This year’s freshman class might be one of the most troublesome in a long time, according to the NIU Judicial Office.

Judicial Office Director Larry Bolles said this year’s class already is causing significantly more problems than past freshman classes.

“We have a rambunctious freshman group this year,” Bolles said. “It’s already been a very lively year.”

Bolles said some problems are more prevalent than others, but this year’s class is trouble across the board.

From alcohol to cheating, fireworks and chemical explosions— this year’s freshmen have caused problems, Bolles said.

“We’ve seen a lot of fighting, mostly shoving matches,” Bolles said. “Tempers are flaring. We usually see this stuff later in the year.”

Bolles said the biggest problem is guest responsibility. Residents are bringing in guests for up to three weeks, he said.

“Like my grandmother used to say, guests are like fish—after three days they start to smell,” he said.

Guests also are causing a lot of problems both on- and off- campus, Bolles said.

“If you bring people here as your guests they’re your responsibility,” Bolles said.

“The bulk of the visitors are coming from Chicago,” he said. “These people are unaware of our regulations. If your guest throws a brick through the student center window, we’ll hold you responsible.”

Bolles said residents could receive the same disciplinary actions for their guests’ behavior as they would receive if they broke the rules themselves.

“It’s a problem in general, but more so with freshmen,” Bolles said.

Freshmen traditionally receive the most write-ups of all four classes, but this year’s class is off to an exceptionally bad start, he said.

Another problem is what Bolles described as a “party atmosphere” in the dorms. Noise, disrespect for other guests, gambling and a number of alcohol violations have been prevalent, he said.

They’re going to have to read the rules,” Bolles said. “I’m going to make sure we don’t ignore these issues.”