Parties at Rice?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
1

<p>My D and I were just reading books at Barnes & Noble. She read one that had student descriptions. The person mentioned the Beer Bike and some week of parting. It discussed how much parting goes one during that time. It really turned off my D to Rice. She was really interested in the Residential College atmosphere and now Rice has moved down her list.</p>

<p>Here is the name of the book:</p>

<p>(Paperback)
Students Guide to Colleges: The Definitive Guide to America's Top 100 Schools Written by the Real Experts--the Students Who Attend Them by Jordan Goldman</p>

<p>Tell what the party atmosphere is like at Rice.</p>

2

<p>am currently a sophomore at Rice and it is because of the college system I decided to come here (could have gone to UT, Notre Dame, Columbia, or Princeton). Beer Bike is a tradtion at Rice. It has been going on since 1957, "a friendly competition between the colleges; in short, uniquely Rice". I am one of the Area Coordinators of Security for Beer Bike this year, so I know a lot about it. To start off, the week before the actual Beer Bike is called Willy Week. The week is full of events around campus, including a picnic in the academic quad celebrating William Marsh Rice's birthday, Philharmonics performance, and pretty much just general fun. During the week, college "jack" each other. Last year my college took out the all the tables and chairs out of another college's dining hall, put it out in the field in front of our college, and had lunch there. Jacks are so random and so fun. These things are organized with coordinators, and there are unjackable items and its all good fun. Now to Beer Bike. It occurs on a Saturday (March 15th this year) and before the race there is a huge parade with a water balloon fight. This is where my job comes in. Each college has prepared water balloons weeks in advance. Each college usually has made between 20,000-35,000 water balloons. The fight goes around campus. Each college has trucks with trashcans full of balloons. Each college is reguired to provide 20-25 people for security depending on the size of the trucks. Security is there to ensure safety, like when the trucks are moving. The parade/fight goes on for about an hour....and then its off to the races. There are three races, Alumni, Women, and Men. Each team (10, 9 colleges plus gruduate students) consists of ten bikers and ten chuggers. The race begins with the chuggers, women have to chug 12 oz and men 24 oz....of WATER! NOT BEER! After the chug, the biker takes off and women take 2 laps and men 3. It's a relay race to the finish. The excitement is overwhelming. Each college has their themed/colored shirts on,many have dyed their har, war paint on their faces. It is the best thing ever! It takes alot of planning (atleast 5 months) and practice (seriously, we start practicing with the freshman during Orientaion Week). </p>

<p>On another note, Rice is a "wet campus", meaning alcohol is allowed on campus. I mean, there are two pubs on campus. However, this does not mean that anyone can drink whenever they want. Rice is in Texas, and Rice has made it clear that the drinking age is 21. So we are not exempt from the law. Rice does believe that we are adults and we are old enough to make decision on our own and in no way takes this away from us. What we do in our rooms is our privacy, but if parties do flow into the halls, Rice takes this as a public party, and therefore has the right to take action. Just because there are parties going on with alcohol does not mean you have to drink. The poeple who don't drink definetly out number the people who drink at Rice. Parties are always going on at Rice, both public(usually in a dorms dining hall with a theme and a DJ or live band) and private parties (in the dorm rooms). And everyone goes to the parties, even people who don't drink. They are fun, and drinking isn't a requirement to go to a party and have fun. C'mon it's college partying is going to happen, of course it's not a "party school", but just because it's a prestigious school doesn't mean it can't have parties. </p>

<p>If you have other question, don't hesitate to ask me!</p>

3

<p>Thank you very much. Yes I understand that college is college and drink is going to occur. I have lived it already, and the choice is always up the the student.</p>

<p>I just read your note to my D, it was nice to have her hear from you and not just from me.</p>

<p>Again thanks for your reply</p>

4

<p>I'm going to jump onto this thread.</p>

<p>When you say alcohol, is it mostly beer or is liquor the predominant choice? And when you say that Rice can take action once the party becomes "public," how often does that happen?
Also, how big is the drug scene. My guess is that it's there but no one forces you to do it (which is what I'd prefer, live and let live).</p>

5

<p>Good sumaritian policy:</p>

<p>I have written in before on this subjuct and as a parent there is one thing that Rice does that is great. There is a good samaritian policty that if you report that another student is sick from drinking or drugs you will not get in trouble. So no student is left sick and dying, as happened in MIT and other places. People get help if they need help. There are always people in all walks of life that drink too much, but at least they're not left to die at Rice. As a parent of a student who didn't drink and now is nearing 21 and drinks moderatly it always made me feel good in knowing that students' health mattered more than punitive actions and "rules".
BTW, my son is a junior and loves Rice and so do we, his parents. It's an outstanding school.
He was happier within days of getting there than almost all his friends, some of whom went on to the Ivy's. The residential college system and the mixing of freshmen with the upper students right from the start gives the kind of support you can only wish every school had.
My son was an only child from NY who went down to Texas knowing no one who instantly felt welcomed and instantly had lots of friends...and still does.
Academically he's learned so much and has never had problems getting top internships. He's on his way to having a great career and lifelong friends and top contacts. People may think Rice is only known in Texas, but his attending Rice got him internships in Japan and now in Seattle. Rice is well known and respected everywhere.</p>

6

<p>beer vs. liquor: There is both. At all of the public parties, usually only beer is served. There are a few exceptions, I believe that at a party this weekend they were serving margaritas, but mixed to be about as strong as beer. There are definitely not shots being served at public parties. Although, only of age people are legally allowed to drink at public parties. As far as private parties, I'd say it's about half and half. </p>

<p>As far as the mix between drinking and non-drinking. Yes, there is drinking on campus (it's a wet campus) and on almost any given night, you can find someone drinking if you want to, but it's not overwhelming. There's also relatively little divide between the drinking and non-drinking social scenes. For example, last night, I went out to dinner and then to a political rally with some friends (who never drink) then came back to campus, where we went to a party for an hour or two where the majority of the people (myself included) were drinking, though not exactly heavily, and then came back to my residential college and hung out with some friends who hadn't been drinking at all that evening.</p>

7

<p>One thing that's actually great about Rice being a wet campus is the fact that students who want to drink don't have to wander outside of campus to do so. This means they don't have to drive back (college kids + alcohol + driving = not a good idea) to campus - all they have to do is stumble back to their dorms and fall asleep.</p>

8

<p>DD had felt that the relaxed atmosphere and wet campus has led to less pressure to drink. Drinkers and non-drinkers at the same parties and the active weekend scene means fewer people desert campus on the weekends. Being so far from home she has made many freinds. She is even a bar server for the sponsored parties. She has the small training and serves beer or other drinks according to the wrist band system they use to tell if you are over 21. As a mom I am happier that this is not driven underground and that learning and caring for each other are important.</p>

<p>BTW when she was visiting as an accepted student, although many prospies wanted to party or drink ,she found a great group that were doing other things, watching the nature channel and eating and playing games, going to concerts, watching moves. There are all kinds of activities and someone to do them with. </p>

<p>If you want to read about beer bike here you go: Rice</a> University Beer Bike 2008
Also more about the traditions of beer bike and willie week: Rice</a> University - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</p>