Spring Weekend at UConn

[Johnbuoy]

FYI. The comments from some of the students are kind of revealing too. Oh to be young and back in college... ​

​

Dear UConn Parents,​

Let us first begin by thanking you and your UConn student for another excellent year as we approach the end of the semester. UConn students continue to thrive and our pride in them and their accomplishments only grows. It is so vital that every member of our community take pride in themselves, our campus and our University – which is why we write to you today.​

As you may know, an unfortunate tradition called "Spring Weekend" existed – and in some ways still exists – at UConn. It began in the 1960s as a comparatively sedate, student-based gathering to mark the end of the semester. However, over four decades, it grew into large, unwieldy and destructive gatherings held over three days at the end of April. It is estimated that the majority of the crowds of between 10,000 and 15,000 that came to Mansfield and nearby off-campus apartments during this period were non-students who had no connection to the university.​

The hallmarks of these events were drunken behavior, vandalism, property damage and even violence, most of which occurred at nearby private housing complexes. The root of the problem was not UConn students; rather, it was non-students who were responsible for the vast majority of consequences that grew out of Spring Weekend. In fact, between 80% and 90% of arrests made each year were of non-students. But many of our students did participate in these gatherings, which were not supported, organized or sanctioned in any way by the university.​

In 2011, the university, our police department, Connecticut State Police, area landlords and the town of Mansfield worked together as part of an ongoing effort to "de-escalate" Spring Weekend. The goal was to reduce the size of crowds, deter non-students from coming to Mansfield and continue to promote safety. We were pleased that this effort was successful in 2011 and are doing our utmost to help ensure it continues this year.​

You can read our message to students regarding Spring Weekend here(http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2012/04/spring-weekend-a-message-from-the-student-affairs-vp-and-the-chief-of-police/) and find a message from UConn’s president, Susan Herbst, here. (http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/hc-op-herbst-uconn-spring-weekend-0415-20120413,0,461991.story)​

Some students may decide to return home this year between April 19 and 22 – this coming weekend. However, many students will remain here at UConn where the campus will be open and will operate normally, including all dining halls. We have asked that students not participate in the unsanctioned Spring Weekend activities, most of which take place off campus, so that their weekend can pass quietly and uneventfully.​

Our primary interest is the safety of our students and the sanctity of our campus and the surrounding community, which we will work continuously to ensure during this, and every weekend.​

Sincerely,​

John Saddlemire
Vice President for Student Affairs​

Barbara O'Connor
Director of Public Safety/Chief of Police​

 

[Dann]

i enjoyed a spring weekend when i was in college visiting a friend my soph year. it was a great time but when i was there students i met were complaining how it wasn't as good compared to a year or 2 before. sounds like this is the final blow to it. its a pretty well know and popular thing to ct kids all around. uconn needs to take this tho and build something off it so its not such a negative thing in the students eyes. kids are always going to be mad about it but this could soften the blow. have a big blowout at the rent for the kids that saturday. open the gates at 10 and have a concert by some good music group or rapper at the rent and play the spring game. kids will go there party/tailgate and enjoy themselves. its gets our spring game #'s up big time i bet, its something the student would enjoy and it would all be in a contained place thats no different party wise to a football game. charge $1 for a ticket. no one is going to say no for that price and what that does is makes the tickets sought after a bit by both the students and the fball fanbase. that $$ can go towards something like new uniforms every year or something. make it a known thing and ppl will come support and enjoy themselves. win win.

sell the tix to next years spring game as part of the year befores season tix. for non students its included in the package. no one is going to complain about that $1. it prob will get more ppl to go and enjoy themselves. that ticket is a simple reminder and something to look forward to in the spring.

also include it in the student pacakges for season tix. then sell them in the spring semester also when the rapper/music person is announced. i bet you would get 20k ar the rent for that type of event with something like 25k tix sold....

edit: to take it a step further. everyone knows that kids from all local schools uconn branshes/westconn/eastern/southern/ springfield schools etc etc all used to go to UConn for that week. sell the tix to the public better online or something. fill the rent, party, watch some football and rock out.

i'm not saying this is a great idea, but something to this effect should be done to try to curve everything from getting out of hand. as of right now, next year the weekend before the usual spring weekend will be so outa control that the higher ups are going to wish they didn't do this...bet on that because were talking college kids here...

 

[phillionaire]

It's not just that they're killing spring weekend. They don't allow for any university sanctioned events to happen on campus that weekend. It sucks. The campus turned into a police state last year, and it's probably gonna be like that this year.

 

[SubbaBub]

Most schools shut down events like this decades ago, when the drinking age went to 21. I'm surprised it took UConn this long.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Dann]

friday night is 420. good luck uconn lol

i find it funny that they allow the mess thats on campus today but not the usual party on the weekend.

 

[phillionaire]

friday night is 420. good luck uconn lol

i find it funny that they allow the mess thats on campus today but not the usual party on the weekend.

stoners aren't gonna go around and break stuff and kill people lol

 

[Dann]

stoners aren't gonna go around and break stuff and kill people lol

i didn't say that they would...all those cops around i was saying good luck to all the kids.

your right tho there not, instead gonna get lit on fire everywhere in protest of spring fling going away and then all the drunks are going to jump in and break stuff and kill people. sounds better that way so the stoners dont get blammed.

 

[freescooter]

Hmmm, I had planned to go to the baseball game. I see they even moved the Saturday game to Dodd.

 

[huskypantz]

Hah, my unit at Carriage House (good old 17d) was on the evening news for our party during spring weekend 1997. Double digit kegs, a band - and aside from trashing our apartment we made a couple hundred bucks off beer sales. Those were the good old days. Now that I'm an old man I kinda support Herbst - sad.

 

[Srqhusky]

I don't remember anything like that in the mid 90s. What the hell happened

 

[gioff23]

stoners aren't gonna go around and break stuff and kill people lol

No, according to espn, all of those kids are playing CFB!

 

[CL82]

They've been fighting this battle for a long time. I remember that the (administration campus representative I forget the name of the title) wouldn't allow us to use the power cords for a band we had in South Campus so I went and borrowed some from the Jungle. We had a Grateful Dead tribute band play on the quad. Decent show. That was the year (I think, it could have been the next one) of the famed Stowe end of world blow out.

Sigh...good times.

 

[sportsjunky1]

The last good spring weekend was 2009 it was insane!!! the carriage parking lot on Saturday night was crazy. And the ridge by far one of the craziest places i have ever been to! I will always miss those weekends

 

[Buffett10]

looks like the cops kept control of all the "rowdy college kids"

 

[sportsjunky1]

looks like the cops kept control of all the "rowdy college kids"

How was it this year?

 

[UConnPete]

How was it this year?

Dead. More cops than kids.

 

[ConnHuskBask]

I heard the campus was dead this weekend. Really sucks that it had to come to an end.

Even from 05 to 09 it was noticeably more 'tame' at my last Spring Weekend.

I know all the reasons why it's being ended and they are all valid and incidents that have occurred have certainly been tragic. That all being said, it sucks to see something that was a real UConn tradition come to an end.

 

[sportsjunky1]

Dead. More cops than kids.

Wow R.I.P to University of Connecticut Spring Weekend... You will be missed

 

[AJC88]

The campus was a police state.

 

[WestHartHusk]

I really hope someone looks into how much money was spent on bringing in the additional cops and paying them overtime and which communities were under-served by their own police force during the weekend. The UConn police force is already bloated and overpaid and they then take advantage of the media to drum up justification to make some extra money right before the summer when they sit on their thumbs for three months. From my experience at during spring weekends (many years ago now) all that is really needed is the current police force (sure, use some overtime) and extra ambulatory service for idiots.

 

[Jimdish255]

The campus was a police state.

In 1982 our soda machine dispensed Busch Beer. Never realized it until I ran out on a Sunday night. Too bad about the crackdown on parties having moved to a new level of oppression. There's got to be a middle ground.

 

[Dann]

In 1982 our soda machine dispensed Busch Beer. Never realized it until I ran out on a Sunday night. Too bad about the crackdown on parties having moved to a new level of oppression. There's got to be a middle ground.

that middle ground is throwing a all day bash at the rent for the spring game and a concert etc...its off campus, its controlled somewhat and it helps fball. you can charge for the music and fill the place easy.