BY DANA DiFILIPPO
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Once hailed as one of the nation's top party schools by Playboy magazine, Ohio University has been making strides in recent years in its struggle to shed its Animal House image.
But some say that success took a giant backward slide Sunday morning, when 2,000 people -- mostly OU students -- clashed with police on the town's main drag, Court Street, after the bars closed early for daylight-saving time.
Police fired rubber and wooden bullets, and the rowdy crowd retaliated with bottles and coins in the 90-minute melee, during which 27 people were arrested and two officers slightly injured. Four others were arrested later, and police said they expect to make more arrests after they review videotapes of the disturbance. "I don't think students are really aware of what they're doing to the value of their degree when they perform that kind of behavior," said Crompton "Hub" Burton, associate vice president for university relations and interim director of alumni relations.
"Some employers' only perception of Ohio University may come from what they see on CNN."
Administrators say the melee overshadows recent gains in building the academic reputation of the school, which counts 1,600 of its 19,400 students and more than 5,500 alumni from Greater Cincinnati. "We have a retention rate of about 85 percent, an average GPA of 3.1, a 70 percent graduation rate that is amongst the highest in Division 1 NCAA institutions, and 13,000 applications for an incoming freshman class of about 3,400," said Joel Rudy, vice president for student affairs.
"Yet we have one or two nights a year that overshadow the other 363. It's unfair but it's real, and these are the kinds of events that become costly to us in terms of our reputation."
But not all students are impressed with the university's gains. "I'd rather be known as a fun school than a bunch of bookworms," said Hank Dankstein, 21, a senior from Hilton Head, S.C., who watchedthe melee from a Court Street balcony. "It was definitely a fun time."
When the bars closed early, Athens police were ready.
Taking the advice of city and university leaders, the 29-officer force maintained a strong presence on Court Street hours before the melee.
But as the bars closed, crowded sidewalks became jammed. Students refused to disperse, and Athens Police Chief Rick Mayer hardly hesitated in calling for reinforcements from area police departments. "They were throwing things; they started at least one fire and there are some older structures in town that would be very susceptible to that. It could have been a lot worse," Chief Mayer said.
Those arrested Sunday appeared in Athens municipal court Monday. Three pleaded no contest to disorderly conduct charges. One of the three also was charged with inciting to riot, fined $150 and taken to the city jail to serve a 90-day sentence. The other two were fined $75 and given 10-day sentences.
The remaining 31 people pleaded innocent. Most of those arrested were OU students.
The Office of Student Judiciaries will review the arrest reports, and suspensions and expulsions are possible, Mr. Rudy said.
"We're dealing with some pretty immature, irresponsible and naive people who do not understand the consequences of their behavior," he said. "But you can be clear that they will."
History of clashes
Ohio University has a long history of student confrontations with police.
Violent clashes were common during the height of the anti-Vietnam War movement. In the late 1970s, spring riots became a tradition the weekend before summer break when students, anxious for the school year's end, took control of Athens' streets.
More recently, students take over Court Street on Halloween. Athens police have responded to five such disturbances during the past two years, including a fracas that erupted when about 500 students gathered on Court Street Feb. 22, Chief Mayer said.
"The students feel they have to have a time when they get to take the streets just to show that they can do it," Chief Mayer said. "If there's an Athens tradition, that's it. It's an insane tradition, and it's illegal, but it's a tradition."
City and campus leaders now move into the familiar phase of trying to derail a new tradition.
"Clearly our strategies last weekend failed," Chief Mayer said. "The key is to place responsibility on those persons who are hosting the parties to manage their party so it doesn't lead to uncontrollable behavior."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
