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SPORTS 4/2/24 11:38pm

Teeing off: Rice’s newest club sport drives toward inclusivity

By Ana Rivera

Sophomores Alexa Vela and Brayden Bowin often golf at Memorial Park, down the road from Rice campus. The two sport management and business majors established the Rice golf club on Feb. 14 of this year. According to them, their leadership reflects a vision that seeks to broaden the appeal of golf, making it more accessible and meaningful to a diverse group of people.

A&E 4/2/24 11:33pm

English majors open Pandora’s box for senior projects

By Sarah Motteler

While waiting for a train last summer, Gabby Franklin realized what her senior project would be: a modern play retelling the myth of Pandora’s Jar. Franklin, a Brown College senior, is required — like all seniors majoring in English — to participate in a yearlong seminar course, where students produce long-form writing projects.  

A&E 4/2/24 11:30pm

Fall humanities courses to restore your humanity

By Sarah Motteler

With spring semester rapidly approaching its end, students are beginning to look at fall course offerings. If looking at the general announcements is making you feel generally unhappy, consider adding one of these humanities courses for a little spot of joy in a sea of despair.

A&E 4/2/24 11:29pm

Review: “A Night of Knowing Nothing” is an intimate portrait of activism

By Arman Saxena

Rice Cinema presented three films as part of the Glorious Things series, a collaboration between Rice Cinema, Rice Humanities Research Center and FotoFest, on March 22 and 23. Organized by assistant professor of art Sindhu Thirumalaisamy, the films detail stories from the perspectives of marginalized groups that are connected by a common theme: the intensifying of authoritarianism at Indian universities. “Does Your House Have Lions?” focuses on university suppression of queer students, while “We Have Not Come Here to Die” and “A Night of Knowing Nothing” center on student protest movements that swept India after the death of Rohith Vemula, a student, activist and Dalit, the lowest ranking group in traditional Indian caste hierarchy. 

FEATURES 4/2/24 11:20pm

Pick(nic) your way around campus

By Kristal Hanson

Whether looking to frolic, study, pretend to study or just indulge in some serious snacking, springtime beckons for you to picnic. So grab your backpack (because who actually owns a picnic basket?) and head outdoors to one of these charming locations.

FEATURES 4/2/24 11:18pm

LPAP instructors discuss their lifetime of learning

By Hongtao Hu

While Lifetime Physical Activity Program courses at Rice are required for graduation, they’re a far cry from your dreaded high-school gym class. Not only do the classes range from tai chi to fencing, but their requisite nature and one-semester duration create a special kind of environment for instructors and students alike.

NEWS 4/2/24 11:13pm

Honor Council passes new amendment allowing confidential accusations

By Belinda Zhu

Students can now confidentially accuse each other of honor code violations, according to a  procedural amendment the Honor Council announced in an email to students March 27. Violations can be reported anonymously by students through a Google Form, while faculty and teaching assistants will continue reporting violations through email. 

NEWS 4/2/24 11:12pm

What to know about the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement

By Spring Chenjp

Debate during Student Association meetings and a town hall hosted by Rice Students for Justice in Palestine followed Rice’s tabling of a proposed SA resolution to withdraw SA-disbursed funds from Israel-aligned companies. The resolution, S.RES 02, was developed in accordance with guidelines created by the international Boycott, Divest, Sanction movement. 

NEWS 4/2/24 11:09pm

From South Africa to the Willy statue, admin and SA conflict

By Sarah Knowlton

When the Office of Access, Equity and Equal Opportunity instructed the Student Association to table a resolution adopting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement for Blanket Tax funds, the authors of the resolution called it “a direct violation of [their] freedom of expression” and an “overstep of [administration’s] power.” SA President Jae Kim called the action unprecedented.

NEWS 4/2/24 11:05pm

Pub goes cashless after two burglaries

By James Cancelarich

The Pub at Rice announced that it will be going cashless via Instagram on April 1 following two incidents of burglary. The first burglary occurred between March 19 and 20 and the second on March 30, according to Rice University Police Department crime logs.

NEWS 3/28/24 4:11pm

7.5% acceptance rate marks lowest in Rice history

By Brandon Chen

Rice admitted 2,439 students from 32,459 applicants March 26, according to Vice President for Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva. With a 7.5% admit rate, this is the third consecutive year of record-low acceptance rates. The Thresher previously reported 7.7% and 8.56% acceptance rates for the Class and 2027 and 2026 respectively.

NEWS 3/26/24 11:39pm

Public parties to resume, Martel sundeck off-limits for morning party

By Riya Misra

Campus-wide public parties will resume in time for Beer Bike and Brown College’s Bacchanalia, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman announced in an email to students March 22. The sundeck will permanently be off-limits for Martel College’s morning party, and colleges will not be allowed to reschedule or host additional public parties this semester. 

SPORTS 3/26/24 11:39pm

‘They weren’t afraid of the stage’: Owls fall 70-60 to LSU in close March Madness opener

By Kathleen Ortiz

In an arena with more than double the capacity of Tudor Fieldhouse, Rice women’s basketball forward Malia Fisher admitted that at one point the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, La.,  was so loud she couldn’t hear herself think. “It was a different environment, but you get used to it fast and then you just kind of acknowledge it and put it out of your mind,” Fisher, a junior, said. “That's what we did.”

SPORTS 3/26/24 11:38pm

Rob Lanier named men’s basketball head coach

By Andersen Pickard

Less than two weeks after parting ways with head coach Scott Pera, Rice Athletics announced they have hired Rob Lanier as the program’s 26th head coach. Lanier was previously the head basketball coach at Southern Methodist University, a position he was dismissed from three days ago, on March 21. 

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