Saturday's rivalry game is the first between the Lehigh Valley schools since the alcohol-related death in May of Lafayette freshman Everett Glenn. Vote in the NEWS POLL.
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Lehigh University and Lafayette College football fans will be expected to cheer for their teams on Saturday in Easton during the 148th edition of America's most-played football rivalry, but both schools expect their students to celebrate in moderation.
The epic rivalry between Lehigh University and Lafayette College is always a raucous affair.
But after the alcohol-related death in May of Lafayette freshman Everett Glenn, the rules surrounding the long-awaited game and its festivities are likely to be more strictly enforced.
Lafayette, which hosts the 2012 game Saturday, is hoping campus and city police presence and rules about tailgating provide a safe environment during the 148th meeting of the two teams.
Lehigh, in an email to students, sought to remind them about Glenn’s death and how to properly behave when visiting Easton for the match-up.
“As you may know last May a tragic alcohol-related death of a student occurred at Lafayette College, which has raised the level of awareness about the dangerous consumption of alcohol on campus,” the email reads. “Lafayette has been actively engaged in addressing these issues, and we want to make all Lehigh students, alumni and fans who plan on attending the upcoming game ... aware of the enforcement efforts and alcohol regulations that will be in effect for game day.”
Easton police Capt. Scott Casterline said Lafayette College will often hire city officers to add security during football games, but there’s considerably more officers requested when the Mountain Hawks and Leopards face off. He said this year, rules will likely be more strictly enforced.
“We’re going to have a pretty big presence there,” Casterline said. “Alcohol is much more of a factor during this game than in an average game and so are crowds.”
Lehigh reminded students that mischief during tailgating will be met with criminal consequences. Visibly intoxicated students will be barred from buses that haul Lehigh students from Bethlehem to Fisher Stadium, according to policies sent to students via email. Drinking at the stadium and on the bus is prohibited, and all students entering the stadium will be screened, according to officials.
12-pack maximum
The personal carry limit for tailgating at Lafayette is defined as two 6-packs of 12-ounce beer, or the equivalent malt beverages or wine in non-glass containers. Liquor is prohibited.
Kegs, party balls and other means of rapid alcohol consumption -- including funnels -- are also outlawed for campus tailgating, according Lafayette policies. All alcohol must be consumed from cups, the rules state.
Lafayette spokesman Roger Clow, in a statement Thursday, said:
“As always, the college will focus its energy on ensuring that all students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni and their guests can enjoy the day’s activities surrounding the Lafayette versus Lehigh game while also actively addressing behaviors that are disruptive, illegal or dangerous.
"Any behavior that compromises the safety of individuals will not be permitted.”
Lehigh spokesman Jordan Reese said the university regularly communicates to students, reminding them how they should behave during the game and its festivities — particularly when visiting another school. He said social media is among the most effective ways to spread the message.
“We communicate with Lafayette regularly and pass on what they expect of students,” Reese said in an email. “From our own standpoint, we know there will be increased alumni presence on our campus so we alter our parking and transportation services schedules to accommodate the increased population.”
Protecting residents
Casterline said Easton police defer to Lafayette’s rules when dealing with incidents on campus during the game and partying outside the stadium. But he said the students aren’t the only ones police are aiming to protect.
“We want to minimize the disruption to all the residents living on College Hill,” Casterline said.
An editorial in the Brown and White, Lehigh’s student newspaper, called on Mountain Hawk fans to be respectful of their rivals, acknowledging that Lafayette’s hints at stricter enforcement may have put a “somewhat dark cloud over the game” for some students.
A poll on the paper’s website measures students' reactions to the policies.
“But with the terrible loss of one of their own students last May, Lafayette has put many rules and guidelines in place to protect not only its own students, but Lehigh students as well this year,” the editorial reads. “Too many people have been saying that this will ruin the game, not thinking about why these rules were put in place.
"We have to imagine the frustration and pain Lafayette must have experienced with the loss of a student to drinking, and think about how we would feel in their place.”