Though Spring Fling is still five months away, the issue of whether or not it will be relocated from the Quadrangle is under heavy debate.
The University Council -- a group of students, faculty and administrators that meets monthly to discuss campus issues -- will weigh in today on what changes, if any, need to be made to the Penn tradition.
Last week, the Undergraduate Assembly unanimously approved a proposal urging the University to keep the festival at its current location and suggesting additional safety measures that they said would help to make the Quad more secure.
"I think what the UA has put forward sounds very reasonable," Faculty Senate Chair Neville Strumpf said. "I don't think anyone wants to take away this beloved tradition at Penn."
But some professors and staff have been expressing concerns about safety at the event. Many are opposed to holding Fling in the Quad because they say it enables students to drink heavily in dorm rooms where they can not be supervised.
The University Council's Committee on Quality of Student Life was assigned to investigate the festival last spring. While the decisions of the council will not cause any direct action, UA chairwoman Rachel Fersh, who also sits on the UC, said that President Amy Gutmann relies heavily on the opinions of the Council.
"Obviously the final decision comes from the administration, but if the Council recommends to change the event, it would make me very nervous," Fersh, a College senior, said.
Although the UA proposal strongly suggested that Fling remain in the Quad, it did acknowledge the need for improved safety measures, Fersh said.
The proposal suggested that Fling include non-alcoholic events such as a pancake breakfast or pizza party. It also recommended the enhancement of programs like "Fling Safe," which trains students to deal with emergency situations, and the tightening of security checkpoints in the Quad.
Many UA members seem to feel very strongly about the issue, but former Faculty Senate Chair Charles Mooney said that Spring Fling may not have the traditional elements that the UA is emphasizing.
"I used to watch [Spring Fling] right outside my window on Hill Field, where the field was fenced off and bandstands were set-up, and then suddenly it was moved to the Quad," Mooney said.
"It seems like when undergraduates are here for four years, anything that happened within the last few years must have always been like that," Mooney added.
UA Vice Chair of External Affairs Brett Thalmann, who also sits on the UC, believes that the Council will agree with the UA proposal.
"Hopefully we have set out enough concrete goals to improve safety," Thalmann said. "Our motto for Fling is to keep the tradition and change the culture."
While Strumpf seems to agree with the UA's proposal, she does think that changes need to be made in order to keep students safe throughout Spring Fling.
"There have been increasing concerns in recent years relating to safety, and there are some elements of Spring Fling that can lead to potential problems that need to be looked at," Strumpf said.
As the debate continues between administrators and student leaders, many others within the Penn community are not even aware of the stakes.
Professors Donald Voet and Frank Goodman, both of whom sit on the University Council, said they didn't know the specifics of the issue.
Many students also said they were unaware that Fling was even in danger of being moved.
Today's meeting, which will take place at 4 p.m. in Bodek Lounge, will be open to the public. However, only members of the University Council will be eligible to speak during the main session. If time permits, officials said audience members may be allowed to comment.
