Bar Crawl, set for May 13, will see a myriad of students celebrating the end of class — or for seniors, the end of a college career. But with students drinking beer, taking shots and maintaining a steady degree of intoxication throughout the course of the day, officials’ first priority is maintaining a safe environment.

The event, which draws thousands of students each year, spans over a dozen bars in the Downtown Binghamton area — each holding specials for Bar Crawl mug holders throughout the day.

According to David Husch, director of Off Campus College, one of the main restrictions will be the open container law. In order to enforce the law, Binghamton area police will be patrolling the area in front of bars.

Measures are being taken to give students proper warning for what is expected of them, Husch added.

“[The police chief] and I are sending a letter to students letting them know that we will be cracking down on open container policies,” Husch said. “We have quarter sheets also being placed in each Bar Crawl mug to ensure that students get the message with plenty of warning.”

The quarter sheets, titled “Bar Crawl Dictionary,” explain how an open container is defined and what students should not be doing in violation of the law.

Andrew Block, executive assistant to the mayor of Binghamton, stated that open container laws would be enforced just like other regulations students are expected to follow.

Other parts of Bar Crawl regulations include checking identification upon entering bars.

“Just because a student buys a mug, doesn’t mean that student has a right to enter and/or drink in a bar,” Husch emphasized. “Students need to present a valid ID.”

Husch said participating bars will also receive larger versions of the quarter sheet information to place in their bars and keep barrels by the door for students to dump liquor in before going from one bar to the next.

Last year some off-duty officers were hired as security inside the bars.

All the regulations were discussed at a meeting of the Campus Community Coalition of Binghamton on April 14. They are in their fourth or fifth year of implementation, Husch said.

“Since it is going to happen, we just want it to be as safe as possible,” Husch said. “In this situation responsibility is key.”

According to Husch, also a co-chair of the Campus Community Coalition of Binghamton, students, police, bar owners, department of public works officials and others attended the meeting.

Husch said he would be doing extra outreach to the bars that did not attend the meeting.

Bar Crawl mugs are available now through finals week at the SA office on the second floor of the New University Union. Mugs, which will also be sold at Spring Fling, are $12 and get students discounts during the crawl. Proceeds will go to the senior class gifts.