As students prepare for homecoming weekend, the Eastern Michigan University student organization Feminism for All Beings hosted an event called “How to Party Safely” Oct. 14, 2026, aimed at discussing safe nightlife practices.
The panel discussion style event included input from Matt Lige, executive director of public safety and chief of police at EMU, Alyssa Mohr, coordinator of fraternity and sorority life, and William Barrett, special events chairperson of fraternity Theta Chi.
The discussion covered medical amnesty, methods for helping highly intoxicated peers, fraternity safety expectations, police services and personal safety devices.
Medical amnesty refers to the opportunity given to EMU students under the age of 21 to seek medical attention for themselves or a highly intoxicated peer without police prosecution, Lige said.
Lige mentioned that students who utilize medical amnesty will be required to meet with The Office of Wellness and Community Responsibility. They will create an action plan with a staff member that they must complete in order to become eligible for an informal resolution to their case, according to Lige. Informally resolved cases do not remain on student disciplinary records.
“We want you to do the right thing and get care without fear,” Lige said. “Don’t ever think you’re going to get in trouble. [If] you call, we're gonna take care of it, and amnesty will be in place.”
In the event that emergency services are called, the caller must stay with the inebriated individual until first responders arrive, Mohr said.
If a student calls emergency services for themselves, they will be taken to the hospital and monitored until their level of intoxication decreases to a manageable amount, Lige said.
Students that are taken to the hospital will be treated like adults: medical staff have no requirement to contact parents or family members, Lige said.
Common warning signs of alcohol poisoning can be remembered by the acronym P.U.B.S., Mohr said. The acronym refers to puking, unconsciousness, breathing that is shallow, noisy or slow, and skin that is blue, cold, clammy, or nail beds that are pale. Students exhibiting these signs require immediate medical attention, she said.
Mohr encouraged students to call help for their friends and peers if they suspect something is wrong.
“Even if that person is mad at you the next day, at least they’re alive,” she said.
Regarding fraternity safety, Theta Chi has eight sober monitors stationed throughout the house during every event, Barrett said. He mentioned that the monitors verify student identification at the door, check all alcohol being brought in, and monitor bathrooms and outdoor areas for students showing signs of dangerous intoxication.
Lige said mutual compliance is the best method for maintaining a positive relationship between the student body and the local police department.
“Be respectful of your neighbor, whoever it is,” he said. “If they called because the music is too loud, turn the music down. Have fun, enjoy everything that you’re doing there. Just be respectful of the reason we got called.”
The discussion also covered the safety resources available to students, such as the emergency assistance stations located around campus marked by a blue light on top of a post labeled “emergency.”
During emergencies, students can press the red button on these stations to be immediately connected via phone to the EMU police department. A camera attached to the station will be activated, allowing police to see the student and their immediate surroundings, Lige said.
The discussion also covered the usage of pepper spray as a personal protection device.
Pepper spray should only be deployed when safety is in jeopardy, Lige said. He said the device works well at a 10-foot distance and should be sprayed across the attacker’s face, ear to ear.
The spray should physically impair the attacker, allowing students to run away and notify the Department of Public Safety about the incident, he said.
If a student accidentally comes in contact with pepper spray while deploying it, they should remove contaminated clothing, take out eye contacts, and wash skin with cool water for 20 seconds, he said.
Katie George, president of Feminism for All Beings, said she organized the event based on her own struggles with adapting to safe partying due to a lack of experienced people in her life.
“Nightlife, to me, was really intimidating and scary because that’s all it was ever presented as,” she said. “I was very fortunate — I had friends who knew a little more, and we prioritize safety when we go out, but I’ve seen that not everyone has that.”
At the end of the event, the floor was opened to questions and DPS offered pepper spray devices and training for attendees to take at no cost.
