Special Projects

Volleyball sweeps UTSA, extends winning streak to eight

Rice volleyball beat the University of Texas at San Antonio in both legs of a two-match series in San Antonio this week. On Sunday, the Owls defeated the Roadrunners in five closely contested sets, while on Monday they won in straight sets. The Owls have now won all eight of their matches since conference play began, and are 9-3 on the season.

The show goes on: 'Hello, Hamlet!' adapted for the screen after a year of delays

This past Saturday, Feb. 28, Wiess Tabletop Theatre streamed their quadrennial rendition of “Hello, Hamlet! A Play in Too Many Scenes,” a comedic retelling of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Performed roughly every four years since 1967, the musical is characterized by pop culture references and songs from movies and other musicals, rewritten each time to stay relevant. After the 2020 production was put on hold shortly before its premiere due to COVID-19 restrictions, it took a year for it to be adapted to digital media, starting nearly from the ground up.

How to actually relax on a Sprinkle Day.

3-3-21 Crossword #2: "Do the Worm"

3-3-21 Crossword #1: "Easy A"

Senior Spotlight: Cory Pan celebrates uncertainty

Though his journey as a bioengineering major has since become central to his experience at Rice, Cory Pan’s first experience in bioengineering almost pushed him out of the major. While working on a problem-based learning project, Pan was part of a team that was charged with coming up with a design concept for a device that would measure renal function and notify a patient if they needed emergency dialysis.  

Rice cancels summer 2021 study abroad programs

Rice plans to extend the suspension of study abroad programs into summer 2021 due to ongoing health and safety concerns as well as restrictions related to COVID-19, according to the Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, in consultation with the Provost and Rice’s Crisis Management Advisory Committee. This includes the Rice in Country programs offered by the Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication, in-person study abroad programs from the Study Abroad Office and certain fellowships that require international study abroad from the Center for Civic Leadership.  

Owls swim their way to second place at C-USA Championships

Rice swimming finished No. 2 at the Conference USA Women’s Swimming Championships, placing behind Florida International University. The team amassed 905.5 points, which ranked as the program’s highest point total in the past seven years. Several members of the team won individual accolades for their performance at the C-USA Championships, with senior Ellery Parish, sophomore Madison Howe, senior Lindsay Mathys and freshman Imogen Meers all being named as members of the First Team All-Conference. 

Black at Rice: Jared Lyons leads by example

If not for a serendipitous phone call from Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, Jared Lyons says he might have left Rice. 

Ted Cruz has embarrassed Texas for too long

Ted Cruz has had a crazy 2021. In just two months he incited an insurrection, refused to confirm the outcome of a free and fair election, and abandoned Texas during a deadly natural disaster. All in all, I think that he is one of the most disgraceful people currently in office. That needs to change, and since he is not going to wake up tomorrow with a shiny new set of morals and a backbone, it is clear that Ted Cruz must go.

Low SA election turnout reveals need for better campus engagement

With only 24 percent participation, this year’s Student Association presidential election had the lowest voter turnout in the past five years. While student apathy towards the SA Senate and its leadership can easily — and perhaps fairly — be attributed to recent events such as the pandemic or the recent winter storm, SA election turnout has consistently declined over this five-year period.  

Faculty Senate approves new undergraduate Business major

The Faculty Senate recently approved the undergraduate business major, which will start offering courses in fall 2021 according to Jeff Fleming, deputy dean of academic affairs at the Jones Graduate School of Business. Undergraduates in the class of 2024 and beyond will be eligible to declare the new business major.  

Rice Management Company discusses contentious CBA at SA meeting

Rice Management Company attended last week’s Student Association meeting, updating the Rice community and sparking debate about Rice Management Company’s ongoing development in Houston’s Third Ward. The Ion, a centerpiece of the 16-acre Innovation District, is slated to open later this year, according to Rice Management Company’s manager of strategic initiatives Samuel Dike. 

Baseball drops three straight at Louisiana

Rice baseball lost all three games played against the University of Louisiana this past weekend. After opening the season 2-1 in their series against Houston Baptist University, the Owls traveled to Lafayette, where they were promptly swept by the Rajun’ Cajuns. The Owls fell 7-3 in the Friday night game, and followed that up with 5-3 and 6-3 losses over the weekend,  dropping their overall record to 2-4. Head coach Matt Bragga took a somber tone in describing the weekend, pointing to the lack of offensive production as a big reason for his team’s struggles. 

Rice Announces Business Major To Increase Number of Students With Lives

Guest meal swipe donation program reinstated

Rice University reinstated their Guest Meal Swipe Donation Program this semester after a pause during the Fall 2020 semester. The program serves to mitigate food insecurity by allowing on-campus undergraduates with a Type A meal plan — 20 meals per week — to donate their unused meal swipes to off-campus peers, according to the Student Success Initiatives website. According to David McDonald, approximately 1,443 meal swipes have been donated this semester leading to the reimplementation of the program. 

Women’s basketball sweeps LA Tech

Rice Women’s Basketball improved their record to 15-2 with back-to-back victories against Louisiana Tech University this weekend. The Owls outscored the Lady Techsters by a combined 34 points as they earned their tenth and eleventh conference wins of the season. Head coach Tina Langley said she is proud of her team’s performance, especially given their stop-and-start season due to the pandemic. 

Out of the shadows: “Electrifying Design” celebrates century of light

Just days after the city of Houston was in its most desperate need of light, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston unveiled an unparalleled beacon of brilliance. “Electrifying Design: A Century of Lighting” opened last week as the first large-scale U.S. exhibition to examine both the technological and artistic innovations in international lighting design. Through three thematic galleries, audiences are invited to see lamps, chandeliers and the humble bulb in a whole new light.  

‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’: Andra Day shines while others are left behind

It can be hard to imagine that Andra Day, who plays legendary jazz singer Billie Holiday in “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” has never played a leading role before. Better known for her success in the R&B music scene than on the silver screen, Day beautifully captures the spotlight and Holiday’s essence: her swagger, her love for gaudy jewelry and clothes and especially her voice. The same success, however, cannot be said for the rest of the movie, directed by Lee Daniels and written by Suzan-Lori Park. Though it boasts a talented star-studded cast, "The United States vs. Billie Holiday" largely fails to do justice to Holiday's life and legacy due to shallow writing and confusing plot development. 

Top 10 Best of Daft Punk

On Feb. 22, electronic duo Daft Punk unexpectedly announced their retirement after 28 years of prolific influence on the music industry with a short video featuring one of the duo's robots dramatically exploding. Emerging in 1993 out of the Paris underground rave scene, Daft Punk’s music effortlessly combined influences from disco, funk, R&B and even the Chicago house genre. The duo’s enigmatic robot personas allowed them to avoid the media and uniquely transcend the limitations of age, relevance and appearance to continuously create musical masterpieces. By choosing anonymity, Daft Punk maintained a focus on their creative freedom and musical quality, managing to evade the corrupting forces of fame and ego.