Whether you were home cooking a pizza or on Palmer taking shots to commemorate the flames, most of us have seen the images and video of last weekend’s Palmer Fest fire. Apparently partygoers have upped the ante from lighting couches to setting fires in houses.
But all kidding aside, events like those that occurred this weekend make a mockery of our university and student body.
Before the flames, which started at 7:08 p.m., this weekend’s Palmer Fest was under control and well-behaved. Not until the house fire at 11 Palmer St. did things get out of hand, forcing law enforcement to declare riot conditions. But keeping our cool at fests until something out of the ordinary happens isn’t enough.
This year’s shenanigans have dug the students of Ohio University into a hole with Athens officials that may be tough to climb out of. The fire, deemed arson, has brought city leaders together to consider canceling street fests in Athens altogether.
And we can’t blame them. The city has done its best to cooperate with these out-of-control block parties, spending thousands of dollars and watching wearily as the party escalates from fun to absurd.
Yesterday, city officials met with OU President Roderick McDavis to discuss ending a formalized fest season, and again chose to be lenient by allowing the remaining fests scheduled for this month to go on as planned.
On one hand, the city is giving students yet another chance by not canceling Mill Fest, which is slated for May 12. On the other hand, Athens City Council President Jim Sands said the decision was made in part because of fear that canceling the remaining fests would incite out-of-control behavior.
City Council has worked with students to make large parties, including fests, as safe as possible. The annual Halloween block party, once known as an out-of-control rager, has evolved into a relatively calm event, thanks to coordination between OU and Athens.
As a student body, we should be embarrassed that our actions at annual spring festivities have led the city to consider shutting them down all together. The least we could do is to show some respect for the city we call home and for one other by not lighting someone else’s house on fire.
Taking responsibility for our own actions would help alleviate the problem. We’ve all heard that the problem is our friends who don’t have a stake in the community. If that’s the cure, don’t invite your friends to come trash your city and spill warm, amber liquid (and we don’t mean Natty) on your degree.
We look forward to the remaining slate of fests, but we hope students and guests ask themselves if throwing bottles, resisting police and lighting fires are really worth ending everyone’s fun.
Now that City Council has given us a chance with the rest of the fests this year, let’s restore their faith in the student body and show them we are capable of being responsible. Otherwise, we stand to lose these parties for good and maybe kill someone in the process, because apparently a house being on fire is the perfect time to take some shots.
Sorry, we just want to party.
