UA fans kind to lone Duke fan
As a Duke student and fan who attended the Final Four, I want to extend a thank you to all the Arizona fans. My tickets, to my dismay, were in the middle of the Arizona fan section. For Monday's game, I was not about to hide loyalties (what true fan would?) and went in full Cameron Crazy gear: blue shirt, painted face, white hair, etc.
At first, I was worried that because of my loyalties, I would be in a very hostile environment. However, while the UA fans probably did not like my lone screams for Duke, I was given respect as a fan. No harsh words were thrown my way, in fact, I had several wonderful conversations with Arizona fans at half time. It was a fun and exciting game, and the UA fans made it even more enjoyable.
After being on the other side of the score board in '99, I know how it feels when your team loses, and I give you all heartfelt condolences. You will have a great season next year. Who knows, maybe I will see you again in Atlanta. Thanks for being such true and respectful fans. Best of luck!
Mark Dobossy
Duke class of 2001
Donate to victims of riot
Just call me the average university stick-in-the-mud. When the Wildcats played Monday, win or lose, I felt no need to beat someone up, tip a car, launch a nuclear bomb and so on. However, I felt it somewhat acceptable to watch the Fourth Avenue action from a safe distance. How exciting! Fire and fighting! How wonderful to be in college.
But today I think back on my actions, and those of my fellow college-mates. All day people point the finger at the police, the city, "It was their fault fires and riots broke out! Blame them for students' actions!" Hey! It is time to own up!!
I watched young college men torch an innocent family's car and RV (the Martinez's, who have nine children and make their money selling hot dogs on Fourth Avenue) and wondered what happened in society that made them not accountable? The Martinez family salvages family memoirs, the blue collar workers sweep the streets and small businesses must count their losses. We dare blame the police? Point the finger at ourselves, where it still dwells acceptable in our self-centered, privileged minds that actions have no consequence.
Let's start talking about the causes of these events. No, not improper riot training. It is the same reason there is a disproportionate amount of young men committing violent crime, compared to any other age group or gender. What can we do to address this? To prevent future anonymous acts of mob violence? Ask the hard questions, and hold the ones flipping the cars accountable (not the ones trying to save the streets).
By the way, I think we owe the Martinez family a big apology. I am so sorry I stood by in silence. It is not enough to feel compassionate - you must act. You can make donations to them at any Bank of America.
Kate Vesely
political science senior
Riots blemish university
The overall accomplishment of the coach and the team during the NCAA men's postseason tournament was outstanding. The true sign of a character is how one handles defeat. Lute Olson and the team were gentlemen in defeat and it spoke volumes for the character of the players, the coaching staff and the university. As an alumnus, I was very proud to be a "Wildcat." However, the great season and postseason play was overshadowed by the riots by the fans and some students on and around the campus.
For this I am ashamed to admit I'm an Arizona alumnus. The student-fan riot is a nationally recognized blemish that will remain with the university for years to come. Hopefully, the university will take severe actions on all those responsible for their selfish and destructive actions. After watching the riots several times on nationally televised news programs, I have decided not to send my two daughters to this school. I will focus on a safe campus that set it's priorities on education.
Mark B. Gilliss
UA alumnus 1978
long-time financial contributor to the UA
UA students should be embarrassed
I must be missing something. The Wildcats lose a basketball game to a team that is 3,000 miles away, and UA students are compelled to destroy property on their own campus and in their own community. You should be proud of your team and embarrassed for yourselves. Not the other way around.
Steve Snyder
Antelope, CA
Tucson losing its character
I was born and raised in Tucson, Ariz., and have a great love and admiration for my state and the people in it. I have had the pleasure of traveling the world in the Marine Corps, meeting people from all over and swapping stories of our home towns. Having had this opportunity, I have found that most of them have had one thing in common, they were losing a sense of themselves.
Communities are slowly sinking into a pit of disrespect and general lack of character with things such as rioting, looting, massive lack of a sense of duty to the community, selfishness and dishonesty. Now I know that Tucson is not perfect and has it's own problems, but its culture and background have made it a proud city in a proud state. To date, I have been able to walk away from every conversation involving my home town with a feeling of dignity and pride knowing that the people in my home town were above that kind of behavior. There was a certain line that my community had not crossed because the cost was their dignity, self respect and integrity, and that was something that they were not about to give up.
Well, you did. I know this does not apply to everyone in the city, but this kind of behavior is infecting the whole country. Its expectancy in this generation is disgusting and dangerous. I may not live in Tucson at the moment, but myself and others like me are still part of the Tucson family, whom are working towards returning to our home town with our families. I am greatly saddened that the place that is home in my heart and keeper of some of the greatest memories in my life has lost a sense of itself, a sense of character and culture that is nowhere else in this country. Shame has washed over the city of Tucson and that is something I never thought I would see. This putrid display of childish irresponsibility is the most pathetic act, that any self-respecting "college student" could perform. We have people rioting and revolting around the world for the right to go to school, drive cars, speak when they choose, and you people destroy all of those things in one night for a lousy basketball game. I hope you are proud of yourselves, you just added another decent city to the list of desecration brought about by ignorant wretches.
Terry Murphy
Tucsonan
Students should find a real cause
I find it ridiculous that the best thing the UA students have to riot about is sports. What happened to the '60s when students were an active and progressive part of society, pushing forward such movements like Civil Rights. Anymore UA students have become apathetic towards everything except for alcohol, sex and sports. Only a handful of students are part of any political action anymore.
Even some senators at ASUA are apathetic to issues outside of the UA. I addressed ASUA about passing a petition for a moratorium of the death penalty after briefly describing the injustice in America's court system. They discouraged me from making the moratorium an action item because they felt that it was "too controversial" and that it was not an issue that ASUA can do anything about nor should be concerned about. However, I believe that it is very much an important issue for ASUA to tackle. Without the activism and progressive political movements of students, where would our society be today. It is the role of the university and the students to move society forward, not only in technology and research but also in creating a fair, just society. Instead ASUA senators worry more about clocks working on campus(notice they still don't work) and some formal dance at UA. Very important issues, I'm sure.
Today an innocent woman sits on death row and has been there for over 12 years. Debbie Milke was put on death row without real evidence, except for a confession without witnesses or tape recordings and just one witness, one of the two men, accused of killing her child. If no one starts to care in Arizona by May about her case, then Debbie's death sentence may be confirmed by our state. And I am sure that when she dies - an innocent woman - not one UA student will cry, protest or care. However, their days will go on as usual, and they will feel nothing, even if she is innocent.
More about Debbie is on www.debbiemilke.com. There will be a protest held for her on the mall on Wednesday around noon.
Jane Williams
German studies senior
Fans are not slaves to rage
There I sat, remote in one hand, an empty beer can in the other, my buzz quickly dying. I sat and watched members of the Tucson community and most likely students of this university perform acts of violence and vandalism on live television. We lost the National Championship, OK. We had a little too much to drink, of course. Our emotions were running a little high, absolutely.
My memory reaches back the summer of 1999 when thousands of young people rioted at Woodstock. My mind goes to image of a 20-something male saying to a television reporter at the concert: "You can't play music like this and not expect a reaction." A concert. A sporting event. We are the future of this country and can't take the emotional intensity of Limp Bizkit and Korn without reacting violently. We can't watch our team lose the big game without reacting violently. I am not immune to the these emotions, I feel rage and anger. I know what it feels like to want to pummel someone into the ground or break stuff that isn't mine. I have felt these things, I am human.
But what separates us humans from the rest of the animals is our ability control our rage and anger. We are not slaves to it. "Losing control" is not an excuse. These are the actions of animals, actions we humans can avoid. Do we really want this to be our legacy as a generation? A generation that riots at concerts, that burns cars and buildings. A generation that kills our classmates. We are the future of our country. That is the first time that statement sounded scary to me.
Andrew Schmaltz
creative writing sophomore
Rioters should be held accountable
As a University of Arizona alumnus now living in Texas, I was appalled by the images of the Fourth Street riot following Monday's basketball game. It used to be that this type of anti-social behavior was expected (and, regretfully, condoned) when a local team won a championship. But events in Tucson, and in College Park, Maryland on Saturday night, seem to indicate that this behavior has become commonplace after a local team loses.
What's next? Are "fans" of teams who lose (or win) in the first round of the NCAA tournament going to turn to violence to express themselves? Perhaps the most important questions are: Are we ever going to hold rioters accountable for their actions? Or are we going to blame businesses for not anticipating this irresponsible behavior and "sufficiently protecting their property," or the police?
Michael Cusortelli
UA alum, class of '96
Fans made fools of themselves
As a student at the UA and a die-hard Wildcats fan, I am appalled by the behavior of Wildcat fans on Fourth Avenue.
We Wildcat fans have made national fools of ourselves. I just can't understand the basis for the violence and destruction. We lost the game, someone had to and that is no surprise. I admit that the loss certainly didn't make my evening.
If we can't play nice, lose with a little class and drink a few beers without resorting to behavior that discredits all Wildcat fans, perhaps we should stay at home, on the porch, with the kids.
Holly Martin
sociology junior
