<p>After reading all the debates and comments, I’ve gotta say that this seems more like a reflection on today’s college students than just the Citadel. I think it can vary significantly between schools (texas a&m vs …wellesley), but for the most part everything about this entire situation just seems all too familiar. The reason stories like these make the press are because they cross the line into physical violence/property destruction/spitting/extremely offensive language. I see the potential for that to happen a lot at the college I attend (although it almost always doesn’t), and where my friends attend (I visit them occasionally). It just seems more like an issue of probability. With all these situations occurring all the time at college campuses, every once in a while one is going to flare out of control. It depends on the mentality of students at a school somewhat, but for the most part it’s up to chance.</p>
<p>One situation I find especially troublesome at my large state U: take a bunch of drunk students, crowded together in a few particular sections at a football game, then have a wise-you know what kid wearing the colors of the opposing team come over and get a seat right in the middle of those students. Then take the football tradition of everyone pointing and chanting a-hole (except the full version) repeatedly at that student, and you have a situation that could get out of control very quickly.</p>
<p>If we look at the two sides individually, it represents two different facets of my generation’s shortcomings–our lack of decency, and our lack of self-control.</p>
<p>But with that said, in this situation the blame is on the Citadel students. They can’t pass the blame to Princeton, to their generation, to self-defense, or to standing up for their turf.</p>