Student senate met Wednesday to go over Halloween safety tips and Ohio University’s Medical Emergency Assistance Program.
Scott Bye, assistant dean of students and director of community standards and student responsibility, and Tim Ryan, staff lieutenant at OUPD, were the speakers of the evening.
Bye started by speaking on the OU’s code of conduct and what that means in terms of the Halloween celebrations here at OU.
“The code applies on and off campus,” Bye said. “So, for Halloween, that means it applies if you’re out in Court St. or another house on Mill St. or things like that.”
Bye said he wants people to be aware of the Medical Emergency Assistance Program, or MEA. It’s designed for students who may have had too much alcohol or drugs to receive medical attention without a record generated. Bye stated that in order to use the MEA, the student has to accept responsibility for underage drinking and also do some alcohol/drug education.
Bye’s gave other tips for Halloween, including information on sidewalks being public property and asking before petting patrol horses.
“A Borg, I don’t know if this is still a thing that students do but it’s considered an open container. So even walking with the top on, it’s still an open container,” Bye said. “Please be aware of that.”
Bye said he wants students to make sure they are traveling in groups when going out, keeping a cell phone on hand and avoiding poorly lit areas. If students choose to drink, Bye said students should not engage in high-risk alcohol use and know their resources/where they can get assistance.
“If folks do choose to consume alcohol, it’s important to know where that was coming from, how much alcohol was in it, don’t leave it unattended, not to be drinking open source cups,” Bye said.
Ryan also spoke on the importance of safety during Halloween festivities.
Ryan said there will be increased police presence working Halloween weekend including departments like the Highway Patrol, Athens City Police and OUPD. Ryan said a majority of arrests surrounding Halloween are alcohol-related.
“If you are trying to be a person who’s going to be reasonable on Halloween and want to increase your safety, decreasing the amount of alcohol you drink will probably work out well for you.” Ryan said.
The Governmental Affairs Commission is working on a voter guide soon to be handed out to students on campus. Multiple other commissions are also collaborating with Governmental Affairs to create their own voter guides.
The Environmental Affairs Commission has been working on meeting with Damon Krane to discuss his opinions on environmental issues. They also are working to provide students with fresh produce here on campus.
