Special Projects

The Bayou Bucket: The story behind the “ugliest trophy in sports”

David Bailiff cherished the two times that he won the Bayou Bucket during his tenure as the Rice head football coach from 2007-2017. But that doesn’t mean he has any misconceptions when it comes to the trophy’s appearance.

Owls fall to Razorbacks 38-17 after fourth quarter collapse

The Rice football team lost their first game of the season in a 38-17 defeat to the University of Arkansas. Playing away from home at Razorback Stadium in front of over 64,000 fans, the Owls kept up with the SEC team for a majority of the game, holding the score to a 17-17 tie at the end of the third period. However, at the start of the fourth quarter, the game shifted in the favor of the Razorbacks as they were able to capitalize on several Rice turnovers to run away with the game. 

Weekly Scenes and Screens: Sept. 8

Sip & Study: Here’s our four favorite coffee shops in Houston

While the Rice campus has its share of high-quality coffee options, including Rice Coffeehouse and Audrey’s Cafe, it’s also worth sometimes going beyond the hedges for your caffeine fix. So if you’re looking to switch it up from your usual Nutty Bee — which, let’s face it, is hard to beat — there are plenty of options outside the Rice bubble. 

Big Red Machine’s How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?’s promises meander into less than the sum of their parts

The last two times we heard the critical darling duo that is Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon, they helped Taylor Swift meditate on throbbing emotional pain over a simple piano instrumental. Reuniting again under their Big Red Machine moniker, Dessner and Vernon pursue a more sprawling, maximalist approach in their latest album “How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?” The sheer talent represented means the album can strike gold, but the overall project drags out, cuts its euphoric moments short and makes the listener wait for the duo to return to the bread and butter compositions that just work. 

Review: “Candyman” provides resonant social commentary in the slasher genre

Nia DaCosta’s reimagining of “Candyman” provides strong visuals, sound and social commentary for an excellent viewing experience. “Candyman” follows artist Anthony McCoy as he learns more about the legend of the Candyman, a monster that appears and kills people who say his name five times while looking in the mirror. The movie is a sequel to the original 1992 “Candyman” movie and ignores the two initial disappointing follow-up films, finally providing a worthy successor to Bernard Rose’s visionary original.

Review: ‘CLB’ is a good listen but nothing new

On “Certified Lover Boy,” Drake continues to prove that consistency is key — at least for him. Essentially delivering the same type of music that he has for years, Drake created a highly polished and enjoyable listen, even if he doesn’t really do anything new. “CLB” is drenched in Drake’s perennial themes of heartbreak and braggadocio, along with the strong features and glossy production typical of his work.

Design, cryptocurrency, and crochet: Student instructors talk college courses

Rice students have the chance to teach other students in college courses. The Thresher talked to four current student instructors to learn more about their courses and their experiences. Students can still add COLL courses — exploring topics like deep listening, cooperative storytelling, and Cleopatra — to their schedule before the add deadline on Friday, Sept. 10.

New Wiess magisters embrace the unexpected

Wiess College Magister Flavio Cunha had a plane ticket to Chicago when he met a girl in Ipanema, the famous beach in Rio de Janeiro. Cunha, who had already made plans to leave his home country of Brazil to begin a Ph.D. in economics at the University of Chicago, had no interest in sparking a relationship with a girl in Brazil — but that was before he met his future wife Fabiana Alves dos Santos. 

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.