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Features

FEATURES 11/29/22 11:43pm

‘Flipping over the rock’: Remembering the fight against sexual violence

By Riya Misra

Three years ago, the Rice campus was enveloped by protests and discussions over the state of the university’s sexual assault policies. Partially lost to the mists of time and overshadowed by the pandemic a few months later, these protests are largely unknown to today’s student body after the numerous social disruptions these last few years have seen.

FEATURES 11/15/22 10:32pm

REMS to the rescue: Owls talk Collegiate EMS Week

By Michelle Gachelin

From stubbed toes to life-threatening injuries, one group of dedicated students has seen it all. Throughout the past 26 years, Rice University Emergency Medical Services has rallied around the Rice community, providing support during natural disasters such as Winter Storm Uri and Hurricane Katrina and administering 4,372 vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Collegiate EMS Week, which takes place during the second week in November, the organization hosted a series of events to increase their visibility and continue expanding their impact on campus. 

FEATURES 11/15/22 10:30pm

Tyler Perini wants to be the mentor he never had

By Eric Ma

Tyler Perini — or, as students call him, Dr. P — is a Pfeiffer Postdoctoral Instructor in Computational and Applied Mathematics who also researches multiobjective discrete optimization at Rice. He grew up in Atlanta and did his undergraduate at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, where he studied applied math. He later returned to Atlanta to Georgia Tech and received his Ph.D. in operations research. 

FEATURES 11/15/22 10:26pm

Spice up your Thanksgiving break with these activities

By Nishanka Kuthuru

Explore new ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in the greater Houston area. From parades to adventure parks, there is a Thanksgiving Day activity — or two — for everybody to enjoy this season. Bundle up and head out into town on Thanksgiving Day to make some unforgettable fun-filled memories.

FEATURES 11/15/22 10:25pm

Senior Spotlight: Erin Harrison explores her boulder self at Rice

By Yuki Wang

As a self-professed guide through the outdoors, Erin Harrison is no stranger to a bit of nature. From placing in national rock climbing competitions to leading trips for Rice Outdoor Programs and Education, Harrison’s love for climbing — which sparked nearly a decade ago — has remained constant throughout the years.

FEATURES 11/8/22 11:44pm

Juan José Castellón talks inspiration behind new exhibit

By Nishanka Kuthuru

Juan José Castellón’s award winning exhibit “Building Ecologies: Collective Urban Infrastructures in Houston” is now open for visitors at POST Houston. Partnering with the TEDxHouston Countdown event, this project features sustainability and attempted solutions to the ongoing climate crisis through rooftop urban infrastructure. 

FEATURES 11/8/22 11:41pm

‘C’est banana’: Unique courses to enroll in this semester

By Allison He

It’s that time of the year again — spring semester course registration. From agricultural techniques to monsters to the linguistics of made-up languages, the Thresher compiled a list of both distribution and student-led courses that any student can take to satisfy their graduation requirements or thirst for knowledge. 

FEATURES 11/2/22 12:31am

Fall into these autumn activities this season

By Sara Davidson

As November begins and the weather finally stays cool, the time to get out and explore Houston is upon us. Events listed below range from one day events to month long festivals, each with lots of fun, food and entertainment promised. Whether you want to hop on the metro to explore downtown or take a day trip outside of Houston, there are upcoming activities catered to all interests. 

FEATURES 11/2/22 12:30am

H&D whips up a new culinary internship

By Nishanka Kuthuru

Rice Housing and Dining has recently launched the Culinary Internship, a student internship program aimed at teaching students cooking and other skills while simultaneously expanding student employment opportunities on campus.

FEATURES 11/2/22 12:28am

Exchange student Paulina Quiros finds a new community at Rice

By Zoe Katz

While thinking about the American college experience, popular media may call to mind movies such as “Legally Blonde” or “Gossip Girl.” For Paulina Quiros, a Lovett College junior and exchange student from Costa Rica, it was these pop culture depictions that pushed her to study abroad in the United States. She said she first discovered Rice while searching for specific study abroad programs in the country.

FEATURES 10/25/22 10:20pm

Halloween Costumes to die for

By Sarah Knowlton

Are you still looking for a costume for that Halloweekend party? Check out these quick, easy costume ideas that can be created with your own closet (and maybe a little help from Amazon).

FEATURES 10/25/22 10:18pm

‘An investment in our future’: Meet Ruth López Turley

By Felicity Phelan

Ruth López Turley, director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research, doesn’t have it easy. She oversees all of the organization’s research operations, raises the money to fund its work and describes herself as constantly in meetings. On top of that, she’s still teaching in her role as a Rice sociology professor. When López Turley thinks about hard work, however, she doesn’t think of jobs like hers.

FEATURES 10/25/22 10:15pm

Trans students at Rice talk difficulties, community

By Morgan Gage

What is community? For Marina Klein, it’s little queer people in your phone, chatting and exchanging compliments and advice in a GroupMe. “[People in the group chat are] so supportive … they’re always there for you when you need them to be,” Klein, a McMurtry College sophomore, said. “You can be there for them when you have the time as well, because that’s how community works.”

FEATURES 10/18/22 11:31pm

Student vendors and artists talk first Archi Market

By Riya Misra

From enamel bunny pins to possum t-shirts to glass earrings, Archi Market has it all. Created by students from the Rice Architecture Society, Archi Market is a monthly marketplace in Anderson Hall featuring pop-up shops where students can sell their artistic creations. On Oct. 17th, the first-ever Archi Market was hosted in Anderson Hall.

FEATURES 10/18/22 11:28pm

Laymon’s terms: Writer, Rice professor named MacArthur Fellow

By Riya Misra

Last week, celebrated author and Rice English professor Kiese Laymon was announced as one of the 2022 winners of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. According to the MacArthur Foundation’s website, the fellowship provides a five-year grant and a no-strings-attached stipend to a selection of exceptionally creative individuals. A self-described Black Southern writer, Laymon has authored works such as “Heavy: An American Memoir” and “Long Division.”

FEATURES 10/18/22 11:26pm

In the booth with KTRU student DJs

By Felicity Phelan

Whether a 24/7 listener or just a fan of the stickers, you’re probably familiar with KTRU, Rice’s student-run radio station. In addition to general broadcasts that play a mix of music, KTRU hosts a wide array of specialty shows devoted to specific genres and musical themes. The Thresher talked to the Rice student DJs behind some of the KTRU shows — both decades-old and brand new — that you can tune into this semester.

FEATURES 10/18/22 10:47pm

Ben Rhodes knew he wanted to write; he ended up in the White House

By Ben Baker-Katz

As a member of former President Barack Obama’s senior staff during his eight years in the White House, Ben Rhodes had a hand in crafting many historic foreign policy achievements, from normalizing the United States’ relationship with Cuba to signing the Iran nuclear deal. But according to Rhodes, who spoke on campus Oct. 13 as part of his book tour, one of the administration’s most important foreign policy achievements is rarely discussed: cleaning up unexploded munitions — known as “bombies” — leftover from the Vietnam War in Southeast Asia.

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