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A&E 8/24/21 10:20pm

Review: the Killers tackle contradictions of small town life in “Pressure Machine”

By Adrian Almy

Likely most well known for their first two albums, “Hot Fuss” and “Sam’s Town” which include hits like “Mr. Brightside” and “When You Were Young,” the Killers had been staying in roughly the same lane until attempting to rebrand themselves with the high energy, almost delirious “Imploding the Mirage” last August. As their second album in a little less than a year, “Pressure Machine” is almost but not quite the antithesis of the Killers’ previous album. 

A&E 8/24/21 10:11pm

Late night bites: guide to food open late near campus

By Shiyu Miao

Like any other college student, Rice Owls are eager to feed their late-night food cravings. You could buy Cheetos from the vending machine or microwave a Hot Pocket stored in the communal kitchen fridge. If you’re looking for something more satisfying, worry no more! This guide offers the best late night food options close to campus.

NEWS 8/19/21 11:31am

Classes delayed by two days, all online for two weeks

By Savannah Kuchar and Talha Arif

Classes will begin two days later than planned on August 25, and instruction will be all online for at least the first two weeks of the semester, according to an email from Provost Reginald DesRoches. This change follows a recent rise in COVID-19 cases on campus, as well as across the Houston area as the delta variant becomes more predominant, according to DesRoches.

SPORTS 7/10/21 3:23pm

Three Owls compete at track Olympic trials

By Shiyu Miao

Three members of the Rice women’s track & field team participated in various Olympic trials during the last two weeks of June. While none of them qualified for Tokyo, sophomore thrower Tara Simpson-Sullivan and graduate jumper Michelle Fokam narrowly missed the cut. 

NEWS 6/30/21 11:41am

Task force calls for ‘bold change’ of academic quad, potentially relocating Willy’s statue

By Bonnie Zhao and Prayag Gordy

The Task Force on Slavery, Segregation and Racial Injustice unanimously called for a competition to redesign the academic quad and for further campus-wide events and discussions to educate the Rice community about the university’s founder. Though the task force did recommend an end to the statue’s position as “an iconic image of the university in its publicity,” they stopped short of endorsing the removal of William Marsh Rice’s statue.

SPORTS 6/22/21 8:39pm

Owls legend Jose Cruz Jr. named head baseball coach

By Pavithr Goli

Last week, Rice announced that Jose Cruz Jr. will be its next head baseball coach, the 22nd in program history. A three-time All American at Rice from 1992-95, Cruz will be replacing Matt Bragga, who was relieved of his duties at the end of this past season. 

SPORTS 6/19/21 2:59pm

Fokam, Simpson-Sullivan and Forbes excel at NCAA Championships

By Reed Myers

Rice Women’s Track and Field saw three athletes finish in the top ten of their respective events at the NCAA Championships, held earlier this month in Eugene, Oregon. Senior long jumper Michelle Fokam, freshman thrower Tara Simpson-Sullivan, and freshman distance runner Grace Forbes put together the best performance from women’s track and field at a national competition in 20 years.

SPORTS 6/7/21 4:00pm

The future of Rice baseball is in the hands of Joe Karlgaard. No pressure.

By Daniel Schrager

It might be a bit of an exaggeration to describe any Rice sports program as a powerhouse. But to the extent that a Conference USA school can be a powerhouse, the Rice baseball team was one for over two decades. Between 1995 and 2017, the Owls made the NCAA postseason every single year, including a national championship in 2003, and their seven College World Series appearances (all since 1997) are tied for the twentieth most of any program.

SPORTS 6/6/21 9:38pm

Forbes, Fokam, Simpson-Sullivan and McNaney qualify for NCAA Championships

By Reed Myers

The Rice track and field teams sent a delegation of 13 athletes, six from the women's team and seven from the men’s team, to compete in the NCAA West Preliminary Championships. The meet took place in College Station from May 26-29, with qualification to the NCAA Championships on the line. The women’s team saw three of their team members earn a spot in the NCAA Championships, while the men’s team had just one of their own qualify. The four qualifiers will now set their sights on competing at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon, which will take place June 9-12. 

NEWS 5/29/21 8:47am

Rice announces student vaccine requirement for fall semester

By Prayag Gordy

All members of the Rice community are expected to return in person for the fall and all students who come to campus are expected to be fully vaccinated before the fall semester, President David Leebron announced in an email Friday. Students who receive a medical or religious waiver must continue to test weekly and wear a mask indoors, according to the email.

NEWS 5/27/21 8:27am

Leebron to step down in 2022, reflects on past years

By Talha Arif

President David Leebron announced that he will be stepping down from his role after this coming academic year on June 30, 2022 in an email to the Rice community Tuesday morning. Next year will mark Leebron’s 18th year as president after taking on the position in 2004. 

SPORTS 5/25/21 2:01pm

Bragga fired after three seasons

By Daniel Schrager

Rice fired baseball head coach Matt Bragga, the school announced on Monday. The move comes on the heels of a season in which the Owls placed tenth out of the 12 teams in Conference USA, failing to make the C-USA tournament for the first time ever. In his three seasons at the helm, the Owls have gone 51-76-1 (25-36-1). According to athletic director Joe Karlgaard, the lack of progress shown during Bragga’s tenure prompted the change.

SPORTS 5/25/21 1:56am

Forbes, Fokam and Hicks shine for Owls at C-USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships

By Reed Myers

The Rice women’s and men’s track and field teams traveled to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to compete in the C-USA Outdoor Track and Field Championship from May 13-16. The women’s team impressed throughout the event, taking second place out of 13 teams and winning seven individual events. Meanwhile, the men’s team placed fifth out of ten teams, winning one individual event. This was the last meet of the outdoor season for both Owl teams, but qualifiers will move on to the NCAA West Preliminary Championships that begin on May 26 for the men and May 27 for the women in College Station.

NEWS 5/17/21 8:51am

Commencement for Class of 2020 and 2021 occurs in stadium in historic first

By Talha Arif and Hajera Naveed

Class of 2021 undergraduates lined up on Friday evening to receive their degrees and Class of 2020 undergraduates received theirs on Saturday evening, both amidst a limited crowd due to COVID-19 capacity restrictions. Commencement was held for the first time in the Rice football stadium to allow for more physical distancing, after Rice administration adapted to allow for students to bring four guests to attend their respective ceremonies. 

NEWS 5/12/21 12:04pm

Students discuss STRIVE and the Whisper Network at Rice

By Talha Arif

Following an opinion piece by former Students Turning Rice Into a Violence-Free Environment liaison Sarah Park which called for organizational reform, the Thresher reached out to several STRIVE affiliates to further investigate the claims made and discuss STRIVE’s mission and the whisper network.

SPORTS 5/8/21 10:00pm

Soccer falls to No. 12 UVA 3-0 in Sweet 16

By Reed Myers

No. 25 Rice soccer was defeated 3-0 on Wednesday night by No. 12 University of Virginia in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. This capped off the Owls’ tournament run, which saw them defeat Furman University in the opening round and upset No. 5 West Virginia University in the second round. Following the match, head coach Brian Lee looked back on the Owls’ postseason stretch fondly.

SPORTS 5/2/21 4:27pm

Soccer upsets No. 5 WVU in NCAA tournament, advance to round of 16

By Reed Myers

No. 25 Rice soccer upset No. 5 West Virginia University 1-0 on Saturday afternoon, moving on to the third round of the NCAA tournament in Cary, North Carolina next week. While the Mountaineers controlled possession for most of the game, the Owls managed to squeeze out a narrow victory behind a penalty shot in the 74th minute and lockdown defense throughout the game. In the round of 16, the Owls will play the No. 12 University of Virginia. After the match, head coach Brian Lee lauded his team’s effort in pulling off the upset.

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