Tour De Tech Terrace: One Bike Short of a Riot
by David Ward
While Texas Tech has built a wide array of formal traditions over the years, one recent alternative event that stands out is the Tour De Tech Terrace.
What began as a late-night premonition for fun and mischief has turned into a bi-annual event, which draws upward of 200 participants from various walks of life. 
According to the Tour de Tech Terrace Web site, creators Omar Abotteen and Aaron Blom invited their friends to participate in a bike ride through the Lubbock neighborhood, enjoying alcoholic beverages at each of the 10 homes where they stopped.
Originally, organizers provided the beers for a fee of $5, but due to underage riders coming along, it turned into a BYOB event to ensure that the organizers where not providing alcohol to minors as well as to avoid police intervention.
After the event began to gain momentum, with press coverage on the Tech college radio station, 88.1, KTXT, the group decided to turn their party into a philantrophic endeavor, requiring participants to bring two canned food goods in order to ride with the group.
Ricky Stillwell has become one of the two organizers, along with Jake Schwierking, who brings all the homeowners together to donate their house for the Tour de Tech Terrace's eighth running. He said that last year the event brought 1,100 pounds of food to the South Plains Food Bank.
“We try to put the image out that we are a charity organization," Stillwell said.
The tour is not necessarily a new idea. Cities such as Boulder, Colo., and Austin cyclists are more prominent and more acceptable see these types of parties on a more frequent basis.
Yet, Stillwell said an event like this in Lubbock allows students to interact in a more involved party.
"For such a quiet, conservative town, you don’t really see too many biker parties,” Stillwell said. 
Students who have participated in the tour find it is a nice change of pace from the average parties available in town.
Jerod Slay, a senior electronic media and communications major, said his favorite part is interacting with different social groups.
"It's awesome," Slay said. "I love being able to hang out with a lot of people you wouldn't normally be hanging out with."
Faculty at Tech have a different view on the event, such as Executive Vice President of the Alumni Association Bill Dean.
Dean said students have to realize they are affecting the neighborhood, which is housing these students and should treat Lubbock with respect.
“The one thing I think Tech students forget is Lubbock owes Tech a lot, but it’s got to be reciprocated," Dean said.
Stillwell understands the hesitations residents have to hosting the event. Littered beer cans and people parking their bikes in neighboring property are among some of the problems faced each year. He said rules are set out at the beginning of the ride to ensure that all participants respect the houses hosting the event as well as neighbors surrounding the area.
For this year's ride, Stillwell is looking to bring in around 200 people. The official day has not yet been released and the only advertising will be by word of mouth. 
Even though Stillwell is a senior and will no longer be able to bring the tour together, he said he hopes someone will take the reigns and keep the tradition going.
"Hopefully this won't be something that dies out when we all graduate," Stillwell said. "We will be hinting to the crowd at the start of the Tour we are looking for someone to head up next years event."