This year’s New Student Orientation saw a 65-percent increase in hospital transports compared to last year's NSO, according to the Division of Public Safety.
Between Aug. 21 and 26, there were 28 students who were transported to the hospital due to alcohol, an increase from last year’s 17 transports, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said. Of the 28 students, 21 were freshmen, 4 were sophomores, and 3 were juniors. Eleven students were men and 17 were women.
Last year, 13 of the 17 students transported to the hospital were freshmen.
Rush declined to speculate on the cause of the increase in hospital transports over last year without further research.
DPS also shut down three parties over the weekend, Rush said. There were no arrests for public drunkenness, but the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement — a branch of the Pennsylvania state police — cited three students under 21 years old for underage drinking.
During NSO, DPS gives a 90-minute public safety presentation to incoming freshmen. The alcohol session within the presentation is carried out by the Medical Emergency Response Team.
“It’s not just the Division of Public Safety who is concerned about this," Rush said. "The whole University is concerned about this."
The University takes a proactive stance in its alcohol-related measures, she said. “There is a lot of work has been done, will be done, continues to be done. But we are also grateful that people did come forth to get other people treated in hospitals.”
Other crimes during NSO include one off-campus burglary, one disorderly conduct, one contempt of court, and two thefts. The suspects in all of these cases were arrested, and none were affiliated with the University.
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