With the spring football game, the African American Heritage Festival and the possibility of Chittfest all overlapping this weekend, space in high demand.
The Columbus Division ofPolice will be making its presence known throughout campus, especially in the Chittenden Avenue area.
“People will obviously see a police presence,” said Sgt. Brent Mull, spokesman for the Columbus police. “The amount of police presence will be dictated by the size of the crowd,”
“Everybody has a right to free movement, and if traffic is grid-locked, then more police will have to be brought in,” he said.
Based on previous years, the police have designated a regulated traffic pattern; however, it will not be implemented until movement becomes a problem.
Because of the disturbances typically associated with Chittfest, many students have decided to avoid the event altogether.
Geoff Lockyer, a junior in sociology, has lived on Chittenden for the last two years. He knows what it is like to be surrounded by out-of-control partiers and endless clouds of Mace. So this year he is going home.
“We just didn’t feel like getting in trouble,” Lockyer said.
Students who are not planning on leaving should move their vehicles off the street, remove all flammable objects from porches and empty trash bins located near houses, Mull said.
“Disturbances are going to be the result of drunk and disorderly behavior. Students have to party smart,” Mull said. “I would get the students to watch the alcohol intake of some of the guests. It’s about responsibility, and it’s kind of hard to regulate responsibility.”
One way to limit alcohol intake is to designate sober party-watchers who can help kick out-of-hand partygoers out before any real disturbances occur, Mull said.
Limiting the number of guests is another way to prevent parties from getting out of control. It is easier to regulate a party with 25 close friends than one with 250 people, he said.
Despite the negative associations attached to Chittfest, there are still students who have decided to stay. For the most part, however, the parties will be more confined.
Although Chittenden resident Kristen Shane is not throwing her own party, she is planning on watching the festivities from her front porch.
Shane said many people who are having parties are taking extra precautions. Several party throwers are planning on starting early and staying on the upper decks, she said.
“I’m not worried about it because I’m not going to be one of those drunk, belligerent people. People I know are locking all their doors and only allowing people they know to come in,” she said.
