Fewer students under 21 were caught drinking this Spring Fling than last year.
Undercover officials issued 12 citations for underage drinking during Fling, four fewer than last year, according to statistics from the state Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement.
The bureau also cited two students for using false identification cards and one for disorderly conduct.
And in a year when University officals were keeping a close eye on events during Fling, Social Planning and Events Committee president and Wharton junior Catey Mark said that an informal discussion with University administrators and SPEC coordinators during Spring Fling revealed that officials were satisfied with student behavior overall.
The University Council, an advisory body, held discussions in the fall over the merits of moving Fling out of the Quadrangle to another, safer location.
The newly-released citations bring this year's total of Fling alcohol and crime incidents to date to 33. Penn Division of Public Safety officials have not yet released the full statistics for this year's festival.
There were 16 alcohol citations issued during Fling 2005, with one additional citation given to a student for public urination.
Fling 2004 saw 30 total citations, while 2003 had only 11, with the majority of them alcohol related.
Eight out of the 12 underaged-drinking citations this year were issued Thursday evening, state officials said.
Fling co-director and College junior Makeda Kefale said the decrease in this year's alcohol citations shows the impact of FlingSafe, a student volunteer organization, in getting students to behave during the festivities.
This year's FlingSafe volunteers numbered about 250, but only 200 were actually stationed throughout campus during the weekend. Kefale said the other 50 did not complete training by the time Fling began.
Last year's Team Sober, a similar program, had about 130 volunteers.
FlingSafe "gave students a chance to check their behavior before the police got involved," Kefale said. Without the student volunteers, "you don't have that middle step."
Public Safety officials could not be reached for comment.
Mark said the increase in student volunteers in FlingSafe and initiatives such as the student Medical Emergency Response Team sends a positive message to the University officials.
"That's a wonderful first step for showing them that Penn students are responsible enough to have an event like Fling."
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