Meet the Coordinators: 2016

 

Elliot Baerman

elliotI’m Elliot Baerman, and I’m so excited to welcome you into the Martel Family! Congratulations on being placed into the best residential college at Rice.

Here’s a few things about myself. I am originally from Knoxville, Tennessee and went to the same school from kindergarten through senior year. Being the new kid was a completely foreign experience for me when I came to Rice, but the help my Rice and Martel family gave me made the transition SO much better. I am truly indebted to them, and they are one of the biggest reasons I decided to coordinate. I absolutely LOVE elephants. Half of my wardrobe is dedicated to elephant shirts, and my room is mostly decorated with elephant posters. Did you know elephants can swim using their trunks as snorkels!? I have one sister who went to Parsons in New York City and majored in Strategic Design and Management. The other half of my wardrobe not dedicated to elephants was most likely picked out by her. I also love dogs. At home, I have a beagle named Tucker and a shih tzu named Chanel whom I miss very much when I’m away (luckily P. Sheamus, Ben and Taylor’s dog, helps to fill the void). While I can’t watch every game, I love Chicago sports teams as my entire family originates from South Chicago. Whether it’s the Blackhawks, Bulls, Bears, or White Sox, I love to watch their games.

I am about to enter my junior year, majoring in biochemistry and cell biology. My freshman year I ran on the varsity cross country and track team, but now I run non-competitively. I regularly run on the outer loop and around Houston. To exercise the mind, I enjoy playing chess. Additionally, I was part of the Rice Honor Council this year as Martel’s Representative. Since freshman year, I have worked in a synthetic biology lab at the BRC. Come talk to me if you have any interest in research! There’s tons of opportunities at Rice and around Houston.

Martel is so much more than just a dormitory. It’s a community to support you through thick and thin during your time at Rice. The Martel community is unlike any I have ever encountered in my life-one that actively cares for one another coming to each other’s aid when needed and celebrating our successes when things are going well. You will make memories and friends that will last for a lifetime. An abundance of opportunities exist at Martel, Rice, and the Houston area for you to find your passions. For now, relax and enjoy your summer be- cause you earned it! We’ll explain everything and introduce you to all the resources to help you along the way during O-Week. I can’t wait to meet you! Get excited!

MBYM,

Elliot

Harry Liu

Wow. I can’t believe it. Out of 11 possible colleges, you got put in Martel. I feel really sorry…for all your friends who didn’t get Martel! Congratulations on being put in the undeniably best college on campus!harry1

You’ve had to tell us a lot about yourself over the past few weeks, so it’d only be fair if we did the same. I was born in the North of the U.S. in Ohio but raised in Louisiana, although it may be hard to tell from my refusal to say the word y’all. I come from a little town in the center of the state called Alexandria or A-town and, little known fact, my city has its own song (look it up). Growing up, there wasn’t much diversity in my school or city, so coming to Rice University was definitely a shock. Back in high school, students had to act a certain way in order to fit in, and I am happy to say that you are free to be yourself at Rice. Here, I’m free to show my love of the beautiful game (soccer) and support the best team in the league, Arsenal.

I’ll be a senior this year, so make sure to introduce yourself before I graduate! I’m a psychology major hoping to one day attend medical school, but in the meantime I spend my time building houses with Habitat for Humanity, taking care of students as Head Caregiver, or mentoring students on Sunday nights. We’re always in need of students to help with house builds, so let me know if you would like to help with Habitat for Humanity! Even if none of these clubs piques your interest, three years at Rice have exposed me to many of the clubs on campus, so just ask and I should be able to point you to something you might enjoy.

At Martel, you can usually find me playing soccer in the quad or in my room laying a beatdown in Smash or Showdown. Regardless of what the other Coordinators say, just know that I am the unofficial and official champion of Pokemon Showdown. Feel free to ask me anything from how to play FIFA to best places to eat around Chinatown.

Congratulations again on being one of the lucky students to be able to join our College. We hope that if you get anything out of this book, it is that you understand Martel is more than a residential college. We are a family, and we welcome you into our pod.

Best,

Harry Liu

Andrew Supron

andrewFirst things first: breathe. You’ve made it into Rice! This alone is an incredibly monumental task. The stress—of picking a university, of being placed into a residential college, of learning your roommates—is all over. And I might add that you are one lucky fellow to have made it into Martel.

I’m originally from the wonderful state of New Jersey. At age 12, I earned 4th place in the statewide Pokemon Trading Card Game tournament (I have a Blastoise trophy if you don’t believe me), and my parents decided that our small town of Bernardsville did not have the resources necessary to train a budding PokeMaster forever. Only a few years later, I arrived at Martel College, a residential college known (at least in part) for its competitive Pokemon Showdown battling circle. Needless to say I now dominate this league—just ask Harry and Elliot.

These days I have more or less retired from my illustrious Pokemon career and instead have turned to pursuing a degree in chemistry with a minor in biochemistry & cell biology. I am also a pre-med. These fields are honestly my second favorite topic to discuss (behind O-Week, of course), so come find me if this stuff interests you!

In addition to serving as an O-Week Coordinator, I am also one of the three Head Peer Academic Advisors at Martel, as well as our general and organic chemistry mentor. Outside of Martel, I helped establish and volunteer at Rice’s Queer Resource Center, which is a brand new group located in the Student Center for LGBT+ students, as well as Allies. I’m spending my summer teaching 8th grade Chemistry at Breakthrough in Houston. In my free time you’ll often find me playing Martel’s beautiful grand piano, avoiding the Recreation Center, and exploring Houston’s fine dining options, namely Chipotle and Five Guys.

On behalf of all Martelians, I would like to welcome you to the most inclusive, most friendly, most supportive, beautiful, loving, and fun community at Rice. Martel is truly a special place. This I’m sure is due to the connections you’ll find here. I am so excited to meet each and every one of you during H2O-Week and to watch your class begin to hydrogen bond (sorry, had to)—not only with each other, but also with the rest of our incredible family.

Truly,

Andrew Supron