Special Projects

Vivian Guan's birthday inspires acts of kindness

Friends of late Rice University student Vivian Guan, who died in a METRORail accident this summer, gathered to celebrate her 21st birthday as the "Lively Gathering of Warriors" in the Academic Quad Nov. 1.McMurtry College junior Ellen Marsh said celebrating Guan's birthday taught her Guan's death does not have to mean the end of her life."I miss her, envision her, want to live up to her legacy, laugh at and with her, care about global issues and strive to grow even more as a person, all because of her, constantly," Marsh said. "That's what she means to me. She is inspiration, in the finest and most acute sense."Marsh said she organized the event along with Duncan College junior June Deng, Sid Richardson College junior Malaz Mohammad, Martel College junior Yutian He and architectural design professional Rachel Gonzales of Ziegler Cooper Architects, where Guan interned over the summer.The event organizers gave out envelopes containing cards with one of 21 tasks for a random act of kindness, along with a quotation from Guan: "Live life shamelessly, mischievously and infectiously awake.""There were exactly 21 acts of kindness, for her 21st birthday," Marsh said. "It was truly awe-inspiring to see how open-minded many people were in receiving the little gifts we gave out today and how eager they all seemed to spread the acts of kindness," Marsh said.According to Gonzales, Vivian's name aptly described her; Vivian means "lively," her Chinese name Ziwei means "warrior" and her last name Guan means "gathering.""So [a] lively gathering of warriors is what we are, people that knew her and in her name do these acts of kindness," Gonzales said. "People are more important than things, so all of these things have to do with people. Once you do [the act of kindness on the card], you have to share it with someone or pass it on to someone.Marsh said Guan was one of her best friends and is with her everyday. "She can emanate across the way people treat each other with curiosity, depth, patience, kindness and love," Marsh said.

Crew team strives to compete in national regattas

While most students are familiar with the football, basketball, volleyball and soccer teams, there is another little-known sports team trying to make a name for itself at Rice. The crew club team meets every morning, either in Clear Lake to practice in the water or in the back of Tudor Fieldhouse to practice on land. This small but dedicated team is making an effort to announce its presence not only to other universities, but also to its own student population.The team recently participated in the PumpkinHead Regatta Oct. 26 in Austin, where it faced crew teams from prestigious athletic programs such as Louisiana State University, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas, Austin. The best result came from the mixed open four team of Duncan College freshman Sam Shadwell, Duncan College seniors John Draper and Becca Hamm Conard, and Wiess College senior Shannon Cheng. The team finished fourth out of nine boats with a time of 22 minutes and 9.9 seconds.Rice Crew President Alex Reis said he is trying to revamp the program to recruit more rowers so that the team can compete in more national regattas. Currently, the team has 25 members, but Reis, a Duncan senior, said 40 members would make Rice more competitive with other schools. Reis said the team reached its peak in the '90s before its recent decline, but he said he is now determined to bring the team back with the addition of two new coaches. "For the last decade, it's been kind of OK, and the leadership has not been that committed to the club, so we started this year kicking it back into gear," Reis said. "We brought on two coaches, [Michael Matson] and [David Alviar] and it's been fun." Duncan sophomore Michael Williams-Hart said that since the team rows off campus, it has thought of fun ways to make its presence known on campus, including having fun competitions for students outside of the Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center. He said these events need to continue in the future to get more rowers. "This year, we have been starting to do sessions outside the Rec called 'Learn to Row,' where we bring our erg machines from Tudor to outside the Rec, and we kind of present a challenge to people where we ... teach them the stroke," Reis said. "We give them a T-shirt for the best 500-meter time. We've also been planning to have more recruiting in the future."Conard said buying crew gear to wear around campus helps with recognition. She said people were unaware of Rice's crew team until they saw her various shirts and jackets."Having the apparel helps a lot, especially wearing the jackets," Conard said. "A lot of people don't realize we have a crew team until they see the shirts."Reis said having a crew team is expensive. He said bringing in money is important so the team can afford to buy boats to practice and race with, among other important items."There are other factors, too, financial stuff," Reis said. "Currently, we have [only] so many boats that we own. We would like to expand, but a [boat] costs $50,000. That is a lot [of money], so we [only] have a couple of those."Conard said that even though more steps need to be taken, the transition in the past couple of years has been incredible. She said she is proud of the progress and hopes it can continue after she graduates."Going into the last year, we want to rebuild the team so [we can] see the transition from last year to this year continue," Conard said.  "[Reis has] put a ton of work in, and it's incredible, and we have so many people committed now that we did not last year."Shadwell said he hopes to see the team compete in major regattas in the future. He said he wants to go to events that many major schools compete in, which he said would provide experience for the team. "I'd really just like to get a sizable team so that we could go out of state for regattas," Shadwell said. "If not the Head of the Charles, which is significantly more difficult, then [we could go to] the Head of the Hooch, the second-largest regatta in the country."Reis said he is making such an effort so that the team can be better down the line. He said he wants to raise money from alumni to fund the club's development in the years to come."I'd love to come back to Rice [in 10 years] and see the change and see the development," Reis said. "One of the things I am working on right now is alumni networking and getting alumni coordinated so that they are giving back donations. I'd love to be able to come back to the team and see them be successful and donate back."    

Philharmonics album impresses [A]

The Rice Philharmonics' latest album, (Phil)osophy, was released last week in both CD and iTunes formats. This is the newest of the group's numerous professionally recorded albums, following Epoch (2011), and it consists of eight covers of popular songs. The Phils maintain the balance of doing justice to the original songs while adding new twists to the melodies showcased in each track. Although some of the tracks, such as "Lights" by Ellie Goulding and "Good Life" by OneRepublic, are well-known, the Phils' tasteful use of counter-rhythm adds yet another dimension of creativity. I found new harmonies and appreciated the original songs more as I listened to this cover album; at first, I feared hearing pieces that would echo YouTube covers, but (Phil)osophy packs a pleasant surprise. The Phils masterfully overcome the challenge of sounding too much like the original, yet never stray far from each song's vibe.The first track is a terrific cover of "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons; the tune is fresh, with supporting vocals that expose the group's supreme ensemble abilities and diction. The leading vocals are reminiscent of Mumford and Sons lead singer Marcus Mumford, but an original, textured voice takes the melody to a different level.The selection of songs is a blend of bright and mellow, almost completely comprised of hits made famous in recent years. A contagious sense of cheerfulness exudes from tracks like "Good Life" by OneRepublic. When an original like this can feel timeworn and cheesy, the dynamic array of colors from the group's blended voices adds new meaning to old lyrics.The soulful lines of "I Can't Make You Love Me" by Bonnie Raitt share the sense of warmth that the Phils convey so well, and the cover even eclipses the original in emotional depth and range. At certain points, the covers feel a little more upbeat than the originals, such as the bluesy experience of "Die Alone" by Ingrid Michaelson, which goes up in pitch from the original key; this conveys a sense of merriment that contrasts with the song's bittersweet theme of finding love before death. The Phils close the album with a cover of the Beatles' "A Little Help From My Friends," which incorporates a very soulful introduction with a creative take on the timeless classic. After a gentle transition from dramatic to exuberant, tight vocal percussion keeps the pulse going against smooth, new soprano harmonies. It is an excellent conclusion to this well-rounded album.With its uplifting, optimistic tracks, the Phils' terrific and talent-packed album is definitely worth listening to.

Men's Starting Lineup and Games to Watch

The Owls' nonconference schedule is highlighted by two former Southwest Conference foes with trips to College Station and Austin. For its first true road test, Rice will play Texas A&M University Nov. 15. The last time the Owls played against the Aggies, they walked away with a 65-58 win. The Owls will head to Austin for the fourth year in a row to play the University of Texas, Austin Dec. 30. Rice will play two Ivy League teams when it hosts Princeton University Nov. 23 and Harvard University Jan. 4. The Owls lost 92-62 to Harvard last year in Cambridge, Mass. Rice will play some new foes this year since Conference USA is welcoming eight new teams. One of the marquee matchups will be when the Owls play Old Dominion University, a team that has played in the NCAA tournament in recent seasons. Louisiana Tech is back in the same conference as the Owls after their days in the Western Athletic Conference in the late '90s and early 2000s. Louisiana Tech is the only team the Owls will play twice in conference play. Key Homegames:Nov. 9 University of St. Thomas 2 p.m.Nov. 23 Princeton University 2 p.m.Jan. 4 Harvard University 7 p.m.Jan. 9 Florida International Univ. 7 p.m.Feb. 8 University of Tulsa 3 p.m.Mar. 6 Louisiana Tech University 7 p.m.

Aida opera dazzles with theatrics, disappoints with overwhelming set [A-]

The Houston Grand Opera opens its season with an old standby and a true operatic heavyweight: Giuseppe Verdi's Aida. The HGO throws everything it has at this production: acclaimed American mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick; a vibrantly colored and elaborate set; and the surprise appearance of a large, blue elephant prop on stage. As a celebration of Verdi's 200th birthday, the production, held at the Wortham Center, is a spectacle that dazzles despite its missteps.Aida tells the story of the king of Ethiopia's daughter Aida, who has been enslaved by Amneris, the Egyptian king's daughter. Aida and Radames, a captain of the Egyptian guard, find themselves entangled in an illicit love affair that is further complicated by Radames' appointment to command the army against an Ethiopian invasion and by Amneris' unreciprocated love for Radames.At its core, Aida touches on universal yet deeply personal dilemmas, most notably that of loyalty in the face of great personal demands. As Radames begins to realize the depth of his love for Aida, his mind wanders to fleeing the country he just fought for. When the Egyptian king brings him to trial on various counts of deception and revelation of Egyptian secrets, Radames refuses to speak on his own behalf because he would rather die than live without Aida. In the HGO's staging, which shields the trial behind a large, backlit, grated screen, the negative space of Radames' silence creates a feeling of emptiness and detachment for an audience accustomed to Aida and Radames' soaring voices filling the room. It stands as one of the most powerful and understated scenes in a production full of captivating moments.In the love triangle of Radames, Amneris and Aida, it is Amneris' character who faces the largest internal struggles and experiences the most growth. Voiced by Zajick, arguably the best Verdian mezzo-soprano voice in the world, Amneris' internal conflict finds a voice capable of expressing shrill jealousy and desperate longing. As Amneris understands the consequences Radames faces after she tells the Egyptian king of his plans to run away from Egypt on a road unattended by the Egyptian army, Zajick creates emotional gravity that transcends the stage. Amneris, like the audience, witnesses Radames' trial behind a gate. Zajick's confident rendering conveys Radames' jealousy and regret effectively in this moment of weakness. Taken with her performance in the HGO's production of Verdi's Il Trovatore during the 2012-13 season, Zajick demonstrates she has command over any Verdi mezzo-soprano role she plays. Her performance is alone worth the price of admission. In the roles of Aida and Radames, respectively, Ukrainian soprano Liudmyla Monastryska and Italian tenor Riccardo Massi express an intimate love through their clear, buoyant voices. Though Monastryska's voice sometimes falters in lower registers, she shines brightly in "O patria mia" as she awaits Radames on the eve of his marriage to Amneris. In the final act, their beautifully sung collective invocation of the god Ptah as the set closes around them ends the opera on a remarkably sad and beautiful note.Productions of Aida often suffer from overly elaborate sets and costumes. Unfortunately, the HGO indulges in that trend. The set, a vision of Egypt imagined in a Seuss-like, almost-neon spectrum of color, removes much of the gravity of the production. The music in Act II, in which Radames is given a hero's send-off to war, stands alone as a bombastic expression in itself, yet the HGO's production pushes it over the edge with a bright blue elephant that clutters the stage. Still, the HGO's staging shines brightly during Radames' trial and death, both moments devoid of  the type of cluttered setting that overwhelms the rest of the production.There is no excuse to stay on campus while an opera as moving as Aida is showing. Aida conveys love, anger and sadness in a way no other form of entertainment can. Take a date, take a friend, take a parent or even go alone. Opera is something that everybody can - and deserves to - appreciate. Operas like Aida make Houston the great arts city it is, and that can be appreciated by anybody.

Homecoming Week November 10-16

Building off the model set by Willy Week and last year's Centennial Celebration, this year's Homecoming will encompass an entire week of events. According to Student Association President Yoonjin Min, the SA hopes to establish a new tradition celebrating Rice spirit. Min said that while Willy Week focuses on the colleges, she hopes Homecoming Week will focus on Rice."During Beer Bike, all the colleges come together, but in a lot of ways they're pitted against each other," Min said. "It's about college spirit that week. Everyone has their own theme, and everyone is essentially competing to be the best college. For Homecoming Week, it's about Rice. It's about everyone coming together and celebrating the great school that we're at and all the great things that are happening at it." Homecoming Cup PointsSPORTING EVENTSFor each Rice Athletics event: 3 photos maximum, 2 points per photo, 6 or more people per photo (total of 6 points and 18 different people per event)Pep rally: 3 photos maximum, 5 points per photo, must have 6 people per photo (total of 15 points and 18 different people)PHOTOSFor each item: 5 points per photo, only 1 photo per item50 students spelling out an "R"At least 10 students wearing this year's college O-Week shirt10 students making an owl sign in front of the RMC owl statueAt least one half of the college executive team in college-specific shirts in front of the "Mirror" statue by Herring Hall10 people in Rice shirts at College Row Tailgate with a sign that indicates what college you are from10 students with college alumni for alumni eventFilm a video of Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson saying an appropriate cheer for your college15 students with the college crest15 students from your college wearing National Philanthropy Week shirts Homecoming eventsMr. Rice Pageant1st place - 25 pts, 2nd place - 20 pts, 3rd place - 15 ptsA Midsummer Night's Dream (Founder's Court, Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m.)Sign-in sheet, 15 people sign - 10 pointsSpoCo event (Oct. 25, 7 p.m.)Eight people in one photo - 10 points (only one photo total)National Philanthropy Week trivia teamsFive points per team (that participate in the event). Max three teams.National Philanthropy Week trivia winner 1st place - 15, 2nd place - 10 , 3rd place - 5Attendance at Beats and Beer (Willy's Pub, Nov. 7, 10 p.m. - 2 a.m.)1st place - 10 , 2nd place - 5, 3rd place - 3  SCHEDULESUNDAY 11/10 College KickoffsEach college will host its own festivities to celebrate the start of Homecoming Week. Times and locations depend on colleges. Serveries will be closed.Monday 11/11Mr. Rice PageantOne representative from each college will compete in Rice's annual male beauty pageant. The winner gets eternal glory. Grand Hall, RMC, 9 p.m.Tuesday 11/12RPC Presents: The Hunger GamesRPC hosts a special showing of The Hunger Games (2012) on the lawn at Founder's Court. Attendees will be treated to a surprise giveaway. Founder's Court, 9 p.m.Wednesday 11/13Pep Rally and Sammy's PicnicStudents will gather in Founder's Court to get pumped for Homecoming Week. Food will be provided. Serveries will be closed. Founder's Court, 5 p.m.Sports Trivia NightSports enthusiasts will have a chance to test their knowledge in a trivia competition at Willy's Pub. Willy's Pub, 10 p.m.Thursday 11/14National Philanthropy Week "Willy Rice to Mr. Rice: 101 years of Rice Trivia"Test your knowledge of all things Rice in this competition, hosted by the newly crowned Mr. Rice. There will be free food. Grand Hall, RMC, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.Young Alumni Pub NightAll the recent grads are invited to a special pub night held in their honor. Willy's Pub, 10 p.m. (21+ only).Senior Ring CeremonyMembers of the Class of 2014 will receive their class rings.Friday 11/15College Block PartiesNorth Colleges will gather in the Jones College quad and grassy area outside West Servery. South Colleges will gather in the Baker College quad. Serveries will be closed. 4 - 7 p.m.Saturday 11/16Tailgate Owley and Rice Owls footballCollege Row is back - homecoming style. Each college will host a tailgate to rally before the big homecoming football game. West Lot, 4 p.m.Rice vs. Louisiana Tech University. This will be the second-to-last home game of the season. Rice Stadium, 6 p.m. RPC Presents: EsperanzaRice's annual homecoming dance will take place in the Homecoming Tent outside Baker Hall. The theme this year is "A Night of Fire and Ice." Tickets for the event are sold out. Homecoming Tent, 10 p.m.

basketball preview 2013-2014 season [men's]

The Rice University men's basketball team is ready to kick-start the season and will host the University of St. Thomas at 2 p.m. this Saturday in Tudor Fieldhouse. Freshman shooting guard Marcus Jackson said he could hardly contain his excitement and is more than ready to put on his sneakers for the first time in his college career.  "I'm pretty excited," Jackson said. "I just pretty much want the season to be here now. It's getting so close, I can feel it. I just want it to be here."The Owls are coming off a rough 5-26 campaign last year, including a 1-15 record in conference play. One of Conference USA's players to watch, sophomore point guard Max Guercy, said that as painful as last year's experience was, he feels it was a necessary learning period for the team and that the Owls will be better for it. "Last year was definitely a learning experience," Guercy said. "We definitely had our downs during the season. I believe [in] the returners; we are not going to throw away the past, and we are going to use it as motivation coming into this year. We definitely know what the feeling was like on the other side and we want to bring some wins to the program and start a winning tradition."Jackson said this year's team will be different because of the added depth from the incoming freshman class. Jackson said the additional talent will go a long way in helping the Owls succeed this year."For one, we were a lot bigger than we were last year," Jackson said. "[Last year's team] did not really have any depth, and they got tired in a lot of games, so they kind of faded out in the end just [because] of depth. I think this year, with seven freshmen and also [redshirt freshman guard Nizar Kapic], we have a lot of depth at each position."Guercy said despite the team's struggles last year, this year's squad is talented. He is confident the Owls can do something special and possibly end Rice's 43-year NCAA tournament drought."First, my goal and most of the guys' [goal] is that we want to make it to the NCAA tournament," Guercy said. "That's always going to be a goal of our program. I believe we have the pieces to do it this year along with the incoming freshmen."While not as far-reaching as Guercy, Braun said he expects the team to improve in multiple categories and to be a factor in conference play."We want to get back to [improving and making] sure our team is getting better game to game and day to day," Braun said. "We want to be competitive in our new league. Although Memphis is out and certainly that's a loss to our conference, the other teams coming into the conference are a gain because they are bringing in more wins and more postseason experience." The Owls feature eight freshmen this season with only two seniors, guard Austin Ramljak and forward Bahrom Firozgary on the roster. Jackson said there are ups and downs for both him and the team, but the team is growing every day as the season quickly approaches.             "Team-wise, we are getting better and better each day," Jackson said. "I'm really proud of my teammates because we have practiced really, really hard and done everything [Head Coach Ben Braun] has given us, and we have been perfecting it." Jackson said leadership is necessary for Rice to succeed. He said that many of the upperclassmen have helped him and the other freshmen get acclimated to the college game. He feels that junior forward Seth Gearhart, junior guard Dan Peera, Guercy and Ramljak have been the true leaders of this team from the start."I definitely see [Ramljak], [Gearhart] and [Guercy] and also [Peera]... [as] big-time leaders because they are vocal, and they know what to say," Jackson said. "They are [really] familiar with the team concept, and they help the freshmen out a lot."Braun said leadership is necessary for the freshmen to succeed in their first year, and he thinks the upperclassmen have done a tremendous job helping the new players get ready for the upcoming season."Having a young team, it's imperative that you get leadership and it's good to see some of our upperclassmen starting to step forward, whether it's Max Guercy or Seth Gearhart showing the big guys the ropes and helping them with defense."While a youthful team can be seen as a negative thing, both Jackson and Guercy said they see it as a potential positive. Jackson said the freshmen are not afraid of the increased level of competition, so they will be ready from the opening tip."We don't know what to expect yet, but I think we will be all right," Jackson said. "I think we are a pretty talented freshman group, and I think a lot of the freshmen have played big games in the lights, so I think we are pretty prepared."Guercy said the freshmen cannot just sit on the sidelines and watch their first season. He said they need to get out there and contribute immediately. Guercy said he does not see the Owls making it to the coveted NCAA tournament without strong contributions from the freshmen. "I expect all seven of our freshmen to come in and contribute to the team," Guercy said. "With the returners and the incoming freshmen, we have experience and youth at the same time. That's going to help us go [on] this journey throughout the season."Braun said the team is brimming with confidence heading into the season opener, which is something he hopes they will keep up throughout the season. He feels that confidence will be the key to bringing success to the program."There is nobody that can take away our confidence," Braun said. "We have to go out there and earn it by repetition in practice. We have to go out and get that confidence. Once we do that, it does not matter whether you are young or older, [we've] got to get over the [pain] of last year and [move] on to this year and [see] this as a new season."

Appleby discusses peace, religion at Boniuk lecture

The Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance held its first public talk, "Religion and Violent Conflict: Beyond Tolerance, Toward Peacebuilding," Nov. 4  in McMurtry Auditorium. Scott Appleby, the Director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, spoke about long-term efforts to foster constructive dialogue between religious communities.Appleby, a professor of history, said scholars need to move beyond a passive tolerance, which may produce temporary peace but fails to address deeper causes of conflict, and toward a "hard tolerance" based on respectful skepticism. "There is a soft and wishy-washy sort of tolerance which involves people who believe little and ask you to do the same so you can meet with each other with low risk," Appleby said. "In criticizing soft tolerance, I do not mean to dismiss it because in many ethnic conflicts, achieving any form of tolerance is a victory. But more important is a hard tolerance, which involves a minimal respect for others and the benefit of the doubt that the other person has carefully considered their views and beliefs." Director of the Boniuk Institute Elaine Ecklund said Appleby was chosen to speak due to Notre Dame's strong program in peace studies and his ability to engage with the public."The Kroc Institute at Notre Dame is the best institute in terms of scholarship in peace studies, and [Appleby] is probably the world's leading peace scholar," Ecklund, the chair of the sociology department, said. "When we were trying to find a scholar who is a good speaker, communicates well with a broad audience and has also done cutting-edge work on eradicating religious violence and its conditions, he was our person."

News in Brief

Students will have until Nov. 17 to submit their desired course selections for this spring semester to Esther, according to University Registrar David Tenney (Sid Richardson '87)."An important thing to highlight ... is the fact that some departments might be adding courses," Tenney said. "I don't see that as a bad thing. We are pleased to see new courses get added, [but] students will want to be aware that there might be some courses added late next week .... For that reason, we encourage students to regularly check the online schedule and to update their Esther Course Registration Planner ... up to its closing day."According to Tenney, the add/drop period will begin Nov. 11 at 7 a.m. and will be available for 15 minutes to each year's matriculants, starting with 2010 and proceeding by year until 2014. He said that, until 8 a.m., at which point all students can add, drop and wait-list courses, students will need to enter a registration PIN, which is the last six digits of their student ID number, to access the system."There was a time discrepancy last spring," Tenney said. "Behind the scenes, on the technical side, when loading PINs, there was an error made which allowed some students ... to register in the earlier 15-minute time slot. That was identified, and steps have been taken to ensure that this doesn't happen again."Tenney said the 2014 spring semester course catalog is currently available on Esther or Schedule Planner, an unofficial application created by Rice professor in the practice of computer science Scott Cutler that can be accessed at scheduleplanner.rice.edu."Schedule Planner is not an officially supported Rice University application," Tenney said. "[Cutler] has built a very nice graphical tool, and I know that its intuitive interface is deeply appreciated by the students. The structure and technology behind the tool is different from what is supported by Rice University and the Administrative Systems department, and for that reason there are no plans to integrate it into Esther."

SA Meeting Minutes

Rice professors discuss inspirations at Scientia

In only 30 minutes, the attendees of the Oct. 29 Scientia colloquium gained insight into the ideas that have most powerfully influenced Rice professors. Students, faculty and staff were introduced to Rice University faculty members Erin Cech, Simon Fischer-Baum, Guseka Heffes and Andrew Putman and provided with an opportunity to appreciate the world in a different manner. According to Scientia Director Susan McIntosh, Scientia is an annual lecture series founded in 1981 and aimed at showcasing Rice's talents from a variety of perspectives.Will Rice College junior Petra Constable said her favorite speaker was Cech, an assistant professor of sociology, who spoke about the importance of culture in everyday life. Cech spoke about the power we give culture and the repercussions we voluntarily face if we break culture rules."Culture is a system of symbols and meanings and practices shaped by laws and institutions that help us make sense of our daily experiences," Cech said. "We follow [the rules it dictates] because it makes social situations less demanding .... If culture is real, it is real in its consequences."Fischer-Baum, an assistant professor of psychology, said he wanted to find out how the brain works by detailing the differences between our perceptions of reality."Every individual is as individual as a snowflake," Fischer-Baum said. "We all have six points. We all are made from the same stuff, but in the end, we are unique. We are all special ..., and in order to understand how individuals differ, we need to find our similarities."Heffes, an assistant professor of Spanish and Portuguese, said irreverence between human culture is a key component of cultural innovation. "While many people, perhaps, would find [my condition] uneasy and even distressful, it gave me the great opportunity to look at the world from a different perspective," Heffes said. "I found myself, furthermore, thriving from emergence, since this geopolitical worldview allowed me to reflect on topics that otherwise I would have taken for granted."Putman, an associate professor in mathematics, said he found his field fascinating because it was impossible to define. "Mathematics uses the notion of a proof: a sequence of logical arguments starting with some set of agreed-upon assumptions," Putman said. "But this is not always possible. In fact, there exist simple statements that resemble exercises in high school algebra which are empirically true but cannot be proven."Constable said she thought the Scientia colloquium was riveting because of its brevity. "I loved the Scientia lecture series because it provides interesting lectures on scientific ideas that I would have never thought about on my own," Constable said. "It provides a glimpse of different disciplines that I would not have normally ever interacted with."

3-1 loss to Marshall ends season

Even after the Rice Owls soccer team defeated Louisiana Tech University 3-0 last Thursday, Oct. 31, winning a spot in the Conference USA tournament, the Owls' season came to an end Monday with a 3-1 loss to Marshall University in the first round of the tournament.The Owls played on the road Thursday, beating Louisiana Tech in Ruston, La. to secure a spot in the C-USA tournament. Junior goalkeeper Amy Czyz's two saves contributed to the defensive shutout. Sophomore forwards Lauren Hughes and Holly Hargreaves and freshman midfielder Bella Hernandez each scored goals to clinch the win.Redshirt junior forward Jessica Howard said that while the team had one of its most dominating performances, the Owls still showed some weaknesses."I think as a team this was one of our strongest performances, but there were still breakdowns on defense in between periods when we got tired," Howard said. "We had a few close scares in the first half, when they had the majority of possession for several minutes at a time, and we need[ed] to be able to disrupt that right away."However, the team's season was cut short when it lost its Monday, Nov. 4 game 3-1 to Marshall. In the first half, Marshall dominated both 0n offense and on defense with 11 shots on goal in comparison to Rice's three. The Owls increased their shots on goal in the second half to 10, and Hargreaves scored off an assist from junior Quinny Truong in the 61st minute. But Marshall scored two goals late in the second half, eliminating the Owls from the conference tournament.Head Coach Nicky Adams noted the sentimental value of this game for the team, especially for the seniors. However, Adams also said the team is ready to work toward improvement for next season."This program has gone through some ups and downs this season, and I wanted to win it really bad for them," Adams said. "But we're going to get better this offseason. We've got a lot to work on, and we already have some great ideas for the spring."

Spur on your school spirit during homecoming

Homecoming is just around the corner. Starting next Monday, the week will be flooded with opportunities to show Rice spirit, mingle with alumni and dance until you drop in the Homecoming Tent. After the Centennial Celebration, Rice Program Council appears to be trying to keep up the same level of excitement and participation this year. The Thresher would like to encourage students to help support the homecoming events throughout the week.At most schools, homecoming is a celebration centralized around football. For the second year in a row, our football team is bowl-eligible and is in the perfect position to be a central part of our celebration. This year, students should make an effort to head out to the stadium and spur the team on to victory. We understand that the timing of the game is unfortunate - running so close to Esperanza will be a problem for those planning to primp before the event. No matter how long you can stay, come down to cheer on the team. Students often complain about the Rice community's apathy toward sports, but the issue lies within the student body itself. This problem could easily be fixed if students simply showed up and showed enthusiastic support for their team. With the Owls on their way to a conference championship, there should be no reason to skip out on the homecoming game.Yet another part of a quintessential homecoming celebration is the dance. After last year's Centennial-themed Esperanza, RPC has planned this party to ride the coattails of last year's success, but this will only happen if people approach the event with the same anticipation as last year. Tickets have already sold out, but we urge people to embrace the night for whatever it is this year and enjoy what is going to be the beginning of another great century at Rice. Esperanza will be on campus again in the Homecoming Tent, which means transportation should not be an issue for the majority of the student body. Facebook has been flooded with adorable proposals, so put on your party shoes and dance the night away. In addition to the fun, homecoming week is also a great time for networking. Young alumni will be in town, and there is no better way to get information about graduate school and different industries as well as a feel for which companies are looking for interns or new employees. There are few better resources than the network of Rice alumni for helping you plan a future - whether in academia or industry. Make sure to rub some elbows and ask around while they are in town.For some students, this homecoming will be the beginning of the end. The seniors will receive their Rice rings during Homecoming as part of a new event this year. The Rice Ring Celebration will be one of the first events seniors will have with the young alumni and will kick off the transition from student to alum. The Student Association has been working to improve Rice's ring tradition over the past few years, and this new event will help commemorate students' time at Rice.We ask students to step it up this homecoming and be active participants in the event-filled week that has been planned. Moreover, this week should not be the end of Rice spirit; our enthusiasm for Rice should continue throughout the school year. Students should keep going to sporting events, getting involved in student activities and taking pride in Rice, even after the Homecoming Cup has been awarded. We will get out of our school what we put into it, so wear your blue and gray with pride.Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece's author.

Letters to the Editor

Dear President David Leebron and all other concerned parties,I was recently informed that the Rice administration is considering cutting the linguistics graduate program. As a recent Rice University alumna, this news troubles me greatly. I graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in linguistics and cognitive science, and I wholeheartedly feel that my excellent education with the Department of Linguistics was a large part of what made my experience at Rice a great one. The high-quality professors taught many of the most engaging classes I took at Rice - specific credit to associate professor of linguistics Robert Englebretson, one of the best teachers I have ever encountered. Many of the classes I took were either attended by or taught by graduate students, and I can say with confidence that my education would have been lacking without the valuable input and influence of those students. In addition to providing academic help, they were role models and mentors and encouraged me to continue pursuing my passion for language.Additionally, my training in the linguistics department directly helped me gain acceptance into the increasingly competitive Peace Corps. At the moment, I teach high school English as a foreign language in a small village in rural Mozambique. I use the knowledge and skills I gained from studying linguistics on a daily basis - specifically, the knowledge of how to teach language, which I learned from linguistics department chair Michel Achard and associate professor of linguistics Suzanne Kemmer. In addition, I also employ daily the more general skills of critical thinking and reasoning that I learned as a student of linguistics at Rice. I hope to continue using these skills after my Peace Corps service as a member of the United States Foreign Service.I have been an avid supporter of Rice as an alumna, encouraging many young college-bound kids to apply to and attend Rice. My time at Rice was one of the happiest and most valuable in my life, due to many factors - academics, the residential college system, extracurricular activities, etc. Upon graduating, I wholeheartedly planned to donate to Rice annually for the rest of my life in order to make an experience like mine possible for the new generation of undergraduates. However, over the past few years, I see many of those aspects of Rice that made my time so special disappearing - first the sale of KTRU, and now the possible closure of my department of study.This morning, I made a gift to Rice University, designating its use for the Department of Linguistics. If the Rice administration goes ahead with the closure of the linguistics graduate program - and eventually the linguistics department - you can be assured that this morning's donation will be the last I ever make to Rice University.Make the right decision.Thank you,Helen ShawJones '11 To The Editor:Eliminating the Rice graduate program in linguistics would be hugely detrimental to the undergraduate experience and education because linguistics majors benefit greatly from personal interaction with graduate students. Their life experience yields valuable contributions to class discussions, augmenting what undergraduates take away from courses. Hardworking, friendly and helpful, they are exceptional role models and sources of information, especially for planning life beyond the hedges.Some believe removing the graduate program would allow faculty to focus on undergraduates. To say that the graduate students currently distract linguistics faculty is plainly untrue. In fact, graduate students round out our education as we learn with and from them in and outside of class. The graduate students are an inextricable component of the linguistics department's extraordinarily supportive environment in which to learn and plan one's future.Furthermore, the fact that courses would no longer be designed for a larger and more advanced student body - not to mention the sudden dearth of teaching assistants forcing smaller class sizes - would vastly reduce the number and quality of courses available to the undergraduate population. The graduate students also maintain the departmental colloquium series, the Rice Linguistics Society and the biennial linguistics conference. The termination of the graduate program would deprive undergraduates of valuable curricular and extracurricular opportunities.Finally, the abrupt decline in value of our degrees is an unfair surprise to undergraduate linguistics majors working hard to earn a prestigious degree. The way the administration has treated our department does little to inspire confidence that the university has our best interests in mind.Emily Remirez Baker College junior

Midsummer Night's Dream impresses without set

Captured in the vision of the bard, this classical comedy captivates and thrills. Directed by Christina Keefe, the director of the Rice Theatre Program, this production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to life in a masterful way. No details were overlooked in the cast's convincing and engaging acting choices. Set in an Elizabethan-esque Athens, the play follows four lovers and their misadventures into the woods as they flee from parental nuptial pressures. The young, beautiful Hermia (Duncan College freshman Yena Han) and her two suitors, Lysander (Wiess College senior Ian L. Bott) and Demetrius (Lovett College sophomore Jake Hassell), wander into the mysterious fairy kingdom followed by Helena (Baker College sophomore Katherine Gunn), who is filled with unrequited love for Demetrius. The fairies are not without their own romantic issues; King Oberon (Hanszen College senior Michael Hollis) and his wife Queen Titania (Jones College senior Susannah M. Eig) are in the middle of a quarrel leading to a delightful amount of mischief, mostly at the hands of the sprightly Puck (McMurtry College senior Daniel Burns).Unfortunately, Monday night's preview had to be moved into Hamman Hall from its intended location at Founder's Court due to inclement weather. Despite viewing the show without its charming outdoor set, I felt no lack of rapture at the actors' performance. Shakespeare can be a tough nut for modern actors to pull off - especially in a way that can avoid the tendency to speak the versed lines in a singsong manner. However, for the most part, the line delivery is natural and emotionally charged. Eig and Hollis are excellent as the fairy royal couple, with Eig portraying a delightfully impassioned Titania and Hollis a refined, yet cunning, Oberon. With many an expertly executed cartwheel across the stage, Burns deserves special note for his graceful acrobatics in the role of the charmingly impish Puck. Of the four lovers, Hassell and Han show the greatest expressions of emotion and the greatest character development in terms of physical and emotional acting as the play progresses. Han displays especially good physical expressions of emotion, while Gunn excels in facial expressions of emotion.  A few particularly delightful scenes include the fairy lullaby and basically any scene with the mechanicals, but the most notable is the performance of the play within the play. The fairy lullaby is a beautiful original composition for this production of Dream. The music's ethereal dissonance gives it a magical flavor. Wiess College freshman Ariana Morgan enchants with her angelic voice as the first fairy. Her beautiful soprano carries the melody and blends with the haunting harmonies. Only a few things detract from the magic of this moment: Occasionally, though intentionally dissonant, the harmonies are a bit off, especially in the a capella ending notes. The dance routine also seems a bit too minimalistic at times, but this may be a result of performing without the intended outdoor set.The mechanicals are as charmingly hilarious as the fairies. Led by the fantastic Carter Spires (Jones '13) as Bottom, the mechanicals put on a brilliant show. Each of the five other mechanicals (or players) execute excellent comedic timing and are skilled physical actors. Spires steals the show, however, in his expert line delivery, in his fantastic facial and physical acting choices, and in his bottomless energy - his is a truly great performance.Even without the aid of the elaborate set, this show well exceeded my expectations. The attention to detail paid by the cast and crew make it a joy to behold. The costumes capture the Elizabethan and Athenian crossover wonderfully and reflect the nature of many of the characters in creative ways. Each member of Titania's fairy gang each has a costume that in some way captures the character of his or her name. The costume piece of Bottom's transformation, while clearly indicative of the transformation, does not obscure Spires' facial expressions. Puck looks harmlessly mischievous in his tousled hair, horns and ragged clothes. Makeup is also expertly done, with the members of the fairy kingdom sporting magical colors and sparkles. At the time of writing, the forecast calls for thunderstorms on opening night this Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m., but clear skies are expected for the rest of the show's run. With such a wonderful experience of the show in its simple, barren state, I cannot wait to view it again and see how the magic will escalate with the addition of the naturalistic set and lights. Whether experienced indoors or out, this production is certainly a masterpiece.

Women's Starting Lineup and Games to Watch

The women's basketball team will play various, prestigious programs in the nonconference portion of the schedule including Baylor University, which won the NCAA championship in 2012. The Nov. 18 meeting with the Bears comes early in the season and will be one of the most difficult games the Owls play all year. Rice will travel to East Lansing, Mich. five days later to play against Michigan State University, a premiere Big Ten team. The Owls have an important home game against crosstown rival the University of Houston on Dec. 21. Rice lost both matchups against the Cougars last season before UH departed for the American Athletic Conference. After a 6-10 conference record last year, the Owls are looking to go over .500 and compete for the conference championship. Rice's major games include hosting conference rivals Tulane University and Marshall University. The women's team will play Louisiana Tech University both at home and away. With 16 teams in the conference, the Owls will only play everyone else once. Key Homegames:Nov. 11 Texas Southern University 7 p.m.Dec. 20 University of Houston 1 p.m.Jan. 15 Louisiana Tech University 7 p.m.Jan. 29 Tulane University 7 p.m.Feb. 19 Old Dominion University 3 p.m.Mar. 1 University of Texas at El Paso 11 a.m.

C-USA Cross Country Meet [Image]

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Volleyball on the rise after two wins in Florida

Rice University women's volleyball swept the weekend, beating both Florida Atlantic University 3-1 and Florida International University 3-1 to give the team a two-game winning streak. The team will have a chance to continue its success this Thursday, Nov. 7, against Houston Baptist University. Rice will then play Tulane University in a conference game at home this Sunday.Head Coach Genny Volpe said the team is satisfied with its victories over Florida Atlantic and FIU.  She said the games were difficult, but Rice came out on top."We are really pleased with the team's performance this weekend," Volpe said. "It is not easy to win on the road, and those are two pretty tough teams to play on their home courts."Volpe said the team won by playing with a consistent style. While the team has struggled in the past with maintaining a lead, Volpe said the Owls have recently avoided sacrificing points and have been able to win crucial sets."I think one of the key reasons that we won both of those matches was that in tight situations, we played steady and smart volleyball," Volpe said. "We didn't give them points ... there were times that the opposition could have pushed us to five sets, but we either held onto our lead or fought back and won a key set. This was very important."The team's strategy for the rest of the season is simple. Senior outside hitter Mariah Riddlesprigger said Rice will work on its play this weekend in preparation to do well in the conference tournament."This week in practice, we are going to focus on our side of the net and [on] improving our game for the conference tournament," Riddlesprigger said.Riddlesprigger said the team aims to win the conference tournament. Their current record in conference play is 5-6. If Rice manages to win the three remaining conference games, the Owls will be in a solid position as they enter the tournament. Riddlesprigger said the team is utterly committed to getting itself in that position. "At this point, our focus is on winning the conference tournament," Riddlesprigger said. "There is no looking back, and our complete focus is putting us in the best position to win the conference tournament."Volpe said the team is confident in its ability to win its remaining games. She said the Owls just need to continue to play consistent volleyball. "We know that we can beat anybody that we play from here on out," Volpe said. "It's just a matter of execution on our side of the net ... and [of] staying strong and healthy." It took the team a bit of time to reach this winning streak, but Volpe said its momentum is here to stay. Volpe said Rice's recent wins indicate that the team has at last managed to decrease mistakes in close games and capitalize on leads by finishing sets strong. Volpe said now that the Owls have reached this level of play, the team aims to continue the winning streak."Our goal is to keep gaining momentum through solid play," Volpe said.

Baker 13 [Image]

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