Houston's Ivy

A peek inside the hedges: Rice University holds an Unconvention, opening up theschool to all

Rice University
Rice University

Despite its location in the heart of the city, Rice University sometimes seems to exist completely off the radar of the average Houstonian. As the university celebrates its centennial, that's something it's hoping to change.

That's the philosophy behind Rice's first-ever Unconvention, taking place through Saturday. It's something of an open house to introduce Houston to what Rice has to offer, from access to the university's vast research library to sports and cultural events.

With an Unconvention command center taking up half of the central Brochstein Pavilion, visitors can take a guided tour led by undergraduates — there's one every hour on the hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturday the tour expands to two hours as AIA Houston leads a specialized tour of Rice's notable architecture. Or you could just pick up a campus map — I like the version that has a guide to all the university's public art — and wander among the Byzantine-style buildings and the tree-filled green spaces on your own.

The university is also offering the public unprecedented access to its state-of-the-arts facilities, including the Rice Observatory, The Smalley Institute and Fondren Library.

The full Unconvention schedule includes dance and theater performances, music recitals at the Shepherd School of Music, sporting events, art exhibitions and even film screenings — and that's just normal campus activity. Rice has also scheduled a series of lectures on topics from "Democracy and Academic Freedom" to global warming. While the subject matter may seem highly academic, the lectures are presented in an interesting and engaging manner.

The university is also offering the public unprecedented access to its state-of-the-arts facilities, including the Rice Observatory, The Smalley Institute and Fondren Library.

Families should check out the Unconvention on Saturday, when Rice is setting up a children and youth zone in the central quad near the Rice Memorial Center. Activities include a science magic show, a Math-A-Letics game show, a traditional Chinese Dragon Dance performance, puppet shows, hands-on engineering activities, a visit from a real owl and Sammy the Owl and much more.

A full schedule for the Unconvention is available here. After all, isn't it time that Houston got to know the vibrant and elite university in its backyard?

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”