University officials are preparing for Spring Weekend festivities this weekend with many of the same strategies used last year ? including commissioning a second ambulance, hiring private event managers and assigning deans to monitor events.
Health Services has hired a second ambulance for Friday and Saturday nights and will increase its staff from Thursday through Sunday to prepare for an increase in Emergency Medical Services calls, said Margaret Klawunn, associate vice president for campus life and dean of student life.
In addition, EMS patrols will roam the campus to see if any students require emergency medical assistance, Klawunn added.
Student life officials have also developed several strategies to prevent alcohol and substance-related calls this year.
"We have done a lot of work with residential hall staff, preparing them with preventative messages. The Health Education department has been table-slipping all week," Klawunn said. "We have also been working with Greek Council ... and the Student Athlete Advisory Board to make sure there is an understanding that we are trying to prevent any unsafe drinking."
These measures have also attempted to address the use of marijuana on Friday. April 20 is often associated with marijuana use by students on many high school and college campuses. The University's efforts include table-slipping and distributing information at Queer Alliance's Sex Fair on Friday.
A campus-wide e-mail will also be sent out later this week from officials in the Office of Student Life and Student Activities Office outlining general safety guidelines and resources available to students over the weekend.
Security and crowd control at Spring Weekend events will follow the model used last year. Private event managers from Green Horn Management instead of student volunteers will man the concerts and other events, said Director of Student Activities Ricky Gresh.
"The problem is that in the past we have relied heavily on student security, but most students would be watching the concerts, and it's hard to manage all of the volunteers," Gresh said. "The last couple of years, the concerts have been very successful, so there has been enough money available to be able to provide the right staffing structure."
"The social event structure highlighted that ... relying on amateur student security rather than professional security is not the best way to use students. Having (students) help to create the event and help with the artistic aspects of the event are more valuable ways to use them," Gresh said.
Fifty-two private event managers will supplement the 11 Department of Public Safety officers and two Providence Police officers on duty for Saturday's concert on the Main Green. Friday's concert in Meehan Auditorium will have 44 event managers, 8 DPS officers and two PPD officers.
"GHM (event managers) will be monitoring entries and exits and addressing problems as they come," Gresh said. DPS will largely be stationed at high-risk locations like Faunce Arch to "maintain external integrity," he said.
Zeta Delta Xi's traditional pasta and beer party Spagfest will - for the first time - use private event managers. Eight event managers and 4 DPS officers will staff the event, addressing "management concerns" from last year, Gresh said. The event's redesign will also have "the whole event under one tent, instead of spread out on the quad where it is difficult to manage," Gresh said.
Rage on Wriston, which features music performed by students and alums, will be managed similarly to last year's event, which "was viewed to be an event that overall went well in terms of management," Gresh said. This includes limiting access to Wriston and staffing the event with eight private event managers and nine DPS officers. Sunday's Dave Binder concert on Wriston will be similarly staffed.
Deans and student activities staff will also roam around the weekend's events "to talk to students and to make sure that students who need help can get it," Klawunn said.
