Cheap beer and drink specials aren’t the only major issues catching the eye of the University of Wisconsin administration.

As the PACE Coalition addressed in an open forum Wednesday night, house parties present another alcohol-related matter facing university attempts to reduce high-risk drinking activities by UW students.

The PACE Coalition, formerly known as the Robert Wood Johnson Project, feels that house parties must be made safer for the student body.

Representatives from neighborhood communities, the city police, the chancellor’s office, the Wisconsin Union and University Health Services dealt with numerous topics involving house parties Wednesday; PACE members said they hoped to find answers to some of the pressing concerns.

Aaron Brower, principal investigator of the PACE Coalition, stressed the fact that the goal of the organization is not to eliminate the hosting of house parties.

“The focus of the project isn’t about the drinking itself,” Brower said. “The problems are the consequences of self and others.”

He cited rape, sexual assault and self-injury as examples.

Bob McGrath of counseling services said that 25 percent of students requiring detox come from house parties.

Although a wide variety of issues were addressed, several main ones dominated the forum discussion.

Freshmen, described as “amazing targets” for house parties, posed a concern for students and adults alike, forum participants said. Forum members said house parties seem a very attractive weekend activity for freshmen; they often cannot kick back a few at the bars and see house parties as a place to drink as much as they want for a low price while meeting new people.

As many student house owners pointed out, freshmen contribute to the fact that “parties spread like wildfire.” In other words, once word gets out, the influx of freshmen creates a party that no apartment resident can attempt to calm.

“Although I have not been around the house-party scene for very long, I feel that the sheer number of people at house parties will forever prevent any real action being taken against them,” said UW freshman Meg Bradshaw.

In addition, many forum members said they feel that freshmen are not properly educated on the perils of drinking in a house-party environment, thus making them easy targets for assault or injury.

One student also pointed out that gap between the police and students is a problem.

The distance, he said, often prevents students from contacting the police when a student is in danger because they are afraid of getting in trouble themselves.

Regent neighborhood resident Kim Peterson pointed out another problem posed by house parties.

“It’s not the party itself [that causes trouble]: it’s the behavior that accompanies it,” Peterson said. “We’re all victims when this happens.”

Those in attendance recognized the fact that wiping out house parties is impossible, and many expressed the opinion that there is no real solution.

“It’s frustrating that there’s no obvious solution, but I think one solution is to make the hosts conscious of the safety of the guests and the neighbors,” freshman Amos Briggs said.

Despite the complexity of the issue, both students and adults felt the problems could be diminished in various ways, such as bridging the gap between students and police for the safety of fellow students.

Many speakers stated that freshmen should be better informed of the issues that accompany alcohol. Also, students in attendance were adamant in their belief that lowering the drinking age would allow students to drink in atmospheres other than house parties.

All in attendance agreed on one necessary solution: students must learn to drink responsibly and in moderation.