Martel turns 10

Rice University’s 9th residential college celebrates its 10th birthday

Across campus, members of the Rice community have been busy celebrating the university’s centennial year, but at Martel College, there’s one more reason to celebrate – March 30 marks the college’s 10th birthday.

“For a residential college, this is an important landmark – it’s like a coming of age,” Martel College Master Ted Temzelides said. The professor of economics and his wife, Beata Loch, associate director of international programs, have been masters at Martel since 2010. “We are extremely pleased and proud of how far Martel has come during these last 10 years.”

History of Martel

Martel is Rice’s ninth residential college. At the time it was built, it was the first new college in more than 30 years, following Sid Richardson College in 1971. (McMurtry and Duncan colleges opened after Martel, with dedications in October 2010 and December 2010, respectively.)

“The funding and quality of design of Martel represented a significant reaffirmation by the university of the centrality of the residential college system to the student experience at Rice,” Rice historian John Boles said.

Martel was named for the benefactors who made the college’s construction possible, the late Houston businessman Speros Martel and his wife, Marian. During the 1940s, the Martels lived only a short distance away from Rice in the Warwick (now the Hotel ZaZa), located just north of campus on Main Street. Although they didn’t have children, the couple bestowed their love of learning on their “adopted” children – the students of the Rice Institute.

Traditions

A lot can happen in 10 years – just ask any “Martelian.” The college may be young, but like its fellow residential colleges, Martel has developed a number of special rituals that make it unique.

Among these rituals are the social gatherings the college hosts each semester. Martel hosts the first and last public parties of the academic year. “We are the scrumptious bread in the sandwich that is your year at Rice,” the website reads. The annual “Don’t Mess With Texas” bash kicks off the academic year by welcoming Texans and non-Texans alike to the Lone Star State and to Rice, and the end-of-year “Beach Party” celebrates summer’s return to Houston and offers students a reprieve from studying before finals begin.

Other popular traditions include an Oktoberfest barbecue on the Academic Quad, the annual “Greek Week” honoring the Speros Martel’s heritage and birthday and a holiday decorating contest.

And while the students have worked hard over the past decade to establish new traditions and make the college culture what it is, Temzelides encourages students to leave their own special mark on Martel.

“I tell students to try to think of one way you can help change the college so that when you leave, it will be better because of you and your idea,” Temzelides said.

“Over the years, we’ve built this strong sense of community and continued forming our identity,” Martel junior Ginny Johnson said. “We have traditions that we value, but at the same time, we’re always making improvements and changing to fit the culture of Rice and the college.”

Life at Martel

That sense of community is one of the best things about being part of Martel, according to its residents.

“I love the community spirit I’ve experienced at Martel,” Martel senior Fahad Punjwani said. “It’s reinforced the idea of why being part of a community matters, and I’m going to carry it with me wherever life takes me.”

Martel prime minister Charlotte Brown first experienced Martel’s “community” during a Families Weekend visit when her older brother was a resident. She said seeing it all again when she showed up at O-Week a few years ago was a little overwhelming.

“I had no idea what the people and the social environment would be like and how great it was going to be,” she said.

Many Martelians admit that being the new kid on the block wasn’t always easy, but it’s just one reason why there’s such a strong bond among its residents.

“What I love about Martel is you can walk into the commons on any given day and see athletes sitting with engineering majors and humanities majors – everyone has a place in our community,” said Amy Buxbaum, Martel president.

The next 10 years – and beyond

Martel is commemorating its 10th anniversary March 30 with a celebration for alumni, friends and current residents. The college is also starting an endowment to improve life within the college and possibly offer scholarships to future students.

“We’re entering our preteen years, and I think it’s a special time because we’re not so new that we don’t know what we’re doing anymore, but we’re not so old that we’re entrenched in these traditions that don’t work for the college,” Buxbaum said. “I think it’s that spirit that really makes Martel the amazing place that it is. If you have an idea, we’re going to go for it.”

As Martelians reflect on the college’s first 10 years, one thing is clear: They’re ready for what the future has in store.

“We’re looking forward to another great decade,” Temzelides said.