When new students arrived at Rice University for O-Week, they quickly learned how residential college identity is a big part of life on campus. Each college has its own traditions, personality and theme. This year, though, a new T-shirt design offers a reminder that all of those communities are part of something bigger.
The shirt designed by Rose Arredondo, a Brown College junior double-majoring in Asian studies and health sciences, features 12 owls, each representing one of Rice’s residential colleges. Each owl incorporates elements inspired by that college’s O-Week theme, creating a playful collection of individual identities that come together as one campuswide design. All students are encouraged to wear their shirts at Rice Rally at Tudor Fieldhouse Tuesday night starting at 6:15 p.m.
“One favorite Rice O-Week tradition is the sea of college colors, with new students, advisers and coordinators proudly wearing T-shirts representing their residential colleges,” said Alese Pickering, director of creative services in the Office of Public Affairs. “While we love that college pride, we thought it would be special to dedicate one day during O-Week to universitywide unity. On that day, every new student will wear matching Rice blue shirts — featuring artwork created by a student — that represents all 12 residential colleges. It’s a powerful reminder that before anything else, we’re all Rice Owls.”
Arredondo, one of three O-Week coordinators for Brown College, volunteered to create the design after seeing last year’s shirt and the work of her O-Week “mom,” Jasmine Klinkao, who designed it.
The decision was a natural fit for Arredondo, who has always considered herself an artistic person. Although her academic career is rooted in health sciences and Asian studies, she has continued to pursue design at Rice through her work with Housing, Dining and Hospitality and by creating stickers and shirts for Brown College.
For this year’s design, Arredondo wanted to capture what makes each college distinctive while finding a common thread that connected them all.
“I wanted to showcase the creativity in all the ideas from our other colleges,” she said. “I found it really fun to tackle a little themed owl based on everyone’s O-Week theme.”
That meant paying particular attention to Rice’s newest residential college, Chao College. With its O-Week theme, DragO-Week, Arredondo used the dragon as inspiration for its owl.
She also saw the design as a way to help a new college begin building its own identity and traditions.
Creating a unified design for 12 distinct communities presented its own challenge. Arredondo said she wanted the owls to feel cohesive without making one college appear more prominent than another.
“Keeping the consistent style and composition was a bit difficult,” she said. “I didn’t want to make it seem like there was a preference for one college over another.”
To make sure each owl captured its college appropriately, she sought feedback from the other O-Week coordinators, sharing designs and asking what they thought would best represent their communities.
That collaborative process echoes the larger purpose of O-Week itself. While students may quickly develop strong connections to their individual residential colleges, the week is also about welcoming an entire class of new Owls into the overall Rice community.
“Our residential college system gives Rice a unique sense of community and identity, but ultimately, we’re all united by something bigger: We’re Rice Owls,” said Tamara Davis, assistant director of first-year programs. “Seeing a sea of blue Rice shirts is a powerful reminder that, while we may belong to different colleges, we’re all part of one Rice community.”
For Arredondo, that sense of belonging is personal.
She came to Rice from Marble Falls, Texas, a small town where she said everyone knew everyone else. The transition to Rice was daunting, making the support she received during O-Week especially meaningful.
“I think we hear time and time again that O-Week is so unique and special to Rice,” Arredondo said. “Having O-Week there was really important for me to really feel more confident … and as a new student, I really wanted to have a part in this.”
Now, Arredondo is helping create that experience for an entirely new class — with a shirt that may become part of their Rice memories for years to come.
“It’s nice knowing that I’m not just helping my college but designing something for the entire campus,” she said. “It’s really impactful to know that every new student will have something that I helped in.”
For Arredondo, the finished shirt creates more than a piece of O-Week apparel. It represents a continuation of a tradition, a celebration of Rice’s residential colleges and a way for her to leave a small creative mark on the university.
And for the students who wear it, the 12 owls offer a simple message: Rice may have many nests, but they are all home to Owls.