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NEWS 11/10/15 3:46pm

‘Speak Up’ offers victims a voice

By Kaylen Strench

Wiess College senior Vicky Comesanas boldly entered the campus conversation on sexual assault last winter when she directed “The Speak Up Project,” a series of monologues delivered by actors and written by student victims of unwanted sexual experiences. The project was so well received that an encore performance was included in the Houston Fringe Festival in September. Now, Comesanas is looking for submissions for this year’s production, leading to questions about the project’s future and how it fits into the recent discussion on campus about sexual assault.Comesanas said the production’s format will stay the same: Rice University students who want to participate can submit their stories. Shortly after, Comesanas will assign the monologues to actors, who will perfect their delivery over a couple of months. Then, the cast will perform the monologues to an audience of Rice students, followed by a group discussion of sexual assault on campus.Comesanas said the main change is that the performance will run two nights instead of one, and will take place at the end of Sexual Assault Prevention Week, Jan. 29-30. Comesanas said one benefit of this change is that the integration encourages audience members to engage with the topic before the show.“It will get people thinking about the issue before they even come to the Speak Up Project,” Comesanas said. “I think that it will facilitate really good discussion after the show.”Comesanas said this year’s show is even more important now in light of discussion surrounding the recent release of the Survey of Unwanted Sexual Experiences.“I think as a campus we’re moving forward, and it’s really, really great to see that people care about this issue, especially when it wasn’t emphasized as much in previous years,” Comesanas said. “But it seems like the voices of the victims are still missing.”Comesanas said she thinks the stigma associated with victimhood discourages people from coming forward. One problem with this, she said, is that energy is completely focused on preventing future assaults when current victims exist and need support now.“Everyone is so horrified at the thought of sexual assault on campus,” Comesanas said. “But the fact is, even though we’re trying to prevent it from happening in the future, it’s already happened. We need to think about how we support the people who it’s already happened to.”Comesanas also pointed out that policies intended to combat sexual assault on campus can be very triggering for victims.“Policy can backfire for the victims,” Comesanas said. “[For instance,] Sexual Assault Prevention Week is like, the most stressful week for victims. How do you make policy in a way that’s safe for the people that have had these experiences?”Comesanas said infusing victims’ voices into the greater conversation is the only way to ensure policy both helps prevent future assaults and supports victims.“The more we have victims’ voices available, the less harmful [policies] are going to be,” Comesanas said. “Even with all of these steps, you still need to have the victims’ voices in the conversations and you need to remove that stigma that comes with being a victim.”Comesanas said the Speak Up Project addresses this problem by allowing sexual assault survivors to share their stories with the community without having to come forward publicly. “You don’t have to raise your hand and say, ‘This happened to me,’” Comesanas said. “But by putting the story out there and saying this happened to someone on campus; that’s incredibly powerful in helping to remove that stigma.”Comesanas said she experienced the impact of the show firsthand when she directed it last year.“People came up to me after the show and said, ‘Wow I didn’t know this happened on campus,’” Comesanas said. “And writers came up to me afterward telling me how cathartic it was for them.’”Finally, Comesanas urged current students with stories to submit this year.“You need to write [your story],” Comesanas said. “You need to write it because, in the end, you’re the only person who knows your story. It’s good for you, and it’s good for the community to know that these incidents are out there.”To submit or get more information, visit http://on.fb.me/1PyVEKn or email director Vicky Comesanas at vcomesanas@rice.edu.

NEWS 11/10/15 3:42pm

Campus carry working group to survey students

 

The campus carry working group has released a survey available on their website to gauge student opinion on whether the university should allow the carrying of concealed handguns on campus, as per Texas Senate Bill 11. The survey is open to all undergraduates and closes at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15.The bill, signed into law on June 13, authorizes a concealed handgun license owner to carry a concealed handgun on university campuses effective Aug. 1, 2016. Private and independent institutions have until then to decide whether to set regulations prohibiting license holders from carrying weapons on campus after consulting with students, staff and faculty. The survey is a component of a long term consultative process to decide whether Rice will opt out of the provision for private institutions. The working group has also met with the Faculty Senate, Student Association, Graduate Student Association and Staff Advisory Committee for input and will present the feedback to President David Leebron, who will make the final decision. Vice President for Administration Kevin E. Kirby said in a letter to the Rice community that the working group hopes to complete the consultative process by the end of the fall semester. More information about the bill, Rice’s weapons policy and forums for discussion can be found at ugcc.blogs.rice.edu.

NEWS 11/10/15 3:42pm

Students weigh benefits, drawbacks of small majors

By Jaecey Parham

In the five years from 2009 to 2014, the number of undergraduate students with declared humanities majors decreased by over 200 students while the number in the natural sciences division has increased by a similar amount.Some students majoring in smaller academic schools and degree programs have expressed concerns about the repercussions of majoring in areas with few students. However, others said there are benefits to being part of a small community. The School of Humanities contains the fewest undergraduate majors, according to the Office of Institutional Research: The entire humanities division held only 157 declared majors in fall 2014; comparatively, the psychology major alone, a part of the School of Social Sciences, had 209 declared students and mechanical engineering had 163. After registering for Asian Religions in America (ASIA 230) in spring 2015, Asian studies major Radhika Sharma said she was concerned the course would be canceled due to lack of enrollment, since it only had three students after the first class.“I started to ask my friends to sign up for the class before the two-week add deadline passed because we needed at least five students to be registered or the class may be cut,” Sharma, a Brown College sophomore, said.Sharma said her friends added the course the day before the deadline and dropped it soon after so that the class would not get cancelled.Some departments may cancel courses with low enrollment, according to University Registrar David Tenney (Sid Richardson ’87), but unlike many institutions, Rice does not in fact have a policy requiring a minimum number of students to enroll in the course to prevent its cancellation.“I’ve heard that some academic departments closely monitor their course enrollments during registration in order to monitor and measure demand,” Tenney said. “Our office will see a few courses cancelled before the semester starts, but very, very few.”According to Sonia Ryang, director of the Chao Center for Asian Studies, there are 25 to 30 students majoring in Asian studies at any given time and roughly 15 students graduate with a bachelor’s degree in the major each year. Sharma said she feels the largest issue with the department is the relative lack of resources present for Asian studies majors, though she said the department was working to improve.“A lot of our peer universities ... have established opportunities for Asian studies students that help them gain real-world experience and a much deeper understanding of a culture, but we are lacking in [these opportunities], which is unfortunate,” Sharma said.Likewise, medieval and early modern studies major Henry Bair said the biggest drawback of being in a small major was the smaller number of opportunities offered.“Rice already provides very little for the humanities, and being a tiny major in the humanities certainly doesn’t help,” Bair said. “This lack of resources is manifested in the dearth of publicity, guest lectures, relevant material in the library, funds for students and variety in course offerings.”Medieval and early modern studies is Rice’s smallest major; the major is interdisciplinary and has only two to three declared undergraduate students each year, according to program director and art history professor Diane Wolfthal. In 2011, there was only one MDEM major. “The highly interdisciplinary nature of the major makes it easy to see how literature, art, history, linguistics, philosophy, religion and music are all interrelated,” Bair said. Asian studies is also interdisciplinary, which Ryang said allows for faculty in both the School of Humanities and School of Social Sciences to be affiliated with the Chao Center. French studies, another small interdisciplinary major, currently has only 20 declared undergraduates. French studies major Alex Mardock, a Lovett College senior, said a small major can sometimes actually increase the resources available to each student since there is less competition. “The department awards generous scholarships to several students who hope to study abroad in France,” Mardock said. “The small size of the student population makes such opportunities attainable for most people who apply.”Asian studies major Karen Resnick said the connections students can easily build with their professors is the another advantage for the divisions with so few students. “Classes are much smaller and the program itself cares a lot about each student individually,” Resnick, a Duncan College senior, said. “They are able to devote a lot more time and resources, as well as listen to student feedback.” Additionally, Ryang said the Asian studies B.A. is well-suited for double majoring with other subjects, including math, science and engineering. Double majoring is common in many small majors. According to Deborah Nelson-Campbell, a French studies professor, out of the 20 declared majors, most of the students are double majoring. “We have a large number of majors who are pre-med and enjoy their French courses because they are so different from science courses,” Nelson-Campbell said. “Many of our majors use French after graduation as a way to increase the options that they have in the job they get with their other major.”Mardock, who is majoring solely in French studies, said the stigma that French studies is an easy major or produces graduates with poor job prospects is a drawback to majoring in a less-popular major. “I was once asked, upon telling someone my major, ‘So, what’s your other major?’” Mardock said. “Personally, I’m truly passionate about my classes and my major.”Mardock said he felt that negative perceptions of many small majors may be preventing them from enrolling more students.“I will forever be grateful for the knowledge and perspective on the world that I’ve gained throughout my time at Rice,” Mardock said. “It makes me sad to know that many of my peers are turned away from smaller majors by the external pressure of these stereotypes.”

NEWS 11/10/15 3:41pm

SA considers support for climate change resolution

 

The Student Association will be voting on whether to add its name to the Resolution on Climate Change, a petition put forth by the Texas Drought Project. The SA’s endorsement would make it one of 120 organizations and groups who have signed the resolution, bringing the Texas Drought Project closer to its 250 signature goal. According to the Texas Drought Project’s website, the resolution calls for the U.S. government to take a stance against the emission of greenhouse gases and in support of the movement away from fossil fuels at the 2015 United Nations Climate Conference, to be held this December in Paris. The conference aims to arrive at a universal agreement on climate change, following a similar conference in Copenhagen in 2012 that postponed the signing of an agreement until this year, to go into effect in 2020.The SA legislation would also call upon the Faculty Senate and the Graduate Student Association to join the SA in their support of the resolution, as well as for the university as a whole to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.The resolution would be in line with the 100-Year Sustainability Plan passed by the SA in its 2011-2012 session. According to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, that plan led to a series of actions and resolutions aimed at improving campus sustainability.

NEWS 11/10/15 3:41pm

Demand for boba spurs new student business

By Elana Margosis

Rice students struggling with bubble tea addiction can say goodbye to any chance of kicking their habit. The goods will soon be domestically produced: Five students are hard at work creating a boba business here on campus.Hanszen College senior David Cooper, Lovett College senior Tommy Bennett, Martel College senior Leo Meister, Martel junior David Warren and Jones College senior Drew Sutherland created, manage and own the still-unnamed business.The students plan to begin operations selling its tea in bulk to Rice clubs for club fundraisers at the beginning of the spring semester. These flavors include plain milk tea, thai tea, coffee, taro, jasmine, oreo and other monthly flavors.According to Sutherland, the business will sell boba tea to clubs at $2.25 and deliver the drinks 10 minutes before sales begin. The tea will be made the same morning for freshness. The business will sell teas to clubs at variable quantities, instead of in orders of 100, which according to Sutherland, is an advantage over other vendors of the Taiwanese drink when selling to Rice clubs.“The clubs currently buy tea from Teahouse at $2.50 per tea in bulk orders of 100,” Sutherland said. “That provides limited flexibility. They have to bring their own coolers to Teahouse, load it all up, take it back to the campus.”Retail sales are planned to begin later in the spring semester. Sutherland said the business will sell teas in college commons.“You don’t have to walk off campus,” Sutherland said. “We’ll bring [the boba] to you.”The business began as a project for their Marketing (BUSI 380) last March, and the students spent the summer and fall semester working on research and development. The business will be privately owned by the students and will not register as a Rice-affiliated student-run business.Jones College sophomore Wesley Yee helped with taste testing and gave positive reviews.“[The] boba tasted amazing,” Yee said. “I particularly noticed how the tea wasn’t overly sweet and how the boba was soft and tasted fresh.”Eileen Huang, vice chair of the Rice Asian Pacific American Student Alliance, said that convenience will be a major factor in deciding to which business’ boba the club will sell at fundraisers.“We have used boba sales as a way to raise money in the past,” Huang, a Martel senior, said. “Most of our boba right now is from Teahouse and we usually have to drive to pick them up. Recently, [Teahouse] has not been accepting orders and it has been very inconvenient for us.” Sutherland estimates that the business will employ five to ten additional students to make and deliver the tea. The business plans to lease one of Martel College’s kitchens to prepare the tea. Martel Vice President Itzak Hinojosa said the kitchen was identified as underutilized and that the college voted to lease the space in Parliament after discussing the proposal within the college.“The vote passed and we are currently working to build a contract and the terms in which Martel will rent the space to the business,” Hinojosa said. “So far, Martel does not foresee any potential problems.”Martel senior Jonathon Stach was initially concerned about noise and space issues arising with the business’ machines, but was informed that neither would present a problem.“[I] have been told that the noise level should be minimal, and that the machines would only be operational during specific hours.” Stach said. “So long as the information proves credible, I really shouldn’t have an issue, and would welcome the easy access to boba.”Warren said the students have enjoyed strong support from faculty and staff, including Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby, Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, Chemistry instructor Lesa Tran and Housing and Dining. “Their assistance along the way has made this possible,” Warren said. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to make our dream a reality.”

NEWS 11/10/15 3:39pm

Missed Meals: Plan Under Review

By Hannah Che

The Student Association is working with Housing and Dining to find ways to improve the current meal plan system, which has been criticized by some students for being inflexible, according to Wiess College Senator Hannah Todd. 

NEWS 11/10/15 3:37pm

Houston defeats HERO, split on mayor

By Drew Keller

The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, a proposition to guarantee various anti-discrimination protections, was voted down by a significant majority in the Nov. 3 election. In the mayoral election, out of a field of 13 candidates, Sylvester Turner and Bill King gained enough votes to advance to a runoff election to be held Dec. 12.Turner, a Democrat, won 31.5 percent of the mayoral vote and King, a Republican, won 25.4 percent, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office. At 16.8 percent, Democrat Adrian Garcia was the only other candidate to capture more than 1/10 of the vote. Proposition 1, supporting HERO, was defeated 61 percent to 39 percent.HERO, a measure initially passed by the Houston City Council in 2014, prohibits employment, housing and public space discrimination based on 15 characteristics including race, marital or military status, sexual orientation and gender identity. The final two were additional protections beyond what is already established by federal law.After HERO opponents submitted a petition to the city against the ordinance, legal challenges ensued that culminated in a ruling by the Texas Supreme Court requiring Houston to either repeal the law or include it on the election ballot. The campaign surrounding Tuesday’s vote gained state and national attention, including comments in favor of the proposition by President Obama.According to the Houston Chronicle, Rice University had the highest percentage of voters in favor of HERO of any precinct, with nearly 95 percent of voters at the Rice Memorial Center polling station voting yes. However, Rice had relatively low turnout at 25 percent.Austin Bae, a voting liaison, said many Rice students focus on larger elections such as the presidential contest instead of local decisions.“It seems that university students mainly focus on the ‘bigger’ elections,” Bae, a Jones College sophomore, said. “I think a lot of students nationwide forget that there are many other opportunities, in some case, necessities, to participate in elections that are crucial to making that presidential election actually mean anything.”Sam Herrera, chairman of the Rice College Republicans, said he believed King was the better mayoral candidate. According to Herrera, the Rice College Republicans will soon make an official endorsement for the runoff.“[King] addresses the biggest problems for Houston [the pension crisis, crime and the state of the roads] with effective plans,” Herrera said. “He would bring a new vision to city hall in that he is a businessman and not a career politician.”Turner has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 1989. Sid Richardson College sophomore David Cirillo, an intern with Turner’s campaign, said Turner’s experience on the House’s appropriations committee would help him deal with Houston’s debt. Cirillo also pointed to Turner’s support for HERO.“Integration and equality are tenants of who Sylvester Turner is, and his policies reflect that,” Cirillo said. “King is opposed to an equal rights ordinance. He is for a Houston in the past. Houston can’t go back. It needs to move into the future and prove that it is the city of true opportunity. It needs Sylvester Turner.”Kathryn Hokamp, public relations representative of campus advocacy group Queers & Allies, expressed surprise at HERO’s defeat. “Even after hearing the results, even after talking to opponents, I still can’t process that so many people were against HERO,” Hokamp, a Martel College senior, said. “It’s extremely eye-opening to the amount of prejudice toward LGTBQ people in this city. HERO was a bill that should have helped everyone.”Hokamp, who served as Queers & Allies president last year, said the reason for HERO’s defeat was opposition to transgender rights. Campaign for Houston, an anti-HERO organization, widely distributed advertising during the campaign alleging that HERO could allow men to pose as transgender women in order to gain access to women’s restrooms.“When the opposition to HERO became about bathrooms, it became about transphobia,” Hokamp said. “We live in a hugely transphobic city, and the election results confirm that in a scary way.” The successful opposition to HERO has caused Hokamp to rethink plans of staying in Houston after graduation.“I’ll probably end up leaving Houston because I am tired of hiding my sexuality and gender identity in professional contexts,” Hokamp said. “In Houston, any of my employers could fire me if they find out I’m gay or genderqueer, and Houston voters made it that way.”Cirillo, who is also the campus leader of pro-HERO organization Houston Unites, said he believes the vote does not reflect Houston’s values. “Houston turned out based on fear and based on lies, but I know Houston does not value discrimination,” Cirillo said. “Equality is a Houston virtue and it will not be ended by a vote of ignorance.”Cirillo said he is confident another version of HERO would be introduced to the City Council.“Thank you to every Rice student who voted,” Cirillo said. “I know, with the support of every Rice student, that an equal Houston will soon become a reality, regardless of any vote tonight that may say otherwise.”

NEWS 11/10/15 3:36pm

CS town hall confronts growth issues

By Amber Tong

A town hall organized by computer science majors drew over 50 students and faculty members to address the opportunities and challenges associated with an increasingly large CS department. Students voiced concerns about discrepancies between expectations and the reality of the department, but also optimism about an undergraduate advisory board the Computer Science Club plans to form. The undergraduate population of the CS department has soared in the past six years, growing from 107 declared majors in fall 2009 to 282 in fall 2014, according to the Office of Institutional Research.Department chair and professor of computer science Vivek Sarkar said the entire school of engineering is growing but the speed and scale of the CS department’s expansion exceeds that of the other departments.“The change has been much more dramatic for CS,” Sarkar said. “The current seniors who matriculated in 2012 have seen our major more than double in just the last three years.”Students who attended the town hall formed small groups to discuss questions provided by moderator and Associate Dean of Engineering Education Ann Saterbak. The meeting culminated in a discussion about the issues that the advisory board should address, which range from collecting data from peer institutions to working with professors on course feedback mechanisms.Saterbak said that some of the problems raised are not unique to the department.“Class size is seen as an issue in several departments,” Saterbak said. “There are two other departments where enrollment in upper-level core courses is fairly high: [chemical and mechanical engineering].”CS Club External Vice President Raymond Cano, who organized the town hall, said the presence of faculty members broadened the scope of the conversation.“The professors all brought their own unique insights, definitely making the students think about what the core issues are,” Cano said. “They also helped to clarify many misconceptions that the student body had about the department.”Wiess College freshman and CS major Tim Skaras said he attended the town hall out of concerns for the future of the department rooted in his negative experience during registration. Skaras, who had hoped to enroll in Computational Thinking (COMP 140) in fall 2015, said he was forced into Introduction to Game Programming in Python (COMP 160) due to space constraints. Skaras said this scenario was alarming because it contradicted the advertised image of Rice.“I came to Rice expecting the often quoted 6:1 student to faculty ratio,” Skaras said. “It is troubling to know the CS department struggles to fulfill that image, in the introductory classes and the upper level courses.”Lovett College junior Karin Diamond said she participated in the discussion because the issues being addressed have a personal impact.“I am feeling the effects of this growth particularly acutely at this point in the semester as I try to figure out my schedule for next semester, because I do not have a major advisor,” Diamond said.Brown College senior and CS major Jake Kornblau said the meeting was not organized as a forum where students could discuss their grievances and potential solutions. Instead, participants created a list of both the pros and cons of growth and only shared one or two.“While I applaud Dr. Saterbak for attempting to create a discussion that was balanced... I found the organization of the meeting to almost stifle discussion,” Kornblau said.Kornblau said the way the town hall was organized also limited opportunities for professors to contribute, although their input was significant when they did participate. For instance, in response to students’ concerns about not getting into COMP 140, the class’s professor, Scott Rixner, pointed out that the lenient add-drop system is part of the problem.According to Kornblau, Rixner said so many students have dropped COMP 140 that there is now more than enough space for those who originally could not register for the class.In fall 2014, the Committee of Undergraduate Curriculum proposed a limit on the number of drops per semester, but the proposal was dropped due to opposition by the student body and the Student Association.Wiess College sophomore Ethan Perez said the meeting helped him comprehend the complexity of the issues faced by the CS department. “I got a better understanding of the problems CS at Rice faces... and some of the reasoning behind decisions the department and various professors have made,” Perez said.Sarkar said he encourages students to express the problems that they are facing, but to be more careful about proposing solutions.“In my opinion, students have more credibility when they focus on stating what issues they are facing, rather how those issues should be addressed.” Sarkar said. “Because [issues are something] nobody can argue with. Those are the facts. If we agree that the ‘what’ is a problem, then we have a basis to collectively figure out ‘how’ the problem should be addressed.”According to Sarkar, the solutions can take one of two approaches: either restrict the number of CS majors, or hire more faculty members. He said the current faculty is split between the two options, but he is hopeful about investment in faculty since it is a national trend among universities. “My position is that we need to find the teaching resources to meet the increased demand of Rice students, both majors and non-majors, who want to take CS classes, rather than cap our enrollments,” Sarkar said. “That’s what all the other leading computer science departments are doing. So why should we be left behind?”Kornblau said after talking to fellow students, he feels their real complaint is that they are not given the experience promised to them.“The administration tried to present a lot of facts and spin to make it seem like the growth in CS wasn’t bad by comparison,” Kornblau said. “[Meanwhile] the CS professors were staying way later than normal hours to try and figure out what students felt they were missing out on and how to best proceed going forward.”The administration will have to step in with the resources necessary for solutions, Sarkar said. “As a department, we are limited as to what we can do to address many of the issues brought up during the CS town hall,” Sarkar said. “I look forward to a dialog at other levels of the university to discuss what can be done.”Dean of the School of Engineering Ned Thomas said the student-faculty ratio in engineering has grown too high, and new resources as well as reallocation of existing resources are needed to balance students’ freedom to pursue their aspirations with Rice’s traditional strengths. “The Data Science Initiative that was endorsed by the Board of Trustees last May will help CS through some hiring of tenure track faculty and non tenure track instructors,” Thomas said. “But still more needs to be done in order to provide a superior educational experience here at Rice.” Sarkar said the advisory board adds a structural component to running the department, which he sees as a shared responsibility. Diamond said she is optimistic about the advisory board despite concerns that it will lack in momentum of power to affect real change.“I appreciate the efforts of the CS club to find a constructive way to address the students concerns instead of just complaining about the department,” Diamond said.

OPINION 11/10/15 3:33pm

Vulnerability an essential component of college experience

 

Avoiding the odors of a communal bathroom, side-stepping vomit or watching the defiant nakedness that is Baker 13 isn’t all that enjoyable. In fact, my list is relatively demure. Yet, we all manage to cope in this microcosm of the real world that is both extremely small and incredibly close. College seems to be a long-respected tradition of throwing together a group of freshly branded “adults” while they attempt to figure out life. I don’t doubt that the potion of Rice was prudently brewed by the admission council: a little chaos, stress, intellect, quirkiness, recklessness, impulsivity and a hint of sexual tension. I had already anticipated a lot of this from college, but it’s the other half of the equation that isn’t widely broadcast: the vulnerability when practically every part of your life is exposed. I remember the first time I awkwardly watched someone cry. The culmination of stress, frustration and even confusion as to the origins of the meltdown led to the depletion of an entire bag of dark chocolate and Kleenex box. I observed as a bystander, feeling both incredibly out of place and fascinated at how abruptly I had advanced from acquaintance to newly acquired friend. This wasn’t as enjoyable as the time I watched people I had met sober during Orientation Week dance decidedly less so as that first party progressed. However, in a way, both experiences are the same. It took one instance for their exterior to crack, but once the initial level of intimacy was broken they suddenly became more accessible.We all watch each other stumble through experiences, both pleasant and painful. The way we maintain sleep deprivation, inebriation, waking up late, heartbreak or a difficult problem set aren’t difficult to find. Unlike any other time in our lives, we no longer have the option to exist under a veil of formality and ignore basic truths about ourselves. I have yet to find a more effective way to expose the true nature of a human being than to watch them undergo midterms. It’s that formative stage in any budding friendship. Some people show a more caustic, aggressive side, others an unexpected resilience and control, and even better perhaps a warmth or empathy.However, it is increasingly difficult to vilify or idolize when the identity of our acquaintances and friends unravel a little further, as their imperfections, abilities, failures and fascinations are made clearer. It gives us an opportunity to be vulnerable that few people would willingly choose. And in these relatively extraordinary circumstances, we manage to adapt. Vulnerability is an awkward word, but it’s one of the few that seems to truly characterize college life.This is my justification for the importance of a real, illustrious and slightly flawed college experience. During this time in our lives, we manage to refine our understanding of what “living” is to so many people that are drastically different than us. Our experience here allows us to embrace a more accurate representation of humanity. Perhaps this is little consolation for having to do your own laundry, waiting in that long line at Coffeehouse, or having to tolerate that one dorm that won’t turn down their music. It seems like that’s the point.Eilzabeth Myong is a Hanszen College freshman. 

OPINION 11/10/15 3:33pm

Don’t let misinformation and uncertainty sway SB#4 vote

By Cristell Perez

As noted with the rejection of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance last week, fear, uncertainty and misinformation swayed the uninformed, resulting in a majority rejection of Proposition 1. The same can be said about the current climate surrounding the “Critical Thinking in Sexuality” course here at Rice. From conversations I’ve had with various individuals, many are not well-informed on CTIS, Senate Bill #4, or the legislative process of our SA Senate. With a few days left until the vote, let’s not let misinformation, fear and uncertainty drive the opposition for Senate Bill #4.Addressing misinformation about the vote for SB#4Voting on Senate Bill #4, “Recommendation to Support First-Year Critical Thinking in Sexuality and Charter Related Task Force,” is not a vote on the curriculum for “Critical Thinking in Sexuality.” I can’t emphasize this enough. The SA is not voting on curriculum. All SA voting members will decide whether or not to support the recommendation of this potential course to the Faculty Senate. The legislation proposes the creation of a task force representative of the student body that will present a detailed outline of the course to the SA before Faculty Senate’s vote and final recommendations of the course to all other appropriate stakeholders. It does not lay out the syllabus for such a course. It does not specifically mandate certain aspects of what will be discussed in this programming.This legislation is not simply recommending a course about sex nor one that encourages all students to start having sex. The recommended course discusses much more than consent and takes Texas state law into consideration. SB#4 is not recommending a course that disrespects your beliefs, religious or otherwise.SB#4 recommends programming that would tackle six problems with six proposed tactics (shown to the right).Tackling fear about student body representationThe passing of SB#4 creates a task force made up of student representatives to work with the Faculty Senate, the University Committee on Undergraduate Curriculum and the Office of the Provost to develop and implement such programming. The current unofficial task force is made up of individuals who reached out to the SA president prior to SB#4’s public presentation on Oct. 28. They would ensure all opinions are heard and ask critical questions relating to underage students, religious values and beliefs, survivors of sexual assault, the LGBT community and the international student population, among other important topics.At this stage, details such as who will teach this course, what the curriculum will entail and whether or not an opt-out will be available have not been finalized. That is why the task force would represent the student body by asking for feedback and opinions and working with different campus resources in addition to the necessary stakeholders.Uncertainty surrounding programming should not be a deterrentNo one has brought up a solution or idea that can tackle these problems until now. SB#4 gives us the opportunity to recommend a solution to the Faculty Senate and create a task force that represents the student body. SB#4 is legislation that supports the idea of a first-year seminar that focuses on fostering community values and sexual assault prevention.Discussing community values means addressing what comprises healthy and unhealthy relationships with one’s self, friends, family and intimate partners, learning about bystander intervention and being a part of a culture of care. This includes many aspects of well-being and critical thinking about diversity — where all voices, regardless of religion, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, abilities and disabilities are valued and respected.  Focusing on sexual assault prevention necessarily addresses community values. In effective prevention programs, students address skills like conflict resolution, assertiveness and relationship equality. Such a program would reduce stigma and address myths surrounding dating and sexual violence. It would address norms that perpetrate domestic and sexual violence such as power over others (privilege and oppression), masculinity (gender norms surrounding the classic “boys will be boys,” violence, anger, “man up,” etc.), and femininity (objectification, women as passive and gatekeepers of sex, etc.). Addressing violence as common and pervasive (in the media, for example) and types of sexual and domestic violence that are not talked about (myths around blame) are included in the programming.A portion of the opposition believes that a semester is too long for such a course or that we should simply strengthen our current O-Week session on Project SAFE. The fact of the matter is that a single session is not enough. The Center for Disease Control’s Injury Center recommends the length of such programming to be nine to 12 sessions and facilitation should use interactive conversation and activities, hence the recommendation for the programming to be spread over a semester. Speak up about SB#4We don’t simply study at Rice University. We live here. We party here. We work here. We form lifelong bonds and communities. I want to be a part of a community that not only cares about issues like preventing sexual assault and misconduct, but also takes action. That is why I am asking you to reach out to your friends to vote “YES, I support this recommendation” in your college’s poll. Reach out to your college president and senator to vote YES, reach out to your friends to join you in supporting this legislation. It’s on YOU. It’s on ME. It’s on US. Be informed, express your opinions and uncertainties and get your answers questioned before the vote for SB#4 on Nov. 11.Cristell Perez is a Baker College senior and a director of the Women's Resource Center.

OPINION 11/10/15 3:32pm

We must reframe SB #4 discussion

By Justin Onwenu and Griffin Thomas

In recent days, debate has reached a fever pitch about Senate Bill #4, a bill recommending the creation of a mandatory “Critical Thinking in Sexuality” class to combat sexual assault on Rice’s campus. This debate has grown increasingly personal and centered on process over substance. Recently, many arguments have focused on petty attacks against individuals without substantive discussion of the bill itself. These personal attacks have no place in the arena of public discourse as they cheapen the debate and distract us from the goal of combating sexual assault.

OPINION 11/10/15 3:32pm

LinkedIn is not the place to look for potential dates

 

Looking to broaden your career network? Trying to connect with business partners? Searching for that special someone to take your company to the next level? These are all perfectly reasonable expectations to have on LinkedIn, a social networking site with the mission to “connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful.” Therefore, it should go without saying that LinkedIn is not the place to look for potential dates. Surprisingly, this is not common knowledge, particularly with older men. In fact, a recent article on Inc.com argues that LinkedIn is the “next online dating site” and actually encourages users to seek out dating partners on a website designed to facilitate career networking. While searching for dates on LinkedIn may seem relatively harmless, it can create quite a dilemma for individuals on the receiving end of the solicitation. For example, Charlotte Proudman reported in Independent that many young women, including herself, have recently been receiving sexist messages on LinkedIn from older men asking them out on dates and inappropriately commenting on their profile pictures. Proudman argues that like everyone else on the website, these women were looking to “improve their career prospects,” not to be approached by random strangers. When Proudman called these men out for their sexist remarks on LinkedIn, the men responded with antagonism. They were rudely interfering with these women’s chances for job success by commenting on their appearances and asking them for dates instead of building real career connections that could lead to job success. Furthermore, there could also be an element of danger to this type of interaction. The information people post on LinkedIn is often much more personal and publicly available than information they post on other social media sites, because they want to be easily sought out by companies. In the wrong hands, contact information and personal history on LinkedIn profiles can become more of a liability than a convenient online resume. I used to think behaviors like these were just isolated incidents until I also received a similar message on LinkedIn. I was talking to one of my mentors at a Rice Business School networking event, when a man in his mid-30s approached me and talked to me about the consulting company he worked for. Before leaving, he gave me his card and told me to email him my resume so he could see if I would be a good fit for the company. I was excited about having a possible job opportunity at an interesting firm. Therefore, I was shocked to receive the following message on LinkedIn later that week:“Hey, How’s it going? Congratulations on your job — good on you! I didn’t exchange contact details the other day, so glad I stumbled up on (sic) your LinkedIn. It was fun chatting with you the other night at the RICE event. Do you want to get a drink sometime? Let me know, and I’ll be sure to take your number :). Cheers, ______”After reading his message, I had multiple questions going through my head including: How did he “stumble upon” my profile? Why is he asking me out, when the only thing we talked about was his company and possibly working there? Does he expect me to accept his invitation in order to get a job?In my response, I tried to politely turn the conversation back to my interest in working for the company: “Hi, ______! Thank you for your well wishes! I’m sorry I took so long to email you. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks! I emailed you my resume today, as I am really interested in possibly working in environmental consulting after I graduate this May. Could you please let me know if you received my email? I’d love to meet up for coffee sometime and learn more about the company and how I can bring value to the team. Thank you, Komal.”Not surprisingly, I did not receive a reply. To the men asking women out on LinkedIn, they might view this interaction as a man harmlessly complimenting a woman. However, as an article in The Atlantic put it, “receiving a compliment is one thing, but being put in an awkward position by a powerful person in the same industry is something else entirely. The act of networking is plenty obnoxious enough already even without considering all the gender, age and status dynamics that go into seeking career guidance from another human being.” Hence, this type of behavior creates a dilemma for female job seekers, especially those of us who are just starting to enter the workforce as college graduates. We need support from men in powerful positions in a company in order to secure jobs and start our careers on the right foot. Getting asked out and catcalled on a platform intended to build relationships to further our careers is therefore not only inappropriate but also frustrating.Komal Agarwal is a Mcmurtry College senior.

OPINION 11/10/15 3:31pm

Don’t let voter apathy win

By Charlie Paul

During Orientation Week, I registered to vote twice in the span of two days. A little strange, but let me explain. As soon as I turned 18, I registered to vote in my home state of Connecticut. Sure, I’m not living there for a while, and don’t care too much about my town’s elections, but it was the best option I thought I had. Then the Rice Vote Coalition told me that, with my on-campus Rice address, I could register to vote in Houston’s elections, so I re-registered to vote here. After all, I’m going to live on campus for four years. I care about the elections that decide who’s going to govern it.That’s not to say that I’ve been a perfect voter. Unfortunately there’s no cheat sheet for new voters — I had to figure out where to find the list of races on the ballot, research all of the candidates and figure out who to vote for. That’s quite a challenge for the average student, what with tests and homework taking up time. Most challenging of all, I had to remember all of those names on election day! But I walked into the voting booth on Tuesday with a strong understanding of the elections for mayor and controller, and a solid position on Proposition 1.As you might’ve heard, as it did manage to take the national stage, Proposition 1 — the referendum on the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance — failed by quite a large margin. I’m not here to talk about the benefits it would’ve offered, or what the next step should be — we have Google for that. I’m here to talk about the interesting trend that I noticed amongst Rice students. Rice showed an overwhelming support of Proposition 1, both through the administration’s statements and the many hours spent by volunteers helping to raise awareness on the issue. But despite all the attention that this election received, there were still plenty of eligible voters who had either not registered or simply not voted. I understand that it’s difficult, and not everybody is interested. But voting is important. This certainly was an issue that will deeply affect many Houstonians for some time. There’s almost 12 months left to register for next year’s election. Go, register and make sure to vote!Charlie Paul is a McMurtry college freshman.

OPINION 11/10/15 3:31pm

Campus discourse requires your voice

By Thresher Editorial Board

For a student body that is often self-described as uninformed and apathetic, Rice has proven in recent weeks just how powerful and outspoken our voices can be. In light of the conversations taking place all over campus on Senate Bill #4, which would create a task force to develop a course for new students on critical thinking in sexuality, we call upon more students to join the conversation on these pages. If you feel your voice is not being heard, reach out to us and use the Thresher as a platform to challenge the status quo.  Recently, at Wesleyan University, students voted to cut the newspaper’s budget due in part to the publishing of an op-ed critiquing the Black Lives Matter movement, while at Yale University, hundreds of students protested following a master’s email questioning sensitivity in regards to Halloween costumes. Both events reflect the precarious balance on college campuses between promoting free speech, challenging traditional thought and maintaining empathy towards peers. The incidents at Wesleyan especially exemplify the importance of an undergraduate paper that stimulates ongoing conversation on sensitive topics and of students being able to critically differentiate between news and opinion.  The Thresher believes it is your responsibility to challenge your peers’ ideas, and it is our responsibility to provide you a platform to do so. In line with this belief, although we reserve the right to withhold submissions, we choose to publish any opinion piece that is sent to us. It is not our place to determine the validity of an individual’s opinion. Rather, students must understand the corresponding news behind an opinion piece, and formulate their own opinion after fully examining the nuances and perspectives of the story. Students who remain largely uninformed by choosing to use opinion pieces as their sole source of information do a disservice not only to themselves but to their entire community, especially if they go on to propagate these opinions as fact. That being said, while we do try our best to report unbiased, comprehensive news, we are not infallible. It is easy to miss the quieter voices of a news story and even easier to entirely neglect those that are silent. We work hard to prevent our personal opinions from influencing the news we report, but the topics and perspectives we cover are undoubtedly shaped by the networks and connections we hold. We cannot emphasize enough the importance of you reaching out to us if you feel we are neglecting to include your voice or provide coverage of news that matters to you.  This campus is more than capable of being informed, critically examining issues and engaging in debate, but we cannot allow the conversation to begin and end with SB#4. Together, the Thresher and the student body can ensure that pertinent issues garner the coverage and conversation they deserve. Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece’s author.

OPINION 11/10/15 3:30pm

SB#4 debates snub victims

By Bridget Schilling

The upcoming vote on Senate Bill #4 this Wednesday will determine whether the idea of an evidence-based, primary prevention program against sexual violence will be passed along to the Faculty Senate. I have heard a lot of discussions surrounding the proposal, some offering alternative solutions, others resigned to the perceived inevitability of sexual assault. Very little of the discussion I have heard has considered the potential impact for victims of sexual violence.Yes, Rice has resources available for victims to help cope with sexual violence. We have counselors and Rice Health Advisors. You can go to your college’s adult team for help. However, none of these resources stop sexual assault from happening in the first place, and whenever I hear people questioning whether or not even the idea of a primary prevention program should be passed along to the Faculty Senate, I am deeply unsettled. The proposed curriculum has not even been designed yet, and a portion of our community seems dead set on shutting it down. Even if the program stops only one person from having their life preventably changed, the class will be worth it. Sexual violence is allowed by cultural norms that question the validity of victims’ claims, norms that assume all men want sex, men can’t be victims, consent is implied and that consent does not need to be attained. We have an opportunity to change Rice into a culture that supports victims, allows them to feel safe when making a claim and does not excuse people who maliciously commit acts of sexual violence. I am most concerned with the many people who commit sexual assault without understanding the implications of what they are doing. These are, I believe, the people whom a sexual assault prevention program could target with the greatest impact. I have been sexually assaulted and the psychological tolls are heavy. I am comfortable, though, with the knowledge that, if my assailant had been through a course like the one proposed, or felt they would face any repercussions, it might never have happened.Saying we should make punishment more severe for perpetrators puts impetus on victims to press charges, rather than establishing a community agreement that sexual violence is unacceptable in the first place. Providing resources to cope with sexual assault is great, but it does not stop it from happening in the first place. We should be addressing the primary causes of sexual assault, but so much of the discussion surrounding the bill so far has reflected superficial solutions that would not stop assault from happening in the first place.The Survey of Unwanted Sexual Experiences gave us a glimpse at the huge impact of sexual assault on campus and SB#4 proposes a logical step forward. I have never felt so invalidated as when hearing fellow students say it would inconvenience new students to spend an hour every week considering the impact of sexual violence and learning to critically challenge the norms that allow it. These comments remind me of every time I hear a rape joke go unchallenged and laughed at, and reminds me exactly why I never pressed charges. The responses to SB#4 are exactly why victims of sexual violence don’t feel comfortable coming forward and pressing charges.It is our responsibility to approve SB#4 to ensure nobody’s personal sexual decisions are questioned or violated, and to create a safer environment for everyone. I encourage people to have opinions and concerns surrounding curriculum and logistics, but we should all be able to stand behind the idea and spirit of the class, which is what SB#4 is actually about.Bridget Schilling is a Lovett college junior.

SPORTS 11/10/15 3:27pm

The Fifth Quarter: In college athletics and life, money talks

 

This past year, Missouri has become a hotbed of racial tensions. Amid seemingly countless controversies and racial lines being formed, the state has become the center of a growing national concern. The issue has spread across college campuses across the country, including right here at Rice. It has moved to the forefront of issues in Missouri, and it has become unavoidable. The sports world is no exception.Over the weekend, black players on the University of Missouri football team threatened to boycott playing until university President Tim Wolfe stepped down. Wolfe was accused of avoiding comment or action regarding the racial tensions Missouri has faced recently. Specifically, protesters were upset with how he reacted, or rather didn’t react, to racially charged incidents on campus and his refusal to appropriately acknowledge protests. Eventually, Wolfe and university Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin stepped down amid the controversy.White and black players alike joined in the strike and threatened to end Missouri’s season early. Had Wolfe not stepped down, Missouri would have had to directly pay Brigham Young University, the next opponent on the Tigers’ schedule, $1 million in compensation for canceling the game. That financial loss does not include the revenue the university would have pulled in from television and other sources. The football team’s victory in forcing Wolfe’s resignation showcases an issue with college athletics that goes beyond racial boundaries. These athletes, these unpaid athletes, can bring in huge profits for their universities without ever seeing a dime of their contributions. This issue has been discussed and debated at length, but this particular event has the opportunity to revolutionize how we view college sports. Missouri’s players, whether realizing it or not, unionized to create change. Their unionization had such a tremendous impact on the university that the president had no choice but to listen to the demands of a varsity sports team. Consider the magnitude of the act: College athletes have the power to change their university from the top down.Just how much influence these events will have remains to be seen. If other teams in the future decide to sit out, who knows what demands they could make. The athletes bring in so much revenue that universities have no choice but to listen to them. Football, and to a lesser extent basketball, teams have the potential to hold a great deal of financial power over university administrations. What makes it more impressive is that protesters and social activists have been calling for Wolfe’s resignation since summer. It was only until this much money was involved that real change happened.Naturally, there are limits. These kinds of influences can only really happen at large Power 5 schools where football teams make profits. Only 20 Division 1 athletic departments profited in 2013; 103 schools lost money from athletics. Regardless, a team’s ability to sit out games and force their school to pay fines is a substantial power move that athletes can use to their advantage.I do not believe, however, that strikes and boycotts will become a regular thing. Most athletes want to play and realize they have been given a scholarship to do just that. Missouri, however, saw a perfect storm of geographic, financial and athletic circumstances to encourage the weekend’s events. The football program nets roughly $3 million in revenue each season, adding to its financial power. Additionally, the team is currently sitting at 4-5 with its postseason hopes looking bleak. The issue is not very clear cut, either. According to an anonymous Missouri player, the team’s decision was not unanimous, and only occurred because of the team’s disappointing season.“As much as we want to say everyone is united, half the team and coaches — black and white — are pissed,” the athlete told ESPN’s Brett McMurphy on Nov. 8. “If we were 9-0, this wouldn’t be happening.”The issue speaks to the incredible power college football has over universities and the sports world. It also speaks to the importance of winning in modern athletics. Social change can be instituted by these boycotts, but not at the expense of winning. Too much money is on the line.Once again, college athletics has shown the foothold it has over administrations. While Missouri’s boycott ultimately proved successful, we once again learned an important lesson about college athletics and, indeed, the world: Money talks.Evan Neustater is a McMurtry College junior and Thresher Sports Editor.

SPORTS 11/10/15 3:25pm

Reis Fight: Men’s basketball is poised to compete in Conference USA

 

“Try and get thrown out tonight.”Those were the words Head Coach Mike Rhoades told the student section as he walked by before the exhibition game against LeTourneau on Saturday night. His team will play with that high energy all season long, and he wants us students to match that energy in the stands. For me, the excitement for Saturday’s game started 25 minutes before tipoff. I got to Tudor that early for three reasons. First, I needed to secure my spot in the front row. Second, I couldn’t study anymore because of my excitement for the upcoming game and season. Third, I wanted to watch warm-ups to witness the new student athletes to this program. While watching warm-ups, I witnessed something that I have not really seen from Rice basketball: dunks. And these dunks were not just your boring two-handed flushes, but dunks that one would witness in a dunk contest. Each player added a little extra flavor to his dunk, which was getting the blood flowing among all of the students in the student section. Dunks in warm-ups are exciting, but they don’t really matter because they do not change the score. But this team didn’t save the dunks just for warm-ups — they had dunks that changed the score, specifically one that gave the Owls triple digits. There was under a minute left in the game. Rice already had the win secured, but all the students wanted to see the team reach triple digits. The play started with a block by freshman forward Amir Smith that then led to a fast break the other way by sophomore guard Oliver Xu. Xu missed the layup, but Smith was there to throw down the putback dunk that put Rice over 100 points, causing Tudor Fieldhouse to erupt. When the clock showed three zeros, the party began as the players and Coach Rhoades joined the student body in the stands for the alma mater. They were truly appreciative of the support and wanted to thank us for showing up, cheering and staying till the end. The team this year is ready to shock the world, but to us this should not be a surprise. If you have ever listened to Coach Rhoades, you know he creates excitement and expects nothing but success from his team. If you have ever watched a video of the off-season workouts this team goes through, you know that they are putting in the work to become a championship team. If you have ever attended a game, you know this team is exciting to watch and able to play. This year we don’t have to rely on the 3-point shot to be successful. This year we don’t have to rely on Seth Gearhart scoring over 40 points to be successful. This year we don’t have to count on three players playing more than 35 minutes a game. This year we will see a team with multiple players who can score in multiple different ways. This year we will see a team that will press for all 40 minutes. This year we will see a team that will create buzz around campus as a place you need to be on a Saturday night. What do I believe is possible for this team? An NCAA tournament berth this season. What do I believe is most realistic? A Top Four finish in Conference USA with a spot in the National Invitational Tournament, hosting a postseason game in March in front of a sold-out crowd in Tudor. If you thought last year was exciting, buckle up for this wild ride. In the words of Coach Rhoades, put down your books for two hours and head to Tudor to act like a crazy person having the time of your life. Jeremy Reiskind is a Duncan College junior.

SPORTS 11/10/15 3:24pm

Men’s hoops dominates in exhibition

By Aaron Shi

Scoring their most points since 2011, the Rice University men’s basketball team handily defeated LeTourneau University to cruise to a 102-78 preseason win. Rice had five players score in double figures, with freshman guard Marcus Evans leading the way with a game-high 24 points on nine-of-11 shooting. Evans also notched five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore swingman Egor Koulechov recorded a double-double, with 23 points and 10 boards, and freshman guard Connor Cashaw contributed 17 points. Sophomore guard Bishop Mency and freshman forward Marquez Letcher-Ellis each posted 11 points.LeTourneau was led by sophomore sharpshooter Alex Colhoff, who scored 23 points, which included seven 3-pointers, and pulled down 10 rebounds for a double-double. He was complemented by senior guard CJ Edwards, who had 16 points, and junior guard Jeff Martin, who had 11 points. From a statistical perspective, the Owls played efficiently, scoring 57.4 percent (35 of 61) of their field goals and 40.0 percent (10 of 25) from 3-point territory. The Yellow Jackets shot only 39 percent (28 of 71) from the field but scored a high 51.5 percent (17 of 33) from three. Rice also led LeTourneau in rebounds 45 to 30. According to Rice Head Coach Mike Rhoades, the team enjoyed finally playing a real game.“It was great to get out there and play somebody else, for the coaches as well as the players,” Rhoades said. “When you go as long as we did, from the first of October, you just want to play somebody else. Of course, when the bleachers are pulled out and the stands are full, it’s always fun.”The Owls took the lead early and never trailed throughout the game. Rice began with 13 straight points, holding LeTourneau scoreless until the fifth minute when Colhoff hit a three to give the Yellow Jackets their first points of the game. Rice then pushed to a 21-6 lead, but LeTourneau went for a 6-2 run to close the gap to 23-14. The Owls returned the favor with a 16-2 run for a convincing 39-16 lead and finished the half 53-27.After trading baskets in the first three minutes of the second half, Rice pushed ahead with a 7-0 run and never looked back. Although LeTourneau outscored Rice 51-49 in the second half, Rice led by as many as 32 and finished with a 102-78 victory. Rice now turns to their season opener against No. 14 University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, CA on Friday, Nov. 13 at 10:30 p.m.

SPORTS 11/10/15 3:23pm

Soccer bids farewell to senior class

By Michael Kidd

Many, if not all of us, recognize the famous saying, “All good things must come to an end.” It appears that this also is true for the Rice Owls soccer team who bid farewell to a group of five talented seniors. With a loss in the opening round of the Conference USA tournament this past Wednesday in Miami, FL, the 2015 campaign concluded with a 10-7-2 record. The senior class brought home two C-USA championships during their time at Rice and depart holding numerous team records and individual school records.Entering as the No. 4 seed of the tournament, Rice played the No. 5 seed, Middle Tennessee State University, a team in which they battled to a 0-0 double overtime draw earlier in the season. The game shaped out be very similar to the first in that Rice held the clear advantage in shots with 21-10 but could not find the back of the net. In the 78th minute of the match, Middle Tennessee forward Grace Summers hit the top right corner of the goal from just outside the 18-yard box to give the Blue Riders 1-0 lead. The C-USA defensive player of the season and goalkeeper Kelsey Brouwer proved why she was selected when she registered nine saves on the day. The Owls continued to fight getting off five shots in the final 11 minutes but never found the equalizer. Middle Tennessee was eliminated in the semifinal round of the tournament by the No. 2 seed Marshall University two days later. Regular season champions, the University of North Texas went on to defeat Marshall in the championship game of the tournament on Sunday to take home the 2015 trophy. The season for the Owls was one of ups and downs for the preseason Conference USA favorites. The club was coming off a 14-win season in which Head Coach Nicky Adams was named C-USA Coach of the Year while senior forward Lauren Hughes was awarded Offensive Player of the Year honors. The club also welcomed six freshmen and one transfer who all made impacts in one way or another this season. The Owls soared to a hot start to the season, opening with a 4-1-1 record through their first six games. Over that span, Rice’s only loss came at the hands of No. 5 nationally ranked Texas A&M University. After one stretch in September saw the Owls lose three games out of four, Rice fell to a 5-4-1 record. The month of October was much better for Rice as they rattled off four wins in their next five games to improve the record to 9-5-1. However, Hughes was a consistent piece all season for the Owls, playing up to her preseason expectation earning 2015 Co-Offensive Player of the Year. Hughes led the team and the entire conference with ten assists on the season and also scored ten goals on the season, five of which were game winners. She is just the third player in Rice school history to be tabbed First-Team All-Conference three times in her career. She is ending her career holding school records in goals (39), assists (28) and points (106), among numerous other accolades.Senior forward Holly Hargreaves, a four-year starter for the Owls, set a magnificent record earlier in her career by starting every single game of her Rice career from freshman year through junior year, a streak of 60 matches. Hargreaves is finishing second in school history in goals with 32, trailing only behind Hughes in the record books. She has tallied 5,993 minutes as an Owl and also holds the school record for goals scored in one game, with four goals last season against Louisiana Tech University. Yet another star player for the Owls, senior midfielder Danielle Spriggs, has started 52 of her last 54 games for the Rice Owls from the outside midfielder position. Known for her hard style of play and lengthy runs, Spriggs was crucial throughout her Rice career in setting up Hughes and Hargreaves up top with good looks on goal. Spriggs registered three goals and four assists this season. The Owls squad earned a total of six conference awards for their efforts. Hughes was named First-Team All-Conference for a third straight season. Sophomore midfielder Samantha Chaiken and senior defender Jasmine Isokpunwu earned All-Conference Second Team honors. Hargreaves and junior defender Jenny Fichera both earned All-Conference Third Team honors. Freshman midfielder Dominique Mazero was named to the all-freshman squad. Head Coach Nicky Adams talked about the season in general as well as highlighted some of the greatest moments of the season. “Overall this has been a very positive season,” Adams said. “In 2014 we lost some key players in key positions and I am proud of how some our players stepped up in some new roles. This season started off with a bang being able to host the No. 3 team in the country at the time, Texas A&M. We [also] scored some unbelievable goals this year: a diving header vs. Arkansas by [Walker] and a tying goal vs. FAU with five seconds left on the clock by [Isokpunwu], just to name a few. Adams had many positive things to say about her senior class and will remember them for being such great ambassadors for Rice University. “This senior class will always be extremely special to me [because] this is the first class we recruited when I became the head coach,” Adams said. “All of these players have provided us with some of the most unbelievable moments on the field, but every single one of these young ladies have [also] been an amazing ambassador for Rice University. I am sure we will see a few of these players in the Rice Hall of Fame in the future.”Adams and her coaching staff are already focused towards next season and bringing home a conference title in 2016. “We do have quite a few younger players for 2016, but they all gained such valuable experience this fall,” Adams said. “The coaching staff is extremely excited to work this spring with this team [because] we have some amazing talent. We are looking forward to really pushing them and testing them this upcoming spring season to be the best they can be.” Team captain Danielle Spriggs believes strongly in the rise of the Rice Owls program moving forward long after her graduation.  “I am really excited for the future of this program,” Spriggs said. “I know the program has all the tools that they need to succeed, with great coaches, players and with the facilities coming along. I see conference championships becoming an annual thing for this program and [deep] NCAA runs [to match].”

SPORTS 11/10/15 3:23pm

National Player of the Week finds new home at Rice

By Andrew Grottkau

According to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, there was no better volleyball player in the country last week than Rice sophomore setter Madison McDaniel. McDaniel was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week for her performances in wins over conference rivals No. 22 Western Kentucky University and the University of Southern Mississippi last week. In the two wins, she posted a combined 109 assists and 27 digs in eight total sets. Although McDaniel thought she played well this week, she said she was surprised by the award.“I was so excited,” McDaniel said. “I actually didn’t really know until I got tagged in a Twitter post then got a call from my old club coach, and he told me how huge of a deal it was.”The award was a culmination of a long journey — a journey that led her less than an hour’s drive from her home. McDaniel hails from The Woodlands, TX, just under 40 miles from Rice. According to McDaniel, her father first pushed her to play volleyball, but her older sister Morgan first inspired her to commit to the sport. “[My sister] was trying out and of course I wanted to be like her,” McDaniel said. “So when I was in fourth grade I started playing on my first club team.”McDaniel continued playing on club and school teams while honing her skills throughout middle school and high school in The Woodlands. According to McDaniel, it was easy for her to fall in love with volleyball. “My favorite part about volleyball is that there is constant action on the court,” McDaniel said. “You see the ball and you instantly react, and you’re always needed for something.”While attending high school, McDaniel was honored as an AVCA Phenom in 2012 and was named to the high school All-Texas Second Team in 2013 and 2014. After high school, McDaniel chose to attend Arizona State University. She appeared in 25 sets as a freshman, accumulating 23 kills, 14 kills and 12 blocks. After her freshman year, however, she chose to transfer to Rice, a decision she said was easy after meeting with the team. “Of course when I visited I fell in love with the coaches and the players,” McDaniel said. “I have never played with a group of girls who are so nice and supportive of one another.”Since coming to Rice, McDaniel has accumulated 49 kills, 892 assists, 266 digs and 44 blocks. She has been named Conference USA setter of the week five times. While McDaniel is honored to receive the individual award, she remains focused on team-oriented goals. Currently, the Owls are 19-9 with a 9-5 record in Conference USA. They have two games remaining before the conference tournament begins on Nov. 20 in San Antonio. According to McDaniel, the team is hoping for much more success. “We have so much talent in all areas of the court and we are always composed in tough situations,” McDaniel said. “I really think this will help push us to hopefully finish out the season by winning the conference championship.”The Owls’ next game is Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in Tudor Fieldhouse against the University of Texas, El Paso. Rice volleyball will be celebrating Senior Night to honor graduating seniors Kyley Reed, Kimberly Vaio and Noelle Whitlock. The Owls will then have one final road match against the University of Alabama, Birmingham to conclude the regular season. 

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