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SPORTS 2/11/15 7:12am

The arm: Blake Fox

By Aniket Tolpadi

Rice University baseball’s 2014 NCAA Regional matchup against the University of Texas had just concluded the bottom of the seventh inning. The Owls, holding a 2-1 lead over their rivals at Reckling Park, received a standing ovation from their supporters. Thanks to timely hitting and a dominant start from sophomore left-handed pitcher Blake Fox, Rice was six outs from a crucial victory over their in-state rivals. Fox said the moment was surreal; he described it as the single coolest moment of his career thus far. “It gave me the chills,” Fox said.Though the Owls were unable to win the game, the strong performance they received from Fox was nothing out of the ordinary. As a freshman, Fox finished with a 6-0 record while coming primarily out of the bullpen. As a sophomore, he compiled a 12-0 record with a 1.46 earned run average. His success on the field has earned him a number of accolades. Following his sophomore season, Fox was named a first team All-American by the National College Baseball Writers Association, first team All-Conference USA and Rice Male Athlete of the Year, among several others.Fox made the transition from reliever to starter between his freshman and sophomore years. Typically, such a transition requires considerable strength training to build stamina, as well as an expansion of the pitcher’s repertoire. According to Fox, strength training was a big part of the offseason and the addition of a slider to his repertoire over the summer of his freshman year as necessary for the progression to start.“It’s about having your goals in mind during the season [and] offseason and having the discipline and focus to achieve them,” Fox said.Head Coach Wayne Graham said Fox is a well-rounded pitcher and the ideal Rice player.“We’re always looking for good, reliable players, and that’s exactly what Blake is,” Graham said. “He’s very disciplined on the mound.”According to Fox, the coaches have had a significant impact on his success on the mound.“[The coaches] coach the mental side of the game very well,” Fox said. “They’re really aware of different situations, and that helps us perform better as players.” Through his development, Fox has developed a unique pitching style that has allowed him to enjoy so much success in a short amount of time. His greatest strength, perhaps, is his confidence in each of his four pitches: fastball, curveball, slider and changeup. While most pitchers have one “out pitch” that they will call upon in pressure situations, this is not the case with Fox. According to Fox, he has the confidence in his pitches. Further accentuating this point is the fact Fox pitches to his strengths. While he is aware of the strengths and weaknesses of hitters on the mound, Fox still prefers pitching to his strength rather than a hitter’s weakness in a given situation. Additionally, Fox describes himself as a strike thrower who prefers to go for a direct strikeout, rather than trying to get the hitter to chase.“I throw strikes,” Fox said. “If someone in our infield makes a play or if I strike a guy out, I don’t really care as long as the guy’s out. But if I walk someone, then nobody gets to make a play, and that hurts us.” The ability to throw strikes, as Fox said, is particularly important given an NCAA rule change regarding the baseballs that will be used during games. While balls that were used last year are described as “high-seam” balls, the ones that will be used this year “low-seam.”This upcoming season, Fox will serve the role of “weekend starter” for the Owls. Doing so gives him six days of rest between starts, all of which are necessary to recover from the soreness that results from consistently pitching deep into games. According to Fox, the rest is a critical aspect of being able to pitch at a consistently high level throughout the season.“There definitely is some soreness the day after you pitch, so you spend a lot of the week recovering from that,” Fox said.As for what constitutes this recovery, Fox mentioned long toss, bullpen sessions and running, all of which he uses in addition to typical resting protocols to stay sharp between starts. While six days is longer than most professional pitchers have to recover from starts (typically four days at the Major League level), the pitcher’s responsibility of staying sharp places additional emphasis on the fitness and conditioning training that is typically done during the offseason.As for Fox and the Owls, the goal this year is the same as it always is: win the Conference USA title en route to winning the College World Series in Omaha. The 19-time reigning Conference USA champions begin their season Feb. 13 against Texas in Reckling Park.

SPORTS 2/11/15 7:12am

The bat: John Clay Reeves

By Juan Saldaña

John Clay Reeves has finally found a baseball home at Rice University. Coming from Monroe, Louisiana, the Owls’ starting catcher played his first two seasons at the University of Arkansas and Navarro College, respectively, but has finally established himself at Reckling Park.  Last season, his first season as an Owl, was Reeves’s breakthrough year in which he recorded a .317 batting average led the Owls to another conference championship and earned him a collection of individual accolades. He was named the Conference USA Newcomer of the Year in addition to being a second team All-Conference USA honoree.  Reeves played his freshman year at the University of Arkansas, where he helped the Razorbacks reach the College World Series as a true freshman. However, due to a crowded depth chart at catcher, he transferred to Navarro College after the season. According to Reeves, he enjoyed his time at Arkansas but felt he could achieve greater accomplishments at other programs. “Arkansas was a great experience for me my freshman year,” Reeves, a McMurtry College senior, said. “I had some great times and got to learn from a great catching coach, but I was splitting time and it was best for me to move on.” At Navarro, Reeves led his team to the Junior College World Series while posting a .367 batting average. After completing his junior college year, he landed at Rice. Reeves said ending up at Rice was a dream come true. “Not many people want to pass up the opportunity to come to Rice and play for a great coach in Wayne Graham,” Reeves said. “I thank God every day that he gave me the opportunity to be on a team like this.”  After sustaining a hip injury last season, he had surgery on June 26 to begin his rehabilitation. He missed fall baseball practice as part of his five-month recovery process. Reeves said he has been aggressively training to get back into top-tier baseball form since mid-November. “I have been hitting it real hard,” Reeves said. “I have been catching and hitting as much as I can to get ready for the season and handle all these great pitchers that we have. I want to put up some of the same numbers I put up last year and maybe improve since I am healthier this year.” Reeves is focusing on fixing the last season’s mistakes. Despite his all-conference-caliber numbers from last year, he believes there is plenty of room for improvement,  for both himself and the team. Primarily, Reeves said the team needs to do a better job taking each game with the same intensity.  “I want to have a good season, not only for myself but for my teammates,” Reeves said. “We want to take each game one at a time and win the series every weekend.” Head Coach Wayne Graham is also looking forward to another impressive season from Reeves, whom he named Most Valuable Player of the team last year. According to Graham, Reeves has a chance to improve his performance from last season due to his improved health. “He played hurt [last season] and he played well and called a great game,” Graham said. “He has a chance to have a great year. He is just a fine and intelligent player.” In addition to his hitting prowess, with his six home runs and 41 RBIs in 2014, much of Reeves’s contribution to the Owls comes from his job as a game-managing catcher. Reeves said he works closely with the Owls’ top-tier pitching staff and is entrusted by Coach Graham to call the pitches in games. “As a catcher, I want to be able to lead our pitching staff and help call pitches,” Reeves said. “I can’t say enough about this pitching staff. We have so many good pitchers on this team.” This year, Reeves will have some defensive help with junior Hunter Kopycinski ready to take on some of the load at the catcher position. According to Reeves, Kopycinski has shown promise and will be able to fill in for him, if needed. “Toward the end [of last season], I got a little tired,” Reeves said. “This year we have Hunter Kopycinski to share some of the games at catcher. He’s been playing great and had a great fall.” With Kopycinski ready to share the load, Graham said Reeves and Kopycinksi would be splitting games defensively at catcher. When not catching, Reeves will be the team’s designated hitter, replacing the pitcher in the batting lineup. “Reeves will always bat in the lineup,” said Graham. “Kopycinski is hitting better but will not always be in the lineup.” Reeves’s goal is to return to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since his freshman year at Arkansas, and he said he believes this team has the ability to achieve their objective. “I think this is a great team and a great group of guys,” Reeves said. “This is a team that does have potential to go to Omaha.” Reeves, who is entering his final year of eligibility, said he is looking to play professionally after this year. He said his goal is to continue to play baseball and someday continue working in the field as a coach. “I want to try to play baseball as long as I can like every guy in that locker room,” Reeves said. “Eventually coaching is something that I think I have a lot of passion for. These coaches here have done nothing but great things for me.” Reeves, a sports management major, said he is also thankful for the academic value that his Rice experience has given him. He has been working hard in the classroom to make up for the 30 hours he lost when he transferred. Named to the C-USA All-Academic Team last year, Reeves will walk at graduation, but will be six credits short of a diploma. “Rice does a lot of great things for you other than athletics,” Reeves said. “It is a great school for academics, which is another reason I came here. It has given me the opportunity to have some great internships through our sports management program.” Reeves looks to stay healthy and be on the lineup card for the entire season as he enters his final year as a college athlete, having found a place in which he could excel. “There is no better place to me than Rice,” Reeves said. “It really has been a blessing to have the opportunity to play here and I could not be more thankful.”

SPORTS 2/11/15 7:10am

Perfect Pitch: Baseball goes for 20th straight title

By Michael Kidd

Coming off their 19th consecutive conference championship and 40-win season, Rice will compete to earn their 20th straight trip to the postseason and advance to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska. Rice, selected by Conference USA coaches as the unanimous favorite to once again win conference, has not been to Omaha since their three-year run ended in 2008.The 2015 Owls completed a 42-20 season last year (23-7 in Conference USA play) and earned both the regular season and C-USA tournament championships in 2014. With preseason rankings of no. 13 on d1baseball.com and no. 15 on Baseball America, many believe the Owls will be able to continue their conference streak.This season, Rice returns a slew of high-profile pitchers, including junior all-conference pitchers Blake Fox and Matt Ditman. Last season, Rice ranked second in C-USA with a 2.56 team ERA, compared with the conference’s average of 3.41. Rice looks to build upon those pitching statistics and allow the pitching staff to lead the team deep into the postseason. Starting Pitchers Fortunately for the Owls, the Rice Owls pitching staff is returning nearly all of their 2014 rotation and is expected to be one of the top programs in the country. Last season, right-handed pitcher Zech Lemond was drafted in the third round of the MLB draft by the San Diego Padres. With the exception of Lemond, a multitude of pitchers have returned to the roster.Now in his 10th season with Rice, Pitching Coach Pat Hallmark said the team’s pitching staff will help the team win a lot of games.“We got a lot of guys back from last year, which means we expect to add to last season’s success,” Hallmark said. “They [all] have good stuff, [and] the biggest thing with our guys is to always throw strikes. If we get a lot of strikes from our pitchers, we feel very confident that they will have good games.” Hallmark said he knows two of his most reliable and experienced pitchers, juniors Kevin McCanna and Blake Fox, will be on the mound for the opening series against Texas.“We think Kevin and Blake will certainly be in there somewhere over the weekend,” Hallmark said. “The other two we are not sure about but we do know they will be very capable and compete at a high level.” 6-foot-4, 225-pound sophomore pitcher Jon Duplantier looks to have solidified a spot in the weekend rotation, having had a successful summer playing in the California Collegiate League. With a fastball capable of hitting 95 on the radar guns and a power slider, he was named the top prospect of the CCL and will be heavily relied on this season.Additionally, right-hander McCanna, who spent much of last year as the Friday night starter, is back and has shown command in intrasquad games thus far. He went 8-3 on the mound last year and was second on the team in both wins and innings, pitching behind only fellow teammate and All-American Blake Fox. Fox is coming off a season in which we went 12-0 (9-0 against Conference USA opponents) and was a finalist for the College Baseball Hall of Fame National Pitcher of the Year. This year, Fox was named the preseason favorite for Pitcher of the Year in C-USA.  Closer Junior reliever Matt Ditman was the surprise story of 2014. Ditman emerged as a dominant pitcher for the Owls last season. The former bullpen catcher appeared in 26 games for Rice and had nine saves on the year. His 1.83 earned run average and opponent hitters’ batting average of .198 on the season earned him preseason All-Conference honors this year. He is the only relief pitcher to have made the list. Ditman discussed being recognized by the conference for his achievements, and said he believes the important accolades come when the preseason honors can become postseason. “I am honored and happy to have gotten [recognized],” Ditman said. “But at the same time, I’d rather see postseason all-conference as opposed to preseason. I really want to focus on receiving postseason accolades for the sake of my teammates.” When Ditman looks at his fellow pitchers, he sees experienced guys who have tasted success. According to Ditman, he feels the Owls have the potential for another strong season. “When you look at our pitching staff, it’s a lot of guys who have already displayed success and have the capability to succeed at this level,” Ditman said. “We have a lot of potential to do something really special as a pitching staff.” Other notable pitchers for the Owls include juniors Ryan McCarthy and Austin Orewiler, who are midweek starter candidates. Additionally, junior Jordan Stephens is set to return from Tommy John surgery this season. In 2013, he led the Owls in innings pitched with 118.2 and recorded 100 strikeouts. Notable freshman standouts this year have been Ricky Salinas and Glenn Otto, who have the potential to see significant action.  Hitters On the opposite side of the ball, the Owls have many gaps to fill, having lost five of their nine offensive starters last season. Seniors Keenan Cook (RF), Michael Aquino (LF), Shane Hoelscher (3B), Chase McDowell (DH/RHP) and junior Skyler Ewing (1B) were either lost to graduation or drafted by MLB teams. Hitting Coach Clay Van Hook, in his fourth year as the Owls’ coach, talked about the highly restructured lineup for 2015. According to Van Hook, replacing the departed players will not be easy, but he believes the team has the talent to continue its winning tradition.“You know it’s always tough to replace four out of your top five hitters, not just from [the] hitting standpoint, but from the leadership that a lot of those guys had,” Van Hook said. “We feel we brought in a very athletic group of kids that we know will have a good future here at Rice.” Ahead of facing no. 10 ranked Texas, Van Hook said he needs his hitters to remain calm and realize that, in the game of baseball, composure in all situations is a must. “In terms of preparing the guys for Texas, it’s opening weekend and the juices are going to be flowing, [and] the adrenaline is going to be there,” Van Hook said. “The biggest thing for the young guys is to keep [their] composure and stay in the moment. I think the guys are prepared and [have done] a good job hitting in practice and intra-squads, so hopefully they are ready.”  Infield Returning for the Owls is the sure-handed duo of middle infielders, junior shortstop Leon Byrd and senior second baseman Ford Stainback. Both are effective runners and excellent hitters capable of hitting the ball to all areas of the field. Rounding out the infield is junior Connor Teykl at first base and junior college transfer Grayson Lewis at third base. In his first year with the Owls, Lewis said he is excited about being part of a team he claims is the most talented he’s ever been on.“It’s all been very exciting and really different from junior college [playing for Rice],” Lewis said. “This is the most talented team I’ve ever been on and is an honor to be a part of it. They continue to amaze me with all their talent on the field … [and] I feel lucky to be on a club that has such great team chemistry.” Outfield The outfield for the Owls has considerable depth, thanks in part to the addition of talented freshmen. Returning from last year’s squad is Charlie Warren, who is expected to transition to right field after spending most of his time last season at center field. The other two outfield positions are undecided as of yet as multiple Owls ranging from freshmen Ryan Chandler and Tristan Gray to seniors John Williamson and Kirby Taylor have each received significant reps at left and center field. Sophomore outfielder Dayne Wunderlich has also emerged as a hard-hitting sophomore with athleticism and speed who may prove to be a real weapon for the Owls.  Chandler projects to see significant playing time for the Owls. Entering his first season for Rice, he said he has learned much about the game at the collegiate level. “It’s a lot different [from] high school because the competition is much better,” Chandler said. “When you consider that everybody here was the best player on their high school team, you must turn it up a notch. You have to grind and give it your best every single day.”According to Chandler, the constant message he receives from his coaching staff and fellow teammates is to always remain confident at the plate.“The thing they have preached to us is being confident every time you are out there,” Chandler said. “It has really changed me personally as a hitter. Trusting them and trusting my teammates to help me and hold me accountable for what I’m supposed to do on the field has been key.”  Catchers Senior John Clay Reeves and junior Hunter Kopycinski will share the duty behind the plate this season. Reeves is arguably the best hitter on the roster with a 2014 batting average of .317 and was named the Preseason Conference USA Player of the Year. Entering his senior season, Reeves will be a threat on both sides of the ball, especially when it comes to two of the most important aspects of the game: Calling pitches for the pitching staff and power hitting. Kopycinski is a defensive-minded catcher capable of catching multiple innings. Coaches agree he has shown improvement this offseason and Kopycinski has made a case to be inserted in the lineup on a more consistent basis this season.  Outlook The Rice schedule includes notable non-conference games against many notable non-conference opponents. A few of these top-tier teams include Texas, Stanford University, Texas Christian University, the University of Arizona, the University of Houston and Sam Houston State University. Head Coach Wayne Graham, who earned his 1,000th Rice victory last season, said he enjoys playing these elite teams because it tests where Rice stands on a national scale. “You find out by playing good teams where you are and where you’ve got to go,” Graham said. “We think we can compete with [these top teams], and aside from these games being developmental it gives you a good power rating for later.” Entering his 24th year as head coach, Graham said he realizes the Owls streak of 19 straight conference championships and 20 straight NCAA tournament appearances is remarkable, but is not the ultimate goal of the season.“We always want to keep the string going because obviously it’s hard to get a streak like that going,” Graham said. “But we’d rather get to Omaha and win the national championship.” The 2015 season is set to begin this upcoming Friday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m, when the Owls take on the University of Texas, Austin at Reckling Park.The last time the two teams played was the 2014 NCAA regional matchup where the Longhorns defeated Rice 3-2 in 11 innings and gave Rice their first of two losses in the regional tournament.

SPORTS 2/11/15 7:08am

Women's tennis falls to Texas Tech

By Romil Patel

The Rice University women’s tennis team faced off against Texas Tech University this weekend, falling 4-1. Senior Natalie Beazant, ranked no. 24 nationally, continued her unbeaten career against the Red Raiders. Beazant improved to 9-0 lifetime against Texas Tech. She beat the Red Raiders’ Kenna Kilgo 6-0, 6-3, but her victory wasn’t enough against a Texas Tech team that won the last three matches on courts three, four and five.Junior Solomiya Zinko, senior Stephanie Nguyen and sophomore Katherine Ip went into their matches tied 1-1 but came up a just bit short. Zinko fell 7-5, 4-1, Nguyen lost 6-4,6-4, and Ip lost 7-6, 2-1. Additionally, the team lost both doubles points 6-4 and 6-3.According to Head Coach Elizabeth Schmidt, the loss hurts but will provide the team with insights into how they can improve.“I thought we put ourselves in [a] good position to win it but [we] just didn't keep our energy and aggression up enough to seal the deal,” Schmidt said. "While we are frustrated with this result, I am encouraged and confident that our team is walking out of Lubbock with a clear picture of what we need to do to continue to improve and grow."The Owls will try to bounce back against no. 6 ranked Baylor University on Friday, Feb. 13, and the University of Louisiana, Lafayette on Sunday, Feb. 15. 

SPORTS 2/11/15 7:07am

NCAA to rethink marijuana policy

By Maddy Adams and Evan Neustater

On the heels of two University of Oregon players’ suspension from the college football National Championship game after testing positive for marijuana use, the NCAA announced that it will be reexamining its drug policy.According to the NCAA website, the association's Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports recommended extensive changes to the NCAA's drug testing policies, particularly with regards to testing for marijuana.According to the NCAA, the recommendations were to "First, strengthen the NCAA drug testing program for performance-enhancing substances; second, development of a shared model of deterrence for recreational drug use (e.g., marijuana, alcohol and opiates) with a focus on educational programs instead of a traditional testing model" and "the responsibility for deterrence will be shared between the NCAA and member schools."It remains unclear whether any policy changes will have an immediate impact at Rice. As of last semester, student athletes cannot be randomly tested for marijuana. Some, however, are skeptical of the decision. Mike Rhoades, head coach of Rice men’s basketball, said he still condemns drug use, regardless of what the NCAA decides. According to Rhoades, any change to NCAA policy would not impact his expectations of his players.“We’re in a position right now [where] our guys know what’s right and wrong, what is becoming of a Rice basketball player,” Rhoades said. “The NCAA can look at anything it wants, but we will always abide by the rules: The rules of the school, the rules of the NCAA.”According to Athletic Director Joe Karlgaard, Rice takes a hard stance against both recreational and performance-enhancing drug use.“Our approach is that both types of drugs are unhealthy for our students and may also lead to negative consequences for our programs,” Karlgaard said.According to a Rice student athlete, who preferred to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of this topic, the policy will only encourage drug use and will ultimately reflect poorly on the student and the university.“I really think it’s bad; I don’t think drugs should have any part in Division I sports,” the athlete said. “Athletes receive scholarships to represent their school and should show a certain respect to the people paying for their education and to the sport itself.”The NCAA said it is considering changes because the current drug policy has, in their opinion, failed to deter recreational drug use. Student athlete drug surveys conducted by the NCAA have indicated that alcohol use has dipped only slightly, marijuana use has remained consistent and opiate use has increased. Furthermore, players who lose eligibility due to drug use are more likely to drop out, according to the NCAA’s study. The results have prompted the association to focus on recreational drug education rather than punishment.Some pro-marijuana legalization advocacy groups, however, have expressed their approval of the NCAA’s decision. Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, said the NCAA should not penalize athletes for marijuana use as it does not provide a competitive advantage, nor does it harm other non-users.“Punishing athletes for marijuana use has nothing to do with fairness or safety in competitive sports and everything to do with inappropriate extensions of the drug war into American life,” Nadelmann said. “It's great to see the NCAA join with other sports associations in revising this hypocritical and harmful policy.”According to Karlgaard, Rice Athletics will accept any future changes to the NCAA drug policy. “We will embrace any additional resources provided by the NCAA to educate our students on the consequences of drug use,” Karlgaard said. “I think it’s terrific that the NCAA is looking for better ways to educate students about drug use.”The NCAA will announce any changes by the end of 2015.

SPORTS 2/11/15 7:06am

Football inks 18 on National Signing Day

By Evan Neustater

Each year, the first Wednesday in February is celebrated nationwide as the first day high school athletes can accept an athletic scholarship from a university. The day has become something of a spectacle in recent years, with recruiting websites and large networks such as ESPN joining in on its coverage.This year, Rice football signed 18 players to football scholarships beginning in the 2015-16 academic year. The class includes four defensive linemen, three offensive linemen, three cornerbacks, two safeties, two quarterbacks, two running backs, one tight end and one kicker.Additionally, 16 of the 18 seniors come from within the state of Texas. Three of the sixteen Texans hail from the Houston metropolitan area. Head Football Coach David Bailiff said Signing Day was the culmination of nearly a year’s work of recruiting and establishing relationships with the players. 16 of the 18 players who signed either went to Rice’s Junior Day workouts or attended Rice’s annual summer football camp.“It has been a fabulous day for Rice, but today has been a process where this really started back in March on Junior Day,” Bailiff said. “We’ve been developing relationships with a lot of these young men for quite some time and that really makes it special.”J.T. Granato, a local quarterback prospect from the Kinkaid School, has already garnered high expectations from the coaching staff. According to Bailiff, Granato, who threw for over 9,000 yards in his career, may be the future starting quarterback for the Owls due to his athletic and leadership abilities.“Not only is [Granato] a great quarterback, he’s a great leader,” Bailiff said. “We just think our future is bright at that position.”Bailiff and his staff added two more skill position players in Emanuel Esukpa and Nahshon Ellerby. This past season, Ellerbe had over 2,000 yards rushing and 700 receiving yards. Bailiff said Esukpa, who scored five touchdowns in a game this past season, reminds him of former Rice running back, Charles Ross, who led Conference USA in rushing in 2013.“He’s a powerful running back,” Bailiff said. “When you see him run ... he’s powerful, he’s explosive, but he’s still got the speed and agility to outrun you.”Defensively, Rice signed five defensive backs and four defensive linemen. According to Bailiff, the new defensive line recruits may be the best defensive recruits in the program’s history.“We have four of the best future defensive linemen we’ve ever signed here going into my ninth year,” Bailiff said. “The first young man, Zach Abercrumbia, had a lot of offers; he’s very disruptive and incredibly powerful with his hands. Blaine Plaggent is a kid when you watch his film you see how much he loves football. Carl Thompson is another guy like Zach Abercrumbia. We really think these three young men could play early for us if we needed. Carl is very explosive; he can play from sideline to sideline.”One of the players from outside of Texas, kicker Jack Fox, hails from Missouri and received high praise from Bailiff. Fox, the no. 28 kicker in the country according to ESPN, also played quarterback in high school but was recruited as a two-position player as a kicker and punter. Fox broke the Missouri high school record for field goals in a season this past year with 17. According to Bailiff, Fox’s athletic ability and leg strength made him an exciting signee.“He’s got an unbelievable leg when he punts,” Bailiff said. “We really liked the fact that he was also a quarterback, so he’s very athletic. He threw for 1,900 yards this year but we’re just going to ask him to get his foot to go to work for us.”According to Bailiff, Rice only wants student athletes who have a commitment to excellence both on and off the field.“We want young men who are serious about winning and serious about graduating,” Bailiff said. “We tell them all, ‘In five years we expect you to be a boss, and in ten years we expect you to pay your scholarship back to Rice and in 30 to 40 years we expect you to name a building after yourself.’ We have high expectations here, and I think we’re looking at a Conference USA championship-caliber class.”According to ESPN, 13 of the 18 signees are ranked as three-star prospects. However, not a single player on either Super Bowl team this year, the New England Patriots nor the Seattle Seahawks, was ranked as a five-star prospect out of high school. Bailiff said he believes in this class and believes they will help the team continue its winning ways. “It was a fabulous year,” Bailiff said. “We’re just excited for what these young men have stood for in their community, what they’ve stood for academically and athletically. They’re great fits and the future is bright.”

NEWS 2/11/15 4:08am

Brewed the hard way: Budweiser's beef with craft beer

By Walden Pemantle, Thresher Staff

Among ads of cute puppies, human Pac-Man games and stampeding Clydesdales, Budweiser aired a new commercial during the Super Bowl proudly titled “Brewed the Hard Way.” The ad heralds Budweiser as “proudly a macro beer … not to be fussed over.” Bud drinkers are juxtaposed with glasses-wearing mustachioed men, who represent Budweiser’s take on microbrewed beer’s finicky hipster crowd. The ad continues by stating that Bud is “brewed for drinking, not dissecting,” and shows yet more hipsters before finally proclaiming, “Let them drink their pumpkin peach ale, we’ll be brewing us some golden suds.”The ad is a direct smear on microbrewing and craft beer’s surging popularity, and it doesn’t come from a struggling brewer desperate for sales, but from the producer of America’s most popular light and regular beer. So why pick on the little guys? It doesn’t take an analyst to see how the craft beer revolution has transformed our country’s markets. Just like California put American wine on the map, microbrews have completely changed the perception of American beer. Once loathed for its cold fermentation and use of corn to add alcohol content without flavor, American beers are now every bit as lauded as the historic beers from Germany, Holland and Belgium, and not without reason. American brewers have pioneered the malting and fermenting techniques that created some of the world’s toastiest porters, creamiest milk stouts and most aromatic pale ales. Other beer giants like Samuel Adams have used the craft beer trend to their advantage. A 2014 commercial for their beer asks people off the street how many styles of beer Sam Adams brews in a year. The people in the ad, one of whom is also a mustachioed, glasses-wearing hipster, reliably named four or five beers before exhibiting shock at the 60 different brews that Sam Adams makes in a year. It’s a commercial that celebrates the ability of serious American brewers and the diversity of their beers. It sends a message that Sam Adams supports them, even if its main source profit is its “macro” Boston lager. Instead, Budweiser offers its viewers a message that there can be only one way of making good beer, and if they don’t agree, they must be pretentious. Perhaps the oddest factor in Budweiser’s choice to run a $9 million Super Bowl ad slamming craft beer is that, in many ways, Budweiser also supports craft beers and microbrews. Anheuser-Bush, the owner of Budweiser and all its breweries, also owns 10 different small craft beer breweries. Widmer Brothers, which merged with Redhook Brewing as part of the Budweiser-owned Craft Beer Alliance in 2012, has released over 65 types of beer, most of which are limited-release microbrews. Elysian Brewing Company, acquired by Budweiser in January 2015, ironically makes a pecan peach pumpkin ale of the exact sort that Budweiser’s ad claims is fundamentally incompatible with the type of people who like Budweiser.So Budweiser: Why the posturing? As a company that already has the largest share of its U.S. market and is managing to profit off the craft beer boom anyway, isn’t slamming the hard work and popularity of talented microbrewers kind of biting the hand that feeds? Budweiser has always run ads that play to its strengths as a straightforward everyman’s beer. But stabs like “[Budweiser] is brewed for drinking, not dissecting. The people who drink our beer are people who like to drink beer brewed the hard way” don’t seem to sell anything. They make Budweiser seem tasteless, people who care about taste snobbish and beers that aim for a more complex flavor tedious. It’s fine if Budweiser doesn’t want to invest in brewing lines of more flavorful complex beers like Sam Adams, but it could at least leave those who do care about improving taste well enough alone.

OPINION 2/10/15 6:00pm

I will show you the SA's power

By Jazz Silva

It is a very frustrating time to run for a position in the Student Association. For the past few weeks, I have been walking around campus trying to convince people that I’m capable of running the most powerful student organization on campus. From Facebook spam to “Get Jazzy On It” t-shirts, I’ve been trying to market myself and my campaign. But at the end of the day, I know most Rice students don’t give a damn about a cute flyer. You want to make sure that the 50K you pay a year goes toward a university worth your money. For those students still choosing who to give their vote to, I write this to assure you that I would not run for SA president if I did not wholeheartedly know that I am the most qualified candidate.I am not running on future promises or hopes. I am only running on the platform that I have been holding myself to for this past year. You see something that needs to be fixed and you get that thing done. You don’t wait until someone else makes it a priority.  Parking has been a problem on campus for longer than I’ve been in attendance. So why haven’t we seen any changes until this year? It’s because this year the SA made it a priority. When you elect competent leaders, they do what it takes to command our community. I am not going to mindlessly criticize the SA. No one who’s ever been in the SA would argue that the we don’t have the power, influence, structure or resources to function. What needs to change is the fact that the rest of the student body believes that isn’t true. Roughly six people this week asked me what the SA even does. That’s not acceptable, and it is entirely the fault of the SA. It is not the job of a busy Rice student to find the campus-wide SA meetings, learn about the legislation on the agenda and then show up. The SA should go to the colleges, which is something they used to do. This is not just another election; you are choosing who will set the agenda for an entire year of legislation. When you cast your vote, you are actually choosing the problems that are going to get addressed. I am that person who will stand up for you, and I sincerely hope you trust me with your vote.

OPINION 2/10/15 6:00pm

Botched election timeline ensures uninformed votes

By Thresher Editorial Board

The Student Association presidential debate, initially scheduled for Monday, is instead being held today, Wednesday, Feb. 11 in the Kyle Morrow room in Fondren Library at 8 p.m. in place of the SA senate meeting. The SA initially planned to host the SA presidential debate on Monday, before elections began. However, according to SA President Ravi Sheth, the debate was moved to Wednesday to increase the event’s turnout.  Additionally, the SA did not release official information for all general election candidates until Monday, less than 24 hours before the ballot opened. Director of Elections Austin Cao said the registrar’s new requirement that all candidates must release information indicating good academic standing forced the SA to delay releasing candidate information. While the Thresher understands exigent circumstances forced the SA to make changes to the elections timeline, these changes have negatively impacted the student body’s knowledge of the candidates and issues. By creating such a large window of time between the start of elections and the debate, framed in an already short voting period, the SA effectively ensures uninformed voting.  Moreover, the idea that delaying the debate will increase turnout to the event is flawed. Sheth’s decision to hold the debate during the scheduled Senate meeting time because those who would typically attend the former will be available for the latter only guarantees that Senate members will be present. Considering Senate members are typically at the forefront of Rice leadership, it is reasonable to expect these individuals to make time to attend the debate regardless of its scheduling. The debate should be scheduled at a time that is most convenient for the entire student body as opposed to a time that appeals to a niche group already engaged in student government. Consistently low voter turnout plagues the SA general elections. Increasing turnout is a responsibility that currently falls upon candidates themselves; however, candidates have their own interests in mind, and although they may contribute towards increasing turnout, they are more focused on becoming elected than sustaining a positive culture surrounding voting. We have long treated low turnout as an inherent problem without a solution, but the truth is that the SA has not yet attempted a solution.  Evidently, elections deserve greater attention from SA leadership. For the sake of its own future, the SA must expand the role of the elections committee to include ensuring a smooth elections timeline and instilling students with a strong sense of civic duty. 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 2/10/15 6:00pm

Let’s improve the Rice experience

By Aishwarya Thakur

My three-point platform of advancing our experiences inside and outside the classroom, and looking ahead beyond Rice is rooted to what I see as the Rice experience. There’s a reason we consistently report being some of the happiest college students around, so there must be something here worth upholding. Whether that includes your appreciation for our self-governing 11 residential colleges, small class sizes, or available career-advancing opportunities, let’s work to maintain them — but also to advance them. Let’s find a way to view the SA not as a 12th college, but an extension of each of the colleges — a part of the student body that connects us all. Let’s fight back against the growing student population and urge administration and faculty to keep our class sizes small and education at its best. Let’s demand for more externship, internship, research and shadowing opportunities; let’s make it easier to connect with 100 years’ worth of alumni who have been in our exact befuddled, yet driven, shoes.With the knowledge of whom to contact and how to contact in the administration, you all have the power to ask for the changes you want to see; with our online petition system, you all even have the power to make those changes. Having been an active leader in the SA as an NSR and senator, I recognize that we need to increase the flow of information from you, the student body, to the administration, and vice versa. Let’s get everyone on the same page from the very beginning of every topic of discussion.With a vision of how to proceed and clear-cut goals, we can truly impact the faculty’s and administration’s thinking. What’s the best way we see fit to handle add/drop for registration? Is there a way students can access new parking spaces as well? Is a two-week spring break feasible for our culture, and how do we as students envision it to provide more opportunities for experiential learning, as we proposed in the Rice Education of the Future Initiative? Let’s work together and relay our ideas to the university.And, lastly, let’s just do it. These are not far-fetched ideas, but a list of concrete plans. Let’s fix what’s broken — such as how we allocate the blanket tax — and let’s better the education we receive. Voice your opinion with your vote and let’s advance the Rice experience together. 

OPINION 2/10/15 6:00pm

I want to create more leaders

By Sandra Blackmun

My extensive experience in political television series has taught me a great deal about how to be an effective leader and how to empower others to create the significant change they want to see. But more importantly, my experience at Rice has given me the opportunity to meet incredible people, experience the amazing campus culture and to learn that everyone has a voice.I am running to be your next Student Association President because I see the potential of this organization. The SA is an amazing organization that allows us to truly make a change not only for our own undergraduate experience, but also for that of students to come. But something doesn’t add up. If you ask the average Rice student what the SA does, they are unable to tell you. To me, there are two main reasons why this is the case:1)    College and SA Relationship: I believe a current gap exists between the colleges and the SA, and my goal is to bridge this gap. With my college leadership background, I fundamentally understand the college government. I want to allow colleges to remain autonomous and run themselves but also to bring the two organizations together to create campus-wide changes.2)    Communication: Many people are unaware of what the SA actually does. I plan on increasing communication via social media, attending college cabinet/council meetings to create a direct relationship with students and increasing our relationship with the Thresher to publish even more to students.Together, we will make a change. I hope to empower you to make the difference you want to see. One of my favorite quotes in life has absolutely changed the way I work with others, and I hope you’ll know that I will lead with this belief: “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.” We can all come together and elicit the changes we want to see in our university, but to do so, we need an SA President who knows both sides of the relationship between the SA and the colleges and who has a vision to empower you. I hope you’ll Stand with Sandra and see this vision become a reality. 

NEWS 2/10/15 9:01am

EVP candidates split on REF initiative results

 

At first glance, Student Association external vice president candidates Madhuri Venkateswar and Joan Liu appear to campaign on similar platforms of empowering students to control their own Rice experiences. However, McMurtry College senator Venkateswar and SA treasurer Liu differ in their approach toward this broader goal of realizing student interests.Venkateswar cited her experience as a part of the Rice Education of the Future initiative as an indication of her ability to collaborate with administration. However, Liu said she finds the future plans of the REF to be outlined vaguely and desires more tangible results.“To make student priorities a reality, I want to translate these into something accomplishable, as opposed to [just] setting a vision and revolving around it,” Liu said. “When I asked how we could realize REF, I never got a clear response. It was always, ‘We’re deferring to administration’ or ‘We’re working on it.’”Liu said although considering the big picture is important, being able to create something real is what students want.“Experiential learning, like the ideas from REF or the SA40K — that’s what the SA should be making a reality,” Liu said. “So many good initiatives came from giving students money via the SA40K. That shouldn’t be a one time thing. Making something like that happen on a regular basis — that’s what the SA is for.”Venkateswar said the projects she tackled as a senator were particularly suited to preparing someone for EVP and that she will apply the lessons learned working on REF to ensure changes come to pass.“I want to continue initiatives like blanket tax reformation and parking and look at tangible things to do in the short term,” Venkateswar said. “I also want to take the ideas REF came up with and implement those ideas over the long term. We’re at a unique point where [both students and administration are] in agreement that something needs to change.”Liu said her role as treasurer allowed her to work closely with the Blanket Tax Crack Team and contribute to the final SA40K proposal. Venkateswar said, as a senator, she has contributed more to legislation, including the initiative for oral communication courses in different schools of study.“I’m uniquely qualified because I took the senate position not just as, ‘Let me represent McMurtry,’ but I took it as, ‘What do I see in the Rice community?’” Venkateswar said. “It’s about noticing specific things and saying, ‘I can make a difference here.’”

NEWS 2/10/15 8:50am

RPC candidates offer differing skillsets, styles

 

Rice Program Council presidential candidates Dixita Viswanath and Jodie Nghiem present different approaches to leadership centered upon their current roles in the organization. Viswanath, a Will Rice College junior, is the publicity co-chair while Nghiem, a McMurtry College sophomore, is the socials co-chair.Nghiem said she has two years left at Rice, allowing for the possibility of either a second term or the ability to provide mentorship to the next president.“Continuity in leadership is important,” Nghiem said. “I’ll be there after my term as a source of guidance.”Viswanath said being a part of Rice Emergency Medical Services provided her with a sense of calm in stressful situations as well as the ability to see the big picture of any event.“I redesigned the website and added a line-by-line budget so students can see exactly where their blanket tax goes for each event,” Viswanath said. “I have different ideas that I want to see changed, [such as] the entrance fees for some of our events so it could be a more equal chance for everyone.”Nghiem cited her crisis management throughout Esperanza as evidence of her communication expertise, and stated that the RPC president would need to deal with emergencies and unexpected difficulties.“The [Esperanza] experience has taught me to keep calm during high-stress situations, [so I] really think about choices as we run at them,” Nghiem said. “[I learned to] deal with repercussions and respond to student feedback. My co-chair and I responded to every single email and created an extensive FAQ to answer any questions.”Both candidates stressed that they respect each other but have different visions for the organization. “As publicity chair, Dixita is more in charge of how RPC is perceived,” Nghiem said. “At the end of the day, RPC is planning events, and my experience gives me the perspective I need to really improve RPC. RPC is my Rice experience.”Viswanath said her role of gaining feedback actually aids the co-chairs and said she has different skills to offer from Nghiem.“I have a very broad way of thinking and very specific goals for RPC,” Viswanath said. “Jodie’s a socials chair and is very focused on individual events. As publicity chair, my role is more big picture. I help bring students to events and see how we can improve by gauging student feedback and incorporating social media into this.”

SPORTS 2/4/15 4:06pm

Baseball sweeps Conference USA preseason awards

By Michael Kidd

The Conference USA coaches’ poll unanimously announced Rice as the favorite to be crowned 2015 C-USA champions on Jan. 28. Additionally, Rice junior pitcher Blake Fox was named the preseason Pitcher of the Year and senior catcher John Clay Reeves was named preseason Player of the Year. The Owls are currently ranked no. 13 in the nation on d1baseball.com and no. 15 on Perfect Game. Reeves made an immediate impact last season in his first year with the Owls. He was named C-USA Newcomer of the Year after starting 56 of the 62 games as catcher and designated hitter, and was among the top players in the Conference in multiple hitting categories with seven home runs, 41 RBIs and a .439 slugging percentage. Reeves said the seniors on the squad are focused on teaching the younger players what it means to be a part of Rice baseball and have a drive to win in the postseason.  “I think like every other year you want to win, and not just our conference, but go deep into the [NCAA] tournament,” Reeves said. “With this great group of guys and multiple seniors on the team, we want to lead by example and teach the younger guys how to uphold the Rice baseball name.” Reeves said individual awards are nice but do not take away from preparing and working hard day in and day out.“It’s always nice to be recognized, but every year is different, so we [have] to remain focused and keep working hard daily,” Reeves said. Fox earned first team all-American honors last season after going 12-0 on the mound with a 1.46 earned run average. He was named one of three finalists for the College Baseball Hall of Fame National Pitcher of the Year award. Fox said he believes his teammates and coaching staff this season must have a competitive mindset to be successful. “As a pitcher, my goal is to get out there and compete to the best of my ability to give my team a chance to win,” Fox said. “I believe that if we all go out there and have that same goal then we will be very successful by [maximizing] all the talent on this team.” Fox said he was honored to be named as a finalist, but keeps things simple in terms of his approach to the game. “It was an honor to be named as one of the finalists, [but] just like my past two years … I want to go out there to compete, do my best and have fun,” Fox said.Head Coach Wayne Graham said Fox and Reeves are key players both on and off the field.“They are definitive leaders on the team and high citizenship, hard working men,” Graham said. “Obviously Fox has been a great pitcher for us and Reeves is a good catcher who can call his own game and is probably our best hitter.” 

SPORTS 2/4/15 4:05pm

The Fifth Quarter

By Evan Neustater

The Fifth Quarter is a column written by Sports Editor Evan Neustater. The opinions expressed in the column are solely his.As I sat in the McMurtry Commons watching the Super Bowl on Sunday, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of camaraderie in sports that Rice students rarely experience.The commons’ lights were dimmed and the big game was displayed on the projector screen in HD, large enough for anyone in the room to see. Fans of both the Patriots and the Seahawks sat in the commons and glued their eyes to the screen as the servery made chicken wings, beans and nachos. Even fans of neither team, including myself, packed the commons to watch the game. After any big play the crowd either erupted with approval, disappointment or both. Watching the game with all those people gave us all insight on how sports can bring a community together and unite people with a common cause.In the future, I believe Rice or the individual colleges should put in a greater effort to replicate events like this. Not just for the Super Bowl, but especially for Rice athletic events. This past football season it was almost impossible to find a group  watching a Rice football game. Willy’s Pub hosted a watch party for Rice’s game against the University of Notre Dame. Pub was packed with screaming fans who were all united around a desire for Rice to pull off what would have been one of the biggest upsets in school history. Even though Rice ended up losing the game, it showed that Rice students can come together under the banner of athletics and share a common interest in a goal that unites us as Rice Owls.If Rice athletics has an away game that is televised, Rice or the colleges should show them in a common place where everyone and anyone can watch it. Far too often the student body shows apathy toward sporting events, and perhaps this can be a solution to that problem. A little school spirit can go a long way in improving our quality of life and community.

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