University officials are questioning the future of Full Moon on the Quad, after four alcohol-related hospitalizations, plus an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol and an arrest for public drunkenness, took place early Friday morning.

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Adam Tow

ADAM TOW/The Stanford Daily At Full Moon on the Quad last week, ambulances arrive behind Memorial Church to rush students to the emergency room. Four students were taken to the hospital early Friday morning for alcohol-related emergencies.

“I have serious reservations about this event happening again,” said Assistant Dean and Director of Student Activities Nanci Howe. “But it is too early to say what the future of Full Moon is.”

Howe made clear that Friday morning’s incidents were unacceptable. She added that if the University decides that the event is too risky, it may be discontinued.

“We can’t have this event if it continues like that,” said Howe. “But it is really up to the students to decide with their actions.”

The San Jose Mercury News published an article on the alcohol-related incidents on Friday, drawing public attention to the situation. However, the University maintains that its concerns stem from the severity of the actions themselves.

“We’re concerned any time a student is hospitalized or arrested, and our concern increases when one event produces multiple incidents that affect the well-being of our students,” said Chris Griffith, acting dean of students.

The alcohol-related incidents took place despite a stronger emphasis in recent years on safety at Full Moon on the Quad. This year, for example, the Office of Student Activities, ASSU and senior class presidents worked with RAs, RFs, PHEs and Vaden Health Center representatives to discourage drinking on the night of the event.

“While most of the 2,000 to 3,000 students who participated in Full Moon on the Quad respected the spirit of a fun, alcohol-free activity, we are very concerned and disappointed that some students did not honor that spirit, thereby posing a safety risk to themselves and their peers,” Griffith said in a press release.

In addition to the four students who were taken directly to the hospital from Full Moon as a result of police or administrators stepping in, other students were later taken to the hospital by friends and dorm-mates.

Three deputy officers and six security officers were present at the event.

“I think that the security is only related to handling the event itself,” Howe said. “They can’t control what people do before coming to the Quad.”

Director of Public Safety Laura Wilson attributed the problems to students “front-loading in their dorms prior to the event.”

For administrators in the Office of Student Activities, the next step in deciding the future of Full Moon on the Quad will be to talk to students and the ASSU to figure out exactly what happened.

“Full Moon on the Quad has been enjoyed by generations of Stanford students,” Griffith said. “But the event cannot generate the kinds of problems we saw on Thursday. It takes the good judgment and goodwill of all who attend to make it a safe event. Most of the students who attended this year’s Full Moon participated responsibly. Unfortunately, some did not.”

Many students feel that the University cannot prevent the tradition of drinking before Full Moon on the Quad, and therefore cannot stop the subsequent hospitalizations that may occur.

“You can’t stop freshmen from drinking any more than you can stop the moon from getting full,” said senior Rebecca Dowell.

Sophomore Ali Jamal agreed.

“I think the drinking policies are ineffective because they are unrealistic,” he said. “People who are going to drink are going to drink, and they are probably going to drink a lot.”