The gap between Town and Gown Grows
There is no doubt that there is a gap between the views of town and gown. The towns people are well represented by the CDT, and the students more so by the Daily Collegian. I found a piece on the CDT’s website, that illustrated this perfectly.
“But, hey the Nittany Lion faithful had a right to party. The football team had never won a Big Ten game at the Horseshoe. A celebration is called for no matter who has to pick up the bill for cleaning up the mess. Right? Wrong.
I had to chuckle this week as I heard a co-worker, a Penn State graduate, say something along the lines of, “Those kids don’t know how to riot. We did it much better when we were in school.”
Now, there’s something to be proud of.
Another explanation I heard for last week’s destruction was that Penn State fans haven’t had a really big road win to celebrate since a 1999 triumph against Miami. Maybe that’s more an indictment of the program, but is it a reason to start breaking things?
Call me crazy, but what’s wrong with having a celebration where the fans just celebrate? Display your school colors, scream for joy, sing the school song or high-five your buddies and the rest of the crowd.
Isn’t the whole thing supposed to be about the “joy” of the moment?”
There is such a vast gap between “us” and “them” that needs to be bridged, it is up to us as students to work with them, not to create such standoff, or controversy with the town that tries to welcome us into their community. If we expect any kind of respect, or voice in their community, we must show them the respect that we strive for, and not destroy the work they do.
Perspective: The Human Reaction To The Riot
So much has been said about last weekend’s riot in Beaver Canyon that anything more risks commentary overdose. That being said, it’s worth looking to the perspective of a few local residents and alums to get a more realistic and human take on this topic.
From the Centre Daily Times:
Oh my. What has the culture of this community come to?
Once upon a time, students were allowed to carry goal posts down the street in celebration of a big victory! It was celebrated and people were happy!
Now, everyone is so uptight and indignant. People weren’t hurt (except by the cops). State College and the big money makers (high rise owners) won’t feel $10,000 of the property damage. They have made their millions off the students for decades now.
Stop this police state already!
Another commenter said the following:
This is why yet another in a long string of destructive, celebratory student riots occurred. The participants lacked respect for law, order, and the State College community. There is a lack of Penn State administration and student leadership. It’s that simple.
Both of these comments are an accurate take on the events that unfolded last weekend. The culture in higher education — not just at our university — has so decayed that students have fewer and fewer means by which to experience real, raw human interaction of the kind that’s not coordinated by class or committees.
It’s no surprise, then, that when a win like the one we experienced over our long time rivals occurs, students flood the streets in celebration and go overboard, perhaps egged on by law enforcement even more than deterred by them.
State College & A Student Relations Committee
The Daily Collegian reported today on an idea first proposed by Safeguard Old State Executive Director Chris Morell on Oct. 13 at a meeting of the State College Borough Council. Mr. Morell proposed the creation of a Student Relations Committee of the State College Borough, to be established as a formal ABC committee in our town as a means to foster better communication, understanding and policy conflict resolution.
Now, in the wake of last Saturday’s downtown mini-riot after the Ohio State game, the need for such a committee is only further proven. In our vision of the Student Relations Committee, it would not have formal binding authority in its decisions, but would instead serve as a public means of discussion among town and gown on an advisory level.
The Daily Collegian - Riot Heightens Town’s Concern - Oct. 30 - Saturday’s downtown riot after Penn State’s victory over Ohio State “heightens the importance of having an ongoing, open communication link between the town and the students,” State College Borough Council President Elizabeth Goreham said Wednesday.
Informal discussions among council members have centered around the idea of a new committee designed to foster increased communication between students and council members since the idea was originally raised by Safeguard Old State Executive Director Chris Morell at a borough council work session Oct. 13.
“It would only make our community better, and it wouldn’t take that much work,” Morell said then. “Whoever it is, whenever it is, as long as it is.”
Since Morell’s presentation, council discussions about the idea have largely been centered around the notion of a formal authority, board or commission (ABC) — a transition spearheaded by council member Theresa Lafer.
“If we had an ABC … we would have a permanent voice for town-gown relations,” Lafer said after the council’s Oct. 20 meeting. “My feeling is that it would make [town-gown communication] permanent, legitimate, ongoing.”
Now, I know some concern was raised by Borough Manager Tom Fountaine. Mr. Fountaine is concerned that such a committee could “duplicate” the mission of the Off Campus Student Union (OCSU), commissioned by the administration in 2004 to act as a liaison between town and gown.
While Mr. Fountaine’s concerns are not entirely without merit, Safeguard Old State is pushing for the creation of an independent Student Relations Committee of a specific makeup that would transcend whatever services that the OCSU could produce as an administratively controlled entity.
Safeguard Old State’s Executive Staff will be publishing a formal article on our website very soon with our proposal to the State College Borough Council.
Penn State deserves to be #1
WE deserve to be number 1. For the school with some of the most rowdy fans in all of the land. Where else do we see street signs being uprooted, just because a football game was won. Have you ever been to a place where people, are willing to state pepper spray in the face, because they are so happy?
The “riots” that occurred Saturday night, were nothing more then a release of a excitement building for years. It should be embraced and shown for all of the world to see, how we can come together, and support a common cause, even if it is just football. On Saturday night we were a student body, even if we were destructive, we did not hurt any one, and we did not have to go to an administrator for permission. We made history on Saturday night, lets enjoy it Penn State, let the ride begin, it is going to be wild.
The Liquor License: Tony Sapia’s Last Stand?
Tony Sapia, owner of three of State College’s most infamous bars — Tony’s Big Easy, Candy Bar and Lounge and Lulu’s Nightspot (formerly Club Love) — may soon be parting with the liquor license his businesses depend on.
As The Daily Collegian reports, Mr. Sapia’s liquor license renewal earlier this year was denied by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) based on a variety of violations at his establishments, including the 2006 murder of Penn Stater Michael Donahue — stabbed in the heart by a visitor from the Bronx.
The Daily Collegian - Liquor License Still Undecided - Oct. 24 - “Over the years the establishment had compiled a list of liquor code violations and also was repeatedly the scene of disturbances where the local police were called in,” Chapman said in July.
Francis X. O’Brien, Sapia’s lawyer, filed an appeal in July on behalf of Sapia. The bars can remain open while the appeal processes, Chapman said in July.
During 2005 and 2006, the bars received fines for liquor code violations, including using a loudspeaker that could be heard outside and selling drinks at a discounted price for a period before midnight exceeding two hours, Chapman said in July.
In February 2006, Penn State student Michael Donahue was stabbed to death inside Club Love, now known as Lulu’s Nightspot, police said.
If Sammark loses the appeal, the liquor license will “effectively disappear,” Chapman said in July.
It’s difficult for me to argue that Mr. Sapia’s license should be renewed. In terms of both anecdotal evidence and personal experience at his bars, I’ve discovered them to be some of the seediest and violence-prone in town.
For now, though, I remain on the fence, and will wait to see what the final ruling is concerning Mr. Sapia’s liquor license. If he wins his appeal, though, let’s hope and pray that he’s learned a lesson and will tone down the atmosphere of his businesses.
Borough Council Could Double Drinking Fines
Every Monday the State College Borough Council meets at 7:30pm downtown. It is my hope that students will begin to go to these meetings as the decisions and discussion that takes place often adversely affects more then half of the students here at University Park.
If you read The Daily Collegian you can see the topics that are usually debated at Borough Council, most recently to allow chickens to be considered as pets in the burrow. However, last night there was discussion and movement by members of the Council to not only increase the fines levied upon people who are detained for underage drinkingm, public urination etc, but to double them.
There is a movement to raise these fines from $300 to $600. Now, I will take the high road first. Laws are laws, and there is no doubt that students do dominate the downtown area on weekends, filling it with intoxicated people who are not the permanent face of State College to the townspeople.
Now I ask, what would State College be without Penn State? The reason that there are so many businesses here, the reason that the town is so prosperous is the the students! Without us here spending our money on tuition, food, and alcohol, the town of State College would not be what it is today.
That being said, is it necessary to hamstring a person for making a mistake in public? Is it possible that the Council is so far removed from that time in their life that they forget what it is like to be in college and have little to no money?
Do they really understand how critical $600 can be in someone’s life who is living not only on a fixed income, but someone who is quite possibly in debt already with loans? A point was argued that, with the increase in fines, there will be a decrease in crimes.
Let’s be honest here, Council. With an increase in fines, there will only be an increase in revenue for you! There is no question that with an increase in fines the Borough will increase its revenue, thereby appearing to be raising new funds when they are really punishing more and more students.
What I want to know is wether the Borough Council is actually concerned about the well being of its residents and students, or are they more concerned with lining their pockets?
