beer bike
ABBY
VP of research Ramesh steps down
Ramamoorthy Ramesh will step down from his role as executive vice president for research at the end of this academic year, President Reggie DesRoches announced in an email to the Rice community March 18.
Ramesh has overseen both internal and external research ventures at Rice. He was recruited in 2022 to become Rice’s inaugural pick for the role as a part of President DesRoches’ e orts to strengthen the university’s research enterprise, and he will return to the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley next fall.
A search committee led by Dean of Engineering and Computing Luay Nakhleh has been assembled to recruit Rice’s next head of research, according to the email.
During his time at Rice, Ramesh saw research funding growth double from 2023 to 2024, and he played a crucial role in forging research partnerships with universities in India and France, the email said.
Carlos Garcia, the associate vice president for research operations and administration, said that Ramesh’s contributions to research at Rice have set the university up for future success.
“Ramesh has been an inspirational leader,” Garcia wrote in an email to the Thresher. “He always pushed the o ce of research to go big and not be afraid to make mistakes.”
In addition to several new research
institutes and centers, Ramesh created the O ces of Research Integrity and Sponsored Projects, which helped streamline the university’s processes in compliance with federal research regulations, Garcia said.
Ramesh’s departure comes amid threats from the federal government to cut research and other funding from several U.S. universities, including Rice. However, Ramesh said research itself may not be directly under attack, and he’s worked to nd ways to compromise with the federal government amid increased restrictions.
“I believe we’re seeing a reset of expectations, priorities and business practices,” Ramesh wrote in an email to the Thresher. “We have been communicating with internal constituents such as faculty and external constituents such as Congress. We have also been helping faculty to not react too strongly to such external perturbations. Instead, we are working with them to identify pathways to broaden the research funding base and look for uncommon funding sources.”
Ramesh succeeded Yousif Shamoo, who served as vice provost for research for eight years, and Doug Natelson, who served on an interim basis from June 2022 until Ramesh started in August.
Ramesh also held roles as a professor of materials science and nanoengineering and of physics and astronomy at Rice. In December 2022, he was elected as a National Academy of Inventors Fellow, a status considered to be the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors in the United States.
Ramesh received two bachelor’s degrees from Madras University in Chennai, India and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore before attending UC Berkeley for his master’s degree and doctorate.
Ramesh said he credits much of his success as a professor and researcher to his unique educational background.
“My Ph.D. work at Berkeley taught me the fundamentals of focusing on exploring the state-of-the-art research questions,” Ramesh wrote. “I have endeavored to bring that ethos to Rice.”
Garcia said he’ll miss working alongside Ramesh next year.
“The O ce of Research will miss his infectious laughter and the ability to simplify complex issues into strategic simple solutions,” Garcia wrote. “We will all miss his endless analogies for any situation to make a point!”
Zoghbi slated for commencement
HU ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Huda Zoghbi was announced to be the speaker for Rice’s 112th commencement March 26. Zoghbi is a professor of molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine.
In an email announcing Zoghbi as the commencement speaker, President Reggie DesRoches said that Zoghbi’s engagement with Rice’s academics and research reflects “her commitment to advancing knowledge and mentoring future generations.”
Born in Lebanon, Zoghbi moved to the United States following the outbreak of civil war in 1975. She completed her residency in pediatric neurology at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.
When DesRoches reached out to her, Zoghbi said that she was both surprised and honored.
“I was thinking, maybe he should get some president or something,” Zoghbi said. “But he said, ‘No, we really want you,’ and so I was really touched.”
Zoghbi’s most prominent work was finding the genetic basis of Rett syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that primarily affects young girls and leads to progressive motor skill and language loss. Her work has also concerned other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
A Rice trustee emerita, Zoghbi is also the founding director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute researcher.
“I’ve had Rice students in my lab many, many times,” Zoghbi said. “One side of the coin is having students from Rice coming in as undergrad or Ph.D. students or postdocs and so on. The other side of the coin is some of my own graduates, who are now faculty members at Rice.”
Natalie Byron, a research assistant in Zoghbi’s lab, said she was enthused when Zoghbi was announced as a commencement speaker — especially since Byron is graduating this May.
“I really got to see [her passion for science] over the last three years,” said Byron, a Hanszen College senior. “She really loves her job and is so passionate about it, and that rubbed off on me and everyone, and made me want to have a scientific research aspect in my future
career.
An assistant professor in biosciences at Rice, Laura Lavery worked with Zoghbi as a postdoctoral fellow from 2014 to 2022.
“Huda really pushed us to be the best that we could be,” Lavery said. “She seems to have an endless capacity for caring.”
Byron and Lavery praised Zoghbi’s commitment to improving their research through journal clubs, where her lab team’s members would individually present and discuss a research journal.
“It made us better researchers,” Lavery said. “We were encouraged to engage with others. You don’t necessarily always have that built into your scientific training, and I think by having that set time every week to do that it helped us practice and stay up to date on the scientific literature.”
Lavery said that Zoghbi is well-known and respected in the medical field.
“Here in Houston, she’s a pillar of the research community, and a very inspiring and well known leader,” Lavery said. “[I’m] deeply thankful and grateful that she is who she is, and that she chose to be here. The world, the United States, and our community — everybody is better because of her.”
Rice establishes international travel incident response team
JAMES CANCELARICH NEWS EDITOR
Rice announced the creation of the International Travel Incident Response Team in a campus-wide email April 1. The move comes amid federal pressures on international travel and an increased immigration law enforcement on university campuses.
The team will be available to give help to students, faculty, staff and postdoctoral scholars who “encounter health, safety, and immigration difficulties while traveling abroad or returning to the United States,” according to the email sent by the Office of the Provost.
The team will be available 24/7 to provide guidance, legal advice or
speak with immigration officials. In addition, the email announced that all international university-related travel would require students, faculty, scholars and staff to register their travel with the Rice Travel Registry to then connect people planning for international travel with guidance and resources.
Students and staff traveling internationally on personal trips were also encouraged to register.
The announcement of the team came with additional guidance that foreign nationals are encouraged to reconsider non-essential travel out of the country.
The email mentioned cases where students with visas or legal permanent residence were detained or had their visas canceled without prior notice. Over
Rice strongly affirms its enduring commitment to our international students, faculty, scholars and staff, and to the value and perspective that international travel brings to our most important and defining academic endeavors.
O ce of the Provost SCHOOLWIDE EMAIL
300 visas have been revoked by the State Department.
Pro-Palestine activist and Columbia University alumnus Mahmoud Khalil was detained by the Department of Homeland Security for allegedly supporting Hamas. Khalil is a lawful U.S. resident with a green card.
At Tufts University, Turkish graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk was recently detained by the DHS, similarly alleged to have supported Hamas.
“Rice strongly affirms its enduring commitment to our international students, faculty, scholars and staff, and to the value and perspective that international travel brings to our most important and defining academic endeavors,” the email reads.
NOA BERZ ASST. FEATURES EDITOR
COURTESY JEFF FITLOW
HONGTAO
COURTESY HUDA ZOGHBI
Student activity nding sees a spike in applications, leaving some short of nding
Rice’s Student Activities/President’s Programming Fund is experiencing a significant rise in demand this academic year, with applications increasing by over 60% compared to last year, according to SAPP administrators.
SAPP is a supplemental funding resource aimed at supporting student organizations in hosting events that foster community and engagement. With the resurgence of student programming and expanded outreach efforts in the post-pandemic era, the volume of funding requests has outpaced previous years.
“Each SAPP round this academic year has seen a cumulative increase of over 60% in applications,” Taylor Rogers, a
Baker College junior and SAPP student assistant, and Caity Hoover, the assistant director of student engagement at the Student Center, wrote in an email to the Thresher.
“This reflects both rising student enthusiasm and the need for meaningful programming across campus. It also highlights a continued resurgence in student engagement and campus programming, particularly as clubs rebuild momentum in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic.”
According to Hoover and Rogers, due to the increased demands, the funding decisions are now made with more careful evaluations. They said that the funding will continue to prioritize events that foster community and engage with the broader Rice population.
Considering the increase in
This reflects both rising student enthusiasm and the need for meaninful programming across campus. It also highlights a continued resurgence in student engagement and campus programming, particularly as clubs rebuild momentum in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Taylor Rogers and Caity Hoover
SAPP FUND TEAM
applications, Guomin Xu, co-president of Rice Linguistics Society, explained their plans to cut expenses.
“We were hoping to get $1,000 for [the International Mother Language Day event], like last year — but we only received $250 this time,” said Xu, a Duncan College junior. “We’re probably just gonna cut back on what we use, and we’re probably just gonna do events that cost us no money, inviting our professors in to speak, or like when we host the yearend party, we’ll make it like a potluck so that we don’t have to pay for anything.”
In response to the changes, Hoover and Rogers said that they were working on raising funds. They also said they worked on providing resources for students to pursue other external fundraising, such as SA initiative funding and new club funding.
Students hold Transgender Day of Visibility demonstration
HONGTAO HU ASST. NEWS EDITOR
A Transgender Day of Visibility demonstration was held outside the Rice Memorial Center March 31, coinciding with the International Transgender Day of Visibility.
About 50 students and faculty attended the demonstration, speaking about trans issues and chanting slogans such as “we’re queer, we’ll never disappear,” and “trans rights are human rights.”
“Amidst unprecedented attacks on transgender rights, it is our collective responsibility to defend our community,” read the caption of an Instagram post made by coordinating student organizations, including Rice Democratic Socialists, Rice Students for Justice in Palestine and Rice Grad Campaign.
Ivy Li, the event organizer, said the demonstration aimed to bring awareness to trans issues at both the federal and state levels.
“A lot of times, trans issues get thrown under the rug in favor of other issues,” said Li, a graduate student. “I really want to have a sort of community
A lot of times, trans issues get thrown under the rug in favor of other issues. I really want to have a sort of community at Rice where people can band together and understand that all these issues are important and affecting all of us.
Ivy Li GRADUATE STUDENT
at Rice where people can band together and understand that all these issues are important and a ecting all of us.”
In a speech made on the day of the demonstration, Li said that legislation such as Executive Order 14168, and Texas House Bills 3817 and 3399 were especially worrying for transgender individuals.
While Executive Order 14168 is limited by federal laws and statutes, it aims to erase protections from transgender individuals and remove federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Proposed Texas House Bill 3817 aims to make “gender identity fraud” a criminal o ense with a maximum prison sentence of two years and a $10,000
ne. A person commits an o ense if they “knowingly [make] a false or misleading verbal or written statement to a governmental entity or the person’s employer by identifying the person’s biological sex as the opposite of the biological sex assigned to the person at birth.”
Proposed Texas House Bill 3399 aims to expand Texas’ ban on gender transition resources for minors to adults, prohibiting medical procedures “for the purpose of transitioning a person’s biological sex.”
Vivian Lu, an assistant professor in anthropology, called upon Rice professors to learn about and advocate for trans issues.
“Professors have job security and access to resources completely unthinkable for most of the general population,” Lu said. “Look up what’s happening at the Texas State Legislature or community events here in Houston. Read up about how trans people across the United States are having their documents con scated while traveling, even domestically, or when renewing o cial documents like passports. Demand your departments and the
administration to protect trans rights.”
It’s not
enough to not be transphobic. We must actively work to create a more inclusive world for trans individuals. We must strive to be trans affirmable.
Shelly Harvey MATHEMATICS PROFESSOR
Associate professor of physics and astronomy Christopher Tunnell spoke on the importance of academic freedom and free speech.
“From history, we know that if scientists speak up, then things must be really bad,” Tunnell said. “Scientists just want to be le alone, with our computers, in our labs. We would much rather be doing that today. But we are disgusted with what we now see. We are at a ‘use it or lose it’ moment for free speech at universities.”
Graduate student Jorge Zazueta said that solidarity was essential in the current cultural climate.
“To stand up, we need to recognize that some of the most vulnerable people in our communities are the ones that will refuse to sit down, and in doing so, they’re becoming more vulnerable compared to other, more protected members of our community,” Zazueta said.
Shelly Harvey, a mathematics professor, spoke on the importance of mindful language and supporting younger generations.
“It’s not enough to not be transphobic,” Harvey said. “We must actively work to create a more inclusive world for trans individuals. We must strive to be trans a rmable. I personally am terrible, terrible, terrible at pronouns, but I keep trying, and if I get it wrong, I’m going to correct myself. I’m going to acknowledge my mistake and try harder next time.”
Li ended his speech by emphasizing the importance of trans rights.
“Queer people have always been here,” Li said. “Trans people have always been here. Transgender rights are civil
BELA JOTWANI / THRESHER Demonstrators listen to a speech during the Transgender Day of Visibility Demonstration. The event brought out students and faculty in support of transgender issues.
RICHIE SU THRESHER STAFF
Rice welcomes 7.8% of applicants to class of 2029
ABIGAIL CHIU SENIOR WRITER
Rice accepted 2,852 applicants to the class of 2029 March 26, said Yvonne Romero, vice president for enrollment. This represents 7.8% of 36,777, the highest acceptance rate since 2022.
Rice previously accepted 491 students from the ED I and QuestBridge cycles and 158 from the inaugural ED II cycle, with 13.2% and 6% acceptance rates respectively.
Last year’s class of 2028 had a 7.5% rate, marking the fifth year of decreasing rates since 2020.
This year’s admission cycle is the end of a five-year plan announced in 2021 that plans to expand the undergraduate student body to 4,800, a 20% increase. A new residential college is set to be opened in fall 2026.
Sofia Castillo, a newly admitted student from Geronimo, Texas, said she plans to major in mechanical engineering as the first in her family to attend college.
“I’m beyond honored to be accepted into Rice University—my dream school! As a first-generation student, this means everything to me and my family,” Castillo wrote in a message to the Thresher. “Thank you, Rice, for believing in me and opening the door to a future I’ve worked so hard to reach.“
Eniola Ajanaku, from Mansfield, Texas, said she was surprised when she was accepted but that it relieved
some of the stress of this year’s college application cycle.
“I was actually on call with my friend, Kairon, who I met through the [Seeking Opportunities At Rice] program so it was like a full circle moment! We both received the Trustee Distinguished Scholarship so that added even more excitement,” Ajanaku wrote. “I just remember feeling so welcome and at home
I’m beyond honored to be accepted into Rice University - my dream school! As a firstgeneration student, this means everything to me an my family. Thank you, Rice, for believing in me and opening the door to a future I’ve worked so hard to reach.
So a Castillo CLASS OF 2029 ADMIT
during SOAR and I immediately knew it would be a great fit for me.”
Kate Read of Princeton, Texas, plans to major in psychology and said she was shocked to see she was admitted.
“After months of waiting for the decision, it is such a relief to see the hard work paid off,” Read wrote in a message to the Thresher.
Engineering school celebrates 50th anniversary, invites students, alumni and speakers
RAMYA
MOTATI FOR THE THRESHER
The George R. Brown School of Engineering invited engineering alumni, students and faculty to celebrate its 50th anniversary March 28-29. The event, which took place in the Engineering Quad, included speakers, a drone show, alumni gatherings and other social events like mixers.
During the anniversary, President Reggie DesRoches discussed some of the additional programs that Rice will be creating through research partnerships with other institutions such as the University of California, Davis and Georgia Institute of Technology.
“We made a graduate fellowship for graduate students who demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, diversity and inclusion,” DesRoches said when discussing a research partnership with UC Davis.
Aside from expanding research e orts, DesRoches said he wanted to work on providing resources for underrepresented engineers and fostering a multidimensional space for engineers to collaborate and thrive in.
“[The goal is] acceleration and advancing innovation to make the world better for everyone,” DesRoches said.
George R. Brown School of Engineering was founded in 1975 and comprised four engineering concentrations: civil, chemical, electrical and mechanical. Fi y years later, the school has expanded to nine concentrations, as well as increasing the number of labs and makerspaces available to the Rice community.
Some of the speakers included Chris Hyams, the CEO of Indeed.com, Suman Khatiwada, the co-founder and CTO of Syzygy and Tomeka McLeod, the vice president of US bp.
Earl Vanzant ’61, who received a degree in chemical engineering before the George R. Brown School of Engineering had been o cially established, said his time at Rice strongly impacted his career path.
“I lived on campus all ve years,” Vanzant said. “I was around a lot of other people and got to know them. I still stay in touch with a few of them.”
DesRoches said he hopes to grow the in uence and prestige of the engineering school in the future.
“We’ve built a legacy of impact and world class education,” DesRoches said. “So here’s to another 50 years and many more.
COURTESY AN LE
President Reggie DesRoches gives a speech at the Brown Engineering School 50-year anniversary.
Student store o ers discounted merch to students
Select merchandise from the Campus Bookstore will now be available to students for a discounted price, according to an Instagram post by the Student Association in collaboration with the Campus Bookstore. Each month, designated “spirit items” will be o ered at a 10% discount. For the month of March, the selected merchandise was two blue Rice T-shirts.
Sam Balakrishnan, a McMurtry College junior, said she was excited about the Rice-branded merch.
“Everyone should be able to represent their school, especially Rice because we have such a culture of care. I would like to see more programs in the future,” Balakrishnan said.
The SA created the program in 2024 because they were concerned that current students were paying the same price for merchandise as regular visitors to the bookstore, according to SA President Trevor Tobey.
“We met with [Housing and Dining], and, ultimately, it ended with us having that discussion, and we ultimately got the discount,” said Tobey, a Hanszen College junior. “I’m hoping it’s just a
I’m hoping that it will incentive students to get stuff fro the bookstore and make shopping there more affordable ... I think this is almost a pilot program for more to come
Trevor Tobey STUDENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT
starting point for more.” Tobey said he wants the program to
be a start in making the bookstore more accessible for students.
“I’m hoping that it will incentivize students to get stu from the bookstore and make shopping there more a ordable … I think this is almost a pilot program for more to come,” Tobey said.
Tobey says the program ts well with their mission of making bookstore items more a ordable to students. He also said that by making the merch more a ordable, the program will increase student spirit at Rice by creating more engagement with culture and ensuring that the administration can support Rice teams on campus.
COURTESY JEFF FITLOW
JANAKI VENEPALLY FOR THE THRESHER
Walz and O’Rourke take the stage in Fort Bend County
JAMES CANCELARICH NEWS EDITOR
On a rainy Thursday in Rosenberg, Texas, under what resembled a large metal barn, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso discussed the future of the Democratic Party.
During the town hall, Walz and O’Rourke answered questions posed by audience members. Thousands turned out in attendance.
Among those in attendance were over a dozen members of the Rice Young Democrats, a student organization that held a phonebanking event in the immediate a ermath of
the election and hosted Rep. Ann Johnson on campus.
Before Walz and O’Rourke took the stage, the group posed with the pair for a photo opportunity.
“We have lost our voice, and we as a Democratic Party should do some soul searching here,” Walz said. “Why is our message only for Philadelphia or Phoenix or Milwaukee?”
Walz and O’Rourke called the Democratic Party timid in their response to Trump’s actions and criticized them for losing touch with working-class voters.
“It’s Democrats who stopped showing up and ghting for the people they purported to
represent,” O’Rourke said.
O’Rourke said the town hall was hosted in Fort Bend County a er the Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, who represents most of Fort Bend, declined to host one.
Walz, in a recent blitz of activity, has hosted a number of town halls and press conferences.
The rally follows the advice of the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, to Republicans to not host town halls, a er some were very publicly disrupted by protesters.
During the town hall, Rice Young Democrats co-president Sammi Frey took to the stage to ask a question. Frey said
Gov. Tim Walz and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke pose for a photo with Rice Young Democrats. The pair hosted a town hall in Fort Bend County that drew thousands.
Vegan Fest returns a er six year hiatus
VIOLA HSIA ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Vegan Fest was celebrated at Rice in the RMC Grand Hall March 25. The event, hosted by Rice Vegan Society, welcomed 25 vendors and organizers for around 610 attendees, according to events coordinator Hong Lin Tsai.
Raj Anthony, the president of Rice Vegan Society, said he wanted to revive the event after hearing about a VegFest that took place in 2019.
“We want people to see just how great plant-based food and items are,” said Anthony, a McMurtry College senior. “Our goal is that this [event] raises awareness from a sustainability and ethics and even health point of view of having more plantbased products, but also gives people more exposure to [plant-based products] and lets them know just how great they are from firsthand experience.”
For some volunteers, like club member Bennett Reddig, the event served to increase accessibility to vegan food options.
“I think it was important to our club members to bring vegan food on campus
and make vegan food more accessible,” said Reddig, a McMurtry College sophomore. “It’s important to make vegan food accessible to all and raise awareness about veganism.”
Attendees were able to explore Houston-based vendors and take free samples, with the option to buy products as well. Sally Myers, owner of the business SallyGirls Gourmet Popkern, said she has enjoyed seeing the variety of foods available at the event.
“[There are] so many different types of foods that you wouldn’t think [could be vegan],” Myers said. “We see the burger over here, and it’s like, ‘Wow, they have a vegan burger.’ It’s just really awesome.”
Vera Lee, a chemical engineer and VegFest attendee, said she enjoyed seeing both familiar and unfamiliar food vendors.
“I think being vegetarian or vegan is very important for not only our health and the environment, but for our wellbeing as a society,” Lee said. “I love to see a lot of vegans in one place. I hope that it can become more widespread as people are more aware of it and know that the food is actually really delicious.”
that her father lost his job at the Small Business Administration a er Elon Musk’s Department of Government E ciency cuts. Before he lost his job, Frey said he received a letter denouncing language associated with diversity, equity and inclusion.
We have lost our voice, and we as a Democratic Party should do some soul searching here. Why is our message only for Philadelphia or Phoenix or Milwaukee?
Tim Walz GOVERNOR OF MINNESOTA
“How do we speak about and plan for the inclusivity and diversity of opinion that we need to rebuild this country, when those terms are being so demonized by the people holding power right now?” Frey asked.
In an interview with the Thresher, Frey said that a er the disappointment of the election, the town hall was inspiring her to take more action.
“It means so much to feel like my voice is being heard by some of the biggest Democrats on stage, and heard in a very authentic and genuine way,” Frey said.
Arali Garcia attended the town hall with the Rice Young Democrats. She said that during the election, she was not very politically active and that she considered the town hall her political rally.
“I want to see the Democratic Party’s outreach here in Texas, especially since we are such a red state,” Garcia, a Will Rice College freshman, said. “I want to see exactly what the le is doing for Houston and how they are advocating for us and appealing to the wide variety of voters.”
Construction continues on campus
RICHIE SU STAFF WRITER
Several construction projects continue on Rice campus, including a planting refresh in the academic quad, expansion around McNair Hall and the construction of Saro m Hall for visual arts programs.
“The Facilities [Engineering] and Planning ‘arm’ of Rice Real Estate and Facilities group stewards planned growth and renewal of on-campus facilities and open spaces, in accordance with the university’s academic mission and land use guidelines, as well as the maintenance and upkeep of existing physical assets,” George Ristow, the assistant vice president of the Facilities, Engineering and Planning Department, wrote in an email to the Thresher.
According to Ristow, the academic quad is currently undergoing maintenance and replacement of some plant material.
“The reimagining of the academic quad’s primary goals are to activate the 4-acre space for students and the community to gather, study and enjoy nature, in a space that was long treated as an overly-formal crossroads with very little shade,” Ristow wrote.
Zain Khemani, a Hanszen College freshman, said he was surprised that the quad was undergoing more changes.
“I was excited that there was a new quad, because I didn’t know anything about the old quad as a freshman,” Khemani said. “I am de nitely confused as a student. I don’t really understand what’s happening there, since the construction has been going on there for a long time.”
Saro m Hall, which began construction in fall 2024, will be used for
visual arts — currently housed in Sewall Hall — upon completion in August 2025.
“I am really excited that that’s a thing they are making,” Khemani said. “We all know Rice is a STEM school, [so] as a non-STEM student, I feel like Rice is investing in us.”
Meanwhile, the expansion of McNair Hall addresses the growing needs of the Jones Graduate School of Business, according to Ristow.
“The addition to McNair Hall is an expansion of the Business School accommodating recent and projected growth, expanding event and food service capacity and providing spaces for the new undergraduate major in business,” Ristow wrote. “[It] is scheduled to be complete in about a year, in spring of 2026.”
Sunny Sun, a business major, said she was excited about the department’s new space.
“I am very supportive of this project because it provides more classrooms for more undergraduate courses,” said Sun, a Baker College junior. “The construction doesn’t really a ect my daily school life, but the only thing is that it blocks the view of the Twilight [Epiphany Skyspace], a place where I really liked to chill at in my freshman year. I hope that this can be done soon so that we can go out to enjoy the view and have better facilities.”
According to Ristow, these construction projects are scheduled to be nished within the next two semesters, with measures taken to minimize disruptions and inconveniences.
“Major projects require ‘laydown’ space for material staging, deliveries, assembly, equipment storage, etc.,” Ristow wrote. “[The academic quad] will remain open throughout this maintenance work and planting refresh.”
JAMES CANCELARICH / THRESHER
VIOLA HSIA / THRESHER
Students take samples and talk to vendors at the Rice Vegan Fest. The event drew many local companies specializing in vegan products.
Rice should prioritize student works in public
If you have been going to class lately, you may have noticed the new “Repair Station” sculptural installation near Herzstein and Lovett Hall.
This new piece has joined the chorus of unconventional campus art – a group fashioned primarily by non-student artists, including the James Turrell Twilight Epiphany Skyspace, “Climate Parliament” and “Seif.”
Public art does a lot to enhance our campus, but the most widely-accessible installations spotlight only professional artists, while art created by Rice students is o en consigned to suboptimal installation sites. Rice has no shortage of talented student artists – why not give them more of a platform?
Many of the spaces designated for student art on campus are either not centrally located, such as the “Sleepy Cyborg” gallery hidden away in the Sewall Hall basement, or not permanent, like the photographs and paintings hung on the walls of the RMC.
Rarely is a building’s outer wall covered in paint thrown by a freshman or a residential college quad adorned with a sophomore’s sculpture. Even Fondren Library’s book-stack paintings, works whose homemade aesthetic is redolent of student art projects, were created by outside artists.
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
The glass sculpture in Sid Richardson’s quad — a space utilized almost exclusively by students — was, too.
Exhibits such as the “Comics Without Borders” and “Practices of Attention” prove that student contributions can produce engaging art, but even these examples have only been con ned to the Moody Center for the Arts.
These lack the level of accessibility of more centrally-located installations, such as the Moody’s Tent Series.
We want to be a school that prioritizes its students over its donors, one whose campus represents those who call it home.
The Moody Center has done a lot to boost artists’ voices using Rice campus as a platform, and we recommend setting aside funds for commissioning Rice students to populate campus with their work as well.
Spaces such as the Moody Project Wall are already brilliant examples of students
contributing to art. We encourage Rice to create more such opportunities.
Rice is home to thousands of extremely talented individuals, many of whom dedicate their free time, if not their eld of study, to practicing art.
Providing more opportunities to art students, non-majors and alumni would a rm Rice’s support for students’ creative ventures and the personal stories that shine through them.
While some student-created art may be less polished than that of a professional, what’s lost in terms of the school’s marketability is certainly made up for by the cultural cultivation that comes with it.
Rice’s commitment to red-brick facades as well as the recent academic quad renovations have shown us the essential role aesthetics play in demonstrating what kind of school Rice wants to be.
We want to be a school that prioritizes its students over its donors, one whose campus represents those who call it home. At the end of the day, the campus is for us, the students, and we think its artwork should re ect that designation.
Editor’s Note: Managing Editor Juliana Lightsey was recused from this editorial due to corresponding reporting in the Arts & Entertainment section.
Turning heads, changing minds in di cult times
It goes without saying that we live in challenging times.
Domestically, federal funding cuts and directives have put research grants and graduate school hopes at risk. International students and professors, many of whom have the legal right to work and reside indefinitely in the United States, are facing a revocation of that right and deportation.
Globally, conflicts of extraordinary destruction have killed untold numbers of people, and set many more out on dangerous voyages for safety. My home country of Korea still grapples with the
We can begin to repair the shattered remains of our civil society not by burning what’s left to the ground, but by building spaces for essential conversations.
impact of President Yoon’s attempt to fix political gridlock through a horribly executed self-coup — and that’s putting it mildly.
In times like these, it really is difficult to try to sit down with the person next to you and hold a conversation, especially when they sometimes don’t seem to see you as an equal.
CORRECTIONS
But as both a student journalist and a historian, I’m reminded that it’s often not the call of the bullhorn or the swing of the axe that spurs change, but the slow, methodic pace of deliberation. We humans tend to make the best decisions when we’re ready to reason with each other through careful arguments that, in the Opinions section, we devote entire weekends to planning, writing and rewriting.
As someone who comes from the country that literally wrote the book on how to protest, I won’t dismiss the power of protests intended to be disruptive — but far too often, we fail to realize that we can turn heads and change minds not with the brick of disruption, but rather the stroke (or two) of the pen of discourse.
We can see the value in the opinions section as a neutral space on our campus for reasoning with each other in good faith, and opening up new ideas, concepts and conversations.
We can begin to repair the shattered remains of our civil society not by burning what’s left to the ground, but by building spaces for essential conversations.
As I reflect on the end of my tenure as opinions editor, I can’t help but be astounded by the range of the perspectives we’ve already had the privilege to honor. From powerful opeds on the war in Gaza to a piece on making campus more bird-friendly, our breadth and depth in these past two years gives me hope that we can, in fact,
In “Out with the old, in with the new,” the baseball team is 5-20.
repair by simply starting a conversation. I am confident that under my successor, Jenna, we’ll continue to be a space where you can share your
I remain convinced that yes, voicing your opinions is important now, more than ever, if only we have the courage to first put our pens to paper.
perspectives, to launch a debate about how we can make our campus — and what lies beyond it — better. I remain convinced that yes, voicing your opinions is important now, more than ever, if only we have the courage to first put our pens to paper.
Sammy Baek OPINION EDITOR
In “MBA endowment supports non-U.S. veterans with ‘fundamental values’ of IDF,” service in the IDF is preferred, but not required.
In “MBA endowment supports non-U.S. veterans with ‘fundamental values’ of IDF,” the execute director of news and media relations’ name is Chris Stipes.
saturday, april 5 2025
the Thresher’s spectator guide
design by robert heeter & alice sun insert paid for by the Rice Program Council
summary
The Beer Bike Committee, part of the Rice Program Council and supported by the Student Center, has been gearing up for this year’s races since April 2024, meticulously planning every detail to ensure a seamless, safe, and spirited event on Saturday, April 5, 2025.
The two-heat format returns for the third year, as this year’s races will feature six residential colleges (or GSA teams) per heat, laying the groundwork for future expansion as Rice grows.
So, what’s new? More shade, more seating, more food, and even more transparency. Building on the previous year’s successes, the committee focused on enhancing amenities—think expanded bleachers, concessions ranging from donuts to vegan sandwiches, and handy reference materials— while keeping the core experience of the 68-year tradition intact. Regular meetings with College Coordinators, Captains, Campus Partners, and vendors have allowed clearer communication every step of the way.
But perhaps the most valuable development? A staggering 140+ undergraduate volunteers have stepped up, taking on roles in security, newriting, parade support, breathalyzing, concessions, and more. Their energy ensures that Beer Bike 2025 will be as smooth as it is unforgettable.
No need to mark your calendars—let’s be real, you’ve had this circled since O-Week. Beer Bike isn’t an event; it’s the event. Whether you’re racing, spectating, volunteering, judging, or just soaking up the madness, there’s no escaping the hype. We’ll see you at the track.
what’s new
This year’s event brings small tweaks to tradition, all in the name of smoother logistics, better safety, and more fun. Here’s what to expect:
Morning Activities
Water Balloon Fight: Now starts at 9:30 AM, giving everyone extra time to gather (and strategize).
Parade: 10:10 AM, right after a quick breather (and maybe a towel break).
Track Upgrades
No More Trash Treks: Better-placed waste bins, porta-potties, and food stations around the track, because nobody wants to sprint for a snack.
Race Precision
No More Guesswork: After timing delays in 2024, Rice Athletics’ video recordings will back up judges’ calls, ensuring accurate results (and fewer post-race debates).
Alumni Teams: Last year’s smaller roster size (6 riders/chuggers) stays, keeping races fair and fast.
Judge Smarter, Not Harder
60 judges, split into shifts, means fresher eyes on every call and more flexibility for volunteers.
Fueling the Frenzy
Clear allergen/dietary labels, so no one misses out (gluten-free chuggers and healthconscious judges, we see you).
Safety First, Always
Incident Command System: Upgraded from 2024’s debut, now backed by our volunteers, ready to handle anything
Supply drop-o at the track
Water balloon ght FOUNDER’S COURT
Break Parade begins SEE MAP BELOW
Settle down
Alumni Race, Heat 1
Alumni Race, Heat 2
Women’s Race, Heat 1
Women’s Race, Heat 2
Men’s Race, Heat 1
Men’s Race, Heat 2
themes
Papa’s Boozeria
Swig Hero Six
Avamarg: The Last Bartender
Breaking Bag-o: Walter Whiteclaw and Jesse Pigman
Draft Punk: Harder, Better, Faster, Drunker
Twea sports resort: Drink Like a Pro
The Hungover Games: Catching Fireballs
Dr. Booze: I’ll drink it here, I’ll chug it there, I’ll bike it anywhere
Boston Twea Party: No Taxation Without Fermentation
Magic School Buzz: Take shots, make mistakes and get drunk
Cider-Man: With Great Drinks Comes Great Responsibility
Pink Pony Pub
track map
event coordinators
Beer Bike ‘bragging rights’: meet the RPC coordinators
Liou, a Baker College junior.
As the energy and excitement of Beer Bike takes over, anticipation across campus is at an all-time high.
Students are making adjustments to chugging strategies, time trials are underway and volunteers for activities are being rallied.
Planning for this year’s Beer Bike began the day immediately after the 2024 event ended. The Rice Program Council’s Beer Bike coordinators are the team behind it.
These last weeks before Beer Bike are when the RPC teams’ routines get thrown out... this organized chaos really embodies what Beer Bike is all about.
Wiley Liou
RPC BEER BIKE COMMITTEE COCHAIR
Wiley Liou, the Beer Bike committee co-chair, said the team’s work continues during the summer.
“Throughout the summer, our focus is on setting dates for our countless meetings, getting our website and social media prepared, preparing our budget for the event and detailing the tasks each member will take on,” said
Roles such as area coordinators and external track coordinators make up the procession of Beer Bike to ensure each aspect of the event is covered.
Marilyn Gan, the Beer Bike concessions area coordinator, said the team worked hard to refine each detail from enacting safety measures to finalizing the budget well before fall semester started.
“I contacted various vendors and juggled quotes, until I was able to finalize everything. After spring break, I passed things over to Heather [Associate Director of Student Engagement] to wrap everything up,” said Gan, a Sid Richardson College freshman. “Now, I’m working on various instructions and things like allergen information sheets.”
While Beer Bike planning is a year-long e ort, Liou said the nal month is the last stretch where things get truly chaotic.
“The final month before Beer Bike basically becomes a full-time job,” Liou said. “I worked on assigning and contacting the nearly 150 volunteer shifts to make the event successful and on schedule. With roles ranging from breathalyzing to concessions, we’re extremely grateful for everyone who is giving up their time on Saturday to make everything run smoothly.”
This year, volunteer recruitment saw an unexpected surge in participation with new incentives like fine reductions.
“We were asking for 10-12 [volunteers] per college, but ended up receiving 32 responses from one college, some actually being racers as well,” Liou said. “We ended up having to turn down some
volunteers, which I don’t know if that has been done in the past.
“These last weeks before Beer Bike are when the RPC teams’ routines get thrown out...this organized chaos really embodies what Beer Bike is all about,” Liou said.
To ensure all volunteers and Beer Bike staff are prepared for race day, the coordinators conduct drills and practice runs, enlisting Student Center workers to act as first-time Beer Bike attendees. Liou said the drills were a moment of unexpected laughter.
“It was both entertaining and informative to see all them imitate first-
year attendees not knowing where to go as we tried to breathalyze and ‘check’ them in,” Liou said.
Gan said the long hours, stress and last-minute changes are all part of the Beer Bike experience.
“Being a coord has forced me to step out of my comfort zone. Serving as a Beer Bike coordinator has been so many roles wrapped into one, balancing responsibilities in graphic design, media management, event planning, public relations and recruitment,” Gan said.
For Gan, the reward is simple: “Bragging rights.”
Dialect
David
Margarita
Worry
Edmonton
Grad
Succumb
Exhaust
Adolescence
Bay
E.
Fly
“Life
Shakespeare’s “Much ___ About
Religious council
“____,
Entree
Hold
Group of three
Texter’s “chat again soon!”
Step heavily
Texter’s “isn’t it crazy?”
English assignments
Cries
“In the clurb, we all ___”
Corn unit
Watercolor or acrylic
Looks a er
Salary increase
Assert
In the midst of Tom Hanks’ son
Type of monster?
Proportion
Clothing
Idyllic
Not
____
Half-___: co ee order
Di cult
Belongs to all
“Same here!”
Charli xcx track from “Brat” Lean
Zones
Import tax
What Will Smith did to Chris Rock at the Oscars
“Riverdale” actress Reinhart
Response to “are you awake?”
“Demure” or “chill guy,” for instance “My name is Inigo _______. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
Coward
Texter’s giggle
Rounds of applause
Trash
Makes changes to Cheers (with “for”)
SAT alternative
Place to buy secondhand
Actor Waititi
Inclement weather
Wilt
She, in Portuguese
Trade restriction
Pressure
VERONICA YANG FOR THE THRESHER
FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER
Candid conversations on ‘constant construction’
VALENTINA KUSCHNIR THRESHER STAFF
You can’t step outside on campus without seeing a crane or some yellow caution tape. Sarofim Hall, the art department’s new building, is set to open in the fall; a second RMC is in the works; and the academic quad remains lined with orange safety netting.
Martel College sophomore Chiara Moretti said she appreciates the architectural diversity that new buildings bring to campus.
“It’s nice to walk around and see diversity in architecture,” Moretti said. “I do think that it does shift the aesthetic for sure.”
Minji Kim, a Wiess College freshman, said the construction is hurting the campus environment and aesthetic.
“Constant construction is hurting the aesthetic of the campus overall. I think it’s kind of a personal preference, but I prefer the older architecture,” Kim said.
Kim, who lives next to the construction of the new college in between Sid Richardson College and Wiess College, said the construction affects her sleep schedule.
“Throughout the year, I would wake up at random times of the morning just because it was right outside of my room,” Kim said.
Katherine Sammy said she worries Rice will lose some of its charm when the new buildings are complete.
“I’m a little bit worried, for example, we’re in [Chaus] now and I love the vibe here,” said Sammy, a Wiess
College junior. “I don’t know if they can capture that with the new RMC.”
Vishal Kumar, a student at the Shepherd School of Music, said the construction disrupts his practice.
“If your studio and lessons are in the back hall, where the business building is, you’ll hear these beeps, and that distracts you,” said Kumar, a Hanszen College freshman.
Despite the disruptions, McMurtry College freshman Nicolai Mendoza said he’s hopeful that the construction of new student-focused buildings like the second RMC will bring late-night dining options.
“We don’t have any major chains,” Mendoza said. “We don’t have a Starbucks on campus or a Chick-fil-A, but most other campuses do.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been cut for print. To read more, visit ricethresher.org.
BALAKRISHNAN THRESHER STAFF
Alice Owens said she thrives most when adrenaline courses through her veins. Founder and president of the Rice Women’s Rugby Club, her journey at Rice began with several intramural sports, but it was Powderpu that le the deepest mark.
When an administrative change shi ed Powderpu from semi-contact to nocontact, the students’ frustration revealed to Owens a clear demand for a sport like rugby at Rice.
“Rugby is a sport that I have played or been exposed to for a long time,” said Owens, who came to Rice from England. “Even from when I was a kid in primary school, we would play touch rugby … and I really loved it.”
Owens said the rugby team’s hard work paid o at a recent tournament at Baylor University, where they won all three of their matches. Owens herself was sidelined with a concussion from their previous tournament.
“I’m really proud of our girls,” said Owens, a Baker College senior. “It’s de nitely one of those sports where it’s very much women supporting women. We go to tournaments and if a couple of players get injured and we need subs, girls from other teams are jumping and raising their hands … they’re super excited to come and help out another team.”
As a sophomore, Owens immersed herself in men’s rugby practices. A er being noti ed of $10K available for women’s rugby, she organized a handful of women’s practices that spring. Owens started where she le o the following spring a er a semester abroad. She organized practices
with men’s rugby members and organized a friendly scrimmage with Tulane University.
The summer between her junior and senior years, Owens said she committed to growing as a leader, completing a Doerr oneon-one course to re ne her leadership skills. By the fall, she had secured a coach.
Owens said her interests extend far beyond rugby itself. Before college, she took a gap year to work at a structural engineering rm, an experience that fueled her decision to major in mechanical engineering with a minor in engineering design.
“What I like is prototyping and working in a workshop or a machine shop and building stu or designing things — prototyping it and testing it,” Owens said. “Someone, somewhere in a construction site has a technical drawing which has my name at the bottom.”
Editor’s Note: This article has been cut o for print. To read more, visit ricethresher.org.
BRYAN MENDOZA / THRESHER
ktru’s annual Outdoor Show moves indoors, still thrills
ktru’s 33rd annual “Outdoor Show” music festival shi ed indoors March 29 due to concerns about inclement weather. Despite the last-minute location change, attendees, performers and organizers said the event retained its lively atmosphere and community spirit.
You can’t control the weather, but you can control your reaction to it ... I’m grateful to our team for adapting so quickly. It’s my last show as director, and I’m proud that we pulled off a successful event despite everything.
Basma Bedawi HANSZEN COLLEGE SENIOR
Basma Bedawi, an Outdoor Show director, said the decision to move the event indoors was made just two days before the festival.
“We decided Thursday morning because the forecast kept changing,” said Bedawi, a Hanszen College senior. “Our primary concern was protecting equipment and ensuring performers could safely set up. It was stressful, but the team adapted really well.”
Bedawi said logistical hurdles included quickly rearranging performances, cra stations and vendors to t within Rice Memorial Center’s Grand Hall and Ray’s Courtyard.
“Our biggest concern was making sure everything still felt cohesive and fun indoors,” Bedawi said. “Luckily, no bands or vendors dropped out because of the shi .”
Outdoor Show volunteer Anuska Santra said the transition to an indoor festival was relatively smooth despite the quick turnaround.
“The Grand Hall already had a stage, so it worked out quickly,” said Santra, a Sid Richardson College senior. “We moved tables around, made decorations like CD garlands and arranged vendor setups indoors. Most things transitioned pretty seamlessly.”
The musical lineup continued as planned, featuring indie-pop headliner Laundry Day alongside local artists ORION 224, Alan Warhol and pinkie promise. ktru DJ Stella Shrinsky-de Armas said the festival’s indoor location did little to dampen attendee enthusiasm.
“It maybe feels a little less exciting indoors, but it’s still obviously a great event,” said Shrinsky-de Armas, a McMurtry College freshman. “The goal is not only live music, but speci cally local live music. It’s important to show people how vibrant our local scene really is.”
Brown College junior Emmanuela Akwar said the indoor setting had its advantages, including relief from Houston’s heat and humidity.
“I was thinking how nice it was to be inside with the air conditioning,” Akwar said. “It still felt cozy with everyone sitting around on blankets.”
Akwar added that interactive elements such as temporary tattoo booths, scrapbooking stations and o cial merchandise sales enhanced her overall experience.
“I bought two Laundry Day shirts because I’ve been a fan for years,” Akwar said. “I also got a temporary tattoo and
participated in the scrapbooking activity. It was really fun.”
The festival also drew attendees from beyond Rice. University of Houston student Nathanel Manzano said this was his rst time attending a ktru event.
“I’ve been wanting to explore Houston’s underground music scene, so this was really enjoyable,” Manzano said. “The only downside indoors is sometimes it’s harder to clearly hear the artists’ lyrics.”
The festival’s associated Archi Market took place in Ray’s Courtyard, continuing to showcase Rice student creativity.
Santra said the market was popular among attendees.
“I stepped outside brie y and saw a lot of familiar vendors,” Santra said. “There was cool vintage clothing, delicious Greek food and even a vendor drawing portraits in ve minutes. It was great as usual.”
Bedawi said the event emphasized the importance of exibility and community.
“You can’t control the weather, but you can control your reaction to it,” Bedawi said. “I’m grateful to our team for adapting so quickly. It’s my last show as director, and I’m proud that we pulled o a successful event despite everything.”
Katie Butler embraces nuance, community through violin
Katie Butler didn’t enjoy playing the violin when she started at four years old – it wasn’t until middle school, when she got to play with an orchestra, that she discovered her passion for the instrument. Now, she’s majoring in violin performance at the Shepherd School of Music and enjoying every moment.
“[Playing with an orchestra] really lit
me up in a way I didn’t think was possible,” said Butler, a Jones College senior.
According to Butler, she chose Rice both for its renowned orchestra program and the unique community of music students.
“A lot of [programs], especially the ones that are this high a level, are very cutthroat and competitive,” Butler said. “I nd the environment actually really collaborative. We all realize that we’re all good, and we’re all just trying to li each other towards our goals.”
This aspect of community aligns with Butler’s philosophy towards playing the violin. She said she believes that every musician has their own cocktail of strengths and weaknesses and something to share with their peers.
“I love playing more lyrical pieces where I can dig into the nuances of each note,” Butler said. “I get a little more insecure when it comes to faster, more technical playing, whereas a lot of my peers excel at that, so I can look up to them in that regard.”
A highlight of her Rice experience, Butler said, was participating in Shepherd’s “Just for U Music Program,” a community outreach initiative. As part of this program, Butler and fellow Jones senior Zev Malina were given the opportunity to create a musical presentation for middle school students.
“Playing for kids, I nd, is just a totally di erent experience than playing for
peers and adults because it’s just so low pressure,” Butler said. “The kids will be impressed no matter what you do, and seeing their lit-up faces and smiles, it makes it feel like it’s all worth it.”
Another aspect of Rice that Butler said has bene ted her is the opportunity to have friends outside of Shepherd.
“They’re some of my most cherished friendships,” Butler said. “When you’re
As a violinist, she is a remarkable blend of talent, passion, temperament, and resilience. As a person, she is as authentic as they come, always speaking her truth with kind conviction.
Kathleen Winkler
DOROTHY RICHARD STARLING PROFESSOR IN
CLASSICAL VIOLIN
in the environment at Shepherd all the time, it’s easy to feel like just another cog in the machine, but when you go outside … having people who think what you do is really cool is sometimes a much-needed ego boost.”
Kathleen Winkler, the Dorothy Richard
Starling Professor of Classical Violin and Butler’s studio professor and mentor, said Butler has been an exceptional student throughout her time at Rice.
“As a violinist, she is a remarkable blend of talent, passion, temperament, and resilience,” Winkler said. “As a person, she is as authentic as they come, always speaking her truth with kind conviction. Katie’s e ervescent personality is recognized and admired by all who meet her.” Looking toward the future, Butler said she hopes to start a master’s program on the East or West Coast and make connections in a place outside of Houston.
“I’ve been in Houston all my life,” Butler said. “I was born and raised here, so that means I’ve made a lot of great connections, but I’m really looking forward to establishing a new life in a di erent city.”
Reflecting on her time at Rice, Butler said she would encourage current students to remember themselves while focusing on their passions.
“As a musician, especially at Shepherd, it’s really easy to let your identity, like ‘Katie the violinist,’ take over your whole personality,” Butler said. “I find that now that I’ve started doing other things, like camping and tennis, that has benefited my music in ways that I couldn’t access being ‘Katie the violinist’ all the time.”
KATHERINE HUI / THRESHER
Students watch outdoor show headliner laundry day perform in the RMC Grand Hall. the festival was moved indoors due to inclement weather.
PHOEBE SCHOCKET / THRESHER
ANGELICA HERNANDEZ THRESHER STAFF
CHARLIE CRUZ THRESHER STAFF
Rice’s newest sculpture encourages unconventional ‘repair’
JULIANA LIGHTSEY MANAGING EDITOR
A white-tiled geometric sculpture sits on the outer corner of the academic quad, between Lovett and Herzstein Halls. A variety of materials – string, pins, ribbon – are housed on the structure in plastic containers.
According to Julia Gartrell, the artist behind the installation, the work is titled “Repair Station,” and represents a collaboration between the Moody Center the Arts’ Platform series and the Humanities Research Center, whose 2023-2025 theme is “Repair.”
Gartrell said she imagines students will use the repair station materials to mend everyday objects, such as torn pieces of clothing. However, the artist also intentionally infuses a theme of unconventional repair into the installation.
One such example is found in the color of all the materials provided: a bright, almost
We live in an insane time where there’s no limitations on materials or things ... what happens when we’re skipping multiple generations who don’t know how to sew a button on?
Julia Gartrell SCULPTOR
uorescent yellow, which will cause the repairs to stand out rather than blend in, Gartrell said.
“Yellow is this color of alert and safety, it’s very intentionally visible,” Gartrell said. “It highlights the repair, it’s going to be a very present thing … I like that it will start to trickle out along campus.”
Gartrell’s sculpture was inspired in part
by her ‘Radical Repair Workshop,’ a traveling interactive repair shop and gallery operating out of a renovated vintage camper.
Gartrell started the workshop in 2020, and her emphasis on unconventional repair was a consistent theme throughout the project.
“Everyone has some kind of relationship to repair, and we hang on to things that are broken,” Gartrell said. “Part of the goal of my project was to get people talking about those things, and [to do] some repair that was functional but also, for things that were beyond functional repair, guring out a way to memorialize the item.”
One such notable ‘repair’ came at a ceramic repair workshop series Gartrell did at Duke University, where a student brought a broken sculpture that had belonged to a deceased relative.
“She was really tormented by having this thing, by it being broken and feeling un nished,” Gartrell said. “And so she smashed it to smithereens, and then took all those pieces and re-fabricated a new item. It was really cathartic for her.”
Gartrell’s formal artistic training is in sculpture, but she said much of her research and interest in repurposing or mending objects was inspired by her ancestry.
“In grad school I did a lot of research into Appalachian cra ,” Gartrell said. “My dad’s side of the family [was] in rural Georgia –subsistence farmers. If you’re really isolated, really rural, really poor, there’s a creativity that comes along with that.”
Traditional cra smanship, born out of necessity, is a skill that Gartrell said she believes is dying out in a contemporary age of consumerism.
“We live in an insane time where there’s no limitations on materials or things,” Gartrell said. “What happens when we’re skipping multiple generations who don’t know how to sew a button on?”
These themes connect to the physical elements of Gartrell’s installation, which she said re ects her vision of a society where publicly-subsidized repair stations are
The Rice Players riff on
The Rice Players took over Hamman Hall March 28-29 with “The Solve It Squad,” a comedy by Corey Lubowich, Joey Richter and Brian Rosenthal that reimagines the beloved ‘ScoobyDoo’ gang as dysfunctional adults reunited after tragedy.
Directed by Jonathan Gonzalez, director of education at Main Street Theater, the production combined nostalgic charm with modern humor, exploring mature themes such as drugs, relationships and Satanic cults through comedic hijinks.
Helena Kotschoubey, a Brown College freshman who played the ensemble-encompassing role
“Everyone Else #2,” said the play begins with familiar cartoon tropes before quickly taking a dark comedic turn.
“The show starts as this cute teenage mystery-solving gang catching goofy villains, but tragedy strikes — they lose their ‘ScoobyDoo,’” Kotschoubey said. “It then flashes forward 15 years, and they’re washed-up adults who reunite to solve the mystery of their dog’s murder.”
Jordi De Jong, a Jones College sophomore, portrayed the other half of the ensemble as “Everyone Else #1.” She said playing multiple roles required sustained creative energy.
“Playing ensemble characters meant constantly shifting between silly personalities,” De Jong said. “Every time we’re on stage, we have to
Students interact with sculptor Julia
commonplace.
“Tile is this really ubiquitous material: you see it in subways, you see it in bathrooms, you see it in public parks … I wanted it to be plausible that a city parks and rec would be able to manufacture one of these things,” Gartrell said. “What if the concept of the repair was something that was supported publicly?”
Gartrell’s “Repair Station” will be on view at Rice through May 10.
Alongside the materials provided, the sculpture includes QR codes to a variety
of mending tutorials, as well as videos documenting the history of cultural cra – which she hopes will inspire students to think di erently about their broken or worndown objects.
“It is so nice to sit and x something and say ‘hey, I did that,’” Gartrell said. “I think part of the purpose of being on a college campus is to shake people up a little bit. A lot of people are doing a lot of heavy academic li ing, and sometimes just the act of doing something with your hands can unlock some new idea.”
“Scooby-Doo” in “The Solve It Squad”
find new ways to make each character distinctive.”
Gonzalez said Rice’s curious students enriched the comedic experience.
“Rice students approach theater
bright and flexible for the actors,” Kimbro said.
Meara McCarthy, a Duncan College sophomore who portrayed the character of Gwen, said the rehearsal process was especially joyful.
the moments when actors engaged directly with the audience.”
John Israel, a junior at Hanszen College, said he particularly enjoyed the references to the original cartoon.
“The show was silly, goofy and highly entertaining,” Israel said. “My favorite part was the chase scene — it captured that classic ‘Scooby-Doo’ feel perfectly.”
Producer Kyra McKau ey said the Rice Players carefully selected “The Solve It Squad” to resonate with Rice students’ experiences and sense of humor.
“We chose this play because it resonated with our generation who grew up watching ‘Scooby-Doo,’” said McKau ey, a Martel College senior. “Seeing the audience enjoy and laugh at our show validated all our hard work.”
Despite the comedic elements, Kimbro said the production also represented the Rice Players’ ongoing commitment to highlighting studentled artistic expression at a STEMfocused university.
intelligently and analytically,” Gonzalez said. “They combine structured approaches with spontaneous improv, which makes for great theater.”
Set designer Rob Kimbro ’95 described his vision for the colorful set that immediately evoked nostalgia.
“Since it’s a ‘Scooby-Doo’ parody, I wanted a colorful set that evoked that cartoon world — something playful,
“I’ve laughed harder in rehearsals than I have in years,” McCarthy said. “The joy behind the scenes has been incredible.”
Audience members praised the show’s energetic performances. Nadia Thieriot, a McMurtry College junior, said she enjoyed how engaging the production was.
“I had a wonderful time,” Thieriot said. “The show was hilarious, and I loved how interactive it was — especially
“Rice Players has always been a diverse group of students — engineers, humanities majors, all collaborating to tell stories,” Kimbro said. “Artistic practice complements STEM by teaching empathy and storytelling.”
Thieriot said she has attended multiple Rice Players productions to support the importance of student theater.
“Student-run theater like Rice Players is crucial — it gives students a voice, agency and keeps the arts alive on campus,” Thieriot said.
KATHERINE HUI / THRESHER
Gartrell’s “Repair Station.” The installation, a Moody Center for the Arts and Humanities Research Center collaboration, will be on view through May 10.
CJ FRIEND / THRESHER
Jordi de Jong (le ) and Helena Kotschoubey (right) as ensemble characters in “The Solve It Squad.” The Rice Players performed the show in Hamman Hall March 28-29.
CHARLIE CRUZ THRESHER STAFF
The Thresher surveyed 65 Beer Bikers. Meet them:
Biker’s school of study
What
is your favorite Beer
Bike memory?
“Aura farming from crashing my bike in Beer Bike 2023.”
— Andrew Kim, Brown College senior
“When riding at night, sometimes a full moon looms over the [medical] center rainbow building.”
— Atsuko Price, Lovett College sophomore
“The brief moment that Sid Rich won the women’s race last year before results were updated.”
— A on Fults, Sid Richardson College junior
“Shouting “bike bike!” at the end of practice and hearing it echo off the stadium.”
— Rachel Gil, McMurtry College junior
HONG LIN TSAI / THRESHER
Hours spent training per week
Almost half of bikers (47.6%) are competing for the rst time this year. 4.8% of bikers are competing for their fourth time.
Fisher to enter WNBA Dra
averaged 12.6 points, 2.1 assists and 6.5 rebounds per game during her nal season at Rice.
Rice women’s basketball senior forward Malia Fisher announced Tuesday that she will enter the 2025 WNBA Dra
“I thank God for … an opportunity to attend one of the most prestigious universities in the country,” Fisher wrote in an Instagram post. She also expressed gratitude for her coaches, teammates, family and the Rice community for their support. Fisher, a four-year starter for the Owls,
During the semi nal round of the American Athletic Conference tournament March 11, she accumulated 18 points and nine boards while sinking a 3-point shot and going 3-for-3 from the foul line. She earned a spot on the AAC All-Conference First Team one year a er being named All-Tournament MVP. The WNBA Dra will be held April 14 in New York as 13 franchises make 38 selections over three rounds.
ANDERSEN PICKARD SPORTS EDITOR
COURTESY RICE ATHLETICS
Malia Fisher dribbles a basketball at a Jan. 1 game at Tulane University. Fisher announced April 1 she will enter the 2025 WNBA Draft.
Back on track: Rice lengthens their stride at outdoor season opener
DIA GUPTA THRESHER STAFF
Rice track and field kicked off their outdoor 2025 spring season with their first meet March 20 against the University of Houston.
Jim Bevan, head coach of the women’s team and in his 39th season with the program, said the meet gave the teams a relaxed return to the season.
“It was a very low-key spring break meet,” Bevan said. “We didn’t run everybody. It was just something to break the cobwebs off.”
The coaches of the men’s and women’s teams said both are striving for success.
John Warren, head coach of the men’s team in his 30th year with the program, said he hopes to see his athletes place top three in the American Athletic Conference, make the national meet and play to their strengths.
Bevan said he has similar competitive goals and wants his athletes to reach their full potential.
“We’re all working towards nishing as high as we can at conference and getting as many people as we can into nationals,” Bevan said. “We want to get maximum development and stay healthy.”
Both teams face significant competition within the AAC from universities with strong programs like the University of South Florida, the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Tulane University and the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Warren said the men’s team hopes to use their strong throwing lineup to gain an advantage over other AAC programs.
“We’ve got Jack Greaves, Aryan Padaruth and Gus Henry in the javelin,” Warren said. “Freshman Juan Marais is just phenomenal at the discus. We throw in [sophomore] Daniel Sowell. We throw in that combination of guys in discus and shot; that’s our strongest area.”
Warren said his primary vision is ensuring his team can use its strengths to make up for any potential deficiencies.
“When there’s 21 events, you’re going to be weak in one,” Warren said. “Our weakness is probably going to be in the pure sprints. The goal is to try to not be weak in any area, but we have to give up in certain areas to cover others.”
As for runners, Warren mentioned juniors Gus Gannon and Christian Edgar. Last season, Gannon placed second in the AAC in the steeplechase and the 1500.
Warren also expressed high hopes for Edgar, who he said has improved in the 110 hurdles and as a leg on the 4x400.
The women’s team also enters the upcoming season with a roster of medalling athletes.
“Right now, we’ve got perhaps the best sprinter we’ve ever had at Rice: Saniya Friendly,” Bevan said. “She
East Carolina sweeps baseball in three-game series
EVIE VU SPORTS EDITOR
Baseball su ered back-to-back losses last weekend against East Carolina University.
The Owls welcomed the Pirates back to Reckling Park for the rst time since 2016 for their rst home conference series of the 2025 season. Rice entered the series with a 6-20 overall record and a 1-2 record in American Athletic Conference play, while ECU boasted a 15-10 overall record and was undefeated in the AAC.
Rice has faced di culty winning games against ECU in the past. In their last matchup of the 2024 season, Rice overcame an early 7-1 de cit to come within one run by the bottom of the sixth inning, but were unable to keep ECU from scoring in the seventh, ultimately falling 8-7.
With Rice taking three losses last weekend, ECU extended their winning streak over Rice to eight.
ECU holds the NCAA record for the most tournament appearances without a World Series appearance and has nished in the top slot in AAC standings every year since 2021.
Led by new head coach David Pierce, the Owls played a strong Friday game. Junior pitcher Davion Hickson posted the longest start of the season. Through those eight innings, he threw nine strikeouts – the most by an Owl this season.
Pierce said Hickson’s stillness between pitches is one of his de ning characteristics.
“He competed really well,” Pierce said. “He was locked in, and he gave us a chance to win. That’s what you look for from a Friday night starter, a guy that’s going to go out there and compete to give you a chance to win.”
Freshman out elder Blaine Brown kept the Owls in contention with a late sixth-inning homer over the right wall, lowering the four-run de cit to two. This was his second home run of the season and extended his hitting streak to eight games.
A er Friday night, Pierce said he wanted to see the team put more pressure on ECU to force them to make mistakes.
“You look at these close games and one
Niamh Collins leads a group of runners in an event at the 42nd Victor Lopez Classic. Collins recorded a personal best 4:30.40 in the 1500.
broke our school record in the 60, and we anticipate her doing great things on the outdoor track. Riana Green is going to make a breakthrough in the 400 and maybe the 400 hurdles this spring.”
Junior Amelie Attenborough, who runs the 800 and the mile, said the distance runners are also gearing up to win.
“We’ve definitely got a lot of young talent this year, which is really exciting,” Attenborough said. “That, partnered with a bunch of really experienced and high-performing athletes, can be a really powerful combination.”
Bevan said he has high expectations for his field events as well.
“Alice Taylor was fifth in the nation at one time last year, and her twin sister, Josie, is an All-American high
jumper,” Bevan said. “Elena Siemens is a senior pole vaulter who I think is ready to have her best season.”
Bevan also said the team is ready for a successful season.
“This is like the fourth lap of a mile,” Bevan said. “We’re getting ready to come down the home stretch, and holding rest, studying and training together for the next five weeks is a big deal. So this is kind of like it’s time to kick.”
Both coaches also had words of encouragement for their teams as they begin the season.
“You’re here for two reasons: academics and athletics,” Warren said. “Focus on those primary things, and everything will be great.”
The Owls will host another home meet April 26 at 6 p.m.
team doesn’t make the mistakes that the other team makes, and that’s the di erence in the game,” Pierce said. “Until we do that, guys are going to have their best outings against us.”
During the Saturday game, Rice took an early 2-0 lead in the rst inning, then redshirt freshman Colin Robson scored again in the seventh, extending the lead to three.
Senior pitcher J.D. McCracken held ECU scoreless for seven innings before letting up three runs in the eighth and ninth innings, tying the game. ECU ultimately scored two more runs in the eleventh inning, clinching their second win of the series.
In the nal game against ECU on Sunday, the Owls trailed ve runs until junior pinch hitter Jacob Devenny red a three-run homer. Freshman shortstop Michael Zito later scored the fourth run, and senior out elder Tobias Motley brought in the h run with a solo home run in the eighth inning, bringing the Owls within three runs.
The Owls loaded the bases in the ninth inning, approaching a tie game, but the Pirates ultimately ended the game by catching Zito’s y ball in the le eld.
Since Pierce joined as head coach following José Cruz Jr.’s ring March 13, the Owls have played nine games, and continue to hold a losing record. Despite this, Pierce said he appreciates how the players have positively responded to his leadership.
“I’m so impressed with their attitude of really wanting to be pushed, and I think they’re going to continue to respond,” Pierce said. “Even though we lost, I still saw a lot of ght.”
Pierce said there is a lingering awkwardness within the organization due to the nature of his hiring. Pierce said that while it was an unconventional move to start immediately, he felt there was no time to waste.
“It’s just kind of uncomfortable for people,” Pierce said. “[I’m] trying to make people as comfortable as possible. I’m a fast learner when it comes to baseball, and this is what I came to do, so my goal is to try to fast forward this progress as quick as possible.”
Rice will face the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley April 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Reckling Park.
FRANCESCA NEMATI / THRESHER
Evolution of Beer Bike Water Balloon Filling
1957 “Bessie”
• Fun fact: The rst Beer Bike water balloons were made out of animal bladders!
• These were banned a er the Pink Eye Outbreak of 1974
1985
“The Golden Age”
• Specialized division of labor in line with neoclassical economic theory
• Lowest GPA tercile (“Dolts”) lugged around garbage bins
• Middle GPA tercile (“Drones”) lled balloons
• Highest GPA tercile (“Prodigies”) tied balloons
• Dolts Labor Strike of 1990 resulted in establishment of Water Balloon Fillers Union
2008
“The Energy Transition”
• OEDK’s rst year at Rice; “The Octopus” created by mad scientists illuminated solely by moonlight
• Former students who got radiation poisoning still seeking justice from administration
1976
“Substance-Enhanced Production”
• Incentive system awarded water balloon llers with one snort of cocaine per 25 balloons lled
• Several students were investigated by the CIA and incarcerated for cocaine possession, all of whom were Vietnam War protestors (conspiracy!)
• Fun fact: Nuclear waste remains under Greenbriar Lot! 1999
• Colleges needed to mass-produce as many water balloons as possible in case world ended in Y2K
• Wiess College invented innovative water balloon lling “cow” using PVC pipes; they sold the patent for $60k
2025
• First four-dimensional water balloon ller
• Transports llers to time-agnostic water balloon dimension and keeps them there until they hit their quota
• 2025 Goal: 500 water balloon bins; three-inchhigh oodwater over Founder’s Court, city-wide mud ght