Cody Pyle, a member of Ohio University’s Phi Kappa Theta fraternity, chose to spend his Saturday afternoon patrolling Mill Street as opposed to drinking with his peers.
Pyle was one of about 200 OU students, faculty and staff who elected to be a part of the “Green Team” in an effort to help law enforcement maintain order during the street festival, which local officials said remained calm and relatively uneventful.
In the wake of an arson fire and riot evacuation during April’s Palmer Fest, OU Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi issued a campuswide email last Tuesday asking for volunteers to walk up and down Mill Street for a four-hour shift in exchange for $50 in Bobcat Cash.
OU budgeted $25,000 to fund the university’s presence at Mill Fest on Saturday, spokeswoman Katie Quaranta said in an email.
Pyle, a junior studying communications studies, said he signed up to make a statement despite being heckled by festgoers with calls of “traitor” from porches and parties.
“I volunteered because Lombardi endorsed the Polar Bear Plunge, which raised $27,000 for the Ohio Special Olympics — partly thanks to Lombardi,” he said. “I really appreciate what Dean Lombardi did for the Plunge, so I wanted to do my part to help the school.”
Before Pyle’s noon to 4 p.m. shift began, OU President Roderick McDavis spoke to the Green Teams, saying, “We are not here to enforce any laws; we’re here to be helpful.”
Volunteers were split into 26 groups of four to five students and one faculty member, who had a radio to report any serious activity.
“We walk up and down the streets to make our presence felt and try to keep the peace,” said Habibah Ashari, professor in the Center for International Studies and first-time volunteer.
Mill Fest’s crowds were not unusually large, Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said.
“This fest is very different from Palmer, much calmer, with more local OU students,” Tom Pyle said. “The (Green Team) volunteers are being very helpful. They have a calming presence, and we haven’t had any major incidents yet.”
During Mill Fest, two “nuisance parties” were shut down because of non-compliance, and most of the nine arrests that APD made were alcohol-related offenses, according to a city news release.
Of those arrested, four were from Ohio University, three from Ohio State University and two from other universities, according to the release.
In addition, the Athens Emergency Medical Service transported two people to the hospital for minor injuries.
Though Mill Fest remained calmer than April’s Palmer Fest, Oak Fest was even more sedate, APD Capt. Ralph Harvey said.
Athens Police’s arrest numbers for Oak Fest and weekend arrest numbers from the Ohio Investigative Unit were not available at press time.
After Palmer Fest, city and university officials met several times to discuss the future of spring fests and how to maintain order and civility.
Cody Pyle said part of the reason he joined the Green Team was to help ensure the fests continued in future years despite the events of past fests.
“I really hate how the fests have taken an irresponsible and dangerous turn. I have a lot of fun at the fests, and I don’t want to see them shut down,” he said. “I want to do my part as a student to help people have fun.”
az346610@ohiou.edu
