Parade proposals deserve consideration

By Helen Shaw     1/28/10 6:00pm

As members of the Rice community, we all understand how sacred Beer Bike is. So, with the Student Association poll on the proposed Beer Bike parade changes open and a decision due following this Monday's vote, a few points about the proposed plan warrant clarification.The decision is ultimately in the hands of the students. On Monday, there will be a vote by the college Beer Bike coordinators, who were selected by each college to plan the event. College coordinators have done a fantastic job of eliciting discussion during college government meetings, and the campus-wide coordinators answered questions about the changes at the most recent SA meeting.

There are several growing problems with Beer Bike in its current format, the most widely discussed being the issue of trucks. With the Houston Rodeo happening at the same time as Beer Bike, the addition of two new colleges and the fact that truck rental companies are increasingly reluctant to rent trucks out for the event, colleges scramble each year to pull together just one truck per college. Students have to lie to truck companies to secure reservations, and two years ago, Will Rice College had to literally piece a truck together on the rental lot in order to participate. It would be devastating for a college to end up short-changed and unable to participate in the Beer Bike parade due to the inability to secure a truck.

There is also the issue of safety. Fortunately, we have not had any serious injuries in the past, but putting over 1,000 students of varying sobriety alongside 11 large, moving trucks presents a significant possibility of serious or fatal injury. The consequences to Beer Bike in the case of such an occurrence would undoubtedly be severe.

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Taking into account all these problems, the campus-wide and parade coordinators have come up with a plan that is student-initiated and has a lot of promise. While students are rightfully skeptical of change, they should consider this proposal carefully while making their decision.

As it stands, the proposal is to hold the water balloon fight on the football practice field, just north of the stadium, with each college owning a piece of the field's territory. The balloons would be loaded onto the field either the morning of or the night before the fight. On the morning of Beer Bike, colleges could participate in a processional parade going out to the field, cheering and giving bikers and chuggers well-deserved recognition.

The logistics of getting the balloons onto the field would be the trickiest aspect and would still require some trucks; however, colleges could share trucks, and the inability to secure a truck would not preclude participation in the fight.

Some students have voiced concerns over the size of the field, but the field is large enough to accommodate all participants with ample space where people can rest and Rice Emergency Medical Services can set up a tent to treat students.

Under the proposed plan, students would no longer be limited to throwing balloons at colleges directly in front of or behind them; they could be thrown at all colleges, providing more access to rival colleges. Also, the confusion that seems to always arise with the starting and stopping of the parade would be eliminated.

In a stationary fight there are fewer limitations as to how many balloons a college can have. Additionally, it opens up several possibilities for water balloon fight strategies - several students have already expressed excitement at the prospect of assembling defense systems and forts.

It should be reiterated that no decision regarding the format of the parade and balloon fight has been made. An SA poll, located at sa.rice.edu, is currently open so students can have their say. If the vote ends in the decision to keep the old format, then the traditional parade will happen just as gloriously as it has in the past. Students should provide their input so that coordinators can achieve their goal - which is ultimately to make Beer Bike the best and safest experience for students as possible.

Helen Shaw is a Jones College junior and Beer Bike parade co-coordinator.

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