Fling passes with fewer LCE busts, less disorder

Some fraternities asked for donations, avoiding a law that bans door fees. and Randi Rothberg As the clock struck two yesterday morning, University Police swept through streets on and near campus, shutting down numerous fraternity and block parties and drawing a damp Spring Fling to a close. Although a final tally was not available yesterday, the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement issued fewer than 25 underage-drinking citations over the weekend, down sharply from last year's total of 180, Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush said. University Police Capt. John Richardson said "students were armed with the knowledge that the LCE was on campus." Crime reported to University Police also fell slightly compared with last year's Fling weekend. Officials attributed the decrease to cold, drizzly weather, increased police and security patrols and students' awareness of the LCE's presence. "I think people just took it easier this year," Rush said. But after several parties were shut down, some students felt University Police intervened too much in the weekend's events. Police had few problems with a party on 39th Street near Sansom Street. And the annual party on the 3900 block of Sansom Street was relatively calm, as numerous Public Safety officials -- including Managing Director Thomas Seamon and Special Services Director Susan Hawkins -- kept tabs on the action from behind yellow barricades. Rush said last night that there were "no problems" and "no altercations" at the block party, and the trash level was considerably lower than at last year's party. "I wish I could have a snapshot of last year's street versus this year's street," Rush said. Rush and University Police Sgt. Michael Fink approached the band playing on the porch of 3916 Sansom Street at approximately 1:40 a.m. and exchanged some words with the band members. Seconds later, a band member announced that the next song would be their last of the night. "We're shutting them all down," Rush said as she and approximately 15 other officers charged south on 39th Street to shut down a party at the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity house. Although University Police ended many fraternity parties in the early morning hours, no houses were cited for infringement of the Pennsylvania law which forbids charging admission to parties. To circumvent the law, several fraternities asked guests for donations to offset party administration costs during the Spring Fling festivities. But many students complained that they were forced to drop money in a jar before gaining admittance to parties. InterFraternity Council President Matt Baker, an Alpha Chi Rho brother and College and Engineering junior, said a chapter president suggested the voluntary donations as a short-term solution for raising revenue. "Mandatory donations is charging under another name, and it's illegal," Baker said. "Explicit pressure to donate is a complicated issue [but] any situation where you're not forced to donate is perfectly legal." He noted that University lawyers have yet to disclose the "full legal ramifications" attached to the process. Alpha Epsilon Pi President Faisel Khan said his fraternity hadn't planned on asking for donations, but decided to capitalize on the "gray area" of donations which the University is investigating. But the Engineering junior stressed that his fraternity, like many others who implemented the donation policy, admitted students who did not contribute to the party's costs. University Police Capt. John Richardson explained that the cancellation of Thursday's Penn Rocks for the Homeless charity concert, inclement weather and a greater police and security presence helped keep Fling relatively quiet and safe. But things were not quiet in the Quadrangle, where an unknown person pulled six fire alarms in Community House yesterday at approximately 3 a.m. The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to the alarms but found no evidence of a fire, Richardson said. Faculty resident and Regional Science Professor Stephen Gale is investigating the incident, according to Interim Community House Assistant Dean in Residence Jon Brightbill, a Wharton senior. "It was one person going around pulling them," Brightbill said, adding that the individual probably did not live in Community House.

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