Special Projects

Get fired up for the Year of the Dragon

With Lunar New Year approaching on Feb. 10, there are plenty of events happening both on and off campus. The 15 days following the new moon will be filled with delicious food, intricate lion dances, firework shows and gift-giving in auspicious red envelopes. Get ready to welcome the Year of the Dragon in style. 

Reevaluate the costs of student leadership

Solomon Ni announced their resignation from the Student Association presidency Jan. 22, citing mental health concerns and burnout. Ni’s resignation resurfaces conversations about the responsibilities and benefits of student leadership. 

The burden of tradition: NOD 2023 was the fault of systemic issues, not the students

Student discourse in the aftermath of Night of Decadence has frequently taken a defeatist character. A muted “I guess that’s what we get” has risen in response to the cancellation of publics, without any form of organized protest. This passivity in the face of blatant paternalism ignores a major systemic issue: the loss of student autonomy in maintaining traditions.

WRC commons roof undergoes repairs

Roofing repairs are currently underway for the old Will Rice College commons. According to senior facilities engineer and project manager Matthew Hoffman, 7,250 square feet of roofing is being replaced, and the project is expected to be completed in four weeks.

Liu and Mounajjed launch Bonfire

Bonfire, a new startup platform for sharing on-campus social events, launched Jan. 17. The student founders Michael Mounajjed and Ben Liu say Bonfire aims to unite students. The founders say there are currently 770 users on the platform, equivalent to one in every six Rice undergraduates using the app.

Rice Owls Away Program pilot introduced following student advocacy

Editor’s Note: Students interviewed were given the option of remaining anonymous in the interest of keeping their experiences private. The anonymous student was given false names, which have been marked with an asterisk on first mention.

CCD to hold spring career expo

The Center for Career Development will host the Spring 2024 Career & Internship Expo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 2. The expo will include more than 70 employers, representing industries from aerospace, consulting, engineering, medical devices, education and financial services, among others, according to Camille Elmore, the associate director of employer engagement and data management for the CCD.

Molecular Jackhammers present novel method of eradicating cancer

Rice, MD Anderson and Texas A&M researchers have developed a novel method of eradicating cancer with a nanoparticle that shakes so hard, it can break apart a cell.

We will not wait until the next school shooting

Despite calls upon lawmakers to do something about this epidemic of violence, our cries for action fall upon deaf ears. We are tired of being ridiculed as “radical” by lawmakers for championing common-sense gun reforms like expanding background checks, which are supported by a majority of Texans. What is radical is the status quo, where gun violence is the leading cause of death among Texas youth — more than cancer and more than car accidents. Year after year, Texas loosens restrictions on guns, and year after year, the rate of youth gun deaths increases. 

01-24-2024 On this day in Thresher history

Carefully cataloged by the University of North Texas’s Portal to Texas History and the Rice University Woodson Research Center, the archives of the Rice Thresher contain issues of the paper since its creation in 1916. Any Internet user brave enough to venture into over a century of reporting can uncover hidden bits from Rice’s history. From scientific breakthroughs to programming victories, the Thresher is proud to bring you a selection of newsworthy events from Jan. 24.

01-24-2024 Crossword Solutions

01-24-2024 Crossword: "Push Your Luck"

Senior Bucket List

01-24-2024 "Owl American"

Critical season looms for Jose Cruz Jr. and the Rice baseball team

In about three and a half weeks, Rice baseball will kick off their season with their first pitch scheduled for Friday, Feb. 16 when they host the University of Notre Dame for a three-game series. 

Grants build nest together at Rice coaching WBB

Soon after they started dating in 2016, Danyelle and Nick Grant talked about how they could never coach together. They didn’t think it was possible. They were both assistant women’s basketball coaches in different states. 

Women’s tennis outlasted by Harvard in season debut on Saturday

After comfortably winning the doubles point and first singles point, the Rice women’s tennis team fell to Harvard University 4-2 on Saturday, Jan. 20. While playing away from home at the Advantage Indoor - Houston Indoor Tennis Club’s facilities due to cold weather, the Owls made their season debut against a Harvard team that played their third match of the season. 

Owls WBB soar to top of AAC with two more road wins

A strong start to the 2023-24 season continues for the Rice women’s basketball team, which won two more games last week and is tied for the best conference record in the American Athletic Conference standings.

Weekly scenes and screens

Review: “American Fiction” presents a refreshing blend of satire and drama

If you’ve been watching movies these few years, you’ve probably seen Jeffrey Wright. He was Commissioner Gordon in “The Batman,” reprised his role alongside Daniel Craig in “No Time To Die” and played smaller characters in two Wes Anderson movies. Across all these performances, he has been consistently excellent but always limited. Fortunately, “American Fiction” finally allows Wright to take center stage — an opportunity that he capitalizes on, providing a thoughtful and hilarious lead in first-time director Cord Jefferson’s dramedy.