Police, administration respond to initiation weekend hospitalizations

Borough Police are investigating several incidents that occurred last weekend, in which 11 students were treated at McCosh Health Center and four at Princeton Medical Center and Capital Health System Fuld Campus in Trenton for severe intoxication and alcohol-related injuries.

One 20-year-old male student was taken from Cottage Club to Capital Health System after police found him lying unconscious on the floor and vomiting. The student had a laceration on the back of his head from falling on the floor, according to Borough Police Capt. Charles Davall.

A female student, also 20, was taken from Foulke Hall to PMC with alcohol-induced unconsciousness, Davall said. Charges could be brought against the person who served alcohol to these underage individuals, he added.

In total, 23 students met with alcohol counselors last week in McCosh Health Center after nights of excessive drinking at Prospect Avenue, Director of McCosh Health Services Pamela Bowen said.

"Alcohol incidents have increased throughout the year, but it dramatically hit home this weekend," Bowen said. "Things need to happen in a different way in terms of club policy and University policy. We need to take a more serious look at what's going on."

The total number of students treated during the weekend was 50 percent greater than the number of students treated during the 1999 Nude Olympics — an event subsequently banned because of these statistics and disruptive behavior.

Despite the charges and an upswing in alcohol-related injuries, the reaction by University officials has been relatively calm.

"This was no different from other initiations weekends," Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Marianne Waterbury said. "There were rumors about unseemly events that took place, but that's it."

USG President Joe Kochan '02 met with Dean of Undergraduate Students Kathleen Deignan, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Students Sandra Silverman and Waterbury yesterday morning to discuss ways to ensure a "safe social environment," Kochan said.

However, he emphasized that last weekend's events do not present a severe problem. "It's a matter of concern," he said, "but it's not a crisis."

Though Public Safety Crime Prevention Specialist Barry Weiser said there has been a considerable amount of discussion about underage drinking by students, he affirmed that last weekend's incidents happened because of drinking off campus at the eating clubs, which are under the jurisdiction of Borough Police.

Because the drinking occurred off campus, Public Safety has had no immediate instruction by the University to increase its surveillance, he said.

Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Davall said he plans to meet with the Inter-Club Council soon to outline the alcohol laws and stress what the clubs should be doing to follow those laws. ICC adviser Alice Teti '00 declined to comment, and ICC president Dan Winn '01 did not return repeated phone calls and e-mails.

Underage drinking at the eating clubs has been a major concern for Borough officials during the past year. To combat the problem, Borough Council members have suggested enacting a new alcohol ordinance — which would permit police to cite underage drinkers on private property. In addition, Borough police have threatened to enlist undercover agents, who are under the legal drinking age, to enter eating clubs and obtain alcohol.