By CONNOR RYAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Photo by The Ram        One student poured vodka into a water bottle Tuesday afternoon on Edward’s Parade.

Mere feet from where a small but raucous group of students gathered for an impromptu game of football, a dozen or so empty beer cans and bottles lay strewn around Edward’s Parade as the Saturday evening sun slowly began its descent.

Since getting out of class last Friday afternoon, masses of students have gravitated toward the grassy centerpiece of Rose Hill to celebrate the long-awaited arrival of spring.

Amid students sunbathing, tossing Frisbees and passing footballs, many have been drinking either beer or hard liquor, which is in violation of University rules.

Christopher Rodgers, dean of students at Rose Hill, said that at the beginning of every spring, as soon as “it is warm enough to sunbathe without significant risk of hypothermia,” he watches students race to find a comfortable spot on “Eddie’s.”

“I love this tradition and to see so many around the lawn in the spring, but sadly some of our students bring along a beverage they appear to have recently discovered called beer,” Rodgers said in an email.

After witnessing large crowds gathering on the lawn late Friday afternoon from his office window in the McGinley Center, he and a few resident assistants walked around Eddie’s to check for alcohol. He said he saw a few groups drinking beer and quickly approached the students to check IDs.

“As we did our jobs on the lawn, various members of the community expressed their own disappointment (some booing, I detected some cat calling, perhaps a smattering of hisses, as well),” he said. “I enthusiastically waved to the crowd in the manner of what one student later described as Miss America.”

(Rodgers claims he was going for more of a Queen Elizabeth-style wave.)

But the revelry did not stop on Friday.

This past week, just like the start of every previous spring at Fordham, a large number of students have been drinking on Eddie’s — and few say they plan to stop.

“I think it’s perfectly acceptable and should be done if done safely,” a freshman said as he sipped beer Saturday afternoon on Eddie’s. “I do it and I have a great time because I am smart about it.”

A sophomore, who was also drinking in the middle of campus on Saturday, complained about Fordham’s prohibitive on-campus alcohol policies.

“There are very limited options to Fordham students when it comes to places where students can drink socially, especially outdoor spaces,” he said. “Students take their chances on Eddie’s.”

According to Rose Hill’s student handbook, Fordham prohibits “the possession and consumption of alcohol within public areas and administrative and academic buildings.” (An exception lies, however, when the Dean of Students, or his designated representative, grants special permission.)

Additionally, students who are of the legal drinking age may not consume or possess alcohol while in the presence of underage students (unless at a registered event). This includes drinking on campus lawns.

When asked how Fordham security handled the uptick in drinking this weekend, John Carroll, associate vice president of Safety and Security, said his department was not aware of any students drinking outside.

“I spoke to my duty supervisor for this weekend,” Carroll said in an email on Sunday. “He did not observe anything on Eddie’s that indicated the area was experiencing drinking by our students on Saturday or Sunday.”

Carroll went on to say that it is possible individuals may have had an “isolated drink,” but security “can’t be at every location at all times.”

Since this weekend, security guards have been seen walking around Eddie’s, speaking with students and looking for alcohol.

Many try to camouflage their alcohol in water bottles or other innocent-looking containers in hopes of deflecting attention. And so far the strategy seems to be working.

One student on Tuesday afternoon — presumably under the influence of alcohol — sat comfortably on a blanket and clearly poured vodka into an empty Dasani water bottle, despite the added security.

Rob Raffaele, FCRH ’15 and chief of medical operations for Fordham University Emergency Medical Service (FUEMS), said that his department has been a little busier since the temperature recently began rising.

“This weekend was maybe a bit higher [for intoxication calls] than average, [and] I suspect that was due to the beautiful weather on Friday,” he said.

Speaking from experience, Raffaele added that FUEMS typically sees a spike in calls as the weather gets warmer. He cited specifically an increase in calls related to sports injuries and intoxication.

There is no doubt, security presence, particularly around Eddie’s, has risen as more students spend time outside and alcohol becomes increasingly prevalent on campus.

“Safety and Security will give sustained attention to Eddie’s, [Martyrs’ lawn] and other lawns to ensure everyone is complying with the Student Handbook, Code of Conduct and New York State law,” Carroll said.

Rodgers echoed Carroll saying, “We will be back on the lawn in the coming weeks to meet more of our students, no doubt, and we will ask the community to exercise restraint in its enthusiasm for spring as we do each year at this time.”

Carroll said he encourages Fordham staffers, faculty members and students to alert campus security if they see students drinking outside.

“We will respond and take immediate corrective action,” Carroll said.

Joe Vitale and Kris Venezia contributed reporting.

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Editor’s note: In order to protect identities, names of students (including a photographer’s name) have been withheld from this article.

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