DAYTON — The University of Dayton has sent students at least three emails in recent days asking them to keep the peace St. Patrick’s Day weekend and do what they can to avoid the kind of revelry a year ago that ended with several arrests.
>> PREVIOUS: Dayton City Commission passes ‘nuisance party’ ordinance
“I mean, they’ve sent these emails in the past and I’m not sure if people really listen to them or not,” senior Brooke Fischer told News Center 7′s Mike Campbell on Thursday.
Fischer and Meghan Cannon, also a senior, said they’ve seen several years of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, some peaceful, others...not so much.
“You can definitely tell” UD is being more serious this year, Cannon said. “I’m not sure how happy we are about it but they are definitely taking it more seriously.”
University administrators insist they take safety and security seriously every St. Patrick’s Day weekend.
Monday, UD reminded students about Dayton’s new ordinance cracking down on anyone not leaving the scene of a nuisance party when told to. The nuisance party law the Dayton City Commission passed in late February gives police more power to stop out-of-hand parties. People who do not leave when police order them to do so could be arrested and be charged with a misdemeanor.
Tuesday, UD, advised students to carry their student ID cards at all times.
Thursday, in the latest communication via email, the university sent students a reminder about parking restrictions for the weekend of March 15-17 and an announcement that there will be no parking for student guests the holiday weekend.
“A lot of it is UD students are respectful, this is our campus,” Cannon said. “We don’t want a bad reputation but a lot of people just come to our campus.”
>> PREVIOUS: UD students say ‘nuisance party’ law a ‘bummer’
University administration has pointed out that in previous years, the majority of people arrested when gatherings turned disordely were not UD students. The administration also doesn’t want to see a repeat of what has happened in the past -- people standing on or flipping cars, or bottle and can throwing at police and sheriff’s deputies deployed to keep peace.
How St. Patrick’s Day Weekend 2024 turns out is anybody’s guess.
“Students have definitely said, ‘they’ve sent out these emails before, nothing’s going to change,’ " Fischer said.
Cannon said students will be more aware going into the holiday weekend, “but we’re not going to let it stop tradition.”
©2024 Cox Media Group
