Fewer arrests, EMS calls reported at NOD this year
Perhaps the biggest surprise surrounding Wiess College’s annual Night of Decadence Saturday was the lack of activity. By all accounts, this year’s NOD was tame.
None of the private parties this year were shut down, and only two NOD-related arrests were made. One involved a student who attacked a police officer, and the other involved an inebriated non-Rice student who did not leave NOD when asked.
Wiess Social Matthew Schumann said although five of the six parties were on the fourth floor, there were very few complaints about people on the balconies.
Schumann said attendance was on par with previous years. Attendance decreased by about 300 people from last year’s NOD, which 1,391 people attended, Wiess Master Mike Gustin said.
Two extra Rice University Police Department officers attended NOD due to construction, and there was also an increased Emergency Medical Services presence, Gustin said. He said he was impressed with RUPD and its judgment, but there may have been more officers than necessary given the number of students at the party.
“It’s unclear to gauge how much RUPD and EMS support is needed,” Gustin said. “EMS didn’t seem to have much to do. The numbers of RUPD and EMS might have been planning more for last year’s party. There seemed to be a much smaller frequency of incidents this year.”
Schumann said he also felt NOD went smoothly and without any major incidents.
“Basically, everyone considers it to be extremely successful,” Schumann said. “The people I talked to said people had fun, the decorations were good, and [Wiess sophomore] Kevin [Johnson] did a phenomenal job at deejaying.”
Gustin said he found NOD to be an interesting social phenomenon that brought the campus together, albeit unconventionally.
“It brings a lot of attention to campus,” Gustin said. “It makes people aware of risk and looking out for each other. Everyone tries to be protective of each other. I think it in a bizarre way brings Rice closer together.”
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