Block Party Riots...

[Dave]

Considering that a university is a place for higher learning and the students are *supposed* to be relatively smart compared to the rest of the population, it baffles me that if you put a little alcohol in them and let them gather in numbers they suddenly become complete retards...

It doesn't matter if 99% of the people that caused it weren't affiliated with JMU/Hburg - what matters is that it happened in a student-related apartment complex and students were involved. As a result, the school looks bad - and once again managed to get it on national news.

[ViPER1313]

I'm just sad to see this situation got at out of hand as it did. I wasn't there so I can't really comment on who started what, but if there were drunks throwing bottles at people/property and starting fights then I really don't think the police had any choice but to take the measures they did. I really liked JMU and was drawn to it because it wasn't such a huge school. The last time I was down for a party night on Devon Ln. it seemed like it had lost a lot of its old charm to me - tons more people and a lot more confrontational, people fighting in the street, etc. What happened this past weekend was not the JMU that I remember....

[.RJ]

When I was your age, there was only *1* ISAT building! And we had to walk to it, uphill both ways in the snow wearing newspaper for shoes!

But yeah... the JMU I started going to in '98 is a lot different than the one I left in '04 (thats 5 years with 2 semesters off along the way if you are trying to keep score :p ) and probably still different from the one that is there now.

I think I only remember 1 year the 'block party' got out of hand when I was there, but sounds like this was worse. I cant imagine the relationship between the school and community has gotten any better because of this stuff.

[Kaan]

I know i'm going to sound old but... stop fucking up the reputation of the school! your degree is supposed to mean something damnit! and stop devaluing my degree while you are drunk!

[CaptainHenreh]

I'm just gonna leave this here:
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[Kaan]

My favorite is how close the students are to the police that are throwing bottles... "yes i can throw a bottle 50 feet!"

[kcook]

I dont even know what to say anymore after that video... seriously?

[Feersty]

The last huge block party where SWAT was called in, was that Spring 2001? or Fall 2000(first week of classes). I seem to remember hearing when I started in Fall 2001, that people said oh this block party last year was absolute mayhem. I thought it happened prior to me starting as a freshman.

Going off of what Adam said, and maybe a current student can tell me if this still happens. But is there still a relatively open door policy when it comes to apartment parties, or do they have "bouncers" at the door and $5 for a cup or something?

[Jake]

The last huge block party where SWAT was called in, was that Spring 2001? or Fall 2000(first week of classes). I seem to remember hearing when I started in Fall 2001, that people said oh this block party last year was absolute mayhem. I thought it happened prior to me starting as a freshman.

Going off of what Adam said, and maybe a current student can tell me if this still happens. But is there still a relatively open door policy when it comes to apartment parties, or do they have "bouncers" at the door and $5 for a cup or something?

The Breeze says it was August of 2000, during the first week of classes or something.

There are still "open house" type parties around, but I stick to places where I'm invited. Less sketchy IMO.

[Kaan]

I was working with the police the night the 2000 riot happened... it was an interesting night.

[Mike]

wow... setting a dumpster on fire is one thing... throwing bottles at officers? i hope they find those bastards and put them in jail. i'm really glad i saw that video... it's clear the cops were fully warranted in any of their actions.

[ScottyB]

just watched that video. the two main things it left me with was 1) this is really embarrassing and 2) i can't really remember but i desperately hope i didn't talk like that after a few beers when i was in college. ("dude bro omg this is like so ridiculouuuusss!")

got pretty pissed too when the guy was zooming in on the cops getting pelted and BroDawg pipes in with "omg this is so awesome!". are you kidding me? i have no idea how some of those SWAT guys stay composed.

[ViPER1313]

Just a thought, but JMU students as a whole should start some sort of fundraiser / collection drive to pay back the Forest Hills property owners, city and state police for all the damages caused and services used. It wouldn't change what happened but it would go a long way towards showing that JMU students actually care about the community and don't agree with what happened.

[Ken]

Agreed. As a whole we need to take responsibility and at least help make some right in all this wrong.

[WRXtranceformed]

Not a bad idea. Why doesn't MM do a fundraiser? Good club and good school press. I'd donate to the cause even though I had nothing to do with the destruction!

[JustinG]

Saw where someone is selling t-shirts and proceeds go to the complexes involved, shirts say "jmu block party.....its a riot"

[ViPER1313]

Not a bad idea. Why doesn't MM do a fundraiser? Good club and good school press. I'd donate to the cause even though I had nothing to do with the destruction!

+1

[WRXtranceformed]

yeah we made CNN that year :roll:

Looks like they did again this year. Sort of. iReport doesn't really count.

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[kcook]

whats really sad is picture 9 and 10 look like a fucking war zone.

[Goodspeed]

Dumbasses.

Mob mentality + alcohol = I'm glad I've stayed far away year after year.