FOCO: Western students fighting for their right to party

What's real about "fake homecoming" is that the unsanctioned event has local authorities and Western University officials on high alert.

Last year, Western officials moved the university's official annual reunion weekend event from this weekend to late October in hopes of discouraging student-led street parties, among other concerns.

It didn't stop up to 7,000 students from gathering on Broughdale Avenue to celebrate what they started calling FOCO - fake homecoming. 

Rather than only party on the colder, official homecoming when academic calendars are more booked, students have decided to celebrate on both weekends. 

In years past, as many as up to thousands of people have congregated on Broughdale Avenue and surrounding streets to celebrate Homecoming weekend in a big way. Some of the parties grew out of control and police and paramedics were required. 

The parties, which spilled out onto front lawns and streets, also blocked emergency vehicles from passing through, said John Doerksen, Western's vice provost of academic programs.

He has a strict message for students gearing up for daytime drinking and street partying along the infamous stretch, a few blocks from the university.

"Don't go. Make a good choice," he said. "We're concerned for the community in which we live and it's our effort as a university to try and encourage our students to be good neighbours."

London police will be closely monitoring the unsanctioned event, handing out tickets to any lawbreakers – with fines as high as $10,000 under the city's public nuisance by-law.

Doerksen said the official Homecoming event kicking off on October 22 will feature safe events for both alumni and students.

'We're going to party anyways'

Multiple online groups advertising the fake homecoming festivities have popped up across social media, potentially drawing up to 5,000 attendees.

Mustang Aidan Mckendrick said Western officials should reconsider their decision to change the official homecoming date if they want to see fewer street parities.

"The idea of making a situation where there is two has made it worse. I think there should be one and then administration should find ways to encourage (students) to do something else that day," said Mckendrick, who has chosen to opt out of both festivities in years past.  "(Students) are going to party anyways."

Alyssa Arone, a second year university student, doesn't have much of a choice with her shared home plunked in the middle of Broughdale Avenue.

Although she's eager to participate on Saturday, Arone, who's already prepared purple tie-dye shirts, is taking extra safety precautions this year.

"(My roommates and I) are making posters and signs and we're locking all of our doors, we're not letting anybody in… We're parking our cars in different houses," she said. "We're preparing for a lot of people that may do some crazy stuff."

"We're still going to have a good time while trying not to get caught in any fiascos."