Is it possible to bring back “old Howard” through a houseparty? The men behind Rebel Events believe that it is. 

Howard is credited with being one of the top party schools in the nation and one of the largest contributors to the freshman party experience is a student-run promotion group Rebel events. Established in 2019, Rebel was created “for students by students“ and has been passed down through two generations of members of The Gentlemen of Drew Social Club. Currently seven seniors are spearheading the organization. 

In order to bring “old Howard” back, Rebel had to strategize. The current leaders were the first class on campus post COVID-19 in an era of “party drought.” Julian Winbush, one of the lead promoters, shared that despite their business being male run, they try to connect with the female population by incorporating theme nights. Music also plays a role in connecting with their audience with Winbush saying, “We are working closely with female DJs, such as DJ Daydream Marie and DJ Wild Child.”  With nearly two years of experience, the Howard community has seen Rebel Events develop into one of the top promotion groups on campus, but that hasn’t come without its fair share of controversy. 

Rebel has been involved in most freshman week events since 2022, However, back in 2023, they had to cancel their lineup following a violent assault on a Howard student that took place on campus. This decision came with pushback, but Wimbush added,“You can’t stop all the problems.” 

This year, with safety and fun at the forefront, Rebel prepared for the most anticipated party of  freshman week: Pretty Iced Owt. The party, which was in collaboration with three male D9 organizations, was certain to draw a crowd of eager freshmen waiting to see what the Howard party hype was really all about.

With 1500 tickets sold, it was hosted at a venue space off-campus. At 9:30, there was already a line to the end of the parking lot full of freshman girls with fresh hairstyles and cute mini skirts waiting to get inside. 

All of Rebels' promoters were standing outside the venue, personally greeting each person who walked in the door. They made it a point to put a face to the name. Reggie Alexander, another Rebel promoter, said this was intentional saying, “ We party with the people.” 

Once inside the party, the heat, the music, the energy allowed all who attended the party to be fully immersed. No one was a wallflower and the Rebel team made it a point to party with the crowd. 

While partying was the main focus, Rebel also made room to prioritize safety. I saw someone struggling to walk either because they were overheating or had too much to drink, or some lethal combination of the two.  While most people would turn the other way, Rebel carried the individual outside the party, sat them down, and gave them water and a fan. While it might seem small, many students leave their freshman year with a similar story and a very different outcome. 

Throughout the event, freshmen party go-ers genuinely laughed, smiling and experiencing one of their first core memories of college together. You what they say, the memories you make that first week with your first college friends are some that will last you a lifetime. And the class of 2028 now has some of their own, thanks to Rebel Events, who do their job, “ In truth and in motion.”