Special Projects

'Recognize My Sign' breathes new life into embroidery

As a medium traditionally associated with the feminine, embroidery and its users have unfortunately remained in the background of mainstream contemporary art. Moufarrege belongs to a new wave of artists seeking to reclaim the skill through radical, bold expression.

Men’s basketball hangs on to beat Alabama A&M

Rice men’s basketball bounced back from its first loss of the season by defeating Alabama A&M University on Monday by a score of 73-59. 

How to pair your winter accessories

 Unpack your cozy sweaters, mittens, and hats because the weather is soon dropping to (gasp)... 55 degrees. However, piling on layers in these bitter times does not mean you have to sacrifice style.

Will Rice to host Rocky Horror-style production of 'The Room'

According to Grimme, the performance will be styled after “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” with the film projected onto the backdrop and actors mimicking it word for word, movement for movement. Grimme also said he intends for the show to be interactive, engaging the audience during quieter moments. 

Men’s basketball pulls away to win season opener

“We need to learn how to win,” Pera said. “And especially now with five freshmen and [sophomore guard] Josh [Parrish] and [graduate forward] Jack [Williams] being new, we kind of got over a little bit of the hump.”

Sugar Land school district likely to build tech center over burial ground for black convict laborers

An exhibit depicting the history of convict leasing in Sugar Land quietly went on display in Fondren Library’s central walkway earlier this semester. Originally created for a Houston Action Research Team project several years ago, it was updated and re-installed in light of a recent discovery.

First (and a half) impressions

I like meeting people as much as the next guy. I like it more than the next guy, actually. There's a world of unknown experiences within a new person, and sometimes, learning the story of someone's life can feel like watching art made in real time. It’s amazing that a first impression can feel like that. Spontaneous and beautiful and original — that's how first times should feel. At one point in my life, meeting people almost always felt like that. But socializing at Rice is different.

Rice students express disappointment, optimism after midterm elections

As election results rolled in around 10 p.m., many students watching in the Rice Memorial Center Grand Hall expressed disappointment with the defeat of midterm election candidates Beto O’Rourke, who lost by 2.6 percent to Republican incumbent Ted Cruz, and Todd Litton, who lost by 7.6 percent to Dan Crenshaw, in races for the United States Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.

KTRU showcases local talent at Halloween show

The peak of his performance was towards the end, when he brought up collaborator Danna Ghafir (Martel ‘18) and treated the crowd to a sultry performance between the two.

Filipino Street Festival brings cultural performances, food to Rice Stadium

Truly experiencing the Filipino Street Festival came not just from seeing the performances, but tasting the food. Dishes included lechon (prepared by roasting an entire pig), adobo (chicken) and pancit (thin noodles). 

A guide to ramen around Houston

Editor’s Column: Rice football hits rock bottom

It’s been a long time coming. Rice football has been dancing around the precipice for a couple of years now, veering dangerously close to an edge that would send them plummeting toward the pinnacle of national embarrassment and earn them a crown fit for no king. With Saturday’s loss to the only team that was keeping the Owls from claiming the throne, there can be no more doubt: Rice is now the worst FBS team in the country. Welcome to the inner circles of college football hell.

Triple threat: Cunningham a major force for volleyball

Whether she is diving for a dig or helping people learn English, volleyball’s Lee Ann Cunningham has consistently demonstrated her willingness to offer a helping hand. 

Rice hands UTEP its first win since 2016

Rice football extended its losing streak to nine games on Saturday as the Owls fell to a University of Texas, El Paso team that came into the matchup riding an FBS-high 20-game losing streak. With the loss, Rice dropped to 1-9 on the season and 0-6 in conference play. The Owls’ first and only victory of the season came in their season-opening 31-28 win over FCS opponent Prairie View A&M University. 

Student organizations must be active on inclusion

This week, the Rice Program Council changed the theme for Esperanza, which will take place at the Houston Museum of African American Culture, from “A Night at Gatsby’s” to “A Taste of the Twenties.” The change occurred after the Black Student Association, Rice African Student Association and the National Society of Black Engineers reached out to RPC with concerns that the initial theme was based on a novel that is not racially inclusive and overlooks the contributions of the African American community to culture in the 1920s. By meeting with student leaders and altering the theme, RPC responded in a thoughtful and appropriate way. The discussion that led to the change is an example of honest and critical conversations that we should be engaging in. 

First (and a half) impressions

When left unchecked, these half-impressions rob first impressions of their deserved effect. That’s not the way meeting people should be. I’ve never met you, and there’s probably more to you than a few sentences from someone else. You deserve an honest chance to present yourself for the first time and to not be defined by another person.

New Baker 13 Rules: Well-Intentioned but Misguided

Response to Wilson: Some got off Twitter, some didn’t. It shouldn’t matter.

In an op-ed in the Oct. 17 issue of the Thresher, Chloe Wilson discussed the cognitive dissonance she sees in progressive Rice students who post political comments on social media but are noticeably absent from phone banking and canvassing events. Unfortunately, her call to action critically omitted an important variable in the conversation about increased civic engagement: the systemic suppression and exclusion of disenfranchised Americans. As a result, I find her framing of the Rice student as busy, privileged and lazy to be too simplistic, deficit-oriented, and homogenizing.

Activism at Rice must extend beyond Election Day

Beto O’Rourke’s campaign to unseat Ted Cruz as U.S. Senator has arguably generated as much buzz on campus as the 2016 presidential election. While it’s clear that Rice students are most politically engaged during election season, students should consider whether electoral politics is the most effective means of pursuing their political goals. We argue that it is not, and that our activism must not be limited to working within a political system that does not always reflect the needs of the people.  

INKED: Wolves, science, music, and a lifelong tattoo project

The Thresher talks to Colin Howman about his tattoo in the first of a series about students at Rice with tattoos.