Halloween Day Drink Ends In Citations
Sean Newhouse
News Editor
Throngs of costumed students descended on Kiefaber Street in the South Student Neighborhood on Saturday, Oct. 27 to celebrate Halloween.
However, UD Chief of Police Rodney Chatman told Flyer News that Public Safety had to break up many parties because of “various kinds of disorderly behaviors, noise violations and high-risk drinking.” Five students were cited for noise, disorderly behavior or underage drinking.
One of those students was junior accounting major Ed Lauterbach.
He lives in a landlord house on Kiefaber Street and said UD police wrote him up for an amplified noise citation. The citation was through the city of Dayton, and Lauterbach has to pay a $175 fine.
Three of the persons cited on Oct. 27 were written up for noise violations. Chatman said these individuals were “given prior warnings that their speakers were audible beyond 25 feet from their houses.”
Lauterbach said he did turn off his house’s music, but a roommate turned it back on.
Senior exercise physiology major Kiki Hess, who also lives in a landlord house on Kiefaber Street, said UD cops asked her house to turn off their music.
She said the officers were “really nice.” One of her roommates told the police officer he had a great Halloween costume, which he thought was hilarious.
Hess said she saw someone get arrested for unclear reasons, but Chatman said no individuals were arrested.
On top of the five citations given on Oct. 27, multiple houses on Kiefaber Street were notified early Oct. 28 that they received environmental disrespect citations from the university.
Hess, whose house did not receive this citation, said many of her neighbors were cited. She said the students who live across the street had to pay $100 because the grass in their yard was ruined due to trampling.
Likewise, Lauterbach’s house received an environmental disrespect citation. He said he thinks it’s due to the grass because his roommates picked up all the litter.
Hess said the neighborhood celebration was not planned, but rather grew as more students began hanging out in their front yards.
“Word travels in Dayton so quickly,” she said.
The Halloween Day Drink exposed rifts between some students and administration, as the discussion over UD’s culture continues to dominate university dialogue.
Lauterbach, who described the day drink as “Patty’s Day light,” said some participants coined the catchphrase, “Make Kiefaber Halloween Great Again.”
Neither Lauterbach nor Hess said they agree with President Eric Spina’s efforts to increase discipline for underage drinking and large parties.
“I get it, but I don’t think he goes about it in the right way,” Lauterbach said.
Hess said she’s concerned UD’s culture is turning more into a state school’s, where parties are exclusive and cliquey instead of being open to everyone.
She said a mom and UD alumna who visited Halloween weekend told her UD used to be like this year’s Halloween Day Drink every weekend.
“You can’t have Dayton without Saturdays,” Hess said.
Photos courtesy of Kiki Hess.