the hype suggests, Weapons is still a strong sophomore effort from a director worth following. It's messy, ambitious and sometimes frustrating, but it is also one of the most distinctive horror films to have come out of a major studio in recent years. Just temper your expectations: this isn't a revelation.

Top track: "Godstained"

The first notes you hear on Quadeca's newest album "Vanisher, Horizon Scraper" are from Chico Buarque's seminal Brazilian classic "Construção". By opening this project with that sample, the former "Bad Internet Rapper," notorious for getting in a beef with fellow internet personality KSI, seems to be saying that the project his audience is about to hear will be as ambitious as Buarque's classic.

From generic pop trap to emo rap experimentation on 2021's "From Me To You", Quadeca has seem to finally have found his voice on his last three projects "I Didn't Mean to Haunt You," "Scrapyard" and now with "Vanisher, Horizon Scraper." The story of Quadeca has been one of musical maturation, and we're in the best chapter yet.

The album's first track "No Questions Asked" opens with those Chico Buarque notes and immediately envelops one in its unique soundscape - classical, electronic and folk-driven in equal measures. The refrain "I'll be there when no one is" repeats as the music ebbs and flows like waves crashing. There is an aquatic feeling to this whole project, likely intentional as the project's central narrative thread is of a voyager crossing the sea.

That narrative becomes clearer on the second track "Waging War", with bars like "Who am I when the light is low, and there's no horizon? / Who am I when I wash ashore? I can't visualize it." With lines like these and "Waging war (Who am I to that open door that I'm going towards?) / Racing forward (Who am I to the blinking light that's been keeping score?)", it's apparent that the album's narrator is going through an existential crisis and is using this journey across the sea to find themselves in their mental storm. "Waging War" is interesting but suffers from some slight sonic disconnectedness in a way the rest of the album does not. And while that might be a musical reflection of the existential anxiety depicted, the rest of the album generally accomplishes this anxious feeling with more sonic focus.

If you weren't listening closely enough to the vocals, you would be forgiven for thinking the project's next track "Ruin My Life" was by "Age of Adz"-era Sufjan Stevens. It's an experimental track with electronic and psychedelic flourishes but centered by a beating folk heart. "I might have to ruin my life to make it mine" is the thesis of this track, illustrating the narrator may need to go against expectations and escape to find himself. The song's ending refrain "what have you done" represents the lingering doubts over the decision.

One thing you'll notice throughout this album is that lyrics are somewhat sparse, and much of the thematics are expressed through the sonics and repeating lines. Quadeca's words are passionately delivered, but sometimes they can seem one-note and on the nose. His lyrics do have the potential to be stronger and more illustrative and he shows that he does have that ability on the next track, "Godstained" -- the album's standout.

Backed by lush bossa nova and jazz instrumentation, Quadeca sings about finding a message in a bottle at sea. The narrator is excited that he will find some meaning in the bottle, but ultimately realizes that it contains nothing of significance. Of the metaphorical conceits that make up many of the songs on this project, "Godstained" is one of the most lyrically and sonically interesting examples, telling a story of expectations and disappointment over gorgeous jazz-folk. Oleka, who has backing vocals on many tracks across the album, has one of her best performances here, adding to the song's ethereality.

The next few songs feature many of the sounds Quadeca has come to master as he explores everything from getting old and failed relationships to missed opportunities and failure. The highlights of this middle leg of the album include the psychedelic and glitchy cloud rap of "At a Time Like This," the baroque folk waltz of "Monday" and the indie pop and hip-hop fusion of "That's Why."

"Thundrrr" ramps up the energy from the middle section of softer songs with abrasive, blaring synths and distorted percussion. On this track, the narrator no longer seems existentially anxious but self-assured and almost egotistical. The song plays like a coping mechanism, a reaction to insecurity.

The next track, "The Great Bakunawa," keeps the energy going with a great Danny Brown feature. The beat begins ominously sounding like the part of the horror movie that comes before the jumpscare and then the drums kick in as Quadeca says "When the sun comes down, it's fallin' right? / It's the end of the world if you call it right." The Great Bakunawa is a sea dragon from Philippine mythology. To prevent the serpentine dragon from eating the moon, people needed to play music to ward it off. Brown raps as the voice of the dragon, threatening to consume the moon and the narrator.

Just as the narrator's journey has reached the peak of its tumultuousness, the project once again returns to a more intimate soundscape with "Forgone". "Forgone" repeats the chord progression of "Monday" and like that song, "Forgone" also centers on the narrator reminiscing on a relationship. The intimate atmosphere matches the lyrics of the song as the narrator remembers how his partner was "through it all…the one that remains." However, by the last verse, it becomes clear that this relationship is no more. Over lush strings and atmospheric drums, Quadeca isn't able to finish the verse, singing "Holding you tight like a bear / But I was the only one there / And I can't return as the same / All I can do is re-."

The final song "Casper" is more a Maruja track then a Quadeca song. Maruja's Harry Wilkinson speaks as the voice of God, reciting poetry that ties back to multiple songs across the album. Over dark and atmospheric experimental rock, it becomes clear that the narrator has reached death, yet Wilkinson's God reassures him that "heaven's open wide, it's hell on earth he knows."

"Vanisher, Horizon Scraper" is a remarkable journey of self-discovery and emotional reckoning, showcasing Quadeca's evolution as an artist. The album blends experimental production with deeply personal themes, exploring existential questions and the tension between expectation and reality. While the lyricism occasionally feels simplistic, tracks like "Godstained" highlight his ability to craft profound, vulnerable narratives. The album's sonic depth and emotional weight make it a standout in Quadeca's discography, as he navigates the complexities of life, loss and self-realization. "Vanisher, Horizon Scraper" is a cathartic exploration, cementing Quadeca's place as a uniquely ambitious voice in modern music, with plenty of room for growth on the horizon.

Top track: "A Doll Fulla Pins" (feat. Yolanda Watson, Jeff Markey and Messiah Musik)

billy woods' "GOLLIWOG" is a magnum opus, a rare rap album that blends trenchant political critique with intimate reflections on trauma. It is a visceral exploration of post-colonial oppression and the psychic residue it leaves behind. woods doesn't just create a narrative about history; he immerses the listener in its emotional weight, making this album a haunting meditation on survival, loss and resistance.

From the first track, "Jumpscare," woods sets an ominous tone, layering sound and noise in a way that mirrors a horror movie's unsettling atmosphere. The track references colonial terror, invoking imperialist Cecil Rhodes and rapping "the English language is violence, I hotwired it." The distortion of colonial power becomes a central theme throughout "GOLLIWOG," as woods uses the tools of the oppressor to reflect the pervasive presence of colonialism in everyday life.

This atmosphere of dread lingers, a constant undercurrent shaping the album's sonic and lyrical landscape. On "STAR87," a track defined by Conductor Williams' ominous strings, woods shifts focus to the emotional burden of survival. He navigates the tension between homecoming and ruin, reflecting on diaspora, return and the struggle to honor those who came before him. The track's haunting verse, where woods' dead friends return to accuse him - "it should've been you" - encapsulates the weight of history. Woods is not just recalling past loss; he is grappling with its living, breathing impact on his present identity and music.

The album's title, "GOLLIWOG," serves as a pointed symbol of colonial objectification. The golliwog doll, a 19th-century racist caricature, is not merely a historical relic but a representation of how the colonized are reduced to objects. On "A Doll Fulla Pins," Yolanda Watson's chilling hook hovering over eerie brass, turns the doll into a haunting figure that transcends nostalgia. woods crafts a chilling narrative of a haunted house, where even the furniture becomes an agent of surveillance. This image is both absurd and terrifying, emphasizing how colonial violence lingers in the most private spaces, never allowing the past to remain buried.

On "BLK ZMBY," woods examines the post-colonial "zombie states" where the elites have fled or profited, leaving the poor to survive by any means necessary. The track critiques global inequality, juxtaposing the lavish lives of the elite with the desperate struggles of the marginalized. Woods doesn't deliver a lecture here, but rather a stark, poetic ledger of exploitation: oil must flow, debt must service and a sovereign mask is placed on a captured face. It's a dissection of how the global systems that shaped colonialism continue to extract from the oppressed.

The recurring motif of the house in woods' work represents the personal and collective legacies of trauma. In "Lead Paint Test," woods reflects on the physical and emotional damage passed down through generations. The track describes a house where each creak and crack in the plaster echoes with the weight of inherited injury. The house becomes a metaphor for the body, for the psyche, where trauma is embedded in the very walls we inhabit.

The closing track, "Dislocated," explores the concept of psychic amputation - the feeling of being unmoored and estranged from one's own identity. Woods invokes Fanon's vision of colonization as a theft of personhood. "Face pressed to the pavement," "a knee grinding the spine," until the refrain becomes a verdict - "I can't be located." With this, woods illustrates that the oppression his community has experienced has removed them of personhood and forced them into isolation as protection.

Each of these tracks contributes to the broader narrative of "GOLLIWOG", where the personal is always intertwined with the political. Woods does not separate his personal experience from the systemic forces that shape it. In every verse, he examines how the weight of history, of violence, and of resistance forms the foundation of his identity. The album creates a space where these themes of trauma and survival collide, making the personal reflections on loss and homecoming inseparable from the larger critiques of colonial and post-colonial systems.

What makes "GOLLIWOG" so powerful is how it ties these themes to a visceral, emotional core. woods doesn't just describe the structures of power; he explores the lasting effects of these structures on the human soul. The house, the golliwog, the zombie state - each symbol becomes a lens through which we can understand the deep emotional cost of colonialism and its aftereffects. woods anchors these political themes in raw human experience, ensuring that every listener feels the weight of what's being said, not just intellectually, but emotionally.

In the end, "GOLLIWOG" is more than just an album; it is a meditation on survival in the face of impossible odds, a portrait of the human spirit scarred but unbroken. woods succeeds in balancing the personal and the political, blending his own grief with the collective suffering of the oppressed. He's furious, precise and unrelenting, crafting a narrative that cuts through the noise of modern rap to offer a searing, personal reflection on the legacies of colonialism and the ongoing struggle for identity and autonomy. The album reads like a novel, with each track acting as a chapter in a larger story about history, trauma and resilience.

"Actor" opens the album as an introduction to the end of the relationship, describing how his ex-partner is much better than the narrator at pretending like nothing ever happened between them. The wistful guitar and vocals paint this angst, building up to a captivating bridge and chorus. This leads into the album's lead single, "This Song," a track that details the internal struggle of not knowing whether romantic feelings are mutual. The cinematic strings create a nostalgic atmosphere, particularly felt in the music video depicting the queer summer romance starring Gray and actor Corey Fogelmanis. "Vodka Cranberry," the next single, furthers the story of their heartbreak with a catchy riff and instrumentation, despite some of the lyrics not measuring up to the depth of other songs.

Alluding to one of the star-crossed lovers in Shakespeare's famous play, "Romeo" retrospectively questions everything Gray did for his ex - "So I did it all, damn, for what? / You're no Romeo." The trumpet introduction and the bridge's spoken-word cadence contribute to some of the album's sonic variety. With its twinkly instrumental, "My World" is a playful middle finger to controlling exes, though the shouting quality of the bridge can feel out of place.

Departing from the love theme comes "Class Clown," a guitar-heavy ballad describing the feeling of not outgrowing past humiliation. It has themes of growing pains and teenage angst felt in Olivia Rodrigo's "GUTS." The next track, "Nauseous," is one of the most vulnerable, with hard-hitting lyrics portraying the trauma-based fear of heartbreak during a relationship - "And maybe that's why I feel safe with bad guys / Because when they hurt me, I won't be surprised."

Gray shifts the tempo with "Caramel," the final single and a heartbreak anthem akin to "Memories" from his album "Superache." The percussion and high-pop energy, coupled with the well-delivered metaphor ("You burn inside my memory so well / You caramel"), make it especially memorable. Two more somber songs follow, "Connell" and "Sunset Tower," which further describe wrestling with the break-up via gut-wrenching lyricism.

"Eleven Eleven" is a key song in the theme of "Wishbone," brilliantly describing the delusion in desperately searching for signs that a failing relationship can be saved. It accomplishes this through its many references to superstitious items like wishbones, horoscopes, clovers and, of course, the 11:11 make-a-wish trend: "As much as I act like I want to forget it / I still wish for you at 11:11." Closing out the album is "Care," Gray's confession that his ex still matters to him, no matter how much he tries to move on.

Overall, "Wishbone" is a welcome return to Gray's roots, offering an even more unfiltered look into his love life. As evidenced in interviews about the album and the music videos, Gray seems more confident in his identity as a queer young adult, and each song reflects that vulnerability. While it may not be as out of his comfort zone stylistically, from a lyrical and emotional perspective, "Wishbone" truly shines - no split opinions.

Laufey: "A Matter of Time" Tour September 20, Toyota Center

Following the release of her third studio album, "A Matter of Time," Laufey's national tour will be stopping here in Houston. Thrift your favorite billowy tops, flowy dresses and silky bows, and head down to the Toyota Center on Saturday, September 20 to enjoy Laufey's unique mix of pop and jazz.

Kali Uchis: The "Sincerely," Tour, September 2, Toyota Center

Enjoy all of your favorite songs off of Kali Uchis' most recent album, "Sincerely," at the Toyota Center on September 2. Find comfort in Uchis' ethereal soundscapes before classes start to really pick up speed.

Chance the Rapper: And We Back Tour, September 26, Bayou Music Center

Chance the Rapper's newest album, "Star Line," explores his life story and reflects on the lessons he's learned. His comeback tour is stopping at Bayou Music Center this fall, so take some time to reflect on your story while Chance reflects on his during his performance.

Djo: Another Bite Tour, October 5, White Oak Music Hall

His initial fame may have come from "Stranger Things," but Chicago native Joe Kerry has been stirring up the indie music scene as Djo these past few years. Catch him live on Sunday, October 5 at White Oak Music Hall.

Doechii: Live from the Swamp Tour, October 31, 713 Music Hall

Doechii's iconic imagery, style and rapping is probably shaking up your feed this time last year. Although the name of the tour calls back to her Tampa roots, it also fits well with Houston's swampy weather. Change up your Halloween plans and enjoy Doechii's amazing production value live.

Houston Symphony: Student Rush/Student Pass

If you're a classical music fan, check out the Houston Symphony's student rush tickets - $20 for a concert - or a student pass - $50 for access to every classical and POPS concert. Their season starts on September 19 with Stravinsky's The Firebird. Grab a friend and have a classical music experience this semester.

"The Outsiders": November 18-23, Hobby Center for the Performing Arts

Broadway's taking a trip to Houston, bringing your favorite middle school required reading to life at the Hobby Center this November. A recent Tony Award winner, this show might be a bit of a splurge. Enjoy some found family feels before going home to your family for Thanksgiving.

Houston Grand Opera: "Porgy and Bess", October 24 - November 15, Wortham Theatre

"Porgy and Bess" is an American opera adapted from the play and novel of the same name. Written by George Gershwin, whom you might recognize for his "Rhapsody in Blue," this opera features great music and a compelling story. Take advantage of the Houston Grand Opera's Student Rush deal to enjoy this opera for only $25.

On a sunny afternoon at Chicago's Grant Park, the San Diego-based group took the BMI stage with confidence, running through a setlist that included crowd favorites "LA Friends" and "Crash" alongside newer singles like "Naive."

"We've been talking about this for months now," bassist Charlie Baird said. "You never think you'll be playing a major festival until you're actually standing here. My dad used to tell me about going to the first Lollapalooza in [Los Angeles] … so being here now feels surreal."

benches formed nearly a decade ago when lead singer Anson Kelley and guitarist Andy Tistoj were still in middle school. Since then, the band has evolved from nervous teenagers in the San Diego scene into a confident live act with more than 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners. Their music blends the raw energy of garage rock with the melodic flair of Britpop, often drawing comparisons to Arctic Monkeys, The Strokes and Interpol.

Songs like "Violent" and "Queen of Hearts" showcase their garage-rock roots, while recent tracks lean toward indie pop textures with lyrics that reflect on relationships and the challenges of growing up.

"It's changed drastically," Ojeda said. "I used to not move at all on stage. Now, after touring so much, we've gained confidence. People who saw us back in 2022 tell us they can see the difference. We're more stylistically sure of ourselves, and the show reflects that."

Touring has shaped not only their stage presence but also their creative approach. The band has supported acts like Inhaler and I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, and Ojeda said those experiences offered lessons on and off stage.

"You get to study how other bands play shows," he said. "We learned a lot about being more comfortable and open on stage just by watching others night after night."

Still, the group hopes to give audiences more than polished technique. For benches, live shows are about leaving fans with something memorable.

"I want people to walk away thinking, 'I need to see them again,'" Baird said. "If they don't know our music, I want them to go home and immediately listen. If we can inspire someone the way we were inspired, that means the world."

That inspiration is already happening. Ojeda recalled a fan who told him she started playing drums because of him. Others have traveled from overseas to catch multiple shows.

"Stuff like that really hits you," Ojeda said. "We're still a small band, so seeing people care that much - it inspires us to keep going."

During their Lollapalooza set, the band matched the words with action.

With driving guitars and hooks rooted in indie pop and Bloc Party-esque post-punk revival, Benches kept the crowd moving through "Kill the Lights" and closer "Monodrama."

"I grew up going to shows in San Diego and watching bands that made me feel like I could do this too," Baird said. "If someone walks away from our set with that same feeling, then we've done our job."

The four amendments were previously proposed for the spring 2025 election ballot, which failed due to insufficient voter turnout.

Senate will vote on when to present the amendments in a special election Sept. 1. They may either be presented in the fall semester, or voted on in the general election in the spring.

Amendment three includes revisions to the previously biannual review of the Initiative Fund, allowing for continuous review of applications throughout the year.

"We can meet continuously, but we can only vote once to disburse," SA Parliamentarian Zach Weinbrum said during Senate. "If in some sort of scenario we have super good form all the time, why not have more meetings and appropriate more funds more quickly?"

Last spring, the SA approved a $140,000 Initiative Fund for student organizations, a 460% increase from the previously $25,000 fund, marking the largest in SA history. Applications open Sept. 2 and close Oct. 10.

The amendment also removes the requirement for funding to be given to "new and innovative" initiatives.

"[An initiative] is something you're doing for the student body as a whole," Weinbrum said. "It does not need to be new. It does not need to be recurring. It does not need to be innovative."

Changes to amendment four revised the election regulations so that violations do not result in immediate disqualification. Instead, the University Court may issue a remedial measure.

Senate also introduced a bill establishing a one-time funding for printing credit. The SA will make a donation of $25,000 to support $5 of printing credit for all students, while urging university administration to match the donation to meet the $10 printing credit goal.

Martel College President Nathan Calzat said he had reservations about creating the fund without agreement from the administration to match the donation.

"I worry that we might be placing a bandage on a bullet hole and temporarily solve this issue when the real issue that we're trying to solve is the fact that our administration does not want to give us our due compensation for what we need for our printing credit," Calzat said during debate.

"It's not the duty of the SA to provide printing credit, it's the duty of our institution," Calzat continued.

Members of Senate voiced disagreement. They will further debate the bill.

The SA is still negotiating with the administration to get 24-hour study space at Fondren, which they say may not be possible due to safety concerns. Secretary Cedric Lau confirmed a 12 day pilot program during finals week at Fondren requiring $3,700 in funding and is also looking for other spaces.

Deputy Chief of Staff Nate Turman also announced efforts to partner with the Houston Zoo to adopt a live owl mascot at the zoo for students to visit. Turman said that he hopes to follow the model at University of Houston, which has adopted two live cougars.

"The idea with that is to have fun, collaborative events and have good marketing for the school and for the zoo," Turman said.

Correction: This article was updated to reflect that the senate did pass the amendments, and that they will vote on Sept. 1 on when to present the amendments in a general student body election. A previous version of the article stated that the 12 day pilot program at Fondren Library would cost $37,000. The correct figure is $3,700.

Rice is also giving students free access to Google Gemini, an AI assistant that can summarize papers, generate responses and support writing, as well as as Google's NotebookLM, which allows users to use AI work across their own documents and transcripts.

With the launch of the AI major, Rice joins a small group of elite universities - including Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology - that offer dedicated AI programs.

"Artificial intelligence is now a core enabling technology across nearly every discipline," President Reggie DesRoches wrote in an email to the Thresher. "By launching our Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence in fall 2025, Rice is putting its strategic vision, Momentous, into action."

John Greiner, an assistant teaching professor of computer science and director of the AI major, said the department began exploring the idea of a major after noting rising student demand for AI.

"People are realizing AI is not simply a sub-area within computer science anymore," Greiner said. "It has expanded into a full domain where specialists can focus their entire careers … we sat back and said, well, we've got all of these resources available, does it make sense to actually create a major?"

Vicente Ordóñez-Román, an associate professor of computer science, chaired the committee that designed the program. He compared the launch of Rice's AI major to the early days of computer science.

"When computer science first became a discipline, many universities were unsure what to include in the curriculum or even what to call the field," Ordóñez-Román said. "In creating the major, we looked at the few peer institutions with existing programs. Some were geared toward the extremely technical side, while others leaned more into the social and cognitive psychology aspects."

Administration and faculty said that the curriculum was built from the ground up, rather than pieced together from existing offerings. Designed to be well-rounded, two to four of of its 20 courses will be in the social sciences and humanities.

"The courses will equip our students to think critically and strategically about ethical implications and to explore new ways to apply AI," Provost Amy Dittmar said

Students begin the AI major with a foundation in mathematics and probability before moving into a 12-course AI core. Required classes include Ethics of AI and Intro to Cognitive Psychology. Students also complete three electives from clusters such as Perception and Language; Robotics and Autonomy; Humans and AI; and AI Theory.

Alex de Sousa, a Brown College sophomore studying computer science, said he is more interested in artificial intelligence - both its development and regulation - than in upper-level computer science courses.

"The most advanced classes in computer science are going to be related to developing very advanced algorithms and how the computer system works at its core," de Sousa said. "I feel like that's separate from the concerns people working in AI have nowadays."

The university aims to expand its enrollment to 5,200 undergraduate students by 2028, a 30% increase from 2020.

35: The largest ethnic group at Rice is Asian-Americans at 35%, with Caucasians following at 23%, and Mexican-Americans and Black students at 8% and 7% respectively. While Rice's ethnic makeup is diverse, recent federal challenges to diversity programs and free speech have revealed ongoing difficulties, both external and internal.

3,666: Tuition has increased every year at Rice, overtaking inflation. This year, tuition has increased by $3,666, and the total predicted cost of attendance has increased by $5,283 for students paying the full sticker price.

One cost is the recent H&D meal plan change. The main on-campus plan changed the previous 375 swipe plan to unlimited swipes at the cost of limited guest swipes and a $150 increase, which has been described by some students as harmful to Rice's Culture of Care.

2,500: In late July, Rice offered $2,500 to students on the waitlist if they continued to wait and were admitted. Rice wrote in an email to students on the waitlist, "We have determined that we have ten remaining places in our Class of 2029, and we hope to offer those places in the very near future … in recognition of this, we will award students admitted from the waitlist a one-time grant of $2,500."

This is an unusual grant, but college waitlists across the country are pushed further and further back. Last year, waitlist decisions were made in June. This year? July and later.

"This grant, which is on top of any need-based financial aid, was intended to recognize the unique circumstances of a later admission offer," Chris Stipes, the executive director of news and media relations, wrote in an email to the Thresher.

1, 4: One new minor and four new majors are available for this year's freshmen. The Glasscock School introduced a Teaching Minor for undergraduates this spring. The newly launched B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies, B.A. in Global Affairs, a Bachelor of Music in Orchestral Conducting and B.S. in Artificial Intelligence are waiting for prospective students.

5: There are currently five construction projects on campus. It's out with the old and in with the new - and Lovett College freshmen know this well. This will be their only year in the Toaster before they are transferred to a new building beside the new Chao College, currently under construction. Sarofim Hall - an art department building - opened its classroom doors to students this Monday. The Moody Center Complex for Student Life, set as an accompaniment to the Rice Memorial Center and Jones Business School, is also being built.

2: Two student-run businesses, The Hoot and Tea Nook, closed this spring and summer, respectively. While fewer options are available for late-night meals and boba tea and student workers at these locations have lost their jobs, student employment at Rice now pays more. The Rice student minimum wage is now $10 an hour, and the Rice administration has committed to an eventual increase to $15 an hour.

[Correction 8/28/2025 4:00 p.m.: 1339 students matriculated to Rice, instead of 1,345. The yield rate is 43%, not 45%. 2,949 students were accepted, not 2852, which equals a 10% increase of 117 students. 1148 students were admitted to the class of 2028.]