Keep administrative hands off public parties

By Thresher Editorial Board     11/19/24 10:33pm

Emergency Management is hoping to implement a new system that has students swipe their IDs when entering public parties to cross-check their name with a pre-registered list. This idea is being touted as an effort to reduce check-in time and lines at publics. The thing is – we are tired. After bans on events, APAC and dramatic changes in party requirements, we want hands off the public party. 

Administration has ordered change after change to Rice’s long-held public party traditions in the name of safety and organization, and we have complied. Socials heads have gone from coordinating music and leading college decorating efforts to being embroiled in meetings with administration on space limits. Restrictions on attendance were first introduced during COVID-19, and today, with the pandemic behind us, we are still morosely clicking into Google Forms in hopes of getting that one coveted ticket – that is, if the form doesn’t crash. 

We’re not even sure what prompted this response. The issue during NOD was clearly Rice’s alcohol culture, not the number of students in attendance. In fact, Wiess College’s socials were careful with managing capacity and having support on standby. If students want to party, they will party. If students can’t get tickets to safe, on-campus events, they will just plan private or off-campus events. Without the safety net of caregivers and Rice EMS, the very news-making hospitalizations administration is worried about could increase. 

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The response among college presidents and social heads is largely that the restriction will make it more difficult to sell or trade tickets. Though we have criticized ticket scalping in the past, we can’t think of a recent public where that’s been a problem. And trading tickets is completely reasonable — the same number of students will be in the space regardless of who those students are.

Jones College socials heads were offered the system for their Saturday public, Jones Inferno, but opted not to use it. The fact that colleges have been declining the offer for months is indicative of how badly students don’t want administration to interfere with party culture. We already work incredibly hard on planning a party that is fun, within budget and honors their college’s culture and traditions. Butting in just weeks before, with Rice’s already numerous event registration requirements, is disrespectful of our time. 

College parties are supposed to be packed. They’re sweaty and loud. We understand that we can’t have the reckless, hard to control parties of the past, but today’s restrictions feel like they’re overstepping in the name of our safety. While requiring caregivers and hiring RUPD is fair, restricting attendance is against the very fiber of Rice’s inclusive culture. 

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