NEWS
9/27/12 7:00pm
SA meeting minutes
The following were noted at the most recent meeting of the Student Association on Sept. 24.
The following were noted at the most recent meeting of the Student Association on Sept. 24.
Minimalism at its core, "Coexist" strips away the superfluous elements of standard electronic pop, exposing raw emotion through simplistic musicality. The long-awaited sophomore album of The xx continues the story of the British indie-pop band rather than beginning a new chapter.
"The 2nd Law" - Muse -The sixth studio album from the English alternative rock band has been robustly described by lead singer Matthew Bellamy as "a Christian gangster rap jazz odyssey, with some ambient rebellious dubstep and face-melting metal flamenco cowboy psychedelic music." In other words, the band will certainly be experimenting with its signature symphonic sound. Singles already released in- clude "Madness" and "Survival," the latter of which doubled as the official song of the 2012 London Olympics.
The much-venerated Wiess College tradition of recruiting starry-eyed freshmen to perform a slew of one-act plays, this year's ranging from clever reflections on humanity to a ridiculous burlesque sketch, has come again. The actors should be granted accolades for being bold enough to get up on stage in the first weeks of what can be an exhausting introduction to college life. However, there were several cardinal sins committed during the performance that stained the productions. First: Do not, as an actor, make nervous "Am I doing this right?" eye contact with your reviewer. Not only are you obviously breaking whatever character, or caricature, you are performing, it also mars the flow of the production. The second, third and fourth sins all fall under tech: Transition, lighting and sound cues are not afterthoughts to a production. Blackouts must be timed and precise. Otherwise your actors are left frozen, eyes darting nervously about the stage. Coupled with that, transitions between acts need to be swift and silent. A flimsy screen is not a backstage muffler. Sound needs to be louder and the audience does not need to hear you clicking away on your Macbook Pro to increase the volume. I understand that this is a low-tech ensemble production, but that does not mean sloppy tech. All that being said, I found all the selections to be witty and pleasing enough. There were several stellar performances, namely Jonathan Rand's "Drugs are Bad," Bruce Kane's "In the Beginning" and S.W. Senek's "An Ongoing Examination of the True Meaning of Life." "Drugs," directed by juniors Anne Wei, Jim Sheng, Luis de las Cuevas and Ian Kretz, was a delicious treat, inverting the stereotype of "good, straight-laced parents produce bad-apple kid" in a hilarious manner. (In this case, it would seem the more directors, the better.) Anne Wells and Vicky Comesanas star as Dad and Mom, two charmingly accented parents who bemoan the condition of their offspring, played by Teddy Hickman, a Princeton-educated, scientific journal-reading, skim-milk drinker. The energy between parents and child was spot on, from the incomprehension at such nefarious antics as learning to the exasperation of a teenager looking upon his seemingly dud parents. A twist at the end ties the piece up tidily and leaves the viewer jonesing for another. Bruce Kane's "In the Beginning" re-frames the classic Adam and Eve knowledge story in a bar with apple margaritas, one dumb lug and an Eve no man or serpent could resist. Adam, played by Ryan Deal, is stiff to the point of being excessively awkward in the first moments, but the scene livens up when Eve (Isabel Scher) sashays her smart self onto the scene and undoes that demure little sweater. Gavin Cross's Serpent is unctuous, posturing and oh-so-slimy. The wardrobe in this play perfectly complements the setting and choreography. Accolades to sophomore directors Marie Chatfield, Helen "Andie" Eikenberg and Matt Keene. Directed by juniors Meredith Jackson and Thomas Ladd, "An Ongoing Examination of the True Meaning of Life" steals the show. The act features a Narrator, played by Eric Stone, He, played by Sean Doyle and She, played by a crude dummy. He and She literally do steal the play away from the Narrator to enact a perfect revenge mirroring what the Narrator has spent the play putting He and She through. The pom-pom haired dummy in a green - no, yellow - no, green sweater was a laughably lumpy prop. The energy on stage was incredibly dynamic and kinetic. And the voices - the tones of the voices were spot on: so rich, so bold. I might even go so far as to liken Eric Stone, in his hapless actions and occasionally frenetic movements, to a bit of a young Hugh Grant. Maybe it was the momentary deployment of British accents and scenes on a park bench that unduly influenced me to appreciate the cheeky character. Though these three top the list, there are humorous moments in all the performances. Sophomores James Dargan and Christian Hauser direct F. Scott Fitzgerald's "Porcelain and Pink," which starred Olivia Tati, Blaque Robeinson and Benjamin Laun. While a bit flat and lacking in chemistry, Lois Marvis' blue nails create a mesmerizing effect, even from her position as Queen of the Tub. Junior Leslie Nguyen and sophomores Annie Zeumer and Addison Verger's treatment of Walter Wykes' "The Tragical Tale of Melissa McHiney McNormous McWhale" involves a host of characters, outrageous costumes and salvation promised with a butter knife. Dropped lines and a musical miscue kept this production from staying afloat, despite its enormous derriere. David Ives' "Sure Thing," directed by junior Jay Becton and senior Emily Nichol, was slightly undone by sound in that at first I could not even hear the bell ringing. An injection of pep and charm would go a long way. Tracey Wilson's "Small World" has the trickiest sound effects of the night in the coordination of all voices on stage. "Small World" is a solid performance with a cheeky twist, but a staleness in the interactions causes it to lag. These one-acts will leave you chuckling even if they do not provoke awe or much contemplation. Perfect 80-minute fare to dip your toes into the college theater scene and a pleasant activity for families' weekend.
Jones vs. Will Rice (19-0) - Jones' running game looked impressive and absolutely lit up Will Rice. They were able to score three touchdowns. The defense also looked strong, holding Will Rice's offense in check throughout the game. Will Rice went 2-5 last year, scoring just 31 points during the season, and looks to be in trouble this season after their struggles last week. Jones seems much improved after an 0-7 record last season. Jones' freshman class looks strong offensively, and the 19 points from Week 1 were more than they scored in any game last season. Sid Richardson vs. Brown (20-12) - Brown held Sid to 13-12 for most of the game. Sid was able to put together long drives for most of the game, while Brown scored on two big plays. Maybe Brown is just extremely explosive, but it's more likely that they should have lost by more than eight points. Sid's defense looked out of sorts in the first half and allowed 12 points but tightened up for a scoreless second half. Sid will be tested this week against a Baker team that has come out firing on all cylinders. Wiess vs. Martel (20-0) - Wiess again looked markedly improved from last season, showing a vastly more potent offense. Despite a respectable defense last season, Wiess still had a -86 point differential, mostly due to an offense that struggled to get on the board most games. All of that seems to have changed this season, with the defense looking as strong as ever and the offense appearing to have found much-needed help in the freshman class. It should be noted, however, that Martel was missing its starting quarterback. After coming into the game as 9.5-point underdogs, Wiess has put the rest of the league on notice that they're going to be much more of a threat this year. The South continues to look absolutely loaded, with Baker, Sid, Lovett, Wiess and Hanszen all projecting to be at least respectable. Lovett vs. McMurtry (7-6) - This game was paused after three quarters on Sunday night to be completed Monday. Lovett got ahead early but was unable to extend the lead, with McMurtry scoring in the third quarter but unable to convert the extra point. Lovett's defense made critical stops throughout the game but seems to have lost some of its explosiveness offensively. Teams also should not discount McMurtry this year, as the team looks significantly better through two weeks after its sub-par performance last season. With a spread of 13.5 points, this game was much closer than anticipated. Either Lovett is not as good as expected or McMurtry is much better than originally thought. My guess is that the truth lies somewhere in between. Baker vs. Duncan (7-0 at halftime) - The two will continue the game this week, though it has yet to have been rescheduled. Through the first two quarters, Baker's run game still looks as solid as ever. Baker also has an interesting match coming up this week against Sid.
Rice Night at the Symphony, sponsored by the Passport to Houston program, allowed 300 students to make their way downtown to Jones Hall on Sept. 14 to explore Houston and to indulge their appreciation for classical music. Students arrived dressed to the nines, representing Rice in sparkling dresses, tailored blouses and suits. The rest of the crowd was older than the average undergraduate and audibly confused by the influx of so many fresh faces. However, once the lights began to flash and everyone settled into the plush red seats, there was no hesitation on either side to strike up conversation and enjoy each other's company. There was little that any culture-seeker would wish for that the venue could not offer, with a bar for those over 21 and a small cafe for others interested in a quick snack. The Symphony Orchestra's program, "The Best of Brahms," did justice to the enchanting music that lives on in its composer's stead. From start to finish, conductor Hans Graf led his musicians in a riveting display of wrist flexibility that translated into euphony. As part of his final series of performances as music director of the Houston Symphony, Graf's concert led him out with a bang, flourish and crescendo. At his side, soloist Garrick Ohlsson bewitched the audience on the piano, and behind them, musicians armed with flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani, strings, contrabassoons and trombones all brought the genius of Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Opus 15, and Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Opus 68, to life. While it is unlikely that the next Rice Night at the Symphony will coincide with another performance of the "Best of Brahms," the event itself was so enjoyable that tickets will surely be as sought-after again in the future. Even if classical music does not tickle everyone's fancy, the experience as a whole was pleasant and relaxing. The Symphony could not have been more welcoming or accommodating to the lucky Owls who managed to score tickets. Graf personally welcomed the Rice students at the beginning of the concert, and their fellow patrons reinforced the sentiment with a round of applause. After the performance, the students gathered on the mezzanine, where tables covered in rich chocolate cake, delectable fruit tarts and other treats awaited them. No expense was spared in the evening's entertainment. For those students who could not get tickets, a number of performances are coming to Jones Hall that may be of interest. There will be several showings from Wicked Divas, as well as performances entitled "Wands and Batons: The Music of Harry Potter and More," "Lang Lang Plays Beethoven" and "Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique."
Prima Pasta, with its cartoonish sign and faux brick facade, is high-end Italian restaurant in disguise. On the corner of Kirby Drive and Holcombe Boulevard, Prima Pasta strives for authenticity, from its rustic interior to its cuisine. Our friendly waiter immediately seated us and brought us garlic bread on the house. We ordered a classic pepperoni pizza, which came piping hot to our table. The pizza had a thick crust topped with mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. This pizza did not taste like delivery; it was extremely fresh and tasted as though it was made from scratch. The crust was soft and delicious and the cook put just the right amount of cheese on top. The pepperoni added a bite of spiciness to the pizza, and did not make the pizza too oily. The pizza is large enough to fill up one person, and other topping options include margarita, chicken mushroom, and bolognese. The next dish that we ordered was the pasta primavera. The pasta primavera included al dente linguine pasta, a sweet and tangy marinara sauce and boiled broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini and squash. All of the vegetables tasted fresh, and the flavors blended very nicely in the marinara sauce. There was just enough sauce to cover the pasta, but not so much that it drowned out the flavors of the vegetables. Prima Pasta is the perfect place if you want familiar, reliable and delicious Italian food at a reasonable price. Houston Hideaways is a column written by Sasha Schoch and Allie Schaich that explores Houston restaurants beyond the usual Rice student haunts.