The cancellation of the Springfest concert was not what Northeastern or its students needed. This is not to say that nothing should come of these riots. But as I see it, you can either take something away from students, as a punishment, add something to students’ lives, to enrich them, or do both. Doing both, punishing those that violated the Code of Student Conduct and creating other ways for students to interact, is my suggestion. What Northeastern needs is to develop other avenues of massive social interaction without the atmosphere of a riot.

We don’t know when we are a community. We don’t know what the Northeastern community is in my opinion. Is it merely “I am Here” registration, a Winter Weekend or a Homecoming event and an end-of-semester bash at Our House? Sadly, that is what it has seemed to be to me.

I thought hard about this and came up with a suggestion to get the ball rolling, a way to develop a better community. I suggest Northeastern establish an all-school meeting, the first of its kind, led by the administration each week, to create real contact between the people that run the school and those that attend the school. This connection is essential for the creation of a community; it would also generate some respect and credibility for the administrators that have often seemed out of step with the real student opinion on campus.

Some may laugh and think this idea is ludicrous (no pun intended) or unnecessary, but I would argue it is very necessary to have Northeastern come together as a school and as a student body, even if such attendance is forced at first. Sometimes, it is the best way to grow.

The meeting could be scheduled for just one hour per week, during one of our activity periods, with mandatory attendance for all those living on campus. The meeting would be used to spread some major campus announcements that are normally posted on www.myneu.neu.edu, showcase a student group performance by the Downbeats or the gospel choir and feature a guest speaker, such as an accomplished alumni or someone notable visiting campus at that time. The whole meeting could be held in Matthews Arena, the home of Northeastern.

Even if this idea does not come to fruition, it is just an idea. And that’s what we need now — ideas. We need things that bring Northeastern together, not tear us apart. Canceling the Springfest concert helped to tear us further apart. And I believe this punishment will not work.

There is no doubt in my mind that if the hockey team won the Beanpot, if the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the playoffs or even if the Bruins won the Stanley Cup, Northeastern would riot again. Punishment will not be the only way to stop it; no letter to the editor will stop Northeastern students from seeing everyone come together again in mayhem-like atmosphere. But an all-school meeting could be a small step to connect administrators with students, faculty with students and, most importantly, students with students. It could create real deterrence through real community-building.

— Michael Sechrist is a senior political

science major. #