Welcome Week a tame success, police to scale down preparation

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The MSU and East Lansing community celebrated a calmer Welcome Week this year than in previous years, with smaller crowds and significantly lower preliminary numbers of alcohol-related citations, East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said.

During the four nights from Friday to Monday, there were 94 minor in possession citations, decreasing from 134 during Welcome Week in 2008. Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights of this year were three of the calmest police have seen during the time of Welcome Week in more than a decade, Wibert said.

“When they open up the dorms (later), that takes 7,000 people out of the equation and we definitely noticed their absence,” Wibert said.

“The Thursday and Friday and Saturday of Welcome Week, for the last decade, have been the three busiest nights of the department. We put everyone out and get the help of other departments, but there’s been a lot fewer calls (this year). We will likely scale back our plans for next year.”

Although the totals are only preliminary, the number of citations was lower than is typical for the three days before school begins, East Lansing police Capt. Kim Johnson said.

MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor agreed Welcome Week seemed to have progressed more smoothly, with fewer arrests on campus.

But some students, such as chemistry junior Derek Laczkowski, said this year’s Welcome Week was no different than previous years. Laczkowski said a decreased number of citations does not mean students have changed their behavior.

“It’s definitely not because people have stopped drinking,” he said. “It’s been crazy outside, still, every night. There’s still a lot of loud parties.”

Premedical and English senior Michael Mazur said students simply have delayed their partying in response to the shortened Welcome Week.

“A lot of people just moved in,” he said. “Instead of coming earlier and planning a party, people are just getting settled in and planning parties for later.”

Wibert said the police department, which was unsure what to expect with the shortened week, will use this year to base the number of police to put on patrol in future years.

“This week, it’s totally changed the volume and dynamic and then the volume of calls,” he said. “It’s a totally different animal.”

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