Special Projects

SA presidential debate centers around budget

Student Association presidential candidates Jae Kim and Trevor Tobey discussed their vision for the presidency and the SA at the Thresher’s SA debate on Monday, Feb. 19. Candidates for secretary and treasurer, the other contested elections, also took the stage during the night.

Rice settles financial aid lawsuit for $33.75 million

Rice has reached a $33.75 million settlement in the financial aid “cartel” lawsuit today, according to court filings. Rice denied wrongdoing in the settlement.

Soul Night combines resilience and creativity to celebrate Black community

A one-night-only cultural showcase, Soul Night reflects the artistry and creative lexicon of Rice’s Black Student Association. This year’s showcase is award show-themed, combining music, dance, spoken word and fashion in the form of a narrative musical. The show takes place at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 in Hamman Hall. Tickets are $10 and include a pre-show dinner at 5 p.m.

Review: Ye and Ty Dolla Sign’s ‘Vultures’ needs less Ye

There are few artists who garner the level of passion that Ye, born Kanye West, does — he has diehard fans and relentless haters. Practically every artist in the mainstream rap scene has been influenced by Ye in a major way, and his signature extends far beyond hip hop.

Condoleezza Rice visits Rice University

Condoleezza Rice, a former United States secretary of state and national security advisor under President George W. Bush, came to Rice to speak with David Satterfield, the director of the Baker Institute, as a part of the Shell Distinguished Lecture Series Feb. 15. 

Tennis roots propel Grear into final Rice season

Alyss Allen Grear wasn’t yet pregnant with her sons when she made a silent wish for twins. It was the late 1990s, and Grear was watching Serena and Venus Williams play tennis on her television. She had never played tennis in her life, but watching the Williams sisters, she decided that one day she wanted her kids to play the sport. 

Community members protest Condoleezza Rice event at Baker Institute

Students and community members gathered in the Central Quad Feb. 15 to protest Condoleezza Rice, former secretary of state and national security advisor to George W. Bush, coming to campus, demanding that the university “divest from death.” A Houston Police Department officer at the protest estimated nearly 100 protesters were in attendance throughout. 

S.RES 12 calls for housing accommodations for trans and gender non-conforming students

The Student Association passed a resolution to provide support and begin the process of providing accommodations for transgender and gender non-conforming students Feb. 12. The resolution, which was introduced Jan. 24, passed with everyone in attendance voting in favor.

Owls swept by Fighting Irish in season-opening series

Kicking off the season with high hopes, Rice baseball faced a tough start this past weekend. They were swept by the University of Notre Dame at home in their opening series, unable to secure a victory over three games. The Owls suffered a 3-1 loss on Friday night, followed by a 9-5 defeat on Saturday afternoon and concluded with a 13-10 loss on Sunday. 

02-21-2024 Crossword Solutions

02-21-2024 Crossword: "Black History Month"

SA Presidential Election Prez-Off

02-21-2024 "Owl American"

Rice MBB have significant improvements to make before March

For the Rice men’s basketball team, the transition from Conference-USA to the American Athletic Conference was never going to be easy. Just last year, the AAC featured two of the top 15 college basketball squads in the nation with the No. 2 University of Houston and No. 14 University of Memphis. 

Owls one game back of first in the AAC, split last week’s matchups

Rice women’s basketball split their pair of matches last week, beating East Carolina University at home on Wednesday 75-57 before losing on the road to the University of Alabama at Birmingham 87-74 on Saturday. 

Black Art at Rice: Doyin Aderele talks writing, magical realism

Drawing inspiration from her Nigerian heritage and ancient Yoruba culture, Doyin Aderele is currently working on her senior seminar project, an African fantasy novel that she has been developing for a year. Aderele, a senior at Sid Richardson College, has been studying creative writing since her freshman year at Rice and mostly writes fiction, focusing on fantasy and magical realism. 

Check out these Black-owned businesses around Houston

From restaurants to hair salons, Houston is rich in celebrating Black culture through businesses. Visiting some of these Black-owned businesses may be the best way to celebrate the diversity Houston has to offer. Though Black History month may almost be over, these businesses are open year-round. 

Review: ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ is less than the sum of its parts

“Lisa Frankenstein” is a horror/comedy directed by Zelda Williams and written by Diablo Cody of “Jennifer’s Body” fame. While the film is aesthetic to the max, has interesting cinematography and includes some satisfying performances, it fails to live up to Cody’s previous works. The protagonist is foundationally unlikable, the tonal shifts will give you whiplash and its focus on references of other, better movies just reminds you that you could (and really should) be watching something else.

Campus coffee showdown

With the addition of the Dandelion Cafe this semester, Rice’s on-campus coffee shop population just gained a new member. With this increase in options, we decided  to compare campus’s four coffee shops to see which is the best spot for a caffeinated pick-me-up. To keep the rankings as equal as possible, the same drink was ordered from all four shops: an iced vanilla latte with whole milk. Each coffeeshop is being judged on four categories to help inform your choice of coffee establishment. 

Stuart Weitzman talks about his step into success

There’s an iconic photograph of Aretha Franklin accepting her award for Favorite Soul Album at the 1983 American Music Awards. In it, the singer beams as she clutches her award in one hand and holds up a pair of glittering high heels in the other. Emblazoned on the insole of the shoes are the words “Stuart Weitzman,” a name that Franklin thanked in her acceptance speech alongside her producers and colleagues.