The Daily Campus

Issue date: 4/25/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Adam Bickford Students gather around Carriage House apartments in the unofficial start to Spring Weekend. At one point, firefighters had to douse a couch to prevent students from lighting it on fire.

Carriage House was swarmed with thousands people Thursday night as one of the biggest of Spring Weekend parties was in full swing. Police said the partygoers were relatively well-behaved and there was a general feeling of goodwill and celebration.

The night started mostly trouble free. As of 10:30 p.m. there had only been six arrests, according to state police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance, who described the throngs of people as "very orderly." Only three people were sent to the hospital and all were for minor injuries.

Vance said that he was unable to estimate how many people attended the party, but that the number was easily in the thousands.

"I think it might actually be a record-breaker," he said.

In preparation for the event, police closed off Hunting Lodge Road, the street that leads to Carriage House. They also erected a triage center on the site and brought a full company of troopers to patrol the event, as well as firefighters.

There was a moment when police suspected partiers of intending to set a discarded couch on fire, but the sofa in question was doused by firefighters to prevent immolation.

Lt. Vance said that the biggest problem the police had to deal with was the amount of students with open bottles of liquor entering Carriage House. Hundreds of discarded bottles and cans that visitors had been forced to empty out littered the entrance to the complex.

"I don't know what the rules are on the campus," he said. "But once you enter Mansfield, we have an open-container law in effect."

One partygoer, Josh Beckwith, a Mansfield resident, complained that the police had made him empty out an entire bottle of Hennessey, a type of whiskey.

"It's good that the cops are here to control the situation, but they're kind of going overboard," Beckwith said.

One student, 8th-semester political science major James Morrissey, also complained after an officer prevented him from urinating on a tree.

"[The police] just seem a little overzealous," he said.

Vance said that it wasn't the police's intention to try and ruin anyone's fun, but to try and ensure that the students were able to celebrate in a safe environment, and that most students seemed to respect that. He said that many had thanked him for his prescence.

"I think most of the students realize we're just here to provide a blanket of public safety," he said.

Even with some alcohol confiscated, most attendees were clearly having fun.

"I'm having a great time," Morrissey said. "Everyone here is crazy."

"It's a really big celebration, I'm having a lot of fun," Beckwith said. "So far though, it isn't as huge as last year's party. That year was insane."



Contact Christopher Duray at Christopher.Duray@UConn.edu.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools