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Friday, March 24, 2023 — Houston, TX

Shreya Challa

A&E 3/21/23 10:14pm

Rice’s newest statue founds a ‘Blank Slate’ for conversation

By Shreya Challa

​​There’s a new statue on campus, and it’s intentionally provocative. This is the first time that “A Blank Slate: Hope for a New America,” an interactive sculpture on a national tour, is being exhibited on a university campus.  The monument, created by Ghanaian artist Kwame Akoto-Bamfo to disrupt Confederate and segregated spaces, was first unveiled in Ghana in 2019 and has since been exhibited in numerous American cities, including Chicago, New York and Washington D.C. Rice University is its penultimate stop before Galveston, where it will be for Juneteenth. The monument was unveiled on March 4 and is currently located in front of the Provisional Campus Facilities tents on College Way. The exhibit has been sponsored by Rice’s Center for African and African American Studies, the School of Social Sciences, the School of Humanities and Hanszen College.

A&E 2/21/23 10:37pm

Soul Night highlights Black culture and community

By Shreya Challa

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.

A&E 2/15/23 12:15am

“Bigger and better”: Africayé! the Musical is back

By Shreya Challa

Africayé, the Rice African Student Association’s annual cultural showcase, is being held at the Shepherd School of Music’s Stude Concert Hall for the first time in history on Feb. 18, with doors opening at 4 p.m. Celebration of African culture is at the core of Africayé, from the overarching storyline to the food, music and fashion show. This year’s theme is Africayé! The Musical, with the aim of spotlighting the art, dance and music that come from African culture.

A&E 1/31/23 11:14pm

Rice historian Douglas Brinkley on his Grammy nominations, musical community

By Shreya Challa

In his free time, Douglas Brinkley, a history professor at Rice University, gets nominated for Grammy awards. This year, Brinkley has been nominated for two Grammys for co-producing “Black Men Are Precious” by Ethelbert Miller for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album and “Fandango At The Wall in New York” by Arturo O’ Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra for Best Latin Jazz Album. Brinkley previously won a Grammy in 2017 for co-producing “Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom.” The Grammy Awards ceremony will be held on Feb. 5 in Los Angeles, broadcast live on CBS and streamed on Paramount+.

A&E 11/29/22 11:27pm

Rice Riyaaz reflects on team bond, prepares for Dhamaka show

By Shreya Challa

Each week, the members of Rice Riyaaz spend hours rehearsing and perfecting their every dance move. Riyaaz is Rice’s premier co-ed Bollywood fusion dance team that competes in national circuits. Their hard work will culminate in their performance at Dhamaka, a showcase organized by the Rice South Asian Society, at the Grand Hall on Dec. 4 from 5 to 8 p.m.

A&E 11/8/22 11:53pm

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

By Shreya Challa

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. 

A&E 11/5/22 3:47pm

Meet the ACL Artist: The Future X talks touring and TikTok

By Shreya Challa

Pop group The Future X took on Austin City Limits on Oct. 8, fresh from their stint at the 2022 Honda Civic Tour.  The group’s members include singers Luke Brown, Angie Green and Maci Wood, and dancers Tray Taylor, Sasha Marie, Jayna Hughes and Drew Venegas. Each member was handpicked by ‘American Idol’ creator Simon Fuller via TikTok.  

A&E 10/18/22 10:20pm

Best and Worst of ACL 2022: Artists you did and didn’t miss

By Morgan Gage , Michelle Gachelin and Shreya Challa

Every year, festival-goers congregate at Zilker Park for the Austin City Limits Music Festival. This year, the Thresher once again made the trip to see for ourselves what the hype was about (and also to see SZA, who did not disappoint). For those who might want a recap or weren’t able to make it out to the festival this year: first, check out our Spotify playlist, and second, read on for our take on the best and worst performances from both weekends.

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