Bag checks for alcohol before Spring Fling began a week early this year without any formal announcement from University officials.
Fling organizers say the unanounced checks -- which began last Friday morning -- are a response to problems that occurred in prior years during the weekend-long festivities.
Security guards at both entrances are currently inspecting bags of everyone who enters the Quad. All alcoholic beverages are being confiscated.
Last year, all Quad residents received e-mail notice when bag checks began one week before Fling.
This year, the checks began two weeks before Fling -- and without warning.
Spring Fling co-Director Jake Chanin said that the behavior and damage that took place during Fling led the University Council, an advisory body, to re-evaluate whether it should remain in the Quad.
And toughening up bag checks seemed to be a step toward improvement.
"Unfortunately, [the unannounced] bag checks have become necessary. ... It is something we have to do so we have Spring Fling next year," Chanin said.
He added that the decision to move up the bag checks was finalized a few weeks ago and included the input of both students and University officials.
Student Activities Committee Director Fran Walker said that although the unannounced checks will probably not be able eliminate students' bringing alcohol into the Quad, they should minimize it.
"I think [the unannounced checks will] have an effect," she said.
Chanin said that although he understands students may be able to sneak in alcohol, the new checks are supposed to represent a change in Fling culture.
"We need to curb the culture of Spring Fling or there won't be Spring Fling," he said.
The Fling committee also changed the policy for checking containers for alcohol this year.
Guards will be opening containers only beginning Friday, April 7 -- not the Wednesday before, as in previous years.
We "tried to make [the bag checks] somewhat reasonable," Chanin said.
Riepe House Dean Marilynne Diggs-Thompson said that, after several years of experiencing Fling at Penn, she thinks that additional attempts at curbing alcohol consumption will improve the festival.
"I have seen too many near-death experiences," Diggs-Thompson said.
However, some students feel that the bag checks should have been announced.
"I feel like people should know what's going to be happening," said incoming Class of 2009 President Brett Perlmutter, who lives in the Quad.
He added that although the checks are inconvenient, they are necessary, and people should comply.
Other students said that the bag checks do not actually serve their purpose.
"It's still really easy to sneak in alcohol," College freshman Talia Kayne said.
However, Chanin said that the purpose of the unannounced checks was to make a statement that Fling would improve this year.
"The idea ... is to make this Spring Fling a significantly better Fling than last year's," he said.
