After a professor called the police in response to hearing shots fired April 7, not knowing that a University Police Department officer had fired to start each Tug match, police sirens from a police cruiser were used with little success Wednesday.

Complaints were made that the sirens could not breach the loud roar of the crowd.

On Friday’s and Saturday’s final Tugs matches, they used air horns instead to jolt each team to pull the rope crossing the Campus Pond.

UPD Officer Craig Alley, said this was only temporary, though. The shotgun would be used again next year but better notice would be sent out to those in Charleston, especially those on campus.

“Enough information will be put out next season,” Alley said. “Enough notification was not given out for everyone to understand. It will be back next year.”

Even with two consecutive days of warm sunny weather and temperatures hitting over 70 degrees Saturday, the battlefield for this year’s Tugs consisted of mud especially on the west side of the Campus Pond.

While each team on the west side tried to avoid the algae-filled pond, their fates were sealed as they slowly slid their way to their water defeat through wet mud that had not fully dried.

After each win on the east side both on Friday and Saturday, the crowd reacted with disappoint and frustration as team after team won on the east side.

Sigma Chi, who had won in the coin-toss the east side, placed first in the Big Men’s bracket. They beat Sigma Alpha Epsilon, leaving them in second place. Sigma Pi won third place.

Chris Korst, a Sigma Chi tugger, agreed the west side had more difficulties to it, remembering back to previous tugs where he had been on the west side. However, he said he believed it was still an earned win in his eyes.

He added they still were not easy tugs and did take effort even being on the east side.

Kappa Delta also won on the east side, winning them the Women’s bracket. Their win left the opponent, Alpha Sigma Alpha in second place. Sigma Sigma Sigma won third despite being on the west side. A back and forth tug left Alpha Sigma Tau unable to reign in the third place victory.

“I think a lot of people proved it that both sides can be won on,” Katie Murphy said. “We didn’t take any steps forward. We all had smiles on our faces before it was even called.”

Tri-Sigma Tugger Natalie Passarello, said while the conditions were worse on the west side, it was still very possible to be successful on the west side.

“You stick your whole foot in the ground then you won’t move, trust me,” Passarello said.

They would be the only team to win from the west side during the Finals.

Sigma Pi tugged on the east side achieving victory in the Little Men’s bracket. Lambda Chi Alpha took second. Delta Tau Delta was able to win third place.

Matt McNiff, a Delts tugger, said he thought the ground was looser on the west but he would not use it as an excuse for losing or winning.

Despite the crowd’s and some team’s irritation with the results blaming many of the victories on either side’s advantages or disadvantages, Alex Lais, the Greek Week steering committee co-chairman, said it was a fair game.

“People won on both sides. It is the same conditions every year,” Alex Lais said. “Grass doesn’t grow over night that is what people have to realize.”

Matt Poll, as well as other Sigma Pi tuggers, said they had no leg to stand on when they lost to Sigma Chi throughout the match Friday.

“There was no ground to get traction with. It was on water skates,” Poll said.

The Sigma Chi team disagreed leading to confrontation between the two teams after the match that was quickly broken up before anything had started.

Tugs ended the 2014’s Greek Week, with the award ceremony announcing the overall winners Sunday.

Jarad Jarmon can be reached at 581-2812 or jsjarmon@eiu.edu.