Students across the country celebrated Halloween by dressing up and going to parties all over campus, making this weekend one of the most notoriously rowdy times of the year.
DePauw was no exception.
Public Safety responded to 11 incidents on Saturday alone, according to the Public Safety Active Report. Five of these were alcohol related. For the weekend, three intoxicated students were sent to the hospital - one on Friday, and two on Saturday. Another student was tested for drugs, but the results have not come back yet, and there is no evidence that drugs were in the students system as of now, according to Angie Nally, director of Public Safety.
But these numbers are an improvement from Saturday of last year's Halloween weekend with 13 incidents, four alcohol-related incidents and one possession of marijuana citation.
While the numbers were still high, public safety was pleased to find students calling to help intoxicated friends.
"We had several students calling for friends, which is really great," Nally, said. "It's not something to celebrate. [Nonetheless], I'm grateful that many students would much rather transport than take a chance."
Nally and Public Safety have risk management plans for these 'big' nights and weekends.
"We collaborate with student life, campus living and community development," Nally said. "We're trying to work with the greek life coordinators to prepare for risk management."
GLC, in turn, offers suggestions to fraternities about preparing for incidents in effective ways.
A specific incident of note occurred at Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, when an intoxicated guest at the house punched a member of the fraternity. Phi Psi, along with a handful of other fraternities, hosts a Halloween party every year.
"I was the first risk manager to take action," Phi Psi President Paul Mpistolarides said. "Security physically removed him."
The offender wasn't harmed, and no charges are being pressed against him. However, the incident is still under investigation by Public Safety, according to Nally.
Fraternities take measures to reduce and stay on top of these incidents for big weekends like Halloween, Monon and Little 5. The GLC office helped the fraternities with extra risk management by providing free food and drink for partygoers, including pizza and 20 cases of bottled water. Phi Psi took advantage of this service this past Friday.
"People slow down when they get something in their stomach," Mpistolarides said.
A free pretzel truck was circulating campus Saturday night sponsored by Campus Activities.
Phi Psi took big measures by hiring outside security for their parties. Other preventative measures, of course, included hiring more party security and placing them at the front door.
"Only visitors with a DePauw ID were allowed in, and we were letting three or five people in at a time," Mpistolarides said. "We had to have risk managers on top. Either myself or Vice President Tyler Notch was at the front door at all times."
In addition, 36 people were on rotation for "door duty."
Meanwhile, campus safety and security staff are already looking ahead to some potentially rowdy nights, including Halloween on Wednesday.
"I know there will be students on Halloween. We'll have staff on Wednesday," Nally said. "If [fraternities have parties], it will be in smaller numbers, more manageable for them."