Martel takes Sammy Cup in college battle, will receive cash prize

By Josh Rutenberg     4/15/10 7:00pm

With overall students, parents and alumni giving participation rates of 10.2 percent, Martel College took home the Sammy Cup in this year's College Battle. Winners were announced on March 20 at Beer Bike and Martel will be officially presented with the award by the end of the school year.Along with a trophy and bragging rights, Martel will receive $1,000 for its student budget. Martel will use the money to kickstart a savings fund, Director of the Rice Annual Fund Michele Boillotat said.

Baker College had the highest senior participation at 73.7 percent. Hanszen College achieved the highest parent participation at 12.7 percent. For highest alumni donations, Lovett College and Jones College tied with 5.2 percent participation.

The College Battle is an annual competition that pits each of the residential colleges against each other in an effort to encourage giving to the Rice Annual Fund, which supports student initiatives, residential college life, scholarships, academic programs and intramural sports, among other programs.

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"More students need financial aid these days," Boillotat said. "Money in the Annual Fund is more flexible so the institution can meet those [financial] needs students have."

The giving rates also affect Rice's overall college ranking, with the U.S. News and World Report weighting 5 percent of the college ranking score on alumni donations alone.

"When corporations and foundations look at Rice, a measure of support is by how much support Rice gets from its alumni and constituents."

Alumni and parents participated in the competition between Feb. 15 and March 18, while seniors gave in January and February. Donations of any size were welcomed. Boillotat said giving rates to the Annual Fund have increased since the start of the College Battle competitions four years ago.

Boillotat said the College Battle helps bring together all of campus in supporting Rice programs.

"One of the things most special about the College Battle is we see support from alumni, students and parents," Boillotat said. "It's a way to engage everyone in the process of giving to the Annual Fund.

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