<p>mom2, what’s your pt? Are you blaming the victims here? This game was a big deal. The kids were psyched and had a lot of energy to release. A couple of kids did a few dumb things, nothing serious. The police, however, over reacted and have a lot to answer for. </p>
<p>Seriously, what’s your point? Do you have kids at colleges where this could never happen?</p>
<p>mom2collegekids - </p>
<p>The celebration was quite safe and nondestructive.</p>
<p>To repeat, the total damage to the city of College Park was one street sign. The students who were responsible for pulling the street sign up were wrong, but that was a very small minority of 1500.</p>
<p>I don’t see the harm in this and if other schools don’t have the energy to mobilize like this, I don’t see that as a positive thing. This is an expression of excitement, of cheering, jumping, dancing, singing.</p>
<p>Yes, they blocked route 1. I think destructive/embarassment/etc. are harsh terms for that though.</p>
<p>*mom2, what’s your pt? Are you blaming the victims here? This game was a big deal. *</p>
<p>I’m not blaming any victims. </p>
<p>* This game was a big deal. The kids were psyched and had a lot of energy to release… Do you have kids at colleges where this could never happen? *</p>
<p>Are you asking if I have kids at a college that won’t likely win a championship?</p>
<p>If anyone is surprised by the behavior of the students and think they’e all misbehaved little deviants, seriously grow up. MD - Duke is a big deal for UMCP. It doesn’t matter who’s ranked higher or whatever, kids are gonna go crazy every time they see MD has more points than Duke at the end of the game. No one should be embarassed except the 1% of kids who felt the need to rebel against the officers. That’s stupid. But for everyone else, they were happy and that’s not illegal. The only destruction was one street sign and one duke t-shirt that was lit on fire which I find hilarious.</p>
<p>"Why is it that some schools can win championships and celebrate in a safe and nondestructive manner and some schools can’t???
It doesn’t matter whether some of what has been reported was exaggerated, the point is what did happen is worse than what happens at other winning schools. "</p>
<p>I’m trying my best to be polite and civil here but it does matter that the “violence” was exaggerated. Your indictment of a school/students at a particular school that their behavior is worse than those at say UA, for example, is just wrong and spiteful. Whether you realize it or not you’re coming to a conclusion that something is terribly wrong with UMCP when the evidence suggests the kids were acting like normal, healthy, enthusiastic sports fans and the police were out of control.</p>
<p>"Are you asking if I have kids at a college that won’t likely win a championship? "</p>
<p>The word “this” in my comments referred to the happenings after the game not the game itself. Your interpretation that I was referring to the winning of the championship is strange, in light of the discussion. It was, however, rhetorical. Obviously, what happened at College Park could happen anywhere, even in Tuscaloosa.</p>
<p>You are certainly entitled to your opinion, as wrong headed as it might be.</p>
<p>
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<p>I couldn’t agree more, speaking as a Duke alum whose kid is a Terp and was at last night’s game. Why should any mother have to receive an email like the one I got this morning? “The riots were absolutely insane. There was a 100 man swat team that was using pepper spray on kids, tear gas, water hoses.” I won’t attempt to apportion the blame but have never witnessed anything comparable at my alma mater.</p>
<p>"I couldn’t agree more, speaking as a Duke alum whose kid is a Terp and was at last night’s game. Why should any mother have to receive an email like the one I got this morning? “The riots were absolutely insane. There was a 100 man swat team that was using pepper spray on kids, tear gas, water hoses.” I won’t attempt to apportion the blame but have never witnessed anything comparable at my alma mater. "</p>
<p>But that wasn’t the fault of the students. If it isn’t clear to you by now that the police force overreacted and completely mishandled the situation than you haven’t been reading the right articles.</p>
<p>I’m confused as to why the parents who are saying this behavior was “insane” and “wrong” aren’t responding to any of the people who were actually there.</p>
<p>Once again, an EXTREMELY small minority of students were breaking any laws besides obstruction of traffic. </p>
<p>Again, the use of the swat team, tear gas, etc. was an overreaction and totally unwarranted. The size of the response doesn’t indicate the size of the problem in this case. It was like swatting a fly with a blow torch.</p>
<p>All in all that’s what the reliable news outlets have reported…</p>
<p>While I’m not proud of the few students who were being jerks, I am proud of the 1400+ Maryland students who WEREN’T, and who, despite the fact that they are from all different backgrounds and are all different kinds of people, can come together and have a great time over something as simple as sports. The activists joined in with the frat brothers who joined in with the studious grad students etc. I am proud that our school has such a fun-loving and cheerful spirit that spans across all boundaries.</p>
<p>This is one of the reasons why we discouraged our child from applying to UMCP. This and other safety issues - nothing in particular that doesn’t come with any large university, though. It’s just that we hear more about it because we live in Maryland.</p>
<p><em>bangs head against desk</em></p>
<p>UMDCP really gets a very bad rap for crime. However, that being said, I can understand how some parents will want to stay away. For example, many VA parents don’t want their kids to apply to VTech due to the 2 shootings they have had in recent yrs. Many parents in NC don’t want their kids to go to NCST because of it’s location.</p>
<p>IMHO they are making the crime level out to be more than it is. The UMD site on here is very popular, and every yr the question of crime is brought up because people have heard so many stories. Every yr., it is the same answer, the school is the size of a small city and crime will exist, but you are not going to see MS13 running amuck around the campus raping girls. Drivebys aren’t happening. Not one poster on that CC site would say they live in fear of crime. Leave the campus, and that is a different story.</p>
<p>Just like any other college campus, you need to use common sense. I remember living in NC when the class president of UNCCH was killed. I remember VATech shootings, not only the massacre, but the one that occurred 18 months later. Both schools were on at least one of my kids top picks. I didn’t relate crime to them.</p>
<p>UMDCP has an unfortunate history of inappropriate student behavoir after big games (both men and women’s games!). Blockage of streets, burning stuff and breaking windows are the delightful things that the community must contend with after these big wins. Regardless of who started it, it is dangerous situation for students, police, and the poor people who have to live in this area. After looking at the videos, I know I would feel very worried about my son or daughter’s safety in a situation like that.</p>
<p>And. as much as we would like to blame the police, their reaction is understandable in light of the history of UMDCP. And I don’t understand why students have to block traffic and burn tee-shirts to celebrate. Hundreds of schools celebrate big wins without engaging in thuggish behavoir.</p>
<p>Why do people post on this thread with nothing intelligent to contribute?</p>
<p>No windows were smashed. ONE T-SHIRT was burned. ONE. How is that thuggish? </p>
<p>What about the videos made you worried for anyone’s safety, seriously? People in a crowd jumping around? Soooo dangerous and thuggish. </p>
<p>I’m super confused by this thread.</p>
<p>It’s clear that people who weren’t even there are going to continue to post speculation and ignore the comments of people who actually witnessed the event and saw nothing dangerous, thuggish, or embarassing going on. This is ridiculous.</p>
<p>Yes, please, keep your kids away from this horribly dangerous school…they might actually get caught up in the spirit and jump around in the street, which would definitely not be something you’d want them doing, since it is so thuggish and dangerous. I really wish I went to a school where they celebrated big wins via golf claps, but alas, I have to be stuck at this university where I fear for my safety every weekend…</p>
<p>Hey Yorky, I’m not worried. I have a kid there. I wasn’t going to mention it but…I actually saw my son on the riot youtube video. An absolutely clear shot of him filling the frame walking down route #1 smiling and mouthing “this is crazy” . </p>
<p>He’s a brilliant kid, who ironically turned down Duke for UMCP. My daughter is also looking very seriously at UMCP but she still needs to hear from a few top schools. Both my kids received the most prestigious merit scholarship at MD. Believe me if UMCP weren’t a really great choice mine wouldn’t be there. </p>
<p>MD kids are a little wild, that’s for sure and that may disturb your sensibilities in some ways but it’s a great educational/research institution and it’s access to DC creates all sorts of opportunities. I will also cede a checkered history of wild behavior but those that know, know that UMCP today is a far different institution than it was 15 or 20 years ago. You really got to get current and discover today’s UMCP</p>
<p>UMCP is an excellent school. Much better than in the past. And their athletic department’s rise from the ashes after the Len Bias incident is very admirable. Their athletic department could have been like a SMU after that, i.e., incredibly diminished. </p>
<p>A certain group of students (year after year) act poorly. It is part of the culture. I was attending the BBT classic last year when Maryland was playing. A group of Maryland students were eating by invitation only at the Acela club at the Verizon center - likely sons of BBT execs - and they were wearing bright red F___ Duke t-shirts - Duke wasn’t playing in the classic. Classy bunch - I felt badly for the parents who brought their elementary school kids there (a real treat for elementary school kids), and had to see these morons. Way to represent Maryland. The manager eventually told them to put coats on as parents complained. There is a different ethic today. When I was on athletic scholarship, the school make it clear I was representing the school in public all of the time - meaning making the school look dim in any way was a sure way to get in trouble and lose my privileges. These guys were not athletes (that was clear), but one wonders what kind of ethic prevails. </p>
<p>In the past, Maryland students were well behaved and great fans. It has changed to some degree. </p>
<p>Maryland is not really Duke’s rival, either athletically or academically. UNC-CH is far more so. This of course irritates Maryland students. </p>
<p>I find it a shame that UMCP is in Prince Georges County - like it or not - it makes it a less attractive place. PG County is a fascinating train wreck -very high crime - one of the worst school systems in the state - despite having a relatively high per capita income - in fact the county fractures the nationwide correlation between income and education achievement - big time. And it will continue to have challenges as the rapid gentrification of DC takes place. This doesn’t mean the UMCP is all that dangerous - on campus is nice- but its location is a downer. One of course can argue, until you visit on the weekends and find many, many students leave. This may sound critical, but surrounding schools - Towson, Georgetown, American, Georgetown, etc. are all much nicer places. They often have trouble recruiting against UVa for athletes - the locale can’t come close to C’Ville. It matters.</p>
<p>He described the scene just as I have seen it on You tube…kids just celebrating in the street, singing the maryland songs and saying “ACC! ACC!” and “Duke Sucks” then just quietly leaving when the riot police showed up. My son decided to go home, he rents a house a couple of blocks off route 1 and as he was walking home he had to cross the street. A geared up riot police told him to get out of the street and he said he was, he was just crossing the street to go home and the guy shoots him!
I am beyond livid. I am doing everything I can to keep myself from driving down there!
The bullet broke the skin a lefft a very large welt.
I nearly fainted when I saw the picture!
We are looking into legal issues here…</p>
<p>“Maryland is not really Duke’s rival, either athletically or academically. UNC-CH is far more so. This of course irritates Maryland students.” </p>
<p>Interesting logic because #1 we do consider UNC-CH our rivals as well, so no we’re not irritated in the slightest by that, we don’t discriminate! and #2 “Athletically” MD is now tied with Duke for ACC conference games so clearly we’re matching up at least there</p>
<p>“but its location is a downer”</p>
<p>Actually I find it’s location far more desirable than Charlottesville. I didn’t apply to UVa because I found Charlottesville very “middle of nowhere”. The immediate area around CP’s campus isn’t super exciting, but it’s just a short metro ride to DC, which I find to be a major plus.</p>
<p>umcp11, when can we develop a Clemson-Maryland rivalry as well? haha</p>
<p>All anyone has to do is google news “maryland duke riot” to see what happened at the game. I think the Washington Post article is a fair discussion and it does includes links to past big games incidents.</p>
<p>And I think anyone who thinks that their kid, wandering around in a crowd in close proximity to police officers on horseback with nightsticks and rubber bullets, is perfectly safe is a few nuggets short of a happy meal.</p>
<p>Yorky, how much do you know of that area? I don’t see anyone saying they were wandering around. RTE 1 is filled with restaurants that the kids who could not go to the game go to. They had no idea when they entered at 8, that 3 hours later they would be trapped and surrounded by police.</p>
<p>I don’t think Max’s was saying “Gee, check out my kid, isn’t that cool?” He stated that his son was shocked at how out of control it was.</p>
<p>I don’t think hvngfun is looking into legal issues because her child dared the police. From what I am understanding, this is turning into a bigger issue for PG county because when parents are paying close to 40K a yr for their OOS student, they don’t appreciate them being hit with batons when they were picking up their cell phone, or shot with a rubber bullet because they had to cross the street.</p>
<p>If you know UMDCP, than you know every student that lives on Frat Row, or in some of the UMDCP campus housing has no option, but to cross route 1 to get back home. New Leonardtown and Old Leonardtown probably house close to 1K students…how were they to get home without crossing rte 1? When you figure that out let me know!</p>
<p>Yes, back in 02 they did riot when they won the National Championship. So, was it right for the police to take the leap that it would escalate to that level.</p>
<p>Many people in the DC area believe that PG police escalated the issue into a riot by their actions. Kids were stupid, but they were not the majority of the students. 27 people were arrested. I have heard of more than 27 students that were just trying to get home that were injured or afraid for their own safety…not because of the students, but because of the police.</p>
<p>I will tell you if my DD was hit over the head with a baton because she was picking up her cell phone, there would be a lawsuit against that officer right now, and I would demand his badge to be pulled. That cop didn’t realize kids know how to use their phones as videos and the case is stacked against him, when she is saying I am just picking up my phone, and he whacks her!</p>
<p>As far as UMD academically. It is ranked number 15 in the nation for public colleges. It is not shabby. Smith Business is ranked 18 in the world for their MBA. Is it Duke or UVA, UNCCH? No, but it isn’t also VCU either.</p>
<p>Like UMCP, our DS opted for UMD, and that was over UNCCH and UVA. He is in the scholars program and AFROTC, he is not a hooligan. </p>
<p>Finally as for WaPo, most people here believe that it is the most slanted newspaper that exists in the world, especially when they have people like Tom Schales working for them.</p>