Special Projects

Students, staffers talk work behind the scenes at Final Four

When San Diego State University guard Lamont Butler hit a corner jumpshot with time expiring – the first buzzer beater in Final Four history hit while trailing – to beat Florida Atlantic University in the men’s college basketball national semifinal, the Owls weren’t the only ones whose plans he foiled.

Wosika, Slinkman highlight strong weekend at Texas Relays

This past weekend, while most Rice students watched or participated in bike relays, several Rice track and field athletes took the stage at the Texas Relays in Austin. Competing against some of the best athletes in the nation, several Owls finished top-ten in their events, highlighted by golds from junior vaulter Alexander Slinkman and junior distance runner Caitlin Wosika. Men’s head coach Jon Warren believes that, despite only sending a few athletes, the team still performed well. 

Baseball drops series to FAU despite Smith shutout

While the Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team came to Houston for the Men’s Final Four, the Rice baseball team swapped places with them for a weekend series in Boca Raton. Despite shutting out FAU in the first game, Rice dropped the next two games by a combined score of 24-11, losing the series and bringing their season record to 14-14. 

Meet the New Admits of the Class of 2027

Beer Bike heats in the heat need more planning

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and Rice students claiming the most recent Beer Bike could have been better. We understand that, with this year being the first race with heats, we were essentially guinea pigs for future Beer Bikes, and we’re okay with that. But there were still some astoundingly obvious and preventable problems that need to be addressed prior to next year’s race. 

Owls’ throwers shine at Victor Lopez Classic

More than 2,000 fans packed into the stands at Holloway Field this past weekend to watch some of the best high school and collegiate track and field athletes in the area compete an the 40th Victor Lopez Classic. Amid the weekend’s festivities, several Owls were able to win their events and set personal records, setting themselves near the top of conference and national rankings. 

‘Screwball antics’: Tracing the history of Beer Bike

Last week, the Thresher released a letter from the editor’s desk lamenting strict Beer Bike safety precautions that have started to chip away at the event’s tradition. The Thresher spoke to alumni and dug into the archives to explore the inception of Beer Bike and its storied history.

Senior Spotlight: Edward Walker showers praise

If you need to know where the best showers are at Rice, Edward Walker is the person to talk to. 

VADA events coordinator Maria Martinez does it all

As events coordinator for Rice’s Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts, Maria Martinez is currently booking films for Rice Cinema, distributing events calendars, finding studio models, assisting with student-run gallery Sleepy Cyborg, talking to local artists and responding to emails. She’s also making a lot of coffee. 

Campus predicts 2023 Beer Bike results

With Beer Bike just around the corner, The Thresher gathered thoughts, predictions and updates from students across campus. Here’s what they had to say:

Thresher Declassified: Beer Bike Survival Guide 2023

With a grand total of one Beer Bike under my belt — and signing up for a water balloon filling shift my freshman year — I am basically a Beer Bike expert, at least on a campus recovering from the cultural impact of COVID-19. For freshmen who are eagerly awaiting Saturday morning or seniors experiencing their first and last Beer Bike (it’s probably just my roommate to be honest), I have put together the most stellar and totally serious guide to Beer Bike. 

03-29-2023 Crossword Solutions

03-29-2023 Crossword: "Beer Bike!"

Rice hits record low 7.7% acceptance rate for ‘27

Rice’s Office of Admissions admitted 2,399 students out of a total 31,049 applicants, on March 27. With a 7.7% admit rate, this year has seen a new record-low for acceptances, surpassing last year’s previous record-low of 8.56% for the Class of 2026.

Neuroscience B.S. to debut in the fall

The neuroscience Bachelors of Science was approved by Faculty Senate at the March 9 meeting and will be incorporated into the General Announcements for the following academic year. The major includes two tracks: molecular and cellular neuroscience and computational neuroscience. 

Undergrad tuition to increase 5.7% next academic year

Rice’s undergraduate tuition for the 2023-24 academic year will be $57,210, a 5.7% increase from the previous year. This brings the total cost of attendance up to $74,028, marking the fourth consecutive year of tuition increases and highest percentage increase in recent years. The most recent comparable tuition hike was an increase of 5.4% for the 2010-11 academic year, which came in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

RTA hosts annual Taiwanese Night Market

The Rice Taiwanese Association held its annual night market this past Saturday, hosting 415 students in Central Quad and Ray’s Courtyard for a night of food, games and culture, according to RTA Internal Vice President Shani Chiang.

Review: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ takes the franchise to new heights

Everyone’s favorite globe-trotting, gun-toting grim reaper John Wick returned to theaters this past weekend, marking the fourth entry in director Chad Stahelski’s action saga. This newest entry follows an exhausted Wick as he attempts to finally escape the High Table, an underground crime ring that John has been fighting since the death of his wife. This premise is a far cry from the straightforward revenge narrative that defined the first film in the franchise, as each new entry in the series has managed to up the ante and expand the universe’s mythology. This inertia is continued into “Chapter 4,” as the stakes are raised to new heights, the action is more intricate than ever and the coterie of assassins surrounding the titular character is more memorable than in previous films. Despite this expansion in mythos, scope and runtime, “Chapter 4” also manages to recapture some of the emotional center that the series has drifted away from since its first, creating a surprisingly satisfying tale of revenge and reflection on the lengths we may go to achieve it. The result is an unsubtle, unconstrained and untouchable romp that pushes the limits of the action genre as a whole.

Review: Lana Del Rey is directionless with new album

The appeal of Lana Del Rey has always been the softness of her tragedy. The depressed feminine found the perfect host in Del Rey’s sultry and beautifully exhausted voice, but it’s debatable whether the uniqueness of her delivery can always compensate for the lack of what she’s delivering. The album “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” feels like what was once Lana Del Rey’s signature sound saturated to the point of caricature. All the trademark references to god, unkind men and cigarettes are trotted out dispassionately, making the album feel more like playing Lana Del Rey bingo than a meaningful musical experience. 

Review: Yves Tumor shows the beauty in contradictions with new album

“Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds),” is Yves Tumor’s most agitated album to date. Released on March 17, “Praise A Lord'' offers a flood of dirty chords and characteristically brilliant lyrics. “Lovely sewer, tragedy free / In love with the frenzy,” Tumor writes at the album’s outset. Their elusive image and haunting, glamor-punk style create an air of enigmatic mysticality that leaves their creations up for interpretation. Both devoid of soul and absolutely overflowing with it, “Praise A Lord” is Yves Tumor’s ineffable masterpiece.