<p>I was wondering if anybody(especially those. currently in the MOB) can tell me about a.ll of the things that being in the MOB entails(outside of just doing football games)</p>
<p>I know that Rice is known for being filled with fun, quirky ppl but from what I have heard the people in the MOB are stereotyped to be the quirkiest students on campus and almost "nerdy" or "geeky"(not my words)</p>
<p>How much truth is there to that statement and what kind of people generally join the MOB(and would enjoy the company)?</p>
<p>I applied to and was accepted to Rice last year, and as someone who chose NOT to go to Rice, I’ll give it to you straight. I was very interested in the MOB when I applied, and generalized that because it was so different and quirky, that the university was filled with “fun, quirky people”. When I visited, I found something totally different. The MOB members I talked to at an extracurriculars fair were very nice, witty, cool kids. But whenever I asked a non member about the MOB, they either laughed, looked really uncomfortable, or had no idea what it was. Be careful about assuming that the MOB is part of the culture of Rice; from what I’ve experienced, it’s not. </p>
<p>I went to the University of Chicago instead, no shortage of quirkiness here, haha.</p>
<p>In short: You’d probably enjoy the company, but people would still call you “geeky”, etc. I’d have no problem with that, personally. It’s a pretty epic group! If people don’t understand it, it’s their loss.</p>
<p>^Correct. From someone who’s not in the MOB, I (we) think people who are in the MOB are a group of really… weird people. The weirdest of Rice, definitely. But people in the MOB seem to enjoy themselves very much.</p>
<p>I know a weird kid who doesn’t even play anything. He’s just in the MOB so he can hang out with them. Then he would skip major group project time to go do MOB things; then again, this wasn’t such a problem because he was the most socially awkward guy I’ve met in my life and we got more done without him.
(Thumbs down, weird MOB kid. Thumbs down.)
I know three MOB members that I like and actively talk to, and these people get along fairly well with everybody. The organization can become very insular, and if you want it to be your social life and to fulfill the MOB stereotypes you can do that, have friends who do so as well, and have a great time; if you want to participate in the band and have a more conventional social life as well, that’s also possible. People will NOT automatically write you off because you’re involved, though they may if you become one of the “weird mob kids.”</p>
<p>I don’t like most of the halftime events but every once in a while they do something really funny. There was some Vandy joke about how while 20% of Rice grads will marry another Rice grad, 20% of Vandy grads will marry within the same family tree, and that they they have a tea-sipping polo race instead of beer bike. I’m ruining it but it was good.</p>
<p>At Rice, there’s definitely a spectrum of people from quirky/alternative to more mainstream, and there’s a similar spectrum in the MOB, just leaning more toward quirky/alternative. I have several more mainstream friends in the MOB and they really enjoy it.</p>
<p>That said, the stereotype at Rice is that the MOB is really alternative, which is somewhat true, although if you’re a mainstream person you will likely still make friends in the MOB. Actually I know people who give the MOB a lot of respect because the MOB always shows up to sporting events, etc. </p>
<p>Basically I would say that if you’re looking for a straightlaced conservative marching band, then the MOB is not for you. If you’re just looking to be musical and make some new friends, the MOB is a great way to do this, and you can always try it out and see how you like it.</p>
<p>I will never discourage a new student from joining the MOB, because a lot of people do find their niche there. It is not the social suicide that some make it out to be. However, the MOB is known as a very insular group (there are many exceptions, and I have quite a few friends who are in the MOB, but I’m going with campus perception) and as a not very good representation of Rice students at athletic events.</p>
<p>Like silentsailor said, most of their halftime shows are unfunny and look like a third-grade nativity play, but occasionally they hit (like with the Vandy show this year and the Tulsa show two years ago).</p>
<p>I have heard the mob referred to as the “social rejects of rice” around campus but this is mainly because they often hang out with each other and not with people from their college like most people do. They also generally dont drink and party like many people do.</p>