Special Projects

Cross country runs strong in Austin and Indiana

With the Conference USA Championship Meet less than a month away, both the men's and women's teams have hit the part of their schedule that puts them up against top regional and national competition. The men will face the top teams in the nation on Oct. 16, when they will head to the Pre-National Meet in Terre Haute, Ind. On the other hand, the women faced their top competition last Friday at the Notre Dame Invitational, where they took 14th place out of 28 teams. Also in attendance were third-ranked Florida State University, which took first place at the meet; 11th-ranked University of Arkansas; seventh-ranked University of New Mexico; and 20th-ranked Pennsylvania State University – just to name a few. If that wasn't enough, the weather made the course even more difficult for Rice. Used to the heat and humidity of Houston, along with a lack of rain thus far, the Owls had to adjust to the howling 20- to 30-mile-per-hour winds and damp conditions due to rain earlier in the week. Still, the Owls persevered and were able to turn in respectable times.

Repurposed a hit for Matchbox

Repurposed is the kind of art that would be best enjoyed on a quiet morning when you can lie on your back, cushioned by thousands of reused plastic bags, and contemplate the mysteries and wonders of the universe as dozens of black and white photos spin above your head.

Owls outplayed in second half; doubled up by USM

Maybe it was because it is a long drive to Mississippi. Maybe the Owls were intimidated by having Brett Favre analyze their game. Maybe the team had a Robert Griffin III hangover. But no matter the cause, the Rice Owls simply were not ready to play when they took the field against the University of Southern Mississippi last Saturday in Hattiesburg, Miss.

Salon of Beauty opens in Rice Art Gallery

The delay has been worth it. Ana Serrano channels the playful vibrancy of Los Angeles urban neighborhoods into the formerly staid Gallery space with her newest installation Salon of Beauty.

Dean Taylor encourages new student leadership initiative

Following President David Leebron's Vision for the Second Century, administrators around campus want to promote student leadership and initiative.

Soccer torches Blazers, tamed by No. 9 Tigers

 If one has watched enough interviews with coaches, it's easy to see that there are two common views on having extended amounts of rest between games or matches: the first being that too much rest will get the athletes out of their "rhythm" and cause the team to get off to a slow start in their upcoming match. Other coaches feel that rest will be logically beneficial and allow the lineup to come out firing on all cylinders.

Politicians ought to think about the next generation, not the next election

At a recent Baker Institute event, Israeli Major General Danny Rotschild said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot pursue peace with Palestine because he is "limited by political reasons." I was stunned by this statement; yes, a peace deal with Palestine will cost him his coalition, but losing an election is not a reason to shun peace with Palestine. Sadly Netanyahu is acting as a typical politician, "thinking of the next election," not a statesman, who "thinks of the next generation."

SA institutes class ring tradition

For students looking to represent all their Rice experiences in one memento, Rice offers a small and portable option: class rings. A group of students, faculty and administrators are collaborating on a project to solidify class ring traditions at Rice and encourage more students to purchase class rings.

Professors' research should not be prioritized over teaching

Universities should focus first and foremost on educating their students. Ensuring that students receive the highest quality education possible should be the fundamental goal of the administration. Unfortunately, as things stand right now, this is not the case. Promotions are given out based on a faculty member's research and the number of times he has been published and referenced in journals without much consideration as to how effective an instructor he or she is.

Thunder Soul documents Houston band

Inspirational band director, Conrad "Prof" Johnson, was able to add unparalleled levels of funk and electricity to a struggling Houston high school jazz band, a band that would reunite after 35 years to pay tribute to their unequalled director. Thunder Soul is a documentary that follows the story of this remarkable reunion. Johnson turned Kashmere High School's band into the Kashmere band, taking them to multiple national high school stage band competitions and winning as the only black band.

Professor receives National Medal of Science

Coming from an immigrant family who was the first to go to college, computer and applied mathematics professor Richard Tapia never planned on winning any awards – especially one of the most prestigious in the country. Now, he is scheduled to receive he National Medal of Science from President Barack Obama in October.

Styling Tips of the Week

Centenni-Ale a huge hit

St. Arnold's Centenni-Ale was released at Valhalla this past Friday and the volume of sales was extremely impressive. The Thresher would like to extend a sincere thanks to Brock Wagner, Rice aulmnus and St. Arnold's founder, for celebrating his alma mater's centenial anniversary in such a distinct way. It is these sorts of small but unique happenings around Rice that make us who we are.

Photo: Salon of Beauty

Ana Serrano's new exhibition opened yesterday at the Rice Gallery. Her installation is a city scape made entirely of cardboard, focusing on the color and liveliness of Los Angeles'  hispanic communities.

Photo: South Cafe opens its doors

South Servery cafe is open for lunch. The cafe is aimed at being another place for graduate students and faculty to eat, offering servery food for purchase.

Chefs turn up the heat for culinary competition

Rice University turned up the heat hosting the 2011 Chefs Under Fire Regional Culinary Competition presented by the Keeper Collection at East Servery last Sunday.

National honor reflects Rice professors' commitment to education

Rice's own Richard Tapia was honored with the U.S. National Medal of Science this past week (see story, pg. 1). Tapia's work in the field of mathematics, paired with his contributions outside the class room, make him extremely deserving of the award. Tapia has been a member of the Rice community for over 40 years, and his long-term association with the university is a testament to Rice's ability to draw and retain the best faculty in the country.

Relish: Shiva is an exotic, easily accessible jewel

Shiva Indian Restaurant is one of the true gems of the Rice Village. Some of our readers may remember our "Veg Out" review from Oct. 2010, but we at the Thresher decided to give the restaurant a second chance and found ourselves converted. It is seldom the case that we find restaurants that are clean, affordable, in close proximity to campus and absolutely delicious, all of which apply ?to Shiva.

Hanszen alumnus speaks about experience as Texas Monthly editor

The senior editor of Texas Monthly, a popular American magazine about life in contemporary Texas and read by one out of seven Texas adults, came to Rice to reflect on his time as a Hanszenite and his thoughts on the presidential campaign of Governor Rick Perry.

Baptism by air: Griffin throws five touchdown passes

When the football team's schedule was released this summer, few could have guessed that Baylor University (3-0) would be the highest ranked team on the slate. But with a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate under center for the team, a receiver with 420 receiving yards and four touchdowns and a tailback with 294 yards and three touchdowns through three games, Baylor's offense has to be considered one of the most dangerous in the country.