Special Projects

Local organizations prepare to welcome thousands of Afghan refugees

Thousands of Afghan refugees are set to arrive in Houston after fleeing the Taliban’s recent takeover of Afghanistan. Houston, which from 2017 to 2018 resettled more refugees than any other U.S. city besides Atlanta, is already welcoming new Afghan refugees, according to Elena Korbut, the community engagement manager at Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston.

Guest swipe program donations to return this semester

The Guest Meal Swipe Donation program will return to Rice this semester as a collaborative effort between the Student Association, Student Success Initiatives and Housing and Dining. The program allows undergraduates with a Type A meal plan, required for all on-campus students, to donate some or all of their five meal guest swipes to off-campus students facing food insecurity. 

Unused meal swipes should automatically be donated

The Guest Meal Swipe Donation Form closes on September 10, yet many students may not know about the program. Along with low visibility of the program, changes in COVID-19 restrictions such as removing restrictions on who can visit residential colleges may lead students to donate fewer guest swipes in anticipation of using them for guests. The program already could not cover all of the students who wanted to utilize it in the last two semesters. With the possibility of receiving fewer donations this semester, it is imperative that the administration step in and pursue additional routes for addressing food insecurity for off-campus students.

Rice students navigate post-consumer composting

Housing and Dining has implemented a new post-consumer composting program for waste generated by servery patrons. Gloves, utensils, plates and any other items marked as compostable are provided so that composting is as convenient as possible for students, according to Ashley Fitzpatrick, the president of the Rice Environmental Society and an intern at Rice’s Sustainability Office. 

Isolation space runs low as Rice reports 52 COVID cases in one week

Between Aug. 22 and 29, 52 people tested positive for COVID-19, according to Rice’s COVID-19 dashboard, with 40 testing positive on campus and 12 through off campus testing. Approximately 30 percent of cases were traced back to one campus event, according to a campuswide email from Kevin Kirby, chair of the crisis management advisory committee.

Administration imposes indoor alcohol ban

​​The Crisis Management Advisory Committee and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduates have enacted an indoor alcohol ban, effective immediately until further notice, according to multiple emails from college magisters. This follows a previous recent transition back to wet campus after the announcement of false positive cases.

Student-Run Businesses manage reopenings amidst campus policy changes

Rice Coffeehouse and Rice Bikes both fully reopened during the first week of class; Hoot will be opening on Sept. 12 or 13, and Willy’s Pub plans on reopening by the end of September, according to the businesses’ respective general managers.    

SA Diversity and Inclusion Committee plans for several initiatives

The Rice University Student Association Diversity and Inclusion Committee plans to launch several projects for the school year, seeking to provide a central location for students to address diversity and inclusion issues, according to Committee Chair Hafsa Ahsan.    

Dungda

James Harden, celebrities take over Reckling for softball game

Former Houston Rockets star James Harden, currently of the Brooklyn Nets, celebrated his birthday this past weekend in Houston with a softball game at Rice’s Reckling Park. The game featured a number of celebrities, many with connections to Harden or Houston, and proceeds went towards Harden’s charitable organization, 3 The Harden Way. 

Volleyball drops two to start season

The Rice volleyball team’s season started with a pair of non-conference losses over the weekend at the “Carolina Classic” hosted by the University of South Carolina.  On Friday, the Owls lost their season opener in a five-set match against No. 9 University of Pittsburgh. The next day, the Owls ended their weekend in Columbia with a 3-1 loss to the University of South Carolina.

Lettenberger takes silver in 200m individual medley

Junior swimmer Ahalya Lettenberger took home the silver medal in the SM7 200-meter individual medley on Friday at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games, and followed up her appearance on the podium with a fourth place finish in the S7 400-meter freestyle on Sunday. According to Lettenberger, medaling at the Games is a feeling that will be difficult to match any time soon. 

Going into year four, Mike Bloomgren doesn’t care what you think

When the Rice football team beat No. 15 Marshall University 20-0 last December, their first win over a ranked opponent in 23 years, it was easy to see it as a defining moment for the program. The Owls, who had won just one game so far in their pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and only six games in head coach Mike Bloomgren’s three years at the helm, seemingly came out of nowhere to shut out a top-15 team. But according to Bloomgren, for himself and his team, it just confirmed what they already knew.

Review: Churros galore at The Loop Handcrafted Churros

If you’re looking for a deliciously Instagrammable dessert spot, look no further than The Loop Handcrafted Churros. Located in Rice Village at 5216 Morningside Dr., this spot, which opened Aug. 28, is cranking out mouth-watering, loopy churros and creamy soft-serve ice cream. Menu prices range from $4.50 to $8.

Football kicks off season with Arkansas, UH, UT

The Rice football team will kick off their season this Saturday, Sept. 4 against the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR. The Owls look to improve upon their record of 2-3 from last year’s pandemic-shortened season. Despite having only won seven of their 30 games over the past 3 seasons, the team has plenty of optimism going into this season, according to head coach Mike Bloomgren. 

Review: Halsey’s Breakthrough Album — “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power”

The quintessential popstar, Halsey, released her fourth album titled “If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power.” Halsey’s stage name is a rearrangement of letters from her birth name, Ashley Frangipane. The 26-year-old popstar uses she/they pronouns and has since risen in popularity from their 2015 “Badlands” era, their debut album that amassed over one billion streams. Six years later, Halsey returns with an updated sound and more depth than seen in her previous work.

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Sept. 1

‘Solar Power’: Lorde finds some sort of light

The Lorde has returned, but is it with full force? The titular track and lead single, “Solar Power,” was released without any promotion or announcement on Lorde’s part and was received with somewhat mixed reviews that ranged from slight disappointment to adoration. However, the rest of the album usually makes up for that initial judgement and earns her universal acclaim. That might not exactly be the case this time.

New public art installations open

Since the construction of the provisional campus facilities in August 2020, the sides of the buildings have served as venues for murals as a part of Rice’s public art program, an initiative started in 2008. Three new large-scale art installations are now featured on the sides of the provisional campus facilities facing the inner loop and will be on view through May 22, 2022, according to the Moody Center for the Arts’ programming. 

Review: Kanye West sees a return to form with multifaceted ‘Donda’

“Donda,” Kanye West’s long-awaited tenth solo album, finally came out at 7 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 29. While covering his face and avoiding the typical controversial appearances expected of him, Kanye created one of the most talked about and sought after albums of 2021. For the album rollout, West took his experiment of a “living, evolving art project” from 2016’s “The Life of Pablo” to another level by bringing the creative process front and center to his audience through a series of record-breaking livestream events on Apple Music. Kanye’s iterative changes to the album were shown as it was played on a world stage in three listening events that moved from his birthplace in Atlanta to his childhood home in Chicago. This emphasis on home is made even more poignant with the title of the album, a tribute to Kanye’s late mother, Dr. Donda West, who is featured throughout the work.