Last week, the Thresher snuck backstage following The Smoking Section's crowd-slaying show at Willy's Pub to hang out with the band and bask in the glow of their fame while asking them deep and soul-searching questions. The conversation covered everything from jorts to, of course, spirit animals.Rice Thresher: So how long have you guys been playing together?
In last week's article on the world literature departments ("New world lit department considered"), the Thresher quoted Associate Professor of German Studies Christian Emden in a way which implied support of a merger between the world literature departments. However, it was not the intention of the Thresher to align Emden or the German Studies department with the supporting side of ?the debate. Last week, the Thresher incorrectly reported some of the grades from the Baker Institute Student Forum's "Grade the President" panel ("BISF event gives Obama 'C+'," ). Obama's initial score was a 3.07, not a 3.20. 2.90 is a B-, not a C+.
With the advent of the somewhat chilly November weather, the baseball team's fall practices end today. While starting spots up for grabs on both the mound and the field will likely not be solidified until the team starts workouts again in January, the coaching staff will look at the stats produced in fall ball as an indicator of who could bring the most pop to the lineup or the most power from the mound. Of the hurlers, several players stand out as having improved remarkably since last spring. Junior Matthew Reckling has improved his control to a large extent, allowing four hits in five innings of work on Monday to go along with five strikeouts and just one walk. His fastball has been clocked consistently in the mid-90s, and his curve ball has remained solid. Fellow junior Taylor Wall additionally threw four scoreless innings on Monday, marking a strong finish for him.
Rice has been improving its green awareness and sustainability, but has room for improvement according to the 2011 College Sustainability Report Card published by the Sustainable Endowment Institute. Rice University received a B+ overall, taking it out of the category of Campus Sustainability Leaders. The grade is in fact an improvement from last year's B, but according to the report card's press release, several other universities, such as Yale University, Brown University and the University of Minnesota, drastically improved sustainability and cost-saving measures in the past year, moving them up to the A or A- category. With increased competition, Rice did not make the cut to be a sustainability leader this year.
Customers familiar with the morning routine at Salento Cafe in the Brochstein Pavilion were served their habitual cup of joe with a distinct change when the "Green the Brochstein" kickoff event took place this past Monday. Baristas dawning green bowler caps and matching scarves advertised coming changes to the Pavilion through the new "Green the Brochstein" initiative, a student-led effort to make the cafe more environmentally conscious. The event, which was organized by a group of members of the class ENST 302: Environmental Issues: Rice Into the Future, was created to gauge consumer demand for more environmentally friendly offerings and organic food items at the cafe. Surveys were created to see if the added expense may be cost-effective in the long run. The event included special promotions such as free samples of a new sandwich, an opportunity to meet the head chef of Salento and discounted coffee for customers who brought their own reusable mugs.
The Nov. 2 mid-term elections were quite historic, with Republicans regaining a wave of momentum that they had dramatically lost only two years ago. High national voting turnout was mirrored by the turnout of Rice student voting (see story, page 1); approximately 400 Rice students participated in voting on-campus, a distinct increase from the 2008 elections - a particularly impressive feat, since this most recent election did not include the vote for the presidency.Thus it seems that Rice's various attempts to get out the vote and promote student participation in the democratic process were successful. However, 400 students still represent a relatively low proportion of the entire student body eligible to vote. The fact remains that Rice is predominantly populated by out-of-state students, many of whom refuse to alter their hometown allegiances by registering to vote in Harris County.
In Houston, Mexican places are as prevalent as Starbucks or McDonald's. But unlike mega-conglomerate restaurants, Mexican places can vary exceedingly in quality and specialty. For instance, Chuy's and Taco Milagro are both local restaurants that are similar in price range yet are complete opposites in atmosphere and focus. It's hard to believe they both serve variations on the same cuisine. If you approach Chuy's at night, your eyes are instantly drawn to the huge blinking sign in the front with an arrow pointing toward the building. This sign is an excellent representation of Chuy's personality as a restaurant: loud and fun, without a hint of subtlety. The decor inside is wild, freely clashing in a myriad of colors and shapes. Loud music is piped from speakers that seem ubiquitous, and Elvis' face stares down at you from each wall. Why Elvis? Good question. The jury's still out on that one. But the basic idea is that the Chuy's franchise originated in Austin, and, as we all know, Austin is weird. Chuy's is a family restaurant, so go later in the evening if you have an aversion to small children.
Despite having their respective seedings in the Conference USA tournament already set in stone, the Rice soccer team and the University of Houston fought as if the C-USA tournament had already started, chasing after every loose ball and getting physical when it was necessary. The two teams combined for a bruising 27 fouls, including one yellow card for each side, to a 0-0 tie. To followers of Rice athletics, the intensity was no surprise. Any game that pits these two Houston schools against each other has more meaning than simply a win or loss. More than a few of the Cougar football players attended the game in support of their fellow athletes.
Students might be used to seeing their grades drop after a midterm. However, United States President Barack Obama's grade dropped from a B to a C+ after a panel debate hosted by the Baker Institute Student Forum in the Doré Commons last Friday evening.Teams of four representatives from the Young Democrats and the Conservatives Forum tried to persuade the audience to agree to their respective grades on health care, international relations, education, and three economic topics: the deficit, Wall Street, and Main Street.
In volleyball, ephemeral hope is all too common. One moment a team can be celebrating a critical kill and then seconds later can feel frustration at a ball that fell to the floor just out of reach. The same could be said for the Owls' regular season conference championship hopes, as their optimism came crashing down this weekend. With losses to Southern Methodist University (17-5, 9-2 C-USA) and the University of Tulsa (21-2, 11-0 C-USA) over the weekend, Rice is now 12-11 overall and 7-4 in conference, leaving them four games behind Tulsa for the conference lead. On Friday night, the Owls lost to SMU by a score of 3-1. The Mustangs barely squeezed past the Owls in the first set 25-23 after nearly blowing a 8-2 lead. Rice stayed even with the Mustangs throughout the first half of the second set before breaking away to a 25-19 victory on a pivotal kill by freshman outside hitter Mariah Riddlesprigger. However, the Mustangs' lauded defense proved their mettle, as SMU broke the Owls' momentum by taking the next two sets 25-21 and 25-16 to win the match. Despite a variety of attacks from Rice during the last two sets, they were unable to maintain any type of momentum against the Mustangs. For the match, senior middle back Nancy Cole had 18 kills, while sophomore outside hitter Laurie McNamara added 12. Senior setter Meredith Schamun had 48 assists and senior libero Tracey Lam added 24 digs.
With a final stroking of his Just For Men-immaculate beard, Brian Wilson blazed a fastball past the massive frame of Ryan Howard for strike three to give the San Francisco Giants their most recent chance to claim their first World Series championship since the days when Willie Mays roamed centerfield at Polo Grounds. Just a day before, the Texas Rangers had more than just clawed and antlered their way past the vaunted New York Yankees, torching the Fighting Steinbrenners 6-1 in front of a rowdy Arlington crowd to clinch their first-ever trip to the Fall Classic. So why, with one of the two biggest championship droughts in baseball history certain to fall before the next Rice football victory, is the biggest story in baseball surrounding a player's fate off the diamond? I'm talking, of course, of left-handed pitcher and current Texas Ranger Cliff Lee and his seemingly inevitable destiny to head to the Bronx, shave his soul patch, collect a purported $35 million check and don the storied pinstripes. But for the sake of preserving whatever sanctity America's pastime still clings to, Lee should shirk the glitz and glamour of The Big Apple for the heat and traffic of the Metroplex.
Curious to hear what DJ Earworm has to say about his origins as a mashup artist, what the future of the digital age holds for remix culture, how to get started making sample-based music and the tunes he jams out to in his spare time? Check out Dave Rosales' exclusive interview with the DJ below.
With only two weekends remaining in the powderpuff season before rescheduled games take place, each of the four playoff spots are still up for grabs. In a season where a number of great teams have emerged, but no single juggernaut has taken the league by storm, teams have a chance to define their seasons in these last two weeks. The Game of the Week featured two of these great teams: arguably two of the very best units in the entire league. Lovett College, with just a single loss in the season occurring in the final seconds of their game against Sid Richardson College, boasts a powerful offense that utilizes the quarterback option to burn its opponents on the ground as well as through the air. Their opponent, an undefeated Sid Richardson College team, featured a defense that had yet to allow a point over the course of the season. A lot of anticipation came with the Game of the Week, and the match-up of these two playoff hopefuls lived up to its high expectations.Game of the Week: Lovett 7, Sid Rich 6 (OT)
The women's club soccer team poses with their latest trophy, having captured the Houston Club Sports Conference championship with a perfect 6-0-0 record, allowing only three goals on the season.
Indian restaurants are usually safe havens for vegetarians, as India has a long history of vegetarian cuisine. Shiva does not disappoint and, in fact, offers a broader selection of dishes than most Indian restaurants. Now, if only they could remember what their own menu says.The appetizers are abundant and varied. Vegetable Pakora (fritters), Alloo Chaat (potatoes in tangy dressing) and Vegetable Samosas (potato pastries) are available individually or as a platter, which is supposed to include a selection of each. I ordered the veggie platter in an attempt to review the greatest variety of food, but when the dish arrived, it contained only fritters instead of the selection I had been led to believe was coming. I can only hope that my order was mixed up with another customer's, otherwise I must assume that the staff has no idea what is on the menu. Regardless, the fritters were excellent, freshly fried and hot out of the pan.
As students prepare for an undoubtedly Decadent weekend (see story, page 1), dramatic stories of students afflicted by alcohol poisoning at universities around the country pour in. This month alone, incidents with the newly popular Four Loko caffeinated alcoholic drink have left a plethora of students hospitalized in Washington (Central Washington University), New Jersey (Ramapo College) and New York (Cornell University). Caffeinated alcoholic drinks' ability to mask inebriation is behind their quickly spreading popularity but also the cause of their dangerous health concerns. The recent outbreaks have even prompted officials to contemplate banning drinks such as Four Loko; however, these dangers are equally present with any sort of liquor-energy drink combinations. With this recent flurry of alcohol incidents around the country in mind and the upcoming celebration of Night of Decadence, it would be most prudent to recall Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson's words about Rice's unique "culture of care." After all, it is this dynamic that separates Rice from the rest. So, as we celebrate one of Rice's greatest traditions this weekend, let's have a great time while also keeping in mind the well-being of our fellow students. At the very least, let's not contribute to the growing movement that seeks to eliminate Four Lokos from stores' shelves.
DJ Earworm mixes and mashes contemporary music at the Rice Program Council's homecoming concert Friday night. Read the Thresher's review of the concert here.
