Special Projects

What's Your Number a romantic comedy to catch

Girly comedies like Bridesmaids and Knocked Up are becoming ever more popular in this day and age – and thank goodness for that. What's Your Number has its share of comedic goodies thanks to its sharp writing and acting sensation Anna Faris.

A history of caffeine consumption at Rice

People drink it sociably in public and private places alike, consuming it in its rawest, most bitter forms, or mixing it with other flavors so that the sweetness will make the drink more bearable. Not many people are aware of just how physically and psychologically dependent they are on it, and most are willing to spend a ridiculous amount of money for one small serving of temporary fulfillment. For better or worse, you can buy this addicting liquid almost anywhere; Rice has three places that sell it, all within minutes of each other.

What's Their Secret

He is a large and imposing fellow. Few of his students ever forget his domineering voice. Professor Mason Tomson is a distinguished professor, and well-known among students in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department.

Limelight: Chowl Bhangra

Classic Flicks: Akira Kurosawa's Red Beard

Most film buffs will at least pause at the altar of Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. So much has been elegantly said and written about Kurosawa that it feels almost redundant to write an appreciation of his films, but his influence seems to be more indirectly felt by modern audiences. Kurosawa's works have inspired popular filmmakers, from western film guru0 John Ford to the king of pulp, Quentin Tarantino.

Volleyball dominates SMU, swept by Tulsa

 Heading up north into the heartland of Texas and into the farmlands of Oklahoma, the Owls knew they would be facing a tough test against the top two teams in Conference USA last season, Southern Methodist University (5-11, 1-3) and the University of Tulsa (13- 4, 4-0). Their trip brought mixed results as the Owls earned a 1-1 split on the weekend, beating SMU and falling short to Tulsa.

Reducing Beer Bike racers would improve race safety

What could possibly be changed about the day most Rice University students and alumni agree is the best day of the year? With pre-sunrise musical wake-ups, delicious food, drink aplenty, and supposedly the world's largest water balloon fight, Beer Bike is as close to perfect as any college event could be. Or is it?

RUPD new officer training will improve student-officer relations

The Rice University Police Department took great strides to improve its relationship with the student body by instituting a new college-centric training program for newly-hired RUPD officers (see story, pg. 7). RUPD has hired quite a number of new officers over the past year, and Rice's culture makes it necessary for the new officers to be specifically trained to understand how the college system operates.

Caffeine Culture: How Rice Consumes caffeine today

Caffeine is as much a staple of college life as free T-shirts and ramen noodles. Recently, newcomers like energy drinks and caffeinated alcohol have joined the caffeine offering and created quite a buzz. However, at least here at Rice, they have yet to overturn the popularity of traditional drinks like tea, soda and – above all – coffee.

Distinct coffee cultures in Europe and US

Coffee culture dates back to the 14th century Arab world, when the first coffee houses were opened in Constantinople and Mecca. In addition to providing coffee, tea and light snacks, coffee houses were a place where people could engage in conversation, play board games, tell stories and discuss philosophy and politics. Coffee houses brought individuals together and served as artistic and intellectual hubs in Eastern and Western Europe.

Hanszen party not particularly distinctive

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Trends on Campus: The Many, Many Facets of Maxi Dresses

Sky high hemlines are taking an exit and being replaced with a modest alternative — the maxi dress. As worn by Baker College freshman Andrea Rogers, the maxi dress is an easy way to protect yourself from the harsh Houston rays without compromising style.

BISF Debates: Do political assassinations undermine the constitution

As someone who aspires to promote peaceful interactions between the U.S. and the Middle East, I would be outraged over the killing of Yemeni-American radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki on Sept. 30, 2011 via drone strike. However, I feel quite the opposite; I am proud of our intelligence community for taking decisive action to neutralize a significant international threat.

This week's editorial cartoon

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Looking at Rice Farmer's Market

Rice students have a multitude of serveries, a convenience store, the Coffeehouse and Sammy's to choose from for food, but there is one place most students overlook.

Arrested Development gives life new meaning

As the President of the Rice Conservative Forum, people often ask me when I first became involved in political activism. It was my freshman year in high school, when FOX network decided to replace "Arrested Development" with "Dancing with the Stars" for its television show line-up. I knew I had to do something. A lot has changed since my friends and I ran a Save "Arrested Development" booth, but my love for the greatest show to hit the airwaves has stayed the same. After years of waiting, the announcement finally came that "Arrested Development" would return to network programming, and I am overcome with emotion.

Soccer 24th in nation after flawless weekend

13-8-4. That's the record of the soccer team since Head Coach Nicky Adams took the helm back in September 2010, a 25-match record that presents a stark contrast to the 6-10-3 record the Owls endured during the 2009 season. Two of those 13 wins came this past weekend as Rice took to the road to face Southern Methodist University (7-5-0, 3-1-0 Conference USA) on Saturday and the University of Tulsa (7-4- 2, 1-2-1 C-USA) on Sunday. With the Owls and Mustangs having nearly identical records, the fans at Westcott Field in Dallas were expecting a close matchup featuring two of the conference's top defenses, which is exactly what they got. SMU came into the tussle very confident after knocking off the 19th-ranked University of Central Florida, while the Owls were hoping to bounce back from a tough 1-0 loss to the ninth-ranked University of Memphis. After 45 minutes, the score remained deadlocked at zero, with SMU having a slight advantage in terms of total shots and corner kicks. Freshman goalkeeper Amy Czyz stonewalled the Mustangs' attempts to put points on the scoreboard, but the Owls' attacking forwards were unable to capitalize on a few first-half breakups, pushing the ball forward too often when the numbers were not to their advantage. Adams spoke about the Owls' initial nerves that kept them from setting up better opportunities for goals.

Alumni reflect on the changing coffee scene

Caffeine has always served as a sociable source of fuel for Rice students, with their endless stream of problem sets and reading assignments, but the extent of caffeine usage has changed dramatically between the mid-20th century and the early 21st. Though earlier alumni generally testified to the absence of different forms of coffee and a lack awareness towards caffeine levels in drinks, the nature of their responses suggests varying generational attitudes towards caffeine usage.

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.