Heartbroken

The college I went to, James Madison University, has always been known as a party school. It gets ranked every year as one of the top 25 party schools in the country. I loved it when I went there but that was not the only reason I loved that university. The campus is beautiful (once again it gets rank high for that), the academic programs are great, the school spirit is amazing and the people are always friendly.

That is why I am shattered to see the news about the riots that broke out off campus at one of the annual (and largest) block parties.

This is not the first time this has happened!

My freshman year it made national news when the first riot occured. Think rubber bullets and a mass of people. Not good. Luckily we had just left the block party and were not involved.  After that first riot there was an agreement that block parties could still occur but the cops would be around to keep the peace.  As long as everyone behaved, no one got in a car to drive or stepped into the street with alcohol the police would not become involved. However, the videos I am watching of this years riots are ridiculous.  The party was at a record high of around 8000.  Usually it only is about 2-3000 people.  From what I understand it was a lot of people who did not even go to JMU. The police were there and the riot began when people started throwing stuff at them.  Tear gas, rubber bullets, fire and mace begin to spin this party out of control!

This video just shows what it is usually like without police involvement.  Really just a lot of drunk people hanging around.






However this video shows something I am horrified to see.  People showing true disrespect for others and society.  This is not the college I went to. 



No.Thank.You.  I will keep my memories of the good old JMU; the school known for its parties where all were respectful and just having plain drunken fun.