Editorial: Caution, police presence key to deter SempleFest goers

Compared to the usual fair, last SempleFest was relatively subdued. The street was… Compared to the usual fair, last SempleFest was relatively subdued. The street was nearly devoid of the characteristic drunken debauchery. While SempleFest will most likely occur again next year, will it resume its typical chaos? Perhaps not. New, stricter punishments seek to make sure the hype has fizzled out for good.

Underage drinking, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness are among the most common offenses at SempleFest. In the past, when a student was cited at SempleFest, Judge Eugene Ricciardi, a local judge, sometimes gave the student the choice of doing community service, filling out some paperwork, and paying a $100 fee so that the offense would be cleared from the individual’s record.

But now, Ricciardi says he feels “the offenses [at SempleFest] seem very over the edge.” He said he’ll be less inclined to offer students community service and, regardless of whether a person is found guilty, the citation can’t be expunged from his record for at least five years.

A guilty conviction often entails a monetary fine in the triple digits. Most college students are already cash-strapped and parents won’t be eager to offer a bailout. But a tarnished record remains perhaps the most influential scare tactic — a record with a five-year stain could even hinder underclassmen’s future career goals and plans.

Of those who hear about this harsher punishment before next April, assuredly some will take heed and forego the annual pre-finals party. But if Pitt students and the surrounding community are ignorant of these new penalties, the intended measure won’t reach its potential. And yet, SempleFest remains a firmly ingrained touchstone of Pitt party culture. Die-hard SempleFest attendees won’t be fazed by new consequences, no matter how strict.

If administrators really want to quell the SempleFest scene, they’ve only to look to the tactics implemented this past year. In light of the unprecedented rioting that consumed post-Super Bowl Oakland, police and University officers were wary of an elevated party spirit set to release it’s wrath on Semple Street April 17.

In response, city police affixed letters to Semple Street residents’ doors that warned against participating in illicit activities during SempleFest. Similarly, Pitt’s Office of Residence Life delivered cautionary letters to students living on campus. Around campus, warning posters issued by the University were prevalent.

In the end, the trepidation proved effective. SempleFest this year was watered down at best and a constant cohort of police kept the mayhem minimal.

Even if the Steelers don’t win the Super Bowl next year and nothing else incites a wayward riot among the Pitt student body, administrators shouldn’t forget the precedent set this past year. Warning letters should be issued regardless and an increased police presence should become standard. While Judge Ricciardi’s stricter regulation will likely deter some SempleFest attendees, above all, the cautionary mentality demonstrated by University administrators and police shouldn’t be cast aside.