Traditions
The recipe for a happy Brownie :)
Culture
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Our unofficial motto, our favorite acronym. If you know, you know. Used in all scenarios, from email signoffs to midnight war chants.
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Our official motto: “Strive well, aim high”
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The pride and joy of Brown College. May it never be stolen, may it never fall; long may it wave, tall may it stand.
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Our mascot, the happiest animal on earth!
This title comes from their unique facial structure, which gives them a perpetual, photogenic smile. A small marsupial native to Australia, they are incredibly friendly, curious, and are famous for the "quokka selfie" trend. Look it up!
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Each floor has a different culture! Your floor’s culture is what y’all make of it each year. For example, 3rd Floor is generally quieter and hosts intimate events, 4th is known for boisterous parties and chilling at the Knuckle, 5th has lively and spontaneous events (think fish funeral), and the 2nd Floor Quads are game-night experts. Each floor has a group chat made by that year’s Floor Reps.
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Brownies love to study, game, watch movies, play poker, party, and hang out on the beautiful first floor of the Tower!
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No better way to beat the heat than at the (small) Brown Pool on the rooftop! Despite its name, the water is always clean.
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Every north college is paired with a south college, and we’re sister colleges with Hanszen! We meet (and fight) several times during O-Week, and we continue to mingle throughout the year in the form of shared FITQs and other social events.
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Often thrown as false (yet hurtful) slander against our beautiful home, this title touches on Brown’s location at the top corner of campus. Due to our geography, Brown is able to have a genuinely tight and caring community, easy access to Hermann Park and Downton Houston through the Metro, and some peace and quiet (looking at you Sid Rich). If you’re a new Brownie, don’t worry, we all still hang out at the other colleges too and walk to class just fine, it’s like 30 extra seconds. On the upside, Brownies have the strongest legs on campus. 😎
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Small acts of kindness Rice students do to go out of their way for each other. Whether it’s walking another student home safe at night, helping someone carry their things, or helping Rice stay theft-free, Rice is a better place because we all care for each other.
Traditions
Study Breaks
Brownies let their brain cool down with friends at our regular study breaks! Many committees and groups host these throughout the year, especially during midterms and finals. These take the form of ice cream stations, movies in Vator, paint ‘n sips, weekly TV show parties, and our lovely RA Jess’ amazing cookie drops.
Fridays in the Quad
Filled with food, music, games, and drinks, a FITQ is a great way to bring an end to a busy week.
Birthday Dunking
Whether it’s someone in your O-Week group, a friend, or a roommate who is celebrating their birthday, this person must be soaked in the sacred waters of the Fairy Fountain to ensure good luck and success over the next year. Whether it be at lunch, at midnight, or taken straight out of class, we're sure to swing the Brownie over the fountain while singing before they get tossed. Sometimes this involves a long, intense chase, but other times it works as a quiet ambush. Afterwards, the birthday Brownie chases all the spectators for a (super wet) hug :)
LoopTroop
Every Sunday morning, our lovely RA Hossam leads a group run around the outer loop of campus (about 5K). Afterwards, stop by the tower apartment for fruit, snacks, hot chocolate, and good vibes.
Brown Defense
When the hordes of Baker 13 terrorize the campus with shaving cream and barebacked shenanigans, Brown alone rallies to push them back. Armed with water balloons, blasters, and an impregnable fortress, we protect what’s ours to the last Brownie.
Jacks
It’s not enough to defend ourselves though—the lesser colleges must Bow Down to Brown. Under the supervision and permission of the Chief Justice, jacks are (mostly) harmless pranks played between members of different colleges, or on the university as a whole.
Events
Floorolympics
At the beginning of the year, all the floors are equal. But after Floorolympics, one floor will dominate all others. Each floor comes down in their own special jerseys (shirts/tanks), and we compete in watermelon eating, juice pong, volleyball, tug of war, and cheer battles. Nothing brings the Brown community together more than a bit of floor rivalry.
Trivia Night
Once a semester, the B-Team hosts a rowdy, competitive trivia night in Commons with food and drinks. Brownies form their own teams as friends, floors, or o-week groups to battle head to head for glory, prizes, and the winner’s trophy.
Casino Night
In the fall, Brown Commons transforms into a casino floor complete with blackjack tables, poker tabkes, craps, and roulette ran by real dealers. Brownies are invited to dress their best and have fun trying to win as many chips as possible to transfer into raffle tickets at the end of the night. Masks for decoration, photo opportunities, food, and drinks are provided.
Brown Skate
During O-Week, Brown rents out a roller rink and takes our newest Brownies skating! Later in the year, Brown rents out the Galleria ice rink and invites the entire college for a night on the ice.
College Night
College Night is an event held by every college one Friday per semester, often on the same day.
For Brown, it is a day filled with donuts, drinks, and dares as we wear matching themed shirts and visit each other’s classes all day, then continue the fun with games and a special FITQ in the afternoon. The night is often accompanied with jacks and panel debates.
Parties
Snowball
It doesn’t snow in Houston? Fine, we’ll do it ourselves.
Snowball is a 2-part extravaganza with a snowball fight during the day (that’s right, we bring in real snow) and a winter formal-style party at night!
Bacchanalia
The last public college party of the year. Open to the entire campus.
An evening toga party to rival the parties of the gods, complete with wine, merriment, and chaos.
Rivalries
Hanszen
Does your sibling ever tick you off? So does ours! In between all of our bonding and social events throughout the year, we like to butt heads with our sister college Hanszen and settle the score.
Don’t worry—whether it’s a Mock Bike competition, a jack war, surprise late-night takeover, or Jello Scoot (ifkyk), Brown always ends up on top. Pull up to help put these clowns in their place.
Jones
Our next door neighbor (pictured left).
Also, somebody needs to teach these tryhards who really owns the Fairy Fountain. If you find yourself with a full roll of toilet-paper and a need to blow off some steam, text your Brown President, you know where to find me.
Weiss
That’s how you spell it, don’t let those illiterates fool you.
Our distant neighbor on the south side, we’ll gladly steal their War Pig, thrash them in Mock Bike, and remind them that they’re just as far from Fondy as we are.
Chao
After they stole some of our much beloved Brownies away from us, we have decided to remind College #12 that they are in fact, the new kid on campus.
Expect pranks galore.