Special Projects

FEATURES 3/3/20 11:06pm

‘The Bachelor’ builds unlikely community at Rice

By Ivanka Perez

In 2002, the first episode of the Bachelor aired, capitalizing on the elements that made romantic comedies such a big hit. Eighteen years later, the show still has a captive audience. Although some of the watchers have stayed with the Bachelor since its inception, the show has also gained new watchers along the way — including students all across Rice, many of whom attend weekly Bachelor watch parties at their residential colleges to keep up with this season’s bachelor, Peter Weber.

FEATURES 3/3/20 11:03pm

Basmati Beats overcomes challenges to win first place at national competition

By Grace Wei

Basmati Beats’s journey to the top hasn’t been easy — along the way, they’ve struggled to find resources on campus similar to those available to groups at other universities. But on Feb. 22, the group worked past these challenges to win the first place prize at Gathe Raho, the University of Iowa’s national South Asian a cappella competition.

SPORTS 3/3/20 10:31pm

Fokam jumps For C-USA Glory

By Daniel Schrager

Michelle Fokam triple-jumped 13.32 meters at last week’s Conference USA Track and Field Championships — soon, she’s hoping that her triple jump will land her over 6,600 miles away. That’s because Fokam, a three-time NCAA All-American finishing up her senior season, has her sights set on Tokyo for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

SPORTS 3/3/20 10:28pm

Men’s basketball wraps up Conference-USA play

By Spencer Moffat

The Rice men’s basketball team will conclude its regular season this week with a pair of matchups, first facing the University of Southern Mississippi in a Wednesday road game before returning home on Saturday to match up against the University of Texas, El Paso in the Owls’ season finale. Rice’s seniors — forwards Tim Harrison and Robert Martin and guards Ako Adams and Addison Owen — will suit up for their final game in Tudor Fieldhouse.

SPORTS 3/3/20 10:26pm

Santiago, age 9, ‘signs on’ to Rice’s Track and Field team

By Michael Byrnes

On Saturday, Rice Athletics announced the signing of a new member of the men’s track and field team: Santiago White, from Sugar Land. The athletic department prepared a typical day of signing festivities: a press conference, some short speeches, an official backdrop for photos. But one thing was different: Santiago is 9 years old.

SPORTS 3/3/20 10:24pm

Women’s basketball aims for C-USA No. 1 seed

By Ben Baker-Katz

Rice women’s basketball plays two crucial games at home this week, one against the University of Texas, El Paso on Thursday and the other against Old Dominion University on Saturday. Rice and Old Dominion are tied for the best record in Conference USA, which means that if both teams win their respective Thursday games, the Sunday matchup will decide both the conference champion and who gets the No. 1 seed in the C-USA tournament that starts next week.

OPINION 3/3/20 10:04pm

It’s time for Rice Management Company to get serious about a Community Benefits Agreement

By Alec Tobin

On Monday, Feb. 17, the Student Association passed Resolution #8, calling on the Rice Management Company to make the Houston Coalition for Equitable Development without Displacement an equal decision-maker in the negotiation of a Community Benefits Agreement for the South Main Innovation District. The resolution also urges Rice Management Company to publicly release updates and information on their progress with developing and signing the CBA.

A&E 3/3/20 10:03pm

Travis Scott opens high-end streetwear outpost in Rice VIllage

By Katelyn Landry

It takes a village ... to clothe a child in hundreds of dollars of Travis Scott merch. Rice Village is now the permanent home of the renowned Houston rapper’s clothing and lifestyle boutique, Space Village.

OPINION 3/3/20 10:01pm

Do-err or Don’t-err?

By Rachel Lisker

Does anyone really know what the Doerr Institute is? Its website describes it as “a large-scale leader development enterprise at Rice University” that is “committed to the early development of leader abilities in young people,” but what does this actually mean?

OPINION 3/3/20 9:59pm

Russia tampers with American democracy: The sequel

By Frederick Drummond

Since the 2016 presidential election, one thing has become remarkably clear: Russia knows how to make a movie. Featuring then-candidate Donald Trump, Russia churned out massive amounts of disinformation available free of charge on social media that idolized Trump and denigrated his foes.

OPINION 3/3/20 9:54pm

Clubs need sustainable funding

By Thresher Editorial Board

Basmati Beats, one of the a cappella groups on campus, recently won first place at a national competition, an already impressive feat made only more difficult by the lack of funding received from the university. They’re not alone: most clubs are not consistently funded by the university on a yearly basis except for some club sports and blanket tax organizations, which include the Student Association, the Thresher, Rice Program Council and eight other organizations.

A&E 3/3/20 9:45pm

Half Price Books closes its chapter in Rice Village

By Jennifer Li

Rice Village’s Half Price Books, two stories tucked away in a cozy corner filled with shelf after shelf of gently loved books, prepares to close March 8. To the dismay of local bookworms, the beloved bookstore will be closing due to a 40 percent increase in rent according to Oz Longford, a bookseller of 10 years.

A&E 3/3/20 9:40pm

Women Making Waves: A Women’s History Month Playlist

By Lia Pikus

March is a wonderful month. Spring peeks its head around the corner, break provides a respite from the chaos of college life, and once again I get to make what I believe to be the one perfect march madness bracket (which, despite my conviction, always flops immediately). Another amazing and arguably more important thing about March: it’s women’s history month, a time to formally celebrate the brilliance and bravery of women of the past who have paved the way for women present.

OPINION 3/3/20 9:22pm

Why I don’t want to be a Republican

By Noah Fons

Sometimes, I don’t want to be a Republican. This has nothing to do with my personal beliefs: I am someone who is conservative, I am the secretary for the Rice University College Republicans and I volunteer on the Dan Crenshaw campaign. I’m even voting in the Republican primary this spring. Before I go any further, let me clear a few things up. Despite the stereotypes I often hear, I am not racist, I don’t hate poor people and I don’t believe Russia should pick our next president.

FEATURES 3/1/20 7:12pm

Growing up on campus: when Rice is a personal playground

By Rachel Carlton

College students often consider their university to be their home away from home. But Rice is also home to a unique set of residents even younger than freshmen. Introducing some of the children living at Rice: Eleanor, Olivia, Owen, Mae, Carter and Ellery.

FEATURES 2/29/20 8:42pm

Senior Spotlight: Debora Kim finds home in Houston

By Shiyu Miao

When Debora Kim arrived at Rice’s international student orientation in 2016, it wasn’t her first rodeo. Although she grew up in South Korea, the Sid Richardson College senior was born in Houston while her parents were doing research right across the street at Texas Medical Center.

NEWS 2/28/20 10:08am

Vining and McClendon win contested SA elections, Clyburn confirmed as SA president

By Christina Tan

Anna Margaret Clyburn will serve as the next Student Association president after running uncontested, the first time in seven years that the race has been uncontested. With 1,082 ballots cast, which represents 27.2 percent of the student body, the elections saw significantly lower voter participation than previous years (42 percent last year and over 50 percent the year before).

NEWS 2/26/20 4:58pm

Former Republican representative speaks on climate change proposal at College Republicans event

By Brian Lin

Former South Carolina representative Robert Inglis spoke to students on Tuesday about a proposal that most other Republicans have not supported — a proposal for a carbon tax of $15 per ton.

FEATURES 2/26/20 12:15am

Housing guide: What to expect when you’re expending — typical living costs beyond housing

By Simona Matovic

If you’ve never lived on your own before, budgeting for living expenses on top of rent can seem overwhelming — especially if the closest you’ve come to budgeting at Rice is planning out how to spend your Tetra. The main costs you can never really escape are food and utilities.