University of Virginia Library

Grain-Fed Goons

Easter's Weekend has passed once more,
and not without its usual Sunday afternoon
incidents. Traffic on Madison Lane and Rugby
Road was delayed and hindered. In some
instances the roads became virtually impassible
with bottles and cans. Over on Carr's
Hill, two visiting athletes from Lynchburg
were injured in a fight that developed when a
group of fraternity pledges made off with the
ball.

We admit to a bit of the profligacy that
reigns over the University at Easters, but it's
probably true that anyone with the temerity
to drive down Mad Lane during a Sunday
party deserves it. But the line has to be drawn
at destruction of other people's property and
bodily injury to guests of the University.

People have a right to expect to traverse
Rugby Road without having their tires
flattened by broken bottles. There is no
excuse for the malicious kick in the head
delivered to a Lynchburg rugger by some
grain-fed weekend celebrant. The rules that
enjoin political demonstrations to refrain
from disruptive action must apply to the more
frivolous celebrations as well. We wonder
what the reaction in the community would be
had the SDS staged something comparable to
Sunday's parties.

It's always difficult to assign the blame for
incidents that develop from innocent celebration,
but it behooves the IFC and the houses
involved to initiate some effort at policing
themselves, unless they want another agency
to step in and do it for them.