While Homecoming weekend may conjure up images of out-of-control dance parties and heavy drinking, College health officials say that for them Homecoming is just an average weekend. Health officials say that the number of Good Sam calls they receive and the number of intoxicated students they care for over Homecoming weekend is comparable to other weekends.
"We don't treat Homecoming all that differently," Dr. Jack Turco, Director of Health Services, said.
While the number of medical cases is not expected to increase during Homecoming, Safety and Security will have extra officers on duty, and Dick's House will keep an additional nurse on staff during the evening shifts.
"We are preparing for an active weekend on campus," Proctor Harry Kinne, Director of Safety and Security, said. "But in past years, Homecoming isn't as busy as our regular fall weekends."
In addition to 12 regular beds, Dick's House will have extra cots should more students need medical care, Turco said. The staff, however, usually sees only two to four people on the campus' "big nights" Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
"More than four cases is rare," Turco said.
If more students do need medical attention than Dick's House can accommodate, the overflow will be sent to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, according to Turco. When an ambulance is called to take an intoxicated student to DHMC, Hanover Police may escort it, potentially leading to the student's arrest for possession by consumption.
When responding to a Good Sam call, Safety and Security, which cannot make medical decisions, will usually take an intoxicated student to Dick's House. If the student blows a .30 or higher in a breathalyzer test, however, officers will call an ambulance to take the student to DHMC.
The student-run Dartmouth EMS has also started responding to Good Sam calls on foot to provide students with more immediate medical care. Each crew consists of two EMTs and an additional student who is CPR certified. EMTs are also qualified to determine whether a students needs to go straight to DHMC as opposed to Dick's House.
For Homecoming, EMS will have two crews on call from Friday to Sunday, according to Jiayi Hao '08, head of Dartmouth EMS.
The number of Good Sam calls has increased over the past years, which Kinne views as positive development. He said this increase indicates that the people who are in trouble are getting help.
"Safety and Securty is here for just that, to keep people safe," Kinne said.
Besides staying hydrated and eating while drinking, Kine recommended that students stay together and look out for each other to keep everyone safe.
"Common sense is what staying safe comes down to," Hao said. "For a school with such academic prestige, people do stupid things sometimes."
