375 minutes of music that defined my 3.75 years of college

I went to my first concert in college, first semester freshman year in September 2016. My high school friend Eric Shi came with me to see James Blake downtown at the House of Blues. There, under lights filled with haze and concertgoers way older than us, we listened to Moses Sumney over the chatter of the crowd. Eventually, the lights dimmed, and Blake took the stage. When the bass hit on “Limit to Your Love,” I knew I was hooked for a lifetime.

A look back into history: Rice in times of crisis

For the first time since our university’s founding in 1912, all instruction is taking place remotely and virtually. For the second time since our founding in 1916, the Thresher has stopped printing physical papers (the first break was during World War I, according to our records) and for the first time has transitioned to emailing a weekly online newsletter (which you can and should subscribe to here). And for the first time in its 64-year history, Beer Bike did not happen.

Construction continues undeterred on campus

For the students still staying in the south colleges, one noise rises above the rest: the sounds of construction on the new Sid Richardson College building. Although most major buildings on campus have been closed, all construction projects on campus have continued due to their continued classification as “essential” under Houston’s stay-at-home order.

Taylor Swift fans find community through Rice Swifties

March Madness brackets are a familiar sight — 64 teams face off, with one team crowned the winner. But a bracket created by an informal group of Rice students showcases a different competition: a showdown between 64 of pop artist Taylor Swift’s best songs. 

Missed-fits: The would-be outfits of Spring 2020

With half of the semester suddenly cut short and students now in isolation, methods of self-expression through clothing are limited to a tiny Zoom screen. We asked fashionistas and planners alike to send us their missed-fits — missed opportunities to wear an outfit this semester. All photos submitted by students and designed by Christina Tan unless otherwise noted.

On-campus commencement postponed, online ceremony to occur

In light of ongoing COVID-19 concerns, an on-campus commencement is postponed until further notice, according to an email sent by President David Leebron, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Interim Provost Seiichi Matsuda. They also announced that an online ceremony will be held on May 16, where graduates’ names will be read out loud. 

Any classes this semester can be taken pass/fail, Faculty Senate decides

Undergraduate students will be able to designate all courses this semester pass/fail after the Faculty Senate approved the motion for academic relief in Spring 2020 to address the academic disruption caused by COVID-19, by a unanimous vote (28 in favor, 4 absent). 

From the editor’s desk: How it feels to say goodbye too early

When the inevitable news broke that classes were moving online and students had to move off campus for the rest of the semester, I started sobbing. Immediately. Through my tears, I wrote the breaking news posts on the Thresher’s social media, and then thought of previous Editor-in-Chief Andrew Grottkau’s riveting column during Hurricane Harvey. It was time for me to write a column like that one, I thought to myself, one that is inspiring and full of hope and captures the emotions of community and strength. 

Rice approved 77 percent of petitions to stay on campus, but some students disappointed with decisions

Editor’s Note: Some students were granted anonymity to varying degrees to protect information about petitioning reasons.

Beer Bike, major events canceled for semester

For the first time in its 64-year history, Beer Bike is canceled with no current plans to reschedule. 

Panel discusses xenophobia sparked by coronavirus

After six Rice Alert emails about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and rising fear about the spread of the disease, student clubs on campus organized to address another aspect of COVID-19: xenophobia toward Asians and Asian Americans. Last Thursday, faculty members and students gathered to listen to panelists speak about the topic and offer potential solutions. 

Vining and McClendon win contested SA elections, Clyburn confirmed as SA president

Anna Margaret Clyburn will serve as the next Student Association president after running uncontested, the first time in seven years that the race has been uncontested. With 1,082 ballots cast, which represents 27.2 percent of the student body, the elections saw significantly lower voter participation than previous years (42 percent last year and over 50 percent the year before). 

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Niche sports provide unconventional experiences for students

On any given Saturday, Jorge Zepeda can be found working up a sweat. But instead of hitting the gym or getting on the field, Zepeda has chosen a different way to exercise: Dance Dance Revolution. Zepeda is just one of many students at Rice who find their exercise, stress relief and mental agility in sports not found on traditional college rosters. 

Randall McCabe’s “Works on Paper” captures the simple complexity of nature

Rather than start at the entrance, visitors to artist Randall McCabe’s “Works on Paper 2009-2019” should consider beginning near the men’s bathroom. Next to it hangs the earliest iteration of a shape that appears all over the first floor of the Rice Media Center — a prickly pear cactus.

A Decade of Thresher: 2013 Recap

Editor’s Note: This is the fourth installment in “A Decade of Thresher,” a commemoration of another decade of Thresher coverage. Since the Fondren archive does not have 2013 PDFs, I used our online content only (no Backpages were read in the research for this piece).

A Decade of Thresher: 2012 Recap

Editor’s Note: This is the third installment in “A Decade of Thresher,” a commemoration of another decade of Thresher coverage.

A Decade of Thresher: 2011 Recap

Editor’s Note: This is the second installment in “A Decade of Thresher,” a commemoration of another decade of Thresher coverage.

A Decade of Thresher: 2010 Recap

Editor’s Note: This is the first installment in “A Decade of Thresher,” a commemoration of another decade of Thresher coverage.

Dean of Engineering Reginald DesRoches to become ninth provost

Current Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering Reginald DesRoches will become the ninth provost to take office after former Provost Marie Lynn Miranda stepped down in May. DesRoches will take office on July 1, replacing interim Provost Seiichi Matsuda, according to Rice News.