Keeping Rice culture of care alive is a shared responsibility

By Thresher Editorial Board     8/26/25 9:08pm

The semester has barely begun, and this year’s Dis-Orientation saw four times as many medical transports as previous years. That number should give everyone pause. 

Dis-O is supposed to be a freshman’s introduction to Rice’s party culture and all that comes with it, including drinking. It’s a night for advisors to introduce students to this potentially significant part of their college experience in a safe and guided way. But with such an increase in transports, it’s hard to call the night a success. It’s even harder not to be reminded of what happened in 2023.

In October 2023, Wiess College’s public Night of Decadence was shut down early. Twenty-four students needed on-site medical treatment. Seven were transported to hospitals. Students were handcuffed. Allegations of excessive force were made. While no arrests were reported, the damage was done. 

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In the aftermath, Rice canceled public parties through spring break, limited Pub to 21+ students only and placed NOD on probation. The consequences could’ve been even more severe, but the reality is clear: another night like Dis-O, and Rice could become a dry campus.

NOD was later  permanently cancelled. What was the largest party of the year (both in attendance and notoriety) is essentially lost for new students. This should serve as a reminder to students that their actions can have lasting consequences for Rice culture. For Weiss’s new party, students couldn’t help but feel that they were missing out. It wouldn’t be fair to new students in five, ten years if our culture is only a shell of its former self, because of bad decision making

Some students have long assumed that Rice’s open and trusting alcohol policy is a given. It’s not. That system only works if students take responsibility for themselves and for one another. In 2023, we didn’t. And this year, we’re already on a rough path.

Upperclassmen know what this year’s Dis-O could entail. We’ve lived through party restrictions. We know how fragile the balance is between fun and fallout. We also know what responsible partying looks like — and what happens when that line is crossed. Know your limits, drink water, have something to eat and lead by example.

Post-NOD, the Thresher’s editorial board at the time wrote that “banning hard alcohol or alcohol-related gatherings will not stop people from drinking — but it could make them less likely to seek medical help.” This statement holds true two years later. The purpose of Dis-O is, ultimately, to teach underclassmen how to drink responsibly in a safe environment. If they no longer have a safe environment, they’ll go drink somewhere else, and off-campus parties, clubs and bars don’t have resources like REMS or an amnesty policy. They certainly don’t have a culture of care.

It’s on us as upperclassmen to model that culture of care. That means checking in on new students before the party even starts. That means not enabling binge drinking in the name of “having fun” or “tradition.” Advisors: When your O-Weeks kid’s safety is the topic, there is no excuse for putting them in danger. That means stepping in when someone’s had too much — not after they’re already on the way to REMS. We’re all adults here, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look out for one another. 

Our responsibility isn’t just to have fun. It’s to make sure the people around us can have fun too — safely.

Editor’s Note: Thresher editorials are collectively written by the members of the Thresher’s editorial board. Current members include Sarah Knowlton, Kathleen Ortiz, Juliana Lightsey, James Cancelarich, Noa Berz, Jenna Perrone, Arman Saxena, Andersen Pickard and Evie Vu. Managing editor Juliana Lightsey recused herself from this editorial due to reporting on the corresponding story in our news section.

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