LCE citations dampen Fling spirit for some

and Marisa Katz The exact number of alcohol-related citations distributed over Spring Fling weekend has not yet been released by the Liquor Control and Enforcement Bureau. But students are sure they know the answer -- too many. "My friend and I got busted at the Penn Rocks for the Homeless Concert on Thursday night," said a female College freshman who requested anonymity. "While we were waiting outside the party, we saw them bringing people out every few minutes. It was ridiculous." She added that undercover LCE agents issued the citations. "We were approached by three people wearing normal clothes," she said. "But they looked a lot older than college students should have. We found out later that they were LCE." The underage drinking citations call for a $105 fine and a mandatory two-hour course on alcohol awareness. If students pay the fine and attend the seminar, their permanent record will remain untouched. But if students choose to skip the course, the fine increases to $186, driving privileges are suspended and a notation may be added to their records. University Police Sgt. Keith Christian said this was the heaviest LCE presence he had seen on campus in recent years. "This is the first year I remember seeing them here like this," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if more than 50 citations were given to students." Christian added that the LCE did not actually break up any weekend parties. The LCE is a branch of the Pennsylvania State Police responsible for enforcing underage drinking, fake ID, and open-container regulations. While the LCE had previously announced that its agents would be working with Philadelphia and University police officers, Christian explained that LCE agents sometimes acted alone. "By law, they don't have to notify us," he added. "And they didn't always." Many students questioned the effectiveness of the LCE's raids. College freshman Lindsey Carson said receiving a citation did not prevent her from drinking during Fling. "I got the citation and then drank the rest of the night," she said. "The LCE didn't accomplish anything -- everyone kept drinking." A male Wharton sophomore -- who received a citation during the block party at 39th and Sansom streets Saturday night -- criticized the randomness of the raids. "I was on my first beer and wasn't overdoing it or anything when I got busted," he said. "But it seemed like the people who were really far gone weren't being bothered." By late Sunday afternoon, numerous students vented their anger at the LCE through the upenn.talk newsgroup. College junior Roman Gollent decried the raids as an "Orwellian exercise in stupidity." "I'd be rather curious which idiot decided it was a good idea to allocate the time, money and man-power into this completely fruitless effort," he wrote.