VOLUME 110, ISSUE NO. 17 | STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 | RICETHRESHER.ORG | WEDNESDAY, FEBURARY 4, 2026
14 PATRICK SHUKIS
THRESHER STAFF
straight wins for women’s basketball
While the big event of the week at Tudor Fieldhouse was the Owls’ Lego Night, it was Rice’s opponents who were shooting bricks, as women’s basketball held both of its opponents to under 35% shooting and picked up two low-scoring conference victories to extend its winning streak to 14. Rice hosted Temple University for a battle of the owls on Wednesday, where they passed out minifigures of senior guard Dominique Ennis. Rice entered the game with a perfect 9-0 record at Tudor Fieldhouse this season. After Temple took an early 7-2 lead in the first quarter, the Owls’ defense settled in, holding Temple to just two points in the final seven minutes of the period. In need of some offensive energy after a slow start, junior guard Louann Battiston scored a quick five points off the bench early in the second quarter, but the Temple defense held the Owls to a 23-19 lead going into the half. “They were trying to take one on the road against us,” head coach Lindsay Edmonds said. “Their pressure was intense, and they were crashing the rebounds really hard.”
The offense came out strong in the second half with an 11-2 scoring run led by senior center Shelby Hayes, giving the Owls a 3422 lead midway through the third quarter. Defensively, redshirt junior guard Hailey Adams racked up 13 rebounds through the first three quarters. “I’m surrounded by great shot makers,” Adams said. “Everyone on the team is a great shot maker, so I just have to get the rebound and give it to them, and they’re gonna make the shot.” In the final period, the Owls’ offense finally got hot from behind the arc, helping them to maintain their lead when the score began to get close. Battiston hit a stepback three to extend the Owls’ lead to eight points early in the quarter, and senior guard Dominique Ennis drained two back-to-back threes that gave Rice a 10-point advantage on their way to a decisive 65-56 victory. In the postgame, Hayes highlighted her team’s unified mentality and said the win came from the Owls’ overall success rather than her performance as Rice’s leading scorer.
SEE WOMEN’S HOOPS PAGE 13
KAIRI MANO / THRESHER Junior guard Louann Battiston dribbles up the court during Rice’s 65-56 win against Temple on Jan. 28.
Lovett and Baker freshmen caught in housing policy transition SAMANTHA JOHNSON
FOR THE THRESHER
Lovett and Baker Colleges will undergo a major housing transition next school year and restructure their off-campus housing policies, according to Lovett Internal Vice President Dylan Wall. The colleges will temporarily share old Lovett to accommodate the now overflowing soon-to-be sophomore class. Both colleges are shifting their offcampus housing years from sophomore to junior year to align with others on campus. The change allows students
more time to prepare for off-campus living while keeping more underclassmen housed within the colleges, said OC SeaAkwaegbu, Baker’s off-campus housing representative. With new Lovett scheduled to open fall 2026 and old Lovett empty for the time being, Sea-Akwaegbu said leaders from both colleges viewed it as an ideal moment to implement the changing housing traditions and take advantage of the extra space. Doing so allows the colleges to keep rising sophomores on campus. Juniors who have already completed their
designated off-campus year under the previous plan can also choose to remain on campus. Sea-Akwaegbu said delaying the shift to a later year would create greater logistical challenges in the future. “We decided a little while back that we would use next year as a transition year for housing,” said Sea-Akwaegbu, a sophomore. “If we don’t do it this year, we would have to probably disperse everyone amongst all the other colleges.” Under the new arrangement, rising sophomores from both colleges will live on campus in overflow housing at old
Lovett — which will serve as one of their three on-campus years — and move off campus their junior year. Baker’s rising sophomores will be fully housed in old Lovett, while Lovett’s will be split between the old and new building depending on availability, according to Wall, a junior. “Lovett and Baker will be jointly administrating a housing jack for the Toaster,” Wall said. “Rising sophomores from both colleges will have equal chances at jacking for rooms.”
SEE HOUSING PAGE 5
Where to go and what to do in Houston during spring recess CAELYN WANG
THRESHER STAFF
From major touring productions to museum exhibitions and seasonal festivals, Houston’s February calendar offers enough variety to make staying local for the long weekend feel like a choice rather than a compromise. Here is a little roundup of what to look forward to.
WHAT’S INSIDE
MICHELLE LEE / THRESHER
“Frida: The Making of an Icon” Museum of Fine Arts, Houston On view at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston until May 17, “Frida: The Making of an Icon” examines how
NO VOTE ON THREE SENATE AMENDMENTS PAGE 5
Frida Kahlo became one of the most recognizable artists of the 20th century. The exhibition features more than 30 works by Kahlo alongside 120 pieces by artists of five generations influenced by her image and legacy. Archival photographs, clothing, and popular culture references trace the evolution of Kahlo’s public persona. $10 admission is every Thursday. “Hansel and Gretel” - Houston Grand Opera Family Day Houston Grand Opera’s Family Day performance of Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” offers a shortened 90-minute version of
COLL CLASS EXPLORES ASIAN BEVERAGES, TRADITION PAGE 9
this classic tale of the titular characters’ dangerous journey to the realm where a witch reigns from her house of cake. The production includes preshow activities designed for kids and interactive, kid-friendly lobby activities during intermission. Its fairytale narrative and lighter tone make it a practical entry point for viewers who have not attended opera before. Shows run from Jan. 30 through Feb. 15. Students can purchase $25 tickets for “Hansel and Gretel” after successful verification of student status.
SEE SPRING RECESS PAGE 11
THRESHER VISITS SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL PAGES 12-13