Baker 13 is one of the most famous traditions at Rice University
 

Baker 13 is one of the most famous traditions at Rice University. At 10 p.m. on the 13th and 31st of every month (26th of months with no 31st), a group of students runs around the entire campus wearing nothing but shaving cream. Although the event usually only attracts a small number of students, on Halloween and the last relevant day of the schoolyear (usually April 26th), the event is very large, regularly attracting over 100 students. The event is so named because it begins and ends at Baker College.

The runners go by all the residential colleges and often make shaving cream impressions by rubbing their bodies on windows and doors. College members often throw water on the runners. The runners usually shout the college anti-cheer (e.g. "Sid Rich sucks, death from behind") of the college they are running by. They also shout the Baker 13 cheer, which goes like this: "Join us! Join us!"

Although the students are naked, the event is non-sexual in nature (unlike NOD). Instead the atmosphere of Baker 13 is silly and exuberant. Both Baker 13 and NOD are, however, the subject of controversy with critics condemning their hedonistic characteristics and the encouragement of underage drinking.

The run usually finishes at Valhalla (http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~valhalla/), the graduate student pub on campus. In recent years runners have been given a complimentary soft-drink in lieu of a free beer, due to the aforementioned concerns raised about under-aged drinking. Sometimes the runners continue their run, joined by a Valhalla patron or two who decides to join in on the fun.

I live in Texas, how have I never heard of this? :p

Funny stuff. I like the giving out free cokes instead of beer. Yeah it's goofy, but it should do a good job of taking out that whole "promoting drinking" thing. Just goes to show- you don't HAVE to be drunk to run around campus in nothing but shaving cream. Not in Texas at least. Hehe :)

Sounds like the Naked Mile at Michigan, lol. The Naked Mile is held on the last day of classes and it's supposed to be seniors only that run naked on a course mapped out. It's a huge social thing...everyone shows up, especially all the Greeks.

Ahh...college memories!

...and the Naked Olympics at Princeton. Traditionally held at midnight on the day of the first significant snowfall of the academic year. Sophomores (used to be just men but the end of the 80's saw women join in the festivities) gather naked in Holder Courtyard, wearing only boots, scarves, and hats to perform calisthenics and run around campus and the town. Of course, the rest of the student body is there to spectate.

I have heard that the admin has abolished the Naked Olympics in recent years, but I am not sure to what degree of success. . .

I've read in the FSView (the FSU newspaper) that 'streaking' (in its modern form) was actually 'invented' at FSU in (I think) 1972.

why not....
i couldn't do it, but a soda is harmless.

Harvard has Primal Scream. At midnight on the night before finals begin each semester, the whole student body pours into the center of campus and screams -- and then a group of students (anywhere from 100 to 500) throws off their coats/bathrobes and runs a naked lap of the Yard while the band plays in front of the John Harvard statue. Due to the timing of fall semester exams, once a year this happens at midnight in January in New England.

I ran every semester and it was a blast, especially in January! You don't feel the cold at all.