Athens New Year’s Eve Remains Calm, Safe

Only a small handful of arrests were made for public intoxication and underage drinking and caused no trouble for the Athens Police Department.

“Nothing remarkable happened over the New Year’s holiday,” said Athens City Chief of Police Tom Pyle. “There were very few arrests. It was just like any other weekend as far as I was concerned.”

Although New Years Eve is one of the most popular holidays around the world, there was no huge celebration like many have seen on weekends like Halloween in Athens. Many believe that this is because many students just don’t want to leave home early.

“I would rather stay at home and celebrate with my family and old high school friends,” said Jared Noyes, a resident of Cincinnati. “This is really the last time I get to see them before I go back to school. It’s a celebration I would never want to miss out on.”

No streets are ever shut down for New Years Eve in Athens. Besides the usual cold and wet weather, many people don’t celebrate New Years Eve in the streets because the holiday mostly revolves around the television and counting down until the ball drops. Because most stay inside for the occasion rather than outside on the streets, safety is marginally increased..

“I was pleased to see that a lot of student came back to bring in the New Year,” said Dean of Students Ryan Lombardi. “However, it seemed to me that the only students that made the trip back to Athens were those that either owned a home or had an apartment.”

While things remained calm in the streets, things also remained calm in the bars and restaurants.

“New Years Eve is always a lot busier than every other weekend for our bar,” said manager of Jackie O’s Bruce Reed. “Nothing got out of hand and everyone had a great time.”

Although most people wait up until midnight to celebrate the New Year, Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery celebrated the New Year at 7:30p.m. The pub held an event for kids and families in which all proceeds went to “The Birth Circle,” a group in Athens that helps support pregnant women.

With the New Year already under way and a new quarter beginning, administration hopes that 2012 turns out to be as safe and as fun as the previous year.

“Last year was a good year for Ohio University,” said Dean Lombardi. “I always have a lot of fun working with our students. They continue to impress me every year.”