Michigan State Riots

[Bryancd]

This is my gripe is that there are few bad apples (about 100) that were ready to sit out in the middle of Cedar Street until the Police started firing the tear gas. These are the kids that wear getting tear gassed, thrown in jail, arrested, as badges of honor. It is really sad because Cedar Fest at the beginning of the night from about 7-11 was just an enjoyable time. Kids were having fun, drinking, cooking burgers, just enjoying themselves. Then the alcohol started to sink in a little bit, and the kids who wanted the tear gas started to get that liquid confidence and all of a sudden we have a full on riot on hand.

Michigan State is always and will always be known as a party school for the riots that occurred in 01,05 etc. Which in fact less that 5% of the student population participated and only 50% of the arrests were in fact MSU students.

Please don't misunderstand, this is NOT an indictment of your school, which rocks. It's just that your school is BIG and has a huge swath of demographic represented. A few "bad apples" is what we are discussing, but the question is are there more "bad apples" who want that kind of thrill now versus previous generations.

[X]

Certainly we will all have different personal experiences. I never saw any of this in Boston, I never knew anyone who went to a school where they had a riot with police showing up with tear gas. .

I'm glad you had a good experience in Boston, but during the same time, my father-in-law was here he said that there were often riots. There is a book called, aptly enough, 'Boston Riots'. There were tons of them in the 60's and 70's for various reason.

I don't think that the world has really changed that much. I think that incidents that would be regional news in the past is now national news and it simply appears that things have gotten worse. It seems like every few years there is always some sort of riot in Boston.  

[MSUFan]

This is my gripe is that there are few bad apples (about 100) that were ready to sit out in the middle of Cedar Street until the Police started firing the tear gas. These are the kids that wear getting tear gassed, thrown in jail, arrested, as badges of honor. It is really sad because Cedar Fest at the beginning of the night from about 7-11 was just an enjoyable time. Kids were having fun, drinking, cooking burgers, just enjoying themselves. Then the alcohol started to sink in a little bit, and the kids who wanted the tear gas started to get that liquid confidence and all of a sudden we have a full on riot on hand.

Michigan State is always and will always be known as a party school for the riots that occurred in 01,05 etc. Which in fact less that 5% of the student population participated and only 50% of the arrests were in fact MSU students.

Please don't misunderstand, this is NOT an indictment of your school, which rocks. It's just that your school is BIG and has a huge swath of demographic represented. A few "bad apples" is what we are discussing, but the question is are there more "bad apples" who want that kind of thrill now versus previous generations.

O I know, I was just saying it as my 2 cents about the whole thing.

[Bryancd]

Certainly we will all have different personal experiences. I never saw any of this in Boston, I never knew anyone who went to a school where they had a riot with police showing up with tear gas. .

I'm glad you had a good experience in Boston, but during the same time, my father-in-law was here he said that there were often riots. There is a book called, aptly enough, 'Boston Riots'. There were tons of them in the 60's and 70's for various reason.

I don't think that the world has really changed that much. I think that incidents that would be regional news in the past is now national news and it simply appears that things have gotten worse. It seems like every few years there is always some sort of riot in Boston.  

They were labor related, not kids in college.

[X]

They were labor related, not kids in college.

Actually, there were labor riots, school riots due to busing, race riots, and a host of others between the 1960's and the 1980's. While they specifically say that teens and adults were involved in the school riots, it doesn't say that there were specific people from specific schools, but if logic holds and teens and adults are involved in the rioting, I'd have to assume that college aged kids were also involved because of the nature of a riot.

[sheldor]

Actually Bryan, towards the end of my time at Michigan State there was plenty of pretty crazy parties like this.  This was when this particular annual party really got started.  Culture kind of circles in waves.  I don't think it's any better or worse than in my day there.  One issue I constantly say to people is due to the internet we just hear about things a lot more than ever before.  But I truly don't think things are any worse.  And in some ways I think things are better.  But it's always just up to the individual.  You decide for yourself what type of person you will be.  Are you going to be a lemming and jump off a cliff or act stupid just because everyone else is?  I'm pretty sure (and hope) the two sons my wife and I raised know better at least.  And for me, that's the most important thing.

Seemed like every weekend Cedar Village was on fire.  Eventually, they started to frame the furniture with steel and bolt it to the floor.  It was the one side of MSU which was embarrassing.   If it were up to me, every one of them would be expelled.

[Rico]

Well, I have kids in the middle of it and a wife who is a high school teacher.  So I have a pretty good feel for the way things are currently.  The vast majority of them are great kids.  Most, smarter than we ever were.

[Bryancd]

Well, I have kids in the middle of it and a wife who is a high school teacher.  So I have a pretty good feel for the way things are currently.  The vast majority of them are great kids.  Most, smarter than we ever were.

Careful now, none of us can speak in absolutes, myself included, it's just opinion, but makes for interesting conversation. :)

[Bryancd]

They were labor related, not kids in college.

Actually, there were labor riots, school riots due to busing, race riots, and a host of others between the 1960's and the 1980's. While they specifically say that teens and adults were involved in the school riots, it doesn't say that there were specific people from specific schools, but if logic holds and teens and adults are involved in the rioting, I'd have to assume that college aged kids were also involved because of the nature of a riot.

I wouldn't agree with that conclusion, but it's a valid conjecture.

[Jen]

Yes, good topic. To me, a riot is bad no matter what. Whether it's race related, labor related or a bunch of miscreants drunk off their rear ends... there's absolutely no call for it.

[Rico]

Well, I have kids in the middle of it and a wife who is a high school teacher.  So I have a pretty good feel for the way things are currently.  The vast majority of them are great kids.  Most, smarter than we ever were.

Careful now, none of us can speak in absolutes, myself included, it's just opinion, but makes for interesting conversation. :)

Didn't think I spoke in absolutes.  I see words like 'vast majority' and 'most' in my words.  I have two sons.  I have taught in both middle school and high school.  My wife has been a high school teacher all of her career.  I have traveled in buses to Washington with students and gone on other field trips with them.  I am speaking from my experience - not from things on the news, the internet or in the papers.  And I still say the vast majority of them are great kids.

P.S.  But if you want to research this type of thing online - feel free.  You will find that violent crime has been declining for decades for the youth population.  Here are couple links to get you started:
http://youthviolence.edschool.virginia.edu/violence-in-schools/national-statistics.html
http://www.cjcj.org/pubs/myth/myth.html

[MSUFan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVdtvBN-iEI&eurl=http://www.spartantailgate.com/forums/msu-red-cedar-message-board/309021-going-school-msu.html

Watch this very well done by these two students.

[Rico]

Nicely done.  They need some better audio equipment and should of done a few close ups.  But that's just the movie guy in me talking.  Good for them for posting something positive and putting things in perspective.

[The IC]

I've never understood why people at MSU and OSU felt the need to riot.  I went to Wisconsin, and in my 5 yr tenure there were no riots. None. 

It always seemed like there's an annual riot at MSU.

[Rico]

If you dig into this story, it was a very small group involved.  So I think you are generalizing.  And frankly calling it a riot is pretty inaccurate.  In most cases the few involved in this are only looking for some media attention.  Which, thanks to the media, internet, etc. they got it.