2016-17 residential college president elect profiles: see p. 3 and online

VOLUME 100, ISSUE NO. 21 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016

LONE WOLVES: CLUB ORGANIZES Are you Observer? UNOFFICIAL ASB Former Thresher EIC laments dearth of student media see Ops p. 5 mixer event in spring 2015 for ANITA ALEM prospective site leaders and the News Editor two decided to apply to revive More the Mission: Wolf ASB. Howev- than enuf When Martel College se- er, the Center for Civic Leader- ‘For Colored Girls’ a must- nior Veronica Johnson was ship, which oversees ASB trips, notified that her application did not approve Baldazo and see for everyone to lead an Alternative Spring Johnson’s proposal. see A&E p. 6 Break trip had been rejected, Johnson said the rejection she knew she still wanted to was most likely due to an in- lead a service trip. Last week, creased focus on students do- Johnson’s eff orts were realized ing service in and the A fighting in an “alternative” ASB, unreg- program’s downsizing. Com- chance istered with the Center for Civic pared to last year, the number Baseball’s fate this season Leadership, as she led 15 Rice of offi cial 2016 ASB trips de- students on a service trip to a a creased by seven to a total of 12. not yet sealed wolf sanctuary in Colorado. Baldazo and Johnson then “I didn’t see how not getting decided to continue planning see Sports p. 11 ASB should stop people from their trip to Mission: Wolf and volunteering and having this applied to create an offi cial amazing experience,” Johnson club, Rice Wildlife Conserva- said. “Basically, I [thought] no, tion Corps. we’re going to do this regard- “With the club, [the trip] BIOE less of whether we’re an offi cial was more offi cial than a bunch ASB or not.” of random strangers going on The trip to Mission: Wolf a spring break trip together,” professor to had first been an offi cial ASB Johnson said. “[Planning] trip in spring 2014, and was wasn’t really that hard. We did not continued in 2015. Johnson, basic pre-club stuff , like going lead medical who had been a participant to academic fairs, getting peo- in 2014, met Hanszen College ple involved, advertising.” outreach sophomore Ben Baldazo at a 0see WOLF, page 2 photo courtesy siyu bu Matthew Anaya For the Thresher

Rebecca Richards-Kortum, professor of bioengineering and electrical and computer engi- UH administration extols benefits of neering, has been appointed spe- cial adviser to the Provost Marie Lynn Miranda on health-related research and ed- debate publicity, but students divided ucational initiatives. Miranda, who is also a professor of sta- Drew Keller classes were canceled, according to Keith Kowalka, UH’s assistant side the opera house, the debate tistics, announced the appoint- News Editor the Houston Chronicle. vice president for student affairs, itself had no disruptions. In their ment on Feb. 23. “The party may be in your said the debate would help stu- first editorial, the Daily Cougar According to Richards-Kor- The host- house, the guests may be parking dents since the national media ex- acknowledged that an increased tum, this new role will allow her ed a heated debate between five in your spot, the invitation sent posure would open new opportuni- number of attendees could lead to to serve as an ambassador from contenders for the Republican Par- straight to your inbox, but you ties away from Houston. a more unruly atmosphere while Rice to the Medical Center ty presidential nomination on Feb. can’t really go in,” the Daily Cou- “The more recognition, the more questioning the closed nature of in order to strengthen communi- 24. UH administrators argued that gar’s second editorial stated. “After prestige your university has, it will the event. cations between the two institu- the debate helped the university this week, university activities will certainly have a direct impact on “We understand the need to tions. gain national recognition, though go back to normal. We get one week your degree,” Kowalka said. limit the possibility of protests or “I will help develop strat- some students and the student in the national spotlight, which On the afternoon of the debate, interruptions,” the editorial stated. egies for Rice to increase the newspaper expressed concerns re- is great, but again, how does this a large crowd of protesters includ- “But what’s the point of having a number of health-related collab- garding the event’s impact on stu- help students?” ing UH students gathered outside debate at a university if students orative research and educational dents. In a blog post, UH President the event perimeter. However, in- aren’t allowed to participate?” programs that involve Rice fac- The debate, which was broad- Renu Khator said the administra- ulty and students together with cast on CNN and Telemundo, was tion had hoped for more tickets those in the Texas Medical Cen- watched by 14.5 million Americans, and worked to find ways to include ter,” Richards-Kortum said. according to Politico. The event students. A small number of addi- 0see HEALTH, page 2 was the 10th Republican debate tional students were given an op- and the last before Super Tuesday, portunity to attend by volunteering when many states held primaries. to help at the event. According to the Daily Cougar, “We knew that tickets will be UH’s student newspaper, there limited, but ‘25’ was a much lower were about 800 seats in UH’s Moore number than I was ready to hear,” Opera House, where the debate Khator said. was held; however, the university David Kochinski, president of was given only 25 of those tickets the UH College Republicans, told to distribute, and ultimately just the Dallas Morning News that the six UH students were able to attend opera house location made it clear through a raffle, out of over 40,000 from the start that seats would be total in the university. limited. The Daily Cougar argued in two “The university gave a lot of separate editorials in February that opportunities for students to be the debate was detrimental to stu- involved with the debate process dents due to the exclusivity and [through] volunteering [and] fo- drew keller/thresher demands on university resources. cus groups and panels,” Kochinski Journalists from national and local media outlets worked in a Google- Large amounts of parking space said. “We are disappointed that not had to be cleared for the event, sev- everyone can get a ticket but we un- sponsored filing center and post-debate spin room at the University of Rebecca Richards-Kortum eral streets were closed and some derstand why.” Houston’s Republican presidential debate on Feb. 24. 2 NEWS Wednesday,M arch 9, 2016

0HEALTH Rice staff to present at SXSW festival FROM PAGE 1 Joining the list of performers at the 23rd tional comedy, having trained and performed at son College, and Carlson, a metadata coordina- Richards-Kortum, who established the South by Southwest Interactive Festival, which Second City in Chicago. tor at Fondren, have their project on the web at Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health in includes Barack and Michelle Obama, are three McGaw has compared teaching online indiepreserves.info. 2007, said that her own research and teach- of Rice’s very own presenters. The music, in- courses, which she said have higher dropout Guthrie and Carlson said they encourage ing programs already involve many collab- teractive media and film conference SXSW is in rates than regular courses, to performing a rock bands and labels to examine their physical and orations with the TMC. Austin from March 7 to 20 and is considered the concert with regards to keeping the audience en- digital preservation of their work, especially “This will be an exciting opportunity to largest music festival of its kind, with more than gaged. considering threats such as natural disasters or think more broadly about how to help ex- 20,000 attendees. “Think of it as a set list: You’re going to in- theft. tend my own collaborations with the Texas Kim McGaw, director of professional pro- volve the audience by playing your best-known Associate professor of entrepreneurship at Medical Center across the whole univer- grams at the Glasscock School of Continuing songs at the very beginning and end, and you’re the Jones Graduate School of Business Yael Ho- sity,” Richards-Kortum said. Studies, will present a workshop titled “Improv going to change up your songs every five to six chberg will be presenting at SXSW for the third Richards-Kortum’s research has fo- and Zombies: Waking Up the Virtual Classroom” minutes,” she said. time. She is also the head of the Rice Entrepre- cused on developing inexpensive and por- regarding how to engage students in online Nora Gurthrie and Scott Carlson will present neurship Initiative. Hochberg will be presenting table optical imaging systems as well as courses. McGaw has conducted live online pro- their do-it-yourself website that advises record with Susan Cohen of Robins School of Business low-cost sensors in order to improve the fessional development courses with the Glass- labels and bands on how to preserve and archive regarding entrepreneurial accelerators, which diagnoses of cancers and other diseases, cock School with student participants across the their work. Guthrie, who is a Fondren archivist provide investment, mentorship and education especially in impoverished areas. world. She also has a background in improvisa- librarian and resident associate at Sid Richard- to startups.

1. 2. I hope we can improve opportunities to take advantage of courses and research experi- ences in the TMC.

Rebecca Richards-Kortum Adviser to the Provost

She recently received national recogni- tion for her research in the Feb. 22 edition of the New York Times, which included an photo courtesy jahnavi jagannath photo courtesy olivia hsia article about the variations between differ- ent drops of blood obtained from a single fingerprick. The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, is especially pertinent due to the prolifera- SPRING BREAKERS tion of technologies utilizing increasingly small blood samples for diagnostic purpos- 1. Gender equality Alternative Spring Break par- es. These technologies are often helpful in ticipants make their voices heard at a rally to low-resource environments where people support women’s reproductive rights in front of may not be trained in drawing blood. Richard-Kortums showed there are vari- the Supreme Court. ations between different drops of blood 2, 4. Participants on a trip to New Orleans paint from single fingerpricks, including in and help build homes while learning about is- platelet count and hemoglobin, which may call into question the accuracy of some di- sues surrounding housing inequality. agnostic point-of-care technologies. 3. Baker College freshman James Patterson aids Richards-Kortum said she is planning in constructing homes for immigrant families in meetings with faculty and students in or- the Rio Grande Valley. der to identify needs and priorities for col- laboration between Rice and the TMC. “My goal is to engage students and fac- ulty across campus to help develop strate- gies that increase collaboration broadly,” Richards-Kortum said. Richards-Kortum also said her new po- sition will lead to the development of new opportunities for Rice students. “Specifically for students, I hope we can improve opportunities to take advantage of courses and research experiences in the Tex- as Medical Center,” Richards-Kortum said. Richards-Kortum was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Sci- 3. 4. ences last year and joined the National andrew ligeralde/thresher sam ding/thresher Academy of Engineering in 2008.

0 a part of a club, and not as an official ASB, to be However, Johnson said she missed the support ing wood and bucking hay, which did cause some WOLF beneficial in several ways. Baldazo and Johnson of the CCL when it came to funding the trip. members to become dehydrated. Participants also FROM PAGE 1 did not have to take the site leading class, and had “When I did [the ASB] two years ago, money interacted with the wolves in the sanctuary and the freedom to found their club and conduct the was not an issue because we got so much money learned about the importance of wolves in nature. The club holds other activities regarding ani- application process on their own timeline. back in solicitation letters,” Johnson said. “I didn’t “We wanted it to be as professional as pos- mal conservation besides the spring break trip know how to do solicitation letters because I didn’t sible,” Johnson said. “There was nothing that and currently has about 65 members on its email have that support.” we did that the [CCL] would not have approved listserv. According to Johnson, the club advertised Ultimately, Mission: Wolf cost $350 per mem- of. It was volunteer work, mostly all day, educa- the trip to the broader student body as well as its ber,whichis$50lessthanthepriceforparticipants tional aspects throughout and various bonding members. Students, many of whom were RWCC People who want to in out-of-state ASBs. Participants’ fees covered air- activities.” members, applied to attend and were admitted to fare and transportation, and the participants fun- Participant Kim Wood said she wanted to at- the trip on a first-come, first-served basis. do volunteer trips: draised for $800 for food, showers and gas. The tend to learn more about wolves, as well as to sup- “Since [the participants] were people who were total cost of the trip was approximately $6,000, port Johnson. already interested in animal conservation, it was a Just do it. and are still raising about $250 in fundraising fees. “For $350, it seemed like a really good expe- very cohesive group that worked well together be- Johnson said the group has sold dumplings and rience,” Wood, a Martel freshman, said. “Even cause they all had similar interests,” Johnson said. had a GoFundMe page, but was denied Student though it wasn’t an ASB, we [were] still doing “Half the people on the trip were studying ecology Veronica Johnson Activities President’s Programming funds as well volunteering and saving animals and the envi- and evolutionary biology.” Service Trip Leader as Rice Environmental Society funds. ronment. I loved the experience and I would do it Johnson serves as the president of RWCC. Fac- “I wanted [the trip] to be cheaper and more ac- again.” ulty sponsor and associate professor of ecology cessible [than ASBs], because I feel like if anyone Johnson said she felt ASBs can often be un- and evolutionary biology Evan Siemann also at- wants to volunteer, they should be able to,” John- necessarily competitive and hinge on whether stu- tended the service trip with the group. son said. “It shouldn’t be an application or finan- dents find the descriptions of the trips interesting One out of 12 ASBs this year focused on envi- “We actually did the application process be- cial things that deter you from spending a spring enough to apply to them, and said she hopes the ronmental issues, which Johnson said was too few. fore ASBs did so we could be ahead of the game,” break volunteering.” Mission: Wolf trip continues independently. “Environmental-focused ASBs are often over- Johnson said. “I bought the plane tickets at a su- According to Johnson, the unregistered nature “I would encourage, not only for this trip, but looked,” Johnson said. “Environmental issues are per cheap price in October, [when] ASBs were just of the trip did not make it any different from other other people who want to do volunteer trips: Just just as important as social or community issues.” opening their applications. It was, more or less, ASBs in terms of achievements. Much of the volun- do it,” Johnson said. “You don’t need to be an Johnson said she found conducting the trip as however we wanted the trip to be.” teering work was labor-intensive, including haul- ASB.” Wednesday,M arch 9, 2016 the Rice Thresher NEWS 3 New college presidents share priorities By Elizabeth Myong and Emily Abdow, Thresher Staff BAKER COLLEGE Go to ricethresher.org to read full responses, PAUL DINGUS including campus-wide goals, college memories, favorite shower songs and more. Over the next year, I hope to see more connectedness between the classes and different demographic groups at Baker, and more engagement in Baker WILL RICE COLLEGE events and projects. I hope to push Baker culture to place even more value ANKUSH AGRAWAL on involvement and community events. I want it so that any Will Ricer feels capa- ble of making a college-specific or cam- pus-wide change that they believe in. HANSZEN COLLEGE With an ever greater appreciation for Will Rice will come a greater respect for our KENNY GROSZMAN own facilities, a stronger culture of care, and a even more tight-knit community. My biggest goals for Hanszen are to to increase engagement and Hanszen spirit and to spend our bud- get more effectively. I especially want WIESS COLLEGE Hanszenites to feel empowered to take their crazy and quirky ideas and YASMIN KHALFE turn them to reality. My vision for Wiess comes down to two concepts: building community and in- JONES COLLEGE creasing engagement. By utilizing the connections I’ve built, working with Wiessmen and acting as a facilitator, CHRIS SABBAGH I have this goal: Cut down the small [My priority is] Jones’ culture of respect talk, encourage the big talk. and care. I want to foster an environment in which students feel encouraged, may- be even obligated, to take action when BROWN COLLEGE they see something they don’t like. This is an important value that should be in- SANTIAGO AVILA stilled in every college’s culture. [I want to] streamline communica- tion between the administration and LOVETT COLLEGE the college and the college leader- ship and students, [while] reaching the individuals that are traditionally RAHUL KOTHARI underrepresented and encouraging Every single member of Lovett College voices that often go unheard. should take pride in calling Lovett their home. I want to continue to push for more involvement from Lovetteers, es- SID RICHARDSON COLLEGE pecially from those who are not directly involved with the Central Committee and BISSY MICHAEL make sure that no voice goes unheard. My vision for Sid is to make sure that Sidizens with creative ideas get the MARTEL COLLEGE help and support they need to do cool stuff within and outside of the college. Additionally, I want to make LY NGUYEN Sid Councils run more efficiently and transparently. I want the students at Martel to define whatthe bestwayisforthemto be heard, what would make feel like they belong, and what would make them the happi- McMURTRY COLLEGE est. My job would be to cater to those definitions as bestthat I can by providing MADHURI VENKATESWAR the resources and support them happen. I want to create a long-term strategic plan for McMurtry so that efforts are made within the context of a larger agen- DUNCAN COLLEGE da rather than in a vacuum. I want to solidify both our alumni and associates DAVID DOUCET base [and] solidify a fluid budgeting sys- tem so that money can be moved around. As Duncan president my priorities are to keep our government meetings running smoothly and efficiently, and to ensure that everyone at Duncan feels they have a voice in the decisions that are being made. Wherever I go, my goal is to have a positive impact on my community. 4

In search of good teachers R2 A quick glance at the comments students the external world and through engineering RICE WRITES A look at the past will leave in course evaluations reveals that jus- we can build a better future. These teach- tifications for the high ratings of a professor ers make us feel a tinge of regret when we move Thomas forward often concern easily obtained grades, low only half-heartedly engage with the mate- Editor’s Note: This piece is haunting and mys- workloads, a professor’s aptitude for mak- rial, because by doing so we miss out on the terious, but most importantly, it stood out to us As Griffi n Thomas prepares to assume the ing jokes and a general high entertainment full cultivating and humanizing benefits of as the most unique interpretation of a “message role of Student Association president, he is value to the classes. Curiously, the mention a rich and diverse intellectual and cultural in a bottle” in that it shows how you may not al- faced with the challenge of carrying out his of teaching itself is frequently missing. So inheritance. ways want to know the answer to the message in campaign promises, while considering where what does good teaching look like? Being no What the best teachers can off er us, I sup- the bottle…—Bailey Tulloch, R2 Monthly Contest his predecessor has left off . expert on university teaching, in an attempt pose, is mentorship. It’s intriguing how we Committee Head Under Jazz Silva’s presidency, the student to answer this question, I can draw upon only don’t hear this term much anymore, espe- March Prompt: Happenstance. Email a body was reminded of both the limitations of my own experiences. cially in the context of our interactions with short story or poem up to 400 words to r2rice- the role as well as the potential for achieving In previous opinion pieces I have contend- professors. And yet, it’s something I suspect [email protected] by March 28th. Winners re- sweeping change. Unlike many of her ed that the purpose of a college education is many of us yearn for — someone who can ceive a $25 Coff eehouse gift card! predecessors, Silva led eff orts to bring Rice not simply to stuff our minds with pieces of teach us knowledge not just as a means for to the forefront of national conversations information, but to learn how knowledge is immediate and material ends, but as instru- My First Wife surrounding issues like sexual assault and created as well as how to think analytically ments to shape the mind and refine conduct by Moez Dawood open carry laws on college campuses. Silva about and conceive our own arguments. It and character; someone who is more interest- showed initiative in joining the Texas-wide follows, then, that a good teacher facilitates ed in showing us how to live a good life than She could feel blood slowly drowning her. Cold discussion on gun laws by writing a letter to precisely this type of learning. The teacher how to make a good living. skin framed her, pressing with the force of an Governor Greg Abbott in conjunction with 12 doesn’t merely provide answers; he persis- We students have perfected the tech- ocean. She had just been wearing her wedding other Texas universities. Perhaps the most tently questions a student how she knows niques for acquiring and regurgitating mas- dress, free and lively, celebrating a new chapter highly publicized endeavor of her term was the what she knows, and challenges her to ex- sive amounts of information. But if there’s of happiness. Now, she was naked, enclosed proposal to create a comprehensive, mandatory press her rationales in the most cogent man- something a bit hollow or formalistic to the but alive, and slowly withering. course entitled “Critical Thinking in Sexuality.” ner possible. For only through this process whole aff air, it’s because we’re seldom asked ∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ The Thresher admires Silva’s proactiveness in can a student acquire standards of crafts- to reflect on how these facts pertain to each Lily wished for a beautiful day, but instead, addressing such prevalent and pressing issues. manship and scholarship and hone her criti- other and to the world, on whether they have her wedding would be during a storm. Dave did These are topics a president could have easily cal sense, or the ability to discern what is any bearing on our outlooks. Which is why not care - as long their love stood strong. deemed too complicated or controversial to false, inferior and transient from what is true, when we hear the phrase “life changing” Lily was a florist. She thought of today as a act on, but Silva moved forward decisively and meritorious and enduring. used to describe a class (as we scarcely do), sunflower: on the inside is a glowing beauty, effi ciently. Thomas has promised to continue Inclusive conversation, the reason for all it usually indicates the professor’s ability revealed only during full bloom, but on the out- in the same vein with other important issues the fuss over small classes, is integral to this to relate the taught material to her own life side is a grotesque, prickly shell for a plant. as well, such as the alcohol policy and student type of learning. Within these classes, disci- experiences, or to the experiences of her stu- Both Lily and Dave were previously married. relations with Student Judicial Programs. An SA plined yet open-ended discussions carefully dents. The professor isn’t reluctant to veer off Lily’s marriage to a lawyer had a predictable that acts quickly on student interest decreases overseen by the teachers foster grounded topic and welcomes cross-discipline juxta- dreadful ending. Dave was a pathologist and had apathy and inspires talented, passionate self-assurance and inquisitiveness in stu- positions. A history discussion detours from married a pathologist. Their love of the postmor- students to join. dents. The teacher compels each student to studying a list of dates and events to consider tem united them. Unfortunately, Dave’s first wife Some students expressed concerns this feel and grasp his own thought processes, whether civilisation is truly advancing, how disappeared shortly after their wedding. No reso- past year that their voices were left out of thereby building better-organized minds, history illuminates human nature, and how lution was reached. Distraught yet determined, the SA’s conversations. Although dissenting able to write and speak with precise and this vision of humanity compares with the Dave strived forward. One year later, he was sentiment is inevitable in at least a small articulate language. The best seminar dis- ideas of Socrates, Rousseau, or Darwin. A marrying Lily. Lily admired Dave for this thick- fraction of students when any sort of changes cussions I have participated in crackle with discourse on genetic engineering turns into skinned demeanor – it made her feel protected. are proposed, it is important that Thomas intellectual dynamism as the teacher prods an exploration of the limits of biotechnology, Later with calmer weather, Lily and Dave make a genuine eff ort to ensure opposing each student to bring something fresh to the of its implications on our future, and of its drank champagne and overlooked the sunset voices are understood and represented, as he table, constantly reinventing the way every- representation in science fiction. The teacher on the harbor. A serene blanket of sea interrupt- advocated for in his campaign. Thomas must one sees the material at hand. The visceral abstracts generalisations from the material ed by a singular glow. A shiny sliver of silver on work to make the Senate, not just the colleges, exhilaration in such collaborative thinking, that serve, if only subtly, to clarify and ravel a dark expanse, like a diamond on black velvet. a place that welcomes productive debate that which drives students to throw themselves the human experience. Lily’s heart was exploding at the beauty, but can lead to policy changes and amendments unreservedly into the conversation, is cer- Is this all too much too ask for? In a way, Dave interrupted, “So Lily, I had an interesting to proposals. An SA president should promote tainly one of the most valuable experiences probably. Providing close mentorship is by autopsy several months ago.” initiatives only after consulting the student to be had in college. no means expected of a college professor. In Caught off guard, Lily mustered, “Oh. That body and reaching out to the opposition, and The point of forcing us to confront our fact, the research-driven nature of academia is good.” must pragmatically considering the limits of own opinions and reasonings? As Professor — “publish or perish” — all but ensures that “When I examined her bowels, I found a the position. Mark Edmundson of the University of Virgin- professors are disinclined from spending half-digested note.” Presidential candidates wax poetic ia writes, capturing a sentiment long asserted too much time on undergraduate students. “That is odd.” about the merits of transparency, but the by teachers from Socrates to T.S. Eliot, “The Nonetheless, there are many who delight in “Miraculously, the handwriting was legible.” student body has little idea about what the enemy of knowledge is not ignorance … but helping students ask the big questions, who “What did it say?” president, their representative, is actually knowingness.” Knowingness is the impres- relish in helping students find meaning in “Her husband’s name. She repeatedly wrote conveying to campus administration on their sion we are perpetually current and on top of life or who thrill at the prospect of simply his name on the paper and swallowed it.” behalf. Moving forward, the SA president can things; it’s the self-congratulatory sense that marveling with students at the mysteries of “That is actually kind of romantic.” increase student engagement by clearly and we are in charge and have the ability to master existence. It would be a tremendous shame if “Maybe.” frequently communicating what their agenda anything. Today, it is fueled by the surfeit of we didn’t even try searching for our mentors. “She wanted a closeness with her lover, so is and what discussions have taken place with media constantly presented to us and the glut And when we do find them, we should hold she swallowed him whole!” administrators. of information so easily obtained through the on, for they may be the epitome of the best “The case washed in from this harbor,” ges- Thomas is the first SA president in years internet. But of course, information is not the that a college education can off er. tured Dave. Lily studied Dave. She thought he who previously served as a college president. same as knowledge, and knowingness only looked diff erent. In addressing the challenges that face the serves to reinforce our prejudices. Teachers “A human body found within another hu- student body, Thomas will need to utilize try to counter knowingness when they tear Henry Bair issa a man body,” continued Dave. this fresh perspective to facilitate the crucial down our assumptions and probe us with at Baker College “I do not understand?” responded Lily. relationship between the SA and the colleges. times infuriatingly impenetrable problems. “The inside body was identified to be fe- Addressing the major challenges faced by the Effective teachers can also often convince junior male,” glancing at Lily, “She had been buried student body is undeniably a diffi cult task, us wholly of the importance of what we are alive inside of a dead person and thrown into but the Thresher is confident it can be done, studying, be it biochemistry, Latin or struc- the river. However, she was trapped inside a and we look forward to Thomas’s eff orts. tural analysis. Not necessarily because a body, so she did not die immediately.” Unsigned editorials represent the majority grasp of protein metabolism or Tacitus will Shattered glass and spilled champagne at opinion of the Thresher editorial staff . All other get us a better job, but because through the Lily’s feet preceded one word: “Who?” opinionpiecesrepresentsolelytheopinionofthe humanities we can better know ourselves, “My first wife. My name was on that paper.” piece’s author. through the sciences we can better know

Editorial Staff opinions copy Mitch Mackowiak* Editor Jasmine Lin Editor The Rice Thresher, the offi cial student newspaper Editorial and business offi ces are located on the Julianne Wey Editor at Rice University since 1916, is published each second floor of the Ley Student Center: Andrew Ta* sports Tiffany Yip Asst. Editor Wednesday during the school year, except during 6100 Main St., MS-524 Editor in Chief Maddy Adams Editor examination periods and holidays, by the students Houston, TX 77005-1892 Andrew Grottkau Editor backpage Yasna Haghdoost* of Rice University. Phone (713) 348-4801 Sarah Nyquist Designer Joey McGlone Editor Managing Editor Email: [email protected] Riley Robertson Editor Letters to the Editor must be received by 5 p.m. Website: www.ricethresher.org art Miles Kruppa* the Friday prior to publication and must be Carrie Jiang Director Business Senior Editor Jake Nyquist Photo Editor Juan Saldaña Manager signed, including college and year if the writer is Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of Jessica Kelly Asst. Photo Editor a Rice student. The Thresher reserves the rights the Thresher editorial staff . All other opinion pieces news Advertising to edit letters for content and length and to place represent solely the opinion of the piece’s author. Anita Alem* Editor arts & entertainment Shannon Klein Manager letters on its website. Drew Keller* Editor Sophie Newman Editor Andrew Ligeralde Asst. Editor The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA and Walden Pemantle Editor * indicates member of the Justin Park Designer CMBAM © Copyright 2015 Samantha Ding Designer Editorial Board Wednesday,M arch 9, 2016 the Rice Thresher OP-ED 5 Rice needs more student investment in student media Who here remembers the RU Observer? digital advertising revenue. At the very least, rules and principles of news writing,” Bolshakov Standard’s point of view, with an emphasis on If you’re a freshman you most likely have the RU Observer competed with the Thresher wrote. “I’ve seen inaccurate information, “more”: more articles, more print editions and no clue what I’m talking about. But for the to publish information the student body cared sensationalized stories and opinion passed off more support. If the Catalyst deserves blanket older members of the Rice community, the about. While the Thresher covered the weekly as fact. It uses pronouns in news stories and tax funding, then the Standard certainly does RU Observer occupies a specific niche in our Student Association meetings, the Observer uses Facebook as a source without confirming as well, if only for its potential to give voice to institutional memory. They were the digital-first published polls for the best Beer Bike shirts or the information is accurate. The RU Observer is stories that would otherwise not be told. outlet, the disruptor, the Buzzfeed of Rice, and Orientation Week themes. a tabloid. A news source is supposed to provide Bolshakov urged Observer staff ers, in her they acted as a supplementary news source to its readers with a truthful, unbiased account of Observer article, to be more involved in existing the Thresher, for better or for worse. the facts.” student media organizations: “Maybe they The RU Observer still exists as a website Bolshakov was right, in a sense. The should try to join the Thresher or the Standard at ru-observer.com, but as a publication its Observer once wrote, incorrectly, that Thresher and make those publications better, with the existence is a ghost town. The top two posts, It seems, according to the staff ers pay themselves using blanket tax help of an adviser that understands journalism, the most recent from April 2015, are fairly committee, there’s a limit money. They also used a sensationalist, instead of being the yellow press of Rice. Part blatant advertorials for Red Bull, and the last photoshopped photo of Dean of Undergraduate of the blame should fall on Rice, which does three posts on the Twitter account appear to be to the amount of blanket John Hutchinson for a story about Baker College not have a school of communications, or advertorials for a travel blog. As so many things limiting its lunch hours for non-residents. To journalism, even though there is an obvious at Rice go, it appears that the publication folded tax-funded student call the article an “article” is also a bit generous need and want.” with the graduation of its founder, Cory Wynn media Rice needs. On — it mainly consists of an RU Observer editor’s Though I disagree with Bolshakov’s call (Lovett ’15), and turned into a half-hearted email to Hutchinson and Hutchinson’s reply. for a school of communications or journalism advertising money grab. the contrary, I strongly The article followed an Observer-led petition — no more professional schools please — I The RU Observer’s disappearance has against Baker’s proposed changes, which were think she’s on to something else. Beyond more somewhat coincided with a shake-up of the believe Rice needs a more ultimately passed and enforced. direct involvement in student media, Rice Rice media scene. The rebranded Rice Video vibrant, more consistent Clearly, the Observer didn’t aspire to be a needs more student investment in student Productions almost lost their blanket tax “serious” news source, but instead a source media. Just as crucially, Rice needs students to funding before being saved by a general election and solidly funded of entertainment and occasional news and understand the stakes of their investments in student vote tally just shy of the 66.7 percent student media scene. commentary. It’s vital that we remember its independent media and their power as a check necessary, and the same voters made Catalyst a role in the campus discourse and find lessons on organizations’ continued funding. blanket tax organization. The student body has in its demise. Personally, I’m ready for more Without student funding, student a clear demand for (well-funded) student media entertainment, as well as more news and publications lack real, sustained student beyond the Thresher. commentary. investment, which directly translates into At the same time, the Student Association But the RU Observer could also be too much RVP’s rebranding has brought more comedic readership. There’s only so much student blanket tax standing committee did not of what the student body wanted and too little video sketches and almost no news coverage publications funded by outside means can recommend that Student Senate approve the of what it needed. It often missed stories that — the student body’s narrow approval of their do before they’re lost into the annals of the Rice Standard’s application to be a blanket tax didn’t generate clicks or lend themselves to blanket tax status shows an interest in this internet. Let’s not allow the rest of student organization. The committee found that “the sensational headlines, and when it reported on type of coverage, but RVP shouldn’t take it as media go the way of the Observer — let’s explore mission and purpose of the organization in our critical topics like tuition, it gave the story the validation. Instead, RVP must continue proving the possibility of a media-rich campus that opinion is not unique enough from the Rice headline, “Just wait until you see how much to the student body it deserves their funding. serves every student’s needs. Thresher to justify a creation of another Blanket Rice’s tuition & fees have increased over the past As the only source for broadcast news on Tax organization.” It seems, according to the 10 years.” The article consisted of a chart taken campus and the owner of its own Rice television committee, there’s a limit to the amount of from offi cial Rice data with no commentary or channel, the task shouldn’t be too diffi cult, Miles Kruppaa is blanket tax-funded student media Rice needs. extra reporting. given a few organizational tweaks. aHanszenColle egege To their own credit, and detriment, the Similarly, the Standard can do more. I both On the contrary, I strongly believe Rice seniorandthe needs a more vibrant, more consistent and Observer published a highly critical article by agree and disagree with the blanket tax standing solidly funded student media scene. If we have then-Campanile editor in chief Anya Bolshakov committee’s assessment of the Standard, but Thresher’s no independent, student-run publications, (Duncan ’15) titled “I do not like the RU Observer.” still believe the Standard uniquely serves senior editor we only have news.rice.edu and occasional The piece, which the Thresher decided not to the campus. Yes, the Standard has a similar fly-by coverage from local print and broadcast publish without specific edits made, accused mission to the Thresher as a journalistic outlets. This dearth is why, looking back, I miss the Observer of shoddy journalistic ethics and publication, but it also publishes from a more the service (with all its flaws) the RU Observer denied its claims to being a “news source.” broadly critical, socio-political and cultural provided before fully succumbing to the lure of “The RU Observer does not follow the basic perspective. Rice needs more coverage from the

paid for by the student association

On behalf of the Student Association, we would like to formally introduce our- selves at the 2016-17 SA Executive Team. We are excited to capitalize on the enthu- siasm from this year’s record-breaking election and want to ensure that the SA continues to grow as an eff ective change-making force on campus. In order to do so, we need your help. For all students on campus, we encourage you to apply for the various posi- tions within the SA. In the coming weeks, we will be looking to fill a number of positions, such as University Standing Committee members and SA committee heads. This is the best way for you to make a meaningful impact on Rice. We look forward to a great year and to finding creative ways to further student interests. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Griffin Thomas Justin Onwenu Komal Luthra Sonal Pai Maurice Frediere President EVP IVP Secretary Treasurer [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Upcoming Meetings Wednesdays at 8:00 PM March 9 Farnsworth Pavilion March 16 Kyle Morrow Room March 23 Kyle Morrow Room March 30 Farnsworth Pavilion April 6 Farnsworth Pavilion April 13 Farnsworth Pavilion photo courtesy the student association April 20 Farnsworth Pavilion arts 6 ENTERTAINMENT Farm-to-table dazzles at Coltivare Denise Lee For the Thresher

When you first walk into Coltivare, it may see like just another trendy, yuppie restaurant in the Heights. The small, slightly dim walls, tables fashioned from unfinished dark wood and menus on clipboards certainly make it appear to be the product of gentrified, rustic-yet- upscale vibe becoming increasingly common in the Houston restaurant scene. When I first came here on a busy Saturday night, I had low expectations for the bougie, crowded space. However, Ryan Pera and Morgan Weber’s second baby, Coltivare (the first being Revival Market just down the street) is a gem in the Heights that draws crowds nearly every day of the week, for good reason. Focusing on local ingredients, shareable plates and a seasonal, rotating menu, Coltivare takes an especially fresh approach toward Italian food. There are a couple of key facts to know before coming to Coltivare. First, the restaurant doesn’t take reservations. Doors open at 5 p.m., the restaurant does not seat parties greater than six people and the entire party must be present to be seated. Hungry patrons often start lining up around 4:50 courtesy ht2ff film festival p.m., a good indicator of the food’s allure, so get there early. If you do happen to have A dream Actors from the London Stage theater company rehearse for their production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s a wait, the adorable garden at the back of Dream.’ The production will run this weekend only, from March 10 to 12 in Hamman Hall. Students tickets the restaurant is a great place to sip on fresh, comes to Rice are $15 and general admission is $20. expertly mixed cocktails while you wait for your table. If you’re not of age, here’s a pro tip: Head a block away to the newly opened Juiceland to grab a healthy smoothie to pregame that dinner, and enjoy the funky ‘For Colored Girls’ triumphs as narrative masterpiece Heights street art while you’re at it. The menu is easy to navigate and the Cannon Lewis way that one cannot help but empathize. In a later communicate so well, the actors come together waiters do a fantastic job introducing popular Thresher Staff scene, Jones College sophomore Kaelyn Mack tells and sing, dance or simply laugh, relieving all dishes and seasonal specials. With the menu the heartbreaking story of a woman stuck in a tension and demonstrating better than any words divided between appetizers and large plates At its heart, any form of literature is about horrifyingly abusive relationship, and the emotion the power of solidarity and support. our friendly waiter suggested that for two telling stories. When we read a book, attend a play in her voice is so palpable that she seems to be In keeping with the central role that people, sharing two small plates and two or watch a movie, we seek to experience people, experiencing the events herself. straightforward monologue plays in “For Colored large plates would be suffi cient. The menu places and emotions that are not part of our day- Girls,” the set, lighting and direction are incredibly does change frequently depending on what to-day lives. For this reason, the best literature is minimal. Each actor wears simply a black T-shirt ingredients are in season at the time, but captivating; it erases any awareness of the larger and a solid colored skirt, and the lighting direction there are a couple of staple dishes that vary world, any worries about homework, friends or consists solely of projecting the same color as the only slightly in their garnishes and toppings. upcoming deadlines. This ability to engross is The atmosphere skirt of the actor currently speaking. This lighting The charred octopus is more of a spring what distinguishes great plays from mediocre choice has the eff ect of starkly highlighting the or summer dish, but it is one of the standout ones, and it has nothing to do with how intricate of the play is part actors during the most tense portions of their appetizers, and if on the menu, absolutely the set is, how magnificent the costumes are, or speeches, enhancing the impression that the necessary for your Coltivare experience. Upon how eloquent the script is. This power resides introspection, stories told are raw and wrought with emotion. fi r s t b i t e , a l i g h t c h a r b r u s h e s a g a i n s t y o u r purely in the emotion and skill of the actors telling part tragedy and The set, consisting of simply a bench and some tongue before the flesh bursts with juiciness and a story. The depth of feeling and sincerity that black cloth, directs all attention to the speakers, flavor. Light veggies, such as Roma tomatoes, the cast brings to the Rice Offi ce of Multicultural part celebration so that the audience has no distraction from citrus and corn adorn the dish, complement Aff airs’ production of “For Colored Girls Who the experience being shared. Though the actors the octopus nicely. The salads change almost Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow of sisterhood and do not move much during each scene, their every week, and many times, you can see the is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange is incredible and subtle changes in body language and position ingredients grown in the in-house garden. transformative. Despite its almost nonexistent individual strength. enhance each monologue and demonstrate quite This biggest standout is the cucumber, tomato, set, simple costumes and minimal action, “For deft direction by Catherine Clack. Though this dill and goat cheese salad tossed in a lemon Colored Girls” is a masterpiece of storytelling and is Clack’s first foray into directing, her work is vinaigrette, but I guarantee that you cannot personal expression. impressive and without any incongruences to go wrong with any of the salads. While the “For Colored Girls” is an ensemble piece; “For Colored Girls” is not a wholly somber distract from the subject at hand. ingredients may seem simple, you are distinctly Shange describes the play as “a series of poetic play, however; on the contrary, the individual Ultimately, “For Colored Girls” is about hearing aware of the sheer quality of the ingredients that monologues designed to be accompanied by monologues are divided by scenes of singing, and being heard. As a member of the audience, I combine in a symphony of refreshing flavors. movement and music.” This description, however, dancing and camaraderie, so that the atmosphere feel privileged to be told such stories of triumph I’m clearly biased toward the vegetables, but if does the play a disservice by misrepresenting the of the play is part introspection, part tragedy and and sorrow delivered with their full emotional you are more of a carnivore, be sure to check out complexity and power of these monologues. Each part celebration of sisterhood and individual impact by a cast that so clearly cares about their the chicken wings. Think of these juicy, zesty time one of the seven actresses steps into center strength. The individual monologues are united material. It is a shame that such terrible events and slightly spicy chicken wings as a classier, stage, she inhabits a diff erent persona, so that in the straightforward, unedited approach that are the inspiration for such terrific storytelling, less oily version of Buff alo Wild Wings. in total 20 diff erent stories of African-American they take to the experiences of African-American but “For Colored Girls” is nonetheless one of the The pizzas are made in an open kitchen womanhood are told, each with its own emotional women, and though the narrative form switches best plays I have seen in recent memory. I do not with a giant wood-fired oven. Pizzas are often and narrative complexities. One early scene, led between group therapy sessions, beat poetry and believe that anyone could walk away from this centered around toppings, but at Coltivare, by Wiess College senior Sharae Dewitt, expresses traditional narrated storytelling, the whole play play unaff ected, and I encourage everyone to go the sauces and toppings are the complements the frustration and fear surrounding being the flows beautifully. Just as the audience is worn see it and spread the message of love and respect to the uncommonly good crust. Pizza crust is victim of rape in such an intense, direct, personal out by the pain and sorrow that the monologues that is its motivation. 0see COLTIVARE, page 7

THE HELLO HAMLET BAKERSHAKE GIRLHOOD DREAM WEEKLY It only happens once in your Rice This year’s BakerShake (Baker Hosted by the Cara a Cara Alterna- You don’t want to miss this career, so don’t miss it! Hello Hamlet theater’s yearly Shakespeare pro- tive Spring Break team, Rice’s Immi- incredible opportunity to see SCENE is a musical written by Wiess alumnus duction, for the uninitiated) prom- gration Film series kicks off this Fri- “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” George Grenias that takes a whimsi- ises to thrill. The chosen play is Ti- day with a screening of “Girlhood.” with The Actors From the Lon- The editors ’ picks cal approach to what many consider tus Andronicus, commonly known The film is a coming-of-age story fol- don Stage, who hail from such for this week’ s Shakespeare’s greatest play. Wiess as Shakespeare’s bloodiest, most lowing the challenges of growing up humble troupes as the Royal best events. Time only performs it every four years so controversial play. Believe me, you Afro-French in a low-income Parisian Shakespeare Company. Perfor- to explore the the next two weekends are your best might leave horrified but you’ll cer- suburb. Admission is free and the mances are March 10 through 12 wonderful world chance to see the truly unique show. tainly be entertained. show starts at 6:30. at 7:30 p.m. of Houston. Rice University Rice University Rice University Rice University Wiess commons Baker Commons Sewall 309 Hamman Hall bit.ly/HelloHamlet bakershake.org Wednesday,M arch 9, 2016 the Rice Thresher A&E 7

WHAT’S HIP RIGHT NOW by kaylen strench TECH: FASHION: TRENDING: TV: Sleep Shepherd hat Denim hair Henn-na Hotel ‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’

courtesy cosmo courtesy cw courtesy sleep shepherd In a phrase: Blue hair with a twist. courtesy hnh Where to find it: Bring it up to your local In a phrase: Stop. Go home and watch this NOW. In a phrase: Alien hat that makes you tired. stylist, or try at home if you dare. In a phrase: A hotel run entirely by robots. Where to find it: The CW or Amazon Where to find it: sleepshepherd.com. Where to find it: Japan. Instant Video. Shh … Do you hear that noise? Yes, my friend, College students are notorious for their poor it’s the sound of the collective groaning of all of If you’re anything like me, you’ll find this Guys, I did it. I found the best new show sleep habits. Though I myself am pretty good the grandparents of the world. They stood by question surprisingly diffi cult: Would you rather no one’s watching but should be. “Crazy Ex- about obtaining my standard seven hours, I us through ombre, platinum, choppy bobs and deal with human beings for customer service, or Girlfriend” actually came out last fall on the know from experience that few students share pink highlights, and still they never anticipated robots? The former usually seems more effi cient, CW, but it didn’t get much attention until its my sleep schedule. Some are kept up by partying this latest millennial trend sweeping across the but, at the same time, making small talk with main actress and co-creator, Rachel Bloom, in the hallways, some by unsolvable problem nation and the world. strangers is just so awkward and uncomfortable. won a Golden Globe in January. sets and others because of run-of-the-mill Denim hair is not just blue. Rather, it is a If the latter is more your style, then Japan’s The show chronicles the life of Rebecca, a insomnia. Whatever the reason, I think we all delicate and intricate combination of grays, new “Henn-na Hotel” may excite you. The 72- smart, attractive, but anxious girl (much like know that such poor sleep hygiene is terrible for blues, whites and even greens that produce a room hotel has only 10 human staff ers — the all of us Rice girls, really) obsessing over an mental and physical health, increasing our risk mesmerizing shade that is closest to, well, your rest is run entirely by robots. A mechanical ex-boyfriend. She follows him to California of everything from depression to diabetes. Levi bootcuts. Just as jeans range from light velociraptor checks you in, boxy wheeled robots after he moves, enters into a love triangle New start-up “Sleep Shepherd” is attempting wash to indigo, examples (which you can find clean the carpet, and a pink stuff ed animal with with his best friend and hilarity ensues. The to give us a hand (for a steep price) with its on Instagram) range from dark, to blue-green, an android serves as your personal concierge show is not only well-acted and relatable, brand new hat of the same name, which uses a to quite light. Though I personally find many of to answer questions about everything from but it is speckled with dance numbers that combination “binaural” tones and biofeedback to the online denim hair models quite beautiful, the weather to good nearby restaurants. In my any average chick could not help but find lull its wearer to sleep. Just strap the hat on, flip just thinking about the amount of bleach opinion, the whole concept creeps me out and hilarious, such as “The Sexy Getting Ready the power switch, and you’ll be snoring soundly in necessary to achieve their results makes me seems like a colossal disaster waiting to happen Song” and “Good at Yoga.” If you’ve been no time. Fair warning, however, as with most such shudder. Also, as stated, I doubt my grandma (think dealing with your laptop’s tech issues feeling just a bit like a “crazy ex-girlfriend” gadgets, you’ll look like an idiot in the process (it (hell, my mom) would ever get it. If you’re times 1,000), but sooner or later, we may have (or just a “crazy girl”), Rebecca’s authenticity looks like a goofy black beanie), but it’s surely willing to take the hair-dying plunge, however, no other choice than to accept this new customer and slightly unhealthy tendencies are sure to worth it for a good night’s rest, right? this is as good a trend as any. service model. Perhaps the future is here, guys. make you feel a whole lot better.

0COLTIVARE Coltivare from page 6 Address: 3320 White Oak Dr. 77007 Phone number: (713) 637-4095 often overlooked; once you get through the Website: coltivarehouston.com excitement of the toppings, it’s bland, and boring and forgettable. Coltivare’s pizza dough Recommended Dishes is exactly the opposite — it’s soft, flavorful and (shown right) pillowy on the inside, while retaining a nice Tagliatelle with shrimp and arugula, $9 crunch from the roaring oven. While I could eat just the crust all day, Chicken pizza with proscuitto, tomato, the actual pizza toppings are still incredibly sage, and saba, $14 interesting. Right now, one of their winter flavors includes a sweet, smooth butternut squash puree-based pizza with caramelized courtesy denise lee Brussels sprouts, local cabbage, pancetta, parmesan and chilies adorning the top. One of their menu staples, with chicken, prosciutto, tomato, sage and saba, is a fan favorite. The thin slices of prosciutto, seasoned chunks of chicken, tomatoes that burst in your mouth and a light balsamic vinegar drizzle have been known to haunt my dreams. When it’s all said and done, the pizza is very light, even with the multitude of toppings. If the pizzas still aren’t enough carbs for you,thepastasarealsoimpressivelydelicious. The simple spaghetti with black pepper and parmigiano cheese has literally won awards from food magazines and has been featured in the local news on multiple occasions. I personally love the tagliatelle, which usually features some mix of locally caught shellfish (usually shrimp and scallops), seasonal veggies and herbs from the garden. The pasta is house-made the day it is served, which is clear in the freshness of the noodles. For all its simplicity, the gnocchi stuff ed with ricotta and drizzled with balsamic is a fun and interesting take on noodles. With the increasing density of overpriced, overhyped and mediocre restaurants popping up in Houston, the farm-to-table concept often misses the mark. Coltivare is an oasis of beautifully crafted food and attentive service with an admirable mission of finding the best ingredients without compromising taste. It all makes the drive to the Heights and the wait worth it. Whether you are going for a romantic date night or sharing a dinner with some friends, Coltivare is perfect for the occasion. Great flavor in food often reflects great ethics of chefs, and the Pera-Weber duo have done an incredible job of reminding us how a web of simple ingredients can create something stunningly refreshing for our palates. 8 A&E the Rice Thresher Wednesday,M arch 9, 2016 9

jake nyquist/thresher Sophomore center fielder Ryan Chandler hustles to first base during a game against the University of Arkansas at Minute Maid Park on Feb. 26, the first of three games Playing like the Owls would play as part of the . Rice mustered only six hits in the game and lost to the Razorbacks 5-2. Chandler, who went 1 for 4 with a sin- gle and a stolen base, has started all 12 games and is hitting .220 on the season for the Owls. Rice is looking to improve on its 6-6 record this weekend when it hosts East the pros Carolina University for a three-game series before beginning Conference USA play against the University of Texas, San Antonio in San Antonio the following weekend. Renovation of track, soccer stadium gives teams needed upgrade Michael Kidd and international attention. Hughes, for student-athletes and fans. Most notably, an Joe Karlgaard, the renovations were needed. Thresher Staff instance, has signed to play professionally entirelynewgrandstandhasbeenconstructed “This upgrade has been something our for an Icelandic soccer club. along with an enclosed press box overlooking track and soccer programs have needed The Rice men’s and women’s track These teams have accomplished the track. Additionally, a 3,250-square-foot for some time, and we are grateful for the and cross country teams along with the impressive feats with subpar facilities and complex has been built behind the bleachers support the university has provided to bring women’s soccer team have seen recent equipment. Until this February, the Wendel for each of the programs to use. For the first the project to fruition,” Karlgaard said. “It is increases in conference success. The soccer D. Ley Track facility, which was used for time in nearly two years, the teams have a terrific step forward in the quest to address team and the women’s cross country team practices, games and meetings by the soccer access to locker rooms, a weight and training the facilities needs for these programs.” earned conference titles in 2014 and 2015, and track and cross country teams, left much facility, and large restrooms. Ruthie Seleznick is currently a junior respectively. Junior decathlete Scott Filip, to be desired. The structure was considered The grandstand will have seating for more midfielder for the Owls and will finally have senior javelin thrower Evan Karakolis, discus by many to be too small and dilapidated. than 1,100 spectators who will no longer access to an on-site facility for her senior thrower Claire Uke (’15) and junior high This issue has been rectified, however, by have to watch track meets or soccer matches season. According to Seleznick, the new jumper Daisy Ding have earned All-American the completion of a $2.2 million renovation from a collection of portable bleachers. The locker rooms are a welcome addition to the honors.Athletessuchassoccerseniorforward project. grandstands had not been replaced since soccer facilities. Lauren Hughes and junior long distance The renovations provide many necessary 1966 when the facility served as bleachers for “It’s really nice to finally have a locker runner Cali Roper have both broken long- improvements to the track and soccer the Rice football team. room built for us,” Seleznick said. “We are standing Rice records and received national facilities, which will benefit both Rice’s According to Rice’s Director of Athletics 0see STADIUM, page 11 10 SPORTS the Rice Thresher Wednesday,M arch 9, 2016 CALENDAR MARCH 9 10 11 Women’s Basketball Men’s Golf vs. Louisiana Tech at Border Olympics Men’s Basketball Baseball vs. Charlotte vs. East Carolina both at Birmingham, Ala.

12 13 14 Men’s Golf Women’s Tennis at Border Olympics vs. Texas Tech Baseball Baseball vs. East Carolina vs. East Carolina Men’s Tennis vs. UTRGV 15 16 17 Women’s Track Women’s Track Swimming Shirley Crowe Multi Events Shirley Crowe Multi Events NCAA Championship Men’s Track Men’s Track in Atlanta, Ga. Shirley Crowe Multi Events Shirley Crowe Multi Events Baseball vs. TCU 18 19 20

Men’s and Women’s Track Women’s Tennis Baseball at TSU Relays vs. UTSA at UTSA Swimming Baseball Men’s Tennis NCAA Championship at UTSA at Texas A&M Baseball at UTSA 21 22 23 Women’s Swimming Women’s Swimming Women’s Swimming CSCAA National Collegiate CSCAA National Collegiate CSCAA National Collegiate sean chu/thresher Men’s Golf Men’s Golf Lone Star Invitational Lone Star Invitational Owl flies Freshman guard Marcus Evans was selected to the First Team All-Conference USA in recognition of his standout first season. Evans, the leading freshman Baseball at University of Houston high scorer in the country, is the first Owls freshman ever to receive the honor.

the queer agenda events PAID FOR BY THE QUEER RESOURCE CENTER

Mar. 9 Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria Screening 6:30 pm at the Rice Media Center

Mar. 10 Rice Women’s Resource Center 20th Anniversary Celebration! 6 pm at the Rice Women’s Resource Center

Mar. 11 Rondelet! 9 pm at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences

Apr. 4 PRIDE WEEK 2016 begins

fact of the day queer music you should listen to Thursday, March 10 Jordaan Mason and the Horse Museum’s album “Divorce Friday, March 11 Lawyers I Shaved my Head” Saturday, March 12 What if Neutral Milk Hotel made a concept album about gender All performances at 7:30 p.m. identity? Jordaan Mason and their group of self-described “lovers Hamman Hall, Rice University and friends” paint a haunting Agender pride flag image of a couple as they each struggle with their respective For more information, Agender is a gender identity. It describes a gender identities and try to person who does not feel sufficiently strong survive an ongoing war. call 713-348-7529 affiliations with any gender identity presented or visit arts.rice.edu to them and in turns rejects them. Favorite Song: “Racehorse: Get Married!” If you liked this, you should check out: Jordaan Mason’s solo project (http://jordaanmason.band- camp.com) Wednesday,M arch 9 ,2016 the Rice Thresher SPORTS 11 The Final Kauntdown Baseball’s early season struggles at the plate and in the field do not mean the team will disappoint

The Rice baseball team entered the sea- the team has particularly struggled: field- Although the Owls have been far from pitching will likely remain solid for the re- son with the hopes of reaching the College ing. Rice has committed 21 errors this season, outstanding, it is still too early to worry. The mainder of the season, but the Owls’ rotation World Series. With a strong pitching rotation three times the total of its opponents. These team is in the midst of what is arguably its has the potential to be great if Parthasarathy including All-American senior Blake Fox and errors have led to 14 unearned runs — nearly toughest stretch of its season, playing eight can build upon his early-season success and a lineup featuring returning stars such as ju- a quarter of the 60 runs the Owls have al- games against opponents ranked in the top Duplantier and Fox can consistently pitch nior outfielders Charlie Warren and Dayne lowed this season. Considering opponents 25 over its first 17 contests. Rice will play four deep into games. If all goes well, Rice has the Wunderlich, the Owls appeared poised for are averaging five runs per game against the more games against ranked opponents this chance to vault itself back into the top 25 and a great season. Instead, through 12 games, Owls, this means Rice’s errors have account- week and next week. After the game against contend for a national title. For now, though, Rice’s record stands at a mediocre 6-6. ed for nearly three games’ worth of runs for Texas Christian University next Friday, how- it is far too early to tell what exactly this team It is difficult to pinpoint one reason for their opponents. ever, the Owls are scheduled to play only one will do. the team’s struggles thus far. The team has Rice, on the other hand, has scored just 50 more game against a top 25 opponent this The Owls will return to action on Friday, simply underperformed — the Owls have runs this season. Thus far, scoring has been season. March 11 at 6 p.m. to face off against No. 16 been average, but not great, in all phases of a perfect indicator of the Owls’ success. Rice The schedule is one reason to be optimis- East Carolina University at Reckling Park. the game. The pitching has been effective, is 0-6 when scoring two runs or fewer and 6-0 tic, but the team must improve if it wishes to The game will be the first of a three-game though not spectacular. Freshman Jackson when scoring three runs or more. Through 12 contend in the postseason. Two hitters in par- weekend series against the Pirates. Parthasarathy has impressed with a team- games, the Owls are averaging 4.3 runs per ticular are due to improve: senior infielder The Final Kauntdown is a column written leading 0.84 earned run average through just game on offense with a team batting average Connor Teykl and sophomore outfielder Ryan by Andrew Grottkau. The opinions expressed over 10 innings of work. Junior Jon Duplan- of .237. These numbers are not desirable, but Chandler are hitting .194 and .220 respective- in the column are solely his own. tier has also started the season well, earn- they are not glaringly bad. ly this season. These performances are not ing the Conference USA Pitcher of the Week For the most part, the top of the Owls’ on par with what each player has delivered award this week after striking out 14 against lineup has fared well so far. Freshman short- in the past. Last season, both players started the University of Central Florida on Friday stop Ford Proctor has a team-best .359 average all 59 games for the Owls, with Teykl hitting Andrew Grottkottkauau night. Although Fox has a disappointing 0-3 and junior outfielder Dayne Wunderlich leads .291 and Chandler hitting .302 on the season. record, he has pitched through the seventh Rice with a .455 slugging percentage and 10 If Teykl and Chandler can even come close to isaMcMurtry yCollege College inning in each of his last two starts and has runs batted in. The bottom of the lineup, how- replicating those performances for the rest freshmanand d given up a total of only five earned runs in ever, has struggled mightily. Five players who of the season, the team’s offense should see Thresher that span. have started at least half of the Owls’ games great improvement. sports While the Owls’ team ERA is an impres- are hitting .231 or below. While it is still early On the defensive side, the Owls have al- sive 3.51, their opponents are scoring an av- in the season, it is concerning that the lineup ready begun to commit fewer errors as they editor erage of five runs per game. The discrepancy appears very top-heavy. If Rice hopes to con- settle into the season. After gathering 15 er- between the team’s ERA and runs allowed tend for a national title, it must even out the rors in their first five games, they have com- points to an often overlooked area in which distribution of offensive production. mitted only six in their past seven games. The

0STADIUM from page 9 definitely making the space our own by decorating it with our team values, posters, [and plan to] have something to JOIN THE TEAM. hit on our way out before we go out to play. We [currently] go in every morning Write for Thresher Sports. before training and see a wall with a cleat rack on it and have a meeting room to [email protected] watch film in. It’s all very exciting.” Seleznick said she believes that the facility will lead to a better experience for both the players on the field and the fans in attendance.

This new facility does volumes for us. It does volumes for us in the way it looks. It helps us in recruiting [and] it shows [we are] changing with the times and moving forward. Jim Bevan Women’s Cross Country Head Coach

“These stands are beautiful and they can fit far more people, there is a better view for the game, plus there is this great press box above it,” Seleznick said. “Having facilities that are not only catered to those playing but to fans as well, is definitely going to bring more people out.” Rice women’s cross country and women’s track and field coach Jim Bevan said he believes the improvements will help in recruiting top tier athletes and can turn the tide of his program. “This new facility does volumes for us,” Bevan said. “It does volumes for us in the way it looks. It helps us in recruiting [and] it shows [we are] changing with the times and moving forward.” The facilities were designed by Jackson and Ryan Architects, the firm that renovated baseball’s Reckling Park. The soccer and track programs are the latest in a series of renovations for Rice Athletics following Reckling Park in 2007, tennis’s George R. Brown Tennis Center in 2013 and football’s Brian Patterson Sports Performance Center, which is expected to be ready summer of 2016. The next opportunity for fans to check out the new Wendel D. Ley Track Facility is the men’s track team’s Shirley Crowe Multi Events Meet, March 15-16. The start time for the event is yet to be determined. 12 BACKPAGE the Rice Thresher Wednesday,M arch 9, 2016

As you probably haven’t heard, everyone’s second* favorite spring formal, Rondelet, is this weekend! And as you most certainly have not heard (read a book, you uncultured bumpkin), it turns out that a rondelet is a poem. The rondelet is a fun twist on the beloved rondeau, consisting of seven lines with a refrain and two rhyme schemes throughout the body of the poem. To help you get in the spirit of the event, we have decided to get lyrical and drop some Rondelet-themed rondelets for you.

u v u v u v Asking contest Blacked out pre-dance Mash’d ’tater bar; Owls vie for a $40 prize It probably would have been fun Each bite a cloud of salt, butter. Asking contest Blacked out pre-dance Mash’d ’tater bar; An unashamed, like-seeking fest I didn’t even stand a chance Makes it fine my date won’t go far. To socially capitalize Chased my Absinthe with Everclear First bite makes me gasp and shudder, As you lamely romanticize My memory has disappeared Last: just like a suite dutch rudder, Asking contest Blacked out pre-dance Mash’d ’tater bar. w x w x w x u v u v u v The gem vault. No butterflies? Museum’s backroom. Getting it on, what a thrill. That room cannot truly be closed! Sex happens there The gem vault. No butterflies? Museum’s backroom. Did you hear that? (quick somersault) Tiny wings make me kiss the sky, To electronic beats from Flume False alarm, now I wet my quill. All those pictures for which I posed… Some youthful couples will come there Sex and minerals … That is trill. All for naught, alone with my woes. while some other kids will cum there The gem vault. No butterflies? Museum’s backroom. w x w x w x u v u v u v Don’t touch dino See Leebs and Ping, Bus ride back home Stupid, belligerent Owl In the ballroom like you and me. Resist the urge to chunder Don’t touch dino See Leebs and Ping, Bus ride back home You inconsiderate wino And pray to god he doesn’t sing. Smell of despair and lame cologne. Some drunken actions run afoul Do they think they’re twenty-three, Last chance to explore down under, Deservingly warrant a scowl Dancing far too erotically, With some desperate evening blunder, Don’t touch dino See Leebs and Ping. Bus ride home. w x w x w x

*see below for favorite

WHO WILL TAKE THE CROWN BEADS?

Since Rice’s premiere stripping legend and rare blonde bombshell graduated, we Owls are all wondering, “Who will be the next champion of the pole?” Many students turn to the stripping contest at the Mardi Gras party as an annual source of entertainment. “I initially came to Rice because I heard that Lovett had porn parties. I was pretty bummed when I found out that they went soft, but I guess a strip show could get the job done,” reports one gloomy student. We’re sure we can speak for all Owls when we say that we are counting down the days until a new victor is born on the pole. After all, the culture of promoting erotic dancing runs deep here at Rice. Just ask anyone from McMurtry!

7KH%DFNSDJHLVVDWLUHDQGZULWWHQE\-RH\0F*ORQHDQG5LOH\5REHUWVRQDQGWKLVZHHN,VDDF6FKXOW]FROODERUDWHG)RUFRPPHQWVRUTXHVWLRQVSOHDVHHPDLO[email protected]. CLASSIFIEDS WANTED TEACH FOR TESTMASTERS! Dynamic and TUTORS NEEDED IMMEDIATELY! Rice Alum Energetic teachers wanted. Starting pay rate hiring tutors for Middle & High School Math, ADVERTISING Cash, check or credit card pay- is $20 to $32 per hour. Flexible schedules. We Natural & Social Science, Foreign Language, We accept display and classified ment must accompany your classi- provide all training, all training is paid, and Humanities, and SAT/ACT prep. Reliable trans- advertisements. The Thresher reserves fied advertisement, which must be received by 12 p.m. on the Friday we pay for travel. Email your resume to jobs@ portation required. Pay $30/hr+ based on ex- the right to refuse any advertising for any reason. Additionally, the Thresher prior to publication. testmasters.com. perience. Contact 832-428-8330 and email re- does not take responsibility for the sume to [email protected] factual content of any ad. Printing an Juan Saldana å(**'21256:$17(' ò*LYHDIDPLO\WKH advertisement does not constitute an Business Manager chance at happiness. Receive $6,000 per cycle. ARE YOU A CIGARETTE SMOKER? You may be endorsement by the Thresher. [email protected] P.O. Box 1892 Qualify for FREE Egg Freezing & Storage. Ap- eligible for a research study at BCM involving Display advertisements must be ply at donate-eggs.com e-cigarettes and MRI. Participants must be Houston, TX 77005-1892 received by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to (713) 348-4801 willing to visit the clinic 3 times. For more in- publication. NEED TUTOR for middle school math, face to formation, call: 713-798-3502 or email: brain- First copy free, second copy $5. face or through internet. Living near Rice uni- [email protected] versity. Please call 832-868-6666 if interested.