Special Projects

A&E 3/19/24 10:26pm

Review: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ misses the punchline

By Kristal Hanson

“Kung Fu Panda 4” brings us back into the vibrant world of Po and his kung fu adventures. The movie kicks off with a playful nod to the franchise’s own commercial success as Mr. Ping unveils his new noodle shop: Dragon Warrior Noodles and Tofu. However, the absence of the Furious Five, beloved warriors of the franchise, disappoints both characters in the film and the audience.

A&E 3/19/24 10:25pm

MFAH’s ‘Vertigo of Color’ explores a summer of artistic experimentation

By Juliana Lightsey

Four galleries of art tell the story of previously-unestablished Henri Matisse and André Derain and their shared 1905 summer spent in Collioure, a fishing town in the South of France. Titled “Vertigo of Color: Matisse, Derain, and the Origins of Fauvism,” the exhibit opened Feb. 25 at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

A&E 3/19/24 10:24pm

Review: ‘eternal sunshine’ is introspective but fails to take risks

By Ashley Wang

To say that Ariana Grande has had a tumultuous four years since the release of her last album, “positions,” would be an understatement.

FEATURES 3/19/24 10:20pm

Changeover traditions: greeting or punishment?

By Hugo Gerbich-Pais

Baking, roasting and challenges: This isn’t the recipe for your favorite cooking show, they’re college changeover traditions. The outgoing college government leaders are about to leave, ceding their positions to those rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in need of a resume booster – though some are motivated by an altruistic love for their college. This power vacuum needs to be filled and nearly every college celebrates changeover in a slightly different way, from the whimsical to the disgusting.

FEATURES 3/19/24 10:19pm

Blast from the flask: a dive into college night’s history

By Sam Balakrishnan

Although borgs and tinted water bottles come to mind when Rice students hear the words “college night,” the tradition had very different beginnings.

FEATURES 3/19/24 10:19pm

Rice business clubs bring in the big bucks

By Shruti Patankar

Energized by Apple Stocks notifications and armed with Audrey’s lattes, teams of Rice students are recreating Shark Tank here on campus. The rapidly growing business major’s popularity has made way for investing clubs with hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding.

OPINION 3/19/24 10:10pm

What we want to see from Jae Kim’s presidency

By Thresher Editorial Board

Jae Kim has assumed the role of Student Association president, having led his first Senate meeting Monday night. We hope that Kim will foster serious deliberation within the SA and make meaningful change through concrete initiatives. Here are the changes that we want Kim and the new SA cohort to focus on during the 2024–25 term.

OPINION 3/19/24 9:46pm

I’m proud to call the Thresher home

By Prayag Gordy

Today ends my term as editor-in-chief of the Rice Thresher. I’ve been involved with the paper since freshman year — even before the semester began, actually, since I was one of those annoying freshmen who wanted to start over the summer.

NEWS 3/19/24 9:42pm

Rice joins new federal AI Safety Institute Consortium

By Viola Hsia

Rice joined the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Artificial Intelligence Consortium, which aims to support safe practices and uses of AI.

NEWS 3/19/24 9:38pm

Largest staff division unveils plan to better serve Rice community

By Prasi Desai

The Division of Operations, Finance and Support, formerly known as Finance and Administration, released a five-year strategic plan to enhance “operational excellence,” customer experiences and inclusivity.

NEWS 3/19/24 9:37pm

Rice launches Center for Nanoscale Imaging Sciences

By Wenshi Chen

The Center for Nanoscale Imaging Sciences, housed within the Wiess School of Natural Sciences, launched at the beginning of March, aiming to improve the capture, analysis and interpretation of images at the nanometer scale.

NEWS 3/19/24 9:35pm

Beer bikers required to spend five hours on track for certification

By Viola Hsia

Beer Bike riders are now required to spend at least five hours practicing on the track to get certified to race in Beer Bike, after revisions to the biker and pit crew requirements.

SPORTS 3/13/24 9:04pm

WBB wins conference tournament, clinches spot in March Madness

By Kathleen Ortiz

Rice women’s basketball is headed to March Madness for the first time since 2019 after winning the American Athletic Conference tournament in their first year in the conference.

NEWS 3/5/24 10:55pm

Kim elected SA president, Ngo wins nailbiter for treasurer in high-turnout race

By James Cancelarich

Jae Kim has been elected to serve as the next Student Association president, receiving 64% of first-place votes against Trevor Tobey, who received 34.2%. 1,928 students voted in the election, amounting to a voter turnout of 42.09%, nearly triple last year’s turnout of 15.02%.

NEWS 3/5/24 10:55pm

UCourt complaint alleges SA power grab, claims ballot inaccurately represented constitutional changes

By Maria Morkas and Viola Hsia

The Student Association ballot inaccurately represented proposed constitutional changes that “consolidated power in the hands of fewer people,” an unnamed student alleged in a complaint filed with the University Court Feb. 22.

NEWS 3/5/24 10:54pm

How to get your money from Rice’s ‘568 cartel’ lawsuit settlement

By Prayag Gordy

Rice settled a class action lawsuit in February for $33.75 million. The complaint alleged that Rice and 16 other elite universities illegally conspired to limit financial aid. Rice settled before trial — as do the vast majority of civil cases — and the university denies any wrongdoing.

SPORTS 3/5/24 10:52pm

Wrecked at Reckling: Owls swept by LSU and Stanford

By Diego Palos Rodriguez and Ana Rivera

Reckling Park and the Owls hosted some of the country’s best players this past week, starting with a 16-4 loss against the defending national champions, Louisiana State University, on March 5, followed by a three-game series against Stanford University, ultimately getting swept.

NEWS 3/5/24 10:51pm

Hopkins dives into Black history at Rice archives

By Brandon Chen and Njwi Achoh

Rice’s Black History Month Committee hosted a series of over 20 events, spanning academic and social spheres and facilitating conversations around the history of African Americans throughout the month.