Evidently, in Ames, Iowa (home of Iowa State University) they have a little celebration called Veishea which takes place every spring. There have been a few problems with the celebration over the years. Specifically, riots in 1988, 1992, 1994 and 2004. They are trying to keep these things from happening, which is fair enough, but I'm not sure officials have a grasp on things.
[ISU President Gregory Geoffroy] said Veishea will be held the weekend of April 22 next year. But he said changes will be made, including re-evaluating the event's no-alcohol policy. ISU officials first barred alcohol on campus during Veishea after Harold "Uri" Sellers, 19, of Monroe was stabbed to death outside a fraternity house at the end of Veishea in 1997.
"We will re-evaluate the 'dry Veishea' alcohol policy, which many believe has had unintended consequences of encouraging the growth of large off-campus parties," Geoffroy said....
Last April, students smashed windows, set fires and toppled lampposts at the end of Veishea weekend, after police broke up a large off-campus party one block west of Campustown. About 100 police, state troopers and sheriff's deputies used tear gas, pepper spray and batons against the mob.
O.K. So how are they proposing to keep something like this from happening again?
The task force on Nov. 30 made 15 recommendations, including stricter rules to prevent large unruly parties and rioting, better communication with students about rules, and more opportunities for underage students to socialize off campus.
Let me see if I've got this straight. A riot was caused last year by police attempting to break up a large party. The proposal to stop future riots is to crack down on more large parties.
Huh?
I've been to many "large unruly" parties and in exactly none of them did a riot break out as a consequence. Riots tend to break out when there is some sort of provocation, like the police coming in to break up your party. Sending the cops in to break up every big party they see will only create an atmosphere of resentment that will fuel future troubles. Just see if it doesn't.
A similar thing happened at Southern Illinois University where official's attempts to "crack down" on unruly Halloween festivities in 1995 helped spark riots the following year. And those difficulties continue. Basically they turned a nuisance into a chronic rioting problem. Great job folks!
So, for all of you in Ames, sit back and watch history repeat itself. Again.
4 comments:
There should be lawsuits against Iowa State for having faith in the VEISHEA event of those getting mace sprayed on during the event that wouldn't cause chaos and the building owners to get the VEISHEA event to be a thing of the past ok!!
If the lawyers don't sue Iowa State to lay down the law on the VEISHEA event for the event to be history then the lawyers are racists and nobody is going to force the building owners and those getting mace sprayed of those that didn't cause chaos to not to sue the pants off the attorneys. In fact, Michelle Bachmann and Gary Krisel who works for Washington county in Minnesota have been browbeated into suing Iowa State because of problems at the VEISHEA event Bachmann and Krisel want a decent bridge by Stillwater, MN that has been needed as far back as the 1950's because the current bridge is 80 years old ok!!
If Bart Giamatti were president of Iowa State he would have barred the VEISHEA event for good like Howard Cosell thinking Giamatti would have been quick to cancel the 1989 bay area World Series because of a earthquake disruption if Giamatti were still alive. (Giammati passed away on September 1, 1989). Giamatti was a baseball commissioner.
The delay of VEISHEA being the thing of the past is part of a larger society like it is in repairing bridges and roads and nobody is ever going to force the building owners and those that gotten mace sprayed on that didn't cause problems during the VEISHEA riots not to sue if when the time would come of Pres. Geoffrey's death to those that would object to them being glad that Geoffrey's dead ok!!
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