Dis-O, move-in weekend see increase in alcohol transports from last year

By Juliana Lightsey     8/26/25 10:18pm

Rice’s first wet weekend of the year saw four times as many calls for intoxication-related transports of students to the hospital compared to the previous three years, according to emails sent out by college presidents and chief justices.

The weekend coincided with Dis-O, an event following freshman Orientation Week meant to introduce new students to party culture at Rice.

According to an email sent to Baker College by Chief Justice Alex Giangiorgi, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman called an emergency meeting with the residential college presidents on Monday to discuss the alcohol consumption over the weekend. Giangiorgi wrote that a campuswide alcohol ban was considered in the meeting.

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“Threats of a dry campus being levied were seriously discussed,” wrote Giangiorgi, a junior, in his email. “If the behavior patterns from the weekend continue this week, it is very likely we will face campuswide sanctions.”

According to a GroupMe message sent by Sid Richardson College President Arjun Surya, college presidents were told that many of the hospital transports were for freshmen.

The Office of the Dean of Undergraduates also cancelled all social committee events for Will Rice College for the first week of classes, according to an email sent by Will Rice President Mary Margaret Speed. Speed wrote that the cancellations were due to “many violations to the Alcohol Policy” as well as failure to properly register the events.

Jones College Chief Justice Sam Forman wrote in an email to his college that the administration is also carefully watching Jones College concerning alcohol consumption. Forman said that the upcoming public, Martel’s “Don’t Mess With Texas” party, would be watched closely.

“If anything like what happened on Saturday happens again this week or at Martel Texas Party … campus will go dry,” wrote Forman, a junior. “Specifically, we have extra eyes on us.” 

Bridget Gorman, dean of undergraduates, said she was concerned and disappointed by the incidents.

“As part of their orientation, all students receive alcohol education training, and our alcohol policies and expectations exist for a reason,” Gorman wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Excessive drinking is unhealthy and dangerous, and more broadly falls short of our standards for personal responsibility, civility and respect for others. I am working closely with college magisters and student leaders to reinforce these expectations for behavior among our students.”

Rice last faced campuswide alcohol sanctions following Wiess College’s public party, “Night of Decadence,” in October 2023. The party was shut down early after more than two dozen students required medical treatment, and seven Rice students were transported to hospitals. Following the incident, public parties were cancelled through spring break, an alcohol policy advisory committee was convened to reevaluate the university’s alcohol policies and NOD was permanently cancelled.

Although a specific number of emergency transports from move-in weekend was not released, Lovett College President Ayush Suresh said in an email to his college that the number of students transported was comparable to the seven NOD transports.

“This rivals numbers last reached at the NOD public in 2023, which caused campus to go dry for an entire semester,” wrote Suresh, a senior.

The college presidents and chief justices emphasized the importance of safe drinking practices, avoiding hard alcohol and holding other students accountable in their messages. 

“We just want to be more intentional about how we drink at Rice and make sure that everyone can engage safely with events at Rice,” Suresh wrote.

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