Kevin Marshall's America
Students trash one of many cars damaged during the Saturday morning riots in Albany. (image capture from YouTube)
I wish the subject of this blog post was a joke, but sadly it isn’t.
Last night, local blog Keep Albany Boring (a blog maintained by college students who double as area boosters) collected videos posted on YouTube of the rioting that occurred Saturday morning in the wake of a conglomeration of Kegs & Eggs parties on Hudson Street in Albany.
When I went to college, I heard no shortage of complaints from students about “townies” and how dangerous the area was in contrast to their Long Island homes and neighborhoods. The statements carried with them a sense of superiority that conveyed what they felt was a clear class distinction between themselves, the out-of-town college students, and homegrown locals.
Yet time and again, we see the more disruptive and destructive behavior in area neighborhoods being committed by many of those very same students.
There is a very real and direct correlation between the lack of respect shown to the area in terms such as “Troylet” and “student ghetto” and the lack of respect that kids such as the ones in these videos have for the property and neighborhoods in this area. In their mind there is no emotional investment or sense of civic responsibility, because they’re only blowing through until (if) they receive a bachelor’s degree. Albany, Troy, Schenectady, and other municipalities in the area are seen as a playground for entitled youth and treated like a cheap hotel room.
Students flee after two other students emerge from their residence to stop the vandals from incurring further damage. (image capture from YouTube)
I’m not sure where exactly the answer lies, but I’m guessing it’s a combination of conscious efforts on behalf of the educational institutions in the area to instill a sense of respect for the community upon arrival and the responsibility of fellow students to speak out and not simply be bystanders recording the mayhem on their cameras and cellphones. There is also, perhaps, a responsibility on behalf of the Albany District Attorney’s office to throw the proverbial book at the offenders and not cut them a deal simply because the perpetrators are of a different societal class and designation from what’s perceived to be the norm.
Regardless, it’s a situation that’s not getting any better, and it needs to stop.
If you’re a local college student and you’re offended by reading this: good. Let me know that you don’t appreciate being lumped into this group. This way myself, and all those reading, will know that this is a problem with a very specific subsection of the student body. It’ll also tell us that there is a way to avoid this happening in the future, and that we all take this issue very seriously.
After the cut: some close-up pictures of the vandalism and the perpetrators, taken from the YouTube videos posted this weekend.
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339 Responses to The 2011 Kegs & Eggs Riots
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there should be many more arrests after these picture were taken , SUNY albany turned out to be a baby sitting servive for down staters
I’m not sure any of these young people will be our future senators or CEO’s.
Well, maybe senators…this is NY after all.
Maybe it’s time we stop giving college students a reason to wake up and drink. Kegs and Eggs?? Really?
These pictures sadden me. I don’t have cable so I am a little behind on the news usually. I did happen to hear something about this incident on the radio however. So the blog title caught my attention.
Yesterday I saw live footage of the tsunami and earthquake that struck Japan. Seeing so many people and children distraught and mourning saddened me as well. But the story of Japan also amazed me because it showed people with amazing resiliency and grace.
This story simply left a pit in my stomach. As a young adult, drunk or not, I cannot ever recall a time where vandalizing property seemed funny or okay. Where does this behavior start and even scarier where might it end? Entitlement, narcisism, a such a clear, thorough disconnect. This saddens me to the nerve.
Thanks for posting Kevin.
Ok, time to sound like an old grump….
take these kids and drop them off in Egypt, or Lybia. Spoiled freaking brats with too much time and Daddy’s money. If one of these dipsh^&%$ were my kid, he’s be cut off. Thorw the book at them. Yeah, we all did stupid stuff when we were kids, but it really pisses me off when people destroy the things that others have worked hard for.
ok, rant over….
PS…get off my lawn.
I beg to differ that the title of your post isn’t a joke, because it really is.
It really is sad.
It is not fair to assume all suny students act this way, it was possible to take place in kegs and eggs in a mature manner down on pearl street inside a bar (because im of age) I dont drink every week and I am a student, if I wanted to take place in something fun once in a while whats the big deal. Its too bad some kids got out of control, but its not all of us. Maybe all of the locals should think about how SUNY boosts albany economy and all the positive things it does. If you think things like this (and worse) do not happen at other colleges you’re wrong. Maybe if the city of albany were a little more welcoming of students they would be more respectful. I know I have been here 4 years, never caused any trouble and never felt welcome.
This is horrible. These kids should be sent packing. My youngest goes to school in Newburgh and parties at houses off campus. I’m always reminding him these are neighborhoods with possibly residents similar to their grandparents and maybe young kids. This is the kind of behavior though that middle school and high school teachers have been warning us about for years – no sense of respect for others. Blame the parents? In some cases, yes.
They used to have this problem in Plattsburgh every St P’s Day. Between the students and the airmen, binge drinking was getting out of hand. Solution: Spring Break is scheduled every year for the week that the 17th falls in. That goes as well for the community college up there too. All the New York Citidiots go home for the week because they can’t stay.
I’m going to take the road less traveled by on this one.
For starters let me point out that I don’t think this is acceptable behavior… but let me offer some perspective so the picture is perhaps a little less slanted.
This kind of incident is usually juxtaposed against the valiant residents of Pine Hills trying desperately to save their community from the onslaught of the evil college student. What is left out, however, is all the victimization of these students at the hands of the local hoodrats that have encroached further and further into the student neighborhood every year. Little thugs that are increasingly younger and younger every year, displaying a lack of respect for society and authority as a whole, much less the neighborhood. I can tell you as an advisor to a fraternity at UAlbany that I am painfully aware of frequent incidents where, say, a girl is jumped by half a dozen 14 year olds. Unfortunately, it’s only brought to light when something happens like that incredibly tragic Richard Bailey shooting. There is a growing influence on the neighborhood of punks who victimize the college students because they want a quick buck or a cheap thrill. This stuff happens on a weekly basis.
Does all of this justify flipping cars? Of course not. Am I trying to sway public sympathy to the college kids and gloss over the incident? Absolutely not. I’d just like people to have a balanced view here… that there are many many “locals” showing an equal disregard for the community, within those very same blocks… and they are indicative of a much bigger problem. You say that some of the college kids may never graduate – well, these kids, may never finish high school and will probably end up in jail.
Again, it doesn’t justify any of the above behavior… but the “locals” are no angels in this situation either. I just don’t like seeing how quickly everyone runs to burn the college student effigy.
PS – there are a lot of HARDCORE partiers in college that grow up to be highly successful. I know many of them. They are our business leaders, our teachers, our doctors, hell… even our parents. Let’s not glorify the good old days just because information is more readily accessible now than in the past. Really really messed up, downright terrible stuff has been happening in college towns for the better part of the century – we just hear about more of it thanks to technology :)
They should be sent home, no longer welcome at our university or in our community. Isn’t
there a code of conduct that’s been violated? And if Moms and Dads bail out those who were arrested, shame on them too! No cure for stupid and there should be no tolerance for it either.
Seven years of college down the drain.
these are the same bunch complaining about college tution, deport them back to long island , better yet make long island a separate state
As a parent, I commend you Mr. Marshall for a well written blog that cuts directly to the point. What these students did is disrespectful, disgusting and unlawful. Hopefully they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. To be fair, not all SUNY students behave this way – they are those who are trying to get an education and degree.
This was disgusting, the parade this year made a mockery out of the people in the capital region as well as the families that wanted to just go down and enjoy the parade, people got beat and sent to the hospital that didnt deserve it and the whole time (3 hours) I spent on Washington Avenue when I saw many fights (including my boyfriends face get kicked in by random people after doing nothing) I saw ONE COP and that was in the beginning. I enjoy the St. pattys day parade but if Albany is not equipped to handle the amount of people, mainly drunk college kids, then it should not be had any more. These college kids have gone too far, ruining peoples cars and rioting in the streets. The best part is not only do we have to pay extra for our police to (do nothing) patrol the streets we need to pay to clean up the mess that they made and pay for damages incurred through the City of Albany. I am sad to say that I think the parade should be no more, it has been proven more and more over the years that the college kids of our city as well as some non-college residents are not responsible enough to handle themselves in a respectful manner.
Chris…are you kidding??? If you and your “hard core partier’s” or soon-to-be CEO’s and business leaders are afraid of those awful black kids, which is what your insinuating despite your covert racism…then go back to the dorms on campus. Better yet, stay home an go to college. You can have huge drunken party’s at your parents house and destroy their neighborhood. I also blame the greedy asswipes that rent to these idiots.
As a recent UAlbany alumnus this is disgusting and embarrassing to me. We can’t blame the institutions though, they do everything they can as their budgets get slashed. We can’t expect them to preserve every single academic offering and then spend resources teaching some of these kids how to be decent human beings. Some things you have to learn before college, or learn the hard way.
Just like Fountain Days of years past as students realize they can get away with more and more shenanigans, they’re only going to be worse the next year. Let’s remember these aren’t the protesters in Egypt of Libya- they’re spoiled rotten eggs with nothing better to do. They’re not going to stand up to riot police- they’ll run like the cowardly little shits they are.
So let’s not blame the institutions. And let’s not COMPLETELY blame the students. Let’s put a decent amount of blame for not enforcing the law. The first time these stupid kids get a taste of pepper spray or a K9 unit you can bet they’re done with these antics. Or, let them explain it to a judge in the light of sobriety. Albany needs to wake up and enforce the laws it has and not wait until it gets this bad to send in cops.
Having to ::gasp:: deal with the consequences will wake these kids up, and a couple stories about how so and so spent Parade Day in jail will quiet things down. Be consistent and enforce order.
as a UAlbany alumna, a former resident of Hudson (between S.Lake and Quail), and a “townie”, this is appalling, but sadly, not surprising.
The parties were ongoing, the disrepect was rampant. Have you ever walked down one of these streets between May 15 and June 15? garbage EVERYWHERE from kids moving home for the summer or moving into a new apartment. I had never seen kids rocking cars over, but given that group think mentality, I’m surprised I did’t see that when I lived down there.
On what Chris Wessel said: What I did see was the immediate aftermath of my friends (who CW also knows) robbed at knifepoint one Halloween by a 15 year old local kid, who was later discovered (after HE USED HER CELL PHONE), arrested, and sent to juveile detention.
Jen Harvey (the ADA handling these cases) is a great attorney, and I hope she has an excellent time dealing with all of that this morning.
Go get’em Kev!!!! Listen, every generation say’s it, but the kids that are coming up these days are getting worse and worse.
This news story and the pictures makes me physically nauseaous. I truly can not understand whats going on here. As someone who went through those 4 glorious years with the proverbial “college” tattooed on my forehead it disgusts me to see that these kids can not handle themselves in a respectful manner. Honestly, when was flipping a car fun? When was throwing furniture off of a balcony fun? I thought the point of college was to do stupid, immature things, have some laughs and make some mistakes, but in a juvenile way. There is nothing juvenile about this situation. Whatever happened to having a party, and the next day to say thank you to your townie neighbor for not calling the cops you shovel their drive way/cut their lawn/make them food or do some sort of odd end because they too were young once. These kids who are unable to conduct themselves in a respectful manner should be reprimanded from the school and the city, and harsh penalties should be doled out to anyone who doesn’t abide by those. I hate BYU because of the strictness of their honor code, but I must say those that attend there are better off for it, and feel great pride by adhearing to the code. The area colleges (and all colleges) for that matters should create an honor code of sorts, and all students should be forced to abide by that code, or be forced out. It is the responsibility of the school/parents of the students/students to be decent humans when they leave. It’s ok to screw up and be young, but it is not ok to start riots and embarrass yourself, parents, school and community to no end.
It was interesting to read the remarks from a Nassau County attorney who traveled to Albany to defend one of the little darlings in trouble.
“Edward Galison, a Nassau County attorney, was in court Sunday representing defendant Almazon, of Hicksville, who was in town visiting Petrucelli and was also charged with first-degree riot. Almazon was released on $20,000 bail. Galison decried Roland’s bail rulings, saying the amounts were excessive for defendants who have no criminal records and were charged with low-level felonies and misdemeanors.”
It appears that this behavior is condoned in Long Island and we should accept it here. If parents can afford lawyers for these brats, spent the money and send them to schools closer to home and don’t ask NYS taxpayers to underwrite their education.
Sorry Chris Wessell, but I have to respectfully disagree. Bad behavior by one group does not justify bad behavior by another group, it only escalates into even more and worse behavior. If you want respect, you need to give respect, and in my opinion that needs to start with the college students. This post isn’t about out of control “hood rats”, it’s about out of control college students. If the college students don’t like the neighborhood they live in, they could always live on campus. The so-called “hood rats” and others in the neighborhood don’t have another option.
The Mayor needs to recognize that Albany has a problem–and it is growing worse. The neighborhood where this rioting was taking place (and that’s what the student’s activities were–rioting) was once a quiet, close-knit neighborhood. The homes are falling apart. And I agree with the earlier blogger that the problem is more than just unruly students, it is the infiltration of the youth gangs looking for turf and trouble.
As for the parade. It was a large crowd. But as a marcher who walked the route I saw a tremendous amount open drinking by both bystanders AND some marchers, along with no enforcement of the law on open containers, creating an atmosphere where it was a free for all party in Albany. You would swear that the parade is now nothing more than an advertisement to drink and be stupid.
Where were the motorcycle cops to keep the onlookers from moving off the curb and crowding the marchers? On some parts of the parade route, it felt like you were walking down a gauntlet with drunk people cutting into the parade lines and swinging their hands out at you for high fives. I’m all for having fun and revelry, but it did get a bit scary at points.
Unfortunately Albany is becoming more of a college party town focused on bars and booze rather than being the State Capitol.
Unfortunately this is nothing new. The difference is that everyone has a camera and video camera in their pockets and evidence is posted to youtube. Which makes these kids even dumber. I know of plenty fraternity brothers who got drunk and told of the vandalizing the next day or week to the laughs of others.
Dallas – You’re not the only one to raise that point, but I can’t for the life of me recall the last time a full-blown riot occurred with cars being trashed in front of a cheering crowd, cell phone cameras or no.
People always got drunk and did stupid things, but let’s be clear that this is on a whole other level.
Sadly, this is disturbing at many levels. These young men are allowed to vote and decide how our local and federal governments will be run and eventually what laws will be passed, how we will live? They should lose some of their rights while sitting in a jail thinking about what they’re doing. Even if it’s only for a weekend. When I was in school we had beer parties, chased girls and played sports, aspired to drive a hot car etc etc etc… these kids act like they’re all on drugs. I wonder how their parents were all brought up.
Their parents must be so proud of them. What a disgrace. I live only a few blocks from where this happened and every year this seems to get worse. I usually can grin and bear it through the weekend, but this year was worse. The noise from that block started at about 9pm on Friday and didn’t let up one bit all night long when I finally left town on Saturday about noon. I know full well that kids will go wild sometimes, but this was out of hand. Like the Albany police didn’t know that a HUGE block party was planned? They could have shut down every one of those parties due to fire code violations well before it got out of hand. One out of hand house party is pathetic. 10 house parties on the same block is a disaster waiting to happen. And for some home and car owners, it was a disaster.
I hope they throw the book at these idiots. Thanks for the pictures, Kevin. They tell pretty much the whole story.
Perhaps with all this wonderful video and still footage, several dozen more children will be arrested. The punishment meted out by the police should have been considerably more severe…blood has a way of dissuading such future behavior. Rotten little f***ers…
This kind of thing doesn’t occur on Long Island, because Nassau and Suffolk PDs just don’t tolerate it. If this happened at Hofstra, there would be a body-count.
Jessica, #7:
“It is not fair to assume all suny students act this way”
Yes, it is. It absolutely is. If you don’t like the “unfairness”, PLEASE take it out on any idiots responsible for this that you know. No one cares if you can responsibly enjoy Kegs and Eggs, or if you’re of age (um, congrats?). You’re being lumped in with these people, like it or not, as am I. I’m also a SUNY student.
It’s always frustrating reading stories like this or the aftermath of LarkFest, then seeing a littany of commenters say “if you don’t like it, move.” Well, finally it seems that people are on the residents side. No one deserves this.
Tipping people’s cars over? Breaking windows? Hard to believe they banned Four Loko’s.
As a proud SUNY Albany graduate who is currently going there for my Masters, I can say myself, along with much of the class of 2009, definitely had my fair share of Kegs & Eggs. The difference between when we did it and what these KIDS are doing is we had at least a little bit of class with it. We’d get some beers, play beer pong, go to the parade and just chill. These kids are acting like spoiled trashy scumbags.
I hope this is isn’t an indicator on what to expect for the upcoming Fountain Day and Tulip Fest.
Just a quick point. I have friends who attempted to own property in the SUNY ghetto. These are good people who follow the rules and are far from absentee landlords. They sold it quicker than you can say kegs and eggs. Any responsible landlord does not want the constant headache of daily calls about damage to the building, trash left all over, screens and storm windows thrown over the porches. And when they leave, they leave a MESS.. He and his wife had to take couches, beds, etc to the dump and then THEY and their PARENTS fight the charge when they do not get their security deposit back… Its a losing battle. They own rentals in other parts of Albany and other cities with no issues… From what I heard there were fraternities involved that should lose their charter. They have clear pictures thanks to http://www.keepalbanyboring.com The police and SUNY campus police as well as the administration of the college should study these videos and arrest these kids. TYhis is a blatent disrespect for anyone other than themselves and that is a sad sad commentary on the future leaders of america.
No doubt this is the end of the free for all that has become the Albany St. Patricks Day Parade. The City and the APD have always turned a blind eye to the underage drinking, open containers, public intoxication, etc that has become so widespread at this event.
Just like Alive at 5, this incident will be turning point in the future of Parade Day. If anyone remembers the Alive at 5 events on Broadway, you know how out of hand those events were getting. The City finally moved them to the Corning Preserve and curtailed all the BYOB craziness that was going on. Now, the events are still fun, a lot more family friendly, and alcohol is served in a responsible and controlled manner.
I am sure the Mayor’s office is already under pressure by the APD and area residents to clean up the disgrace that has become Parade Day, Kegs and Eggs, and the violence of Pearl Street.
I think it’s pretty simple, the laws of the prior 364 days are still in effect:
You Drink and Drive-you get arrested
You Drink in Public-you get ticketed
Not 21-you can’t drink today either
You Fall Down Drunk in Public- you get arrested and held until you sober up
You fight in the street-you get arrested
You destroy parked cars-you get arrested and sued by their owners
You throw tv’s, microwaves, refrigerators off you balcony-you get arrested and hopefully thrown out of school
Basically, all the things you a@%holes can’t do or wouldn’t do in “Strong Island” you can’t do here either.
I have no doubt, that “Parade Day” is over as we know it. You can thank the college kids for that but you must also lay blame at the feet of our Mayor and the Albany Police Department for allowing this event to get totally out of control.
I am a former SUNY student who has stayed in the Albany area because I love it here. The actions of these students are deplorable, there is no doubt about that.
But I have to ask…is anyone positive that these students are from Long Island? Assholes come from every part of the state. I can assure you that this behavior is NOT accepted on Long Island, and that Long Island does not breed people to be inconsiderate jerks.
As a UAlbany student I was shocked when I first came up here by how much of slum Albany is granted its our capital region. The locals complain about our antics that we college students destroy your city when it was a sh–hole to begin with. People probably couldnt even tell there was a riot downtown because thats how most of Albany looks like on any given day.
I had a passing thought last week that maybe I’d go out over this weekend and enjoy St. Patty’s Day. I’m young, single and it’d be a chance to meet people.
These just aren’t the type of people I’m looking to meet. Maybe some other weekend.
They need a good a** kicking, then expelled from school.
After reading these posts, I am glad I didn’t go to the parade this year with my family. The kind of behavior that was demonstrated in the video was disturbing. Yes I did drink in my younger days, but never once thought it was funny or a good idea to destroy someone elses property. I actually turned the video off because of how disgusted I was. Hopefully APD can use that video and start pressing some serious charges against the people and the landlords also revoke security deposits for people that are damaging the property.
I am a current UAlbany student and am also from the area. I celebrate Kegs and Eggs, Lark Fest, Tulip Fest and every other festival in which day-time drinking is encouraged/the norm for that day. I am also a native of the area. There is a big difference in how my friends and I celebrate compared to the celebrations that made the news. I live a few blocks from the celebration, and could hear it from far away. All of the “students” who caused the problem are all the kids from DOWNSTATE who call Albany “the dirty” and other sort of nicknames and have no respect for this town. They attend UAlbany and have a snobbish perception of Albany and think it is dirty and deserves to be trashed/treated like crap. Not all UAlbany students are like this, and I am embarassed to be lumped in this group.
Where was faux Trooper Rabbi Freilich when we really needed him? Oy!!!
I didn’t bother reading any of the prior posts, so just in case none of the local idiot-morons have said this yet, I will:
“This is just an example of a couple of young people who made bad choices.”
There ! Now all is forgiven !
What is sad to me seeing all the destruction of the Japanese earthquake/tsunami and the heartbreak it is causing, and then to see a bunch of spoiled, drunken middle class kids PURPOSELY destroying property . The irony is not lost on me but unfortunately we are the victims of our own lack of discipline for out children – they have gotten everything without having to work for it so it means nothing to them .
Look Im not here to be a P.I.T.A. however, I too was at the parade and did NOT see a whole lot of law enforcement! If the city can not keep the crowd in control CANCEL the event for a year. yea i know $ is the issue but so is the safety of ALL citizens.As far as the Kegs & Eggs aren’t the kegs stamped with a serial # why can’t the cops and the D.A. check out the #’s and find the the person who rented the kegs and get make it difficult for those rather than all? I watched all the videos posted on T.U. Dan Nester’s blogs and that is UNACCEPTABLE!!! I don’t care where you come from !!!!
Are these the same students I am supposed to feel sorry about because of State budget cuts? It seems these students are having trouble graduating in four years, according to UUP. Budget cuts? REALLY???
If this happened in Arbor Hill these kids would be looking at some heavy prison time. Justice in America !
As an Albany resident I’m growing tired of these college kids. I don’t live in the college ghetto but feel they are branching out into other neighborhoods. Every year more and more nice two family homes are being rented by 3 to 4 college kids at a time and throwing more and more parties. I cannot take the noise any more and growing tired of calling the police. I don’t feel safe seeing these kids parking all up and down our street, carrying hudge packs of beer. Hearing them hoot and hollar all hours of the night and then seeing some of them get into their cars late at night or am DRUNK and DRIVE away. I’ve even witnessed some of them kicking garbage cans and punching cars.
Albany is going to continually loose good residents who will as I am move to the ‘burbs’. The city and police need to enforce the laws more and stop these parties. I’d like to know how many of those students rioting and partying were UNDERAGE drinkers. I’m not saying there’s no other issues with Albany residents breaking laws and such but this is a problem in Albany. The school is to big and needs more dorms to keep this kids from being residents in our neighborhoods. They cannot be respectful…this is a problem that happens frequently in other large campus areas…we’re probably not the only ones but we should be looking at other communities that have successfully dealt with the problem and take some action.
wow…what winners. sounds like they should have a tuition hike for these students…just to cover the damamge to albany that incurs over a semester. Disgusting.
My grandmother lives on this street. You have no idea how outraged my family is about this. My grandmother has had to deal with this now for years because of students. That area has been trashed because of these students and landlords do absolutely nothing to try to fix it. Something needs to be done about this.
Im going to repeat #9’s comment becaus it is a great idea!!: 9.They used to have this problem in Plattsburgh every St P’s Day. Between the students and the airmen, binge drinking was getting out of hand. Solution: Spring Break is scheduled every year for the week that the 17th falls in. That goes as well for the community college up there too. All the New York Citidiots go home for the week because they can’t stay.
im a masters student at albany who also received a bachelors from suny albany. i am from upstate (saratoga).
i should note that on a bus between campuses last week i heard a student brag to another that he was setting his alarm at 3 am to get up and start drinking.
maybe i could start a blog here at the TU like a mole reporting on the idiocy and immaturity of my classmates. itd be a great read and i wouldnt ever worry about hitting three posts a week.
to play devils advocate ill point out that for some reason, though, this kind of thing happens after sports teams win in cities, too, with “adults”
also im going to point out this: “a sense of respect for the community upon arrival”
instilled how, exactly? i dont have to love troy and schenectady,i just dont have to destroy cars. if you cant instill that publicly and through family, a required course in freshman year wont do a thing. id even hazard a guess that this would happen MORE often. remember we are dealing with “mental midgets” here as tom waits would say.
“and the responsibility of fellow students to speak out and not simply be bystanders recording the mayhem on their cameras and cellphones.”
thats just plain stupid. if that were MY car i wouldnt say a thing and would just stand there incognito and film everyones face. do you think im going to take on seven drunk bros who are destroying my subaru? film it and let the cops and insurance deal with it later. a brawl would have almost certainly broken out if eveyone in the houses and bystanders started trying to break it up. then you would have been posting that “they should have just filmed it and let the authorities deal with it”
there are no solutions here, by and large american students 16-22 are infantalized and rotten to the core.
sam b – Are we to understand you’d stand around filming with your cell phone camera instead of doing something like, say, using that phone to call the police or at least vocalizing the need for calm? What’s so stupid about showing some degree of common decency and ability to separate yourself from a bad element and prevent becoming part of the problem?
Also, point taken re: sports teams celebration, but that doesn’t happen in Albany is the whole point.
Thank you Joseph S. (#34). You are spot on!
Many of the campuses in the state simply schedule student spring break the from the Saturday before (parade day) to the Sunday after St. Patricks day. It saves a ton of problems because most of the students leave the area.
sam b – ALSO: the second image you see on this post is, as noted, students fleeing from two – TWO – neighborhood students who ran out to try to stop the kids. The two of them ran out, took a stand, and the “seven drunk bros” that you tremble before ran off and scattered.
It only takes one.
Not a drop of Tiger Blood among them. What a bunch of amatuers.
as a townie, who attended sunya, mid-90’s, my experience with the large variety of students at sunya was that a lot of them come from conservative and strict homes all over the State. and, sunya is their first chance to get out and live life on their terms, for better or worse.
what’s different now is there is no anonymity and subsequently the opportunity to lose youth innocently.
I agree there should be some attempt to help students be more connected to their new temporary homes and that the students must also feel like they are under constant siege by the regular amount of crime that’s committed on them.
hey, thanks for the shout up top. most of kab is post college (young professionals, how scary) already, but a moot point.
as a part of a community who is actually looking to improve things here, i’d like to point out websites like keepvid.com which allow you to download the videos from youtube, so when all these videos get deleted by the uploaders, , 10 people will already have re-uploaded it to youtube.
Not into the blame game…instead of blaming all the students or the mayor, or banning the St. Patrick’s day parade, let’s learn from this and enforce the rules we already have (like #34 Joseph S.)
lock em up
I agree you cannot blame the entire SUNY student population for this, but the ones involved should be kicked out. We are to soft on them for this behavior. You want to riot, get on a plane to Libya, they’ll take care of you there.
Well the problem is magnified this year because the bars these kids would normally be at the bars being supervised by bouncers and what not that were no longer open. So where are they going to go? The answer is the street and house parties and what your going to get is what you saw/see in these videos. Everyone wants to jump on the band wagon and shit all over these “college bars” when they get shut down and how horrible they were. Let me ask you if you have a kid, where would you rather have your kid? In a bar where there being watched and if something does break out its handled quickly or in the videos you see where there on their own in a near riot situation? You cant stop these kids from drinking but you can try and control it
Among UA students, Hudson Ave. is the party spot. this happens every year. all apartments of the surrounding blocks are rented out to students for ~$300/month and its just what they do. happens every year so i honestly don’t understnd why APD doesn’t just sit a few patrol cars for kegs n eggs there as a, hmm i dunno, PROACTIVE MEASURE. I think this is the University at Albany’s AND St. Rose’s problem seeing as it is only their students in this neighborhood who are a constant problem, not to mention the several unauthorized fraternities (sig ep) who only serving purpose is to party and act like gangs/ thugs (see some of the fistfight youtube videos).
PS- I lived in the student ghetto 5 yrs ago and i remember running around in mobs ripping down street signs and bringing them back to my apartment to be hung on the walls. PS i’m from the area too, don’t listen to posters like #40 LIZ who says its all downstaters, b/c its not, its kids from utica,saratoga, troy, shaker. Also there’s a whole lot of St. Rose students partaking in the behavior, not just UA students
I had to watch this video 3 times. I thought it was somehow staged or the students were maybe vandalizing their own cars?
Insanity.
And, also, another reinforcer that curfew has very little to do with Albany’s crime rate.
Kevin, Vocalizing the need for calm ? Do you honestly believe that would’ve had any effect at all ?
Mark Nolan – It’s worth a shot as opposed to recording and screaming “WOOOOOOOOOO KEGGS AND EGGS” like a bunch of braindead Bros and Bettys.
Also, see my other point re: the students fleeing once only two other students showed up to chase them off.
The best part is these knuckleheads recorded it all… should be pretty easy to ID these morons to have them prosecuted.
I have one word…. Idiots!
Kevin, Well if the Albany cops’ showing up didn’t stop them, I kind of doubt one student suggesting they “calm down” would’ve done any good.
Mark Nolan –
Um…it did. Read the news articles. They dispersed and made arrests.
Disgusting. Their parents must be so proud. :(
I can’t even watch those videos. Too many UGG boots.
after watching the utube videos , there is no reason that the punk named elmo who was on washington ave destroying a parked car isnt arrested , there no way the police cant locate him
Dan, #36: Thank you for illustrating exactly the attitude that is the problem. Please find a different school and a different city to disrespect. You’re really not welcome here or at SUNY.
Here’s a thought ! If that were my car (or any of my relative’s) those big bad students wouldn’t be dealing with the courts.
“Sometimes you’re the Louisville Slugger, sometimes you’re the ball…” :)
Wow, those kids couldn’t even break the windows of that car out. I bet they tried to flip that car just so that they could hook up with a chick who they knew had herpes.
Kevin you seem to have a whole lot of hatred for Long Islanders and “out-of-towners”. I’m curious to see how you have come to the conclusion that each and every last person involved in this “riot” was an “out-of-towner”, “downstater” or “Strong Islander”.
Frank V (#73) – Please read: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/5-face-felonies-after-party-1108741.php and other news articles on the arrests. All those arrested weren’t from the area.
I don’t have a problem with people from Long Island, but I do think there is an issue with college students from out-of-town who, though not exclusively having committing property damage and the other crimes, are responsible for an inordinate amount of it.
First of all I would like to thank you Kevin for writing such a needed artice, as well as posting links to these websites. I first learned of this “situation” Saturday evening. I was appalled and angered. Trust me I like to drink MORE than the next person….As for Chris Wessell’s comment as to “HARDCORE” drinkers in college…yes there are plenty of people that know how to drink and essentially move on in life…however I doubt that you are referring to any of these people displayed in these videos. Moral intergrity seems to be a large issue here. It baffles me as to the lack of self restraint. I have never ever defaced or destroyed someone else’s property…as for myself I’ve certainly been known to drop a cell phone in the toilet…or fall into some people…but ruining vehicles and throwing tv’s out of a two story window!!! GROW THE F@*! up already!!!
This is a classic case of the Bystander Effect. So many people with fancy phones taking video’s and uploading them immediately to the internet, yet….no one actually used their phones to call for help….isn’t that what mommy and daddy are paying those for…not only for personal use…but YES for emergency situations also. Where does it end and even with adding alcohol it is certainly not an excuse. Just because you are drunk is never an excuse when it comes to breaking the law. I can only imagine what else could have…or did happen.
I sincerely hope that the people in these videos get sent back home to their (should be embarassed) parents who most likely are paying the tuition for their children rather than making them EARN their right to an education…. At the very least of course. In my eyes these so called upstanding students should be fully prosecuted. I’m sure a large majority of theses CHILDREN are underage to begin with. As for the residences….in no way should a roof become a playground!!!! there should never be that many people on a balcony. I think that the landlords of these properties should certainly evict!!! If some structure collapsed due to too much weight and someone was injured then I’m sure the landlord would be sued… not the flipping idiot that allowed these animals in.
In a time of crisis in other parts of the world (i.e. Japan’s Tsunami, war, poverty, homelessness…) you would think these “students” would put things into perspective. Maybe they are merely undeserving of having a college education to begin with. Get these people out of here and make an example out of the repercussions future students will face. If a student in BYU can be expelled for getting a girl pregnant I would hope that causing a riot should send these kids packing as well.
Um…okay. You mean the ones who weren’t jumping on the cops’ backs ? Or do you mean the ones who weren’t throwing objects at the cops ?
I read the article. I also watched the video.
I see the cops showing up down the street. And I don’t see anybody dispersing.
“Okay, let’s calm down now !” Yeah, okay…
sam b – Are we to understand you’d stand around filming with your cell phone camera instead of doing something like, say, using that phone to call the police or at least vocalizing the need for calm? What’s so stupid about showing some degree of common decency and ability to separate yourself from a bad element and prevent becoming part of the problem?
well yeah, i would call the police the second things started to turn out there. to me the main youtube video looks to be filmed on a real camera (high quality, no black sidebars) so i assumed that both were an option.
but to me any kind of violence or possible violence is stupid. its a car and and its not worth getting into a fight over (or dying, should you smack your head on the concrete the wrong way). i would avoid confrontation at all costs. you dont know WHAT people are going to do until you try it and i would just not try it.
we are dealing with the same culture that year after year stampedes and kills individuals at walmart for black friday sales. a group mentality is a very dangerous thing that little old me isnt going to deal with.
“it only takes one” maybe this time, but it only takes a crowd mentality and some aforementioned ugg boots to trample you to death for trying to save an already destroyed vehicle. priorities.
I was appalled after I saw the video of this. I went to SUNY Plattsburgh way back in the day, the school scheduled their spring break around St. Patty’s to avoid problems such as this. Maybe the local schools here should do the same.
And these are the kids who idolize Charlie Sheen.
Since when did the parade get moved to 2 in the afternoon? Seems to me like that gives an awful lot of day light for people to start drinking and congregating ahead of time.
Its not an attitude its an observation, I lived outside the “student ghetto” north of Central Ave where most students are scared to walk past dusk and I noticed that it is more decrepit than any student occupied area. The residents of this city want a scapegoat to blame for their city for being sh–hole but the fault lies withs the residents themselves not the students.
@KevinMarshall: In other videos posted people are clearly getting their faces crushed in by groups of people. I’m not going to undergo facial re-constructive surgery for your Chevy Corsica. It’s just property and it’s not worth a life or injury. Perhaps you should reconsider how you view property versus a human life.
Kevin – You’re drawing an incorrect conclusion, ie the fights being the result of people trying to stop the vandalism. I seriously doubt those kids got their heads stomped in because they yelled out for somebody to stop (and if you watch the videos again you’ll notice they’re happening in separate locations).
There’s that old saying “bad things happen when good people say nothing” (paraphrased). This is a perfect example of it.
Yes, you’re right, I value cars over people. Excellent point, because that is exactly what I meant. *cue the cliche blogger eyeroll*
We have our young men and women fighting for us, some coming back in body bags or without limbs, and then we have these A-holes. Students have been thrashing this neighborhood for years: State/Ontario/Hudson/etc. leaving couches, etc. on the curb when they left Dodge. A good punishment for these kids should include their exile from Albany…This is what happens when those in position look the other way for years..leading up to this. Also their residences are fire hazzards and look like crap– where is the Building Dept.
How can a family live their?
This is news to me. I wasn’t aware entitled, drunken f***offs had a union.
#16 – Firstly, I never said I was a hardcore partier – that’s your assumption. Secondly, my comment was not covert racism, it was a statement of fact. Regardless of what color the kids are, they are in fact a big problem in that neighborhood. I’m sorry that all you see is racism, instead of the bigger picture.
#22 – I’m no stranger to people disagreeing with me, but I should point out that I repeatedly stated that it wasn’t justification. I’m simply trying to point out that the locals are no angels in that very same neighborhood and show an equal amount of disrespect for the community, so let’s not vilify the college students as the only problem.
#63 and others who pointed out that this is nothing new, that EVERY year for MANY years, there’s always a crazy pack of partiers in the streets on the morning of the parade… and yet there’s no proactive police presence quelling it before it becomes a major issue… is just goddamn irresponsible. They know it’s coming every year. This is nothing new. The tipping of cars is a perfect example of how these things escalate… if you don’t punish your child for minor misbehaviors, they grow to bigger ones as they push the limits. Witness the current state of the limit pushing, Albany, and learn from it. YOU COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS.
The city and the colleges need to work together to coordinate spring break so the students leave and let albany residents enjoy the parade in peace and civility. The city needs to work with the school and create more dorms. The landlords and the city need to work together and limit these college ghettos. Albany needs to take it’s city back.
Kudos to City Court Judge Helena Heath-Roland for setting substantial bail rulings for these degenerates. They’re an embarrassment to their University, families and peers. Judge Heath-Roland is setting the tone- this zoological behavior won’t be tolerated.
Cut SUNY funding 100%
Frat guy 69, #63: St. Rose was on vacation during this time, so I don’t think it can really be pinned on them.
clearly these property owners need to raise the rent. there’s way too much disposable income being wasted on green tee shirts.
@laughingatthis:
I cannot believe how insensitive your comment is. First of all I bet they weren’t even trying to break the windows out. And second of all be nice. Herpes isn’t even all that bad.
@dan #36, the college ghetto may be perceived as a “s-hole” because it’s a perpetual cycle of vandalism and disrespect. I honestly don’t think the landlords can keep up with the trash and repairs. Perhaps after a while they just grow frustrated and dissolutioned and just want to get out of the situation. That latter point is pure speculation on my part of course, having never been in their shoes.
However, I can’t believe I’m even taking the time to explain this to you after what you said about my city. Your dismissive remarks and total lack of regard are insulting to me. I live in Center Square and I love my neighborhood, and I will fight to keep it clean and safe. We have our bad sections, sure, as any city does. But we also have our very lovely areas, inhabited by residents who take pride in our homes. To say that our whole city is a slum because of the neighborhood that you, and some of your accomplices, continue to destroy is beyond ignorant. You would know this if you would take your face away from the beer bong once in a while.
Dan #83: Every city has sh–hole areas in it. The Pine Hills area was clearly destroyed by students. The fact that you’d rather denigrate the entire city than admit that students should be responsible for, oh I don’t know, rioting in the streets is telling. I stand by my statement: find another city to disrespect, please.
must be the bars fault..
I have to say that my mother and stepfather have lived in the heart of the college ghetto for nearly 30 years now. It used to be a nice neighborhood with some college students but mostly families. Eventually the college students ran all the families out of the neighborhood. They had to chase kids out of the yard and alley. They urinate on the property and have broken his railings off of his porch multiple times. They through garbage in his yard and have broken his fences down. They (not all) of these kids feel as though the have no resonsibility or respect to the neighborhood they temporily inhabit. There could be a garbage can every 10 feet down the block but they would still throw their garbage on the ground. They are disgusting and disrespectful and I so wish that I could show up on their doorstep in long island or westchester or rochland county and urinate on their front porch and maybe break the mirror or antennae off of their parents cars. I believe that this latest melee should be the last straw. SUNY needs to take some responsibility. These kids should be arrested and there needs to be a constant police patrol on foot or horseback around the clock in these areas.
there were loud noisy parties on partridge street, before noon. is there a reason why these folk need to run screaming into the street, why the house at the corner of partridge and morris, where they have never shoveled, either, why there was an “OPEN” sign, flashing, why they charge for the beverages, and why this was going on in broad daylight?
the problem is two fold – and NO, Chris Wessell – it isnt the pine hills neighbors fault –that’s a major cop out – the problem is that the cops do not care, and the city administration really turns a blind eye to the absentee landlords who rent their dumpy buildings — many of which were ruined by years of students living there, with landlords who dont care – what is the mayor afraid of?? that these little piss-ant kids wont rent in the city of albany anymore and this valuable ‘revenue’ will be lost? please.
These disrespectful young’uns have no regard for the people of albany where they are living.
The University and St Rose -whose kids live in this neighborhood – also need to step up. anyone who was arrested – expulsion or fined. the landlords who rent to those kids – how about code enforcement makes a visit??
Yes, these kids were awful. but the city needs to put its feet down and start enforcing public codes.
lol this great weres sla.. clowns
havent been over to table hopping in a while but im curious to see steve’s point of view since he teaches (or taught a few years ago at least) at suny albany. but then again he probably can only honestly say in the office and not in paper since hes professional. nevertheless i wonder!
Move the students who live off campus to Arbor Hill, this will never happen again. I agree Spring Break should be the time of the St. Pat’s parade, let the people of the area enjoy the parade and the day. Get rid of these a@#ho@#s.
Partying and “pranks” at college are nothing new and can be tolerated for the most part. They have been for years. This is a whole different story. The majority (not all) of these students are from downstate. They come up here and often claim that Albany isn’t as nice as Long Island so they trash it. Realistically the only solution would be to create regional SUNYs (like 4 year community colleges) and keep the kids in their own neighborhoods. It would give us a chance to clean the city up and a smaller, completely locally based student population would be more manageable and possibly take more pride in keeping their city reputable. I am very glad these “scholars” videotaped themselves committing felonies so further arrests can be made, and REALLY glad we have a tough judge who is mandating high bails (or no bail in one case) so these spoiled few finally have to face the reality of their recklessness. One last statement, will someone please tell these “Strong Islanders” that drinking protein shakes and beer alone will not make you ripped. You have to actually work out and have some discipline. There are countless puffy “bros” with sleeveless shirts in these videos that I had to actually laugh out loud. The funniest part? As soon as someone confronts them they scatter like cockroaches. And worse? The “skinny jeans” punks that are all bad-a$$ kicking cars but would get put through the earth if they actually stepped up to a “local”.
To compare this scene with anything the “locals” are capable of is absolutely absurd.
I’m currently a Master’s student at SUNY, having done my BA at the comparatively sleepy university of Michigan Tech. Students up there always talked up how much drinking they did and the debauchery that ensued, but that was diddly squat compared to the carnage students around here cause. I’m personally ashamed to say I go to a university full of scumbags such as these, and rarely have positive reviews of the area to pass on to friends and family.
You can argue that there are always a few bad apples, but hundreds? I don’t care where they’re from. The fact they have been getting away with this for so long is depressing. Keg & Eggs… some great way of promoting the Capital District.
I’m as Irish as they come. I listen to the music, I frequent the AOH and I read the history. I loathe St. Patrick’s Day and, for a long time, didn’t celebrate it beyond seasonal corned beef and cabbage. Kegs and Eggs was a huge part of that and I hated the way people, who weren’t even Irish, would use the holiday as an excuse to get wasted.
Albany’s Parade is a travesty. It used to be a big event in my family, considering my father marches in it every year. Now, I can’t even bring my niece there any more. I’m one of the least confrontational people and even I had it out with a drunk on the parade route.
Using the excuse that “we only notice it because of cell phones” is stupid. I’ve said this before, but at my drunkest I have never had the urge to throw a TV out a window. These people do it because they’re away from home and can get away with it because, “kids will be kids.” I hope they are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. It’s people like that who have ruined what used to be a fun family tradition.
There should be plenty of arrests over the next few days. I look forward to reading about them in the TU. What disgusting human beings.
Maybe instead of slapping these College kids on the hands every year, we actually prosecute them. I lived in the so call College Ghetto, and that is what it is. I had no problem going out and telling these kids stop urinating, partying, drinking, loud music. When you call the APD they just go to these parties and say keep it down so the neighbors don’t call anymore. The area thinks these kids bring in money to the area, when all they do is destroy it. And that is what it all boils down to. None of the Business owners will complain, because they are the ones making the money they don’t care what happens after they sell 20 kegs for the weekend, and then the local restraunts feed them, making more money. The ones that are loosing are the Families that live their in the nighborhood. Make the Schools responsible for them, make them all live on Campus. Iff need be make the Campus bigger to House all of them And keep them there. Yes if the Only way to stop this is to make it seem like they are in prison, do it. Tired of the Bull, It happens EVERY WEEKEND when they are here.
This is why whenever I am desperately required to go into Albany, I take the bus. AND, if anyone thinks that the SUNY Albany students are anything to write home about, forget it. Lower New York school counselors need to be faulted for encouraging anyone and everyone, including those who shouldn’t BE in college, to go the SUNY. SUNY should also be more selective and worry less about filling seats and more about the caliber of their students.
99- at what point did I say it was the pine hills neighbors’ FAULT? You claim I’m copping out, but you’re generalizing. I said the lack of respect for the neighborhood is not just coming from the students. I never said it was CAUSED by the locals, simply that it’s not JUST the students. Don’t twist my words to suit your point.
And TO YOUR POINT, I even said the school and the city don’t care, and could have prevented this.
Get rid of Kegs & Eggs. Half of these kids cant handle their booze anyways.
People dont get like this on Lark Fest or Tulip Fest – its probably because they arent waking up at 7am to slam back beers to be cool.
they come up here with there snotty attiude thinking there s— dont stink , were country bumpkins to these spoiled rotten brats that mommy and daddy pay for and will get them out of trouble, they should be evicted from the houses in these videos , make them pay for the cleanup for all the broken televisons and refrigs that were tossed off the poarch , if one of little daring fell off the roof and sure there fancy NY lawyers would be suing, but its the citys fault for letting this go on every year , where the building code offiers? closing the bars at 2 will be a start,
What I’d like to find out is that one or more of these destroyed cars belong to the a$$holes who destroyed them (or at least someone egging them on). Add a little bit of irony to that morning hangover.
I do agree with what Kevin said above, but at least they’re keeping their destruction to their own living area. Hopefully the TU will report extensively on the upcoming arrests.
Once again I want to echo everyone who says the cops need to crack down on EVERYONE (college kids and otherwise) in that neighborhood… once again this could have been prevented because we KNOW it happens every year, and a stronger police presence earlier in the day would have deterred this crowd from reaching the peak that it did. If this stuff goes unchecked it only gets worse. We just witnessed “worse”.
As a UAlbany alum(1998), I can say without a doubt, this isn’t an advent of people simply recording the shenanigans. This is a change in the tenor of the students…a general lawlessness I never saw while I was at college. Back in the day, Kegs & Eggs was a simple fraternity house party hosted by TKE. Certainly was a drunkfest, and if I remember correctly, the only real damage to come of it was one trashed house(seem to remember a floor collapse once)…they moved it to what was then Bogies off Madison…and again, there was plenty of alcohol abuse…the big thing back then was tearing people’s shirt off…but property damage? Nope. Not on the scale that these guys demonstrated. I lived on Hudson, sandwiched between a TKE house, house, ZBT, SAM…Pi Kappa Phi…and a multitude of different sororities… there were times when that street was lit up with drunk people. Generally, every Saturday night…and it’s always been a garbage dump…but the mass-mob, riot-inciting business wasn’t ever an element I remember. There’s a level of violence in these guys that simply wasn’t there a decade ago, even though we probably drank more beer than they do now.
#114 – it’s hard to “get rid” of kegs n eggs… because that is a type of party (of which there are several going on at once) versus a specific party. Explain to me how you plan to implement that exactly… how do you plan to get several groups of college kids to all stop having a party the morning of a big drinking holiday? It’s an aggregation of a variety of festivities, it’s hard to just “get rid” of it due to the nature of the beast.
Why does everyone keep referring to the “Student Ghetto?” I thought we decided to rename it “The Zone.”
Anyone notice that this crowd is all male? They should be made to appear in court WITH THEIR MOTHERS. Not parents. Not Fathers. Just their Mothers. That would be interesting.
To #29 and the idea that this wouldn’t happen at Hofstra. A little out of context given that Hofstra (my alma mater) students either live on campus or commute from their parent’s homes. Marauding idiots do not frequent the surrounding neighborhoods or gather en masse to destroy random automobiles. There is no analogy to be drawn here. I suspect we’d have a lot of complaining and law suits from the parents of these kids(who are thanked every year for their support of the 4-year party with large banners hanging from the homes that these kids also destroy) should the Albany police force actually do as you suggest and hold their kids accountable.
A few SUNY guys trashed SUNY girls. I read the guys blogs and saw they didn’t respect girl– now it is property that others worked hard for. Before running these guys out of town have them do community work in Arbor Hill…tutoring….then we’ll see where their “brave”
is…..
Two things need to be done. All those students who had their excuses destroyed by the pictures should face the consequences of their actions. Both via SUNY and Albany Police Court. They can do what they want but the consequences can be very expensive.
The thing that needs to be done is hold the absentee landlords responsible for the actions of their tenants. Start enforcing the laws regarding number of tenants and bill the rental properties for the damages and clean up.
I’d love to see the landlords forced to live in the neighborhood. Maybe then they would take a little care in who they rent to.
Re-instate the military draft.
Anything under a 2.5 GPA ends the
student deferment and gets you
an invite from Uncle Sam. These
parties would quickly end .
Time for serious “quality of life” law enforcement in that neighborhood. Every open container, public urination, public intoxication, litering, disorderly conduct… you name it write the appearance ticket. Time to take back our city. This is an outrage and it is time for the city, the police and the univesrity to put these “kids” on notice. I know it is not all students. In fact most students are good hard working people. They should eb more outraged than anyone. This taints their name and their degrees when it is viewed by the larger public.
This needs to end!!!
Ed Tourge…right on!
Did they at least catch the fat kid? #11? I mean his picture is clear as day!
Danish Underground - One of the students arrested, Samantha Cohen, 20, is a female. She jumped on the back of the officer arresting her boyfriend and struck the officer in the head. Samantha is charged with second-degree assault of a police officer, obstruction, a misdemeanor, and resisting arrest.
Since she’s only 20 years old, inevitably, they’ll break up. I hope then her boyfriend is worth the $15,000 her parents will have to pay to bail her out of jail.
118- I was in TKE, around that time in the same neighborhood. It’s definitely escalated… because it’s gone largely unchecked…
Photos need to be put out in the public by SUNY and Albany Police to identify the main sources of destuction. Those who surrender themselves will get a deal… Those who do not, will be identified eventually and have the book thrown at them.
126 – agreed – enforcing the small quality of life stuff will make people think twice about the bigger things… broken windows theory all the way… signal the acceptable norms! The Albany version may be the “red solo cup in the street theory” :)
I’m a local and a SUNYA Alum. I live over on State Street by the downtown/St Rose dorms and Beverwyck Park.
Normally I’m not in town for Parade Day, so I didn’t know what it was like. First of all, I was surprised to hear so many college students awake and going so early on a Saturday morning.
I passed by the area around 10am or so, trying to get far enough away from the crowds that were still crowding Quail and Western so my friend could pick me up and not have to drive through/around college kids. I saw a firetruck and police cars & mounted officers, but hadn’t been aware of the goings on at 7am until later.
The mood I got from the students I passed was of Mardi Gras with a St. Patrick’s Day mask on it. The weather was warm enough for the ladies to be in their clubbing clothing (including some cut out necklines that didn’t leave anything to the imagination) and there were plenty of green plastic bead necklaces around.
Yes, the college crowd can get rowdy at times, but this (pushing over cars) is outrageous. And State Street has it’s share of extra trash on the street from the weekend’s festivities.
Other commenters are right- it’s not just the college students that are making the area a mess. There’s a number of times where the roughhousing and rudeness come from the local kids. I remember one night in particular my fiance was teased and pushed around by some local kids when he was on his way from his car to our apartment a half block away (he caught their attention by being a guy with long curly hair, IIRC). He called the police about it but the kids had scattered by the time they got there so they couldn’t do anything.
Then there’s the number of break-ins that are a plague to the area, of which my apartment was part of the statistics back in 2010 and as far as I know, they never found whoever did it. With the college student population that have computers, DVD players, flatscreen TVs (purchased by parents/family or earned from the extra job they take to counter rising college costs) that sell/pawn easily, it’s a target-rich environment for anyone looking to make a quick buck from a little burglary.
To 88 (Chris Wessel): One of the major reasons this neighborhood is declining is because of the high percentage of properties rented to transients (ie, students). Real estate values dive, rents go lower and poorer people move in. Greedy, short-sighted landlords, many of whom don’t live in the area, are also part of this cycle: they don’t maintain their properties, so they can only rent them for bottom dollar thus attracting low-quality tenants.
A large portion of blame for this riot has to go to the mayor. It is an institutional decision to not enforce drinking laws on Albany’s event days (and most other times). It would seem Jenning’s goal is for Albany to be seen as New Orleans on the Hudson. This has created a culture where wanton debauchery is acceptable. The chaos seen at all the city’s festivals illustrates this.
The reckless, antisocial behavior that is now the norm at city events is destroying Albany; families of means will continue to move out leaving expanding ghetto in their wake.
Downtown Dad –
People will scoff but this is no small point. I recall being at Siena (and underaged), drinking at Pauly’s, and Jennings would stop in and serve behind the bar for a photo op. Of course,he can claim plausible deniability because it was the bar’s responsibility to verify the age of its patrons, but it was common knowledge what went on there.
It also might be a bit much to say that the riot in particular is a result of Jennings’ unwritten policies. On the other hand, the behavior and rowdiness in the last decade or so at the Albany St. Patty’s Day parade has gotten progressively worse, it seems, and this could be the culmination of that. So in that sense, I’m in 100% agreement that there perhaps needs to be a rethinking of City Hall’s approach to these events (ie what they had to do with Alive at Five).
whoever labelled it as lawlessness hit the nail on the head. and they absolutely must back it up with prosecution. i’m kind of sick of it all. and i’m sorry if i threw the st rose kids in with the suny gang – if they are not responsible. the city, and the police need to get serious. and st patrick’s parade needs to be celebrated and respected by the people for whom it is a personal or religious fest. for the rest – amateur nite.
and, not all the interlopers are from downstate, if you get my meaning.
SUNYA students have been allowed to get away with this kind of activity for years! This isnt even news. Drunkeness seems to be a part of SUNYA culture. And, even though the majority of them are below the legal drinking age of 21, students are not only allowed to drink, but also allowed to advertise drinking events and even prices on SUNYA chalkboards. These downstaters come to the Capital Region and use their anonymity to do all the trashy things they cant do at home in their own communities…including getting drunk, girls wearing next to nothing while walking up and down Madison and Ontario like common trash. The “Student Ghetto” has as much if not more crime than Arbor Hill…including public drunkeness, drug trafficking, rape, hate crimes, etc., but you will never see those stats in the news!!
To #119 i am talking about the bars that host the kegs & eggs. Any house that has idiots outside drinking with their solo cups should be searched and ID people. You walk into most bars in Albany and its like a day care center. I swear I saw a kid sucking his thumb still. Albany needs to crack down on the under age drinking and should accept more qualified students.
As a college student in Long Island I can honestly say from the off-campus parties I’ve attended that while people do get drunk and cause damage to the house they’re attending, I have always noticed people going out of their way to make sure people don’t park in front of neighboring houses and are quiet when walking outside so they don’t wake anyone up. It’s sad to see these photos because where I go to school students have respect for their neighbors and the community and would never go to such a length to destroy it. These kids need to be taught a lesson or leave the community.
“@KevinMarshall: In other videos posted people are clearly getting their faces crushed in by groups of people. I’m not going to undergo facial re-constructive surgery for your Chevy Corsica. It’s just property and it’s not worth a life or injury. Perhaps you should reconsider how you view property versus a human life.”
Let me tell you something, chief, I was there on the day in question, and there was plenty of concern for these drunken idiots. I personally tried to help out this one kid I saw with a massive headwound, but he just staggered away, ignoring me. And I’m not the only one. The problem is, these morons don’t appreciate the lengths other people go to to help them/avoid killing them. The whole community has to babysit these children so they don’t kill themselves or somebody else, and where’s the gratitude for that? Me, I got better things to do than call the police because I’m concerned for a kid bleeding out through his head. But I do it anyway, knowing that people like this rely on and exploit people who value human life a heck of a lot more than they do. These kids should show a little concern for human life themselves, but instead they put being drunken idiots above personal and public safety. They either need to grow the f*** up, or stay in latchkey for a few extra decades.
@ #57 – Hey, I came from a “conservative and strict” home as well. Not conservative in a religious sense, but conservative in the sense that “we are the parents (adults), you are the child, and as long as you are living under our roof and we are paying the bills, you will do what you are told. We tell you “jump” you ask “how high?” When you have your own place, and you are paying the bills, THEN you get to make the rules, but until then…” After my brothers and I turned 18, and were attending college and still living at home, we would be told that if we didn’t like living under parental rule, we could always find another place to live. I stayed home the longest, until age 26, but even after I had gotten my own place, I never felt the temptation to “go wild”.
And seeing as how our parents were helping to foot the bill for our education, you can bet there would be hell to pay if any of us had ever behaved this way while in school, and one of my brothers was in a frat when he was attending ESF out in Syracuse. I was never into the party scene to start with, and my other brother attended HVCC, and my parents didn’t have to worry that any of us would be getting into trouble, because they raised us with the notion that – you act stupidly, there will be serious consequences for your behavior. If we had disregarded that, we would have been paying for our own schooling, because my parents would have cut us off right then and there.
Kevin… Great stuff here. Responsible viewpoints that the Times Union would do well to promote. Unfortunately, however, this very web site apparently thinks – even after the well-documented riots – that it’s a good idea to at least implicitly promote “Kegs and Eggs”:
http://www.timesunion.com/seen/slideshow/SEEN-Kegs-and-Eggs-2011-3129.php
And when I say “these idiots,” I mean everybody involved, no matter where they come from or where they go to school.
I just moved off of Hamilton ST near Quail after 22 years, the last 10 or so being PURE HELL. The University does NOTHING to these snot nosed brats, the CITY does NOTHING to these snot nosed brats, and clearly their PARENTS do NOTHING to these snot nosed brats. Raise tuition so that my taxes don’t have pay for their partying, charge the schools to cover cleaning up the messes their students make, and arrest and fine every single underage drinker and out of control drinker and the City will have a surplus instead of a deficit.
and, i forgot to point out, that the times useless does this situation no good by having those ‘were you seen’ galleries on the front page of the online edition. WHO CARES!! it isnt facebook. its a local newspaper, that should be reporting local news of import, not who went to a concert or party. TU should eliminate that – it only panders to the students, who apparently control things around here.
You know what makes me wonder regardless of where they are from, who they are …What made them think it was OK to do this???? More and more each day I am hearing of “GROUPS” of people committing crimes. This is scarey to me that so many people in one group think stuff like this is OK?! Makes you not want to attend events. Who wants to bring their kids to something like this. What once used to be labeled as FUN is now labeled DESTRUCTIVE…this is sad.
Isn’t this great? I am so glad to see it. But hey, let’s make sure the State taxpayer still has to fund these public schools so these type of children come out of them.
Stop all the state aid to the students, and you might find that they learn the value of a dollar and learn a little more respect for other people’s stuff.
I am just saying…..
Dan #36 and #85 – A little less drinking and maybe more studying since you haven’t learned to spell yet. If you don’t like our sh-hole, we’d all love for you to go home to Mommy and Daddy. They deserve you much more than we do! And when you see them, make sure you thank them for doing such an amazing job of raising you. And by the way, down state’s a giant sh-hole.
Why is it in these comments from the college students the blame being shifted from the drunken idiots to the police and the “locals”? If you can’t handle the alcohol… here’s a rational thought…. don’t drink! You act like morons, you get treated like morons. You don’t like being lumped into that catagory, then don’t drink and do the deed. The police were out Saturday… but where out there trying to make it better for the people of the actual community. Like gearing up to celebrate in a reasonable fashion at a parade. There’s no way to anticipate a college party where drunk morons will think it’s a cool idea to turn over a car. Go back to your own town and do this. Then complain about there not being enough police around to protect you from other drunk college morons.
Is anyone going to ask the landlord of the home where the 5 minute video was shot from to evict said videographers if indeed those people are his tenants.
and maybe have him rerent to his HARVARD alums or their children?
oh and make sure this schenectady landlord has his rental permits up to date and his albany water bills and albany property and school taxes up to date and the house meets with all city codes?
What is seen in the video is bad enough.
Let’s not have a fallen down porch, a railing collapse and fatalities.
This is what happens when the non-Irish decide they need to celebrate and Irish holiday. For some reason, you don’t see the Irish celebrating Columbus Day, Yom Kippur, MLK Day, or Gay Pride Month, but somehow all thjose groups need to jump onto my bandwagon every March 17 and if they aren’t allowed they will even go to court about it. Very bizarre.
VERY WELL SAID.
10.I’m going to take the road less traveled by on this one.
For starters let me point out that I don’t think this is acceptable behavior… but let me offer some perspective so the picture is perhaps a little less slanted.
This kind of incident is usually juxtaposed against the valiant residents of Pine Hills trying desperately to save their community from the onslaught of the evil college student. What is left out, however, is all the victimization of these students at the hands of the local hoodrats that have encroached further and further into the student neighborhood every year. Little thugs that are increasingly younger and younger every year, displaying a lack of respect for society and authority as a whole, much less the neighborhood. I can tell you as an advisor to a fraternity at UAlbany that I am painfully aware of frequent incidents where, say, a girl is jumped by half a dozen 14 year olds. Unfortunately, it’s only brought to light when something happens like that incredibly tragic Richard Bailey shooting. There is a growing influence on the neighborhood of punks who victimize the college students because they want a quick buck or a cheap thrill. This stuff happens on a weekly basis.
Does all of this justify flipping cars? Of course not. Am I trying to sway public sympathy to the college kids and gloss over the incident? Absolutely not. I’d just like people to have a balanced view here… that there are many many “locals” showing an equal disregard for the community, within those very same blocks… and they are indicative of a much bigger problem. You say that some of the college kids may never graduate – well, these kids, may never finish high school and will probably end up in jail.
Again, it doesn’t justify any of the above behavior… but the “locals” are no angels in this situation either. I just don’t like seeing how quickly everyone runs to burn the college student effigy.
PS – there are a lot of HARDCORE partiers in college that grow up to be highly successful. I know many of them. They are our business leaders, our teachers, our doctors, hell… even our parents. Let’s not glorify the good old days just because information is more readily accessible now than in the past. Really really messed up, downright terrible stuff has been happening in college towns for the better part of the century – we just hear about more of it thanks to technology
Regina….Please. There is no EXCUSE for the behavior of these partiers…NONE.
I would hope that a lot more arrest happen to these students and they don’t get off easly on the charges.
This behavior is just heartbreaking on a community level and a personal level. I’m a SUNY Albany student as well as a full-time Pine Hills resident. My boyfriend owns the house we live in and we work hard to make it a comfortable, safe place to be. I also work full time for the state (as a temp) in order to pay my tuition, so I’d like to think that I will get out of Albany what I put into it. Unfortunately, people like this, my “classmates”, make this more difficult every day. I fully endorse having a good time, and I’m sure to take the time to unwind (sometimes by drinking, never by overturning cars) when I find myself getting too stressed out. School is stressful. Sometimes walking down the street is stressful, living in this area. Even though my car windows weren’t smashed and nobody stomped my face in, treating a lease on a rented apartment as a license to do harm to my neighborhood is unexcusable. We represent the same academic institution, and to behave in a way that reflects poorly on me, as a student, and offends me, as an Albany resident, truly does break my heart.
@ tj #148 Hey my parents say hi and would like to thank you for expressing your concern about my study habits. And I’d like to point out that my sh–hole on Long Island doesn’t get trashed because the property there is actually worth something unlike Albany. Albany residents need to realize that the student ghetto is a symptom of a larger problem that Albany has with lawlessness.
dan -
Well, you certainly assuaged a lot of concerns with that one! Thanks for contributing to the discourse, Dan.
I think its great that these kids taped these videos so they could send them to blogs and try to get some cred as a cool party school. But the college blogs such as barstoolsports.com and others are not impressed.
I am appalled at this behavior. What moron thinks this is OK to do? These students should be immediately expelled and procecuted to the fullest extent of the law. There is no excuse for this type of behavior. Their parents should cut them off financially and tell them it’s time to grow up and accept responsibility for their actions. Don’t bail these losers out of jail, let them sit there and think about what they have done and how many people they have hurt by their actions. I know that not all SUNY students do not behave in this way but for the ones that do, you need to all go to jail. You’re disgusting.
Dan – if where you come from is so damn great, and upstate is such a dump, why are you going to school here? Surely there are enough schools on LI and NYC you could have gone to, and BTW, I’ve seen a lot of parts of the mighty NYC that are pretty dumpy and ghetto for a city that supposedly thinks that it dwarfs the rest of the state. I know you’re from LI, but the mentality is the same. My first college roommate was from LI, and couldn’t even find Albany on the map.
We upstaters and the cities/towns we come from aren’t justified by you and your ilk, so we don’t have to justify ourselves to you, unless we choose to do so.
Next year Albany should have the parade in the South End or Arbor Hill and lets see how crazy the students get when they are confronted by people who don’t take BS….
As a student at SUNY Albany, i am disappointed that all students and the university itself is being blamed for the outrageous behavior of a few unruly students. Lets not forget that many non- students come up just to celebrate the kegs and eggs “holiday” and tend to become the most destructive because this is not their home or neighborhood. Lets also remember that while SUNY Albany is the largest, it is not the only school that participated in the outrageous events that happened this weekend. I can name off quite a few students who are attending surrounding universities who became just as belligerent and unruly this weekend. As a senior who lives right in the middle of the chaos on hudson avenue and didnt participate in saturday’s events, its upsetting that the behavior on this one saturday morning determines how people feel about the university in general. I AM from Long Island, and I AM, along with many other students from Long Island, very productive residents of the downtown area, seeking their degrees, and not causing this disruptive unruly behavior. These students who cause chaos and rioting on a saturday morning are the exception to the rule- and not the norm for every SUNY Albany student. In addition, not every white long island student comes from some privileged lifestyle who are barbaric animals as we are so-called depicted in so many of these comments. On the contrary, many students seek out the SUNY system because of the outrageously high tuition rates of many other private institutions and universities. The majority of students come from middle class homes- who seek out schools like SUNY Albany in order to cut costs. I take my education seriously. Regardless of what happened saturday, I am still a proud student of the University at Albany and yes, i am still proud to be a white student from long island who lives on hudson. I refuse to be put in the same category as a group of testosterone and beer filled kids. The university is not to be blamed. You are expecting the university to responsible for the behavior of everyone of their students? That’s outrageous. Its not the university’s responsibility to teach these out of hand students how to be respectful, that is a learned behavior that starts at home. And please dont tell me that no one from northern ny, western ny or any place other than westchester and downstate weren’t rioting in the streets. I think your given long island alittle too much credit. I am the first one to say i am embarrassed about the events that happened on saturday morning, and i do not, or will ever condone the behavior of the few individuals who decided to get completely belligerent. But i will defend the name of my University, who has given me a terrific education allowing me to receive entry into doctoral programs this coming fall. I will defend students who can drink and party responsibly and still be productive members to the University and to Albany. Its time to stop generalizing every University at Albany student as some crazy out of control animal that needs to be tamed and tasered by the police. the remaining 3/4th of the 15,000 SUNY Albany students would appreciate that.
its also funny how most of the non born and raised people call Albany the slums and what not… well if you think its gross and you dont have to live here. Take your blow out haircut back to whatever garbage can you came from. The landlords should also seek legal actions of their property is being destroyed during the parade or on a weekend. Who cares what stresses a college kid goes through, what are they going to do when they get into the real world and their boss/clients are stressing them out. Are they going to get wasted and stomp a car or a person?
I think it would be great for Albany if Arbor Hill was acknowledged as part of the city and not an island of danger. Maybe taking the parade to that area would increase awareness of issues that we all need to address as opposed to creating new ones out of a sense of entitlement. I know, I know, it’s not that simple.
What upsets me the most by this incident is that when discussing with my friends (mostly grad students in the area) they shrug their shoulders and say “Well, that’s the Albany undergrad population for you!” That attitude is the real problem.
Some underage kids will always drink. Drunk young people will nearly always make horrible decisions. But to just dismiss the behavior as “normal” or “expected” is disturbing.
dan- did you just call my home and my property worthless? You’re an insulting, ignorant jerk.
If I put my house on the market today, it may only fetch about 200k, but it’s my home. It’s the place where I eat my meals, make memories while raising my family and lay my head every night. Just because it doesn’t have the same price tag as some of the properties in Long Island, doesn’t mean it’s worthless.
Would you tell an Albany home owner who’s house just burned to the ground that it was useless anyway, because it’s in Albany? Your home is what you make of it. Personally, I take great pride in mine. Even if it was in the slums or student ghetto, it’s still MY home. I’m grateful for what I have, regardless of its market value. Maybe someday, you’ll grow up and see things the same way.
Until then, go back to the troll hole where you came from.
My son & his friends went to the parade – They were supporting thier friends that were performing in the parade – When I met up with him later, all he said was that it was like an episode of Jersey Shore. He said some girl took off her shirt off – people were drunk – throwing cans of beer. I can’t really see letting him go with just his friends again next year.
I may have missed someone saying this but I only read about 140 posts. What kind of f-d up stupid could you possibly be to post this stuff and not get caught and jailed? You might as well go directly to jail do NOT pass go and collect $250! I can’t wait for their LI lawyers to say “that’s not my client.” Sad thing is these kids as abhorrent as it is today will have thier court dates delayed and will get a slap n the wrist and probably make a fortune doing the talk-show circuit.
A lot of children today are being raised in the trophy for everything, helicopter parent world in which there are no consequences and bad behavior is rewarded not punished (look no further to the Charlie Sheen mess – enough said!)
It is unfortunate that instead of punishing the few for their actions – the MASSES will be punished for the acts of a few – just like in school. Kids destroy buses a a local school the WHOLE Senior class lost their picnic. This isn’t justice and it sure isn’t right nor will it curb this type of behavior. Sending them up the creek without a paddle with the FELONY conviction – will send the message loud and clear though! Of course AFTER their trial and conviction – somehow – I’m not holding my breath.
Email sent to All UAlbany students:
“Dear University at Albany Students:
I regret to inform you that Albany City Police have contacted the University
regarding a number of serious incidents that occurred off-campus early Saturday
morning related to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade celebration. The report reads, in
part, as follows:
“Albany police responded early this morning to several house parties and large
groups of students out in the street that were drinking and destroying property in
the area of Hudson Avenue and Ontario Street.
Six college students have been arrested for charges ranging from disorderly conduct,
riot, reckless endangerment and assaulting a police officer.
At approximately 7:15 a.m. several hundred students gathered in the area surrounded
by several house parties. The group became large and unruly and started to damage
several cars parked in the area by attempting to overturn one and smashing car
windows and caving in the roof of one car. They also threw furniture from second
floor porches onto cars and the street and beer bottles at a large number of
officers who had responded (to) quell the group.”
In addition to this report, there are a number of videos widely posted on the
internet that display students hurling refrigerators and other objects while police
officers were attempting to end the melee. University Police were called in to
assist Albany City Police because of the outrageous conduct of these participants.
To add to the seriousness of this situation, a University at Albany student was
stabbed at a house party at his Quail Street residence and was hospitalized with
serious, but not life-threatening, wounds.
The behavior exhibited during this situation cannot be tolerated or condoned as
harmless fun associated with a celebratory event. The University students who have
been identified to us by Albany City Police will be referred through the campus
judicial system and the behaviors addressed as appropriate to the student code of
conduct. In addition to the arrested students, the University will work
cooperatively with Albany City Police in the coming weeks to identify any other
University students who are implicated.
It is regrettable that, despite a letter from the University last week urging
responsible behavior on this specific weekend, a number of students still choose to
behave in this objectionable manner. The actions of the students involved in this
excessive consumption of alcohol, destruction of property, assault of Albany City
Police, and potential harm to the safety of others, reflect unfavorably on the
entire student body and diminish the hard work of all the students who contribute
positively to the quality of life in their Albany neighborhoods. Despite these
regrettable occurrences, I have not lost sight of all the great things our students
do in the local community and will recognize these students on March 18 at the
“UAlbany in the Community” celebration in honor of their positive efforts.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely yours,
George M. Philip
President
c. The Honorable Gerald D. Jennings, Mayor of Albany
Steven Krokoff, Chief of Police, City of Albany
J. Frank Wiley, Chief of Police, University at Albany
Todd Hunsinger, President, Pine Hills Neighborhood Association”
I went to UAlbany and stayed in the area after graduation. Take this into consideration. The Kegs and Eggs celebration has been around for just about 20 years. There has never been anything like the melee that we all just witnessed this past Saturday. Why you ask ?? The REAL answer (and I know nobody really wants to hear it) is that there are no BARS open anymore for these students to go to. Lamp post, Long Branch, Micheals’s and Chubby’s were the places to go for Kegs and Eggs. The students were off the streets and in the bars where they were all being supervised. Everybody complaining about this should remind themselves that when these places were shut down, you were all so happy and serious about the dangers affiliated with these bars. Now look at the mess. These students have nowhere to go. I remember many Kegs and Eggs mornings before, during, and after the festivities and never witnessed any broken car windows outside the Lamp Post, or people jumping up and down on cars in front of Chubby’s. I remember it being a lot of fun and safety was the first issue. Now you have hundreds, maybe thousands of students that woke up early Saturday morning and started drinking and then realized that the only thing they have to look forward to is going to some lame ass parade. No wonder they rioted. You can all blame the bars for their over capacity, underage drinking, etc. etc. etc., but now look at the city. Great job SLA and Albany PD. I guess you did the right thing by closing all the college bars down since Saturday morning was such a calm and happy event. It is only going to get worse. Chasing them out of bars means crazy, ridiculous, unsupervised house parties completely out of control. Saturday morning was just a taste of what is to come. Wait till the weather gets nicer. Woooooooooo.
@ualbanyalumna
So I guess the student who was stabbed at his own house party can blame the fact that instead of hanging out safely in a bar, he was hanging out in a very dangerous environment: his own home, surrounded by his fellow students.
For those that say don’t judge the entire SUNY students, well sounds like your University just did that:
“The actions of the students involved in this
excessive consumption of alcohol, destruction of property, assault of Albany City
Police, and potential harm to the safety of others, [b]reflect unfavorably on the
entire student body[/b] and diminish the hard work of all the students who contribute
positively to the quality of life in their Albany neighborhoods”
If all of Albany is responsible for babysitting UAlbany students, then I demand reparations. 20 bucks and whatever I wanted from the fridge used to be the going rate.
Those of us who are UAlbany alumni should make it perfectly clear to our Alma Mater that our financial support of the University has come to a grinding halt until they can show us better results for the “higher education” they purport to deliver to the next generation.
Send your in-no-uncertain terms email to: uafund@uamail.albany.edu
Perhaps a little character education is in order as well as business, finance, calculus and biology?
Excellent points, UAlbany alumna
#169…
where do I begin?? You are trying to say that because the APD cracked down on underage drinking this riot began? Ive seen plenty of horrible things take place at bars so its a pretty big statement to say that they are being “supervised”. A bars supervision is this – you get out of control, you get tossed to the street only to wonder to a new bar and restart the process. No one needs to get up at 7am to start drinking and half of them get drunk off of two beers and end up missing the parade and its true meaning (what?! you mean its not just a day to get wasted and there is a historic value to it?!)
The weather is nice when its Lark Fest or Tulip Fest… so explain that? Why isn’t their this chaos on those days?
Dan – Thanks for sharing where you’re from – as if we didn’t already know. I see that the crime stats in Long Island are nothing to brag about. Alot of people down there funding the heroin industry. Better look in your own back yard before you say things that make you sound like a fool.
As if we really have any answers to why this happens. It’s ridiculous to read that this happens because the drinking age is 21 and not 18. Or that this happens because The Lamp Post, Long Branch, Micheal’s and Chubby’s were closed down. These are lame excuses to try and justify deplorable behavior. It’s an attempt at shameless blackmail. As in: if you don’t lower the drinking age to 18, we’re going to trash your neighborhood on Kegs and Eggs Day! Or if you don’t reopen Chubby’s we’re going to destroy a Maxima! It’s specious logic to try and justify Saturday’s occurrences. Hundreds of kids went berserk and some are going to held accountable. A few felony convictions might not stop this from happening again next year, but it certainly might open some eyes in the city of Albany and at UAlbany to try and rein in the situation. It has been getting worse year after year, but it’s finally spun way out of control. A business closure or a drinking age law has nothing at all to do with it. This is all about civic responsibility, maturity, and common decency, all of which was forsaken last weekend.
When do we start to hold the landlords accountable? Stop leasing to to the college kids because you can make a quick buck and not have to worry about too much maintenance. Take a stand- put some cash into your investment, take some pride in your property, and rent to responsible individuals and families. That’s what will turn the neighborhood around.
@albany resident
the university isn’t blaming all UALBANY students for the actions of a few. In response to your post in which you said:
For those that say don’t judge the entire SUNY students, well sounds like your University just did that:
“The actions of the students involved in this
excessive consumption of alcohol, ****(THE ACTION OF THESE* INDIVIDUALS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES- NOT ALL STUDENTS THAT ATTEND THE UNIVERSITY)
….destruction of property, assault of Albany City
Police, and potential harm to the safety of others, [b]reflect unfavorably on the
entire student body[/b] and diminish the hard work of all the students who contribute
positively to the quality of life in their Albany neighborhoods” *** EXPLAINING WHAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY SAID, THAT THE BEHAVIOR OF A FEW STUDENTS MAKE THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY LOOK UNFAVORABLE, EVEN THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY
Re: Alex (157) “I think its great that these kids taped these videos so they could send them to blogs and try to get some cred as a cool party school. But the college blogs such as barstoolsports.com and others are not impressed.”
Yeah, about that…
http://deadspin.com/#!5781803/watch-drunk-frat-boys-at-the-university-of-albany-destroy-a-car
Here’s some of the commentary that goes along with the videos:
“As part of some ridiculous drinking holiday at SUNY Albany this weekend called “Kegs n’ Eggs”, we’re treated to video of idiotic frat-boys destroying cars, two girls wrestling drenched in baby oil, and a kid getting stomped in the face.
“Kegs n’ Eggs” is some sort of annual SUNY Albany St. Patrick’s Day event that features rioting in the streets, people destroying cars and cops with riot shields.”
@AlbanyResident
People are asking others not to stereotype students together so that all UAlbany students are “crazy party kids who cant behave.”
The University realizes that people do that when bad things happen, and are trying to get those who don’t realize it to understand what they do reflects their school. This is because most people will take these bad things and associate it with all UAlbany students.
Steve that’s a straw man argument if I ever heard one… Obviously there are exceptions
@#90 Chris Wessell, This post is about what occurred on Saturday, March 12 around the hour of 7am in the neighborhood of Hudson and Quail in Albany, NY. What happened that morning has nothing to do with the locals or “hoodrats” in that neighborhood. It does have to do with the bad behavior and poor decisions of the people there at the time. No one was forced to drink too much, smash windows, kick cars, get into fights, attack police officers, riot or destroy property by any of the locals from that neighborhood. So for those poor choices they made that morning, I will put all of the blame at the feet of those that chose to partake in it. Suffice to say, the majority of those people were college students. What happened Saturday morning has absolutely nothing to do with the locals, and everything to do with the students. You can’t blame the locals for what those students did in this instance, so even bringing them (and their responsibility in the decline of the neighborhood) into this particular conversation was moot.
That was my point.
As a Pine Hills resident I am disgusted by the behavior that is displayed by these students. The incidents on St. Patrick’s Day were just magnifications of the behavior that consistently occurs within the neighborhood. The blatant disrespect that many of these students have for where is live is despicable. I think that many of these students have proven that they are not yet mature enough to live on their own. These actions would never be tolerated on a college campus, and they should absolutely not be tolerated by the community.
these kids are an absolute embarrassment to Albany, SUNY, and everyone in my generation. It is absolutely beyond me how anyone, intoxicated or sober, could ever partake in such moronic activities. Whether these students were involved in trashing Hudson or just bystanders with camera phones, it is absolutely disgusting that this kind of dangerous behavior takes place. When people talk about Albany being dangerous, this is what they’re referring to. Pure and utter stupidity. Every person involved should be arrested and kicked out of UAlbany for making a mockery of the community, and themselves.
“Now you have hundreds, maybe thousands of students that woke up early Saturday morning and started drinking and then realized that the only thing they have to look forward to is going to some lame ass parade. No wonder they rioted. You can all blame the bars for their over capacity, underage drinking, etc. etc. etc., but now look at the city. Great job SLA and Albany PD. I guess you did the right thing by closing all the college bars down since Saturday morning was such a calm and happy event.”
What kind of logic is this, exactly? You want to blame the SLA, the APD, and the community at large because places like Chubby’s, the Lamp Post, Pauly’s etc abused their liquor license and got closed down?
You’re right, it would be better if all of these kids had specific forums or venues for K&E, but just because they do not shouldn’t mean that all of the sudden they riot. That’s, well, that’s just asinine.
Why is it so hard to just stop and blame the students? They were drunken idiots doing EXTREMELY dangerous and stupid things. Because a few bars weren’t open (mostly due to their own inability to self-police) does not just give the kids the right to trash the city, nor should people be making excuses for them. Don’t blame the Albany PD or the SLA, and definitely don’t try and justify their actions. Blame the only people responsible, the students themselves.
What really gets me is the line you wrote about “Woke up early Saturday morning and started drinking and then realized that the only thin they have to look forward to is going to some lame ass parade”
Again, I can only shake my head and think to myself “How does someone come up with this stuff?”
The parade IS THE POINT of parade day. Not starting riots once you realize, in a drunken stupor, that “aww shucks, all we have left to do is that lame parade!” Isn’t the reason the students get up for K&E is BECAUSE the parade is usually early afternoon?
#7 Jessica – “Maybe if the city of albany were a little more welcoming of students they would be more respectful”.
Ok Jessica, here I go:
1. The city of Albany has been nothing but welcoming of SUNY Students. Not only do they turn a blind eye to all the slumlords and tenants of the “student ghetto”, but they’ve notoriously allowed speakeasies such as Sadies, Michaels, Pauly’s, and Bogie’s operate under the watchful eye of APD and nothing has happened until very recently. I bet someone in APD stopped getting their envelopes from the proprietors and decided to end it all.
If anything, Albany has been too accomodating and now the City is paying for it dearly. Property values have plummeted, taxes are going nowhere but up, and crime is on the rise. If I had my way, I would allow the City of Albany to exercise eminent domain over the student ghetto, level the majority of the homes, and contract out with a condo developer that would market them to people who can actually afford a mortgage. Then I would work some deal with the State to use excess space at Harriman and require SUNY Students to spend 2+ years living on campus or at Harriman. This would essentially clean up the student ghetto (in theory).
2. You have already stated you are not from Albany. Fine. You’re visiting. But here’s the flaw in your statement. No one ever told you that you would be welcomed with open arms and that we would look the other way to your shenanigans because SUNY “helps the Albany economy”. Actually, SUNY probably hinders the Albany economy because they don’t pay property taxes; the State pays a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to the City which is substantially less than what SUNY would have to pay if this system didn’t exist. So not only do you trash out city, but you also short us on our fair share of tax revenue. Thanks, Jess.
3. Those cars and televisions and homes that were trashed by SUNY students and their visiting guests from out of town weren’t property of the City. They were the property of private citizens. So not only were you being disrespectful to the police by throwing rocks and acting like spoiled children, you were treating regular people like crap too. Way to go, guys and gals of Quail Street. You are a bunch of real class acts.
Maybe they should see if this should be cut from the education budget. The amount of money it cost the school, the city and let’s not forget the taxpayers……but these selfish creeps don’t look at that. I hope they have to pay for all of the destruction they cost.
We have a shop on Quail St. and were dismayed to find out about the riotous actions of this drunken mob. Thankfully we’re not open yet and were in Troy working all day. We anxiously arrived on Sunday hoping not to find our front windows smashed in – guess all the destruction was mostly on Hudson. I think the suggestion of tickets for public urination/drunkeness/etc. should be enforced (we’ve found puke, piss + trash on our storefront sidewalk more than once). We are frequently in the area with our young daughter and I’ll say it again, thankfully we weren’t open on St. Pat’s.
At the very least, all the students in the area (arrested or not) should be sentenced with community service – like cleaning up the neighborhood. If the perpetrators don’t even have to clean up their own physical messes, what will they learn? Even my 4 year old has to own up to that most basic responsibility.
I also feel like the cops should have jumped on this melee way sooner. How may of those students involved are laughing right now, watching all the footage, reading all the comments – and will never be held accountable? That’s what really grinds my gears. Kudos to those who refrained/reported damage/have a brain. Hopefully, *you’ll* be the customers we’ll have when we open cause I’ll tell you now, we won’t have any patience for drunken disrespect.
i can tell ya the dope in the green shirt with the #11 on the back and the name of “joe who” was arrested for throwin bottles at the fine officers of apd and guess what, there’s more charges on the way!
These videos show a whole bunch more people were involved that were not arrested. Perhaps the local community should take note of their faces, as so they may be apprehended. Not saying that they should be handed over to the police, but rather, should be handed over to the people who had their property broken. I’m sure that they will be treated with the same respect that they themselves have shown.
I was standing infront of Dunkin Donuts on North Pearl St. right at the traffic light…it was the place to stop and drop or pick up for sure…what I witnessed blew my mind away…an ADULT women in a small suv stoppped at the traffic light (you know who you are) to drop off her load of kids…3 young boys got out of the back seat, one fromt he front passenger seat he went around to the back to open the hatch, I thought maybe they were getting chairs they couldn’t be more than 15 – 16 years old…well he pulled out another young boy that was totally wasted drunk…the kid tried to walk to only pass out onto the side walk and also landing on an empty (thank god) baby stroller…I couldn’t believe it…I went around the baracades pounded on her car window then opened the passenger door so she couldn’t take off told her she just dropped off a young boy from her trunk that was stupified drunk that just passed out…the stupid women was like “oh he’s drunk huh…well I can’t worry about it shut my door”…I yelled a few bad bad words to her told her she should be arrested and slammed her door….I went to the police officer to tell him what I just witnessed…I pointed out the underage kid that was now being held up by 2 of his friends as they walked towards Jillians…he told me there was nothing he could do…he couldn’t leave his post and told me to look around M’am there is probably a lot of underage drinking going around….REALY ALBANY COPS….come on…he could’ve grabbed the kid called for back up…oh but who cares right they let their own drink and drive and sweep it under the rug…then another concerned bystander came over to tell him the same thing…I turned to her and said don’t bother they don’t care…he can’t leave his post….WTF was that!!! oh but wait I asked him who I could call to give her license plate…the kind cop (and I’m being snotty when I say that) gave me the # to the south station…I called gave a description and the license plate to the dispatcher…not sure what ever came of it…but I was so disgusted….I hope she is reading this or the cop that said there was nothing he could do and even the dispatcher that took my call….I love the Irish Parade I look forward to it every year…but I’m not a supporter of the underage drinking that goes on escpecially when and ADULT took part in it…can you imagine if we heard a news story that this boy died or got seriously hurt….
CLEAN UP EFFORT SCHEDULED FOR FRIDAY – PLEASE COME TO REDEEM YOURSELVES, STUDENTS! https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116977495047391
Two points:
1. I love the SUNY system and would never have been able to afford the world class education that I received from it without Suny New Paltz. Seeing people say they want to cut funding to a system that helps many get a degree they could never dream of paying for breaks my heart. Education opens doorways that all should be able to open. My parents could not help me pay for my education. It was up to me. So I took it very seriously. I dont think these kids do. That is a problem everywhere.
2. As of late street fests have become the new amature hour. Two years ago I fended off four young men of college age. They were drunk and beligerent. They surrounded me and grabbed me. In broad daylight. With police standing nearby. As if it were there right to grab my arms and try to lead me to a bar, or elsewhere. This weekend I opted to work instead. People came from the parade and vomitted on the floor of my place of work. Families just left. When I went to grab lunch, people were just passed out drunk in the foodcourt. Mall security looked dazed and confused. Today I found empty bottles of wine and four loko hidden in corners from the weekend.
These are just my observations. My personal opinion is that time and time again a few bad eggs ruin it for all.
Yet if the police clubbed the hell out of these animals, half the people posting here would be trashing the police. Looks like the college kid bashing is the flavor of the week. A.P.D. can breathe for a week– haha
I am angry about these students’ behavior. There is simply no excuse at all. I am currently a student at SUNY Albany, but I am one of the locals and have to fully support myself going to school.
I find it infuriating when I go to class, and these down staters have no regard for other people or their property. They go to school and expect people to hand things out and drink themselves into oblivion and when they get into trouble, mommy and daddy bail them out.
They have incredibly expensive vehicles, drive like maniacs, and have a complete disregard for anything. Any time I want something, like most other people I work for it. It is upsetting that I have to work extra hard to prove that I am not like those “entitled” students, and it is only after proving that, that I get anywhere.
They disrupt the other students, but now they are disrupting the community. I wish there was some way that we could send them back to mommy and daddy, and tell them to stay home.
I am ashamed that I share the same school, even the same city. Go terrorize LI, instead of Albany.
@ #7 (Jessica)
Jessica,
You want to feel welcome ? Goto Disney. You’re here to get an education not to attend some 4 year long party where everything is pretty flowers and Snookie appearences.
Tear gas would have shut them up pretty quick. Also, a mandatory 2-year Civil Service Act would do wonders for the lack or respect that these twats have.
Well I certainly don’t have the time to read all 180+ posts here but of the few I did read I simply cannot believe ANYONE has the brass balls to defend any part of this behavior. Are you kidding me? There is no- and I mean no- way anyone can possibly defend what happened here with sincerity. “But it happens at every college”…blah blah blah. No, it really does not happen at every college. The people on here defending this idiotic behavior were either part of it or are afraid this whole nonsense will be canceled because of it. I do not think too many current UA students are aware of this but the annual fountain day came very close to being eliminated for this same BS a few years back, a lot closer than people are aware! I really hope the UA administration goes after evey single one of these people in the videos who happen to be students and throws the book at them (but I suspect they will not for a number of reasons). I am embarrassed to be associated with the university, and if I ever get asked for a donation as an alum I will be sure to mention this fiasco as the reason the return envelope will be empty! UAlbany should consider moving spring break to the week this parade happens every year. Imagine living on these streets where this nonsense occurred. Unreal. And KBG (#185), there is NO WAY in hell “Jessica” has any idea whatsoever what you are even talikng about on here with the tax info and such but you are 100% correct!
Hey can the TU please do a follow-up “Were you Seen” slideshow from the Albany County Jail? I think it would be neat to see the looks on these people’s faces now compared to how much fun they were all having Saturday!
#181- I would actually argue that the hostile nature of the local hoodrats actually contributes to the students’ overall disdain for the neighborhood, further inclining them not to care what condition they leave it in. So it’s a contributing factor just as much as the landlords and all the other scapegoats listed in the comments above.
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116977495047391 CLEANUP EVENT INITIATED FOR FRIDAY
this is just a matter of hot headed college students thinking that its the “cool” thing to do to kick cars and run away, trying to get praise from the immature spectators. do these students look at these videos and are proud of the destruction they have accomplished this past weekend? i would hope not.
When I went to SUNY Albany there were kids that had crazy parties and vandalized property on those specific streets – it’s a known fact by the APD. However, it never gotten this insane. Riots after giant soccer games in Europe don’t compare to this. This is an embarrassment to the city and the university. I really hope all this ‘footage’ gets used as evidence in their cases and these kids get expelled. Not suspended – expelled.
UALBANY Class of 2011 Student, some very basic proofreading would really help your case. Wow.
I think that UA St rose and other colleges in the area should attach a lengthy bit of community service to the requirements for students. Who knows what making the children (they don’t deserve to be called young adults) who committed this senseless vandalism do something positive for their community might do. I know that Albany has problems, every city does.
I believe community service or contributing positively would foster some pride in the students for the area that they spend up to 4 years in.
I live in the city of Albany by choice. Could leave, don’t want to, might have to. Maintain my property, pay my homeowner’s taxes. Can’t take my young kids to the parade because of the jackholes pissing, cursing, flashing and generally disrespecting themselves and everyone around them. Why aren’t I, and people like me, Jerry Jennings priority?
What this city needs is simply better enforcement of the laws and codes that pertain to standard of living issues. Public drunkenness is just one of them, but its a good place to start. The St. Patrick’s Day is only one of numerous special events at which the city is treated like a toilet.
As to the sick animals who Kegged and Egged and their disgusting behavior, I would love to see all their photos on the front page of the TU under the heading Hall of Shame on March 18th to celebrate “UAlbany in the Community” day.
This is a terrible reflection on UAlbany. Please prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent. They do not deserve the college admission.
The act of rioting is not restricted to Albany, nor should towards a certain demographic be targetted. I was a senior @ UCONN when the men’s team won the 2004 NCAA championship. Most of the kids that go to UCONN are from small suburban towns in Connecticut, and there was plenty of crazy rioting going on as part of the “celebration” in addition to the millions of dollars worth of damage committed on the campuses annual Spring Weekend. Maybe it’s a generational thing, but in the meantime don’t lump all of us “downstaters” into the same category of entitled and disrespectful.
I am sorry. My wife and I are both college graduates with multiple degrees and professionals with careers and worked for the government. We moved to Albany after living overseas because family and friends said the area was a great place to live. We made the huge mistake of moving to the “Student Ghetto” as a place to start and look to buy a house. After having our dog shot at by drunken, “having fun”, college students 2 doors away with a paint ball gun, and our cars vandalized, we are now moving away. (The police said they could do nothing even though I ID’ed the guy by the clothing and balcony he shot from. He put the gun in his car but the police refused to search it.). So we are moving away, taking our huge tax dollars away from Albany, and God help anybody else who makes the same mistake we made. Mayor Jennings, the Albany Police and the state of New York should be ashamed to even begin to let any of this happen. Enjoy May and end of the semester, it could be even worse.
#187 – community service / clean up is highly appropriate! after all, punishments for crimes should attempt to make the victim whole again… so i agree, definitely there should be a CS component to each and every sentence that comes out of this…
““It is not fair to assume all suny students act this way”
“Yes, it is. It absolutely is.””
No. It is NOT. That’s like judging all Christians because SOME murder gays and abortion providers, or all Muslims because SOME are terrorists, or all blacks or Mexicans because SOME join gangs.
I am a UA student who is sickened by this. Several of my friends were laughing about it and I went off.
This was several hundred students, from a campus of roughly 16 THOUSAND. Do not EVEN presume to lump us all in together.
#7 — “I know I have been here 4 years, never caused any trouble and never felt welcome.”
Funny. I’ve only been here since OCTOBER, and feel quite welcome. Though I’ll surely hesitate to tell people I’m a UA student after this crap.
Maybe if you don’t feel welcome it’s because of YOU. You can present a negative image without causing trouble.
35: “Long Island does not breed people to be inconsiderate jerks.”
I’m pretty sure I can find inconsiderate jerks even in Long Island. NOWHERE is free from that.
I know all UAlbany students don’t share in the blame for this incident. However, I would be ashamed to be a SUNY Albany student. I would want to stay far away from anyplace this happens and is defended by members of the student community. How would I take someone in the seat next to me seriously when this stuff occurs?
Once again I am so glad I have no ties to the university. Many of the graduates do little to impress, and, following this weekend, I have little respect for a segment of the student body wasting their opportunity to move ahead in life.
Where is our beloved mayor in all of this?? Over two and a half days later, and no comments from the great Mayor Jennings yet??
I am not only offended by this behavior, but strongly ENCOURAGE SUNY to expel any students who were arrested following Saturday morning’s depravity or any who were identified following the release of these videos. The SUNY system itself is in turmoil, and negative publicity such as this can only cause further loss of support for funding. In addition, as a SUNY grad (BA 2005 @Potsdam, MA 2007 @Albany, and PhD in progress) it is this type of publicity which is devaluing my degrees. As a local (born in Troy) I originally considered private institutions, knowing the impression of SUNY Albany I had gained growing up here as a teenager. Where is the news story about a SUNY student volunteer organization? Or a distinguished scholar? How can the SUNY system expect support from a community who is put in danger by its very presence? In a time of economic (not to mention world) instability it is unfortunate that my fellow students wish to paint themselves with the scarlet letter of ignorance (for those of you still playing beer-pong that’s a reference to a book). The rest of the world is fighting for FREEDOM now, not out of BOREDOM. I urge the student body to show some respect for themselves and their community, and all parties involved to move past the “us” and “them” mentality. Lets avoid generalizations and the blame game and instead work towards greater community pride, acceptance, and growth.
Arrest them. Kick them out of school. Make them pay for damages and police presence. Make them clean up the mess they made. Send them packing out of Albany. We don’t need this kind of trouble.
Mayor Jennings-it is 10 Pm on Monday and we are still waiting your first comments on this matter.
#200 “I would actually argue that the hostile nature of the local hoodrats actually contributes to the students’ overall disdain for the neighborhood, further inclining them not to care what condition they leave it in. So it’s a contributing factor just as much as the landlords and all the other scapegoats listed in the comments above.”
I guess you could also argue that the disdain of the students contributes to the hostile nature of the local “hoodrats”. However, I don’t believe in scapegoats. I believe in what Sister Mary Adria taught my husband in elementary school, “I am responsible for my own actions at all times.”
Like I said in my first comment, if you want respect, you need to give respect.
“It’s the blacks who make Albany a toilet and the racist DA Soares is the problem.”
Interesting sentence from a person who is clearly racist.
posternutbag – tI’ve had an overwhelming number of comments to approve (we have to moderate our own blogs you see), and that one somehow slipped through despite my best efforts. My apologies to my readers for that oversight. It has been removed.
Commenter who posted that, I don’t say this very often, but you sir are a scumbag. Go crawl back into your hole.
I completely agree with comment about the disdain people from outside of Albany and Troy have towards the residents of these cities. I am a local and have grown up with kids from as close as Loudonville acting as though they are better than my Albany friends and myself. As a local college student I am disgusted by the actions of the students at Kegs and Eggs and hate how they will tarnish the reputation of all college students in the Albany area. We are not all reckless, disrespectful brats. Some of us, even us “Troylets,” were raised to respect private and public property and have a bit of self-control.
Recipe for disaster:
1000 morons (no excuses…you are morons)
100 absentee landlords
100 absentee police officers
1 absentee mayor, 1 absentee DA
2000 absentee parents
20 poor folks who still own property in Albany AND live in it
Let sit for years with no real attention. Add alcohol. Stir.
Serve morons chilled with indictments! Toss the mayor, AD, and absentee landlords and set aside. Take heat off of homeowners. Sift cops, discarding bad ones. Clean up with 5,000 actual students with decency and pride. Add proud alums (if available)
OK, so dumb people with their phones film how they not only destroy property, but also endanger lives. An imploding picture tube of a TV sends shrapnel flying quite a distance. At that point it is uninteresting if someone smashes their own stuff, but this is going in the direction of serious criminal offenses.
And those idiots are supposed to be college kids? How did they ever make it past fifth grade? How did they ever get accepted at a college?
No punishment on the book is good enough to straighten these freaks out. I’m still baffled that it is even possible to be that stupid. I wonder if they did that at home as well when mom and dad were watching. I am sure they will be proud – not.
If downstate is so wonderful then why is it so many people come upstate for college? Once you downstate kids are done with school ask yourselves why you stay upstate, if upstate is so horrible to live? This is something I am yet to understand from these elitist property wreckers. Who the entire time they are here they bash where they are.
“No. It is NOT. That’s like judging all Christians because SOME murder gays and abortion providers, or all Muslims because SOME are terrorists, or all blacks or Mexicans because SOME join gangs.
I am a UA student who is sickened by this. Several of my friends were laughing about it and I went off.
This was several hundred students, from a campus of roughly 16 THOUSAND. Do not EVEN presume to lump us all in together.”
Patrick, please explain to me how SEVERAL HUNDRED students rioting in a residential neighborhood off-campus doesn’t reflect poorly on the entire student body, and rightfully so. Several. Hundred. It’s different than your examples about religious people, or any you can come up with about race, sex, whatever. You can’t discriminate in hiring based on those things, but you can make decisions based partly on where someone went to college.
I’m a SUNY student too, so I’m lumped into it with you. Get pissed, definitely, but not at me and not at reality, but at any students responsible. It needs to be stigmatized from within the SUNY community, by students. Good job going off on your friends but that post isn’t helping.
I should have included the entire conversation with Patrick in my last post because this thread is so long. What I quoted was responding to:
““It is not fair to assume all suny students act this way”
“Yes, it is. It absolutely is.””
Patrick #212, 213, right on!
I was in East Lansing during a Final Four run by Michigan State when they lost to Duke. After the loss, a handful of students rioted in the streets to celebrate their team’s loss by rioting like total idiots. Alot of this riot was premeditated, students were conversing amongst themselves about buying couches to burn at thrift stores to burn that night. This particular riot bringed back alot of those memories, not good memories by the way, as East Lansing, MI police walked down the streets in riot gear shooting tear gas to disperse the crowd. Why didn’t the Albany police do the same thing?
ok no one wants to speak the dirty little truth. I’m going to be politically incorrect and say it. What these kids did was wrong, they should be punished, yada yada yada. But the reality is smashing things, getting riled up and acting out is fun for boys and it certainly didn’t start with this years kegs and eggs celebration. Need I mention soccer hooligans, mosh pits, rock stars trashing hotel rooms and expensive music equipment, woodstock 3 and 4?, rushing the floor after a last second shot, los angeles after rodney king, blackouts in nyc, etc. etc. Some of these are more violent and destructive than others, but they all have one thing in common,,,mostly males participating who are getting a rush acting wild that they will probably regret the next morning. You will notice mostly women who are shocked by this behavior because they would never think of doing it, but most guys either have experienced this at some time in their life or they wanted to. Does that make it ok? Of course not, but stop trying to blame it on anti-albany bias or bad parenting? Come on. This has been a dark side of male behavior since the visigoths sacked rome. Nothing more, nothing less. I don’t condone it but I understand the excitement of throwing a tv off a porch…just shouldn’t do it on someone’s car and you should clean up afterwards.
Like others, I understand that college kids like to get wild and crazy, but these actions are far beyond crazy antics and are solidly in the criminal realm. These young men need to serve their country in Afghanistan and have some maturity instilled in them to help them appreciate what they’ve been given.
“Patrick, please explain to me how SEVERAL HUNDRED students rioting in a residential neighborhood off-campus doesn’t reflect poorly on the entire student body, and rightfully so”
I didn’t say it DOESN’T. I said it’s not an ACCURATE reflection (specifically it’s not fair to assume we all act that way). I know damn well I’ll be prejudged for saying I go there, now, but that doesn’t mean it’s accurate or right.
But the truth is, this involved less than 2% of the student body (using 300 rioters and 17000 students as estimates). That is NOT an accurate reflection of the student body as a whole. Sorry.
When I first heard about this incident, I honestly thought it was a joke. Then I read the articles. Then I saw the videos.
My sympathy here lies with the people whose property, vehicles, and neighborhood were utterly destroyed but what amounts to a lack of respect. There’s been a lot of debate about out-of-towners, locals, college students – all this is irrelevant. If the Easter Bunny kicked in my window for some jollies, that’s still a lack of respect.
I am a recent college graduate, living in Albany. I pay my rent, keep to myself, and have never once thrown trash in someone’s yard. I worked two jobs through most of college, yet I was still a “student” – I studied. I know there are others like me. Unfortunately, we “students” are getting a very deserved bad reputation from the “college kids” who believe they have a ‘right’ to higher edu(va)cation.
To the folks being charged: If you find yourself outraged about the $20,000 bail set against you, how about this? Offer that your bail be waived if you knock on every door and talk to every resident of Hudson Street, taking notes of what damages they suffered, and then explain in detail why their possessions, security, and quiet enjoyment are worth less than your good time.
And try to show a little respect when you bring it up, okay?
albany is a crap hole.. move out if you have this much bad stuff to say about what goes on there.. easy solution.. to bad they didnt burn the whole block down.. then they could build some nice section 8 apartment buildings.. lol what a joke.. i love it!!!!!!!!!!!! go suny.. the danes took a nice big crap on the pinehills lol
@200 Chris Wessell – I think you’re using these “hoodrats” as a straw man yourself. These students did these barabaric deeds on their own, without and sort of call to action of any sorts from any outside force. Frankly, it seems like you’re carrying water.
I find your bringing up the Richard Bailey case in this situation insulting – this is an entirely different case of violence and one that is deplorable in an entirely different manner. To somehow justify these riots in his name or cast these actions in that shadow of that horrific crime only serves to marginalize his death amongst those that knew him. Shame on you for that.
If you’re not trying to justify the actions of these persons, as you originally stated in your first comment, then why keep doing so by bringing up the “hoodrats” again?
The “locals” in this neighborhood aren’t the “hoodrats” you continue to talk about; they are decent people who have come out to any number of community meetings to voice concern for the growing violence from this particular group of individuals, namely the greek life and their oft-out-of-hand parties. As someone how lived in Guilderland up until this year, I have had the taxi I am in from downtown Albany attacked many times traveling through this neighborhood by students. Not your beloved “hoodrats.” Students. Punching windows, kicking doors, jumping onto hoods, etc. Behavior completely unacceptable of any adult in any state of mind.
You need not offer any “perspective” in this case. Those individuals where assholes plain and simple. For you to say otherwise is to defend them, despite what you may say to the contrary. No other perspective or justification is needed; they were, are, and likely will always be, assholes.
I’d like to see your reaction after a group of RPI students did the same to your personal property. Maybe then we could offer you the “perspective” as to the plight of the private college student.
Jessica, to attempt to connect being made to feel welcome as a reason not to act like this is utter nonsense. Anyone who comes to my town and acts this way will not feel welcome.
To remedy eeling unwelcome, please tell your classmates to drop the sense of entitlement along with the attitude that somehow this area is intellectually and culturally inferior to Long Island and Westchester county. I have lived in both and other than the proximity to NYC, there is nothing there superior.
You can see that this is a bucnh of frat boys- the TKE shirts give it away as if the behavior did not already.
please moderate #234. those are horrible unkind words.
@134 lol
Correction, the danes ARE the big steamy crap festering in Pine Hills. Apparently Pine Hills is the toilet bowl for Long Island parents to flush their turds….
Albany is not a nice place, but this kind of stuff is going to permanently hurt the real estate market in that area.
I for one, would never buy a home there. In fact, the city of Albany in it’s entirety is pretty much out for me. Too inconsistent.
You have the student ghetto, two sections that are basically controlled by ‘Bloods’, a few nice sections through which all the bad people travel and victimize.
I don’t know of a single section where I haven’t heard of a home break in or street robbery.
I love the screen shots.
I know this might be taken wrong, but I honestly took a big sign of relief when I watched the news and all the videos and didn’t see anyone my complexion participating in this crap..
Seriously.
Blacks and hispanics wouldn’t have even been able to form a crowd this large, let alone start a small riot. Not even for a good cause will you ever see the city of Albany let minorities congregate like this…don’t believe me, check out African American Family Day at the Plaza, there are more SWAT officers than participants.
Bottom line, APD let this happen and should take full responsibility, along with these untamed beasts who can’t drink and be civil at the same time, it’s a damn shame.
G % % S E – Yep.
‘These kids are acting like spoiled trashy scumbags.’ – They aren’t acting, they’re doing what their parents taught them to do, take care of yourself and don’t worry about other people…the world revolves around you.
The police are hired by the establishment to protect their selfish greedy interests. If people always behaved, they would be out of business. So they have to invent stuff and incite problems to keep their jobs. And who best to exploit than the powerless, poor, and minorities?
am/fm – I’m going to say this as politely as possible: your statement and reasoning is the exact opposite of how things actually work. Police departments live and die on stats; the lower, the better.
“But the truth is, this involved less than 2% of the student body (using 300 rioters and 17000 students as estimates). That is NOT an accurate reflection of the student body as a whole. Sorry.”
Whether you like it or not, it reflects on both of us. Sorry. Reality wins.
There are 2 Albanys. There is the Mayor Jennings Albany of modern office buildings and a proposed convention center downtown, and there is the rest of the city which is a ghetto full of low-life trash. Jennings has been in office for nearly 20 years and what does Albany have to show for it?
And what does DA David Soares do? A doctor is found to have crack in his car at a traffic stop and then Soares drops the charges. Nevermind that rich folks come in from Loudonville and Delmar to Albany to buy their drugs but they get away with it too.
Get with the program Mayor. Your city is bleeding west of Lark St. and you’d better get it fixed quick.
@#195 Sam – You summed it up in a nutshell. You have totally supported yourself while going to school, therefore, you appreciate and respect your opportunity to get an excellent education. These kids have never had to do a day’s work in their entire lives. They’re spoiled, lazy, disrespectful, obnoxious brats who have been handed everything they ever wanted by their parents including their tuition, room and board, credit cards, cars, etc. They appreciate nothing, they respect nothing. And they’ll never change because that’s the way they were raised. Sam, too bad the majority of kids these days weren’t more like you. I think all of the parents of these kids should have to do community service as well because they’ve clearly done a piss poor job of raising their kids and this is the end result. Respect begins at home, so no whining from the people saying don’t blame the parents. I know alot of kids who go away to college and would never think of acting like these idiots did – because they were raised properly. But this story will end like all the rest – the parents will send a lawyer to bail the kids out, the kids will get their sentences reduced because mommy and daddy will pay alot of money to make sure that happens, and then it’ll all go away and nothing will change. End of story.
woops, post 238 was directed at 234, not 134. and g%%se, I hear ya but this is NOT a race issue. please don’t start that…..
These students are fools and goons, period.
What has caused this downward spiral?
1. SUNY fashions itself a Major Research Institution. The undergraduates are there to pay tuition and be passed through. It is a four year ticket-punch and nothing more. The students act consistently with that philosophy.
2. SUNY has not spent a single dollar developing and improving the college experience in Pine Hills. There are dozens of colleges around the country who have realized that one of the best ways to improve their reputation, and the experience of the entire university community (including the year-round residents), is to improve the area around the college. Not SUNY. Delusions of grandeur and suburban expansion rule.
3. SUNY Albany is not the first choice of most of these downstaters, and they act accordingly.
Goose — I don’t know what screen shots/videos you saw, but I saw people of all races participating. I don’t even know why that is even something to bring up.
This was a great post, Kevin. I agree with you entirely.
Gary, if you go back and read what I wrote, you’ll see that I said that the only time the rampant victimization of college students by local punks is brought to light is in extreme cases (like that one). If you think that’s justification, then you need to read what I’m writing, and not what you’re interpreting based on what you’d like to assume I’m saying. So, shame on yourself.
I also referred a number of times to “hoodrats” encroaching on the neighborhood from surrounding neighborhoods. Ten plus years ago when I went to UA and lived in that neighborhood (including a year on Hudson), students could safely wander all the way out to Central Ave – now, that footprint is vastly smaller, it’s barely safe to walk much north of Western. The actual Pine Hills residents were never a problem. Perhaps I was not clear enough, and for that I apologize.
“I’d like to see your reaction after a group of RPI students did the same to your personal property. Maybe then we could offer you the “perspective” as to the plight of the private college student.” – Not sure what you mean by that. I don’t live in Troy, and I didn’t go to RPI… so I’m not sure what kind of reaction you are trying to elicit with that one…
First of all, these students have gotten away with things for too long. If your surprised, don’t be…..it was bound to escalate to this sooner or later. Parents, if your kids still have training pants and training wheels on; have no idea what “maturing means and responsibility keep them at home.” If they don’t have respect for you or themselves, then keep them at home with you.
Colleges and people in the City of Albany have slept on this and turned their heads to this long enough. From weekday-weekend partying, trashing the streets and property. It is disturbing and I don’t care where you come from, what you look like or how much money your parents have, all S%%% Smells the same.
So I am not afraid to say it; “if this were a black college” this would have been tackled longgggggggggggggggggg ago!!
#245: Clyne was DA when the crack doctor was arrested.
#248 – It’s not a race issue, you’re right. It’s also not a college issue, a downstate issue or an underage issue.
It’s an issue about irresponsible, unruly, arrogant, disrespectful, ignorant, rowdy, drunken, stupid, childish idots who just happen to be college students, some of which are from downstate, some of which are underage and most of which are of one race.
You know, it’s the same logic that people apply when other crimes happen around town.
‘Goose — I don’t know what screen shots/videos you saw, but I saw people of all races participating. I don’t even know why that is even something to bring up.’ – It’s something to bring up because it’s relevant. It’s possible to talk about race without being racist, you don’t have to be afraid, it’s only conversation. My 83 year old grandmother lives around the corner, I didn’t need to see the screenshots, I was in the area that afternoon.
Tuff Tony has excellent points, and once again I’ll continue to echo what has been said a number of times in these comments including by me (but people like Gary and dgc who like to harp on my hoodrat comments and ignore my other very valid points)… this stuff escalates to this point because they’re not being punished for the little things, so they keep pushing the limit to bigger things… start cracking down on the little stuff… broken windows theory people…
Yes the video is bad, and the kids are tards. But, city of Albany, you made them. Kids, and people in general quite frankly, will get away with what you let them get away with… and sometimes a little more. So start enforcing quality of life ordinances… and when you KNOW that every year (for at least the last two decades) masses of students congregate on one particular block, put out some cops in the morning as deterrents before the crowd can form a critical mass, and this bullsh*t won’t escalate to these extremes.
Anything short of that is goddamned irresponsible. You have heaps of historical data supporting this but you do not act.
Goose — I didn’t suggest your comment was racist. You’re contradicting yourself a little. First you bring up the screenshots and now you say you didn’t need to see them. OK so, if you were in the area, you know there were people of all races there. The screenshots/videos back that up. But sorry, I don’t see the relevance of your race point at all.
Amanda - He’s not saying he didn’t see them, he’s saying he doesn’t need to because a quick glance alone confirmed it.
He has a point – there’s not a black presence in those images. In fact, I don’t see one at all; which considering SUNY’s considerable black population is quite astounding.
Sorry, I just don’t at all see “all races” participating as you suggested, and I’m kind of curious where you do see them.
‘…and when you KNOW that every year (for at least the last two decades) masses of students congregate on one particular block, put out some cops in the morning as deterrents before the crowd can form a critical mass, and this bullsh*t won’t escalate to these extremes.’ – Exactly. Perfect example, Manhattans’s Puerto Rican Day Parade. In 1999, if you wanted to stab your enemy, have a shootout with rival gangs, rape a drunken tourist or rob unsuspecting old people, that was THE place to go. Fast-forward 11 years, countless lessons learned (49 sexual assaults and 7 stabbings in 2002 alone) and 400 uniformed officers and plain-clothes detectives later, the parade is a civil display of Puerto Rican pride that’s enjoyed by everyone in the city, like it should’ve always been.
Problem is, the APD isn’t aggressive, in ANYTHING…especially community policing, so guess what we can look forward to 362 days from now? This same sh%t happening again.
g%%se,
Actually one of the perps dancing on the roof of the cars in one of the featured videos is “not” like the others (in reference to post 240). I do agree with you about this mob being “irresponsible, unruly, arrogant, disrespectful, ignorant, rowdy, drunken, stupid, childish idiots who just happen to be college students”. I would also apply this statement to the numerous stick ups/muggings that occur in Albany on a regular basis (minus the “drunken” and “college students” of course depending on the situation). I think we will both agree upon the fact that some criminal occurences in Albany are not just a product of a “city being a city” and it is at a crisis point in my opinion. This latest debacle (regardless of the make up of the group)is unacceptable just like the daily muggings, random assaults, etc.
Stayen Rugged ova here PLayr. Free Young Natty!!
Don - …alright then!
Isn’t it about time to shut down the comments on this thread?
Jerry - Not while there are still discussion(s) occurring.
Hey Patrick, is it an “accurate representation” of UAlbany students when a handful of them win awards for community service or some other charitable cause? I’ll answer it for you- yes it is. It also is when a handful of them act like common thugs who really should be in jail for months after what went down. What planet are you on anyway? You strike me as the type who would praise the good a handful of students might do one day but then try to defend these acts as “pranks”. It goes both ways Patrick.
Kevin, c’mon look at the bottom video of your own post. Check out the second guy who jumps onto the roof of the car and then takes off running when the, what I presume to be, owner of the vehicle shows up.
woops, sorry Kevin… I meant to say check out the video you grabbed the botom picture of your post from.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Riot-a-rift-in-town-and-gown-1132965.php
Last I checked, race wasn’t just black/white. Just sayin’.
Amanda - Are you talking about the one single guy in the background amidst the large crowd of whites who wasn’t attacking the cars?
You’re arguing semantics because you don’t want a point to be valid, not because the point isn’t valid. You’re saying you see people of all races, inferring that there wasn’t a vast majority/disproportionate white presence in these riots. But you found a dark-skinned Latin guy, so suddenly the point is moot?
I should note too for those trying to get G%%SE to stop mentioning race: it absolutely IS worth talking about, not only for the fact that I mentioned earlier regarding the sizable black population at SUNY Albany and their absence at this riot, but especially for the comments you don’t see because I wouldn’t allow them to get through (and some that showed up on the TU facebook page that the admin had to delete, which is especially shocking since people’s real names are attached to them).
There is a very real negative stigma given to blacks in the community, especially around the Albany area and particularly in regard to crime in the student ghetto. To disregard the point that there is a racial component to the whole of this story or that it is worth noting that this was a 99.99% Caucasian crowd (slight exaggeration) is contrarian, well-intentioned as it may be. I mean, I get it, it’s nice to think that these things shouldn’t matter, I agree with y’all as far as that goes. But that’s pure fantasy and not reflective of the reality of the situation.
Well, we should DEFINITELY increase tuition -perhaps a stipend to pay for all the damage?
I’m glad I haven’t seen any commenters trying to defend the assholes. If there are, I’m not sorry I missed them.
I woke up this morning to hear that the death toll in Japan is 2400 and rising. Then I heard about the SUNY riots…talk about a waste of life.
I am thinking that these students are not going to be kicked out of school, because SUNY is money oriented like most schools. I can only hope the police will throw the perverbial book at them.
What about the victums though? The owners of the cars and the landlords and those unfortunate people who aren’t college students who live in the area?
I have a feeling they won’t see a dime.
#257, That’s where you’re misunderstanding, I wasn’t trying to make a ‘race point,’ I was making an observation. I guess it’s one of those things where you just had to be there. ‘I love the screenshots’ was in reference to Kevin actually capturing them the way he did, not anything to do with the people who were in them.
The point was just this, the police allow certain people to gather in certain places, certain times of year and don’t allow it for others. That’s all. The reason they don’t allow it for others is because they’re afraid of what could happen if a group so large gets out of control, now they realize that it can happen anywhere, with anyone.
#260, I agree.
Kevin (#259), that’s my point. Some people would rather pretend the world is a cute little heart-shaped box with a pretty bow. I understand though, I thought that too, in 2nd grade.
Bottom line, at least for me – let’s treat all public events (whether sanctioned by the city or not) the same way. If you expect 500 people to show up to a place, plan accordingly. Make the police presence felt before, during and after the event to ensure the safety of EVERYONE.
Lark Fest should have just as heavy a police presense as Latin Fest and Tulip Fest and Kegs n Eggs and African American Family Day and Pride Fest. Keeping the people safe should be priority #1 and this past weekend, it wasn’t even in the top 10.
“The point was just this, the police allow certain people to gather in certain places, certain times of year and don’t allow it for others. That’s all. The reason they don’t allow it for others is because they’re afraid of what could happen if a group so large gets out of control, now they realize that it can happen anywhere, with anyone.”
Well put Goose
#234 BEST POINT YET. LOL
Meh. It all began here: “I know this might be taken wrong, but I honestly took a big sign of relief when I watched the news and all the videos and didn’t see anyone my complexion participating in this crap..”
I just pointed out that’s just not true, since the videos and pictures do show people of some other (sorry, I won’t say “all” since now we’re getting technical)races indeed participating. It’s not just one picture and I’m sorry, “participation” has a broad definition when it comes to a riot like this, in my opinion. And, that’s it — my opinion.
Yeah, but that wasn’t his point, and he’s not some other races but a very specific race. The quote you use from him and your response actually disproves the point you were trying to make.
He had a valid point that you argued incorrectly, and it’s still maybe one or two screenshots and nothing that I saw in those videos.
Don’t get me wrong, I respect your opinion in most cases, but this time it leaned more on factual inaccuracy and misrepresentation (or perhaps misunderstanding) of the point.
Actually, he said complexion. So you’re right, I should have responded with complexion, as well. And, I think Goose did a fine job explaining his own point in #272.
Ann – The dismissal of 6 kids isn’t going to lead to much revenue loss for UA. Your point about a stipend to the entire student population is unrealistic. You can’t punish everyone for the acts of some.
Goose has a point. The police presence at all these events should be fairly equal. To get the point that the city takes these actions seriously they need to come down hard when people step out of line at these events. If there is consistancy in the punishment the message will get out.
Mick – You still have a point re: revenue, just want to point out for the sake of updating: the arrests now top over 40 with more expected to come (article: Rift in Town and Gown).
Amanda, you misunderstood the point I attempted to make, that’s all. It’s not a big deal, at least to me it isn’t. I should have explained myself a little better initially, that’s my fault.
The issue of race and its relation to crime isn’t a subject many people can discuss objectively or intelligently, especially in a forum like this, so I understand your issue with going there.
But I had to, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t.
:)
Thanks for the correction Kevin. I had the initial numbers in my head. Even at 40 for a school with well over 10k enrolled that still falls to less then .005%. They wouldn’t miss that money.
This just in…no reports of rioting in Ireland during celebrations of St. Patricks day.
As I said in another blog, but find it pertinent to state here as well:
“The solution is becoming quite clear to me. SUNY Plattsburgh solved the issue back in the 80′s after the riots that occurred up there one St. Patrick’s day and they had to call out the National Guard to restore order. SUNY Albany and the The College of Saint Rose NEEDS to schedule their Spring Break to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day. As a student, I did not like the fact my Spring Break was so early in the semester, but as an adult, I see the wisdom behind it.”
To support my statement, the Times Union reported this morning that the St. Rose Administration did not believe any of their students were involved b/c their students were all on Spring Break.
274 “What a joke” = one of the puffy wannabe Jersey Shore tough guys in the video. If cars had the ability to punch and kick back these little b*tches would have run like the wind….
@g%%se,
I understand your point. No “group” should be considered more safe to congregate un-supervised in large numbers than another. This mess sure illustrates that.
I’m always fascinated when people call for cutting off alumni donations or other funding in the wake of incidents like this. I almost envy the simplistic thought processes that lead someone to conclude this was the fault of the University, or to characterize the actions of a few as indicative of an entire student body lacking in ethics or civic-mindedness. It just strikes me as lazy.
UAlbany’s students are as diverse as the inhabitants of a small city. There are good, bad and great ones. The need to vilify an entire university, along with its 24,000+ students, faculty and staff, is quite frankly, beyond my comprehension.
What these young people did was utterly inexcusable. I’m certain University administrators will take appropriate measures to fix whatever is in their control, and that the school’s students and employees will endure a seemingly endless stream of announcements re-affirming the University’s commitment to all things wholesome. But I am also aware of many wonderful things UAlbany and its students continually bring to this region, and of the countless success stories that would, in a more perfect world, offset the negative news people seem to constantly hunger for.
I am a proud alumnus and supporter of UAlbany. I choose to continue giving back and remain involved in the conversation, and I challenge other concerned alumni to do the same.
“Even at 40 for a school with well over 10k enrolled that still falls to less then .005%.” Must by suny math. Where I went to school 40 divided by 10,000 = .004, which translates to 0.4%. I’m sure it was a mistake on your part, otherwise I would have made a comment about suny students having problems with grade school math, which is understandable because they act like they are still in grade school.
They are a disgrace to the Irish, to Long Islanders, to serious hard working students and to the parents who raised such disappointing children.
SUNY Plattsburgh scheduled spring break during St. Patrick’s Day and that solved the problem.
@Chris Wessel, I’m not harping on the term “hoodrats”…I’m harping on the fact that you insist on somehow having the college students share the blame with the “hoodrats” for what happened at Kegs & Eggs.
However, acceptable answers to the question of who are the parties that share in the responsibility of Saturdays debacle are, the City of Albany, APD, SUNY Albany, absentee landlords and the college students. With the college students themselves bearing the brunt of the responsibility. And you will notice, I did not “harp” on any of those scapegoats.
But, I’m sorry, the “hoodrats” of Albany?…Can’t blame them this time.
I’ve calmed down just a little after being so outraged over this that I – well, wanted to throw a TV off the second floor.
There are some really disturbing things going on here that speak to the values being installed in these kids by their PARENTS, and their peers. Anyone here remember the trashing of the expensive home in North Greenbush off of Snyders Lake Rd two years ago? Same thing: A wanton lack of respect for anything that comes by way of being earned through hard work.
There are both near-term and long-term solutions to this: The near-term is this: Any and all of those in the videos that can be identified and clearly shown to be committing crimes should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and given, in addition to JAIL time, extensive community service AND restitution for all property damaged. The University should expel them – period. No ifs, ands, or buts. That puts them out “on the street”, away from their “buds” and should be a really, really good wake-up call to them.
Long-term is more difficult, and I’m not sure I have the answers, but what I saw here is symptomatic of something very, very troubling about our society – maybe it’s Long Island – I don’t know. I would really like to know what percent are downstaters, and what percent are upstaters – I’ve always had this niggling sense that a lot of this stuff originates from that part of the State. I sense that these kids have never had to really work for ANYTHING in their lives, so they value nothing, because they can’t attach value to something that they haven’t earned. A few weeks in a farm labor camp, under supervision, should do wonders for them.
Victor – Forgive me for neglecting to move my decimal while calculating in my head. The point is still the same. The revenue generated from the offenders is minimal. BTW – Where is that grammar from? It’s SUNY.
With the amount of attacking and number of comments on this blog, I feel like another riot will begin soon
A simple matter is the way kids are raised any more. Parents too afraid to discipline there child for fear of being morally wrong. Kids watching movies like Green street Hooligans which shows violence as if its a normal thing that may even be fun. Or even Boondock Saints and the way hollywood makes the Irish culture out to be. There is so many reasons that this goes on and its not gonna stop till people rise up and demanded consequences for the actions! And parents instill into there kids morals and respect.
I say that the neighborhood community should go visit these thugs in the middle of the night at their residence, stick a gun up their a*s and tell them the next time they pull this crap they will come back and pull the trigger. They did it in California to a drug dealer and it worked!
I find myself, (and this is probably terrible to admit) for one, just one, old guy like Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino to come out with a shotgun and fire a round off. Not necessarily at anyone, just into the sky or something. Hell, I was in town that weekend, I wish I had known, I would have headed down there. I’m sure I would have been the least of the police’s problems.
You know, we’re all pointing fingers left and right, and mostly with good reason! I agree with many posters here, I am not too far out of college myself, and while I enjoyed myself, I certainly never destroyed property, assaulted anyone, etc. I was there first and foremost to get an EDUCATION! Somewhere along the line, we’ve forgotten what college is for! Also, since many people have mentioned events in Albany other than St. Patrick’s Day (LarkFest, Alive at 5)…why not just end them all? It’s clear that the people of the Albany area cannot handle these large events where liquor flows. Either end the events entirely, or make them dry events. Stop wasting tax payer dollars and ruining the quality of life for residents (and I don’t live in Albany).
The problem is the unruly students and their lack of respect for personal property, SUNY Albany and the city of Albany. The solution lies with the landlords…double, maybe even triple, the rent and see how quickly that neighborhood clears up.
The houses have to be paid for by now. A few months vacant will allow the opportunity for some fixing up. Then you can rent to respectable people again.
I would like to point out that it is not only SUNY students theres at least 4 other colleges in the area that had a great number of students attending this ‘event’. First of all I can bet that at least 30 of those students go to st rose but of course they won’t be mentioned because they are a private school. Also maybe you ignorant people should stop generalizing and stereotyping certain communities for the stupid acts performed by small minority of that community. I was angered by the disrespect my classmates have shown to property but i am even more angered by the ignorant response of everyone else. I would also like to point out, for those of you who are unaware, this part of downtown albany would be slum with or without a college community. Majority of the “townies” that i know living around my friends who rent apartments in this area are crackheads. Not to mention the landlords suck and don’t do anything to make the place any nicer. I really hope some people read my comment and change their attitude on these acts. I understand what these students did are wrong but you should not generalize their actions to everyone that attends the college. Also don’t point fingers that these students are “long islanders” or “downstaters” because i can bet you that a good portion of them came from your area as well. Ignorant, ignorant people open your damn eyes.
Jen – Which four? RPI and St. Rose are both on vacation; the students aren’t even in town. SUNY’s pretty much owned up to the fact that it was their students.
If the videos can be used to prosecute I’m sure a crafty defense lawyer can use these 300 posts slamming the kids to get them off and turn them into the victims.
Kevin - how would that work?
@297- I say we ban all off campus living in Albany for all SUNY students. That will make us both happy.
Kevin, good idea. Let’s victimize the students who behaved like zoo creatures. Turning a blind eye is totally the answer here.
This isn’t Cairo. This isn’t Libya. This is freakin’ Pine Hills, Albany, New York. We shouldn’t and aren’t going to tolerate civil unrest.
“sense of respect for the community upon arrival and the responsibility of fellow students to speak out and not simply be bystanders recording the mayhem on their cameras and cellphones”
Last time I checked if I spoke out against a mob I’d be hospitalized
I ain’t passed the bar but I know a little bit. But I don’t know how realistic it would be but they could possibly counter suit with defamation of character. Obviously they will get charged with destruction of property and noice disturbances but I think the majority could avoid serious charges.
These unrealistic suggestions and ideas make me chuckle…then I realize you people are serious and I start to get scared.
Email to all SUNY Albany students from this morning –
Dear UAlbany Students:
I write as a reminder to you that behaviors that breach the student code of conduct,
whether on or off campus, are subject to judicial action by the University.
As students are identified to the University by the Albany Police Department as
participants in the egregious behaviors of Saturday, they will be temporarily
suspended from the University, and, pending a judicial hearing, may be expelled from
the University at Albany.
Similar breaches to the student code of conduct on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, or
at any time, will be addressed in a like manner. I strongly encourage you to
respect yourself and your neighbors in the city of Albany.
Thank you for your attention to this important message.
Clarence McNeill
Assistant Vice President for Student Success
Director of Conflict Resolution and Civic Responsibility
..and to think I enlisted to serve my country and have watched great men and women give the ultimate sacrifice and lay down there lives, so that these spoiled brats can have the right to throw their precious “Kegs & Eggs” parties.. Makes me sick and I am ashamed to be apart of this generation
Kevin Marshal– you clearly never went to a college. Break or not if there is a huge annually party going on majority of the students will make sure they are at their college to attend. Every single st rose student that I know came back from spring break early to celebrate kegs and eggs. like i said open you EYES. AND STOP PUTTING BLAME ON THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF ONE SCHOOL.
Jen -
1. I did go to college.
2. Not to stereotype, but the vast majority were SUNY Albany students, and of all arrested (40+) thus far none have been from St. Rose. I didn’t put the blame on the school, I put the blame on all responsible and suggested it’s a problem. Which it is, and which SUNY has acknowledged.
Open “you” eyes, Jen.
you all need to take some anthropology classes and stereotype classes otherwise you’re never going to be a good person. seriously theres nothing i hate more then people that stereotype.
@#309 Jen, Do you like people that take grammar classes?
Sorry have non of you ever heard of a typo? Maybe you should go back to school.
JayK: ““But the truth is, this involved less than 2% of the student body (using 300 rioters and 17000 students as estimates). That is NOT an accurate reflection of the student body as a whole. Sorry.”
Whether you like it or not, it reflects on both of us. Sorry. Reality wins.”
You are responding to something I’m not saying. I KNOW it DOES reflect badly on us.
My point is that it should NOT (which was my ORIGINAL point), because the students are not representative of anything NEAR a majority of the population.
For the community I grew up in and have family in, I want to know what the heads of the student body and the university are going to do in response to what has occurred. Unfortunately, a few hundred of your rotten apples did tarnish the reputation of the University and the community. I am sure 90% of the student body works hard, but now these students are faced with a life lesson. Sometimes what others do reflects on the entire group. These students wore green shirts, parading proudly who they were AND stupidly recorded the act. Everyone owns this from the University to the students. The student body cannot pick and choose which acts’ outcome defines the group only when it is positive, the negative is also what defines you. Show some humility and come up with an ongoing plan…so as a community we can keep and enjoy our parades, fireworks and festivals without fear of the college student body that grace us with their presence during the school year.
Honestly everyone of you who is blaming SUNY are just people with boring lives that get entertainment in speaking out and judging other people. This WAS 1% or less (considering at least half of the rioters were not SUNY students)of the SUNY population. It upsets me to think that people are as ignorant to blame the entire school. If you looked into the achievements of the school instead of the one downfall you would see that we rank number one in the nation for nano-science. We are ranked top ten of the nation for BOTH business and Social-work. Former president Bill Clinton spoke at our school and spoke only good things about its student body. So if you’re going to look at one act by less then 1% of the population you really need to get your head checked.
@263, Scott: “Hey Patrick, is it an “accurate representation” of UAlbany students when a handful of them win awards for community service or some other charitable cause? I’ll answer it for you- yes it is. It also is when a handful of them act like common thugs who really should be in jail for months after what went down. What planet are you on anyway? You strike me as the type who would praise the good a handful of students might do one day but then try to defend these acts as “pranks”. It goes both ways Patrick.”
How are the acts of a few (good or bad) an ACCURATE representation of the majority? They’re not.
How on earth do you figure that I’d try to defend these acts as pranks? Did you bother reading my other posts? Like the one where I said I was disgusted by this, and went off on my friends for laughing about it?
I do praise the good that some students do. And more students do good than pull this crap.
I also condemn this for what it is: disgusting, irresponsible, unjustifiable criminal behavior.
Patrick i completely agree with you its just unfortunate that people are to closed minded to realize that. Its a shame that this society has a tendency to pinpoint the bad and over look the good.
‘It upsets me to think that people are as ignorant to blame the entire school.’ – Aww, poor you. Welcome to the life of a man. You women lump us all together constantly, blaming us for everything bad in your life, based on the ridiculous actions of a small few.
All men are dogs.
All men cheat.
All men this…
All men that…
Doesn’t feel so good, does it?
F SUNY and their unruly bastard population.
“Sorry have non of you ever heard of a typo? Maybe you should go back to school.”
Girl, you went way beyond typos several posts ago. Not having a single capital letter in a post, does not qualify you for the typo excuse any longer. This is not a tweet or text, people judge your intelligence by your grammar and spelling. My eighth grade English teacher and her red wax pencil would have had a field day with you.
Maybe, you should try and read your comments before you send them.
“Welcome to the life of a man. You women lump us all together constantly, blaming us for everything bad in your life, based on the ridiculous actions of a small few.”
All women are gold diggers.
All women are whores.
All women this.
All women that.
Guys never lump women…Right?!
Jen- your self-righteous attitude coupled with several typos and grammatical errors have given me a chuckle this afternoon. Thank you.
“Welcome to the life of a man. You women lump us all together constantly, blaming us for everything bad in your life, based on the ridiculous actions of a small few. ”
All women are gold diggers.
All women are whores.
All women are this.
All women are that.
Yada, yada, yada, Goose.
Please…Plenty of men are just as guilty of lumping all women together as plenty of women are of lumping all men together. You use this argument a lot…find a new drum to beat, would you?
Oh yeah, and while your at it Goose. The “all mothers think fathers are useless and stupid”, as well as the “marriage is for suckers” drums are just as tiresome…in case you were wondering.
Expulsion from school, fines to aid in clean up and 3 years probation with random drug testing
Also, Where in the World is Mayor Jerry Jennings?
#324 – Jerry is in the tanning booth. He’ll respond when he gets back on Monday.
Jen – Your classmates called, they said you are fired as class rep.
If the majority of the crowd wasn’t UA students then why on earth is the school issuing a public apology.
Never fear though good people of Albany, Marlon Anderson has said he’s going to seek solutions at Monday’s Common Council meeting. It’s cool bring your rehd hat.
YESSSSSSSSSSS
“You are responding to something I’m not saying. I KNOW it DOES reflect badly on us.
My point is that it should NOT (which was my ORIGINAL point), because the students are not representative of anything NEAR a majority of the population.”
Patrick, what you’re not responding to is reality. “Should” has little bearing on anything. It simply doesn’t matter if we should or should not be lumped in with these idiots. We are, period.
Jen, from reading your posts, you seem to be a SUNY student. Could you stop posting? Your lack of correct spelling and grammar usage isn’t making my future degree from the school look much better, either. And I’m sorry, but all SUNY students should be operating under the mentality that we’re all going to get this pinned on us.
You’re part of the group trying to pin it on St Rose, too, so now your college is affecting other schools in town. (Btw, even if some people came back for Kegs n Eggs, it’s still unlikely that they were in this group. Kegs n Eggs wasn’t limited to this section and honestly, in 3 years I have yet to see a single St Rose student act anything like this. In that same time I’ve seen SUNY kids act like idiots pretty constantly.)
Hopefully I’ll see you at the cleanup effort tomorrow at 12:30?
‘Plenty of men are just as guilty of lumping all women together as plenty of women are of lumping all men together.’ – Since I don’t date men, I’m not really sure what they do…but thanks for the info.
‘You use this argument a lot…find a new drum to beat, would you?’ – Only if you promise to start adding something useful (factual) to these discussions.
‘…Oh yeah, and while your at it Goose. The “all mothers think fathers are useless and stupid”, as well as the “marriage is for suckers” drums are just as tiresome…in case you were wondering.’ – Surprisingly, I’ve never wondered what you were thinking but I appreciate you thinking about me. The opinions of people who flap their gums wearing a disguise don’t count, come out from behind your moniker and then we’ll engage in a conversation…until then, kick rocks.
The mayor is too busy spending our tax dollars at 677 prime and all that fake tanning supply crap. I actually saw him downtown at the parade and probably knew about it but was still bent out of shape of making his much awaited public showing. @ # 200 “I would actually argue that the hostile nature of the local hood rats actually contributes to the students’ overall disdain for the neighborhood, further inclining them not to care what condition they leave it in. So it’s a contributing factor just as much as the landlords and all the other scapegoats listed in the comments above.”
I don’t think the “hood rats” as you so elegantly put it have anything to do with this… look at the South end… that neighborhood is a lot nicer then the student ghetto and there is low income housing there. It is called the student ghetto for a reason.. all the idiots move there because of quail st, the crappy college bars, and cheap rent. The reason they don’t care about it is because they don’t own the property or own any real ties to Albany its self other than it is an escape from Strong Island and their parents. Its like rock stars who go to hotels and destroy them… they do that because they don’t own them. when was the last time you went to a real homeowners house and they let you smash windows and walls?
“Only if you promise to start adding something useful (factual) to these discussions.” – Well Goose, whenever you would like to start showing us how that’s done, I’d be glad to follow your example. Your comments don’t exactly read like the Encyclopedia Britannica or anything…unless of course you count “sitchoassdown” as a fact.
“The opinions of people who flap their gums wearing a disguise don’t count, come out from behind your moniker and then we’ll engage in a conversation” – You can find me any time on the OTE FB page that you administer. I’m right there to engage with any time you like.
Donna Cramer
(sorry no link, I don’t do twitter or have a blog.)
‘Your comments don’t exactly read like the Encyclopedia Britannica or anything’ – And they shouldn’t. Have you ever read the Britannica? It’s not very funny.
Nice to meet you, Donna Cramer.
Quick quiz. What do these two comments have in common?
“seriously theres nothing i hate more then people that stereotype.”
“Honestly everyone of you who is blaming SUNY are just people with boring lives that get entertainment in speaking out and judging other people.”
Gold star if you realized they were written by the same person – roughly one hour apart. Way to really drive home your point, Jen.
And, from the “better late than never” department, looks like this particular “Seen” gallery got itself a new title…
http://www.timesunion.com/seen/slideshow/SEEN-St-Patrick-s-celebrations-3129.php
In case this is helpful to you:
Just published:
Preventing Disruptive Behavior in Colleges;
A Campus and Classroom Management Handbook
for Higher Education.
At: http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/collegebook.doc
Let me know if I can help further.
Howard
Howard Seeman, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus,
City Univ. of New York
OFFICE: 20 River Court
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First off I would like to state that I am a current UAlbany student, Senior status, and I am still very proud to say so. Why am I still proud? because these events have absolutely NOTHING to do with this University. The events of March 12th (Kegs & Eggs) disgust me beyond belief, and I really do feel for the pine hills area and all others affected by these events. But people need to be aware that this so called “Kegs & Eggs” event is not affiliated with the University at Albany in any way, nor is it promoted or sponsored by the University or the city of Albany. The only ones who deserve to be blamed for what happened on March 12th are those who were involved. To all those bad mouthing the entire University please have the common sense to realize that (1) there are over 18,000 students that currently attend this University, a very small fraction compared to the amount of people taking part in these “riots”, (2) those who were caught violating the law in anyway were dealt with by the Albany PD and will pay for their actions, and if not then you can blame Albany PD and the judicial system. (3) These events happened on public city streets, about 4 miles away from the University at Albany. I would like to mention that the college of St. Rose is located only 3 city blocks from the location of the “riots”, and although I do not blame the entire student body of St. Rose, I am positive that a lot of the individuals seen in these photos and videos are from St. Rose. Also, Sienna is another college located not far from the pine hills area, students from this college are found in the city of Albany just as often as those from SUNY Albany are (once again not blaming all of Sienna students). (4) Once again, THE ACTIONS OF A FEW PEOPLE DO NOT REPRESENT AN ENTIRE POPULATION.
Please be logical here, it is so unfair to the 99% of students that weren’t even on Hudson Avenue the morning of the “riots” to now be blamed for what happened. I myself, along with many other have worked very hard for the past 4 years here at SUNY Albany, and it makes absolutely no sense to me why future employers are sending letters to SUNY Albany stating that they will never even consider hiring students with degrees from UAlbany.
I cannot express my anger in enough words towards those who took part in the “Kegs & Eggs riots” this year. They were completely wrong in everything they did that morning and I am right there with you in punishing those who were involved, but please I beg people to look at the big picture and see that 18,000 people from one University do not deserve to be blamed and punished because of the actions of a few hundred individuals from multiple Universities, not to mention the locals that took part.
I know it is an extreme example, but we would not be human beings unless we learned and evolved from our past mistakes, isn’t a main point of history to learn from mistakes:
Didn’t anyone learn anything when we imprisoned the entire Japanese American population in concentration camps after the attacks on Pearl Harbor? Just because there is a link between two “populations” of people, it does not justify blaming and punishing both populations for the actions of one.
Please see this situation for what it really is, I know a lot of people are very angry, trust me so am I. But think for a minute before you go and blame 18,000 completely innocent human beings for what happened that morning.
…..
Go sit in the corner facing the wall and don’t turn around until I tell you to.
Jordan wrote:
“Didn’t anyone learn anything when we imprisoned the entire Japanese American population in concentration camps after the attacks on Pearl Harbor?”
Yes. I learned that these are two different situations. Extreme examples are extreme for a reason and are typically offensive.