Special Projects

Meeting Petro Kuzmenok

Petro Kuzmenok, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, competes for the tennis team. He is majoring in mathematical economic analysis.

Basketball game marks first-ever Rice Athletics Spanish broadcast

Rice took a historic step by launching its first-ever Spanish-language broadcast for the men’s basketball game against Tulane University Jan. 25. This milestone event, held as part of ‘Latin Day,’  marked an effort to engage Houston’s Spanish-speaking community and make Rice Athletics more accessible.

Review: Central Cee’s “CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS” is polished but predictable

Central Cee’s “CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS” is both a testament to the UK rapper’s rapid ascent in the global rap scene and a reminder of his limitations. Serving as his first major-label release under Columbia Records, the album arrives with significant anticipation, following the success of tracks like “Sprinter” and “Doja.” While “CAN’T RUSH GREATNESS” delivers polished production, a handful of standout features and some unexpected surprises, it ultimately feels held back by repetitive flows and familiar themes.  

Review: “Presence” is a ghost story that floats above formulaic Hollywood drama

Does any director love making movies more than Steven Soderbergh? Since 1989, Soderbergh has made 33 feature films using every genre, style, and piece of technology possible. Despite the fact he worked his way up through the independent film space to direct some of the biggest middlebrow studio films of the last 30 years (Ocean’s Eleven, Erin Brockovich), he still seeks out new challenges and technologies to sharpen his craft. What other filmmakers have the audacity to film not one but two of their movies on iPhones instead of cutting-edge cameras?

Review: Han Kang’s ‘We Do Not Part’ won’t leave you

Kyungha has nothing left to live for, until she is tasked with saving the life of her friend’s bird. What follows is a haunting exploration of the burden of remembrance and historical violence. Originally published in Korean in 2021, “We Do Not Part,” translated into English by e. yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris, was released Jan. 21. It left me breathless; Kang’s latest novel still sits heavy on my chest and haunts my thoughts. In “We Do Not Part,” Han Kang proves why she was the worthy recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. 

Review: “Conclave” is agreeably thrilling

The movie your dad probably insisted you watch over break, “Conclave” is a political-religious thriller that never quite rises to greatness, yet remains thoroughly absorbing from first frame to last. Adapted from Robert Harris’s novel and helmed by “All Quiet on the Western Front” director Edward Berger, the film scored an impressive eight Oscar nominations on Thursday morning, including Best Picture, Best Actor and a likely win for Best Adapted Screenplay. It’s not hard to see why: “Conclave” weds a first-rate ensemble to sumptuous visuals, spinning Vatican intrigue into a tightly crafted spectacle that, for better or worse, stops short of any deeper revelations. 

Review: Arthouse titans unite in “The Room Next Door”

Are there two better working actors than Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton? Perhaps, but it’s hard to find a pair of actors who have better taste. Moore has worked with a murderer’s row of American auteurs (Paul Thomas Anderson, Todd Haynes, Robert Altman). Swinton has seemingly worked with every significant arthouse filmmaker working today (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jim Jarmusch Luca Guadagnino, Bela Tarr). 

Review: Mangold’s Bob Dylan remains ‘A Complete Unknown’

The Academy Awards revealed their nominations Jan. 23, and to the surprise of many, James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic walked away with eight. Titled “A Complete Unknown,” the film follows Dylan’s meteoric rise in the 1960s folk scene, culminating in his now-famous transition to electric guitars. Despite the nods from the Academy, Mangold’s film delivers a story that is more style than substance, never fully illuminating the genius behind the shades. 

Review: ‘Eusexua’ is a pulsing, supernatural rave

“Eusexua” isn’t just an album title; it’s a state of being. 

Lavina Kalwani entwines sustainability, fashion

In May 2023, a Berkeley Law School sticker adorned Lavina Kalwani’s laptop; she had been accepted and was set to attend in the fall. Four months later, Kalwani found herself on a completely different path: weaving together entrepreneurship and sustainable fashion while pursuing her Master of Business Administration at Rice.

Food for thought: Introducing college Food Ambassadors

If you have ever seen — and then promptly ignored — the QR codes posted around the Rice serveries that invite students to leave feedback, the purpose of the Food Ambassador program should be clear to you. While the QR code signs may fade to the back of one’s subconscious, a familiar face might have more success. 

Cracking the hack: Rice alum wins RP2350 Hacking Challenge

Identify vulnerabilities, test strategies and defeat the enemy: to the right minds, hacking is much like winning a battle. Duncan College alumnus Aedan Cullen recently made waves in the cybersecurity and hardware engineering communities by hacking one of Raspberry Pi’s most secure microcontrollers, earning a $20,000 prize in the process. Cullen’s achievement was unveiled at the RP2350 Hacking Challenge hosted by Raspberry Pi and Hextree.

Floods, fires, famous figures: a pint-sized history of Pub

If the Rice Memorial Center walls could talk, they’d probably ask for a drink. Because let’s face it, since its construction, The Pub at Rice has seen some wild nights. 

01-28-2025 Editorial Cartoon

Proposed constitutional changes — or power grab?

Four months ago, the Student Association formed a special committee to review its constitution. Two days ago, members of the committee presented their findings, suggesting four major changes to functionally, they say, streamline the SA’s efficiency — granting them “ultimate authority” over Blanket Tax Organizations like student media and Rice Program Council, and eliminating BTO perspectives from the committee that disburses some $300,000 every year.

Rice climate scientists say more freezes to come

Winter Storm Enzo, which brought snow to Houston and halted operations at Rice Tuesday Jan. 21, may suggest similar weather events to come in the future. As a result of climate change, students can expect warmer Decembers and sudden frigid weather, Office of Sustainability executive director Richard Johnson said. 

Nicole Waligora-Davis wants to ‘reach students where they are’ as new associate dean of humanities

The School of Humanities announced Nicole Waligora-Davis as the new associate dean of humanities Jan. 21. Waligora-Davis will replace Natasha Bowdoin as one of the associate deans, with the other being Fay Yarbrough.  

DEXA body composition scans available at Rec

The Rice Recreation Center recently introduced Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry scans, which Anatolia Vick-Kregel, senior associate director of health and well-being at Rice, described as a cutting-edge method for body composition analysis. DEXA scans provide a detailed breakdown of muscle mass, body fat percentage and bone mineral density.

‘A Charlie Brown’ January:

Classes and normal campus operations will halt on Tuesday, Jan. 21, due to a winter storm watch, Rice Emergency Management announced Jan. 19. Houston is forecasted to receive sleet, two to four inches of snow and possible freezing rain. The Rice Memorial Center, Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center and Fondren Library will be closed. Campus bus service will be suspended until roads are safe to travel.

Students react to TikTok’s time out

On Saturday night, hours before the U.S. ban on TikTok was supposed to go into effect, an unexpected message was displayed on millions of devices across America. Then, screens went dark.