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Honors at the MS-150

by Michael West, photos courtesy of Simon Tice, Mary Elhardt, Gregory Bohuslav, and the rest of the Honors team

That whoosh you saw during the weekend of April 17-18 was over 13,000 bicycles and their riders, who pedaled the 150 miles from Houston to Austin to raise money to fight Multiple Sclerosis. And the best dressed of the bunch? The riders, decked out in slick red jerseys, from The Honors College.

The ride not only brought students, faculty, and alumni together for a tiring but fun two-day trip, but it also increased the visibility of the University of Houston and The Honors College. “We all had Honors College jerseys, and it was a great chance to show off the brand to riders from all over the state. One guy helped us fix a flat and was wondering if we could give him a degree!” Dr. Monroe said, with a laugh.

For the current students who rode this year, the MS 150 helped them connect to other students – and set them up to recruit even more riders for next year. “It was an awesome weekend,” said Simon Tice, sophomore at the Honors College. “It was a great way to get to know others in the college, and the scenery and the riders were all really nice. I’ll do it next year, and I’m pretty sure there are a lot more bikers in The Honors College -- we just have to find them!”

The Honors College team was noticed by several alumni on the ride, as well. “Several Honors College alumni from back in the day saw the jerseys and rode beside us for a while to ask about the College and catch up,” Dr. Monroe said. “Kimberly Wilkinson [wife of Trey Wilkinson, a member of The Honors College Advisory Board], found us and we rode together for the last 32 miles from Bastrop.”

All alumni, students, faculty, and friends are invited to ride with The Honors College next year. To learn more, email Edith Dugas at egdugas@uh.edu.