Features

Students talk first normal spring break after two years

As March ushers in the first official day of spring, it also marks the first normal spring break for Rice students since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic sent students home in the spring break of March 2020 and last spring, student holidays throughout the semester replaced spring break. On these “sprinkle days,” classes were not held and assignments could not be due. 

Meet historic women from Rice University’s past and present

Although Rice’s student body was predominantly white and male when the university was established in 1912, it has grown into the much more diverse community it is today. In honor of Women’s History Month, get to know some of the female pioneers throughout Rice’s nearly 110-year history. 

Rice Apps relaunches carpool mobile site

As school breaks and seasonal holidays approach, so does the need to travel to and from the airport. Previous years have seen a spreadsheet shared among students hoping to find rides. But the rereleased Rice Carpool site allows a simple way for the Rice community to find and coordinate rides on their phone. 

COVID, construction affect accessibility at Rice

Ever since the pandemic started in 2020, classes, events and more were moved online. Learning virtually came with its own challenges, such as Zoom fatigue and monotony; however, the shift also increased accessibility to things like classes and social activities, a change especially helpful for students with disabilities. 

Senior Spotlight: Mahima Masih discovers the intersection of optometry and hockey

Mahima Masih didn’t really pay attention to sports until quarantine in the summer of 2020. According to the Brown College senior, she started watching hockey after a friend suggested it because there was not much else she could do.

Volunteer opportunities within and beyond the hedges

Community service can look different for everyone – on campus vs. off, remote vs. in-person, weekly vs. a one-time commitment  – and something great about Houston is that it has many opportunities that Rice students can partake in. From delivering meals to donating blood, volunteering is an enriching way to fill our time, step away from studying and get involved in the communities around us.

Black at Rice: Karen Murambadoro finds empowerment on campus

Where Karen Murambadoro’s family is from, people don’t really talk about neurodegenerative disorders. According to the Duncan College junior, her own family’s history of these disorders has propelled her to learn more about them by majoring in neuroscience.

COVID-19 on campus: students talk isolation this semester

As the Omicron variant led to record-high COVID-19 cases on campus in January, Rice adjusted its own policies, from the format of course delivery to the testing requirement after travel, in response. In anticipation of high case numbers among students due to the high transmissibility of the new coronavirus variant, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced late December that Rice may be unable to offer isolation housing to students living on campus. Should Rice run out of isolation space, students who tested positive for COVID-19 or are symptomatic would need to isolate in place.

‘To BeReal or not to BeReal’: Students discuss the trendy social media app

A new app has been trending on campus, promising authenticity and a new way to connect with friends and family. While Instagram revolves around photos that people can meticulously curate, BeReal is an image-based social media platform that picks a random time every day when users have to post – a condition that is supposed to encourage more natural photos. A daily upload is necessary for a user to see other people’s posts and to interact on the app; users are forced to actively participate rather than passively scroll.

Jasmine Manansala talks Jeopardy! experience

​​When Brown College junior Jasmine Manansala was participating in the Jeopardy! National College Championship last November, one of the implications she was pondering was the potential for her future career. She said she has made many great connections and received a lot of attention for her stint on the gameshow, which started running Feb. 8.

Sophomores adjust after unusual freshman year

Isha Khapre, originally from Kenya and currently a student at Hanszen College, stepped foot on campus for the first time in the fall of 2021. She isn’t a freshman, though, but a sophomore. 

Professor Pulickel Ajayan discusses his impact on NanoEngineering

The Guinness World Record for the smallest brush belongs to a Rice professor, Pulickel Ajayan from the department of materials science and nanoengineering. Ajayan said both this and the other world record he has held — for creating the darkest material — incorporated his research on nanotubes. He applied for these records to make the research more visible.

02-02-22 Crossword: "At Coffeehouse"

02-02-2022 Crossword Solutions

Outgoing presidents look back on their terms

Rice’s 11 college presidents began their terms last spring, in the midst of a pandemic and an unsure school year. Since then, they have had to lead their residential colleges through many changes, from Constitutional rewrites to relaxed or heightened public health regulations. As their terms near their end, the Thresher invited the presidents to reflect both on themselves and their important role.

Driving-distance trips to make over break

The city of Houston and the state it calls home are bustling with places to explore and things to do, offering many ways to spend the upcoming spring recess, spring break and the rare weekend without reading to catch up on or problem sets to complete. Consider stepping away from Rice campus and the museum district to go on one of these trips, all accessible by car, to fill your spare time.

Veteran Owls: Two students talk undergraduate life after the military

Rice prides itself on its unconventional students, including the non-standard paths that many of them take to get here. For some Owls, that path includes military service before returning to the classroom — years of life experience that provide them with a unique perspective on our college campus.

01-26-22 Crossword: "Elementary"

01-26-2022 Crossword Solutions

Senior Spotlight: Cynthia Chen talks making the most of an unexpected college experience

Martel College senior Cynthia Chen grew up envisioning the quintessential college life portrayed in movies and books. Having taken a semester off during her sophomore year and having spent so much time learning from home due to the pandemic, Chen said she almost felt robbed of this experience. But she has learned to accept that her college experience is turning out differently from what she originally expected.