USC president urges students not to attend raves because of drug dangers [Updated]

The president of USC is warning students not to attend raves, saying that a drug commonly used at the all-night dance parties, Ecstasy, “can create a ripple effect of dangers that lead to catastrophic consequences.”

“I wish to warn you about a specific danger that has become increasingly prevalent in the city of Los Angeles: raves. Occasionally, these are held close to our campuses, often at the Coliseum or the Shrine, and they present serious risks to all who attend,” USC President C.L. Max Nikias wrote in the letter, first reported by the Neon Tommy website.

"Ecstasy, which is common at raves, produces a number of adverse reactions that may include disorientation, anxiety, paranoia, panic attacks and hallucinations. These reactions, even in mild forms, can create a ripple effect of dangers that lead to catastrophic consequences,” Nikias wrote. “Therefore, with the collective support of the university’s senior administration -- and as the father of two USC students -- I strongly discourage your participation at rave events.”

DOCUMENT: Read the letter from USC President C.L. Max Nikias warning students about raves

[Updated at 6:15 p.m.: Pasquale Rotella, the owner of Insomniac Inc., one of two companies that hold raves at the Los Angeles Coliseum and Sports Arena, issued a statement in response to the USC president’s letter:

"USC offers great courses in electronic music taught by respected and accomplished professors. Given this support and USC’s dedication to the arts in general, the president’s advice to the students is surprising. Students can walk to our events that combine every aspect of the performing arts, including dance, music, art, costumes, lighting and production design. Insomniac’s events aim to cultivate and enrich the human mind and spirit through the arts -- a goal that is perfectly in tune with USC’s own mission statement. We are eager to meet with President Nikias to provide more information to him and to address his concerns. We value the support of USC’s students as well as the administration."]

The letter by Nikias, dated Wednesday, was released a week before the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission will meet, where it might discuss whether to bring back the Electric Daisy Carnival rave in June. A 15-year-old girl, Sasha Rodriguez, overdosed on Ecstasy at that rave last year, fell into a coma and subsequently died.

The letter also came about two months after an 18-year-old USC freshman who had been partying at a rave at the Shrine Auditorium later fell six stories from his USC dorm room. The student, who appeared to have consumed alcohol, marijuana, and Ecstasy, suffered multiple broken bones and internal injuries and was hospitalized in critical condition after the fall.

USC is in negotiations with the state of California to buy the land on which the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena sit, which would make the university the landlord of the Coliseum Commission.

The next meeting of the Coliseum Commission will be held Feb. 2 at 2:30 p.m. at the commission meeting room near Gate 33-A on the eastern edge of the Coliseum. An agenda for that meeting has not yet been posted.

RELATED:

[Updated at 11:26 p.m.: Full story: USC president urges students to not attend raves]

17 hospitalized after rave at Los Angeles Sports Arena

L.A. Coliseum Commission rescinds rave moratorium in a move called 'underhanded' by one member

-- Rong-Gong Lin II

Comments

[David Fernandez]

Another sad day in electronic music history. The older generations are more than just hypocrites, they are ignorant. Ignorant of the fact that "raves" are concerts. Ignorant of the fact that as adults we have a right to our enjoyment any way we see fit. Ignorant of the fact that we have a right to our music and if people wish to consume substances, anything from alcohol to cocaine, it is their GOD GIVEN right to abuse of their body. Ignorant of the fact that thousands who attend raves do not do ecstasy!!!! Drugs are the boogey-man for parents who do not trust their youth. Ignorant hypocrites because they let their kids go snowboarding, they let their kids drive cars, they let their kids study abroad in foreign countries! Sorry Nikias, but you are now one of these ignorant hypocrites.

[Mikey]

Telling kids to stay away from raves because of all the drug use will do nothing but garentee a sellout crowd. This is the problem with academics. They might be intelligent but they lack wisdom.

[Fandeath]

Raves are not really to blame for the prevalence of ecstasy in Los Angeles. Raves are merely a way for fans of electronic music to come together and dance. It is unfortunate that many fans of Electric Dance Music (EDM) also do drugs. To be honest though, there are no more drugs at a rave than at a rock show or a rap concert. Lovers of music will always have, in their ranks, those who enjoy drugs.

If you want to avoid drug related deaths at music events, work on removing the drugs, not the event. Plenty of music fans don't do drugs. To deprive us of our ability to dance in a group setting truly goes against the freedom we work so hard to protect in this country.

[NotExactly_]

Is it really necessary to warn university students about the dangers of ecstasy or any drug for that matter? I mean, they were smart enough to get into college so I'm sure they would have some idea about what they were trying. Oh wait, this letter is intended for USC students - NEVERMIND!

But in all seriousness this is another example of the electronic scene being called out for no apparent reason. EDC is hardly a "rave" no more than coachella is and you will find just as much X, acid, etc. etc. at any music event that brings in 100,000+ people. Like it or not, the electronic scene is here to stay because people love it and it makes money. Outlawing events like EDC will just push the scene to the underground which will have no rules, no security, and generate no money for the state. Instead, provide more health stations, make water more reasonably priced, and keep the age limit at 18.

And one last thing - Drunk people fall out off dorms / balconies /whatever all the time. Are we going to outlaw bars? of course not. IMO it seems rather unfair to blame ecstasy / "the rave" for this kid falling out of his dorm. Blame his friends for not keeping an eye on him when he was intoxicated.

[Hakatau]

Hiking can cause severe bodily harm, even death. I have witnessed severe injuries occur over the years-- even on easier trails and to experienced hikers.

Does this mean that hiking should be discouraged? No! Life is full of amazing things to experience, and they often come with certain risks (in raves' case, small ones.) It's still worth it, and it is nobody's business to restrict adults from doing so.

[NotExactly_]

Is it really necessary to remind university students the dangers of ecstasy or any drug for that matter? I mean, they were smart enough to get into college so I'm sure they'd have some idea of what they were taking. Oh wait - this is intended for USC students - NEVERMIND!

In all seriousness though, this is just another example of the electronic scene being singled out for whatever reason. EDC is hardly a "rave" no more than Coachella is, and you will find the same amount of ecstasy, acid, ketamine, GHB, whatever at any music event that brings in 100,000+ people. Like it or not, the electronic scene is here to stay because people love it and it makes lots of money. If events like EDC are outlawed these events will just get pushed to the underground where there will be no rules, no security, and no money for the state. Instead why not make sure there are way more health stations set up, make water reasonably priced and keep the age limit of 18.

One last thing - drunk people fall of balconies all the time. Are we going to outlaw bars? Of course not. IMO it is unfair to blame ecstasy for this kid falling off his balcony. Blame his friends for not taking care of him when he was clearly intoxicated.

[Fr0ntSight]

LOL...I thought Insomniac Inc's response was fantastic. Ear to ear grin.

[Fred]

jeesh - everyone is so critical. all he is saying that is due to the proximity of these events to usc, he is concerned that student might make choices they would otherwise not make.....

I dont even like usc but the comments here are nutty

[glenn grab]

Don't go to a rave because of drugs?.....Drugs(ecstasy) ARE the REASON for going to a rave!!!...Without ecstacy a rave is a giant bore...take my word for it....

[hap]

drugs bad 4 u, even if u think u r safe. u all too cozy with self freedom and eazy to sell others freedoms out for gunz, oil, land, power and ego. usa is land of fork tung, duble standard, justice for a price.

drugs makin evryone crazy here, from top to bottom.

drugs bad 4 u

[John]

Gosh, more prohibitionist scare.

I personally suggest people stay away from college football games because people abuse alcohol and women get raped... (even if only one woman was raped or date raped due to alcohol at / before / after a college football game, it's enough of a parallel, don't you think?)

Seriously, it's not the music or the football, it's the drugs and the alcohol, and we proved for 13 years that alcohol prohibition didn't work, and we should look at the last 40 years of the $1,000,000,000,000 failed War on Drugs to see that maybe we have only increased the harm of drug use, not lessened it, and certainly not effectively treated it.