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A&E 1/9/24 11:32pm

Movies you missed over winter break

By Arman Saxena

Every winter promises an interesting crop of movie releases and this one was no different. From animated masterpieces to remakes of beloved movies to future Oscar contenders, this winter break had something for every movie lover. The following films are five films you can’t miss. 

A&E 1/9/24 11:30pm

A&E’s best music of 2023

By Jay Collura , Arman Saxena , Jacob Pellegrino and Hadley Medlock

From record-breaking tours to smaller indie albums, 2023 was a year filled with great music. While chart-topping hits created a smaller impact than usual in the year’s musical landscape, many iconic and beloved artists released albums. The Thresher’s A&E writers recap ten of this year’s best album releases.

A&E 1/9/24 11:29pm

​​A&E’s best movies of 2023

By Jay Collura , Arman Saxena , Jacob Pellegrino and Hadley Medlock

Full stop, 2023 was the best year for film since the pandemic. From “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” breaking box office records, to the deluge of awards contenders that came out in the last months of the year, there was seemingly always something playing in theaters worth watching. The Thresher’s A&E writers recap ten of this year’s best film releases.

A&E 1/9/24 11:26pm

Review: ‘The Boy and the Heron’ takes animation to new heights

By Jay Collura

Perhaps the biggest flaw with “The Boy and the Heron” is its title, or at least, the title presented to Western audiences. The name inspires an image of the drab, hackneyed animated parable, an image that stands opposite to the sheer visual spectacle and thematic scope found within the film. 

A&E 1/9/24 11:25pm

Classes to take when you reevaluate being a pre-med

By Thomas Pickell

As the spring semester gets up-and-running, many of us will reckon with the consequences of registering for 18 hours of organic chemistry, discrete mathematics or some unholy combination of tedious and unmanageable STEM. While passionate about your major, it can certainly be overwhelming to have such a dense serving, and many people will be looking for a taste breaker. 

FEATURES 1/9/24 11:20pm

Owls’ Saturday night flights

By Shruti Patankar

With public parties being shut down, Rice’s party culture is in its Prohibition era until spring break. Here are some ideas on how to spend your public-less Saturday nights in the spring semester. 

OPINION 1/9/24 11:06pm

Bridging the digital divide

By Abhi Jain , Carolyn Suradejvibul and Jiya Bhatia

Access to the internet plays a central role in almost everyone’s lives, especially as we enter an increasingly digitized world. Unfortunately, however, 170,000 households in Houston lack access to the internet. While many of these individuals are adults, a significant portion comprises students of college age. 

OPINION 1/9/24 11:04pm

Letter to the Editor: Trafficking is a central feminist issue

By Sarah Sowell

Last semester, International Justice Mission’s anti-trafficking fashion Interwoven was featured in the Thresher. The article concluded with a call from me imploring Rice students to consider the connections between social issues they care about and human trafficking. I am writing today to expand upon that call to action and to mobilize the campus to consider trafficking more deeply. 

OPINION 1/9/24 11:03pm

Show up to support student athletes

By Thresher Editorial Board

Despite their disappointing 45-21 season-ending loss to Texas State in the First Responder Bowl, the Rice football team has reason for optimism going forward: The Owls played in their second-straight bowl game while going 4-4 in their first season as members of the American Athletic Conference. Winning their most games in a season since 2014 and defeating crosstown rivals University of Houston in the Bayou Bucket has made this season a successful one for head coach Mike Bloomgren, who has significantly turned around this football program since he arrived in 2018. 

NEWS 1/9/24 11:00pm

Ahalya Lettenberger ’23 awarded Marshall Scholarship

By Aisha Khemani

Ahalya Lettenberger, a recent graduate and swim team member, was awarded the Marshall Scholarship Dec. 11, which fully funds two years of study abroad in the United Kingdom for up to 51 students annually. She is the first Rice student to receive the scholarship since 2018 and the first student-athlete since 1999.

NEWS 1/9/24 10:56pm

Rice sees second consecutive year of record-high early applications

By Riya Misra

Rice’s Office of Admissions accepted 15.3% of Early Decision applicants on Dec. 14, 2023. An additional 77 students matched with Rice through the Questbridge National College Match program. With 2,886 applicants, this year marked the second consecutive year of record-high Early Decision applications, surpassing last year’s 2,743.

NEWS 1/9/24 10:43pm

Student Association passes Senate Resolution 14, affirms support for ‘Faculty Statement of Solidarity with Palestinians’

By Riya Misra

The Student Association passed a resolution affirming support for the Oct. 27 Rice University Faculty Statement of Solidarity with Palestinians. The resolution, which was introduced at the Nov. 27 Senate and voted on at the Dec. 4 Senate, passed with 16 votes in favor, five votes against and four abstentions, exceeding the two-thirds requirement to pass.

SPORTS 12/29/23 1:38pm

Rice turns over First Responder Bowl to Texas State, 45-21

By Landry Wood and Sarah Knowlton

Until Dec. 26’s Servpro First Responder Bowl against Texas State University, Rice Football had not committed seven turnovers in a single game since 2007. Despite a strong first half with three Owl touchdowns, the team lost momentum in the second half and let 21 Texas State points go unanswered. The final score was 45-21 in the Bobcats’ favor, with Rice dropping to 6-7 to end the 2023 season.

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