Despite several arrests for alleged under-age alcohol consumption and rushing the field during the Homecoming football game, this year's Dartmouth Night weekend was considerably tamer than last year's.
"To my knowledge, there weren't as many incidents as last year's Homecoming -- there were no injuries or a mob," College Spokesman Rick Adams said.
During last year's annual Homecoming parade, a mob of '97s became roudy, climbing over cars, uprooting street signs and causing minor property damage to the town.
Three freshmen rush field
Hanover Police arrested two freshmen on charges of rushing Memorial Field during half-time of Saturday's football game against Yale. Both were charged with criminal trespassing -- a misdemeanor, according to Detective Frank Moran.
Unai Montes-Irueste '98 and Benjamin Wright '98 jumped down from the stadium's west side stands, ran across the field and attempted to evade the authorities before being caught. A third individual who rushed the field with the other two was not caught.
Montes-Irueste was apprehended by a Safety and Security officer as he was trying to climb a fence on the stadium's north side.
Moran said the officer made contact with Montes-Irueste and told him not to escape. Montes-Irueste did not resist the arrest. He was handcuffed and arrested at approximately 3:15 p.m.
"I wanted to show that our class has some school spirit," Montes-Irueste said. "It may be a silly tradition, but no one's going to get hurt. The field was clear -- it wasn't a danger to public safety."
Although Wright initially escaped from the stadium, Moran said police had tracked his movement by video camera and apprehended him after he returned to the west side stands.
Moran said he arrested Wright in the stands at about 3:25 p.m. He said Wright did not resist the arrest.
Wright said he did not know the name of the third male who escaped arrest but confirmed that he was a freshman. Wright said the two of them exited through the south gate on the guest side of the field and re-entered the stands.
Wright said they returned to the student section and "noticed that the cops were staring in their direction." He said the other '98 ran down the stands and left the stadium before the police closed in on Wright.
Wright and Montes-Irueste were released on personal recognizance at about 4:20 p.m. They will be arraigned Nov. 9 in Hanover District Court.
Moran said police plan to analyze the videotape recorded during the game to identify the third student.
Moran said the videotape enables the police to "usually avoid chasing and see where they go ... The officers on the field use the videotape to have a good record to use in court."
During half-time, upperclass students chanted at the freshmen to "rush the field." About 20 to 30 members of the Class of 1998 -- wearing masks and bandannas --walked down to the front rows of the bleachers near midfield. Police and Safety and Security officers, one who was holding a video camera, warned them against rushing the field and the group eventually turned back.
One '97 was arrested for rushing the field at last year's Homecoming football game against Harvard.
Police arrest underage drinkers
At 6:50 Friday evening, Hanover Police arrested Adam Himoff '98, Guilherme Quentel '98 and Robert Webster on charges of being minors in possession of alcohol. They are all 18 years old.
Moran said Himoff, used a false Vermont driver's license to purchase beer at the Foodstop convenience store on Main Street. He will also be charged with prohibited sale to minors and possibly misrepresentation of age.
During the bonfire ceremony -- at 8:13 p.m. -- police arrested 20-year-old Ryan Beal '96 on the Green on a charge of possession of alcohol, Moran said.
Police also arrested 18-year-old Kenneth Deem '98, on charges of possession of alcohol and of being under the influence of alcohol when police confronted him for running naked around the bonfire, Moran said.
Moran said that although police saw several students streaking the Green during the bonfire, the police made no arrests.
College Proctor Robert McEwen could not be reached to release the exact numbers of apprehensions made by Safety and Security.
Police also took four students into protective custody for treatment after being found intoxicated but none of them have been charged with any crimes, Moran said. Police would not release the names of the students, one of whom was picked up Friday evening, one early Saturday morning and two on early Sunday morning.
Director of College Health Services Dr. John Turco, said five students were admitted to Dick's House Friday for alcohol intoxication treatment and four were admitted Saturday. He said this was "a little more than usual" for a weekend.
Small fires set
There were also two small fires on campus this weekend.
The Hanover Fire Department, responded to a call at 3:05 p.m. Saturday to extinguish a fire in an electronic car workshop in the East Wing of the Old Hospital on Maynard Street.
According to a press release, an individual left a soddering iron activated on a wooden bench. Firefighters extinguished the fire quickly.
At about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, officers from Safety and Security and the Hanover Fire Department responded to a fire alert in 106 Lord Hall.
The resident of the room, Shefali Shah '97, lit a fire in a fireplace but the damper was faulty and failed to open, creating a lot of smoke that set off first the room alarm and then the hallway fire alarm. There was minimal damage to the fireplace.
