Students worried about an increased Brunswick Police (BPD) presence on campus during Ivies should set their minds at ease. At least according to Brunswick Police Chief Richard Rizzo, that is.
"It should be business as usual," Rizzo said in an interview with the Orient. "As you know, we have that alcohol grant and we'll have an officer or two working that weekend but that's no different than every weekend since we've gotten the grant. We're not doing anything special for Ivies."
Community Policing Officer Terry Goan said he felt there would be somewhat of a difference compared with past years.
"I think there will be [a greater police presence]," Goan said. "We have officers coming in on overtime for this weekend."
Goan noted, however, that officers on duty would not solely be focusing on Bowdoin.
"It's just one piece of the pie," he said.
Director of Safety and Security Randy Nichols said he expected police enforcement to be "similar" to what it has been in years past, but asked that students nonetheless be "more vigilant than normal."
Both Goan and Nichols said they were pleased that the Saturday concert had been moved from the Quad to Whittier Field because the fence around the field will keep students with open containers off public streets. Furthermore, the single entrance way will help keep trespassers out.
On Wednesday night, Bowdoin Student Government (BSG) hosted an information session on Ivies in Sargent Gym. The meeting was attended by nearly all Residential Life staff members, Associate Director of the Dining Service Ken Cardone, Director of Athletics Jeff Ward, Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster and Program Advisor for the Entertainment Board (E-Board) Megan Brunmier, among others.
Nichols was in attendance to offer security advice.
A major point Nichols brought up was his request that students not drink from bottles and cans on Whittier Field.
"If we do see students consuming from a bottle or can, we'll address that," Nichols said in an interview with the Orient.
Nichols said he wanted to avoid bottles on Whittier Field for the obvious safety risk of broken glass. Nichols hoped he could limit cans as well, not only for the police but also for public perception.
"The public is concerned with not just how much is being consumed but how much is visible," Nichols said. "During the Ivies concert, most students are really good about keeping things discreet, and that's what this is all about."
Because of this, Nichols asked that students pour whatever liquid they are drinking into a solo cup or Nalgene bottle.
At the meeting, Nichols received a question asking whether the encouragement of Nalgenes and Solo cups meant to create more incentive for drinking hard alcohol.
Nichols said this was not the case, rather, he asked students to transfer the beer or wine they had brought with them to a Solo cup once they opened their drink on Whittier Field.
Goan said the drinking inside the fence that contains Whittier Field was less concerning to the police than students with open containers.
"If there is drinking going on inside the football field, that's fine," Goan said. "We just don't want them to continue as they are walking back."
Both Goan and Rizzo said they did not anticipate going onto private property—like Whittier Field or the Quinby House lawn—to break up students drinking.
"If you're on private property, generally the police don't take any type of enforcement action," Rizzo said.
At the meeting Wednesday night, Dean of Student Affairs Tim Foster incorrectly stated that it was illegal for someone of age to have a beer on his or her own lawn in the Town of Brunswick. Goan confirmed in an interview later that this was not the case.
Nichols was not particularly concerned that the change in location would prevent students from bringing alcohol into the concert.
"How do students get alcohol anywhere on any given night?" Nichols said. "Students are quite adept at getting alcohol from point A to point B."
"We're not going to be searching backpacks," he added.
Rizzo said that while he expects at least one or two noise complaints from the concert on Saturday, it was very unlikely any action would be taken.
"Generally speaking, unless it's crazy, ridiculous noise, we'd tell the people 'they're having a concert,'" Rizzo said. "If they have a complaint we'd probably steer them toward Bowdoin saying 'this is something that happens every year.'"
Nichols said the party that usually happens on the Brunswick Apartments Quad on Friday has some advantages given that it happens in a mostly enclosed space, making it less likely to receive complaints or attract unwanted attention.
"It's a nice setup, but that alleyway by the shuttle stop is visible to the public," Nichols warned, "including Park Row, which the police patrol."
Nichols also mentioned that Bowdoin Security, in conjunction with the Dining Service, would be providing a table of snacks at the Harpswell Apartments party on Friday night. As for the Saturday party at Pine Street, Nichols called on BSG to provide pizza for the party as it did last year. Currently, BSG is planning on providing a hot dog distributor.
"I say bring on the pizza, because it has got all the ingredients necessary to fill people up," said Nichols. "Hot dogs don't necessarily fill people up."
Nichols commended BSG for providing the food, but did not see why last year's plan needed to be changed.
"I was there when the pizza was distributed last year, it was a little crazy, but it was a lot of fun too. And it made for a safer event," Nichols said. "I don't think there was a 'pizza riot.'"
-Gemma Leghorn and Zoë Lescaze contributed to this report.