Saints hit Miami for Super Bowl

The Tulane campus is gearing up for Super Bowl Sunday. The Tulane University Police Department is preparing for a long day, area bars are anticipating massive turnouts and the Undergraduate Student Government is rallying administrators to cancel classes Monday.

Colonel Jack LeBlanc and the rest of TUPD are finalizing their Super Bowl Special Operations Plan, which will start 12 p.m. Sunday. By the time the game begins, almost half of the TUPD force will be patrolling the campus and the surrounding area.

“There will be a noticeable increase in police presence all day,” LeBlanc said. “We are anticipating officers in the residence halls and on all the quads. We’ll have one person overseeing, four sergeants and 14 officers working.”

LeBlanc said TUPD is most concerned about post-game celebrations that might get out of hand. In crafting its plan for Sunday, TUPD received extensive recommendations from other universities who have dealt with Super Bowl celebrations in recent years.

“After the final results come in is what we are most concerned about,” LeBlanc said. “We’re here to make sure that the things are safe and that the celebrants act peacefully.”

LeBlanc said TUPD will also increase patrols off campus and around the bars on Maple Street, where many students will be watching the game. Bruno’s Tavern owner David Melius said that most of the bar’s tables have already been reserved. Melius said people began reserving tables the day after the Saints won the NFC Championship game.

“It’s been nonstop since then,” Melius said. “There are only a few small tables still available at the very front.”
Bruno’s will be opening an hour and a half late on Sunday to give employees time to prepare for the increased business. Melius said the bar will have three extra employees working the door and extra bartenders and servers.

“I expect it will be standing room only,” Melius said. “But it will be a regular busy day for a football game. We can only do so much business.”

Students said they would be watching the game in their resident halls, downtown and at the local bars. Sophomore Jackson Lester said that no matter where he watches the game, he will be headed downtown after.

“Even though I have a paper due the next day, I’ll be downtown if they win,” Lester said. “I worked four of the games selling foam fingers and other stuff, and I’ve really fallen in love with the Saints because I don’t have a team back home.”

Other students said they would appreciate a day off after the game.

“It would be great,” junior Jillian Lauer said. “My classes haven’t been canceled but I know a lot of people’s have.”
The Associated Student Body submitted a letter to administrators supporting a school holiday Monday. Undergraduate Student Government president Donald “Ratchet” Leverson, who first suggested the letter, said he felt it was necessary.

“There’s a large contingent of Tulane students from New Orleans,” Leverson said. “And there are a lot of university employees who are from New Orleans and understand how special this is. I think the university should acknowledge how unique this is.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Mike Hogg said speculation about a possible day off on Monday was mostly a student generated rumor.

“We will be holding classes on Monday,” Hogg said.

Though Tulane students from across the country are excited about the game, it holds special meaning for Louisiana natives, like Leverson, LeBlanc and Melius.

“I’ve been a Saints fan since 1967 and this has been a long time coming,” LeBlanc said. “A Saints victory would mean a lot to New Orleans.”

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For more on the Saints and the offensive live, CLICK HERE | Of Beers and Brees … Click Here | Tulane preparation for Superbowl … Click Here