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Instead, the FoCo tradition was born.

Last year after 57 people were taken to hospital and one person was seriously injured while “brewfing,” the term for drinking on a roof, the city and the university worked together to try and put a lid on the party.

But a tough, new city hall nuisance party bylaw, along with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the police and the university that aimed to help Western deal with the worst offenders, didn’t seem to deter anyone.

In general, very few students were aware of the MOU or that Western’s code of conduct is extended to FoCo.

At least one nuisance ticket was issued to a person on a roof.

But out in the throngs of people, there were few who cared about the possible fines and sanctions. The new bylaws and policies “will not stop people from coming” said Sarah Matthews, a first-year student.

Another first-year student, T.J. Taylor, said FoCo should be allowed because “everyone that lives on this street are students and we’re not blocking the main traffic.”

Achal Desai, a non-student who has lived on Broughdale Avenue for three years, watched the revelry from his porch with his roommates.

“Last year was a lot more crazy,” he said.

His household made an effort not to let anyone on their property and had no concerns about the party bylaw. FoCo, he said, doesn’t bother him because “it’s tradition.”

“Every girl out there is asking to come in and pee,” he said.

Samuel Verrault, a University of Toronto student, said there were a lot of people who came here for the party.

“Most of the people we’ve met here aren’t even from Western,” he said.

Courtney Coleman, a Fanshawe College student, said she attends FoCo because the Western Homecoming date “interferes with my exams. I’ve got nothing to do now and I want to have fun.”

One of her friends was ticketed for drinking in public, but she added: “Tickets aren’t going to deter anyone.”

“We should be allowed to have fun,” she said.

Another Fanshawe student, Madison Payne, said there were concerns in the crowd about getting fined “but we’re going to party no matter what.”

mamartin@postmedia.com

jsims@postmedia.com