Special Projects

After years of trying, Bloomgren finally landed JT Daniels

While he was in Mobile, Ala., preparing his team for Rice’s first bowl appearance in eight years, head coach Mike Bloomgren was also working on another project. JT Daniels, a former five-star recruit who started three games for the University of Georgia’s 2021 national championship team, had just entered the transfer portal and Bloomgren wanted to lure the then-West Virginia University quarterback to South Main.

‘Evolving daily’: Rice athletes navigate the NIL world

Since the NCAA introduced a new policy allowing student-athletes to profit off of their name, image and likeness more than a year ago, Rice athletes are increasingly agreeing to sponsorships with a variety of businesses. Student-athletes have had the opportunity to partner with everything from clothing stores, to food and drink brands, to restaurants. According to Quincy Olivari, a junior guard on the men’s basketball team, he’s used the new NIL rules to sponsor companies to which he feels a personal connection.

Imaje Harvey conducts uncontested write-in campaign for SA secretary

Imaje Harvey, a freshman at Sid Richardson College, will be conducting a write-in campaign for Student Association secretary — a position for which no candidates were previously vying. Solomon Ni, presumptive SA president-elect, announced her write-in candidacy on Monday evening, though there will be no candidates listed on the ballot for the position of secretary. 

Board of Trustees announces architecture firm for academic quad redesign

Rice University Board of Trustees recently announced they’ve selected the architecture firm Nelson Byrd Woltz for the redesign of the academic quadrangle. 

SA town hall features slate of uncontested candidates

Student Association candidates Solomon Ni, Alison Qiu, Crystal Unegbu and Yuv Sachdeva outlined their goals for the SA and addressed questions about their candidacy platforms at the Rice Thresher’s SA Town Hall on Monday, Feb. 22. The town hall was in lieu of the traditional presidential debate, as every SA executive candidate is running uncontested this year. 

Rice, Houston communities come together to support victims of Turkey and Syria earthquakes

The Rice and local Houston communities are working  to fundraise, gather supplies and raise awareness to support victims of the devastating 7.8 and 6.2 magnitude earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria earlier this month, with a current death toll surpassing 46,000.

Graduate student commons opens in PCF tent

The first graduate commons opened in PCF 1 on Feb. 13. The commons is available to graduate students 24/7 using their Rice ID and has dining, study and lounge areas.

Review: ‘Blood and Honey’ is a sticky mess

I am not an advocate of government censorship, but this movie should be criminalized. It should be a punishable offense to have been involved in the making of this movie. It shouldn’t even qualify as a movie, as it has none of the necessary elements. There is no plot, no motives, no characters, no beginning and no end. Let’s discuss this fever dream of an experience.

Review: ‘This is Why’ announces a new era for Paramore

Almost six years after their last album, Paramore has returned with “This is Why,” which moves away from anything the band has ever done before. The album lands in a post-punk space while not limiting itself by the genre. “This is Why” mixes present-day anxiety and post-2020 malaise, making a new sound to define Paramore’s new era.

Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: Standard Marvel, Quality but Little Risk Taken

If you’re a Marvel fan, “Quantumania'' is your standard MCU film. It's well-made, polished and has a good script — all the makings of a good superhero movie. While it hits all the traditional story beats that one would expect from a Marvel movie, its lack of creative risk taking, particularly in the third act, leaves much to be desired.

‘Secret menu’ drinks you haven’t tried

Have you been suffering from a drink slump? Have you gotten in line and spent the whole line trying to figure out what you want? Have you asked your friends what they get, trying to find inspiration, only to hear Nutty Bee and Milky Way over and over? If so, here’s a list of drinks you might not have tried to free you from that slump.

‘Dump month’ is back: Throwaway films to waste your time

January has historically been known as a “dump month” in the film industry, where movies that will likely have lesser box office or critical success than other works slated for the year are “dumped” into theaters. However, with the rise of streaming and the fall of movie theater culture, many argue that dump month is no more. To determine whether this month in the film industry is as consistently disappointing as ever, I reviewed four movies released in January. 

Rice Players’ ‘Boeing Boeing’ to take off at Hamman Hall

Behind every crash and burn fiasco is a series of bad decisions — or, for the Rice Players’ production of “Boeing Boeing,” a collaborative theatrical team. 

Soul Night highlights Black culture and community

Rice Black Student Association’s Soul Week culminates in Soul Night on Feb. 25 at the Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall. Soul Night is a cultural showcase dedicated to Black talent and art, and this year’s theme is The Blackprint, celebrating Black people’s impact on global culture and history. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is preceded by dinner at 6 p.m. Rice and Houston community members can pre-order tickets for $10 or buy tickets at the door for $15.

Backpage Announces SA Candidacy

Black at Rice: Tamaz Young narrates life experiences through poetry

Tamaz Young didn’t begin writing with the intention of becoming a poet, let alone publishing a poetry collection. Instead, Young said that writing served as a way to release his emotions. 

Science, tech, engineering and crochet: looking at COLL courses

Like any other course, COLL 113 begins with a discussion of the assigned readings. The current discussion topic is the relationship between crocheting and coding, and how the fields can be used to inform one another. Afterwards, the teacher demonstrates crochet techniques for the class, projected on a screen so her hands are visible.

Yin and yang: Castleberry twins discuss self-identity

Upon meeting a pair of identical twins, many may wonder what it’s like to have someone who’s only distinguishable by a fingerprint — or in Drew and McKenna Castleberry’s case, a toenail painted blue.

Solomon Ni for Student Association president

The Thresher endorses a Student Association presidential candidate every year. This year, to no one’s surprise, the Editorial Board endorses Solomon Ni — not only because he is the only option, but also because he has expansive plans to make changes. However, in a time of exceptionally low engagement both externally and within the SA, many of his plans are overly ambitious without laying a solid foundation.

ChatGPT is far from the villain it’s made out to be.

Last week’s issue of the Thresher included a letter to the editor that discussed the use of ChatGPT by Rice students. Felicity talks about how the reason we came to Rice was “to grow as a student and individual,” and I believe that in this regard, they are absolutely correct. Where she errs is when she implies throughout the article that this growth and intellectual stimulation are completely incompatible with the use of ChatGPT as an online tool. She is most certainly not the only one who holds that view. Many professors at Rice and across the world are currently grappling with how to handle the rise of A.I. I firmly believe that ChatGPT does have a place in academia and that the vast majority of Rice students are using ChatGPT in a positive manner that actually contributes to their educational pursuits.