According to Medical Emergency Response Team’s “D-Day Impact Report,” released last week by Director of Operations of River Campus MERT and junior Laura Bailer, there were less calls to MERT during this year’s Dandelion Day on Saturday, April 26, than in either of the previous two years. There were 12 total calls between 10:05 p.m. Friday night and 4:50 p.m. on Saturday, and two people approached the MERT tent with minor injuries. On last year’s D-Day, MERT fielded 21 calls and received 26 in 2006. More importantly, according to Bailer, the day was an overall improvement because the nature of the calls was less severe.
“The patients this year did not seem as severely intoxicated nor as combative,” she said.
For instance, though three of the seven transports required a Rochester Police Department presence, no patients showed violent attitudes toward MERT personnel or police officers. According to the report, RPD did have to restrain patients in past years.
“All patients were able to walk themselves to the ambulance and none of the patients vomited in MERT’s presence,” Bailer said. “This was not true in previous years and thus possibly indicates a trend toward more responsible drinking on this day.”
Of the 12 calls, nine were for alcohol and three for trauma. There were five calls from the Fraternity Quad – the same number as last year – but less calls from areas on the Residential Quad. This trend was in line with organizers’ hopes for the day – to draw students away from the residential buildings.
“We’d like to see a way to draw attention to a single area,” Students’ Association Senator, former SA Vice President and junior Janna Gewirtz said.
Gewirtz believes that the safer behavior is a direct result of the threat that faced D-Day. In late February, when Campus Activities Board announced its decision not to sponsor this year’s spring concert, D-Day’s future was in jeopardy. A number of student groups and individuals, led by Gewirtz, sophomore Jon Junig, junior Harrell Kirstein and SA Senator, former SA President and junior Alvin Lomibao, coordinated to raise money and support so that the day would go on as planned, albeit without a big band. This year’s featured entertainment included two local bands, with food vendors stationed around the Wilson Quadrangle.
Gewirtz said that the possibility of a spring without D-Day led students to reconsider their previous irresponsible behavior and hold the day to a higher level of safety.
“The day will be a success in future years if and only if the students feel they are responsible for the day’s persistence,” Gewirtz said.
Wrobel is a member of the class of 2010.
