Alex Gramajo wasn’t aware Public Safety could become an uninvited guest to a block party he announced on Facebook, where he asked students to join by hosting parties on the lawns of their off-campus apartments during Mayfest this coming Tuesday.

After seeing the party mentioned in an April 10 column in The Daily Orange, Public Safety and the Syracuse Police Department decided to increase patrols of the neighborhood east of campus that day, said Public Safety’s special events Lt. John Sardino.

‘If he’s sincere, I’m more than willing to help him out with this,’ Sardino said. Public Safety’s position is not a support role, but it can help in controlling large crowds or uninvited students upset they can’t join a party. ‘I would really hate to see a student party become the highlight of the day,’ he said.

Neighborhood safety patrols, which are most common on weekend nights, will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday and run through the evening, Sardino said. Public Safety, police and university representatives will also knock on doors in the neighborhood Thursday. The message will inform students about what they could potentially be dealing with in hosting a block party and how to keep things safe, Sardino said.

‘We’d almost be happier — certainly more comfortable — with the police around,’ Gramajo said. ‘It’d be good for us if we could feel safe and really enjoy the day.’

Sardino said he spoke with a senior who was debating canceling and removing a Facebook event tonight if police and the university were going to crack down on the block party. Gramajo said he wasn’t the student Sardino spoke with.

The Facebook event, titled ‘No Senior Week? F-that!’ drew attention from The Post-Standard in an article published Saturday. The event’s original description said ‘Let’s all get blacked out on May-fest on a day where classes are cancelled.’ That language has since been changed, because it wasn’t in line with what the event is all about, Gramajo said, and he doesn’t want the event to be public.

‘If you want to partake, have your friends over at your house,’ Gramajo said. ‘Everyone who owns a house is basically just doing it their own way.’

Seniors had been mentioning all year that SU has no real senior week in place. ‘Everyone wanted to do something,’ Gramajo said. ‘Our school doesn’t have these events in place, so we wanted to have a send-off.’

The senior accounting and finance major who lives on the 800 block of Sumner Avenue was the one to set the date and get the ball rolling. He created the Facebook event in March. At press time, about 800 students said they’ll attend.

Gramajo contacted Syracuse police and Public Safety to try to get a permit or permission to declare a real block party. The police referred him to Public Safety, who he said he has not heard back from. Lt. Joe Cecile of Syracuse police did not return calls to comment.

The idea of a block party in the neighborhood east of campus may conjure bad memories in the minds of police officers and administrators at SU. In May 1998, students living on Livingston Avenue held ‘Livingstock,’ a block party that ended in a riot when police tried to break the party up.

In a morning meeting, Sardino said he was asked if the university is taking the needed steps to prevent another Livingstock. ‘I think we have,’ he said.

Gramajo said he doesn’t get the vibe that the Mayfest parties will turn into another Livingstock. ‘It’s just having friends over at your house,’ he said. ‘People are getting invited to Tuesday’s event.’

Public Safety is trying to get help from the Office of Residence Life to warn underclassmen that they could be arrested for drinking underage if they party with the seniors, Sardino said.

Sophomore Lauren Buttimer said she’ll consider walking around the neighborhood on her day off from classes, but she’s not comfortable walking in on a party hosted by people she doesn’t know.

‘It’s definitely a great way for the seniors to be able to kick back and relax and really celebrate the four years,’ said Buttimer, an English education major. ‘I don’t think it should be seen as these kids are going to go crazy.’

Published on April 17, 2007 at 12:00 pm