Baker Traditions

As one of the original residential colleges, now over 65 years old, Baker has many traditions old and new that we love to celebrate!

The College from Hell

In the 1985 Beer Bike, Baker College debuted its first ever Baker Car for the Beer Bike Parade. Donated by a Bakerite, the '70 Datsun Bluebird 1600 Coup sported an impressive paint job featuring Baker's color red. But because the aged "Datziki," as it was called, was driven only a couple times a year for Beer Bike, the car slowly started falling apart over the course of two years.

On the night before the Beer Bike Parade in 1987, a couple Bakerites realized that the car engine would not start. A young freshman named Steve Carmichael asked to give a shot at repairing the lifeless Datziki. Carmichael managed to resurrect the car within a few hours after fixing the broken clutch. But as Datziki sat abandoned in the Baker-Lovett Quad, Baker's crosscampus rival Jones decided to ruin Steve's hard work by coating it in orange paint as a pre-Beer Bike jack. The sudden facelift was not only humiliating, but intolerable to loyal Bakerites, since red has been Baker's color since inception.

As morning came around, Bakerites frantically worked to salvage the dignity of the car and their college, but the orange paint would not come off! Only Baker ingenuity could save the day. By the time the Parade began, Datziki had become a fearsome, fiery machine with flames painted on the side of the car. As Baker led the Parade with its flaming car, other colleges began a derogatory chant: "The College from Hell, the College from Hell." Although the chants were meant as insults, Bakerites shouted right back at them: "Baker! Hell yeah!" and "We're from Hell! We're from Baker!" We have since adopted the image, and Baker has since been known and respected as the college from Hell.

Unfortunately, Datziki's resurrection was short-lived. The car died in West Lot after the Parade and was subsequently flipped over and sledge-hammered by bitter Jonesians. After the Datziki's demise, Baker was in need of a new car for the next year's Beer Bike Parade. So Steve Carmichael, savior of the Datziki, took a trip down to Montrose Avenue (which used to have multiple used-car lots) in search of a new Baker Car. There, hiding in the back corner in one of the lots, sat a white '66 Pontiac Catalina that caught his attention. It was in superb shape and condition, but it was priced at only $150 for a reason: it didn't run. But Steve wasn't going to give up on the Pontiac so quickly. He asked the dealer to give him one afternoon; if he could get it running, he would pay for the car. And fix it he did, Steve drove back to Baker with a brand new car, yet to become what will be known as the first true "Hell Car".

Baker 13

In the hallowed annals of Rice history, or Baker history more specifically, nothing stands more prominent, more distinguished, and more honorable than the tradition of Baker 13. A brief overview: The runners of Baker 13—STUDENTS from all years and colleges—gather at the barbecue pits of Baker College on the 13th and 31st nights of the month (if there is no 31st, the 26th) and are treated to a rousing speech by the leader of the run.

Those who choose to partake get ready and lather themselves with shaving cream. Once everyone has prepared, they gather outside Old Wing in Baker Pits and read the six rules of The Thirteen. Why the final rule is included is a well-guarded secret, and the origins have been lost in the annals of time. Regardless, once the rules are read, the runners go forth and attack the windows of other colleges, with the pressing of a shaving cream-slathered posterior being the preferred assault; Hanszen, Wiess, and Sid Richardson fall, followed by Will Rice, Lovett, and the North Colleges—Brown, Jones, Martel, Duncan, and McMurtry.

Stop at all stop signs (very important)
Pose for all pictures.
Attack only if attacked.
Outside only; no bricks or other stuff.
Always keep the most important part of your body covered - YOUR FACE! (Most runners skip this rule as the shaving cream get in your eyes and stings VERY badly. If you require anonymity, please feel free to follow this rule)
THERE IS NO RULE NUMBER 6!

Anyway, JOIN US! Run 13!

Baker 13 was first run in 1975. Since then, the tradition has been passed down from Bakerite to Bakerite and even to exchange students who have taken the tradition with them back to their universities. For a few years in the early 1990's, there was a brief period where Bakerites lost the enthusiasm to run Baker 13 and Hanzsenites claimed 13 for themselves. During this time, they started calling their runs "Club 13." Baker quickly reclaimed their tradition. In an attempt to maintain an influence in 13, Hanzsenites started a rumor that Baker would start being charged for the clean-up after their runs and they should keep the name "Club 13," which successfully fooled most students for about 10 years.

Baker 13 is an important part of Rice's public image and has marked several historic Rice events. In 2002, as a precursor to the Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, the Olympic torch passed through Houston and Rice University. While it passed through the Rice campus, two Baker 13ers (who remained anonymous thanks to rule #5) ran in front of it. On April 26, 2008, Baker 13 officially christened the newly opened Brochstein Pavillion, which boasted 4 walls of glass. In protest of the new Dirk's Coffee in the pavillion and in respect for the student-run Coffee House on campus, the students shouted "This is for Coffee House!" as they fully covered each wall with body prints. Baker 13 even celebrated the recent Rice Centennial with a run during the Centennial Weekend on October 13, 2012 (President Leebron got a different kind of Spectacle than he was looking for).

We at Baker encourage everyone to leave their mark on Rice, and what better way to do so than with a can of shaving cream in hand and a drafty wind at your backside? So come out every 13th of the month, even if you're not planning on running, and come experience a uniquely Rice tradition in all its creamy glory.