Spring Break
Pachanga tickets will be restricted to presales only
by Harry Shipps
Staff writer
News | 3/10/09
Posted online at 6:50 AM EST on 3/10/09
/ Last updated at 5:04 AM EST on 3/10/09
Tickets for this semester's Pachanga dance will only be available through presales and will not be sold at the door in order to avoid security problems and to ensure all students who purchase tickets before the event are guaranteed entrance, according to the event's organizer.
Leon Markovitz '10, president of the International Club that coordinates the event, said that 850 tickets will be sold in the presales.
The presales began last Sunday with tickets in the form of blue wristbands priced at $5.
Last semester's Pachanga dance was marred by rowdiness among students waiting to enter the dance and overcrowding of the Levin Ballroom. One student was arrested for assault and battery of a Brandeis police officer and four others were placed in protective custody. Many students who had purchased tickets during the presales were unable to enter the dance because the ballroom was filled to almost 500 people over its capacity. Markovitz estimated that the club had sold roughly 1,600 tickets last semester, more than double Levin Ballroom's 750-person capacity.
Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said that the response of University Police and other departments on campus to Pachanga would be consistent with what has taken place in past years; however, he declined to discuss specifics about the deployment of security resources. Callahan added that Public Safety wants to avoid the type of incidents that occurred at Pachanga last semester but said, "There are many stances that we can take involving judicial referrals or protective custody if people are intoxicated or appear to be under the influence of something. Obviously, if they're assaultive or combative, we can arrest people, [but] this is the last alternative that we like to initiate."
Last semester, along with Brandeis and Waltham Police officers, security personnel from Knight Protection Service, a private security firm hired and paid in part by the International Club, were present. Markovitz confirmed that the club intends to use Knight again, though he did not say how many security guards would be on hand and declined to discuss the cost of that security.
Leon Markovitz '10, president of the International Club that coordinates the event, said that 850 tickets will be sold in the presales.
The presales began last Sunday with tickets in the form of blue wristbands priced at $5.
Last semester's Pachanga dance was marred by rowdiness among students waiting to enter the dance and overcrowding of the Levin Ballroom. One student was arrested for assault and battery of a Brandeis police officer and four others were placed in protective custody. Many students who had purchased tickets during the presales were unable to enter the dance because the ballroom was filled to almost 500 people over its capacity. Markovitz estimated that the club had sold roughly 1,600 tickets last semester, more than double Levin Ballroom's 750-person capacity.
Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan said that the response of University Police and other departments on campus to Pachanga would be consistent with what has taken place in past years; however, he declined to discuss specifics about the deployment of security resources. Callahan added that Public Safety wants to avoid the type of incidents that occurred at Pachanga last semester but said, "There are many stances that we can take involving judicial referrals or protective custody if people are intoxicated or appear to be under the influence of something. Obviously, if they're assaultive or combative, we can arrest people, [but] this is the last alternative that we like to initiate."
Last semester, along with Brandeis and Waltham Police officers, security personnel from Knight Protection Service, a private security firm hired and paid in part by the International Club, were present. Markovitz confirmed that the club intends to use Knight again, though he did not say how many security guards would be on hand and declined to discuss the cost of that security.
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