Brings Fantasy to Cast, Audience Students to Weigh in on Plans For
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VOLUME 103, ISSUE NO. 7 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 17, 2018 Meeting with admin frustrates RISA ANDREW GROTTKAU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Representatives of the Rice International Student Association said they are disappointed after meeting with administrators on Thursday to discuss the exclusion of international students from The Rice Investment, according to a statement on RISA’s Facebook page. Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Vice President of Enrollment Yvonne Romero da Silva, the two administrators in attendance, failed to divulge future plans to increase international student financial aid, according to RISA executive team member Kiara Reyes. “We were really frustrated with the fact that they couldn’t provide clear goals or a timeline or specifics,” Reyes, a Will Rice College senior, said. “Not even whether they were pursuing anything at all.” In an email to the Thresher, Gorman said she felt she conveyed Rice’s commitment to international students Martel College junior Matthew Pittard, Lovett College senior Hannah Tyler, Brown College freshman Grace Vincent and Sid Richardson College senior Abby Sledge during the meeting. perform a fantasy scene during one of Agnes’ game world forays. The notable costuming work of “She Kills Monsters” aids transitions between real life and fantasy. alp yakici / thresher ‘She Kills Monsters’ brings fantasy to cast, audience We were really frustrated with the fact that they JAKE REINHART the Lost Soul of Tillius the Paladin” is a the main characters, as well as the internal couldn’t provide clear THRESHER STAFF window into Tilly’s life, friendships and monsters we all fight on a day-to-day basis. struggles. Throughout the play, Agnes Not to mention, swinging swords and clashing goals or a timeline. What can fantasy tell us about meets the real people based on Tilly’s steel makes everything more exciting.” Kiara Reyes reality? We are often told that fantasy fantastical characters, learning more about Hinkel handled most of the fight RISA Executive Committee Member is the opposite of reality, an imagined, herself and her sister all along the way. choreography duties, and multiple idealized world existing solely in one’s On the goal of the play, Martel College students raved about their experience “Rice has substantially increased the dreams. What is often lost in that analysis junior and cast member Matthew Pittard working with her. size of the international student body,” is the opportunity for us to uncover the (Orcus / Ronnie) said, “Thematically, She “[Hinkel is] always really upbeat and Gorman said. “We’ve also supported circumstances of one’s reality that inform Kills [Monsters] is a show about the power of encouraging, and she makes playing with them with more funding in recent years. and create their fantasies. What battles fantasy: its ability to provide an escape from swords even more fun than it is inherently; And we plan to enhance that with even are we losing that we can win only in our the troubles of the real life, and to help us plus her fight choreography is on-point!” more fundraising efforts in the future.” imaginations? imagine worlds which are more kind, fair and Sledge said in an email response. According to RISA president Chenlin It is with these questions in mind that vibrant than the one we currently live in.” Although this is only Hinkel’s second Huang, the group had initially hoped to Rice Theatre Program Director Christina show at Rice in recent memory (she meet with Gorman, Vice President for Keefe and theater lecturer Heidi Hinkel COMBAT TUTORIALS choreographed for “Dogfight” last Finance Kathy Collins and President directed “She Kills Monsters” by Qui According to Keefe, one of the key semester), she seems to have won over David Leebron. However, Leebron was Nguyen. The play revolves around the reasons for choosing to produce “She Kills these students and taught them meaningful in China and Collins could not attend, reality of high school teacher Agnes Monsters” was the extensive amount of skills, all while still managing to put out an according to Huang. In the meeting, (played by Hanszen College junior Abigail stage combat in the show. excellent product. Huang said Gorman and Romero da Grayson) as she struggles to come to terms “It would be a challenge for the actors, Silva told RISA members they did not with the loss of her “geeky” teenage sister, (many of whom have never held a sword, FINDING NEW ALLIES work closely with international student Tilly (Sid Richardson College senior Abby or done stage combat),” Keefe said in an “She Kills Monsters” is notable for both financial aid, so they could offer few Sledge), by playing a custom role-playing email response. the size and range of experiences present specifics. game that Tilly left behind. However, In the program’s directors’ notes, Keefe in the cast. Reyes said Gorman and Romero Nguyen’s script intertwines this reality and Hinkel wrote that “[stage combat] is the da Silva told RISA members that with the game’s fantasy; “The Quest for perfect metaphor for the inner turmoil of SEE MONSTERS PAGE 8 international students could not be included in The Rice Investment, which will be funded by state and Students to weigh in on plans for new innovation hub federal grants in addition to the Rice endowment, for a variety of reasons. RISHAB RAMAPRIYAN with startups and innovation,” Schreiber, a civic organizations in that area, especially the “One [reason international students ASST. NEWS EDITOR sophomore, said. Third Ward, and so working hand-in-hand weren’t included] is that we aren’t with them to make sure this development is eligible for state or federal grants, so The administration is gathering student actually a benefit to their community is very we’re only eligible for endowment,” feedback about the construction of the important,” Killian said. Reyes said. “Another is it’s very tricky innovation district in Midtown, which aims to This is a huge change Nia Prince, who is originally from the for [Rice] to know our income. Not every bring entrepreneurship and startup resources Houston Third Ward, said although she country has an IRS, a taxable income.” to the city of Houston, according to Thomas for Houston and a huge recognizes the benefits for Rice students, RISA executive committee member Killian, the Rice Management Company’s change in the way Rice she is concerned about the negative impacts Wangden Sherpa said Gorman and liaison for the project. interacts with Houston. this project will have in her already gentrified Romero da Silva failed to show a Killian said he will host a series of lunches community. She said she is specifically commitment to undertaking any in late October and November that will be Thomas Killian concerned about the closure of the Fiesta initiatives in the future and did not open to anyone who is interested in the project market, which is on adjacent Rice-owned promise to bring up the students’ or has ideas regarding its establishment. PROJECT LIASON land that will be part of the innovation concerns to other administrators. According to Hanszen College Senator President David Leebron said the ultimate district, in a community that already faces Rice’s current international student Tessa Schreiber, they are emphasizing buy-in goal for this Midtown district, which will be limited food resources. admissions policy is need-aware, from the student body. over 14 acres and located next to the Third “Third ward is a food desert already and meaning admissions officers view “Students will have the opportunity to Ward on one side and the Montrose area on the only two grocery stores are the H-E-B an applicant’s financial need before submit outlines of ideas that they might have the other, is that it will be the city’s center for that’s all the way on the other side of Third admitting or denying them, according and what resources might be needed with entrepreneurship, and as a result, benefit the Ward and then the Fiesta,” Prince, a Sid to Romero da Silva. Any international those, what staff or faculty might be able local community. Richardson College sophomore, said. “To student who does not apply for to help, and how those might encompass This project has been openly tear [the Fiesta] down is taking a problem financial aid on their application may the existing entrepreneurship resources communicating with the local community that’s already a really huge problem for the not apply for aid at any point during we have here, like the LILIE Lab or some of since the beginning, Killian said. community and making it even worse.” their undergraduate career at Rice. the engineering offices that help students “There are very powerful and very strong SEE INNOVATION PAGE 3 SEE INT’L STUDENTS PAGE 3 2 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2018 THE RICE THRESHER NEWS Rice ramps up efforts to increase accessibility ELIZABETH MYONG and were forced to separate themselves THRESHER STAFF from their friends. “First of all, it’s clunky and doesn’t Rice University is installing accessibility work half the time and as a solution, features at Sewall Hall, Herzstein Hall and you want to fit in and be the same as the new Music and Performing Arts Center everybody else,” Russell said. “You have in an effort to increase accessibility for to separate yourself off. You can’t go into students with disabilities, according to Vice the building with your friends and you President for Administration Kevin Kirby. don’t know if it’s going to work.” Alan Russell, director of the Disability An accessible ramp is also almost Resource Center and a Hanszen College completed on the east side of the new residential associate, said addressing welcome center in Sewall Hall, Russell accessibility issues on campus is a said, meaning the university will finally complex issue.