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Blarney Blowout 2015: UMass - Amherst Unveils Plan to Prevent Violent Chaos That Occurred Last Year

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The University of Massachusetts' (UMass) flagship campus has unveiled their plan to avoid a drunken chaotic scene at next month's Blarney Blowout event.

According to the Boston Globe, UMass - Amherst will ban students from having visitors on campus from March 8 p.m. March 5 to 11 p.m. March 8. In investigating what went wrong at last year's event, the school determined visitors were most associated with the more violent disturbances.

There were 58 arrests last year and just 21 of which were of UMass - Amherst students. The Blarney Blowout event is not an official university or town event, but the two came together over the last year to figure out how to prevent future trouble.

"We can't ignore what has happened in the past," Enku Gelaye, vice chancellor of student affairs and campus life at UMass Amherst, told the Globe. "The reality is some of these events have not gone well for us in the past, and we need to take preventative measures to keep the community safe.

"We're asking for their help in keeping the community and all of its members safe."

Former Boston police commissioner Edward F. Davis issued a report on how the chaos last year escalated after he was hired by UMass - Amherst to look into the matter. This year, town and school officials are reportedly talking to local business owners, students and landlords about preventative measures.

UMass is also planning to host events on campus in order to lessen students' presence in the town of Amherst, the Globe reported. When unruly crowds turned violent, large and compact crowds made matters nearly impossible for police to contain.

"I don't want the message to be 'don't engage with each other' or 'don't have fun,'" Gelaye said. "We want to create safe environments for students to socialize and have fun."

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