| Traditions | |
- 12th Night: It is held on the 12th day of classes to welcome all students back to school by adding some fun into their busy schedules. The event is held in the center of campus, on the Quad. Games like bungee jumps and an air-walk obstacle course are set up. Students enjoy other activities like rock-wall climbing, jousting, a mechanical bull, and boxing. Student organizations and venders sell jewelry and other goods, and there is also a band to entertain students who were making their way to classes.
- First Night: First Night is a tradition that freshmen get to experience. It is their welcoming to the school, and a lot of local attractions come out to show off their goods. It is held in the Memorial Union, and students can go and play games, win prizes, and meet new people. A lot of local eateries from the Emporium show up and give away free samples of their food. Each year, URI tries to top the previous year by adding some excitement. One time, they had a foam dance party. Kids were covered in soapy foam and dancing all night long. What will they have in store for us next year?
- Freek Week: Freek Week was started by the Greek system. It is an annual event that invites new and interested students into joining a fraternity or sorority. The whole Greek system goes out and tries to recruit new members by inviting them to different social events and meetings.
- Homecoming: Homecoming has been a long-running tradition at URI. Within the past few years, the excitement over Homecoming has died down. A few years ago, back when URI was a wet campus, Homecoming was the event to go to. Students would wake up early, get to campus, park their cars, and start tailgating. The parking lots would be filled with people, barbequing, drinking, and getting ready to watch the football game. Now that URI is a dry campus, no one tailgates. Students still show up to the game in high numbers and welcome back the alumni. There is a dance at the Union where the Homecoming King and Queen are announced.
- Midnight Madness: Midnight Madness is a great sports tradition at URI. Every October, students flock to the Ryan Center to celebrate the beginning of the basketball season. It is a huge event that attracts more than just sports fans at URI. The celebration includes dance performances by the Flava Unit and the Ramettes. Comedians and hypnotists are also known to show up and entertain the crowd before the practice begins. The crowd really goes wild when the players are introduced by the coaches. This tradition is a great part of URI and the athletic department.
- The Mob: The Mob is the university’s group of super fans. They can be seen seated behind the visiting team’s bench at all home basketball games at the Ryan Center. They paint their bodies, cheer loudly, heckle the visitors and get the rest of the fans fired up. During each home game, the leader of The Mob will run around the floor in front of the crowd and lead the wave. Anyone can join The Mob and be rowdy with them at the games. Some Mob members even travel to Atlantic City, N.J. every March for the Atlantic 10 Tournament to support the Rhody Rams on the road.
- Oozeball: Oozeball is a fun time for all URI students. Every April when the weather is starting to get warmer there is an Oozeball tournament held at the Intramural Fields at the bottom of campus. Oozeball is basically volleyball, except it is played in the mud. Teams of 4-6 face of against each other in the muddy madness. The Oozeball Tournament is a big event at URI that lasts all day long.
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