O’Rourke rallies students in Academic Quad

By Noa Berz     4/22/25 11:39pm

Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, Texas spoke in front of the Sallyport to a sea of sunglasses and “end gun violence” signs April 17. The rally, organized by Rice Young Democrats, took place in the academic quad from noon to 2 p.m.

O’Rourke began with a speech covering Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s private school voucher bill, Democratic Party failures and President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration and abortion access. 

Speaking on a platform of inclusivity, O’Rourke said the issues he touched are relevant to all Americans, regardless of party affiliation. 

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“The goal today is not even to promote the Democrats, it is to bring us all together,” O’Rourke said in his speech. “If you voted for Donald Trump…I’m glad you came.” 

RYD co-president Sammi Frey said she felt proud that so many Rice students showed up in support of O’Rourke and the fight for what O’Rourke called a “democracy under trial.” 

“[O’Rourke] is a very authentic speaker, and I think that he will be able to resonate with the students because he cares so much about what’s going on in this country right now,” said Frey, a Hanszen College sophomore. 

Calla Doh, also a Hanszen College sophomore, took the stage along with several other students to ask questions after the former congressman finished his opening remarks. 

“We have this incredible opportunity right now to rebuild, to create new alliances and collaborations across party lines,” Doh said onstage. “As we [students] go to our homes or internship locations this summer, how can we be a part of this [rebuilding]?” 

Doh, teary-eyed after stepping down from the stage, said seeing Rice students gather on campus to hear O’Rourke speak gave her hope in the face of national turmoil and Rice’s apolitical climate. 

“There is a lack of political involvement and mobilization on campus,” Doh said in an interview with the Thresher. “I think Beto’s presence here and the fact that so many students have given up their lunchtime, their classes to be here marks a significant shift.”

O’Rourke responded to student concerns around the Trump administration’s funding cuts and restrictions on social services like abortion access and transgender healthcare. 

“Counterintuitively, count yourself lucky to be alive at this moment of truth,” O’Rourke said. “No pressure folks, but we cannot fuck this one up.”

Matti Haacke, a senior from Sid Richardson College, said in a comment to the former congressman that he hopes Rice students continue to show up for campus protests and rallies without O’Rourke’s “celebrity appearance.” Responding to Haacke’s statement, O’Rourke said he “couldn’t agree more.”

“The people turning out here don’t turn out to other protests,” said Haacke, a Rice Students for Justice in Palestine organizer. “I hope that the calls to fight that we’ve heard from Beto, from other students, help people feel energized to come out to other things on campus.” 

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