Maybe the students didn’t get the memo.

Thousands of revellers are expected to pack Western University-area streets Saturday, defying the school’s bid to nix booze-fuelled Homecoming debauchery by pushing the annual event into the cold of late October.

Police, vowing to clamp down on out-of-control behaviour, promise a beefed-up presence around campus.

But with so much buzz about the event circulating on social media, and out-of-town partiers chartering buses to London, the potential for trouble — no matter when the school schedules Homecoming — looms large. A social media call to pack Broughdale Avenue, the heart of unsanctioned Homecoming activity, has more than 3,600 supporters — a early sign rescheduling the official event matters little to many students.

“It seems like all they did was create two homecomings,” second-year student Jazz Sidhu said of Western’s decision to move the celebration from the last weekend in September to Oct. 22.

Sidhu and roommate Manraj Nijjah, who live on Broughdale, said they’ve heard of multiple house parties planned Saturday on the street, just a stone’s throw from the campus.

“I think it’s going to be pretty crowded,” Nijjah said.

Area landlords have already been warned, in a letter signed by the city police chief, they could be held liable — facing fines of up to $10,000 — if rowdy tenants break London’s nuisance bylaw.

Some critics have scoffed at that, questioning whether it would stand up in court.

But lawbreakers should expect no kid-glove treatment, a London police spokesperson said.



Western University second year students Manraj Nijjah, left, and Jazz Sidhu play a game of catch on Broughdale Avenue, where the two live in a house with three other students in London, Ont. on Thursday September 29, 2016. The two say they will be marking an unofficial homecoming weekend with friends at their home, and know others on the street plan to do the same. University officials moved the homecoming date to October 22 in an effort to prevent repeats of large parties on the street in recent years. (CRAIG GLOVER, The London Free Press)

Instead, police are calling in reinforcements and will warn and ticket those who run afoul of the law, live-tweeting their movements throughout the day, said Const. Sandasha Bough.

“We have an operational plan in place,” she said. “We will be deploying additional resources to (the) street this weekend, as we have in the past.”

Bess Srahulek, one of Broughdale’s few non-student residents, said she hopes police maintain order.

The 86-year-old said she’s called police on past Homecomings after students urinated on her door, climbed on her roof and damaged her property.

“It really boils down to respect,” said Srahulek, who’s lived on Broughdale since 1960.

“Why do you have to get totally drunk . . . and do stupid things?” she asked.

On recent Homecoming weekends, thousands have gathered on the dead-end street the Saturday of the event for big parties that often spill both down onto the road and up onto rooftops.

There were 16 ambulance calls to the area last year — one person was impaled on a fence, another fell from a roof — and nearly a dozen hospital admissions.

Anticipating students will still celebrate Homecoming on Saturday, the University Students’ Council is hosting on-campus events, including a haunted house, hot-air balloon rides and a concert, as alternatives to house parties.

“We’re dedicated to providing this alternate programming for students,” said USC spokesperson Emily Ross, adding there will be security at the events.

The USC wasn’t involved in the decision to change the date of Homecoming, Ross said, and decided to hold events on both Saturday and Oct. 22 in response to concerns raised by students.

University officials said they decided to scale back Homecoming weekend to a one-day event after months of consultations with community partners.

Only 40 alumni out of the 98,000 who were sent an email informing them of the change contacted the university to voice displeasure, said Trista Walker, Western’s executive director of alumni relations.

Western rebranded the upcoming weekend as Reunion Weekend, because many alumni had already made plans to travel to London for Homecoming before university changed the date.

An estimated 5,000 alumni will take part in reunion events and awards dinners starting Friday, Walker said.

The Oct. 22 Homecoming features more family-friendly activities, such as live music and a tailgate lunch ahead of the football match between Western and McMaster University.

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

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