Rice University’s Student Newspaper — Since 1916

Tuesday, July 15, 2025 — Houston, TX

Arts and Entertainment



A&E 10/22/24 11:23pm

Take a peek behind the ballot box with these movies

In the United States, every four years marks the resurgence of a red-white-and-blue-splattered, uniquely-‘American’ electoral aesthetic, from the Odyssean mythology of the campaign trail to the iconography of the ideal, dutiful citizen submitting their ballot card. With the election season approaching, it’s the perfect time to see how filmmakers have — perhaps playfully — handled these political aesthetics. 


A&E 10/22/24 11:21pm

Students explore activism and solidarity through art

While some college students use their voices to protest and call for social change, others opt for a different medium of expression, through painting, sculpture or photography. Some Rice students say activism through art has proven to be a fulfilling avenue of expressing dissent that resounds just as loudly as their voices. 


A&E 10/8/24 11:38pm

Review: “Joker: Folie à Deux” has no punchline

It’s hard to understate how big of a cultural moment “Joker” was. It was a rare moment when a film succeeded in nearly every metric a film can. It grossed over a billion dollars, was critically praised and was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, with star Joaquin Phoenix taking home one of the two Oscars the film ended up winning.



A&E 10/8/24 10:59pm

Review: Victoria Monet dazzles on ‘JAGUAR II: Deluxe’

A year out from the release of her Grammy-winning album “JAGUAR II,” R&B superstar Victoria Monét is back with a deluxe version that features 10 new tracks. “Jaguar II: Deluxe” explores themes of familial and romantic love, self-confidence and ambition, all presented with Monét’s trademark live instrumentation and vocal versatility.


A&E 10/8/24 10:57pm

Review: “SOPHIE” sends off the titular legend with mixed results

“SOPHIE” is the second album and posthumous album of groundbreaking Scottish producer SOPHIE, who, throughout her releases as a solo artist and producer, predicted and mapped out where pop music could go. SOPHIE’s sound experimented with genre, voice modulation and the sounds of the digital and everyday.


A&E 10/8/24 10:54pm

Review: ‘Peter Pan’ balances kitschy and camp

“Peter Pan,” the musical about a flying boy who never grows up and his adventures in Neverland, came to the Houston’s Hobby Center Oct. 1-6. The show made its Broadway debut in 1954, and though the technology and fly-systems have changed since its opening, classic songs such as “Never Never Land” and “Pirate Song” certainly have not. 


A&E 10/8/24 10:53pm

Ranking residential college interior design

Your college’s interior design can make you feel like royalty or like you’re stuck in a cheap motel. From the grandeur of Baker’s chandeliers to the eerie skeleton in Hanszen commons, let’s explore the cozy and the uninviting, the aesthetic and the stale of each residential college’s design.


A&E 10/1/24 11:31pm

New art opens behind Brochstein’s closed doors

The morning after a terrible storm, inspiration struck Karyn Olivier on her commute to work. In a North Philadelphia neighborhood she had driven through countless times before, a huge swath of vines and ivy had been peeled off of a concrete wall by the rain and wind, crumpling forlornly over an adjacent fence. Olivier stopped her car and took a photograph. 


A&E 10/1/24 11:18pm

Senior Spotlight: Abdullah Jahangir captures home and belonging

Through Abdullah Jahangir’s camera lens, a photo isn’t just a still image — it’s a moment in time, dynamic and emotional. Working with film in his freshman photography class prompted him to consider photography as more than just snapshots, but rather a form of self-expression and exploration. 


A&E 10/1/24 11:07pm

Review: Duck n Bao doesn't disappoint

A gloomy peace this midterm season with it brings; this campus, for sorrow or joy, is flooded once more with tears. Whether tears of happiness or despair, you, my compatriots, deserve a reward for making it through yet another challenge in your academic career. Duck N Bao, a Chinese restaurant located in Rice Village, is perfect for such an occasion, I do declare. 


A&E 10/1/24 11:06pm

Another shounen disappointment: The fall of ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’

After 271 weekly Shonen Jump chapters, Gege Akutami's “Jujutsu Kaisen” has reached its conclusion, and with it, a wave of frustration has swept across the shounen manga community. In a genre known for its iconic scenes but lackluster endings, “Jujutsu Kaisen” followed through, leaving fans in disbelief. What should have been a triumphant closing act for one of the most popular series instead fizzled out, leaving us all wondering: How did something so promising end so terribly?


A&E 10/1/24 11:05pm

Explore hidden architecture gems on campus

Rice’s campus is home to many notable works of architecture, from the classic Sewall Hall to the state-of-the-art O’Connor Engineering Building. However, there are still diamonds in the rough that have yet to be discovered by the wider population of the university. Provided below are a handful of lesser-known architectural wonders located within the hedges.


A&E 10/1/24 11:03pm

Movies to check out at MFAH this October

Just a mile outside the hedges, an oasis of indie, art-house, international and classic films await. Every weekend, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston shows unique cinematic curiosities, some you may have heard of, some you may have not. Additionally, tickets are discounted for Rice students to less than 10 bucks each. Here are some shows you should check out in the next few weeks.


A&E 10/1/24 11:02pm

A beginner’s guide to the Austin City Limits music festival

Want to hear “Good Luck, Babe!,” “See You Again” and “Don’t Start Now” performed live at energetic concerts in the same weekend? At this year’s Austin City Limits you can check out the artists behind those iconic tracks and so many more including Reneé Rapp, Chris Stapleton and The Marías. Whether you’re venturing out to Austin’s Zilker Park this weekend or the next, here’s a helpful guide to survive the biggest music festival in Texas. 


A&E 10/1/24 11:01pm

Review: ‘Intermezzo’ is like a toxic relationship

There is something degrading about reading “Intermezzo.”  You’ll find it unpleasant, and Sally Rooney tries her best to make it unenjoyable, yet you won’t put it down. Notably, the author writes about someone else for a change (avoiding the long-held autobiographical accusations) while maintaining her distinctive narrative voice, and an uncanny ability to capture how, and why, we hurt the people we are supposed to love.  




A&E 9/25/24 12:11am

Annual Tent Series spotlights identity and community

Walking past the provisional campus facilities’ tents at night, you may have noticed something different about the sides of two of them. The Moody Center for the Arts has commissioned two different works that you can see on tents one and four, one with “La Tierra Recuerda” written in big yellow letters and the other featuring a film projection of cloths and blankets, only visible when the sun is down.