The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, October 13, 2021

VOLUME 106, ISSUE NO. 8 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

Black Art at Rice: Magdah Omer discusses identity and new exhibit EMELIA GAUCH

Masks no longer required for indoor gatherings less than 10 people

FOR THE THRESHER Magdah Omer, a Baker College senior, discusses their upcoming exhibition, “be water my friend,” at Sleepy Cyborg, opening Oct. 15. Omer’s art featured in the exhibit explores the fluidity of self and identity and utilizes acrylic paint on various unconventional canvases, including clothes, furniture and even people. The exhibit draws inspiration from Agnes Pelton, Özlem Thompson and Hilma af Klint. Omer said they hope that, through viewing and experiencing their artwork, people will gain better understandings of their own selves. The opening reception is on Oct. 15 from 7 - 9 p.m. with the exhibit open through Oct. 24.

Rice Thresher: What is your major?

Do you study visual arts?

Magdah Omer: My major is bioengineering [and] focusing on global health technologies and medical humanities. I got asked if I wanted to do this exhibit this summer. It was all a coincidence. I used to take art classes in high school, I was always very into painting. When I came into Rice, I took an art class, but didn’t really pursue the major.

The show takes inspiration from nature. The color [and] the form [are] like water.

It’s sensual. The art is some representation of where I was this summer and what I learned about myself in terms of my identity and how fluid that is.

Magdah Omer BAKER COLLEGE SENIOR

Being asked to do this exhibit was exciting. At first, I was hesitant. I was like, “I am not an artist. I don’t make art with a certain theme in mind or for a certain reason. I kind of just make it.”

But, this summer, I got back into art. It’s really exciting to find something that feels natural, something that is representing me to the best of my abilities to the point that other people know more about me by looking at my art.

RT: How would you describe your current style of art?

MO: Abstract; I don’t know how to describe it, otherwise. I was painting this summer around a lot of creative and loving people. I also was learning about myself, so words like naturalistic come to mind.

The show takes inspiration from nature.

The color [and] the form [are] like water.

It’s sensual. The art is some representation of where I was this summer and what I learned about myself in terms of my identity and how fluid that is.

RT: Do you have a favorite subject within your art or a theme that you are most interested in exploring?

MO: I like to explore identity within myself. For me, what art has been about is the process and the process of making the art is about feeling what the art wants to be.

So, saying, “This art wants to be fluid,” or “This art wants to be intuitive,” and it helps me become that way, too.

SEE BLACK ART AT RICE PAGE 9

CHLOE XU / THRESHER

TALHA ARIF

NEWS EDITOR

Masks will now be required indoors only for gatherings of more than 10 people, according to an email sent by Crisis Management Advisory Committee Chair Kevin Kirby on Oct. 11. This policy does not apply to classrooms, where students must remain masked.

Students do not need to wear masks inside as long as there are not more than ten people gathered together, according to Kirby. “[For example], if you are in your college commons and you look across the commons and there are 100 people but only ten of you are gathered together, then that means you don’t have to wear your mask,” Kirby said.

Kirby said Rice plans on decreasing COVID-19 testing frequency over the course of the semester assuming conditions stay how they are, but they will not eliminate testing.

“We just need to understand what level of surveillance testing we should be doing to make sure we are staying safe,” Kirby said.

According to Kirby, the testing policy was not changed yet in order to monitor the effect of the indoor mask policy change.

“The other thing we wanted to make sure of was since its fall break, and people are traveling, they may come back and [have] been exposed

to something as part of their travel,” Kirby said.

This policy change follows a positivity rate of less than 0.02 percent at Rice in the past week. The week before, Rice had a 0.16 percent positivity rate, according to the university’s COVID-19 dashboard.

There has been no evidence of classroom transmission to date, but it is something Rice is monitoring for, according to Kirby. Kirby said the classroom mask policy may eventually be rolled back, but he said he does not think it would occur this semester. “[Classroom transmission] is something we [actively] look for because it’s a question that comes up a lot,” Kirby said. “How long will we have to continue wearing masks in class, I don’t know. But we don’t have many policies left, and that’s one of them.”

The vaccination rate for the Rice community is well over 90 percent, according to Kirby’s email.

Rice is partnering with the Houston Health Department to offer Pfizer vaccines on Oct. 13, 14 and 15 in the East Gym of Tudor Fieldhouse.

Rice community members and their families can receive a booster shot if they are eligible or their first or second dose if they have not gotten it already.

There are around 400 vaccines that will be available each day.

Review: ‘Squid Game,’ is it worth the hype?

ELI MENDOZA

FOR THE THRESHER Even if you aren’t one to keep up with the latest entertainment trends, you’ve probably heard of “Squid Game.” This new Korean Netflix show became the most watched show in 90 countries within ten days of its release, making it a larger global phenomenon than anyone likely expected.

For those looking for a quick overview: The show focuses on Gi-hun, a man deep in debt from betting on horse races and unable to support himself or his family. A man at the train station has Gi-hun play a strange game for 100,000 Won (roughly $83). After taking a bit of a beating, Gi-hun gets his money as well as a card with a phone number on it.

The next thing we know, he’s in the game with 455 other players in green uniforms. These players are all told to play games inspired by Korean children’s games for a chance to have their debts relieved.

There is a chance to leave after the first game when several of the players are shot and killed, but many return soon enough, setting off the rest of the series.

The first half of the show is significantly better in action and quality of content than the second half, while the latter portion offers more explicit political and social commentary. The first half pulls audiences in while the second brings them out of the metaphor and into reality, providing discomfort with how connected different systems of oppression truly are, from economics to government to policing and the law.

The show portrays a stark contrast between the lives of the players and the lives of rich men betting money on humans as they would horses, like Gi-hun did. While the rich have money to gamble without thought, those who gamble for money end up staying poor. Or, in the case of the show, end up dying or are traumatized by it. These themes seem vital to understanding the point of the show.

“Squid Game” serves as a metaphor to share a cynical but important view of the world’s current state.”

As far as Netflix series go, it’s highquality, although Korean speakers have told me that the show is poorly translated into English. The characters, cinematography, acting and plot are all top-notch, with plot holes mainly implied to be the result of the irrationality of human nature. I noticed very explicit examples of human psychological principles in action throughout all the episodes, which seems to be what has made people fall in love with the show despite (or, sometimes because of) its gory, on-screen deaths and otherwise unsettling aesthetic.

“Squid Game” serves as a metaphor to share a cynical but important view of the world’s current state. It’s extremely effective, as its popularity can attest to, showing that we, the viewers, are in fact analogous to the rich watching these people for entertainment, as opposed to being part of the game like we expect when we first watch the show. As we watch these players make decisions that can truly be described as psychological torture, we see what makes and breaks a human. I recommend “Squid Game” to any fan of shows that analyze humans at their limits — and that don’t mind uncensored gore.

2 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

THE RICE THRESHER

Baker Institute director to step down after 28 years

COURTESY RICE NEWS Edward Djerejian, founding director of the Baker Institute for Public Policy, will be stepping down at the end of June 2022, 28 years after he first took on the position.

BEN BAKER-KATZ

MANAGING EDITOR

Edward Djerejian, founding director of the Baker Institute for Public Policy, announced last week that he will step down at the end of June 2022. The first and only person to hold the position, Djerejian will have been at the helm of the Baker Institute for 28 years when he retires in April.

The former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Djerejian said that when he was approached in 1994 by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, the namesake for the institute, he was conflicted.

“At the time, I was not interested in leaving the foreign service,” Djerejian said. “I knew nothing about Texas and very little about academia … but [my wife and I] asked ourselves, ‘How many times in one life do you have the opportunity to create something from the ground up?’ It was a roll of the dice, and we took it.”

Founded in 1993, the Baker Institute was recently named by the University of Pennsylvania as the best university affiliated think-tank in the world in 2020.

President David Leebron said he has appreciated working with Djerejian and the Baker Institute throughout his time at Rice.

“It has been a privilege working with Ed Djerejian and Jim Baker,” Leebron said. “It would be hard to imagine accomplishing much more over this time period. [The Baker Institute] has truly become one of the jewels of Rice University.”

When the Institute was just getting started in the mid-1990s, Djereian said that a decision was made early on that the institute be non-partisan and only issue policy recommendations based on data. Additionally, he traveled to numerous policy centers at some of the top universities in the country to see how they conducted their operations.

“I came back [from those trips] and I was intimidated,” Djerejian said. “They were doing all these great things and had

been around for a long time … so one great levels,” Leebron said. “What I’ve major decision I made was that we weren’t seen during my time is that the Baker going to imitate any other institution, but Institute has become a critical part of the we were going to base our programs on the university’s reputation.”

The final aspect of the initial model principle of comparative advantage.”

According to Djerejian, each center for the Baker Institute was the integration the Institute has created was developed of the Baker Institute into the Rice because of a specific advantage — community. According to Djerejian, this geographical, specific expertise or was accomplished through reaching out otherwise — they hold over similar think and providing opportunities to faculty and students at Rice, including both graduate tanks.

The institute is now home to six centers, and undergraduate students.

One aspect of a typical think tank that including the Center for the United States and Mexico and the Center for the Middle Djerejian and Baker explicitly avoided was establishing the Baker Institute as a East.

With Houston being known as the speakers bureau.

“We didn’t energy capital of establish the Baker the world, Djerejian Institute as a said that one of the speaker’s bureau, or first programs he as one of our main established was We’ve accomplished the objectives to have an energy forum, lion’s share of the tasks people come here which evolved we set before us ... I think and speak, because into the Center for this is the moment for me the main focal Energy Studies. point of our work According to to step aside and hand it Djerejian, the over to the next generation is the research and recommendations other aspect of of leadership to take it to that our fellows comparative new heights and scholars make advantage he on domestic and sought to utilize Edward Djerejian foreign policy was the Institute’s FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE issues,” Djerejian proximity to the said.

Texas Medical BAKER INSTITUTE Despite that, Center, which led to the creation of the Center for Health and the institute has attracted numerous high profile speakers over the years. They’ve Bioscience.

The idea of comparative advantage hosted five U.S. presidents, mostly also led to the creation of more centers recently Barack Obama, who was the in recent years. According to Djerejian, keynote speaker at the Baker Institute’s the Center for The Middle East was born 25th anniversary gala in 2018.

According to Djerejian, his favorite from his and Baker’s knowledge of the region after spending decades in foreign speaker the Institute has hosted is indeed relations. By the time Leebron took over a president — just not an American one.

“My favorite memory is when we as Rice’s president in 2003, the Baker Institute had been in operation for nearly hosted Nelson Mandela,” Djerejian said.

“We were lucky to get him; we used every a decade.

“When I arrived … [Djerejian] had point of networking and influence that we already built the Baker Institute up to had, and we got him here.”

According to Djerejian, interest in the Mandela event was so extensive that they had to host it in Tudor Fieldhouse.

In front of over 6,000 people, including minority students bussed in from various Houston public high schools, Djerejian said that sitting across the stage from the former South African president was his favorite memory of his time at the Baker Institute.

“We’ve had presidents, we’ve had foreign ministers, we’ve had national leaders, Democrats and Republicans,” Djerejian said. “We’ve had notable people here, but when you ask me, what was the one event that sticks in my mind?

That’s it.”

Now, headed into his mid-80s, Djerejian said that he felt the time was right to step away.

“We’ve gotten the institute to the point, beyond our expectations, as one of the leading think tanks in the world,” Djerejian said. “We’ve accomplished the lion’s share of the tasks we set before us, the institute is on a very strong foundation, and I think this is the moment for me to step aside and hand it over to the next generation of leadership to take it to new heights.”

The search for Djerejian’s successor involves a committee, co-chaired by Leebron and Marc Shapiro, chair of the Baker Institute Board of Advisors. The committee has begun their work trying to identify potential candidates, and the work will continue for several months, with more announcements expected in early 2022. According to Leebron, they expect the process to be relatively smooth.

“The reputation of the Baker Institute now is such that I really don’t anticipate having a problem attracting and finding outstanding individuals to carry the work of the institute going forward,” Leebron said. “[Djerejian has] laid the best possible foundation for the next steps in the evolution of the Baker Institute.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 • 3

NEWS

Opera Studies Music Director Miah Im remembered NISHANKA KUTHURU

FOR THE THRESHER

Miah Im, music director of opera studies at Rice University, passed away on Sept. 30 at the age of 47 due to pancreatic cancer.

Ana María Martínez, a Grammy award winning soprano and Shepherd School of Music’s Artist-inResidence, was Im’s good friend and colleague of 20 years. She said that Im always cared for her work and responsibilities and took them very seriously.

“She loved music, she loved guiding and teaching and thought meticulously about how best to serve the students in helping them to grow and expand,” Martinez said.

“Her humanity and excellence have been of tremendous impact to her students and to all of us who have been blessed to know and love her.”

A Toronto native, Im graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in piano performance, a minor in Italian, and a master’s of music in collaborative piano and chamber music.

Im, widely recognized as a “magical talent,” was the inaugural recipient of the Marilyn Horne Foundation Award for Excellence in Vocal Accompanying and appeared as a featured artist on the foundation’s annual gala concert. She performed with the Chicago Symphony

Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony and New World Symphony among others. Her performances have also been featured on WQXR in New York City, NPR and on the CBC radio.

Jennie Bacante, Im’s friend of 22 years, said that she considered Im a sister as well as her “everything friend.”

“Miah is also the kind of person that you will likely only meet once in your lifetime,” Bacante wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Every encounter with Miah has been a favorite and I can not rank a single one of them.”

After moving to Houston in 2020 in order to join the Rice faculty and direct the Houston Grand Opera, Im made the most of her career amidst the pandemic, Bacante said.

COURTESY RICE NEWS “Miah moved to Houston to pursue her dream job at Rice to inspire and elevate the next generation of singers — unfortunately, it was during a pandemic, but I think her ability to think outside the box and put on an opera safely and make everyone’s time last year full of value was one of her greatest feats,” Bacante wrote.

Im produced multiple operas in the past year and a half. Under normal preCOVID circumstances, her inaugural Rice production of Der Kaiser von Atlantis would have been one of the first performances before a live audience in the newly constructed Brockman Hall for

Opera. Not letting the pandemic social crystalline voice ... Miah had that and distancing and large group restrictions she offered it as she offered everything ruin the performance, Im spearheaded a she gave — from the heart and freely,” virtual production of the show, a first for Martínez said.“She always took our breath away when she did this, and she the Shepherd School.

Im and her production team innovated always had a twinkle in her eye as she ways to enhance the experience for the wowed us with her beautiful singing.”

Bacantes described Im as being able to online audience, according to the Rice News article. She used a massive green make a positive and glowing impression screen onstage in the Brockman Hall’s on everyone she met. “[Im was] beautiful inside and out, Lucian and Nancy Morrison Theater and new technology to produce 3D-like generous to a fault, caring, devoted, fiercely loyal, loving, kind, intelligent, effects for the performance backdrops.

Robert Yekovich, former Shepherd fast-witted, extremely talented and School dean, said that Im’s driven nature a consummate artist and musician,” allowed her to make progress to her plan Bacante said.

Martinez characterized Im by her for what she wanted the program to be.

“The opera studies program continued warmth, her humor and her upbeat on an upward trajectory, despite the disposition.

“She was ever wise and empathic, restrictions imposed by the pandemic, and that was remarkable in many ways authentic to the core,” Martinez said. and largely due to Miah’s direction,” “I often think that to gauge the impact Yekovich, an Elma Schneider professor someone has on you, on others, always ask: How do I feel after I have left that of music, said. person’s presence?

Robin Rice, When I ask myself chair of voice area, that with regards said that Im was Miah, the completely selfless To be clear, from a pianist, to answer will have and used her always been: I feel incredible amount coach, conductor, head uplifted, better, of energy to help of music staff, one does more joyful and those around her. not expect to hear such a grateful.”

“She spent beautiful and crystalline Yekovich said countless hours that Im exuded helping us recruit voice ... Miah had that confidence yet the very best and she offered it as she m a i n t a i n e d singers across the offered everything she humility and her country.”

Rice sociability made said. “She was gave — from the heart and her absolutely totally invested in freely. delightful to be all of our students Ana María Martínez around. and went out of “The Shepherd her way to help SHEPHERD SCHOOL OF MUSIC School’s opera them find their ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE program and the path.”

Not only was Im an proactive head of world of opera writ large, lost a bright, music and director, she was also known young shining star with the passing of Miah Im,” Yekovich said. for singing, according to Martínez.

Im is survived by her mother Soo “To be clear, from a pianist, coach, conductor, head of music staff, one does Hi, her partner Christopher Scott, and not expect to hear such a beautiful and Scott’s son Ethan.

Critical Dialogues on Diversity workshop now required for Class of 2025 VIOLA HSIA

FOR THE THRESHER All Rice new students are now required to take a new workshop, Critical Dialogues on Diversity. The CDOD course, UNIV 195, will be a five-week, discussionbased workshop that will explore critical approaches to culture, identity and dialogue, according to an email sent to new students by Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Alexander Byrd on Oct. 5.

Registration for the course opened the following day, on Oct. 6, and the course will begin Oct. 18. Peer Academic Advisor Andrew Li said the registration process was not very hectic, from what he heard.

“From what I heard, it wasn’t too much of a hassle,” Li, a Hanszen College junior, said. “My [new students] did it the day of the email, and they weren’t too bothered by it.”

CDOD will align with the current Critical Thinking in Sexuality course schedule to allow students to move from CTIS into Critical Dialogues on Diversity. There are four sections open per residential college with a capacity of 30 students per section, according to information obtained through Banner.

The course was originally planned to begin for the matriculating class of 2022.

McMurtry College freshman Pedro Ribeiro said that with everything going on in the world right now, including racial unrest and tension, it is important to learn about these topics.

“There’s a lot of things that are changing in our everyday life that make it important for us to learn about these things in an academic setting,” Riberio

KELTON KECK / THRESHER Duncan Hall, where one of the classrooms for the Critical Dialogues on Diversity workshop will be located. The CDOD course will be a five-week workshop, required for all new students.

said. “I think even with the protests that are going on around [Willie’s Statue], it’s important to learn about all these things so we don’t accidentally make mistakes.”

Martel College freshman Isabelle Ruble said she wishes they had been made aware of the course further in advance but she completely understands the purpose of the course. “[The course can relate] to some of

the conversations we’re having right now on campus about the statue and about diversity as a whole,” Ruble said.

“I wanted to be made more aware of different people’s experiences and learn some tools for how to make people feel more welcome,” Ruble said.”

Ribiero also said that he wished they would have been notified of the mandatory class earlier, because some people were

forced to rearrange their schedules.

“Some people had scheduling conflicts already. And that was really frustrating,” Ribeiro said.

Sections of the course will be offered in the spring for students with scheduling conflicts, according to Byrd’s email.

Student Association President Kendall Vining and Byrd did not respond in time for publication.

4 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

NEWS

Rice joins inaugural cohort of Gulf Scholars Program for undergraduates to research environmental issues QUICK FACTS

THE GULF SCHOLARS PROGRAM duration: 5 YEARS

funding: $12.7 MILLION

until: 2025

locations of inaugural cohort

7 3 2 1 4

5 6

1. Florida A&M University*

5. Tulane University

2. Florida State University

6. Xavier University of Lousiana*

3. Jackson State University*

7. The University of Alabama, Birmingham

4. Rice University

*denotes Historically Black Colleges and Universities INFOGRAPHIC BY ANNA CHUNG website. Currently, the program is only open to sophomores, but it will FOR THE THRESHER expand each year to include a new Rice, along with six other universities class of students, according to an Oct. across the Gulf Coast region, joined the 5 newsletter from Provost Reginald initial phase of the National Academies DesRoches.

Renata Ramos, an associate dean of Gulf Scholars Program. The program will expand undergraduate opportunities the School of Engineering, served on the to research crucial environmental, board that designed GSP@Rice. She said health, energy and infrastructure issues that a key component of the program is in the Gulf Coast through a one-credit to train students to be environmental seminar course in the spring and fall leaders in the region.

“This is a semesters and multiyear program a ten-week paid designed to inspire summer research and prepare experience, undergraduate according to Rice University and our students to address Jamie Padgett, the GSP participants will the challenges of program’s faculty benefit from belonging to resilience to natural director. hazards and climate Outside the this broader network of facing c l a s s r o o m , scholars to both contribute stressors communities in the students will to the conversation Gulf Coast region,” receive mentoring and learn from others’ Ramos said. from various Ramos said groups, take experiences. that the process to field trips, work Jamie Padgett select universities with community to join GSP took organizations and GSP@RICE PROGRAM FACULTY into consideration more, Padgett DIRECTOR g e o g r a p h i c said.

“The combination of curricular and diversity and the diversity of the student co-curricular activities focused squarely population in order to represent the wide on Gulf Coast challenges related to range of communities in the region.

“We are so excited that Rice was climate and hazard resilience is one-of-akind,” Padgett, a civil and environmental selected to contribute to the development of a diverse generation of leaders,” engineering professor, said.

GSP@Rice will be run as a Ramos said.

The diverse voices and experiences collaboration between the School of Engineering and the Center for Civic of students from each participating Leadership, according to GSP@Rice’s university are an asset to the program

EMILY LONDON

as a whole, Padgett said. GSP plans to expand to more schools each year with a focus on minority-serving institutions, reaching 25 universities and over 150 undergraduates by 2025.

Rice’s program will initially collaborate with six other universities: Florida A&M University, Florida State University, Jackson State University, Tulane University, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Xavier University of Louisiana. Florida A&M University, Jackson State University and Xavier University of Louisiana are Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Padgett said each university has their own unique GSP program, tailored to their strengths, interests and location.

“Rice University and our GSP participants will benefit from belonging to this broader network of scholars to both contribute to the conversation and learn from others’ experiences,” Padgett said.

Sophomores across all majors and transfer students with sophomore standing are eligible to apply by Nov. 1. Each university in the program will choose eight students representing a diverse range of academic backgrounds.

Interested students should attend an information session on Oct. 13 or look at GSP@Rice’s website, Padgett said.

“I would encourage those who are passionate about contributing to a safer, more resilient and sustainable Gulf Region to check it out,” Padgett said.

Tomas Russo, president and cofounder of the Clean Texas Seas club, said that he hopes the program’s research

will address specific ecological issues in the Gulf like wetland loss. Russo said wetland loss is a massive problem for the Gulf that shows no signs of slowing down, and one of the areas of research he wants Rice to focus on is wetland conservation and restoration to preserve these ecological hotspots.

Disclaimer: Tomas Russo is a senior writer for the Thresher Features section.

“In addition, the Gulf of Mexico is plagued by nutrient, oil and plastic pollution that have wreaked havoc upon aquatic life,” Russo said. “I want Rice to focus research on ways to effectively combat human-caused pollution throughout the Gulf.”

Russo said one of the club’s priorities is to raise awareness about pollution throughout the Gulf, and they organize beach cleanups along the Texas coast to directly engage volunteers with one portion of the problems facing the Gulf.

Gargi Samarth, an advocacy officer for the Rice Environmental Society, said that recent disasters like Hurricane Harvey highlight the importance of studying and developing environmental solutions for the Gulf Coast region. As a Houstonarea native, they said the hurricane was particularly devastating.

“People lost their houses,” Samarth, a Brown College junior, said. “There was so much flooding and food insecurity as a result of it.”

Samarth said the storm was part of a pattern of frequent and intense hurricanes that are becoming more common with climate change. It demonstrated the importance of looking at climate change in a way that responds to the community, they said.

“We have an obligation to make sure that the research that we do and the activities that we do are considerate of the needs of this area,” Samarth said.

According to the GSP@Rice homepage, the program’s vision is to develop the next generation of diverse coastal resilience change agents ready to address challenges of urban resilience and climate adaptation in the Gulf Coast region.

Samarth said the focus on undergraduate students is an important part of GSP@Rice because of the longterm impacts of climate change. They said they hope that introducing this program to Rice creates an opportunity for students to learn about and focus on the local climate even after their time at Rice.

In addition, the Gulf of Mexico is plagued by nutrient, oil and plastic pollution that have wreaked havoc upon aquatic life. I want Rice to focus research on ways to effectively combat human-caused pollution throughout the Gulf.

Gargi Samarth RICE ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY ADVOCACY OFFICER “Climate change is obviously an issue that affects everyone, but it’s especially important to get the younger generation as engaged in it as possible, because this is something that’s going to be impacting us throughout our lifetime,” Samarth said. “We want to make sure that the research that we’re doing involves students and student perspectives so that it’s something they can learn from and build on in their future careers.”

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 • 5

THE RICE THRESHER

EDITORIAL

Guidelines require definitions: What is a ‘gathering’?

As we have seen over the past 18 months, COVID-19 has a tendency to disrupt even the best-laid plans. The administration was premature in declaring a return to normalcy in May, and we appreciate the caution with which they have handled COVID policies this semester. Since the initial testing snafu during Orientation Week, COVID guidelines on campus have been gradually rolled back as the semester progresses.

The most recent update, sent out on Monday morning, announced that masks are only required at indoor gatherings of more than 10 people; the only exceptions to this rule are classes and those who are unvaccinated. The specific language of the announcement said “masks are required indoors only for gatherings of more than 10 people,” and that students who are uncomfortable in a situation should use their “best judgement” when deciding whether to wear a mask.

The uncertainty in what situations students from break, or a combination of qualify under this exception will only the two. The confounding variables will cause confusion and hinder the efficacy muddle the direction in which COVID of COVID policies. For one thing, what policies should progress if there is a spike in cases. defines a gathering?

Additionally, the More importantly, inconsistency in how are students allowing over 100 expected to follow students to sit in a such a vague Without clarification on how or if these guidlines college commons policy? unmasked at any Another concern will be enforced and by point, but having is that the timing whom, students cannot a ban on indoor of this indoor mask consumption of policy change be expected to have a full alcohol, is painfully coincides with the understanding of what apparent. Having return of students this updated policy means an alcohol ban after fall break, for life on campus. consistently leads who have likely students to venture been traveling or venturing outside of the hedges. If cases into the greater Houston community to do increase in the next few weeks, there drink, where COVID cases are higher and is very little we can do to infer whether it student safety is much lower. Students is due to the policy change, the return of may be reluctant to call for help without

the shield of Rice’s Amnesty Policy, and survivors of sexual assault that occurs while intoxicated may be less likely to come forward.

Alternatively, perhaps the ambiguity of these new mask guidelines is exactly what the administration was attempting to achieve. Maybe the message is “we aren’t going to give you explicit instructions, but be smart about when to wear your mask.”

If that’s the case, then we applaud the decision as an appropriate step on the path ultimately headed back to “normal.”

But without acknowledging this to be true, the current policy will have students counting heads in every room they walk into and wondering if the group they are with can reasonably be considered a gathering. Without clarification on how or if these guidelines will be enforced and by whom, students cannot be expected to have a full understanding of what this updated policy means for life on campus.

GUEST OPINION

Reconsider using the terms Hispanic, Latino and Latinx Before Hispanic Heritage Month officially ends, I would like to take a moment to write about the labels those of us of Latin American heritage use to describe ourselves. At Rice, club names, course titles and survey questions often defer to pan-ethnic labels, like Hispanic or Latino, even though most people tend to use their national origin group as a primary identifier, as in the example of “Mexican American.” These pan-ethnic labels are problematic. Although they in some ways unify Latin American communities, they often leave out others, like Afro-Latinos and indigenous Latinos.

My goal here is not to dissuade people from using pan-ethnic labels; as history has shown, they can be useful, to some degree. However, my intention is for all of us, Latinos and non-Latinos alike, to use them wisely — with the understanding that the Latino community cannot be condensed into one culturally, ethnically or even linguistically homogeneous group. With that in mind, I hope that we as a Rice community continue to discuss and re-evaluate our language even after Hispanic Heritage Month ends.

In studying the history of these terms, we find not a gradual, widespread consensus regarding Latin American identity but a painstakingly, carefully constructed negotiation between a select group of actors from within the government, the media, and a few civic organizations. According to the American Sociological Review, before the Hispanic category was introduced to the U.S. Census in 1980, the three largest communities of Latin American descent — Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans — were each attempting to raise

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Speaking in broad terms of Latino awareness of their community needs with little success. For this reason, a decision communities has permeated our society was made to strategically join forces. In for quite some time. In academic many ways, this strategy was successful, research, for example, we typically see in that it did result in a greater awareness data as it pertains to the overall group of these communities’ challenges at a of U.S. Latinos rather than specific national level. In other ways, however, subgroups. For that reason, it would be it enforced a false narrative that Latinos difficult to avoid using these labels. For now, I can only ask that we be a little constituted a homogeneous group.

Looking back, it’s easy to see why more intentional in our desires to be the various actors placed so much more inclusive of marginalized Latino importance on the development of a pan- groups by frequently acknowledging the ethnic Latino image. However, much has limitations of such terms as Hispanic and Latino to changed since the accurately reflect 1970s and 1980s.

Latin American Today, communities diversity. of Latin American I can only ask that we be It would be descent in the impossible to United States are a little more intentional discuss Latino more diverse than in our desires to be more pan- ethnic ever. Latinos can inclusive of marginalized labels without be Black, white, mentioning one indigenous, mixed Latino groups by currently growing or Asian (think of frequently acknowledging in popularity, the large population the limitations of such albeit relatively of Japanese terms as Hispanic and slowly: Latinx. immigrants in Brazil, for example). Latino to accurately reflect As we attempt to change the Latinos speak Latin American diversity.

Spanish language English, Spanish, Portuguese and indigenous languages to be more inclusive, I ask us all to like Quechua or K’iche’. Latinos may carefully consider our best possible be first-generation refugees seeking alternatives. Latinx may not be the best asylum in the United States, or be option. A major issue is the widespread descended from generations of families disagreement and confusion generated who have long considered this land with regard to its pronunciation. I’ve their home. With so many changes in heard everything from “La-TEEN-ex” our demographic makeup over the past and “LATIN-ex” to “La-TINKS.” Consider decades, it might be helpful to reconsider the implied sentence structures and our current goals and if the terms Latino patterns set by the word Latinx. Should and Hispanic carry us closer or further we attempt to make “los amigos” genderneutral, would the resulting changes away from achieving them.

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look like this: “Lxs amigxs”? Clearly, the pronunciation of these words is not immediately obvious.

I’m not the first to point out this linguistic conundrum, but I want to be among the first to say to our Rice community: Instead of accepting this term without question, let’s have an open discussion about it campuswide.

Truthfully, my suggestion is that we move towards using Latine instead of Latinx — it’s easier to pronounce in both Spanish and English and grammatically much more feasible to work with. For example, using the pattern implied by Latine, the previous example would become something like “les amigues.” I so often see the term Latinx used across campus by faculty members and administrators in emails, classes, and posters, but I fail to see more nuanced and thoughtprovoking discussion of the term or its utility. The Rice group chat for students of Latin American descent has already named itself “Latine@Rice.” Rice faculty and students should unite in a campuswide discussion of the possibility of adopting Latine instead of Latinx.

If we intend to effectively convey our community needs to the world, we first need to be able to succinctly communicate who we are. This requires a reevaluation of how we use and understand the terms Hispanic, Latino and Latinx.

Isabella Bowers HANSZEN COLLEGE SENIOR

The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper of Rice University since 1916, is published each Wednesday during the school year, except during examination periods and holidays, by the students of Rice University.

Letters to the Editor must be received by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication and must be signed, including college and year if the writer is a Rice student. The Thresher reserves the right to edit letters for content and length and to place letters on its website.

Editorial and business offices are located on the second floor of the Ley Student Center: 6100 Main St., MS-524 Houston, TX 77005-1892 Phone: (713) 348 - 4801 Email: thresher@rice.edu Website: www.ricethresher.org The Thresher is a member of the ACP, TIPA, CMA, and CMBAM. © Copyright 2021

6 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

THE RICE THRESHER

Students curate unique Rice-related Instagram pages DISHA BALDAWA

FOR THE THRESHER The curated and public “rinsta” — a portmanteau of “real” and “Insta” — is maybe the most popular unofficial category of Instagram accounts. But a new type of rinsta has been brewing: Rice-related Instagram accounts. Focused on subjects from possums to bricks, these accounts show an oddly specific aspect of life on campus. The Thresher talked to the owners of three of these accounts. @rice.bricks Elizabeth Fessler said she was inspired to start @rice.bricks when she noticed that the bricks of the Moody Center for the Arts didn’t fit in with the rest of the campus’s aesthetic.

“It’s a gray modern building, but it’s still brick, and I thought that [it] was an interesting attempt to keep all the architecture cohesive on campus,” Fessler, a Jones College sophomore, said. “I thought it would be interesting to look at how many different types of bricks there [were, because] then I started noticing that every single brick building actually wasn’t [made of] the exact same kind of brick.”

Fessler said that once she started to pay close attention, she found the beauty in the varieties of bricks among the buildings at Rice. Fascinated by the fact that hardly any two buildings have the same type of brick, Fessler went around the campus and took pictures of buildings with different bricks and patterns, she said.

To maintain the account’s aesthetic, she makes sure that the pictures she posts are nine to ten bricks tall. She said that Katherine Chui, a sophmore from Jones, helps her maintain the appealing look by editing the pictures in a consistent format.

“Initially I was taking pictures on my camera and posting them immediately, but I knew I wanted to edit them because the bricks sometimes aren’t exactly straight,” Fessler said. “Now [the account] looks a lot more professional and clean, and I think that’s quite appealing to people.”

According to Fessler, she has had interactions related to the account with other students in person and

ANDREA GOMEZ / THRESHER online, where comments voice strong opinions about the bricks of residential colleges. Fessler said she has also gotten submissions from graduate students, which she did not expect.

“I have told some people that I run the account, and now sometimes I will be walking around and someone says, ‘Hey, Rice bricks’ to me in passing, which is pretty funny,” Fessler said. @rice.bricks has also been noticed by a famous Instagram brick account.

According to Fessler, @brickofchicago gave her account a shout-out, and she gained many brick fans as followers. “[They] came to Houston and took pictures of a lot of bricks here because they are a brick Instagram account, which is a genre I didn’t know about,” said Fessler.

“Now I have a mutual relationship with

this other brick account that has [almost 18] thousand followers.”

Given the limited number of bricks on campus, Fessler said she is not sure what the future holds for her account.

“I am not sure how many bricks will be left by then. I haven’t thought about continuing the legacy. It seems far away,” Fessler said. “I do think once I run out of my normal posts, there are a lot of small details like mosaics on brick designs on buildings that aren’t necessarily a perfect square of ten bricks, so once I am out of things, I will start getting into that territory.” @riceuniversitypossumsightings Sarah Preston first created her account @riceuniversitypossumsightings after taking photos of a possum she encountered

on her way back to her college from Fondren in September 2020. She now runs the account with Baker College sophomore Andrew Miller.

“I was walking back late one night and I [saw] what I think is like a snake hanging over a trash can,” Preston said. “So I could just see the tail and it was kind of scaly, and I turn on my phone flashlight and look, and it’s just a possum.”

According to Preston, Miller sent a bunch of possum facts and pictures to the account and she asked him if he would like to be the co-admin. These days, the two usually post submissions, rather than their own photos, on the page. Preston said she did not expect a lot of people to see the account — let alone send in so many pictures of possums spotted around campus — the way they have.

“People just send [pictures] in. On rare occasions, I will see a possum myself and I’m like, “Oh my god, no way. I can’t believe I actually just saw one myself,’” Preston said.

Preston said that the account’s engagement is growing because people regularly send in pictures.

“I think it’s just kind of silly little joy [people] seem to experience when they see a random wild possum running around campus,” Preston said.

According to Preston, the content of the account has been educational as well as entertaining. A few weeks ago, Preston posted a submitted video of a possum walking in tight circles.

“Somebody sent [the video] in and I posted it and people were like hang on.

Somebody mentioned that the little dude was sick. I’ve learned that possums can get sick if they eat too much human food, so probably just don’t feed the possums,” Preston said. @ricechairs Kelton Keck started @ricechairs during the first few days of Orientation Week.

Keck said that he would take pictures of random chairs he noticed at Rice because he is interested in photography.

“I have noticed an abnormally high level of misplaced chairs at Rice so I thought, ‘Why not take pictures of them and post them all in one place?’” Keck, a Sid Richardson College freshman, said.

This story has been condensed for print.

Read more at ricethresher.org.

Tower of Many: A look into Old Sid RIYA MISRA

FOR THE THRESHER On a Friday evening, the Old Sid Richardson College commons is mostly empty. It’s decorated with weathered grey furniture, dated Campanile yearbooks, mounted TVs playing funny cat compilations and a smattering of students across the couches. Welcome mats, potted plants and shoe racks dot the floors outside each bedroom. Right away, Old Sid is reminiscent of some homely cross between a retro high school and a corporate building.

Since the recent completion of the new Sid building, Old Sid now houses an array of students, largely Hanszenites, from across campus. Due to the construction of the New Hanszen wing, Hanszen is facing a housing shortage, which will continue until July 2022 when construction is projected to end, according to Rice’s Facilities Engineering and Planning Website.

Some students opted to live at Old Sid because of the convenient location or the quad-style housing. Hanszen College junior Piyusha Kundu said she favors Old Sid for its views and lack of communal bathrooms.

“I love the balconies and the view,” Kundu said. “Old Sid, in terms of oncampus housing, is probably the best.”

Others were persuaded by the $2,000 incentive. Jones College sophomores Desmond Roberts and Garrett French said that the prospect of a bad room at Jones, plus that refund, was especially motivating to move to Old Sid. “We got an email in the summer saying [Rice] would take $2,000 off our fall Housing and Dining tuition if we moved into Old Sid,” French said. “We got a pretty bad room at Jones, too.”

However, this living situation was involuntary for one group of students: Hanszen freshmen. Through the 20212022 year, 69 new students are housed in the Old Hanszen building and 46 in Old Sid, according to Hanszen Magister

Fabiola López-Durán.

Liam Waite said he is in the latter group.

“I was kind of disappointed [when I found out where I’d be living],” Waite said. “I thought that, since I was put in Old Sid, I was getting placed into some crumbling shack because they didn’t have room for me.”

Waite said he quickly found out this wasn’t true, though. He said he has grown to love his Old Sid dorm and the Hanszenite community within. According to Waite, the second, fifth, six and seventh floors of Old Sid are occupied only by Hanszenites.

This story has been cut off for print.

Read more at ricethresher.org.

SHIYU MIAO / THRESHER The Old Sid building is home to students from many residential colleges, not just one.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 • 7

FEATURES

Going backwards: Tour guides talk a return to almost normal campus tours ALLISON HE

FOR THE THRESHER When the pandemic hit, one of the first things to go was the in-person campus tour. The familiar sight of a student tour guide walking backward through the Rice Memorial Center was replaced by virtual tours. But this year, in addition to virtual tours, in-person campus tours are back — albeit not exactly the same as they used to be.

Tour guide chair Jen Spell said that one change in campus tours is a reduction in the number of visitors per tour group. The total number of visitors per group has decreased from around 10 to 15 people pre-pandemic to around three to six people currently.

Smaller tours can be difficult because visitors tend to ask more personal questions, according to Spell.

“When tours are extremely small, sometimes it’s extremely hard to give them because you have to do more personal tours,” Spell, a Jones College senior, said. “In general, you can’t know everything — you’re not going to be able to cover every major on campus.”

Dani Morgen, who has been a tour guide since her freshman year, said that a smaller group size creates a more positive experience for both her and her group of visitors.

“I think having smaller groups is always more beneficial. When it’s smaller, [the visitors] are able to ask more questions,” Morgen, a Duncan College senior, said. “Sometimes it’s easier as a tour guide, too. When you have 20 people, you actually have to really shout and manage all those people and sometimes I end up repeating myself ... but with a small group, I feel like it eliminates that.”

Dan Helmeci, a tour guide chair, said that although the total number of visitors on a tour has decreased, the total number

SARA DAVIDSON / THRESHER Whie virtual tours remain available, student tour guides are again leading walking tours of campus, although in group sizes smaller than those before the pandemic. of visitors on one tour shift has remained policies, which include an indoor masking requirement for gatherings of more at around 60 people.

“The amount of guests that are allowed than 10 individuals. Wu said that Rice’s current COVID on one tour shift is policies have capped at 60, so not significantly that’s staying for affected her tours. now,” Helmeci, a “I don’t Jones junior, said. We still get to have that think that these “I think with the in-person connection with restrictions really amount of tours people. That’s one of the affected the way I we’ve added, best parts of the job -- just [have conducted we’re having just my tours] in that as many [guests] interacting with people on most of the time as we did before a one-on-one basis. we are walking COVID,” Helmeci Dan Helmeci outside,” Wu, a said.

Hanszen College Another change JONES COLLEGE JUNIOR sophomore, said. in campus tours Morgen said that she has not faced any is the addition of Rice COVID policies, according to tour guide Jackie Wu. Visitors trouble with visitors’ compliance with must comply with the campus COVID COVID policies.

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CROSSWORD WRITERS

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“People are super respectful of [the Rice COVID policies],” Morgen said.

“I have not had any issues nor have I heard about any issues from another tour guide.”

In addition to implementing COVID policies, campus tours no longer include a tour of the residential college indoor spaces, according to Spell.

“We used to go [inside residential colleges] before the pandemic. I would actually take them up to my double and show them my room,” Spell said.

But beyond the COVID policies and the changes in group size, tour numbers and tour stops, much of the campus tour structure has remained the same, according to Helmeci. There haven’t been any specific changes in the total number of student tour guides, which is usually around 80 before 10 to 20 new tour guides are hired starting October.

Helmeci also said that the core aspects of campus tours have remained.

“We still get to have that in-person connection with people. That’s one of the best parts of the job — just interacting with people on a one-on-one basis,” Helmeci said.

Wu said that despite never having experienced a Rice campus untouched by the pandemic, she is still able to present the student experience and the culture of care.

“It’s definitely very interesting this year [conducting] and leading tours when I feel like I haven’t had the experience of an upperclassman who had in-person classes and had a normal semester,” Wu said. “I think in general we [are] giving the same rundown of what Rice looks like, not just physically going around but also talking about the things that we do, like what resources are offered through Rice … what events … what student life looks like at Rice and what academics look like.”

1 The stuff of legends 2 Modern Mesopotamia 3 Cleaned code 4 Country of Mombasa and Nairobi 5 Troy story?

6 Close, poetically 7 A female deer 8 Eye-catching 9 Highway entrance 10 Fishing gear 11 Bear Flag Republic, colloquially 12 Stark played by Maisie Williams 13 Dhamaka org.

20 World Cup cheers 22 Advice 24 Mulan’s husband 25 Wire cutters?

26 Ann Arbor school, abbr.

27 Jargon 28 One of many derived from Jango Fett 29 Fancy French water brand 30 Actress Olivia 31 Off-kilter 33 Ctrl+P, in Word 36 Spherical malted milk chocolate candy 37 Commoners 39 Gender-neutral pronoun 40 Drab, slangily 42 Entered a servery 45 Idaho capital 46 Young raptor 47 Whole lot 48 Juno, in Greece 49 Houston gets about 51.84 inches of it annually 50 Symptom killed by Tylenol?

51 Split 52 Opera solo 53 Veto 56 Astronaut Jemison

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1 Box top 4 Varieties 9 Whale which adorns the Shamoo Lab door 13 Like a runner post-marathon 14 “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” poet 15 Not far 16 One from Jordan 17 Country with capital Niamey 18 Depend (on) 19 Creator of the Cherokee syllabary 21 Italy, in Italy 23 Trashy Hefty competitor 24 Read quickly 25 Battle of the _____ 28 Great Lakes tribe also known as Ojibwe 32 French friends 33 Blueprints or agendas 34 Controversial text editor, for many CS students 35 Watermelon waste 36 Incorrect 37 Hair-like bacterial structures 38 McKinsey rival based in MA 39 Gizmo 40 Abacus components 41 Tribe of Sacagawea 43 Highway divisions 44 Cried 45 Constrictor snakes 47 Servery favorite honey walnut ______ 50 Tribe of Pocahontas 54 Jump 55 One of many from a listserv 57 Sushi seaweed 58 Buffalo’s lake 59 Poker play 60 A cereal just for kids 61 Magic stick 62 Ancient Egyptian board game 63 Caribbean or Red

8 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

THE RICE THRESHER

Best and Worst of ACL: Live music returns to Zilker Park MORGAN GAGE, JACOB TATE, MICHELLE GACHELIN

A&E EDITOR, SENIOR WRITER, THRESHER STAFF

With live music returning and Austin City Limits music festival once again taking over Zilker Park this fall, the Thresher made the trip to Austin to enjoy ACL ourselves. With two weekends and as many performances as we could fit in under our belt, we have compiled our highlights of the festival: the good and the bad.

Best appeal of ACL: Fantastic lineup To put it simply, ACL had a great lineup: Miley Cyrus, Billie Eilish and Tyler, the Creator were only some of the big names drawing audience attention. With a range of performances that were honestly a blast to listen to (Megan Thee Stallion, Machine Gun Kelly, Karol G) and mellower tunes (girl in red, Joy Oladokun, Phoebe Bridgers), there was something that appealed to everyone.

Worst weather: Heavy rain and scorching heat Weekend one of ACL was delayed with scheduled performances having to be adjusted due to heavy rain and flooding throughout the festival grounds, and people at both weekends experienced stifling temperatures that are expected in a Texas October. The second weekend had several artists (mostly from outside of Texas) commenting on the heat, and girl in red had to step into the shaded portion of the stage for a portion of her final song to avoid fainting from the heat. With audience members dropping from heat and dehydration, ACL reminded us to never underestimate Texas weather, drink plenty of water and be prepared to adapt when attending an outdoor music festival.

Best understanding of the assignment: Miley Cyrus Like it or not, music festivals do not amass the same crowds as a typical concert.

Reviews Galore:

Visit our website to read staff reviews of newly released album and films at ricethresher.org.

‘Life of a Don’ JACOB PELLEGRINO

THRESHER STAFF

‘Lamb’

HUGO GERBICH PAIS FOR THE THRESHER

about. However, Lady Bird’s lineup of Holly Humberstone, girl in red, Phoebe Bridgers, Doja Cat and Billie Eilish formed a schedule that, while it varied in tone, appealed to largely similar audiences, as evidenced by Morgan hovering around and returning to the stage for every performance that day.

COURTESY TODD OWYOUNG

Audiences are often not very familiar with an artist’s music, and Miley Cyrus seemed not only to understand but embrace this. With nostalgia-ridden hits (“See You Again,” “The Climb,” “Wrecking Ball” and more) seamlessly intertwined with songs from her latest album, fans and casual listeners alike were able to scream along to her songs, laugh over Cyrus playing animations of skeletons having sex and connect with her as she discussed her relationship with her music and fans.

awareness and funds for the cause. Phoebe Bridgers released a song benefitting Texas Abortion Funds, FINNEAS is donating the money he receives from ACL to the Texas Planned Parenthood and artists leading chants of “Fuck Greg Abbott” over the past weekend felt more common than not.

Worst social media fallout: Phoebe Bridgers We have some sympathy for ACL; performances, while staggered, require set up time between sets. With other artists beginning performances nearby, it Worst case of obvious lipsyncing: Doja can create audio issues if multiple sound Cat The lip syncing witch hunts of the mid systems are competing against each other. aughts were, like most witch hunts, mostly However, after pausing when someone in puritanical, hypocritical and sexist. With the audience needed medical attention, the advent of rap music, most audiences Bridgers ran over the time for her set, and, in what we initially have even gotten thought was an audio used to a backing mishap, her sound vocal track the was cut off during singer performs her finale: “I Know over. But Doja Like it or not, music the End,” a song Cat’s lip sync, festivals do not amass the that culminates in particularly during same crowds as a typical a cathartic scream weekend one, concert... and Miley that fans of Bridgers was egregious. anticipate.

While the visual Cyrus seemed not only to Bridgers tweeted and dance understand but embrace her displeasure with performances were this. the decision (the superb, the fact that Doja didn’t sing the vast majority of her tweet has since been deleted), and her fans words left a bitter taste in my mouth. Parts reacted poorly to ACL’s decision to cut her of “Kiss Me More” were even censored since audio off for what is a rather iconic song in her discography. ACL released an apology they reused the VMA lip sync. and donated to the Texas Abortion Funds, an organization that Bridgers supports.

Best support for Texas audiences: Widespread opposition to Texas Best stage lineup: Lady Bird Stage on abortion ban Several artists at ACL publicly opposed Saturday Let’s recognize biases: Morgan loves and protested the Texas abortion ban.

Festival attendees held “Bans Off Our queer women and pop girlies, and that’s Bodies” signs at shows, and several artists what Lady Bird Stage offered for its have vocally and materially supported Saturday lineup. When fanatics of an artist abortion access in Texas, showing solidarity arrive often hours early (Billie Eilish fans for their Texas audience. ACL organizers also started forming their barricade during the supported abortion access and partnered first set of the day), they end up listening to with outside organizations to raise both several artists that, odds are, they don’t care

Worst crowd: Polo G It seems like there’s a “Free ____” movement every couple years, so I would like to propose “Free Polo G.” He’s not in jail or anything, he has just been forced to endure two weekends of wannabe frat bros waiting to hear “Pop Out” and not engaging with any of his other music. Polo G put on a solid performance in front of literal children (I counted nine sets of braces) chanting about “the gang” and occasionally the n-word. On Weekend 1, Polo G eventually gave up and left his set after thirty minutes, leaving his DJ to realize that white 12-yearolds do not know “Faneto” by Chief Keef.

Overall, it was a shameful reception to one of the best rappers out there right now.

Best undercard performance: KennyHoopla This guy’s the real deal. KennyHoopla jumped through cuts from his 2021 Mixtape “SURVIVOR’S GUILT” with maniacal intensity, punctuating his set with a standing backflip. The crowd screamed, moshed and crowd-surfed its way into the new pop punk movement. The fans at the early set were so adamant about an encore that they forced KennyHoopla back on stage to perform one of his own songs again.

Worst case of mediocrity: Tate McRae What comes to mind when I say, “A TikTok star had a concert?” Whatever it was, it’s probably close to what I watched. Amassing a large crowd, Tate McRae delivered lukewarm dance moves, formulaic pop songs and, while not horrible, was easy enough to ignore.

McRae provided, at best, background noise between far more impressive sets.

Best for potential new fans: Bleachers Jack Antonoff gave his all on the Lady Bird stage on Friday. The multi-talented one-man-show opened with a piano number, bravely clad in a leather jacket in the obscenely hot weather. Throughout his set, Antonoff impressed by constantly switching between instruments and vocal keys. For saxophonist Evan Smith’s birthday, Antonoff coyly chanted, “The louder you scream, the harder he blows,” and the audience duly responded. He also instructed the crowd to “get on each other’s shoulders,” but Michelle isn’t into heavy lifting. Even though she was a relative newcomer to Bleachers, their performance made her want to buy all of their albums (especially if they come with a cute saxophonist).

Amber Mark talks crowd connection, inspiration at ACL JACOB TATE

SENIOR WRITER Amber Mark hopped on stage at Austin City Limits Weekend One with an immediate presence as her fans cheered, unfettered by the merciless 1 p.m. sun.

The show seemed to provoke a cathartic response from fans at ACL, something that Mark said she considers when writing always starts coming from an internal place and trying to express that side of myself and what I’m going through,” Mark said. “But I always try to consider [how the audience will respond].”

Mark further described audience response as an affirmation of our commonality as humans.

“Everybody deals with these type of emotions, I don’t feel like the feelings I have

are abnormal.” Mark said. “I think that people connect because of the fact that we all have lows.”

With her debut album coming out at the beginning of 2022, Mark has already slowly but surely begun her writing process.

“I’m very slow with my process,” Mark said. “[But] I have some flutters of inspiration coming out.”

Judging from the crowd response during Mark’s set, fans are dying to see what those flutters turn into.

Mark’s debut album “Three Dimensions Deep” releases Jan. 22, 2022. Her tour comes to the Bronze Peacock Room at the House of Blues in Houston May 12, 2022.

This story has been condensed for print.

Read the full article online at ricethresher.

PHOTO COURTESY GREG NOIRE

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FROM FRONT PAGE

BLACK ART AT RICE

In making the art, I feel like I am practicing these qualities. I am making the things I want to embody, which is this person who can just exist and move with the tides.

RT: Could you tell me about your upcoming show at Sleepy Cyborg?

MO: When I was thinking about the show and how to showcase my work, I didn’t have a body of work already made, so I got to think about what I wanted the theme of the show to be.

Linking the show to body and identity, I thought, “Why don’t I just paint on people?”

So, I asked five of my friends if I could paint them, which happened within Sleep Cyborg last week. The show includes pictures of those pieces, along with some other [works] that I’m excited about.

RT: What did the process of developing this show look like?

MO: At the beginning, my friend [and I]

would just meet up a lot at [Rice] Coffeehouse and do the high level thinking about what we want the show to look like.

This past week, the friends I was painting and I would go into Sleepy Cyborg. We set up the camera, made sure the lighting was good and would just talk as I painted. I got inspiration from someone who told me she would ask people, “What color do you feel today?” So, I asked my friends, before I started painting them, “What color do you feel today?

If you don’t have a color, what words, textures or patterns do you feel like?” I didn’t want them to tell me about their day. I wanted words.

RT: What challenges did you have to overcome in designing this show?

MO: I had to accept the idea that people wanted to see my art and that I wanted to put my art out there. I had to think about myself as an artist. There were worries and fears. It was about not falling into those fears about myself.

Haunted houses that call H-Town home

The show also involved thinking a lot about my gender and sexual identity, processing how I want to express and experiment that, thinking about labels and my relationships.

There is a lot of room in my life right now for flexibility and fluidity. How do I want to carry that forward… to express or even label myself? I don’t want a constriction that isn’t mine. That’s what I’m taking out of this show in terms of my identity. Being really critical, in a very loving way, towards myself. Thinking, where did I get these things that I used to classify myself and others from?

The practice that I’ve found in my art, in being intuitive, in getting into that flow, I know what that feels like. I know what it feels like when I paint and it feels very right. So, I know what feeling right will feel like when I’m expressing myself in other senses.

RT: What are your thoughts on Black representation in art?

MO: The world I live in and the people I interact with are Black. All I see are Black

people and Black art, because I seek it out.

There is a lot of Black art. I love Black art.

I love Black people. I think they are very creative people and express themselves unapologetically. Especially right now, with all the access to information we have, I think the question of representation is whether or not people are seeking it out.

ZEISHA BENNETT / THRESHER

Review: Alley Theatre’s ‘Sweat’ fails to provide emotional crater it promises IMOGEN BROWN

FOR THE THRESHER

COURTESY PHOBIA INC.

October is here, and with Halloween right around the corner, many of the more brave owls will find themselves looking for a frightful time beyond the hedges. With that, the Thresher delivers, with some of our favorite haunts around Houston. Most of these are not for the faint of heart, but we did include some family friendly ones so your friend who was too scared to watch “Squid Games” can tag along. Go visit, if you dare, and scare away your semester sorrows in fun costumes and screams galore.

SARA DAVIDSON

FOR THE THRESHER

Zoo Boo at the Houston Zoo Zoo Boo transforms the Houston Zoo, only a short walk from Rice, into a cute and fun event for Halloweeners of all ages. Costumes are highly encouraged, so come dressed to impress. The event includes many of the normal features of the zoo transformed — a “Scary-Go-Round” and a “Spooky Train” await those brave enough to enter. Zoo Boo also includes photo ops throughout the zoo and a beautiful Lantern Tunnel.

Zoo Boo operates during normal hours and includes an after hours option on Oct. 29, similar to the Zoo during Christmas, where it is all lit up and ready to give you a spooky perspective on the animals who call the zoo home. With many familyfriendly and interactive options to choose from, this a fun and milder option for the whole friend group.

Haunted Mayfield Manor The Haunted Mayfield Manor is a bit of a drive but shows the historical community of Galveston in a hauntingly different light. Open year round and only $10 for admission, the Manor includes twelve rooms of terror and is voted as one of the “10 Best Spookiest Haunted Houses in the USA” (USA Today). The Manor also frequently hosts paranormal investigators to prove the presence of the paranormal on the property, which is a special event that can be attended at the house. Seeing as it once served as a morgue and was first constructed in the 1800s, investigators often find evidence of the dead still lurking.

With real ghosts in addition to the normal spooks and scares, Mayfield Manor combines history with modern day fright and will delight all who want a story behind a haunt.

Houston’s Scream Fest Houston Scream Fest, which advertises itself as the “largest Halloween event in Houston’’ has much more than your average haunted house. Paintball, concerts and a carnival style midway make this an all evening affair. Tickets start as low as $25, and the venue is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays all through October. Each haunted house — yes, there are multiple — has its own theme, ranging from asylums to graveyards to chainsaw mazes, so everyone can enjoy their own horror niche. If you’re looking for a wide range of scares and a couple hours of spooks, this is the “haunted amusement park” for you.

Phobia Haunted Houses Another location with multiple haunted houses and various themes, Phobia offers a range of prices starting from $15 and going up depending on the number of attractions you want to see.

With more sophisticated house themes including mind control, genetic mutation gone wrong, technology takeover and more, Phobia offers a place for you to not only be jump scared but also mind-blown.

The park plays with horror and will leave you chilled to the bone.

The Haunted Trails An outdoor adventure, the Haunted Trails are two spooky outdoor trails that answer the frightful question: what could be hiding in the woods at night? A great place to go to not only get your steps in but also get your scream on, Haunted Trails has a general admission that gets you in and an optional escape room package to add on if you want to be scared indoors and against the clock as well. The unique walking outdoor aspect of the venue combined with the cooler fall weather beginning to come to Houston make this the perfect place to get spooked while enjoying nature.

It’s September 29, 2008. In the town of Reading, Pennsylvania, two men occupy a claustrophobic square of harsh white light — one marked by a black eye and white supremacist face tattoo, the other bearing the pen and notepad of a parole officer.

The scene is static, the performances tense.

This is Lynn Nottage’s prize-winning play “Sweat,” performed at the Alley Theatre in Houston.

A jarring nature documentary narrative voice takes us back eight years. Three middle-aged women enter a transformed, warmly lit stage. Laughing, dancing and begging for one more round from the grizzled, good natured bartender, they have worked at a nearby steel mill called

Olsteads since graduating high school.

Their raucous gossip and tangible history as childhood friends epitomize the heart of “Sweat,” carrying it through its broader political and economic themes. Against the backdrop of this intimate bar (and looming factory-esque rods in the distance), these women and their sons, Chris and Jason, monologue, reminisce, banter and fight around the spectre of an all-too-familiar American Dream.

After a slow moving introduction, the plot commences when Cynthia, who is Black, gets promoted over her white counterparts.

This has been cut for print. Read the full article online at ricethresher.org.

Review: ‘What if...?’ is a worthy watch for Marvel fan WILL COVER

FOR THE THRESHER At the heart of Marvel’s “What If…?” is, unsurprisingly, the question: “what if?” The series, which is the first animated entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is based on a popular comic book series of the same name. “What If...?” opts for a similar anthology format, with semistandalone plots in each episode that eventually converge toward one storyline in the finale. Unlike the comic series, which has the expansive Marvel Comics’s canon at its disposal, the show opts for a smaller scope with only characters that have already appeared in the MCU. “What If...?” has flashes of immense storytelling potential amidst a more inconsistent affair.

When I first heard about “What If...?,” I was excited for the wealth of creativity the general format of the show afforded.

As an animated show, the writers could explore a wide variety of universes and stories that budgets would otherwise constrain. Since it was set in alternate realities, there also weren’t the same consequences that creative choices would carry in a Marvel movie. Certain episodes gave us glimpses of the high ceiling this show could reach in future seasons, but I was still left with the feeling that the writers were playing it too safe.

This has been cut for print. Read the full article online at ricethresher.org.

Review: ‘No Time to Die’ thrills audience with James Bond’s latest adventure SASWAT PATI

FOR THE THRESHER When “No Time to Die” first was delayed due to COVID-19 in April 2020, many felt that this film was doomed.

With great controversy surrounding the script, casting and even Daniel Craig himself stating that he would only play Bond for the money, the consensus was that Craig’s final outing as 007 would be mediocre at best and disastrous at worst.

Now releasing nearly 18 months after its anticipated release date, I can safely say that “No Time to Die” is one of the best films of the franchise.

At a runtime of 2 hours and 43 minutes, one would expect the film to feel glacial and tiring. However every

single minute of the film is utilized, and the pacing of the film is near impeccable.

Whether it be high-octane fight scenes, slower moments of conversation or magnificent set pieces, “No Time to Die” engages throughout.

The greatest aspect of this film by far is Daniel Craig’s final performance as the titular James Bond. “No Time to Die” continues the tradition of Craig’s Bond being a gritter, more sensitive character as compared to previous iterations. The realism Craig brings to his Bond makes the character more impressive.

This has been cut for print. Read the full article online at ricethresher.org.

10 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

THE RICE THRESHER

RECAP

Soccer needs overtime to get past struggling UAB ANTOINE WILEY

The second half of the game saw UAB come out with a vengeance, as they scored the equalizing goal just six minutes into The Rice women’s soccer team improved the second half. UAB almost scored only their season’s record to 9-3-1 and 3-1 in a minute later, but freshman midfielder Conference USA after beating the University Carlyn Presley sent it wide and it was not to of Alabama at Birmingham in a hardfought be. A number of unsuccessful efforts from overtime battle on Friday. The victory at Rice, including close misses from Page and Holloway Field improved the Owls to 2-1- Spaulding, meant that the game was headed 1 in overtime matches this year. After the for overtime.

Overtime was short-lived, however, game, head coach Brian Lee said that the team always has to be prepared to win as Rice put together a sequence in which close games, especially against conference freshman forward Natalie Gorji’s cross bounced off a UAB defender, giving Rice a competition. corner. Pham sent “Conference the corner kick games especially towards the front of are going to be the goal front, where tight,” Lee said. Conference games Schultz scored her “[Sometimes] especially are going to be third game-winning college soccer is just goal of the season one one-goal game tight. [Sometimes] college after another.” soccer is just one one-goal and converted with a header to send UAB Rice had a game after another. home in the 92nd frustrating start, minute of the match. which saw across Brian Lee Lee said he wasn’t from junior HEAD COACH wasn’t particularly midfielder Serena Pham headed in by freshman forward impressed with his team’s play, but with Vyviene Spaulding, only to get called off Schultz’s last-minute goal, the team was for offside. Spaulding was very close to able to rise to the occasion with the game on scoring again in the 12th minute, but a the line.

“It wasn’t our team’s best game,” Lee said.

UAB defender blocked her before the ball reached the goal. Despite early difficulties, “You don’t have to play great, especially for Rice managed to score in the final minute of Delaney [Schultz], if you’re a big time scorer, the first half thanks to a sequence starting but she came away with a goal and an assist with a throw-in from senior defender and got it done when it mattered”.

With the overtime winner, Schultz tied Caleigh Page to junior midfielder Delaney Schultz, who headed the ball to sophomore Nia Stallings for the No. 7 most goals in Rice forward Izzy McBride, who then scored to history and notched 58 career points, tying Stallings for No. 6 most all-time. give Rice the lead.

FOR THE THRESHER

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Freshman forward Natalie Gorji takes on a defender during the Owls’ game Friday against UAB. The game went to overtime but the Owls won on a 92nd minute goal.

Lee also praised the team’s defense for stepping up after the season-ending injuries to sophomore Shelby Desroches and senior Mijke Roelfsema, an All-American last season.

“We really created a whole new backfour, with Shelby and Mijke’s season ending injuries,” Lee said. “Full credit to the whole backline but especially [junior midfielder Madison] Kent, back there playing center back for the first time in her career. I really thought for a starting point with a new back line, it was an excellent night.”

Rice’s backline helped limit UAB to one goal, even as Rice was outshot 16-8 overall and 8-2 in shots on goal. Also of note are Killgore’s seven saves, which helped Rice stay in the game despite the sizable shot attempt deficit.

The Owls’ will need a strong outing to get the win on the road against Southern Mississippi in next week’s match, as the Golden Eagles boast a record of 6-3-2 and an impressive home record of 3-1-0.

The match will kick off next Thursday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m. in Hattiesburg, MS.

PREVIEW

Unconventional wisdom or Rashad Wisdom? Owls face undefeated UTSA CADAN HANSON

THRESHER STAFF

On Saturday, Rice football will hit the road to take on Conference USA rival University of Texas, San Antonio. The Owls (2-3 overall, 1-0 conference) look to continue their two game win streak with an upset over the undefeated Roadrunners (6-0).

After a rough start to the season, with early losses to the University of Arkansas, University of Houston and the 58-0 blowout against the University of Texas, Austin, the Owls bounced back with a win against Texas Southern University and their first conference opponent, Southern Miss. This past week, Rice had their bye week and was able to rest up and prepare for this week’s match. In the

weekly press conference, head coach Mike Bloomgren said he was happy about how the bye week went.

“It was a great week because we were able to get healthier,” Bloomgren said. “We got some guys back [from injury] and we got young guys some work. It allows us to move some of them up the depth chart and get them more involved this year. We got exactly what we wanted from this bye week.”

The two teams are especially familiar not just because of the conference rivalry, but also because they play just a few hours from each other. Bloomgren said that being an instate rivalry as well as a conference matchup makes the game even more exciting.

“First off, it’s a conference game, and those games matter,” Bloomgren said. “And

COURTESY BRENDAN MALONEY - RICE ATHLETICS Rice now-redshirt junior defensive end Trey Schuman cl0ses in on UTSA’s quarterback in the 2019 meeting between the two teams. The Owls will head to San Antonio on Saturday to take on the undefeated Roadrunners.

also the fact that it is an in-state rivalry and alot of our kids have played with or against their guys and have known them for years.

We love the fact that they are an in-state as well as a conference opponent.”

Offensively, the Owls have been led by graduate quarterback Jake Constantine, who is 2-0 since taking over the offense, and redshirt senior tight end Jordan Myers who leads the team with four rushing touchdowns and adding on a receiving touchdown. Out wide, sophomore wide receiver Jake Bailey and graduate wide receiver Cedric Patterson III have racked up over 200 yards receiving each. Defensively, the Owls struggled for the first few weeks this season, but rallied against Southern Miss to only allow 19 points.

Bloomgren was pleased with how both sides of the ball are progressing.

“It’s been great to see our offense take steps forward and continue to build,” Bloomgren said. “Our defense also took a big step forward in the last game and has been able to build off it [in the bye week].”

UTSA, who finished second in the C-USA West region rankings last year, is looking to improve on that finish with an impressive 6-0 record with two conference wins against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Western Kentucky. The Roadrunners are led by last year’s C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, junior running back Sincere McCormick. McCormick leads the team in rushing with 661 yards and six touchdowns in six games. At the quarterback position, senior Frank Harris has completed 69.8 percent of his passes for 1,475 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Bloomgren acknowledged that the Roadrunners are led by dangerous playmakers that are hard to stop.

“Offensively it all starts with Sincere [McCormick],” Bloomgren said. “He’s such

a great runner. He’s as productive a running back as any running back in our conference.

The biggest change I’ve seen since their last game is the growth of their quarterback, Frank Harris, who is playing like a pro. They are from top to bottom, an outstanding football team.”

On the defensive side of the ball, the Roadrunners are led by safety Rashad Wisdom, a first-team all conference honoree a season ago. Bloomgren had high praise for the well-coached defensive squad as well.

“They have an outstanding defense,” Bloomgren said. “On film, I see a bunch of guys who can dazzle people with their dance.

They do such a great job with their hands and their safeties are so active. Our conference hasn’t seen a defence like this since the 2018 UAB team. It is a dominant, old, veteran group.”

In recent memory, the Roadrunners have dominated the rivalry, winning the past five matchups, with the most recent being a close 31-27 defeat for the Owls in 2019. Rice will look to stop their losing streak against UTSA and continue their own two-game winning streak while proving that they can beat a C-USA contender. Although it will be a tough matchup, Bloombgren believes that the team is prepared for the challenge.

“This weekend we play a very experienced and tough UTSA football team,” Bloomgren said. “They are the top team in our conference and they are sound in all three phases. They bring a lot to the table and they are a good football team. I am confident in the way that the team has been preparing thus far and I know the team shares the same excitement I do about playing in San Antonio this weekend.”

The game starts at 5 p.m. on Saturday and can be viewed on ESPN+.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021 • 11

SPORTS

COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS Athletic director Joe Karlgaard answers questions at a press conference. In his eighth year as AD, Karlgaard has had to manage the COVID-19 pandemic and NCAA rule changes.

Karlgaard embraces challenges of pandemic, NCAA changes DANIEL SCHRAGER

SPORTS EDITOR

Athletic director Joe Karlgaard describes himself as someone who likes challenges. But even he has found the past year and a half to be difficult.

“We’re coming off a really difficult year,” Karlgaard said. “But it wasn’t just difficult for us, it was difficult for everybody in college athletics and in higher education in general.”

While the pandemic was a challenge to all college sports programs, Karlgaard said that Rice was at a disadvantage because they took it upon themselves to maintain higher COVID-19 safety protocols than many of their competitors.

“We were challenged because our university had a really high bar when it came to protecting the community,” Karlgaard said. “We weren’t always necessarily in lock step with Conference USA. Because our bar was higher than a lot of other institutions with whom we compete, that made last year more challenging for us than maybe some other schools.”

But now, as Karlgaard looks back at one of the strangest and most difficult stretches of his eight year tenure running the Owls athletic department, he said that he is proud of how the Owls handled a less-than-ideal situation.

“I think we navigated the year extraordinarily well,” Karlgaard said.

“Soccer and volleyball had great years.

Women’s basketball won the [National Invitation Tournament]. So I felt like we really made lemonade out of lemons last year with the challenges that we faced.”

Karlgaard knows that Rice isn’t in the clear just yet. There are still pandemic protocols to follow and the recent surge of COVID cases driven by the Delta variant has increased the risk of positive cases among Rice student athletes. But according to Karlgaard, as COVID-19 cases go down, and restrictions and protocols ease, he is confident that Rice’s teams will be able to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and have a strong year.

“This year I feel like we’re 85 [percent] back to normal,” Karlgaard said. “It’s not quite all the way there, [but] I’m optimistic. I’m a realist, but I tend to be a little more optimistic, and I feel like this is setting up to be a great year for us.”

While the challenges of the pandemic are beginning to subside, this year has brought a whole new set of struggles for Karlgaard and his team. As the NCAA enters a phase of change, Karlgaard said that he and his staff can’t even begin to plan for the future.

“It’s tough to say nationally what this thing is gonna look like five [to] ten

“It’s probably my top priority right years down the road,” Karlgaard said.

“We’ve got a constitutional convention now to set us up for a better [conference] coming up here in a month where the alignment,” Karlgaard said. “I don’t know NCAA’s gonna propose rewriting the 43- quite what that looks like – it could mean page constitution. We’re in the middle more regional alignment, it could mean of conference realignment discussions. more academic alignment, it could be a You’ve got the [NCAA v.] Alston decision better financial situation, it could be all from the Supreme Court that came three. It’s the thing over the past six weeks down in June, that essentially allows or so that I [have] probably spent more unlimited education benefits to student time on than any other single thing.”

As talks start heating up, Karlgaard athletes. You’ve got [new name image and likeness rules]. You’ve got [recent said he has a pretty concrete idea of what changes to the transfer rules]. It’s tough his pitch to other conferences will look to be too concrete with the goals that you like.

“We have the best academic profile in have, when you just don’t know what the enterprise is gonna look like moving the Group of Five by a long shot,” Karlgaard said. “We’ve got the largest endowment in forward.”

Conference realignment in particular the Group of Five by three [times], I think. has turned into the biggest variable for So the academic and financial profile of the Owls, ever since news broke that the the university is stronger than anyone else University of Texas, Austin and University can put forward.”

As for the of Oklahoma athletic side, would be leaving Karlgaard said the Big 12 for the it is a common Southeastern misconception that C o n f e r e n c e , It’s maybe not as much Rice’s reputation according to fun if you’re at a place like won’t entice other Karlgaard.

Ohio State [University] conferences.

“That all or [the University of] “This isn’t a well started when I known fact, [but] if was on vacation Alabama, where you you look back since this summer have big fan bases, big the reformation c e l e b r a t i n g alumni bases, and lots of of Conference my wedding resources to do your work. USA, we’ve won a n n iv e r s a r y, ” more conference Karlgaard said. “I Here, you have to figure championships made the mistake out how to outmaneuver than anyone else in of looking at my folks to have success. [the] conference,” phone, and it said Karlgaard said. that Texas and Joe Karlgaard “We have the best Oklahoma are ATHLETIC DIRECTOR overall athletic going to the SEC, and I thought: Here we go, it will have a program in Conference USA based on that metric.” way of trickling down.”

In addition to all of the changes going Conference realignment has been a top priority for the athletic department on with the NCAA, this year has brought for Karlgaard ever since he joined Rice turnover for the athletic department at following a stint as a top assistant at home as well. Rice had to replace two head Stanford, his alma mater. Despite his best coaches, as women’s basketball head efforts, Karlgaard said that he has never coach Tina Langley left for the University of Washington and baseball head coach Matt been able to find the right opportunity.

“I got here on the back side of the Bragga was let go at the end of his third last round of realignment,” Karlgaard season. According to Karlgaard, while he said. “I started in 2013, and 2012 was the was sad to see Langley go, he’s proud of year that [the University of] Houston, all that she was able to accomplish in her [Southern Methodist University], Tulane six years at Rice.

“What Coach Langley was able to do [University] and Tulsa [University] left Conference USA, and Rice didn’t. I haven’t in taking over the womens basketball seen an opportunity for us quite emerge program and really establishing it as a well over the past eight years, but now I think respected national program is probably we’re in an environment where I think it’s [the thing] I’m proudest [of during my highly unlikely that the status quo will be tenure],” Karlgaard said.

As for Bragga, Karlgaard said that maintained.”

While Karlgaard said that improving admitting that a hire isn’t working out is Rice’s conference set up is his top always tough, but the pandemic made it priority, he cautioned against jumping to clear that Bragga didn’t fit at Rice the way he had intended. conclusions about what that means.

“That was tough, I really like Matt, [and] I think he’s a really good baseball coach,” Karlgaard said. “The last year and a half here has just been challenging.

You have to be a highly adaptable person who’s able to see how Rice [was] going to maneuver it’s way through the pandemic and I think that was challenging for Coach Bragga. Once you know that it’s not working in the way that you’d envisioned, it’s really a matter of admitting that and figuring out how you can move forward.”

To replace both of them, Karlgaard focused on finding candidates who he thought would understand and embrace the unique aspects of Rice, such as its small size and academic standards for its athletes, as he says he does with all of his hires. For baseball, this led him to hire a Rice alum in Jose Cruz Jr., while he chose former North Carolina State University assistant Lindsay Edmonds. According to Karlgaard, he never knows which candidate will fit this profile.

“Sometimes it reveals itself in the profile and background of the candidate,” Karlgaard said. “Coach Cruz having played here, it’s pretty obvious – he went to Rice, he gets it. Coach Bloomgren, spending seven years as the offensive coordinator at Stanford, obviously had some sense of what it takes to do it at a high level. But then I think of Coach Tina Langley for example, and if you looked at her background prior to coming here, [none of the places she coached were] really like Rice – some fine schools, but not the small private school environment.

But when we interviewed her, she articulated the values really well, and it became apparent to us that she knew what we were about.”

While it’s been difficult to navigate the uncertainty of this year, Karlgaard said that he knows there are more challenges on the way. But according to Karlgaard, he isn’t shying away from them – they’re what made him want to go become an athletic director, they’re what made him want to come to Rice.

“I got into this work because I like the strategic aspect of it, I like the big picture thinking, I like to figure out how the pieces fit together,” Karlgaard said. “Rice is a challenging environment because we’re a small school with a small alumni base in a big city that’s saturated with sports. [On top of all that], we have high academic standards. But I think those are the fun [parts of the] job. It’s maybe not as much fun if you’re at a place like Ohio State [University] or [the University of] Alabama where you have big fan bases, big alumni bases and lots of resources to do your work. Here, you have to figure out how to outmaneuver folks to have success.”

12 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2021

BACKPAGE canvass.rice.edu

To-Do List for Fall Recess :o

We all saw how fun working through our break time was last year during Sprinkle Days — after all, we have so much extra time to do work, we might as well get assigned more!

Tuesday, October 12

Research Paper Submission: On paper Description: Research paper, 10 pages single spaced.

Cite all sources in MLA, APA, and Chicago alphabetically.

This is a closed note, closed book paper, but you may use a calculator. Please fold the essay into a paper airplane and fly it down from the top floor of Old Sid to the collection bin on top of Will Rice Commons.

Due Date: 8:00 AM Points: An Entire Letter Grade

Wednesday, October 13

Problem Set #4 Submission: On my doorstep Description: Don’t worry, there are only 5 questions. But each question has 30 subproblems. SHOW ALL WORK FOR FULL CREDIT. Submit your handwritten answers on my doorstep by 12 AM Wednesday. I’ll be watching my Ring footage to see if you turn it in on time. Enjoy your break!

Additional Reading Submission: None, but content will be on the midterm Description: Please read Chapters 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 69 of the textbook for next class and be ready to discuss each one. Content on the next midterm will cover one of the listed chapters, which I will select the morning of the exam by throwing darts at my syllabus.

Due Date: 12:00 AM Points: Your Rice Purity Score * 100

Due Date: None, unless you don’t want to fail the next midterm (in-class on Wednesday) Points: 2 points extra credit + 16 points normal credit on the next midterm

The Backpage is the satire section of the Thresher, written this week by Ndidi Nwosu, Andrew Kim, and Timmy Mansfield and designed by Lauren Yu. For questions or comments, please email dilfhunter69@rice.edu.

CLASSIFIEDS SOURCE CHECKERS I am looking for source-checkers for my manuscript (in English) on the economics and politics of agriculture in medieval Germany. The manuscript is a write-up of my 2007 UCLA history dissertation. Easy access to a major research library is a must, knowledge of German or history is not, just an ability to read and think critically. This is a big job, a 500,000-word manuscript. Sourcecheckers will decide for themselves how much time they have to dedicate to this work. I am offering $20/hour. If you know of anyone who might be interested in assisting with this project, please contact me at Schwaben10@gmail.com.

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