Students, police start thinking about SempleFest

SempleFest, an annual celebration in which students drink, party and take over Semple… SempleFest, an annual celebration in which students drink, party and take over Semple Street, will arrive in eight days, and as of this week, the Pitt police didn’t think it was coming.

Pitt police Chief Tim Delaney said he knew Pitt’s homecoming king, Akere Atte, had applied for a special event permit to host SempleFest April 17 (see related story, page 4). But when Atte rescinded his application after finding out that he’d be held legally responsible for everything that happened during the pre-finals festivities, Delaney said, ‘I thought there wasn’t going to be a SempleFest this year.’

Delaney, who found out about the event Tuesday afternoon, said that because his department has been busy planning for today’s memorial for the three city police officers who were killed last weekend while responding to a call, he hasn’t met with anyone to discuss plans for SempleFest.

Part of this, he said, also stems from the fact that ‘we operate on a permits basis.’

Delaney said as long as students stay on Semple Street’s sidewalks, don’t drink excessively, don’t drink underage and aren’t doing otherwise dangerous or illegal things, they can do whatever they want.

During last year’s SempleFest, 64 people, 18 of whom were Pitt students, were arrested. That’s 20 more arrests than occurred during February’s post-Super Bowl riots.

Students and business owners had mixed reactions to the impending event.

Pitt senior Laura Linn, who has lived on Semple Street for three years, is bracing for the worst.

Last year, someone set a Dumpster on fire outside her house, she said. People threw beer bottles at the firefighters when they arrived at the scene of the party.

‘I’m against it this year,’ said Linn. ‘It’s going to be out of control.’

Linn usually parks her car outside her Semple Street house, but she will keep it in a garage for the day, which will mark the fourth annual SempleFest.

Pitt sophomore Rachel Blackburn said she will also park her car off the street but still supports SempleFest.

It’s a tradition to have a blow-out before finals, she said.

Some local business owners said they also look forward to SempleFest.

‘It’s the most business we do in one day,’ said Campus Deli owner Maurice Nassif.

Last year, the store had to close four hours early because ‘students wiped us out,’ he said.

Jaime Hively, co-owner of Mellinger’s Beer Distributer Inc., said her company will be ‘on the top of our game’ that day. She has staffed additional employees and ordered extra kegs and 30-packs of beer, her most popular items.

Hively’s mother and store co-owner, Diana Bellisario, completely supports SempleFest.

‘Of course fires worry me,’ said Bellisario, ‘but it’s nice to see everybody together.’

To prevent fires, Pittsburgh City Council banned upholstered furniture on any unenclosed porch. But some Semple Street residents have yet to comply.

While some students have recently pulled their couches inside, evidenced by the gaping empty spaces and still visible dust outlines on porches, upholstered furniture pieces remain on some others.

The fine for violating the ordinance ranges from $200 to $500 per day, plus court costs, and is one more rule by which students looking to participate in SempleFest will need to abide.