A record number of students have been involved in DWIs during the first week of school, according to Director of Student Conduct Paul Cousins and Capt. Jon Barnwell of Campus Police.

Cousins said students were involved in five DWIs during the first week of school, and approximately 45 alcohol infractions total as of Aug. 28.

“It’s very concerning,” Cousins said. “It’s more than we would expect to see.”

According to Chief Justice Lock Whiteside, the five DWIs is a peak number, despite the fact that at the beginning of the semester, the Office of Student Conduct has to deal with a large number of alcohol infractions.

Because students still do not have as many class responsibilities as they would later in the year, Cousins said it is a social time for students on campus and that is probably why there is such a high number.

Barnwell, on the other hand, said he found the timing of this increase odd because of that same reason and said students are usually more concerned with getting settled at this time of the year.

On the police side, there has been a slight increase in alcohol infractions, Barnwell said, but not of huge significance.

“We’ve had more DWIs in the first week of school than in the past,” he said.

According to Barnwell, there has even been an increase in police finding open containers in vehicles when students pass through police checkpoints.

“It’s something we are taking a look at,” he said.

Another incident that occurred during the first week of school, which Barnwell said is uncommon, is Campus Police had a medical transport for alcohol.

Whiteside said freshmen are still testing the waters and need to be aware, that even during tailgating, undercover police officers can charge them with underage possession of alcohol.

“Students need to be aware of that for the first football game,” he said.

To help prevent these occurrences, Whiteside said he hopes to make students more aware of alcohol infractions on and off campus.

Cousins disagreed.

He said at least the incoming freshmen’s lives have been marked by Laura Bush’s “Just Say No” Campaign, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Students Against Drunk Driving and have never experienced the drinking age being under 21.

“All their lives, there’s been a consistent message about the risks of alcohol and drunk driving,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a question of awareness.”

According to Cousins, he spent the entire month of July at orientation talking to parents and students about the risks of alcohol.

“The challenge is how do we create a situation that someone’s awareness shows in their behavior,” he said.

Cousins said the freshmen getting themselves in trouble is even more of a problem because they are not only involving themselves in risky behavior, but they do not have a support group to help them steer away from further problems.

“The biggest struggle young people, students have … is ‘how do I manage my independence?'” Cousins said.

Although he said all young people go through these independence problems, even the adults working at this University said it is worrisome.

The penalty for a first offense DWI is suspension for the minimum of one semester, Cousins said.

He said he can’t think of a time where a student has had a second offense DWI, but if it were to happen, the consequence would be expulsion.

According to Whiteside, if it’s just an alcohol infraction not involving driving, there is no chance of suspension on the first offense, but the student must receive alcohol counseling and write a paper assignment. On the second offense, the student must come before the judicial board and may face suspension.