Dining Services is taking extra precautions tonight to ensure students have a safe St. Patrick’s Day.

Hall Security, a private security company, will be checking students’ FlashCards on their way into Rosie’s Diner from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., said Andrea Spandonis, director of Dining Services. Hall Security guards will be positioned at the entrance of each of the three hallways leading into the Tri-Towers rotunda. The guards will allow university students to bring two guests inside Rosie’s with them.

Normally on Thursday and Friday nights, one Kent State police officer is on patrol in Rosie’s. Tonight there will be an additional officer as well as the extra security, said Lt. Paula Rossi of the Kent State Police Department.

“We will be looking for people who are drunk and starting fights — normal St. Patty’s Day stuff,” Rossi said. “The bars open at 5 or 6 a.m., so people will be drinking all day long.”

These extra measures are being taken because Rosie’s has experienced problems on St. Patrick’s Day and the Thursday before spring break in the past, Spandonis said. Past incidents have involved groups of non-university students, which is why non-students must enter with a student.

“We seem to have groups from off campus using our space for other things than what it should be used for,” Spandonis said. “Rosie’s was built for Kent State students, so we are keeping them safe.”

This is the first time Dining Services has done anything like this, and it hopes this does not have to become a standard procedure on big party nights, Spandonis said.

“It is a crowd control procedure so students will have a safe St. Patrick’s Day,” Spandonis said.

Dining Services is paying the campus police officer the standard over-time rate, which is about $35 an hour, Rossi said. It is also paying the private security guards each $20 an hour, Spandonis said.

Contact safety reporter Sean Joseph at [email protected].