Storm clouds over UMass/Amherst
So out of 652 UMass students cited by APD for bad behavior last year only 5 were expelled. Yeah, five. Three quarters of 1%, but I bet the UMass spinmeisters will round up to the whopping 1%.
Although UMass probably stopped giving the offenders oatmeal cookies as well. That certainly ought to do it.
The problem with using citations/arrests as a baseline is that those numbers don't always reflect the true gravity of a particular situation, simply because outnumbered police don't have the time or personnel required to arrest/cite all the offenders.
Take the Meadow Street Riot from last year for instance. Only one person was cited by police (and he was not expelled) but far more than that hurled objects at police. At the very least, that particular nitwit should be gone.
And another of the more riotous/dangerous party incidents with assaults on APD resulted in, at most, 2-out-of-5 expulsions (assuming they simply did not flunk out on their own).
UMass should append the Code of Student Conduct to clearly state that any incident of resisting arrest or assaults on a police officer -- spitting, shoving, punching/kicking, or using them for target practice with hurled objects -- is grounds for immediate expulsion.
And sure, with party house citations -- be it civil or criminal -- everybody is entitled to a second chance (assuming the charge is not assault on an officer) ... but on the second offense, OUT.
Same goes for DUI.
18 comments:
One mistake should not mean expulsion. It seems to be a very harsh penalty.
What about Travis Consolo?
His "one mistake" was to set a dumpster fire at Hobart Lane.
He's gone. Although ... since it was arson, he may very well be in jail.
Testing boundaries - that's hilarious! They treat these young adults like they're toddlers.
... because we all beat-up on police officers when we're young.
No, many upstanding young adults go straight to work after high school because they simply cannot afford Umass ... or they join the military and serve their country.
These are just a bunch of punks. No wonder it continues to worsen. Umass doesn't care.
Larry,
As a graduate student at Umass who has lived in Amherst for the last 5 years, I could not agree more. If Umass was truely serious about cleaning up their image and getting to the level of other top research universities in the region, they need to clear out this troublemaking minority quickly.
And as a proud UMass graduate I am pleased to acknowledge that it's indeed only a small -- but NOT insignificant -- minority.
I hope that these young people have not deluded themselves into thinking that squaring off with police and throwing stuff at police is some traditional rite of passage in Amherst going back decades.
Some of the Cowardly Anon Nitwits who come here to defend the debauchery certainly seem to think so.
The University won't get rid of these punks because it would mean dollars lost. And the Amherst PD should crack down on them harder too. Arrest them, put them in jail. Maybe if they miss a week or three of class, they'll flunk out and have to go home.
So, Larry, what are YOU going to DO to help? A lot of people in this town have big mouths but do nothing to remedy situations.
Today's Bulletin cites many hard-working adults who are DOING things to try and make a difference. I'd love to see how Larry would fare if he ever found himself in a JOB tasked with curbing this behavior!
Larry will say "I post up their names and that will deter others." But the problem is getting worse, and there's no means to measure whether or not Larry's theory has any merit.
How will we know when your tactics are having a positive effect, Larry?
From all the whiney emails I get from the students I highlight.
(I have quite a collection these days).
Very scientific, Larry. But I said a POSITIVE effect...
Again... the problem has gotten worse since you started playing your little blog game...
could you possibly be CONTRIBUTING to the problem? Causing resentment and adding fuel to the fire?
Again... is this a POSSIBILITY?
About as likely as you growing a set and leaving your name. In other words, not likely. Ever so unlikely.
WOW Larry!!! Don't you wish you had the kind of power C.A.N. October 13, 2012 1:50 AM, claims you have????? As far as doing anything to control these bums who party hard, throw beer bottles at the Amherst PD, and drive the wrong way on one-way roads...no stupid; no one has the power to stop this stuff except for UMass and the Police Department. If you're so flippin' smart, why don't you post something you think will help? Or start your own blog and tell us all how to alleviate the problem. Asshole.
Actually I think he did start his own blog -- a parody site of mine.
And he gets zero traffic, which is why he comes here (often) to bother me, usually at wee hours of the morning.
I know why UMass doesn't enforce any of their rules. The faculty and admin are dominated by aging Baby Boomers who still think that brawling with cops is a cool thing to do. Stickin' it to the Man, and all that.
So when students are cited, they can't be expelled because FIGHT THE POWER!
Hey! This Babyboomer doesn't think brawling with cops is a good thing. I'm too busy sending packages to Afghanistan for our troops. My kids never were involved in this type of behavior and both went to UMass. They are thirty-somethings.
Will tonight's community meeting be broadcast/recorded for ACTV?
With all the press the problem houses and students are getting, I would think (hope!) that there will be a big turnout.
Yeah ACTV will record it, so it should be up on their site in a month or so.
I'm planning to live tweet it.
My iPhone takes great pictures so I should be able to get an artsy shot of torch light reflecting off pitchforks.
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