Special Projects

Review: ‘Her Loss’ is a solid, if lopsided, collaborative album

For his past two albums, Drake’s best tracks have featured 21 Savage, and for good reason: the duo displays strong chemistry and elicits some of Drake’s best bars in years. “Her Loss,” a collaborative album between Drake and 21 Savage, promised a continuation of what we’d heard in “Knife Talk” and “Jimmy Cooks.” However, it is largely a Drake album that regularly features 21 Savage. While still a solid listen with some really enjoyable moments, the album falls flat in delivering the kinetic collaborations we have seen in the past.

Review: Rec Room’s apocalyptic romantic comedy thriller ‘Put Your House in Order’ is a promising show for the spooky season

Upon walking through its doors, Rec Room quickly distinguishes itself from other local theatre spaces in Houston: its cozy lighting, exposed brick walls and dynamic background music lend themselves to an intimate, homely environment before the show even begins. As the audience trickles into the venue for the night’s show, the stage’s intricate set design, furnished with a full-thrust front porch and yard (impressively designed by Stefan Azizi), boldly precedes the riveting journey that is to come. 

Shepherd revives ‘Street Scene’ opera with new production

On Nov. 4 and 6, the Shepherd School of Music performed “Street Scene,” an opera with music composed by Kurt Weill, book by Elmer Rice and lyrics by Langston Hughes. Patrick Diamond, the stage director of the show, is in his third year as a faculty member of Shepherd’s Opera Studies program. Diamond said that his role involves coordinating the show’s spatial elements, the interactions between characters and collaborating with the show’s conductor, Steven Osgood, to create a show that builds dramatically and tells a story.

11-09-2022 Crossword: "thinking inside the box"

11-09-2022 Crossword Solutions

Two Rice professors among top 35 women in robotics

Rice professors Lydia Kavraki and Marcia O’Malley were named among 35 Women in Robotics Engineering and Science honorees at the 2022 International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems in Kyoto, Japan on Oct. 25. IROS is one of the largest international conferences in robotics and intelligent systems.

Sewall voting location sees hour-plus wait times

Rice’s Sewall Hall served as an Election Day voting location for around 900 voters on Tuesday. According to Vivian Zheng, the presiding election judge, people waited in line for one to two hours before casting their ballots, though wait times dropped off significantly as it got closer to 7 p.m.

Rice undergrads, alumni celebrate HACER 50th anniversary

The Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice celebrated its 50th anniversary this past Saturday. The celebration included a gala with speakers such as Germaine Franco, an Academy-Award nominated Rice alumna and composer of the “Encanto” soundtrack, and Dr. Richard Tapia, the University Professor of Rice, who was awarded the National Medal of Science in 2011.

Biden appoints López Turley to National Board of Education Sciences

Professor Ruth López Turley, director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute, was appointed to the National Board of Education Sciences by President Joe Biden. The National Board for Education Sciences is composed of 15 nonpartisan members, who advise and approve priorities for the Institute of Education Sciences, the research, evaluation and statistics branch of the Department of Education. 

Meltdown in Malibu: MBB drops opener to Pepperdine

The Rice men’s basketball team fell to Pepperdine University with a final score of 106-67 on Monday night’s season opener. Starting their season with a loss in Malibu, the Owls main contributor on offense was junior guard Quincy Olivari, who led the team in scoring with 15 points, and assists with six. The Owls struggled to score throughout the game, shooting 38% from the field while the Waves made 63% of their shots and converted 50% of their three-pointers.

No. 21 volleyball tramples LA Tech on Senior Day

Last Sunday, the No. 21 Rice volleyball team swept Louisiana Tech University on Senior Day, winning three straight sets and recording the second-highest hitting percentage they’ve had this season at 0.432. 

FB bests UTEP in shootout, needs one win for bowl

Rice football beat the University of Texas at El Paso 37-30 on Thursday thanks to a last second touchdown pass from junior quarterback TJ McMahon to senior wide receiver Bradley Rozner. The win improved the Owls to 5-4 on the season, one win away from securing a postseason berth with three games remaining in the season. According to head coach Mike Bloomgren, this win was crucial for the team, especially on a short turnaround after their disappointing loss to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

WBB returns every starter, bolsters bench, in Edmonds’ second year

The Rice women’s basketball team has high hopes for the upcoming season. With every starter from last year returning and the addition of six new freshmen and one transfer, the Owls look to improve their 8-9 conference record from last season in what will be head coach Lindsay Edmonds’ second year with the team. 

Spitz’s school record highlights Swimming’s Senior Day

The Rice swim team had a lot to celebrate on Senior Day as they waved goodbye to the Tulane University Green Wave after Friday’s dual meet. In route to their 87 point victory (144-57), the first Rice victory in the American Athletic Conference as the swim team moved a year earlier than other sports, the Owls claimed gold in all 11 events and senior backstroker Zoe Spitz was able to put a bow on top of the day with a new school record. After the meet, head coach Seth Huston said he was pleased with the performance.

Top-seeded soccer stunned in first round of C-USA tourney

After an undefeated Conference USA regular season, the top-seeded Owls came into the first round of the conference tournament against the eighth-seeded University of North Carolina at Charlotte as the heavy favorites. But history repeated itself in this David and Goliath match that saw the top-ranked Owls lose to the eighth seed in the first round for the second time in school history, the first also being against the 49ers in 2017. According to freshman defender Carsyn Martz, who returned from injury for the match, Charlotte’s persistence made the difference in the game. 

Volleyball heads to No. 22 Western Kentucky for rivalry’s potential final chapter

The last time Rice volleyball lost a conference regular season game, back in 2019, it took Western Kentucky University two match points to knock off the Owls in a five-set battle that ultimately decided the regular season conference title. The two teams would meet again that year, this time in the conference championship game, but the result was the same: a five-set Hilltopper victory. Only three players from that Owls team are still with the program, but according to fifth-year setter Carly Graham, the losses still haven’t faded from memory.

Review: ‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ is hilariously bizarre

Eric Appel’s 2010 movie trailer spoof from Funny or Die has expanded into a full-length film “biopic” about and co-written with Al Yankovic. Starring Daniel Radcliffe in a curly wig and colorful Hawaiian shirts, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” is hilarious, dramatic and, most importantly, almost entirely fictional.

Celebrate Indigenous heritage in HTX

This November is Native American Heritage Month, and places both near and far from campus in the greater Houston area are hosting several events. Ranging from intimate readings to lively performances, this list includes representation from many of the tribes, not only regionally, but also from across the United States. Learn about several of the many things coming to Houston for this heritage month and be sure to check out your favorites.

‘As wonky as possible’: Rice Chorale finds joy in music

Every Monday and Wednesday, music director Tom Jaber shepherds the Rice Chorale, a group of students plucked from various majors and years, into a practice room to sing choir music. Currently, the chorus is preparing for their upcoming show on Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the Edythe Bates Old Organ Hall at the Shepherd School of Music. This is Jaber’s 35th year as a professor and director of choral music at the Shepherd School of Music. Throughout the years, he has led the Chorale through multiple changes in the voice department and revived the group after disbanding during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Author Wayétu Moore explores dating, intersectionality

Liberian-American author and entrepreneur Wayétu Moore hosted a book reading Nov. 3 in the Rice Memorial  Chapel. The reading delved into themes of Blackness, dating and intersectionality, and was sponsored by the Cherry Reading Series, R2: The Rice Review and Rice’s Department of English.