The Rice Thresher | Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Who’s open?

Alumni parents reminisce on time at Rice

have as her freshman year roommate.

more history than they originally thought — their parents were former classmates.

“We saw her name, and we were like, ‘Wait, Caitlin Reddig, do you think so?’” Mira Olson said. “I instantly texted a friend of mine and was like … ‘did [Reddig’s parents] have a daughter named Caitlin who’s a [high school] senior?’ and they said yes, so that was pretty funny.”

Olson and Reddig have remained roommates for each of their four years at Rice, and their parents said they have since rekindled a friendship they once thought to be long gone.

Mira and Tim Olson met when they advised together at Wiess during Orientation Week their senior year, and they got married one year a er graduating from Rice.

Coed flag football removes genderinclusive rule

Under the oodlights of Field 6, students compete each week in search of the coveted President’s Cup. And when it comes to school spirit, every college brings its A game for intramural ag football.

While intramural freshman ag football has attracted signi cant student attention in prior seasons, this year, the focus has speci cally shi ed to coed football, as a controversial rule change has le many students wondering if the heart of the game is still intact.

Prior to the start of the fall season, the Competitive Sports Program made the decision to eliminate the open and closed play rule, changing a central aspect of coed ag.

“The rule has been in place for many years and has been a standard rule prior to this year,” wrote Chris Watkins, the assistant director for competitive sports, in an email to the Thresher.

Under the eliminated rule, each play was either open or closed, with open plays giving teams the ability to target male or female players without restriction. Any time a male player completes a pass to another male player, the next play becomes closed.

On a closed play, the o ensive team must have a female either attempt to throw or catch a pass on each play until a positive gain occurs, which returns the next play back to open.

Watkins said that the decision to eliminate the rule was made based on feedback from participants and sta , as well as game statistics.

Players and referees have mixed opinions on the matter. As far as the o cials are concerned, the rule change has been positive.

“It makes the refs’ jobs easier because there’s less rules to memorize,” said Julian Hollis, a sophomore referee from McMurtry College.

Mira Olson ’98 did a double take when her daughter Dori told her who she would

Wiess College seniors Dori Olson and Caitlin Reddig thought they would be perfect strangers, but a simple text message exchange con rmed they had

Tim Olson said he distinctly remembers that his first interaction with Mira was on paper — she had written her entire O-Week advisor application in crayon.

Thresher’s survival guide to Austin City Limits

Zilker Park is turning into a small city again. For two weekends straight, you’ll share it with Hozier, Sabrina Carpenter, The Strokes and about 75,000 other people per day. Whether it’s your rst ACL or your h, here’s how to make it out alive, hydrated and (mostly) dust-free.

Tip #1: Pack light, pack smart ACL’s bag rules are no joke. Anything 6-by-9 inches or smaller is ne, but bigger bags have to be clear and under 12-by6-by-12. Hydration packs are allowed if

they’re empty at the gate. Inside that bag: travel-size sunscreen (under 3.4 ounces), hand sanitizer, portable charger, band-aids and a re llable water bottle. No umbrellas, coolers, sel e sticks, hammocks or outside snacks. You’ll thank yourself later when you’re not sweating through security.

Tip #2: Hydrate like it’s a sport October in Texas can still hit the 90s, and Zilker dust doesn’t mess around. Bring a re llable water bottle, electrolytes and maybe even a cooling towel. Masks or scarves can help if the air gets gritty by late a ernoon. If you have allergies or asthma, toss an inhaler or small aid kit in your bag.

Narcan is allowed and available at the fest; look for the This Must Be the Place team in yellow vests.

Tip #3: Getting there without losing your mind Driving? Don’t. Zilker parking is a myth. Take ACL’s free shuttles from downtown (Electric Drive and Walter Seaholm) starting at 11:30 a.m., or bike and park near the Mopac Pedestrian Bridge.

If you’re ridesharing, ACL recommends Ly : drop-o s are at Lee Barton, Wallingwood or Stephen F. Austin Drive. CapMetro’s 803 bus also gets you close enough to hear bass before you even arrive.

In a fast-paced ag game where the clock is almost always running, Dylan Raaum, a junior referee from Jones College, said referees struggled in past years to determine which plays were open and which were closed.

“The big downside to the rule for us refs last year was that it was confusing to gure out sometimes,” Raaum said. “Teams were confused about it, too.”

Despite the upside for referees, the new season has raised concerns for coed. While teams are still required to have four female players on the eld at all times, there’s no longer a requirement for female players to pass or catch the ball.

A rule preventing male players from running the ball past the line of scrimmage provides some balance to the game, but some students say it’s no longer enough to level the playing eld.

“There’s been some pushback with thinking that this goes to a maledominated ag game,” Raaum said a er Duncan College defeated McMurtry 3716 on Thursday.

In their win, Duncan didn’t have a single catch or pass by a female player in their 29 plays from scrimmage.

KAIRI MANO / THRESHER

Sid Richardson and Hanszen College students play in a coed flag football match Oct. 2. A rule mandating half of all plays involve a woman was removed this season.

PHOTO FROM THE 1997 RICE CAMPANILE

CJ Reddig ’99 and Claire Carman ’98 (center) hang out in 1997. Reddig and Carman were Wiessmen. Their daughter Caitlin Reddig is now a Wiess College senior, and their son Bennett is a McMurtry College junior.

PATRICK SHUKIS FOR THE THRESHER

Government shutdown unlikely to a ect student campus operations

For the rst time since 2019, the federal government has shut down as Congress failed to pass a funding bill. The shutdown will freeze all federal funds for nonessential government functions. A campuswide email last week said that most activities at the university could remain una ected.

“Students will continue receiving Pell Grants and loans, and Rice will retain access to existing federal funds and grants in most cases,” the statement reads.

The impasse was largely caused by debate over healthcare funding. Most Republicans are in support of cutting Medicaid and allowing the health insurance subsidies to expire. Most Democrats are in support of enhanced protection for health insurance subsidies and maintaining funding for Medicaid.

In the past, Rice has helped members of its community who were a ected nancially by the shutdown. In 2019, a er the 35-day partial government shutdown, faculty members who were a ected nancially by the shutdown were o ered $2,500 loans with no interest. The loans, according to a university statement, could be used to assist with utility bills, mortgage payments and rent.

The cashier’s o ce also worked with a ected students to create payment plans that ensured their ability to pay the semester bills.

Nearly 59% of Rice’s research funding comes from federal sources. A longer shutdown could delay or pause STEM programs that receive funding or collaboration from agencies like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation and National Institute of Health.

This poses a major roadblock to any projects that are seeking advancement in their work, as new grant approvals and collaborations will be temporarily paused. Researchers working on these projects may be unable to access key data, federal facilities and agency connections or communications.

Projects that are already ongoing and do not

currently require any major changes in funding should be relatively unharmed.

Financial aid should not be too heavily impacted as the Department of Education has already received its appropriations for the year. If the shutdown drags on, then there may be delays in FAFSA processing and aid distribution.

A function of the Department of Education that will be impaired by the shutdown are civil rights investigations, which are paused for the

duration of the shutdown. This may lead to an expansion of an already large backlog of civil rights complaints, making it even harder to resolve these cases in the future. Rice is currently under 10 open investigations by the Department of Education.

The shutdown can also potentially a ect Rice’s international community by delaying the government’s processing of immigration petitions and visas. In a university statement, Chris Stipes, executive director of news and

media relations, wrote that Rice is working with international students on this issue.

“To assist Rice’s international community, our O ce of International Students and Scholars (OISS) has been in intensive communication with our international students, o ering support and guidance as needed,” the statement reads.

The OISS will also be holding a webinar on Oct. 8, discussing updates on immigration status in the United States.

Rice in Paris program sees expanded international opportunities

LILY NGUYEN FOR THE THRESHER

Rice’s global footprint is expanding, and the Rice Global Paris Center is one of the university’s e orts toward growing its international presence.

In the two years since its launch, the Rice Global Paris Center has quickly become one of Rice University’s most ambitious e orts towards global expansion, said Irene Mendez, the student programs manager. The center, which opened in 2022, was Rice’s rst international campus.

When students take courses in Paris, they don’t just sit in a classroom. Paris becomes the classroom.

Irene Mendez STUDENT PROGRAMS MANAGER

“When we started, we had two courses that went to Paris, and a total of 30 students went,” Mendez said. “In the following years, our numbers had beyond tripled in courses and students. We had 160 students go to Paris and 12 courses o ered in the summer.”

Since its launch, the program has sent professors and faculty to over 40 European

research conferences.

“Looking beyond the student experience, we have a partnership with Université PSL and the Paris Brain Institute,” said Meredith Bonner, the executive director of Rice Global. “It really allows Rice faculty to convene and connect with their European colleagues around the world.”

Bonner said these international connections are instrumental in growing Rice’s global footprint and allowing its research to be recognized on the global stage.

“It’s the beginning of us getting our name out there in Europe, in the world,” Bonner said. “Collaborating in person allows global institutions to experience the quality of research that’s happening at Rice, and the quality of Rice faculty.”

Mendez said the culture students are immersed in follows them to their classrooms as well. Professors o en bring in European colleagues and experts to coteach or guest lecture, allowing students to experience a global perspective they otherwise would not get.

“When students take courses in Paris, they don’t just sit in a classroom,” Mendez said. “Paris becomes the classroom. It gives you a di erent perspective, opens your eyes to what’s out there beyond Rice, beyond the U.S.”

Students who study at Rice’s Global Paris Center are exposed to international work opportunities, and Bonner said several have secured internships in Paris and other

European cities a er their time in the program.

“We’ve had students combine their Paris summer courses with an internship they found themselves in France,” Bonner said.

“It’s been really gratifying to see that their experience in Paris has led them to pursue other international experiences.”

Rice Global Paris’ fall 2026 semester

will give students a more immersive study abroad experience — speci cally tailored to students interested in health professions and life sciences — according to the Rice Global website. Some available courses, such as Biochemistry I and Cell Biology, are con rmed to be o ered, with more to be announced later this semester.

AYHAM AL-GHOUL THRESHER STAFF

NHU CHU / THRESHER

VIRGINIA LIU / THRESHER

Constitutional amendments fail due to voter turnout

JAMES CANCELARICH NEWS EDITOR

The four proposed Student Association constitutional amendments failed to pass due to insu cient voter turnout a er the weeklong special election. The amendments included a presidential veto provision, revisions to the blanket tax process and changes to election rules.

A total of 949 votes were cast, marking a 19.4% voter turnout, just shy of the 20% minimum required.

Similar amendments were previously proposed on the Spring 2025 ballot. These also failed due to an insufficient voter turnout.

“I’m disappointed that these amendments — meant to make our Student Association more accountable to students, expand access to funding for clubs, and ensure our student government is truly representative — narrowly missed turnout requirements,”

Trevor Tobey, the SA president, wrote in a message to the Thresher. “Still, the results make it clear that students who took the time to understand the proposals overwhelmingly supported them.”

Amendment one received 19.1% voter turnout, with 78.8% in favor. The amendment introduced clari catory and grammatical changes to the constitution.

Amendment two also received 19.1% voter turnout, with 78.8% in favor. This amendment included the introduction of the presidential veto, as well as a route for voting members of the Senate to override the veto. It also aimed to lower the turnout for passing resolutions, adjust the bylaw amendment process and give the Senate explicit nal say over Blanket Tax budgets and organizations.

With 18.9% voter turnout, amendment three failed with 83.8% in favor. Amendment three revised the blanket tax process, making funding reviews annual, rather than the current biennial reviews. It also changed

membership and voting rules and expanded the initiative fund.

Finally, amendment four received 19.2% voter turnout, with 88.4% in favor.

Amendment four was about election and referendum rules, adding that election violations will be referred to University Court, rather than it being the discretion of the election committee to remove candidates either from the ballot or from their position. Due to the amendments failing, an expansive amendment to the bylaws was dropped. The bylaw amendment was proposed to be passed following the constitutional amendments. Most of the changes were clari catory or to normalize the bylaws with the amended constitution.

The Senate has not made an amendment to the constitution since 2023.

Still, the results make it clear that students who took the time to understand the proposals overwhelmingly supported them.

Trevor Tobey STUDENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

On the Spring 2024 ballot, a set of constitutional amendments was overturned by University Court due to improper representation on the general ballot, which did not disclose that the amendments would remove the 20% voter turnout to pass constitutional amendments.

“While the amendments won’t take e ect this time, our Student Association remains committed to working harder than ever within our current framework to improve student quality of life and advance the changes students want to see,” Tobey wrote.

Fondren’s Fine Arts Library and sixth floor renovated

CHIU SENIOR WRITER

Fondren Library recently renovated the Brown Fine Arts Library on the third oor and the Rice-only reading room on the sixth oor.

Je Ko er, Fondren’s web developer and graphic designer, said the update to the Fine Arts Library made the space into a more exible hub for creative work and research. The Fine Arts Library has print materials for art history and practice; architecture and music performance history; as well as audio and visual infrastructure.

“Library sta are working with faculty and students to bring in more exhibits and community programming to the space this semester with events such as art and design exhibitions and small musical performances, talks and lectures in the upper raised space of the library,” Ko er wrote in an email to the Thresher.

The reading room was renovated to meet a desire for more quiet, semiprivate study spaces by replacing wornout furniture and adding study carrels, said Koffler.

There were also practical changes taken into consideration, such as reducing visual clutter by having the same chairs and allowing more light in between book stacks by removing some of the overloaded collections.

Fondren does one or two renovation projects each year for its popular and well-

worn spaces, Ko er said.

Sara Lowman, vice provost and university librarian, said she was grateful to the Friends of Fondren Library for their support while the spaces were updated.

Friends of Fondren Library is a group of alumni and community members that supports Fondren’s activities through fundraising, sponsorships and other publicity efforts.

Library staff are working wiht faculty and students to bring in more exhibits and community programming to the space this semester with events such as art and design exhibitions and small musical performances, talks and lectures in the upper raised space of the library.

Je Ko ler

FONDREN LIBRARY WEB DEVELOPER AND GRAPHIC DESIGNER

“The Fondren Library is committed to providing the best possible experience for our students and community, and will continue to upgrade and renovate parts

of the building as we plan for the future,” Lowman wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Koffler said both renovations are nearly complete.

“We expect the nal touches like an art exhibition wall in the [Brown Fine Arts Library] and completed electrical connections to the new carrels on the sixth oor to be completed in the next few weeks,” Ko er wrote.

In addition, Fondren has two projects that are currently in the feasibility and bidding stages, Ko er said. One project is to expand and renovate the bathrooms outside of the Kyle Morrow Room on the third oor, which has no accessible restrooms. The third oor bathroom has passed the Houston permitting department and Fondren has selected four university-approved architects to provide bids for the project.

The second project, renovating the east entrance facing the academic quad, is currently in the feasibility stage with Fondren determining its impact on its yearly budget.

“We are working with architects for a conceptual and programmatic vision of what the project could achieve and nding out how much that would likely cost so that we can secure funding or a development campaign to help pay for the project,” Ko er wrote. “We hope to improve its exterior appearance to compliment [sic] the new quad and improve the e ciency of entering and checking into the building for students and visitors.”

Ko er said there are no large-scale renovations planned for the new future.

“The entire campus would love a new library, but the logistics of moving the collections, making them accessible while also providing alternative study spaces and the very central location of Fondren introduce a complex set of problems that must be fully considered by the entire campus,” Ko er wrote.

Fondren Library was completed in 1949. There was an addition to the back half of the building in the late 1960s, creating a distinct front half facing the academic quad and a back half facing the pavilion.

“Inside some of the study rooms on the 4th oor you’ll see windows that face brick walls, that is where the addition begins,” Ko er wrote. “Why they didn’t omit the windows from those rooms instead of putting bricks in front of them was a bizarre choice.”

Mary Lowery, executive director of the Friends of Fondren Library, said that the renovations were part of the Friends of Fondren Library’s 75th Anniversary Celebration with the goal of enhancing students’ experiences.

“The e ort brought to life both the new semi-private study spaces in the sixth oor reading room and the exible teaching and research space in the Brown Fine Arts Library,” Lowery wrote in an email to the Thresher. “We hope Rice’s ever-growing parliament of Owls will nd these spaces welcoming places to learn, collaborate, and feel at home in Fondren Library.”

ABIGAIL

MUSUB AHMAD / THRESHER Students study at Fondren Library. The library has

Teaching with AI: Implementing new technology in the classroom

VALERIA REVATTA FOR THE THRESHER

Under the O ce of Digital Learning and Strategy, Rice is launching multiple programs to integrate arti cial intelligence in the classroom.

Programs for professors include the Teaching with AI at Rice course, AI faculty learning groups and grants for AI implementation in classes.

“Rice University is developing a comprehensive framework for AI integration in coursework, ensuring transparency, academic integrity, and responsible use,” the website reads.

Rice has also updated its AI guidelines, recommending that professors address AI use in their syllabi. While some guidelines are in place, such as requiring students to cite the use of AI in coursework, Provost Amy Dittmar said AI guidelines are ultimately le up to professors.

“Faculty at Rice have the exibility to determine how — or whether — AI tools should be used in their individual courses,” Dittmar wrote in an email to the Thresher. “We don’t impose one-size- ts-all policies for classroom use.”

Some professors are hesitant to implement AI into their classes, especially introductory ones.

“I don’t think [AI] should play a large role in the formative writing classes,” said

Heather Neill, a First-Year Writing Intensive Seminar lecturer. “If you have a machine or program doing all of your work for you, then your brain doesn’t get trained.”

Computer science professor Luis F. Guzman Nateras said AI can hinder students’ critical thinking and problemsolving skills.

“When you are learning how to think … relying too much on AI on these foundational courses is that you don’t develop those skills,” Nateras said.

We cannot dig our heads in the sand and expect our students to not use it or not be aware of it.

Luis F. Guzman Nateras COMPUTER SCIENCE PROFESSOR

This hesitancy is not unique to Rice.

A 2025 survey from the Digital Education Council found that although 61% of college professors have used AI in their teaching, 88% of those using it apply it minimally due to uncertainty about how to integrate it fully or ethical and accuracy concerns.

Despite any hesitancy around the use

A student uses ChatGPT on a math problem. Rice has recently embraced AI

debate remains over how to best implement the technology into learning.

of AI, professors said they recognized the presence of the technology.

“We cannot dig our heads in the sand and expect our students to not use it or not be aware of it,” Nateras said.

Outside of the classroom, Dittmar said AI will become important for students to

the

enter the workforce.

“Ultimately, our focus is on preparing students not just for today’s classroom, but for the complex world they will enter a er graduation — a world where AI will likely play an increasingly central role in nearly every eld,” Dittmar wrote.

ktru addresses community DJ concerns at town hall

ABIGAIL CHIU SENIOR WRITER

ktru hosted a town hall Sept. 30 with members of its Board of Directors and community DJs to address miscommunications between the two groups of Rice’s student-run radio station.

Chloe Diehl, the station manager, said that ktru values transparency among all DJs and thought they had to come together for a “proper” town hall discussion.

At the town hall, which had almost 50 people in person and on Zoom, some community DJs said they had issues with how their concerns about representation had been handled by the BoD. The community DJs had circulated a petition in the past two months calling for the BoD to include a community DJ representative.

Vincent Capurso, the community DJ who started the petition, was removed by Rice administration from the station last week.

At the town hall, Chris Evans, director of student media, said Capurso’s removal was due to a violation of Rice policy and was unrelated to his petition.

Editor’s note: In his role as director of student media, Chris Evans advises the Thresher.

A statement put out by the BoD said they respected everyone who shared their opinions at the meeting, and they would continue to hold town hall meetings.

The few DJs that left, it is sad to see them go. They did contribute their unique specialty shows, but it doesn’t necessarily affect the whole operations of things.

Chloe Diehl

KTRU

STATION MANAGER

“Firstly, we want to make it clear that we take accountability for not seeing the petition through and acting on pushing out a community DJ liaison so suddenly,” the statement reads. “A liaison was needed to help bridge the gap between students and community DJs. However, we understand that this appointment process for this crucial position could be perceived as unfair, and we apologize for that.”

The statement also said they would

continue with their existing appointee serving as the community liaison in the upcoming academic year, but would solicit input from the community DJs for selection for next year.

“We do want to have these conversations with the DJs,” Diehl said. “But I think there also needs to be respect that we we also are operating other stu as well, from making concerts to restructuring our training program, and focusing on our zines and merch, as well as planning out the Outdoor Show and scouting out artists — the list goes on and on. ktru is a beast of an organization.”

Several community DJs mentioned others leaving the station or considering leaving themselves during the town hall.

“The few DJs that le , it is sad to see them go,” Diehl said. “They did contribute their unique specialty shows, but it doesn’t necessarily a ect the whole operations of things. We can all change by creating an opportunity to express any concerns, comments, stu like that, just for us all to really get a sense of grounding of where we all are, in the station and outside of it too.”

The statement also said it was essential to acknowledge that ktru is a student-run organization, a point also brought up during the town hall around scheduling.

“Each board member is responsible for

one of the many operations that occur within and beyond the station … We aim to maintain transparency throughout the station,” the statement said. “The board is actively making conscious e orts to create a better sense of openness while also handling our unique roles e ectively.”

The statement said the board discussed the prospect of continuing to mediate the connection between the students and the community DJs. Two options brought up were monthly town halls with more solidi ed agendas, as well as monthly community DJ dinners.

Diehl said the feedback they received was insightful and valuable.

“This was kind of the rst time where the BoD came together to make a town hall,” Diehl said. “We did not exactly know how to make a really good structure. But I think given the short notice and not really having done this before, we still did a very good job.

“At the end of the day, we can all, both students and community DJs, can all come to a good, general agreement,” Diehl continued. “We’re going to gure out other ways of making sure that all DJs are welcome no matter what. We’ve always made it that way, but I think this has shown that we just have to continue to make it clearer.”

Around the inner loop, new electric shuttle buses tested

Over the past week, Rice began testing out a potential green addition to its current eet of shuttles: a 100% fully electric bus.

“Rice has not added any electric shuttle buses to its permanent eet at this time,” wrote Matthew Eggert, director of transportation, eet management and delivery services, in an email to the Thresher. “The vehicle currently seen on campus is a demonstration unit, which we’re using as part of our ongoing assessment of sustainable transportation options for the university.”

The driving range of the shuttle “may vary” based on factors like battery size, route length, passenger load and weather conditions, according to Eggert.

“During our evaluation period, we’re closely monitoring these variables to better understand how electric vehicles could support our campus transportation needs,” Eggert wrote.

Rice’s interest in sustainability is not

new: in 2004, the university launched its campus sustainability program in tandem with a new campus sustainability policy. Today, the program has grown into the O ce of Sustainability, which has been its title since 2023.

Recent examples of green initiatives by Rice can be found within the past several years. The university’s composting program in partnership with Moonshot Composting launched in November 2020. In 2022, the university set its minimum standard for new construction to be certi ed LEED-Gold by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

Sheldine O’Neal, a Rice bus driver, has yet to test drive the new electric vehicle. However, she said she is optimistic about the change.

“It’s good because it’s more environmentally friendly and humane,” O’Neal said. “You don’t have to inhale as much diesel and gasoline.”

O’Neal said she sees bene ts to the bus beyond the fact that it runs on electricity.

“[From] what I gather from my co-

The new fully electric bus advertises that it is

gradual as Rice takes other environment-focused steps.

workers, everybody’s been looking forward to upgraded eets,” O’Neal said.

Eggert said he views the demo electric shuttle as a starting point for continued observation.

“This pilot is an important step in

exploring how electric vehicles could support our goals for a more sustainable, e cient, and comfortable campus shuttle service,” Eggert wrote. “We look forward to sharing more as we continue testing and re ning our approach in the coming months.”

AKUL MITTAL / THRESHER

in

classroom; however,

CALEB SONG FOR THE THRESHER

LUCY LI / THRESHER

zero emissions. The rollout of the new buses will be

Researchers partner with Lehigh for disaster modeling consortium

RISHI ANARKAT FOR THE THRESHER

The Consortium for Enhancing Resilience and Catastrophe Modeling recently launched, a partnership between Rice University and Lehigh University.

Professor Jamie Padgett, a member of CERTCat’s leadership team and chair of Rice’s department of civil and environmental engineering, said the consortium was founded with the goal of advancing the science and practice of catastrophe modeling, also known as catmodeling.

“This eld is central to improving resilience across the globe because it provides quantitative tools to model the risks of extreme events and their consequences, informing decisions on risk transfer (i.e. insurance), building codes and standards, risk mitigation and major investments in protection,” Padgett wrote in an email to the Thresher.

Padgett leads a team of catastrophe modeling experts from several top institutions across the country, including Columbia University, Florida Atlantic University and Washington State University.

We could see how potential storms could impact vulnerable communities, and we could help with getting the vulnerable communities evacuated or the right support that they need before sort of a massive natural hazard hit.

Meera Pranav SENIOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR

“Through our members’ annual contributions, we fund research projects in the broader resilience and catmodeling space,” Padgett wrote. “These founding members come from insurance and reinsurance companies, catmodeling vendors, climate tech rms, and engineering consultants.”

Meera Pranav, a senior program administrator at CERTCat, is one of several new founding faculty members who joined this fall.

“To peel back the layers and come to academia and see where we are looking to improve the research that’s being done to better our responses to disasters excites me,” Pranav said.

“I come from the humanitarian

SA debates name change

TOBY CHOU THRESHER STAFF

The Student Association discussed changing their name from Student Association to the Rice Student Association, which would be abbreviated as RSA.

The current abbreviation, SA, is often used in online discourse to refer to sexual assault.

SA President Trevor Tobey said he wanted the name changed to RSA, as it is practical for merchandise and logo reasons. This does not set a precedent for other clubs needing to change their names due to the presence of ‘SA’ in their names, such as the Vietnamese Student Association, the Graduate Student Association and the Taiwanese Student Association, he said.

If our name triggers the very students that we say we’re here to represent, then it’s an issue. I think we should go about this in a way that says we’re here to represent people.

Da’Taeveyon Daniels

MARTEL NEW STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE

Tobey also highlighted that this name change would require a constitutional amendment, which would need to be voted on next spring. However, several members pushed back against the name “RSA.” Other proposals were the Rice Student Government, the Rice Student

Union or the Rice Student Federation.

Lovett New Student Representative Ronak Kothari noted that while other clubs have “SA” in their names, the Student Association is the only one that refers to itself as “SA,” and that

Every single student at Rice University is part of the Student Association. Keep it to a union and not a government.

Sohani Sandhu SA INTERNAL VICE PRESIDENT

changing the name to RSA would be a half-measure.

Martel College NSR Da’Taeveyon Daniels agreed with Ronak, emphasizing the importance of representing the whole student body with the new name.

“If our name triggers the very students that we say we’re here to represent, then it’s an issue,” Daniels said. “I think we should go about this in a way that says we’re here to represent people.”

Other members emphasized the importance of the word “association” as a key part of Rice student government.

SA Internal Vice President Sohani Sandhu said a name like Rice Student Government would not capture who they are as an organization.

“That’s something that I’ve been told ever since I was an NSR, something that we tell all NSRs now, is that we’re not the only representatives that are a part of the Student Association,” Sandhu said. “Every single student at Rice University is a part of the Student Association. Keep it to a union and not a government.”

assistance world, so I’ve been implementing humanitarian assistance across the world,” Pranav said. “We could see how potential storms could impact vulnerable communities, and we could help with getting the vulnerable communities evacuated or the right support that they need before sort of a massive natural hazard hit.”

David Casagrande, a member of CERTCat and a professor at Lehigh University’s department of sociology and anthropology, said the consortium also has the goal of connecting di erent stakeholders.

“It’s not just catastrophe modeling, which is using computers to estimate how much damage of loss would be created by a disaster and how much insurance

companies should charge to be able to insure those potential disasters,” Casagrande said. “The goal of CERCat is to bring together government funding, industry partners, with skills and cuttingedge technologies that are being developed within universities.”

James Doss-Gollin, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rice, said the diverse resources of CERCat better helps them accomplish their goals.

“One thing that’s nice is I think we have very parallel interests, but complementary expertise,” Doss-Gollin said. “Our goal is that that will help to inform a lot of risk assessment and ultimately engineering design to build cities that are more like Houston, that are more resilient.”

SIENA DAMIANI / THRESHER

COLUMN

An urbanist’s guide to Houston: Removing signal priority from the Red Line is a mistake

JACOB JORDAN & NICOLAS COOKER FOR THE THRESHER

The city of Houston just made a change that could cause delays to ripple across the city’s entire transportation network.

The Red Line is Rice’s primary gateway into Houston. With two stops serving the east side of campus, it gives Rice students easy and car-free access to some of Houston’s busiest areas, extending the pedestrian-friendly universe of Rice campus a little further. And for many students who live off-campus, it’s their primary mode of transportation.

Reductions in transit quality don’t just affect those who use transit but the whole interconnected network of people moving around the city.

Beyond its utility to Rice students, the Red Line has more than three times as many average daily riders as any other bus or rail line in Houston’s system. As measured by boardings per track mile, it is one of the most-traveled light rail lines in the United States.

In a city dominated by cars, the Red Line is one of the few corridors where public transit is often the fastest option, primarily because traffic signals are timed

such that the light rail has green lights at all intersections, forcing cars to yield and allowing trains to move unimpeded through the usual gridlock.

But even this advantage seems like it might disappear. According to an anonymous report from a METRO operator, the City of Houston retimed the lights between Alabama Street and Commerce Street, thus removing signal priority in almost all of Downtown and Midtown Houston.

A METRO spokesperson has since stated that the organization is in talks with the City of Houston Public Works to “enhance overall mobility and on-time performance across all modes of transportation.”

While METRO’s statements imply that the process of signal retuning has not been finalized, commuters have reported long waits in Downtown under the current changes, resulting in trains being stuck within blocks of each other. And even if these are temporary changes on the way to a new system, it’s hard to imagine an overall signal realignment that does not deprioritize trains, given that in the past, the Red Line always had absolute priority.

While this issue is currently localized to Downtown, its impacts reach much farther, affecting not only the Red Line but the entire Houston transportation network. Commuters depend on its reliability, especially in contrast to many of Houston’s buses, which, without dedicated bus lanes, can get stuck in the city’s notorious gridlock.

These delays will cascade throughout the entire network, regardless of where the original jam was. The Red Line’s signal priority is what differentiates it from the rest of the transit network, allowing it to run on time and achieve six-minute headways on weekdays. As trains get stuck behind each other and caught in traffic like everyone else, that key advantage starts to disappear.

For many Rice students who depend on the Red Line to get to campus or other areas of Houston, reliability is a big deal. If this dependable source of transportation becomes less so, people will begin to seek out other options, resulting in reductions

in transit use.

As the story generally goes, less transit use results in less transit funding, which, in turn, forces more people into cars to get around. And the last thing that Houston needs — as any driver will attest — is more cars.

Reductions in transit quality don’t just affect those who use transit but the whole interconnected network of people moving around the city. It’s easy to write off seemingly small changes like this one, but recognizing the interconnectedness of the transit network and the city as a whole shows how impactful even minor modifications can be.

TIM SCHROEDER PROFESSOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Today’s questioner asks, “How o en should I call my parents?”

I have a hunch that this is a loaded question for more than one reader. Here are four questions to ask yourself.

First: What’s good for you?

How many phone calls do you need for your own sake? This isn’t the same as how much you enjoy talking to your parents, of course. Some things that are good for you are as fun as getting a cavity lled, and some things that are bad for you are as fun as drinking mojitos until dawn on a weekday.

Add up all the bene ts of good advice, audible love and support and juicy gossip. Subtract all the drawbacks of bad advice, guilt trips, lost independence and drama. Look at the total. That’s the beginning of your decision.

Second: What’s good for your parents?

Some parents like their children as friends, and for them, a phone call is good because it’s time with a friend.

Other parents want you to ease their anxieties by reassuring them that you’re still alive, passing your classes, minding your manners and not expecting a baby. These parents might actually be harming themselves by calling you; anxiety about improbable bad outcomes gets worse when

you constantly check that everything is OK.

Third: What matters to everyone beyond what’s good for them?

What’s good for you is only a part of what matters to you overall, which is why it’s possible to knowingly sacri ce some of what’s good for you for the sake of a larger cause. You might be willing to give up some of your own welfare to show your parents that you love them, for example, even though they drive you nuts.

Add up all the benefits of good advice, audible love and support and juicy gossip. Subtract all the drawbacks of bad advice, guilt trips, lost independence and drama. Look at the total. That’s the beginning of your decision.

Your parents can be thinking about things other than your own welfare, too. Maybe they care about you earning a lot of money, or about you leading a life they can respect, or about you marrying someone from your community. Caring

about those things isn’t wrong, but caring about those things is different from caring about you, specifically.

Fourth: What are your moral obligations to your parents?

One perspective is that you owe your parents everything because you would not exist without them. But there is a surprisingly large body of philosophical literature that disagrees. No one did you a favor by bringing you into existence, according to this line of thinking, because you did not yet exist to receive the favor.

So maybe you don’t owe anything to your parents just for bringing you into existence. You also don’t owe them anything for what they were obliged to give you, like a childhood well worth living and anything they freely gave you.

Maybe you owe them for buying you a great education at Rice, if they did, but your moral debts could be just the sorts of obligations you might have taken on with anyone else. Some philosophers think we have special obligations to our families that go beyond our obligations to others, but if these exist, they cut both ways, and what they imply for phone time has not yet been explored.

One last thought: I was in grad school from 1993 to 1998, and I probably talked to my family on the phone a total of a dozen times. Long-distance calls cost a lot back then! In the end, we all still loved each

other lots, and no one was traumatized. Use that information however you want to. But please — don’t tell your parents you heard it from me.

Required reading: Roberts, M. 2024. “The Non-Identity Problem.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Online. Extra credit: Darwall, S. 2002. Welfare and Rational Care. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

COLUMN

Jacob Jordan is a junior from Baker College studying Civil and Environmental Engineering with a minor in Environmental Studies. Nicolas Cooker is a sophomore from Martel College studying Computer Science with a minor in Environmental Studies. They believe that every Rice student should be well-informed about their built environment and have the knowledge necessary to advocate for their interests in and beyond Houston.

BEN SADOWSKI / THRESHER Commuters gather at the Memorial Hermann Hospital/Houston Zoo station on the south side of Rice’s campus.

JOANNA LI & JESSICA XU / THRESHER

Don’t let coed flag turn into a boys’ club

This fall, Rice coed ag football teams are abiding by a new rule — or, rather, the absence of an old rule. Gone are the days of coed ag enforcing the open/closed rule, which required teams to involve a female player for a gain of positive yardage on at least half of their plays. A new era of ag football has arrived, one in which female athletes are nearly factored out of the equation altogether. By removing requirements for female involvement in each play, teams are now free to distribute the football however they please. More o en than not, this means a male throwing a football to a male while he evades a tackle by another male.

Some residential colleges are ignoring the spirit of the now-defunct open/closed rule, like Duncan College, which ran 29 plays against McMurtry College last Thursday and got the ball into a woman’s hands exactly zero times. McMurtry’s gender distribution was better — a woman touched the ball on 25% of the plays — yet even that number falls far short of what the distribution would have been if the open/ closed rule were still in place.

As a result, coed ag has shi ed closer to men’s ag football, a program that already exists. Rice’s intramural sports program o ers a men’s league, a women’s league (powderpu ) and a freshmen league, in addition to the coed program.

Coed ag is supposed to be an opportunity for all Rice students, regardless of gender identity, to come together, exercise and compete. It shouldn’t simply be another men’s league.

COLUMN

Abandoning requirements for female participation will undoubtedly lead to fewer women registering for the program. We’ve already seen this come into play with disproportionate registration this season.

According to the Co-Rec Flag Football page on IMLeagues.com, 98 men are registered to play — compared to just 54 women. The posted registration numbers fail to account for individuals who do not identify as male or female, classifying them as one or the other. Duncan has 20 men registered and just six women. Lovett College has nine men and one woman. McMurtry is the only college with more women (15) than men (13) registered to play.

There is no logical reason for the open/closed rule to be abandoned in a program whose goal is to unite people of varying gender identities within one team.

There is no logical reason for the open/ closed rule to be abandoned in a program whose goal is to unite people of varying gender identities within one team. Coed ag should celebrate the athletic achievements and competitive nature of everyone: students who participate in men’s ag, individuals who play

powderpu and the youngest Owls who compete in the freshmen league.

While the reason behind the decision is unclear, it would be truly disappointing if the open/closed rule were removed due to referee pushback, as one o cial hinted at when saying the rule was “confusing to gure out.” These referees are trained and paid to follow the game closely and enforce the rules for 40 minutes. If they can’t accomplish this, the solution should be to nd new referees, not make a sweeping rule change that excludes women.

While the rami cations of the open/closed rule disappearing have been disappointing this semester, perhaps we can give Rice’s intramural sports leadership the bene t of the doubt and acknowledge that the fate of the open/closed rule has not o cially been decided. Thresher reporting this week indicates that coed ag hasn’t ruled out bringing the rule back next season.

If that doesn’t happen, though, the onus is on Rice’s IM leadership to nd other ways to restore the level playing eld that existed in years past. An overhaul of the entire rules system could be appropriate, a er all, as the existing binary classi cation of gender ignores coed ag participants who don’t identify as male or female.

Rice’s coed ag program was once a beacon of inclusivity and community values. We’d like to see it return to that state before it becomes a total boys’ club.

Editor’s note: Editor-in-Chief Kathleen Ortiz recused herself from this editorial due to participation in the ag football program.

Senate scoop: Closed door meetings are anti-transparency

A. NAIR FOR THE THRESHER

The very essence of what the Student Association is and what it stands for is on the cusp of progress or regression. I was hopeful it would be the former; unfortunately it was the latter.

Monday’s Senate meeting began with discussing the unpassed constitutional amendments and what the future holds for proposed bylaws associated with the amendments.

Barely one- h of the student population voted on the amendments, even with the SA luring voters with donuts over the past week and the SA Instagram page itself coaxing students to vote “yes.”

In talking to other students, I got the impression that the low voter turnout was a silent dissent and a clear-cut “no” from the majority of the student population, even if the

majority of those who o cially voted were in favor of the amendments.

The bylaws will continue to be improved in accordance with the original constitution. This supposedly will be a slow process with heavy debate, voting bylaw by bylaw. Let’s hope the SA does a better job not packaging amendments and bylaws.

There was also discussion on whether the SA should be renamed, as the abbreviation “SA” has sparked concerns. Some students thought “SA” could cause discomfort because it is also an acronym for sexual assault.

I understand the gravity of the situation and the concerns related to this word. Keeping that in mind, in my opinion, the decision to change the name is not the heart of the matter, but the new name should come from the student body and their voices should be heard. A serious issue like this needs to take into consideration the thoughts of the entire

student population.

Just when I thought SA was heading in the right direction with having open discussion, discourse and collaboration, bam! There was a sudden motion for a closed meeting.

As a member at large, it was concerning how quickly the SA went from transparent to non-transparent. Every student at least has the right to a proper explanation on why a closed door meeting is being initiated, especially in the midst of a normal, open Senate meeting.

The constitution mentions closed door meetings, but the SA could have done a better job of giving an explanation and prior notice. Minutes from closed door meetings are sealed for ve years, so the absence of an explanation from the SA may fracture the student body’s perception of the organization.

This article has been cut o for print. Read more at ricethresher.org

information on these happenings to the rest of the SA members at large.

Last Week’s Online Poll Results

Do you agree with Rice’s ban on e-scooters on sidewalks?

Total number of responses: 729

Next week’s question: Did you go out of town for midterm recess?

CORRECTIONS

* Indicates Editorial Board member

Kathleen Ortiz* Editor-in-Chief

Sarah Knowlton* Editor-in-Chief

Juliana Lightsey* Managing Editor

NEWS

James Cancelarich* Editor

Belinda Zhu Asst. Editor

Hongtao Hu Asst. Editor

Hope Yang Asst. Editor

OPINION

Jenna Perrone* Editor

FEATURES

Noa Berz* Editor

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Arman Saxena* Editor Chi Pham Asst. Editor

SPORTS Andersen Pickard* Editor Evie Vu* Editor

BACKPAGE

Charlie Maxson Editor

Max Scholl Editor

Will Howley Editor

Rykelle Sandidge Senior Writer

COPY

Shruti Patankar Editor

Julianne Ma Editor

PHOTO, VIDEO, & WEB

Ayaan Riaz Director of Digital Media

Francesca Nemati Photo Editor

Konstantin Savvon Asst. Photo Editor

Steven Burgess Video Editor

Fiona Guo Social Media Manager

DESIGN

Jessica Xu Art & Design Director

Magnolia Hickey-Zamora News

Sydney Chang Opinion

Jose Eleuterio Features

Alexa Bu Arts & Entertainment

Kirstie Qian Sports

Brandon Nguyen Backpage

Richard Li Design Consultant

BUSINESS

Soren Freund Business Manager

Alina Zhong Advertisement

Rahul Santhanam Advertisement

ABOUT

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 2025

ricethresher.org

In “Sayuri Guthrie Shimizu: Jack of all trades, doctorate in one,” Shimizu helped Indo-Chinese refugees from the Vietnam War settle in Japan. In “Community DJs, ktru leadership butt heads over representation,” the community liason position has always been appointed and Capurso was told he was being asked to step down to given other DJs an opportunity to be a liason. The guest opinion “ktru community DJs deserve representation” was removed from the website a er new information came to light.

ANANYA

Ananya A. Nair is a sophomore at McMurtry College. This column is the writer’s view on weekly Student Association Senate meetings. It is written to raise awareness and give

“I wrote an entire entry in Dr. Seuss language, too,” Mira Olson said. “I don’t know, because they were handwritten, I think I was maybe trying to stand out. I guess it worked.”

Dating other advisors (then called fellows) during O-Week was forbidden, but, as Tim and Mira tell it, they started hanging out with increasing frequency as soon as classes o cially began, and the rest was history. But according to their daughter, their story goes a little di erently.

“My dad picked her [as an advisor] because he thought that she was someone that he would never, ever date,” Dori Olson said. “The rst time my mom realized that she was going to be co-fellowing with my dad, she went to the [Wiess Tabletop] show to go see him, and apparently, he was a terrible dancer. She was like, ‘Oh my goodness, who am I going to be stuck with now?’”

Growing up, Dori Olson said it was never assumed that she or her sister Adina, a Will Rice College sophomore, would attend their parents’ alma mater. But because Rice was the reason her parents met, it stayed on her mind. When it was time for her to apply to colleges, she said Rice seemed the obvious choice.

“Whenever I hear their story, it starts with Rice,” Dori Olson said. “I’ve certainly heard a lot about it. They have so many good memories, lots of good friends … It’s always been a very positive association. When I started looking into it, I loved it — I loved the system, the culture, the stories I’d heard from them.”

Caitlin Reddig said her parents have a similar story. Both Wiessmen, Claire ’98 and CJ Reddig ’99 bonded during college events like Pumpkin Caroling and through their overlapping friend circles.

A er graduation, CJ Reddig proposed at a playground right next to Rice’s campus. A year later, they got married.

Caitlin Reddig attends Rice along with her brother Bennett, a McMurtry College junior.

Growing up, their house was lled with Rice hats, T-shirts and pictures of their parents on campus.

Bennett Reddig said the Owl spirit was a core part of their childhood and that Rice remained relevant to him when applying to colleges.

“I don’t think I have a conscious memory of learning about Rice,” Bennett Reddig said. “Rice was something that I have known about ever since I could remember, and Rice very much de ned my conception of what college or university was.”

Both siblings said their parents never pushed them to go to Rice. Though Rice wasn’t always her top choice, a trip Caitlin Reddig took to campus her junior year of high school changed her mind. She found that it checked all her boxes, including a diverse student population and rigorous academic o erings.

“We both came to wanting to go to Rice on our own,” Caitlin Reddig said. “I don’t think either of us chose Rice because our parents came here.”

Proud though she may be to have two Owls as parents, Caitlin Reddig said she doesn’t always like to tell people that she is an alumni legacy.

“I de nitely had the experience in high school of people saying … that they didn’t think that I deserved to get into Rice, and that I only got into Rice because of my parents,” she said.

Caitlin Reddig said being a part of the same community as her parents has helped her family grow closer. She enjoys being able to relate to her parents, whether that’s through playing powderpu on her mother’s former team or advising for O-week.

“We have continued to grow together and still have the same shared experience of going to the same university,” Caitlin Reddig said. “Understanding that shared lingo that Rice has is really cool.”

Bennett Reddig said he wanted to nd his own place at Rice apart from his family identity. He opted against following his sister to Wiess.

Raye Osayimwese-Sisson, a Will Rice junior, said her experience di ers from her parents’, who met as graduate students in the School of Architecture.

A bike and chug team member for Will Rice, Pub bartender and club lacrosse player, Osayimwese-Sisson spends time all across campus, but her parents Itohan Osayimwese ’01 and David Sisson ’99 said they mostly stayed holed up in Anderson Hall.

Osayimwese said being stuck in the studio also had its social bene ts.

“The fact that architecture training requires long hours in the studio means that you spend a lot of time with your classmates in the evening,” Osayimwese said. “I just thought we were friends, and then sooner or later, my friend said, ‘We think that guy likes you, like, he keeps dropping by your desk.’”

Osayimwese said she and Sisson would o en spend time o campus as well, exploring abandoned buildings in Houston and going camping in Austin. While Sisson was still a student at Rice, he also started an architectural welding and fabrication business in Houston with a friend.

“Some of the best times we had together were when we were at Rice,” Osayimwese said. “I did things I had never done before when I met Dave and other people in architecture school.”

With the exception of a brief hiatus when Osayimwese found out Sisson was still in a relationship at the time they started dating, the two then became inseparable and got married while Osayimwese was still in her nal year at Rice.

“I felt like I should do the honorable thing and stay away from that point, because I’d led her astray,” Sisson said. “But I couldn’t stay away, because I liked her, and she was pretty hot, so eventually I came back around and she luckily came back around.”

Terms like Valhalla and Chaus became familiar to Osayimwese-Sisson before she

high school, she said she enjoyed nally being able to put an image to the names she’d been hearing.

“It felt full circle,” Osayimwese-Sisson said. “I feel like I was in the right place because of a bunch of di erent factors, but it was nice to know that this was the same thing that my parents did.”

I just love to see the things that [my kids] love about [Rice]. When I talk to them and see the oak trees in the back ... I can’t imagine a better place to spend four years.

Mira Olson WILL RICE COLLEGE ’98

A er settling down in Providence, Rhode Island, Osayimwese and Sisson said their busy schedules didn’t allow them to return to Rice campus until their daughter considered applying. When they nally visited together, they said the memories came ooding back.

“Immediately, we walked on campus, and Raye went, ‘Whoa!’ because she’d never been to Texas,” Osayimwese said. “I was super excited just to show her.”

Mira Olson said she enjoys seeing her kids go through the same experiences she loved so much as a student. Hearing about new traditions and opportunities that didn’t exist when she was a student also gives her a new appreciation for Rice.

“I just love to see the things that they love about it,” Mira Olson said. “When I talk to them and see the oak trees in the back and they’re sitting on the quad, I can’t imagine a better place to spend four years.”

Mira Olson ’98 flanked by her friends (top le ), CJ Reddig ’99 plays intramural football for Wiess College (bottom le

FROM FRONT PAGE PARENTS WEEKEND

Primetime Disasters

of ancient monuments) Sticky stu

Stretches of time without power

Type of game

as pain Truck reversing sound

Students across cultures celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

participants were and how the event was open to students of various cultures.

“I’d say events like this are important because they make you aware of what other cultures are about,” Raj said. “If you know more about other cultures and what kind of people they are, it makes it so much nicer and it makes it easier to connect with people on a deeper level.”

A er attending a few of the events hosted by HACER, Raj saw parallels between Hispanic culture and her own Indian background. In addition to Hispanic Heritage Month, several Indian festivals take place in October, including Diwali and Navaratri.

Gonzalez Moral said. “[Hispanic culture is] a really fun culture with a lot of playfulness and people having fun and dancing.”

Gonzalez Moral was born in Spain and moved to the United States at age 4. She said she still visits her family there each summer.

“All the things that they’re doing [for Hispanic Heritage Month], it kind of gives you a taste of home and things that I used to really enjoy in Spain,” Gonzalez Moral said. “I think Hispanic Heritage Month is about bringing those pieces of culture back to the people who miss them.”

Muñiz said he felt a similar nostalgia during HACER’s annual game night featuring lotería, a bingo-like game originating in Mexico. The event also featured traditional Mexican foods.

With hips swaying and mouths salivating, Rice students of all backgrounds come together each fall during Hispanic Heritage Month to enjoy food, dance, music and each other. This year, in keeping with tradition, the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice organized events throughout the month, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, to celebrate Hispanic culture.

Caleb Solorzano, co-president of HACER, said that as one of the oldest and largest Hispanic-serving student organizations on campus, HACER helps the Rice community celebrate the diversity of its student body.

“I think a lot of times, especially from an outside perspective, people see it as a homogeneous community of Hispanics or Latinos, but I think we want to provide a space to really celebrate our diversity from not just one country or another,” said Solorzano, a Jones College senior. “We serve as a safe space for Hispanic students on

campus and also share our culture, traditions and heritage with the rest of the campus community.”

Some recent events for the month include a performance by the Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston at Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park, as well as a carne asada collaboration between HACER and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers at Rice.

Jesse Muñiz, a member of HACER’s Social Events Committee, said the goal of these events is to strengthen community and to create a safe, comfortable and fun space. He said he hopes events like these also foster a sense of global citizenship in attendees.

“Our cultures overlap and intersect in many ways,” said Muñiz, a Duncan College sophomore. “I think we’re all intertwined, even if you’re not Latino or Hispanic.”

The events are open to all students, including those not of Hispanic origin. Shreya Raj, a Duncan freshman, attended a bachata and merengue dance workshop on Oct. 2. She said she appreciated how attentive

Events like this are important because they make you aware of what other cultures are about. If you know more about other cultures and what kind of people they are...it makes it easier to connect with people on a deeper level.

Shreya Raj

DUNCAN COLLEGE FRESHMAN

“Trying all these foods from Hispanic culture is reminding me of how it’s around the time my mom starts cooking, and that I’m so excited to go home,” Raj said. “As for dancing, we had Garba recently, and now I’m going to these dance workshops. I just like how there’s parallels between the two [cultures].”

Raj took part in the dance workshop along with some other HACER events with her Orientation Week sister, Mara Gonzalez Moral, also a Duncan freshman. Gonzalez Moral said she plans to attend Latin Pub with Raj and that she looks forward to the dancing and music.

“It’s really exciting when you see people enjoying your culture and having a fun time,”

“I just love tamales, and my mom always makes them for me,” Muñiz said. “Having them at some of these events, like Lotería Night, was a way to bring myself back home.”

For Gonzalez Moral, Hispanic Heritage Month is not just about celebrating her own culture, but also representing the diverse array of identities that fall under the term ‘Hispanic.’

“Some people might group everyone together when they think of Hispanic culture,” Gonzalez Moral said. “There are de nitely a lot of similarities between all of them, but there’s also a lot of uniqueness between the di erent Hispanic countries. And it’s a great time to explore what brings them together, but also what sets them apart and makes each country unique.”

Solorzano said creating a safe space for Hispanic students to honor their heritage was especially important this year with the rise of anti-immigration sentiment in American politics.

“The community of Hispanic and Latino students at Rice is strong and resilient during these really trying times,” Solorzano said. “If you think about the political context of what’s going on right now, I think promoting a safe space for people to just celebrate is really important. I hope people take away that HACER can be a home for them away from home. Hispanic-identifying or not, we’re a home for everybody.”

SHYLA JOGI FOR THE THRESHER

LUCY LI / THRESHER

Rice hosted several campus-wide events for Hispanic Heritage Month, including a Mexican folk artmaking session at the Moody Project Wall led by artist Guadalupe Hernandez.

Thread for thought: Rice’s most fashionable dress to express

SOPHIE GARLICK THRESHER STAFF

Some Rice students start their day in a hurry; a select few start it in style. For them, getting dressed isn’t just another part of their daily routine — it’s an opportunity to express their thoughts, feelings and values. From thri ed pieces to tailored ts, Rice’s most stylish students dress with intention to cultivate a distinct personal style.

Darius Ajebon

Ajebon said his sense of style began to develop along with his self-con dence in eighth grade. The Brown College sophomore said that when shopping for clothing pieces and accessories, his biggest inspiration is his future self.

“I like to think of the ideal version of myself, maybe three, ve years into the future, like ‘what would that Darius wear,’ and then I try to shi my gaze towards what would t that kind of vibe,” Ajebon said.

Despite being a Cypress, Texas native, Ajebon said he has a penchant for fall sweaters. He makes the most of the few cold days Texas has to layer up.

“It’s either drip or drown,” Ajebon said. “Even though I might be having clothes that are considered ‘drippy,’ I’m also drowning in sweat at the same time.”

Ishanel Martinez

Dressing for the heat is this Martel College sophomore’s speciality. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Martinez said her summer style grew from compiling out ts out of hand-me-downs from her mother. Her most treasured heirlooms remind her of home.

“Summer has always been my favorite because my mom’s wardrobe is basically entirely made for enduring the heat,” Martinez said. “She was a Caribbean baddie when she was my age, and so I think wearing her clothes helps me to emulate that now.”

With alt out ts to match days when her headphones blast rock music and minimalist looks for her yoga and so music days, Martinez’s wardrobe mirrors her varying moods.

“I think it’s very telling what Rice students do with their time outside of

class,” Martinez said. “I like to think that the time I dedicate to personifying my current mood and interests with my clothes shows that beyond my class schedule, I just really love clothes.”

Ameenat Adisa

Curating hijabi out ts using clothes and jewelry since the third grade, Duncan College junior Adisa said fashion has been her favorite pastime for over a decade.

“One of my friends complimented the fact that I started adding earrings to the corner of my hijab and trying to have a culmination of Western and Muslim type of in uence,” Adisa said. “It’s just [another way to], we call it, ‘halal-ify’ an out t.”

Speci c clothing items have come and gone, but she said she has maintained a distinct sense of self in the way she dresses.

“I really try not to grow too attached with jewelry because I tend to lose everything,” Adisa said. “The only thing I can keep consistent is my mentality and my creativity.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Adisa said she used her downtime to research how to improve her out ts, which in turn made her more con dent and outgoing. Like Ajebon, Adisa said style is what allowed her to grow from an introverted high school freshman to the social butter y she is today.

“I’ve gotten so many, ‘oh, what are you dressed up for?’ and I’m just like ‘nope, this is the event,’” Adisa said. “I just like to dress up daily, because it makes me feel better about myself.”

Victoria Roman Roman, a Duncan junior, said fashion is inseparable from her identity. She started thri ing when conventional fastfashion stores like H&M le her uninspired and disconnected from her own sense of self. In an attempt to change this, Roman began experimenting with her personal style and posting daily out ts to her TikTok account, which has since amassed nearly 140,000 followers.

“I really nd being able to search [for] and tailor my own clothes, even getting into cutting up T-shirts, helps me express myself the way that I want to,” Roman said.

Roman said she enjoys the attention that

the pieces she curates brings her — many thri ed, some inherited. She said many praise her authenticity both on campus and online. “I’m a huge hand-me-down girl,” Roman said. “I’m digging in [my mom’s] closet 24/7.” Her most cherished piece is a gold bracelet passed down to her from her great-grandmother through all the women in her family. “Because my grandma never had a daughter, she had a lot of pride in this [bracelet],” Roman said. “I take a lot of pride in the fact that she gave it to me.”

Christopher Kaleekal

Brown College junior Kaleekal said he shops almost exclusively online. He said he enjoys the convenience of scrolling through boutique inventories and Instagram shops tailored just for him.

“I’ll scroll on Instagram, and I’ve basically curated my feed so that every ad that pops up is some clothing thing,” Kaleekal said. “I’ll take a screenshot and think, ‘Maybe I can go buy it later.’”

Half

of wearing clothes isn’t about what you wear. It’s how you wear it, and how it fits you.

Christopher Kaleekal BROWN COLLEGE JUNIOR

A er years of frustration with mainstream stores like Zara, he said he realized that his proportions didn’t match standard sizing. This challenge led him to explore brands like Cold Culture, ditch and Fracture Kenkyo, which he said are designed primarily for Asian consumers’ t standards.

“It’s kind of hard, like nding a balance with what clothes t me … because I’m on the shorter side, so my torso is normal, but my legs are shorter,” Kaleekal said.

Through his search for the right combination of comfort and proportion, he said he developed a deeper understanding of how the cut and structure of a piece can transform how one feels in it.

“Half of wearing clothes isn’t about what you wear,” Kaleekal said. “It’s how you wear it and how it ts you.”

Students consider declaring new education minor

the education master’s program,” Nuno said. “You can get the teaching certi cate with the minor as well as through the master’s program. The master’s is a lot higher in di culty as well as the number of credit hours you have to get.”

Joyce Wang, a Will Rice College sophomore, said she took an education course as a social policy analysis major elective and that more cross-departmental electives would help get the word out about the program.

“Have more education courses available as electives across majors so students can explore,” Wang said. “Let prospective students know it’s an option.”

a junior already.”

While the MAT track may not be for her, Lozano-Lomeli said she nds the recent addition of the minor helpful in legitimizing a path many students were already curious about.

“They’re going in the right direction with the minor and the master’s,” Lozano-Lomeli said. “I’d encourage [other] undergrads to look into it.”

Classes in the teaching program emphasize practice over theory. Regalado said his courses mirror what he hopes to do in the classroom a er graduating.

“They’re not just observing,” Burnett Sánchez said. “Students work one-onone, in small groups, and teach a lesson so that they’re able to see themselves and practice the role of teacher.”

Nuno arrived at Rice having already taken education classes at his Arkansas high school, but those credentials aren’t valid in Texas. He said he looks forward to receiving his Texas teaching certi cation through the MAT program.

Since the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies introduced the minor in teaching last spring, not a single student has o cially declared it, but Director of Rice Education Christal Burnett Sánchez said her table at the Orientation Week academic fair was one of the most visited.

“Students were literally walking up to us during O-Week saying, ‘I heard about this minor,’” Burnett Sánchez said.

While some students are eyeing the new minor, Lovett College freshman Antonio Nuno said he plans to apply for the 4+1 Masters of Arts in Teaching track. If all goes according to plan, he said he’ll begin graduate-level education courses as a junior.

“I’m currently on the track to be part of

Samuel Anthony “Sammy” Regalado, a Sid Richardson College junior on the 4+1 MAT track, said it took time for him to become aware of the Glasscock School’s education program.

“When I rst got here, people didn’t know this program existed,” Regalado said. “The program’s growing and getting a foothold. As more people nd out about it, I’m excited to see what happens.”

Dyllan Lozano-Lomeli, a Jones College junior, said she found the path by taking one course and staying.

“I’m in my rst education class this semester, and I’m really enjoying it,” Lozano-Lomeli said. “I had an advising appointment to discuss the option of doing a master’s or a minor. I’ve explored it, but it’s kind of hard to do as

“The classes are discussion-based and collaborative,” he said. “Most of the professors try to run it like an actual classroom. There’s reading, discussion, projects, not usually exams, more ‘learn and apply’ than ‘learn and take a test.’”

Burnett Sánchez said the minor provides formal recognition to teacher preparation and aligns with state requirements.

“By o ering it in the form of a minor where an individual would get something on their transcript, it brought additional credibility to those who wanted to enter the teaching eld,” Burnett Sánchez said. “Many other minors [at other universities] don’t necessarily lead to teacher certi cation. Our minor leads to teacher certi cation.”

The program also moves students into real classrooms before they graduate.

“None of the stu that I’ve done in Arkansas carries over to Texas at all,” Nuno said. “As soon as I graduate with a master’s degree, I will be placed and start right o the bat.”

For upperclassmen like LozanoLomeli, who rst heard about the education program two years into her Rice experience, the main barrier is time.

“I’ve tried to t it into my schedule, but I’d have to overload every semester and be student teaching my senior year,” Lozano-Lomeli said. “I’m still going to take education classes even if I don’t end up with a minor. If I had known sooner, I de nitely would have taken it on.”

Nuno said thinking ahead to teaching in real classrooms motivates him to complete the MAT program.

“Being able to experience it and be in those classrooms is what really pushes you toward it,” Nuno said. “It’s actively teaching other people that really drew me into that.”

MUYIWA OGUNSOLA & JOSE ELEUTERIO / THRESHER

Ishanel Martinez (top le ), Ameenat Adisa (top right), Darius Ajebon (middle le ), Victoria Roman (middle right), Christopher Kaleekal (bottom)

CHARLIE CRUZ THRESHER STAFF

MARTIN XIE / THRESHER

Tip #4: Claim your territory early

The rst hour a er gates open (noon) is your best time to explore. Walk the grounds, nd your stage and pick a landmark meeting spot since cell service gets dicey by sunset. Totems are allowed (under 7 feet tall and made of light material), so ag your crew if you want to be ndable mid-singalong.

Bring a blanket or sheet if you plan to camp out for a headliner. The people napping at 3 p.m.? They’re not lazy. They’re veterans.

Tip #5: Eat like a local

Skip the sad chicken tenders. ACL Eats is stacked:

Veracruz All Natural tacos worth missing a set for.

The Mighty Cone born at ACL, still the undefeated one-hand meal.

Burro Grilled Cheese vegan-friendly comfort food for the heat haze.

Amy’s Ice Creams because nothing cures Texas heat like cold treats.

Lines hit hardest between 6 and 7 p.m., so grab food before then and bring cashless pay on your wristband.

Tip #6: Accessibility and comfort count

ACL o ers shuttle zones, accessible viewing areas and charging stations for mobility devices. You can get a free access wristband at the Access Center. Service animals are allowed, but regular pets are not. If you don’t need accommodations, respect those zones; everyone deserves a clear view of their favorite band.

Tip #7: Plan, but don’t overplan

Attendees walk through Zilker Park at Austin City Limits, which was held Oct. 3-5. The festival will continue Oct. 10-12.

Download Festiverse, ACL’s o cial app, to build your schedule and get live updates. Screenshot your lineup and the map just in case. You’ll inevitably miss someone, and that’s okay. Let your day breathe. Some of the best ACL moments happen at random, smaller stages when you wander o schedule and nd an amazing act you’ve never heard of.

Tip #8: Reach beyond your musical comfort zone

The best part of ACL is nding diamonds in the rough hidden gems that you tell your friends you saw before

they got big.

If you like moody indie, check out Shallowater (think Songs: Ohia or early Duster) or spill tab (for fans of The Marías and Clairo). Country lovers should catch Maggie Antone (in the vein of Kacey Musgraves) while rock fans can’t miss MJ Lenderman (somewhere between Silver Jews and Alex G).

For Latin grooves, try LA LOM or Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso. Indie pop fans will love TOPS, while julie leans shoegaze. There’s Bilmuri for alt-rock, Panda Bear for experimental pop and Odeal for smooth Afrobeats-inspired R&B.

Tip #9: Getting home

When the lights go out at 10 p.m., do not panic. Shuttle lines will look biblical. Walk a few blocks before hailing a rideshare or take the long scenic route across the pedestrian bridge. Bonus tip: skyline sel es are perfect on the way out.

Tip #10: Embrace the chaos

ACL is a marathon, not a sprint. Wear sunscreen, keep your phone charged and take a photo that’s not just the stage. You’ll lose your voice, your sense of time and maybe your sunglasses, but you’ll never forget the fun.

Fall recess frolicking for those stuck in Houston

Couldn’t nd a ride out of Houston for fall recess? Need to study, but still want to do something fun and fall-themed? Whether you have money to splurge on an outing or want to nd a cheap way to have fun, check out these fun opportunities for a great time in Houston over break.

Houston Korean Festival

October 11

10:00 AM - 9:00 PM, October 12

11:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Discovery Green Free entry

Since 2009, the Houston Korean Festival has celebrated Korean culture in Houston. Come down to Discovery Green to explore a market full of food and merchandise vendors. Enjoy performances from two

K-pop groups, Hohyun and Withus, as well as a traditional Korean performance. The event is free to enter, with lots of entertainment options and a kimchieating contest.

DACAMERA Stop, Look, and Listen!

Outdoor Jazz on the Lawn with David Caceres

October 11 3:00 PM

Menil Collection North Lawn, 1533 Sul Ross St. Free

Spend some time at the free Menil Collection Museum before enjoying a live jazz show on the lawn of the Menil Collection from Houston-based saxophonist David Caceres. A great mix of art and music to put yourself in a di erent mindset a er you escape from studying for midterms. The best part is that this entire

artistic experience is free to enjoy!

Houston Pumpkin Festival Until November 2nd

Monday-Thursday 3PM-10PM: $18

Friday- Saturday 10AM- 10PM: $26

Discovery Green

Featuring more than 50 kinds of pumpkins, light-up transparent canoes, the world’s biggest bouncy pumpkin and a corn pit, you can take advantage of cheaper prices on Monday and Tuesday to enjoy this fun Houston festival.

Filipino American History Month CelebrationOctober 12 11AM-4PM

POST HTX Free entry

Find a market of Filipino vendors, a day of cultural performances and a $5 Zumba class, all at POST marketplace!

An enjoyable mix of food, shopping and fun, along with an opportunity to get to know another part of Houston’s great cultural diversity. No ticket needed to get into this event, but you can RSVP on POST’s website.

A Houston Market: Hello Kitty Edition

October 12, 11AM-4PM

1120 Naylor St.

Free entry

A Houston Market has been putting together fun art, music and other vendor markets for three years in Houston. Their next market is Halloween and Hello Kitty themed. Stop by for some great music, a fun drink and a cute trinket!

Houston Symphony Oct. 10,11,12

Jones Hall

$20 with a student rush ticket

Enjoy a musical trip around the world with a trip to Egypt during Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto Number 5: Cairo, along with De Falla’s “The Three-Cornered Hat,” a musical story set in Spain. Take the metro to avoid paying for parking and enjoy a few great hours of classical music.

Roo op Cinema Club

Check showing times on website $11-$30, depending on seat choice and level.

Roo op Cinema Club puts on outdoor movies with views of the Houston Skyline. Over the midterm recess, they’ll be playing all Halloween-themed movies. Get into the spirit of the season with a spooky movie, like “Practical Magic,” “Hocus Pocus” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” A fun way to take a break from campus and studying with a group of friends. Make sure to bring your student ID for 10% o your movie ticket, or purchase online with the code UptownStudent25.

Houston Zoo: Zoo Boo

Free entry for Rice students

Extended hours on Friday, October 10, until 9:30 PM, otherwise 9:00 AM- 5:00

PM

Take a walk down to the Houston Zoo to enjoy a fall-themed experience with a jack o’lantern walking path, cute photo stations and the chance to see the animals with fall-themed enrichment activities. You can reserve your ticket ahead of time, and make sure to bring your ID with you to make this a completely free experience. A great way to get some time outside, and enjoy the facilities of the Houston Zoo.

FROM FRONT PAGE ACL GUIDE

ANGELICA HERNANDEZ THRESHER STAFF

ABBY PEREZ / THRESHER

COURTESY PAIGE JANSKY

Cal Mascardo paints, sews and films community

CORA WAREH FOR THE THRESHER

Cal Mascardo uses their art not just to reflect on their community, but to strengthen it — from Anakbayan, a youth-led Houston organization for national democracy in the Philippines, to a zine about their senior art major cohort. Mascardo said their art is either intimate or “propaganda” — or both.

They check in on people in senior studio — ask how people are doing, what they’re working on, and so on. The sounds of Cal talking about projects, or typing on their old typewriter, give the studio such a positive, lively atmosphere … They bring people together very effectively.

Claire Morton BROWN COLLEGE SENIOR

As a double major in anthropology and visual arts, Mascardo said they lean into the question, “Why am I making this art?”

One reason is family history. Their grandfather worked in a paper mill in the Philippines, which allowed his family to move to the United States, Mascardo said.

“[My grandparents] wanted to give their kids a better education,” Mascardo said, gesturing to an art project on the wall of their studio: photos printed on different types of paper.

Another medium a relative has inspired Mascardo to use is thread. They learned how to quilt from their grandma, describing sewing as a way to think about “patterns of repetition and breaking said patterns.”

“My sophomore fall, I made a quilt that was [called] ‘unfinished self-portrait (i stitch and i stitch and i stitch),’” Mascardo said.

Mascardo’s environment has also had a significant effect on the art they create, they said. Last year, Mascardo studied film abroad for a semester.

“I can’t really make the same sort of things in Houston [as in] Prague,” Mascardo said. “I think that came at a really crucial time. After this film program in Prague, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, film is really what I want to do.’”

Prague is where Mascardo met Cameron Brown, a Tulane senior with whom they’re working on the film “Batter Up, Queen!,” which is part of their senior capstone.

“It’s the story of a drag queen named Frannie P. Bodied who loses her job and is threatened with eviction. So she starts

babysitting for a young kid named Marcus who plays baseball, and they forge an unlikely friendship,” Mascardo said.

Mascardo’s friend Claire Morton, who is also part of the senior studio cohort, said Mascardo has a tendency “to include rather than exclude.”

“They check in on people in senior studio — ask how people are doing, what they’re working on, and so on,” said Morton, a Brown College senior. “The sounds of Cal talking about projects, or typing on their old typewriter, give the studio such a positive, lively atmosphere … They bring people together very effectively.”

Outside Mascardo’s studio, there’s a community library cart they said they placed, which they were excited to share other people have started adding to.

“There is a certain precedent that we’re setting as the first people to occupy this space,” Mascardo said of the new Sarofim Hall, where their studio is located. “Sewall [where my studio used to be] was very weird … There was this one shower that one of the professors had office space in … he would pop out sometimes and be like, ‘Oh, hey,’ and we’d be like, ‘Oh, hey’ ... Sarofim doesn’t have that … I kind of miss that strange Sewall shower.”

Mascardo is still figuring out their plans for after Rice. While they said they’ll probably end up in New York City if they don’t leave the country, they still have a lot to say about Houston, calling the bayou ecosystem a “queer body,” an interpretation they developed with friend and visual arts graduate Naomi Doron ’25.

“The city attempts to control the wetland [with concrete],” Mascardo said. “Time and time again, the wetland returns to the shape that it always was.”

Review: At the Menil, artists confront television’s arrival

COURTESY GARTH GREENAN GALLERY, NY

ASSISTANT A&E EDITOR

The word “corruption” has lost its shock. Political scandals now arrive in rapid succession, each sparking brief media outrage but failing to hold our attention for long. More than two-thirds of American adults report needing to limit their news consumption due to information overload.

Once a storm, corruption has become the weather. We are saturated with deceit, and the screen — that surface we can’t seem to look away from — is the saturating agent.

This sense of media saturation haunts “Lines of Resolution: Drawing at the Advent of Television and Video,” an incisive exhibition at the Menil Drawing Institute that explores the moment artists rst grappled with the television as a psychic intruder, political tool and new canvas.

The show, gathering work from the late 1950s through the mid-1980s, tells a history of how society learned to live alongside the screen. The exhibition begins, aptly, with the line itself.

Nam June Paik’s 1963 installation “Zen for TV” presents a television set turned on its side, with its signal glitched into a

single, unwavering vertical line. In one of his earliest video works, Paik linked the broadcast signal’s minimalism to Zen meditation. It is a television that has renounced its purpose to become a pure drawing machine capable only of producing a pensive line.

Paik found tranquility in the television. Not everyone found peace. For many artists, the TV was an intruder. It became the uninvited guest, droning with the world’s anxieties. For Mimi Smith and Philip Guston, it marked a point of no return.

Smith regarded the television as an unavoidable informational stream, invading private space and work with the constant presence of tragedy. Guston could no longer justify abstraction when the Vietnam War was broadcast into his home. The screen was a constant reminder of a reality that felt distant yet su ocatingly intimate. This sense of psychological breach is most acute in the works of the show’s women artists, who used the then-emergent video medium and their own bodies to critique televised mass media’s depictions, commodi cation and surveillance of identity.

In Anne Bean’s 1981 video work “Blue

for You,” the act of drawing becomes an act of violent self-erasure. Using chroma key technology, a visual e ect that replaces a solid color with another image, Bean paints her face blue. Instead of the pigment, a video of a man’s face appears in its place.

As she covers her own features, the man’s image takes over, his threatening whispers lling the audio track. The male face consumes the screen, demonstrating how mediation can facilitate violation.

Suzy Lake’s 1975 video work “The Natural Way to Draw” prefigures social media’s tutorial culture by nearly half a century. Following instructions from a classic drawing manual, Lake attempts to render a portrait directly onto her own face.

Today’s online beauty tutorials naturalize self-modi cation as daily routine, but Lake understood how identity formation was ideological. The work’s narrator puts it plainly: “The head is one of the most important parts of the body, especially for identi cation.” Identi cation implies surveillance. The tutorial becomes training.

The exhibition nds a utopian counterpoint in a piece of Houston history. At the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston in 1975, Nina Sobell’s “EEG: Video Telemetry Environment” invited visitors into an interactive feedback loop. Electrodes translated their brain activity into ickering lines projected over their live image on a monitor.

The goal was to achieve “neural synchrony,” a state where two participants’ brainwaves aligned and merged the lines into a perfect circle. Sobell’s work was interested in nonverbal communication, rendering the quiet process of two people connecting as a collaborative drawing.

Sobell’s work used screens as tools for connection. Teresa Burga’s “4 Mensajes” (1974) — in its rst U.S. presentation — understood them as instruments of state control. Made in Peru during a military dictatorship that seized broadcast media, the installation critiques the television as a distortive force.

Burga took four random sentences from state-controlled television and systematically deconstructed them. The largest component, “Mensaje 3,” breaks down a sentence about pollution into its constituent letters, which are then used to create geometric drawings with a typewriter.

Burga created an opaque communication system that matched the opacity of propaganda itself. The critique was particularly potent coming from an artist who had helped develop one of the Peruvian government’s rst computer systems. She knew how systems function to control information. Living under a dictatorship, she encoded her critique in layers of abstraction the state could not fully parse.

In a cultural moment of federal hostility toward humanistic inquiry, the exhibition makes a quiet argument for interdisciplinary thinking and experimental practice. History indicates that curiosity triumphs over control, that artists gure out how to work around systems designed to limit them.

The anxieties that icker across the exhibition about surveillance, information overload and propaganda are now the ambient conditions of our lives. “Lines of Resolution” doesn’t actually o er resolution, but it provides a vital precedent.

It showcases artists who, at the dawn of our media saturation, insisted that the hand, the body and the critical mind might still intervene. They drew lines on, through and against the screen, producing marks that staunchly resist reduction to pure data.

“Lines of Resolution: Drawing at the Advent of Television and Video” is on view through Feb. 8 at the Menil Drawing Institute.

LUCY LI / THRESHER

Cal Mascardo is a double major in anthropology and visual arts. Their work has included lms, photography, quilting and more.

CHI PHAM

“Lines of Resolution: Drawing at the Advent of Television and Video” is on view through Feb. 8 at the Menil Drawing Institute.

‘The Life of a Showgirl’ tries to shine, barely sparks

COURTESY REPUBLIC RECORDS

LAYNE HEATH FOR THE THRESHER

A new Taylor Swift album is always a big deal. It seems no matter where you go, it is hard to escape her influence —for a while, I wasn’t one to complain. I am a fan of a lot of her music, 2020’s “folklore” and 2021’s “evermore” especially. Those albums are masterclasses in storytelling through song, with Swift taking up a variety of characters that weave relatable, intimate stories that listeners are able to connect with.

However, I found Swift’s last two albums (“Midnights” and “The Tortured Poets Department”) to be disappointing. Their tracks were both very hit-or-miss with shallow songwriting and, frankly, boring production. While they had good moments, the albums as a whole were just uninteresting to the ear. With “The Life of a Showgirl,” I had hope that Swift would return to her former glory. Unfortunately, my hopes were ultimately dashed.

The songwriting on “The Life of a Showgirl” is often juvenile and lacks complexity. The production, while a nice break from her recent work, is still basic and unengaging. Perhaps worst of all, the album feels devoid of creativity.

It feels crafted specifically for mass market appeal, forgoing artistry in the name of making money. On the album, Swift returns to manufacturing petty rivalries, talking about being “cancelled,” writing songs about high school — generally reinforcing the ‘bullied artist’ label that Swift is often associated with.

Such a style of songwriting feels icky to me. Swift has shown time and again she can create some really spectacular sonic works — works that do not resort to such Machiavellian tactics. It is very disappointing to see that she is returning to this style of artistry.

Not all the songs are bad. I really enjoy the first three tracks. “The Fate of Ophelia” is a wonderful song. It is quite catchy, with a really nice beat. I find myself returning to it often. The next track is “Elizabeth Taylor,” named for a movie star and icon from the Golden Age of Hollywood. It is again about love, but the track also discusses what love means in the context of the spotlight. The song deals with the insecurity within Swift’s romantic life amid her career’s visibility, a common theme throughout the LP.

The best track on the album is “Opalite,” a pretty song about a hopeful future after a hard period of life and finding moments of tranquility after a hard search for the right person. I particularly enjoy

the imagery of the lyrics: “Dancing through the lightning strikes / Sleepless in the onyx night / But now, the sky is opalite.” It paints a really nice picture of the themes Swift is working to express in the song.

The closing track, “The Life of a Showgirl,” is another highlight. In the titular track, Swift returns to the storytelling I really enjoy, again discussing her struggles with fame and living in the spotlight through a showgirl character named Kitty. The Sabrina Carpenter feature on this track works very well. Both women play off of each other with verve, and the track leaves the album off on a high note.

Unfortunately, those four tracks are the only ones I consider good.

“Ruin The Friendship,” “Wi$h Li$t” and “Father Figure” all attempt to create characters who aren’t Swift herself but still speak to her own desires. They fail to compel, resulting in some tracks that are fine to listen to but are shallow or self-victimizing.

“Wood” and “Honey” are even worse. The former starts as a fun track with a nice beat and playful lyrics about not believing in superstition and Swift forging her own destiny in finding someone to love. Unfortunately, it transitions to a surprisingly sexually charged song about her fiance’s “redwood tree.” Such tasteless sexual innuendos simply don’t work for Swift.

“Honey” is about a juxtaposition between being called things like “honey” or “sweetheart” passiveaggressively and being called these names by someone who genuinely cares. It has good messaging but again self-victimizes Swift and almost feels misogynistic in the way she describes how other people speak to her. All the examples in the song are of adversarial women at a bar, and her savior is the man she loves. It did not feel fully responsible for someone as influential as Swift to imply such antagonistic things about other women.

Losing all my innocence at the ‘Addison Tour’

When watching any mega popstar’s performance, one can’t help but think, “What if I was up there?” It’s a thought that has undoubtedly crossed the mind of anyone who has seen the performance of a star like Beyoncé, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears or practically any significant pop star (along with members of their team) who has poured countless hours of time and effort to create a mesmerizing show.

The beauty of Addison Rae’s Addison Tour is that her tour feels like someone saw those performances and actually did somehow go from the audience’s seat to the stage. It feels like someone living out their wildest dream, incredibly aware of it the entire time.

and backup dancer positions for each song were incredibly thought out, from the multihand formation of overlapping arms in “Aquamarine” to the stunning use of sparklers that coincided with the outro of “Diet Pepsi.”

The entire concert was incredibly well assembled and professional. However, what made it stand out from a performance by a larger pop diva was how intent she was on inviting the audience into the experience.

The spoken word intermissions between the songs were not only downto-earth, but also often segued into the songs in fun ways. It felt like talking to someone at a concert about how excited they were to be there, then having that person immediately going on stage for the next song.

“Eldest Daughter” and “CANCELLED!” both have rather cringey lyrics (“So we dressed up as wolves and looked fire,” “Did you girlboss too close to the sun?”) and, again, are really self-victimizing. Then we reach “Actually Romantic,” which is possibly a diss track about Charli xcx — whose song “Sympathy is a knife” off of 2024’s “BRAT” is believed to be about the insecurity Charli feels when comparing herself against major artists like Swift. I am a big Charli fan: I know her songwriting quite well, and I believe that she meant no harm to Swift, but rather wanted to vulnerably talk about her own insecurities. “Actually Romantic” just feels like Swift punching down on Charli.

“The Life of a Showgirl” had so much potential. It could have been Swift’s big comeback after the generally disliked albums “Midnights” and “The Tortured Poet’s Department,” but instead provides songwriting and thematic messaging that is significantly worse. It is her most disappointing album to date, and I fear that I am losing hope for future releases. Once is a mistake, twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern, and I really don’t like the direction in which this pattern is moving.

While the concert felt like watching someone enter the world of pop stardom for the first time, it is not actually the first time Addison Rae has entered that world. Born in 2000, Addison Rae Easterling became a bona fide TikTok star through dance videos posted on TikTok in July 2019. While her TikTok fame grew, she also began to follow her musical aspirations. She released “Obsessed,” her debut single, in 2021, then released her debut EP “AR” two years later. After the warm critical reception of her EP, she released her debut album “Addison” in 2025 to general acclaim from critics and audiences. In addition to being praised for having well-crafted, intricate music videos, the album was also celebrated for marking a successful shift in her perception from a TikTok icon to a serious music artist.

Although the album did a fantastic job in portraying her as someone who has always been a pop star, her performance reminded fans that she was entering this world for the first time. That’s not to say that the performance itself was amateurish or poorly performed. The dance moves

She interacted extensively with the crowd, adding even more to the feeling that we were a part of the show. She accepted gifts from the audience and even invited two people to sing along to the “Von dutch” remix she did with Charli xcx.

The success of the concert was not only a culmination of the work she put into creating dance routines and performances for each song, but also of the humble mindset she retained even after excelling on TikTok and in pop music.

There’s no doubt that Addison Rae was once one of those people who imagined herself on stage when at a Charli xcx concert. Now that she is in that position, she shares that feeling with her fans by inviting them on stage and making them a part of the experience. With any hope, there was someone at this concert who will go on to do the same.

Top Track: ‘OPALITE’

KOSI ONWUAMAEGBU FOR THE THRESHER

KOSI ONWUAMAEGBU / THRESHER

Addison Rae performs “Money Is Everything” at the 713 Music Hall as part of her debut tour on Sept. 23.

KOSI ONWUAMAEGBU / THRESHER

Addison Rae and her backup dancers perform “Aquamarine” at the Houston stop of the Addison Tour on Sept. 23.

A coed flag football quarterback attempts a pass during a game Oct. 2. This season, coed flag football eliminated a rule that placed minimum requirements on female involvement.

“Our quarterback got comfortable with one or two receivers and kept going back to them,” said Ian Kleppinger, a Duncan senior o ensive lineman.

The opposing team disagreed.

“It’s coed,” said Brianna Schulstad, a McMurtry junior. “Even if there needs to be a little push to get non-men involved,

I think it’s a good e ort to make sure that everyone is having fun and being integrated in the game.”

Even with McMurtry’s e orts to get women involved in the game, only 25% of their 28 plays involved female passes or receptions — just half the number required under the old rule.

“At times, I felt like I was watching the game, even though I was on the eld,” said

Arwyn St. John, a McMurtry senior.

Even though o enses are opting for mainly male targets, female players have continued to make an impact when it comes to defense.

“That’s honestly where it comes back to matter more,” Kleppinger said. “On defense, they can attack anybody. Everyone has to be ready to do what they need to do.”

Duncan was missing their powderpu wide receivers in Thursday’s game, but as they head into the playo s, they plan to rely more on their female athletes.

“I think that winning teams have proven that their women can hang,” Kleppinger said. “All the women on our team are studs, and we’re glad that they’re still involved with the rule change.”

With their loss Thursday, McMurtry’s season has come to an end, but when looking ahead to next year, the team believes it is taking steps in the right direction. Schulstad said their open communication is a major factor in getting their female players involved.

“I think that the men being receptive and the girls being respectfully outspoken leads to a good team dynamic,” Schulstad said.

Schulstad o ered a novel solution, suggesting that the open/closed play rule should be reinstated but the restriction that prevents male running backs and quarterbacks from running with the ball

through the line of scrimmage should be removed. This way, female players would become more involved in the o ense, and male players would have more freedom to run and pass.

“I think if they do the two of these, it will truly create a fair playing ground,” Schulstad said. “I think it would only do positive things, and it will feel more fun for everyone.”

Our quarterback got comfortable with one or two receivers and kept going back to them.

Ian Kleppinger

DUNCAN COLLEGE SENIOR

The ultimate question is whether or not the rule change will stick around. Watkins said the Competitive Sports Program would reevaluate the rule a er this season.

“We have not received feedback from participants this year one way or another on this particular rule change,” Watkins said. “At the end of this season, we will collect feedback and data to determine if this rule and others will continue to be in e ect.”

Football safety awarded for community service, nominated for captaincy

ANDERSEN PICKARD SPORTS EDITOR

Rice football player Plae Wyatt has been recognized on a national level for his commitment to community service.

Last month, Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association announced that Plae Wyatt, a redshirt senior safety, was one of 22 college football players named to the 2025 Good Works Team, which spotlights student athletes who “lead with purpose,” according to the AFCA.

A record 195 student athletes were nominated for the Good Works Team by coaches and sports information directors across the country, with Wyatt being the lone representative from the American Conference. He said he was unfamiliar with the honor at rst, but quickly understood the importance of his selection once he learned more information.

Wyatt was nominated in part due to his contributions to the McKinney Yellow Jackets, an organization founded by his father that gives back to at-risk youth.

“It’s a non-pro t to give back to underprivileged, at-risk kids back home,” Wyatt said. “We still go back to the city and there’s still kids we’ve got to give back to. We buy [them] food, buy some shoes, buy clothes. If they play on sports teams, we pay their fees just so they can play. It’s about giving back to kids and trying to set them up for a better life through sports, through education.”

The 24-year-old has worked with the organization based in McKinney, Texas for six years, coaching and mentoring children. Through the Yellow Jackets, he founded the Plae Wyatt Free Youth Football Camp, which started in 2024. Wyatt said the camp had roughly 50 kids participate during the rst year, and registration increased to roughly 80 kids in the second year.

The camp has been well-received by its attendees, with many kids keeping in touch with Wyatt to send him their game highlights or get feedback on their football technique. The participants have also learned from professional coaches, former NFL players and other college football players through the camp.

“It’s something that just runs through the blood,” Wyatt said. “It’s something that we like to do.”

Wyatt’s free camp will return for a third year in 2026, expecting to break attendance

records once again. He has big visions for the event, including improvements to the session, expanded reach and more sponsors.

Through his continued service and mentorship, Wyatt said he has become a father gure for the youth in McKinney.

It’s about giving back to kids and trying to set them up for a better life through sports, through education.

Plae Wyatt RICE FOOTBALL SAFETY

“We go back home and I might take all the kids up to eat, go get Costco or pizza, and they’ll all be like, ‘Man, appreciate you, Coach Wyatt,’” he said. “They’re not able to get those types of resources at home.”

Wyatt’s community service doesn’t stop when he leaves McKinney to play football at Rice. He’s a captain for the football

team, having earned his undergraduate degree in 2024 with a 3.77 GPA. He is now working towards a master’s degree in global a airs. Beyond the hedges, he is involved with events, outreach opportunities and mentoring in the greater Houston community.

Wyatt has juggled more than football, academics and community service over the last year. During Rice’s 2024 season opener against Sam Houston State University, he su ered a season-ending knee injury.

“I remember at this time last year how I felt,” Wyatt said. “You went from the highest of the highs in the rst game of the season, to the lows, like nobody is really talking about you. You’re just hurt. No one’s going to know what’s going on with your career.”

A er a long recovery, Wyatt made his 2025 conference debut against Navy Sept. 27, playing 30 snaps and recording two tackles. Returning to the eld at the same time he was nominated for Good Works Team captain has been an emotional experience.

“It’s just been a surreal moment, all this happening at once,” Wyatt said. “I just kept

working. I want to keep thanking God and the people around me.”

Wyatt is one of 11 Football Bowl Subdivision players selected to the Good Works Team, which means he is also eligible to win the Allstate Wuer el Trophy and serve as the Good Works Team captain. Individuals can vote for the Wuer el Trophy and Good Works Team captain every day through Nov. 10 at ESPN.com/Allstate.

“You can only vote one time a day, but you can vote on di erent [devices] like on my phone and my iPad,” he said. “We’re going against some big schools out there. Being able to represent Rice University would mean a lot. We’re going to see if we can make it happen.”

Wyatt hopes his impact on the community can bring positive attention to Rice and inspire future student athletes to follow in his footsteps.

“We only got one chance,” Wyatt said. “Not too many people in the world play at a high college level. Make the most of your time while you’re playing. Get out there and seize the moment.”

KAIRI MANO / THRESHER

Rice football safety Plae Wyatt listens to a coach during a game against Florida Atlantic University Oct. 4. Wyatt was named to the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team for his community service e orts, and he is a candidate for the Wuerfell Trophy and Good Works Team captain.

KAIRI MANO / THRESHER

FROM FRONT PAGE FLAG FOOTBALL

Early score not enough as Rice loses on Families Weekend

ANDERSEN PICKARD SPORTS EDITOR

Families were still scanning their tickets and nding their seats when a roar erupted from Rice Stadium on Saturday.

Running back Quinton Jackson took o for a 68-yard touchdown, the longest of his career, giving Rice a 7-0 lead less than 90 seconds into Saturday’s football game against Florida Atlantic University. Rice was able to score quickly a er winning the coin toss and deciding to receive the opening kicko for the rst time this season. However, this would be the only time Rice led during the game, ultimately losing 27-21 at home.

“We had talked about it all week that we need to start games better,” said Scott Abell, Rice’s head coach. “Just wanted to switch it up, put the offense out there. It’s nice to get explosive plays and get on the board early.”

The touchdown provided an early spark to Rice’s o ense, as well as Jackson himself, as he would nish Saturday’s game with 128 rushing yards on 19 carries.

Upon getting the football, FAU was able to find similar momentum, parlaying a defensive pass interference into a 30yard touchdown pass. Less than five minutes later, they got the ball back and

delivered a 38-yard touchdown pass, pulling ahead 14-7.

Rice’s next drive resulted in a punt, which FAU returned into Rice territory. However, FAU’s quarterback threw an errant pass that was de ected by redshirt junior safety Marcus Williams and intercepted by redshirt senior safety Peyton Stevenson. The two sides exchanged punts for most of the second quarter before getting the kickers involved. FAU connected on a 36-yard eld goal, giving them 17 unanswered points.

A few minutes later, Rice redshirt junior Enock Gota missed a 47-yard attempt near the end of the rst half. Gota is now 4-for-7 on eld goals in 2025.

As the clock hit triple zeros at the end of the second quarter, junior linebacker Ty Morris forced an FAU fumble. Since time had expired, Rice couldn’t run any additional plays from scrimmage, but the defense’s turnover still gave the team momentum going into the locker room.

“I wouldn’t be able to do the things I do without the guys in front and behind me,” said Morris, who nished Saturday with the forced fumble and eight tackles, including three for loss. “It’s a collaborative e ort on everything we do.”

Rice forced an FAU punt early in the second half and mounted an 11-play, 90-

yard drive culminating in a touchdown.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Chase Jenkins found redshirt sophomore wide receiver Drayden Dickmann for a 46yard touchdown pass. The two have now connected for a passing touchdown in three consecutive games.

We had talked about it all week that we need to start games better. Just wanted to switch it up, put the offense out there. It’s nice to get explosive plays and get on the board early.

Scott Abell RICE FOOTBALL HEAD COACH

“Me and Drayden have had a good connection since freshman year on the scout team,” Jenkins said. “He’s at the right place at the right time in a lot of moments.”

Dickmann’s touchdown pulled Rice within three points, but FAU responded by increasing its lead with a touchdown and a eld goal. Any hope of a victory was quickly slipping away for Rice, which trailed by two

possessions with just six minutes le Jenkins orchestrated an eight-play, 75-yard drive in less than three minutes, completing four passes to graduate wide receiver Aaron Turner. Turner totaled 50 receiving yards on a team-high ve receptions, and he also added 17 rushing yards.

Jenkins finished the series with a twoyard touchdown run. The Katy native has both a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in three different games this season. He was 12-for-17 passing with 137 passing yards and 20 rushing yards against FAU.

“Chase threw some good balls early,” Abell said. “I thought he made good decisions.”

With just over three minutes le , Rice trailed by six and needed a stand from its defense. However, FAU’s o ense proved to be too powerful, converting a pair of third downs and heading into victory formation. FAU kneeled out the nal seconds to defeat Rice 27-21 in this battle of the Owls on Families Weekend.

Rice, which is now 3-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play, hits the road for a matchup against the University of Texas at San Antonio at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The game will air in front of a national television audience on ESPNU. The Owls enter as 12.5-point underdogs against the 2-3 Roadrunners, according to Dra Kings Sportsbook.

KAIRI MANO / THRESHER

Rice football quarterback Chase Jenkins runs with the ball during a game against Florida Atlantic University Oct. 4. Rice lost 27-21 in the battle between Owls teams on Families Weekend.

Men’s tennis sweeps U.S. College Cup Invitational

RYAN BLOOM FOR THE THRESHER

Rice men’s tennis wrapped up play at the U.S. College Cup Invitational on Saturday, posting a perfect 6-0 doubles record against three fellow Texas universities at Club Campestre Torreón in Mexico.

The annual fall invitational drew Rice, Texas Christian University, Abilene Christian University and the University of Texas at San Antonio for competition Friday and Saturday. Representing the Owls were freshman Rafael Botran, senior Kabeer Kapasi and sophomores Gabriel Porras and Josh Mandelbaum.

Singles matches followed a bestof-three sets format with seven-point tiebreakers. If players split the rst two sets, a 10-point tiebreaker decided the match. Doubles matches consisted of a single set with a 10-point tiebreaker at 6-6. Kapasi and Mandelbaum recorded a 6-3 doubles victory Friday over UTSA before adding a 7-5 win against another Roadrunners duo. Botran and Porras also

had a strong performance of their own, overcoming ACU in a 10-8 tiebreaker and defeating UTSA 6-2. The pair carried their momentum from their successful showing at the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic in September.

The Owls maintained their doubles dominance on Saturday despite shu ing partners. Kapasi teamed with Botran for a 6-3 victory over TCU, while Mandelbaum and Porras closed the weekend with a 7-5 victory over UTSA.

“It felt like we were never really under a whole lot of threat on our service games throughout the weekend,” head coach Efe Üstündağ said. “When you’re playing one-set matches, sometimes all you need is one chance for a break. And then a er that, it’s just being able to hold on to your serve. So I felt we did that well.”

In singles competition, Rice posted a 5-6 record with individual match wins distributed among each player.

Botran pushed TCU’s eventual singles tournament champion to a rst-set

tiebreaker Friday before falling 7-6 (97), 6-2. His match Saturday against ACU ended early as he got hurt and retired from play during the second set.

It felt like we were never really under a whole lot of threat on our service games throughout the weekend. Efe Üstünda ğ

RICE MEN’S TENNIS HEAD COACH

Kapasi swept opponents from UTSA and ACU in straight sets, but was outlasted in a erce three-setter to UTSA on Saturday, falling 10-6 in the nal tiebreaker.

Porras also notched two straight-set victories, prevailing in a closely fought rst set, 7-6 (10-8), against TCU before narrowly losing 6-4, 6-4 against UTSA in his nal match.

Mandelbaum cruised past his opponent from UTSA with a 6-3, 6-3 victory on Friday, but lost two tightly contested matches Saturday against other members of the UTSA lineup.

“The e ort was there, no issue from that perspective, but I wanted the players to execute better on Saturday,” Üstündağ said. “I think the last three singles matches really exposed some stu that could give us a chance to improve on.”

The Owls now shi focus to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s Texas Regional Championship, hosted by Texas A&M University Oct. 17-21. This event will give Rice another opportunity to test itself against its regional rivals.

“Sometimes competition builds con dence and you ride that, and sometimes it points out some holes that we might need to put additional attention on,” Üstündağ said. “I’m glad the matches went the way they did, and now we have to spend almost the next two weeks working on what we need to work on.”

EDITORIAL CARTOON

“I can’t believe my parents had to see that.”

HONG LIN TSAI / THRESHER

The Backpage is the satire section of the Thresher, written this week by Charlie Maxson, Rykelle Sandidge and Max Scholl, and designed by Brandon Nguyen. For questions or comments, please email realricethreshero cial@rice.edu.

CLASSIFIEDS

Intern with a Rice-alum-founded AI nonpro t, gaining entrepreneurship experience while launching a free, safe, and private AI teen life coach. Flexible, remote-friendly. More info and apply at: https://tinyurl.com/BeSomeoneinternship

ADVERTISING

The Thresher accepts display and classified advertisements and reserves the right to refuse any advertising for any reason. Additionally, the Thresher does not take responsibility for the factual content of any advertisement. Printing an advertisement does not consititute an endorsement by the Thresher.

Display advertisements must be received by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication; see ricethresher.org for pricing. Classified advertisements must be received with cash, check or credit card payment by 12 p.m. on the Friday prior to publication; see ricethresher.org for pricing.

thresher-ads@rice.edu P.O. Box 1892 Houston, TX 77005-1892 (713) 348-4801