Special Projects

The Weekly Screen: The Week of March 23

For our lovely readers, you may know that “The Weekly Scene” is a regular fixture of the Thresher’s print A&E section that promotes local arts events both on campus and throughout Houston every week. However, due to campus and city-wide restrictions on public gatherings due to the COVID-19 outbreak and our subsequent inability to print issues for the remainder of the semester, the Weekly Scene is sadly obsolete at the moment. Thus, to fill the gap in my heart left by my beloved little column, I’d like to present the Weekly Screen: a short list of TV, movies and videos recommended by our staff for you to check out from the socially-distanced comfort of your home. Check our email newsletter every week to find out what we’re loving each week. Happy watching!   

How you can support the music industry during COVID-19

First, it was South by Southwest. On March 6, the Austin-based festival was canceled for the first time in its 33-year run, marking the first major festival cancellation of the COVID-19 outbreak. Then came Coachella, postponing their mega-festival to October to the dismay of thousands. After LiveNation, AEG and other industry giants followed suit, delaying or cancelling all live events in the United States and a handful of other countries, not much remains in the way of live music. In the face of COVID-19, the entire live music industry has been brought to a grinding halt. 

The Thresher’s playlist for your quarantine-induced existential dread

I talk about Spotify playlists on my resume, on my Tinder bio and in almost every human interaction I have. I’m pretty sure I ran into my Thresher section editor at a party and talked about Spotify playlists. So now I, ever the humanitarian, have emerged from my socially isolated attic room to bless the masses with my quarantine playlist. And you get it without having to swipe right on a black and white video of me playing The 1975 on guitar! 

Review: The Weeknd welcomes madness and heals the broken heart with “After Hours”

Drunk on city lights so bright he can’t see clearly, the Weeknd wanders in a Las Vegas landscape with shades on in the middle of the night so his eyes can’t be seen, the casino glowing a blinding gold sheen. This is the backdrop of the Weeknd’s newest album  “After Hours,” which was released March 20, a long awaited comeback hit of the synth-loving R&B artist. The singles of the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts not once but twice—the Weeknd has returned to haunt us all.  

Academic accommodations necessary to balance inequalities at home

Other universities gave students very little time to move out, mandated that all students leave campus no matter their home situation or gave their students very little information. In light of this, we want to commend the administration, faculty and staff for doing the best they can in constantly changing circumstances

Letter to the editor: Why we also don't want to be Republicans

Recently, Noah Fons wrote an opinion saying that sometimes he doesn’t want to be a Republican. We get it — we don’t want to be Republicans either. The author wrote that he isn’t racist, he believes in climate change and he doesn’t want a border wall.

From the editor’s desk: How it feels to say goodbye too early

When the inevitable news broke that classes were moving online and students had to move off campus for the rest of the semester, I started sobbing. Immediately. Through my tears, I wrote the breaking news posts on the Thresher’s social media, and then thought of previous Editor-in-Chief Andrew Grottkau’s riveting column during Hurricane Harvey. It was time for me to write a column like that one, I thought to myself, one that is inspiring and full of hope and captures the emotions of community and strength. 

Rice approved 77 percent of petitions to stay on campus, but some students disappointed with decisions

On-campus students had less than two weeks to pack up and leave campus for the semester after being notified on March 12 that the move-out deadline would be March 25. While many students left or stayed away from campus, some students took an option provided by the Dean of Undergraduates’ office: filing petitions to stay on campus. 77 percent of petitions were approved, according to Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman, including petitions from students who later decided to leave campus.

Students petition for a pass/fail semester due to COVID-19 disruption

Yesterday, a petition created by Kendall Vining requested that administration give students the option to pass/fail their classes this semester, in light of all the recent changes on campus due to COVID-19. Vining, Student Association internal vice president, wrote and posted the petition, and at the time of publication it had 2,473 signatures and comments in support from students and parents.

Answers to emerging questions about storage, move out

With the coronavirus looming over campus and the announcement that most undergraduate students must leave campus by March 25, some residential colleges have held town halls to discuss the critical questions students have concerning their premature departure and the remainder of the semester. Answers to more questions can be found here. 

3-11-2020 Crossword solutions

Faculty prepare for possible transition to remote instruction

Faculty and university staff have begun to prepare for the possibility of transitioning to remote classes following spring break, according to an email sent to faculty obtained by the Thresher. As part of an ongoing response to the possible spread of the COVID-19 virus on campus, Rice University canceled all classes and graded exams and assignments for the week of March 9. 

NASA to launch student-created OwlSat satellite in 2022

The 2,200 satellites currently zipping through low-earth orbit at 17,500 miles per hour depend on sophisticated models to keep them from colliding, and data collected by Rice’s OwlSat satellite, set to launch some time in 2022, could make those models even better.  

On-campus admissions events cancelled over coronavirus concerns

With concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus on campus, the admissions office has taken precautions to limit the interaction with people outside the Rice community on campus. On-campus tours, lunch hosting and events for prospective students including Owl Days and Admit Days have been canceled through April 30.

Faculty Senate to decide on recommended pass/fail alterations

The Faculty Senate working group investigating the pass/fail system at Rice published their final report last week for the Faculty Senate to deliberate over. The recommendations have generated significant backlash from students, evidenced by the Student Association Senate gathering survey feedback, with over 600 responses, alongside the development of a resolution of opposition to the proposed changes. 

Rice suspends classes after positive COVID-19 case

Rice Crisis Management canceled all classes for the week of March 9, along with all on-campus public events with more than 100 attendees through April 30, according to an alert sent on Sunday afternoon. The cancellation follows the confirmation of a Rice employee testing positive for the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, which was reported last Thursday. 

Beer Bike, major events canceled for semester

For the first time in its 64-year history, Beer Bike is canceled with no current plans to reschedule. As part of their response to the emerging crisis of COVID-19, Rice has prohibited all on-campus public events with more than 100 people,

Pub shut down following Wiess changeover

Last week, Willy’s Pub was shut down for at least the rest of the semester, following an incident involving underage drinking during a Wiess College student government changeover event held on Feb. 28. 

Student-run businesses close in wake of COVID-19

All student-run businesses, including Rice Coffeehouse, Rice Bikes and The Hoot in addition to student-owned East-West Tea, will be closed from now until the end of spring break, according to the businesses’ respective Facebook pages. The closures come in the wake of the cancellation of all classes for the week of March 9.

Centralize COVID-19 communication

As students in the midst of a global epidemic, we understand that there are things we must sacrifice for our safety and the safety of our community: no in-person classes, no Beer Bike, no school-sponsored trips.