ITHACA, N.Y. -- Slope Day's organizers say that this year's May 6 event should be better -- and safer -- than ever.

"First of all, the level of the performers is greater than in past years," says Steve Blake '05, a government major from San Francisco who serves as president of the Slope Day Programming Board and co-chair of the Slope Day Steering Committee. 

Scheduled to perform at Slope Day are rappers Snoop Dogg and The Game.

This year the event is strictly limited to members of the Cornell University community and their guests. For the first time, guest tickets went on sale before the event, Blake said. In fact, the 3,000 tickets that were available for $25 each April 20 were sold out within three days. However, anyone with a valid Cornell ID -- students, staff or faculty -- can attend the event for free.

"We decided that we just could not leave the number of guests allowed in the area up to chance," said Catherine Holmes, associate dean of students and co-chair of the logistics committee for Slope Day.Organizers are prepared for an estimated 15,000 Cornellians and their guests to show up. Holmes noted: "We had to consider the strain on support resources, especially Gannett Health Center, Cornell's Emergency Medical Service and area health services as well as recruiting an appropriate number of volunteers to assist with the event. Without limiting the number of guests, the potential for drawing a crowd of well over 30,000 people was just not realistic for our campus or community."

Over the past few years, the event has undergone some dramatic changes in an effort to manage it appropriately.

To do that, Holmes said the university has had to figure out how to make the consumption of alcohol on the slope legal. That's why the university began fencing in the slope two years ago and selling bracelets with five pull-off tabs for beer to those with appropriate identification.

This year, the fencing has improved and is now primarily a 6-foot-high chain-link fence, rather than the orange plastic used in the past, and planners have improved the entry process in hopes of minimizing the time that participants wait in line. Other improvements include better signs and more security.

Holmes pointed out, however, that more volunteers may still be needed. Any student, staff or faculty member willing to volunteer May 6 is asked to register on the Slope Day Web at http://www.slopeday.cornell.edu. No walk-on volunteers will be accepted on the day of the event.

Gates will open for Slope Day at 11:30 a.m., with the first act scheduled to take the stage at 1:30 p.m.