Annual autumn shindig canceled by administration last year.
Like Bishop’s, Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario has a long tradition of partying it up on their Homecoming weekend. Students fill the streets to celebrate school spirit and are generally tolerated by law enforcement. Homecoming weekend is famous for having some of the greatest parties of the year. Unfortunately for Queen’s U, the party got a little too popular.
The Aberdeen Street party had been the unofficial location to which party-goers flocked after the Homecoming game for years. But recently, it began attracting students from outside of Queen’s, and even non-students from elsewhere. The street party averaged 5000 people in recent years, peaking at 8000 in 2006.
Threats to life and property arose when a car was set on fire in 2005, and a person was hospitalized last year after being assaulted. Last year, local police made 140 arrests and issued 700 fines in one night.
Libby Shaker, Municipal Affairs Commissioner for Queen’s Alma Mater Society (AMS), pointed out that party-goers who don’t attend Queen’s “have fewer consequences for their actions than Queen’s students; they have no degree reputation at stake, [and] they are not held to the Queen’s Student Code of Conduct.” (Queen’s students are a minority of those arrested – last year they represented just 25% of those arrested, and 40% this year.)
The acts of violence and vandalism caused Queen’s to take decisive action. Last November, then-Principal Thomas Williams announced that Homecoming celebrations would be moved to a spring reunion in May. In justifying its decision, the university cited “safety concerns,” with an emphasis on the Aberdeen Street party.
The police also took action by calling in reinforcements. This year, local police arrived from Toronto, Belleville, Gananoque and Smiths Falls along with OPP and RCMP officers to join the Kingston Police Force. These officers did not hesitate to make their presence felt as they lined up on Aberdeen Street in full riot gear.
Officials in the police force, university administration, and AMS are all generally pleased with the results of this year’s would-be Homecoming weekend. The size of the Aberdeen street party shrunk to 2000 people, and only 40 arrests were made and 153 tickets handed out. In addition to that, no serious injuries were reported.
When asked whether or not the University would consider reinstating Homecoming after this year’s turnout, Shaker responded: “The event was suspended because of poor behavior and concerns about student safety. If these problems are no longer pertinent, we expect the University will review its decision and consider restoring Homecoming traditions.” The decision is slated to be reviewed at the end of next year.
Although safety concerns are cited as the reason for taking action, there is little doubt that concern over liability for expenses and damages was also a prime motivating factor for moving Homecoming. According to The Journal, the Queen’s University student paper, Queen’s gave the city upwards of $175,000 per year to help with policing costs in previous years. With the cancellation of official Homecoming celebrations, the university is no longer on the hook for these expenses.
