Editing Rice University (section)

===Residential colleges===
{{Main|Residential colleges of Rice University}}
In 1957, Rice University implemented a [[residential college]] system, which was proposed by the university's first president, [[Edgar Odell Lovett]]. The system was inspired by existing systems in place in England and at several other universities in the United States. The existing residences known as East, South, West, and Wiess Halls became Baker, Will Rice, Hanszen, and Wiess Colleges, respectively.

====List of residential colleges ====
Below is a list of residential colleges in order of founding:<ref name="rice12"/>
* Baker College, named in honor of [[Captain James A. Baker]], friend and attorney of William Marsh Rice, and first chair of the Rice Board of Governors
* Will Rice College, named for William M. Rice, Jr., the nephew of the university's founder, William Marsh Rice
* Hanszen College, named for Harry Clay Hanszen, benefactor to the university and chairman of the Rice Board of Governors from 1946 to 1950
* Wiess College, named for Harry Carothers Wiess (1887–1948), one of the founders and one-time president of [[Humble Oil]], now [[ExxonMobil]]
* Jones College, named for Mary Gibbs Jones, wife of prominent Houston philanthropist [[Jesse Holman Jones]]
* Brown College, named for Margarett Root Brown by her in-laws, [[George R. Brown]]
* Lovett College, named after the university's first president, Edgar Odell Lovett.
* Sid Richardson College, named for the Sid Richardson Foundation, which was established by Texas oilman, cattleman, and philanthropist [[Sid W. Richardson]]
* Martel College, named for Marian and Speros P. Martel, was built in 2002
* McMurtry College, named for Rice alumni Burt and Deedee McMurtry, [[Silicon Valley]] venture capitalists
* Duncan College, named for [[Charles Duncan, Jr.]], U.S. Secretary of Energy, 1979-1981

Each residential college has its own cafeteria (serveries) and each residential college has study groups and its own social practices.

Although each college is composed of a full cross-section of students at Rice, they have over time developed their own traditions and "personalities." When students [[matriculation|matriculate]] they are randomly assigned to one of the eleven colleges, although "legacy" exceptions are made for students whose siblings or parents have attended Rice.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://students.rice.edu/students/College_Assignments.asp |title=College Assignments |publisher=Rice.edu |date=2015-05-11 |access-date=2017-05-09 |archive-date=May 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502201638/http://students.rice.edu/students/College_Assignments.asp |url-status=live }}</ref> Students generally remain members of the college that they are assigned to for the duration of their undergraduate careers, even if they move off-campus at any point. Students are guaranteed on-campus housing for freshman year and two of the next three years; each college has its own system for determining allocation of the remaining spaces, collectively known as "Room Jacking". Students develop strong loyalties to their college and maintain friendly rivalry with other colleges, especially during events such as [[#Beer Bike Race|Beer Bike]] and [[Orientation week|O-Week]]. Colleges keep their rivalries alive by performing "jacks," or pranks, on each other, especially during O-Week and [[#Beer Bike Race|Beer Bike Week]]. During Matriculation, Commencement, and other formal academic ceremonies, the colleges process in the order in which they were established.

====Baker 13====

Baker 13 is a tradition in which students run around campus wearing nothing but shoes and [[shaving cream]] at 10 p.m. on the 13th and the 31st of every month, as well as the 26th on months with fewer than 31 days. The event, long sponsored by [[Baker College (Rice University)|Baker College]], usually attracts a small number of students, but [[Halloween]] night and the first and last relevant days of the school year both attract large numbers of revelers.<ref name="Rice undergrads share a sense of community"/>
[[File:Rice Sallyport during Beer Bike Water Balloon Fight.jpg|thumb|Rice University students participating in the Beer Bike water balloon fight in front of the [[Campus of Rice University|Sallyport]]]]

====Beer Bike Race====
According to the official website, "Beer Bike is a combination intramural bicycle race and drinking competition dating back to 1957. Ten riders and ten chuggers make up a team. Elaborate rules include details such as a prohibition of "bulky or wet clothing articles designed to absorb beer/water or prevent spilled beer/water from being seen" and regulations for chug can design. Each residential college as well as the Graduate Student Association participates with a men's team, a women's team, and alumni (co-ed) team. Each leg of the race is a relay in which a team's "chugger" must chug {{convert|24|USfloz|ml}} of beer or water for the men's division and {{convert|12|USfloz|ml}} for women before the team's "rider" may begin to ride.<ref name="Beer Bike's 50th"/> Participants who both ride and chug are referred to as "Ironmen". Willy Week is a term coined in the 1990s to refer to the week preceding Beer Bike, a time of general energy and excitement on campus. Jacks (pranks) are especially common during Willy Week; some examples in the past include removing showerheads and encasing the Hanszen guardian."
The morning of the Beer Bike race itself begins with what is by some estimations the largest annual water balloon fight in the world. Beer Bike is Rice's most prominent student event, and for younger alumni it serves as an unofficial reunion weekend on par with Homecoming. The 2009 Beer Bike race was dedicated to the memory of [[William L. Wilson (Rice University)|Dr. Bill Wilson]], a popular professor and long-time resident associate of Wiess College who died earlier that year.

In the event of inclement weather, Beer Bike becomes a Beer Run. The rules are nearly identical, except that the Bikers must instead run the length of the track.