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THE OLD PARADE
Beginnings (1976-77)
The parade that Rice students have come to know and love today has been a slow evolution from its beginnings in 1976. There were no balloons back in 1976, and there really wasn't much of a parade either. What occurred was that Sid Richardson and Lovett Colleges had an unofficial contest for best entry to the race. The Lovett team rode in on unicycles, motorcycles, bicycles for two, a 19th-century highwheeler, and carried the master's daughter in on a rickshaw. Not to be outdone, the team from Sid arrived carrying torches, followed by a band that played the theme from the Olympic Games. In 1977 the contest continued, with students arriving on mattresses and Lovett for the first time entering with trucks blaring "Flight of the Valkyries." Sid followed them, marching behind a crucifix, in their familiar position of last. [Click here to hear Jen Cooper talk about pre-water balloon parades.]
The Old Parade (1978-1992)
From the years between 1976 and 1991, the parade that
most Rice students know did not exist because of one major
factor: no water balloons. The parade was still just a competition
for the craziest entry. The balloons made their first appearance not
in the parade, but in what would become a pre-Beer Bike tradition,
the water jack. In 1988 Will Rice announced in the special Beer Bike
issue of the college newsletter, The Phoenix, that 100 water
balloons had been purchased and would be launched on an anonymous
neighboring college at 5:45 Friday night. The balloons were introduced
in the parade in 1991 and were an overwhelming success with everyone,
except possibly with the Rice Campus Police. In 1991 there was no fine
system, so the Campos simply asked the students not to get them wet.
As they soon found out, extremely intoxicated 19- to 22-year-olds tend
not to listen. The official notice of fines came in the 1992 suggestions
written to the Beer-Bike Committee. They noted that "more police officers
will be needed for the parade, and race officials will have to devise
penalties for infractions during the parade." The portion of suggestions
about the parade was closed with, "this is really the best part of the
race day and the most difficult to manage." This echoed the sentiment
of many students, who felt the parade was the best part, and allowed
them to participate where they might not otherwise do so. One Rice
alumna who did not get to enjoy the water balloon fight,
Jen Cooper '90, said, "The water balloons allow a way for people
who aren't athletic or aren't interested in chugging or being
really organizational to participate. If it lets them participate, great."
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