Police and Party Hosts Compromise

By Joseph Forte

Throng after throng of bro-tanked, boy-shorted thrill-seekers packed into the cul-de-sac's few remaining inches of open space. A few girls began dancing to the thumping music on top of beer pong tables. One student with a bottle of tequila offered free shots to girls ­- provided they drink them on their knees. Partygoers crowded into the Alviso apartment block in the early afternoon for the "Cinco de Alvisos" day party.

Senior Bridget O'Hara said, "There was a lot of broken glass (and) a lot of out-of-control drunk people, but it was fun."

Many students felt that, in comparison to past years, the party was somewhat subdued. "It wasn't as crowded as (the) "Cinco de Maples" (party) gets every other year," said senior Andrea Young.

"I could only hear the music from the end of the street; definitely not from Swig," said freshman Michael Sywik.

The popular annual "Cinco de Maples" party held in the Maples apartment block was canceled this year due to fear of police fines. Following a day party on March 3, at which several tickets were given to minors in possession of alcohol, over $2,500 worth of fines were given to student hosts for consenting to the party.

In the late afternoon, after the party had largely died down, an intoxicated female student fell from one of the Alviso house's roofs, along with another male student who was trying to help her back into the house. Emergency services arrived on the scene. Neither victim was seriously injured, though the male suffered bad scrapes, according to eyewitness junior Sean Sullivan.

Lieutenant Matt Hogan of the Santa Clara Police Department said that dangerous incidents such as this one are the reason why cooperation with the police is essential for any large party.

"We want to ensure students' safety," said Hogan. If there's alcohol related misconduct, or, in some cases, the involvement of minors, we don't want to see someone become a victim or put themselves in jeopardy."

Hogan stressed that while partying is a common activity for college students, police involvement is sometimes necessary to prevent accidents.

"I was a college student myself once. I understand... that's not lost on us," said Hogan. "However, when you introduce alcohol into the situation, sometimes judgment gets clouded, and we feel a responsibility to make sure things are appropriately handled."

Contact Joseph Forte at jforte@scu.edu or (408) 554-4849.