1990-10-15; Central Michigan Life

              I  WEATHER
NEWS
SPORTS
DEPRESSION?
Mount Pleasant was spared in the 30s
See Page 3
BACK IN THE SADDLE
CMU busts Broncos, 20-13
See Page 10
UPPER
50
UPPER
30
m   HIGH
S   TODAY
*   LOW
5  TONIGHT
Central
Michigan
MONDAY
October 15, 1990
(VOLUME 73, NUMBER 21
c. 1990 CM LIFE
MOUNT PLEASANT, MICHIGAN 48859
517)774-3493
14 PAGES
52 arrested at 3,000-person 'party'
by BRIAN D. BELL
[ IFF Staff Writer
Western Weekend partiers
became rioters Saturday night,
leading to 52 arrests and injuries
to at least five police officers.
An attempt by five police
agencies to break up a crowd of
3,000 people gathered on Main
between Bellows and High instigated a "riot," City Police Chief
Martin Trombley said.
"It came on us all of the
sudden. It was not what we
expected," Trombley said. "When
we tried to break up the crowd
they started throwing bricks,
cans and bottles."
Trombley said the crowd's
defiance was surprising and
unexpected. People usually
disband when confronted by a
large group of officers, but that
was not the case this weekend,
he said.
"They defied us. People stood
their ground. They were going to
confront us," he said.
Alcohol was a factor contributing to the rowdiness of the
crowd, Trombley added.
"I think there is no room for
debate over that." he said.
Those arrested were lodged at
the Isabella County Jail on
charges ranging from disorderly
conduct to inciting a riot, he said.
-■ Sometimca the oflfiocerw had a
difficult time identifying who
threw the bottles or concrete,
Trombley said.
"We used whatever force was
necessary to make an arrest," he
added. "For example, some
persons who threw concrete at
officers were pursued, caught
and handcuffed."
Before the uprising began,
about 50 officers already were on
duty monitoring activity in the
city, Trombley said.
Although Trombley thought 50
officers were enough to deal with
partiers. he said it wasn't
enough to cope with the situation.
The officers on duty were
dispatched to Main to disperse
the crowd but the crowd was
uncontrollable, he said.
Police efforts to disband the
crowds began between 9:30 p.m.
and 10 p.m., he said. The situation became out of control about
15 minutes later.
An additional 30 officers soon
were called in as reinforcements,
he said, but police did not get
rioters under control until about
1:30 a.m..
In addition to throwing bottles
and rocks, several people
attempted to move cars while
others started small fires,
Trombley said.
Some people reportedly swung
from     telephone     wires     and
See PARTIES Page 2
II I   IMinlo   Ii... I ilsqi-r.ilrl
A police officer tells a Western Michigan University student at the corner of Main and  May to disperse late Saturday night.
Different points of view yield same conclusion: chaos
by SUSAN MAAS
lilt    (  o|>v   I  tilloi
Though perspectives varied — from the inside of a
paddy wagon to a front porch on Main Street to the back of
a motor scooter ■— observers of .Saturday's chaotic
"festivities" will not soon forget Western Weekend 1990.
Chris Hauseman, Mount Pleasant senior, said sheer
curiousity brought him to the riot scenes just north of
campus around 11 p.m. Hauseman said he did not chink at
all that day and was simply riding around on his motor
scooter as a "quiet observer.
"It seemed like a cat-and-mouse game," Hauseman
said. "The police would advance and the people would
retreat, then group back together, and move forward ... I
heard some yelling off--- the police, I'—- the pigs."
Hausenian said during the night the large crowds
moved farther and farther east, and by the time there was
a large concentration of people at Franklin and (*aylord.
be started seeing people "rip out street signs and trash
them on the ground.
"The rest of the crowd was chanting them on, getting
mote enthusiastic, and beer bottles started (getting*
thrown."
Hauseman said he was afraid to get too close, watching
from the corner of Franklin and May.
"I don't know if they were throwing them at people — I
think they were mostly just throwing them up in the air
for the sake of throwing them."
Throughout the rest of the night, Hauseman said he
rode his motor scooter around the general area inside
Bellows, High, Douglas and Lansing streets. He said he
saw "about six" fires, mostly in garbage containers.
At one point. Hauseman said, a group of partiers
setting a garbage dumpster fire looked in his direction.
"Come on, let's get that scooter and put it in the fire." one
said.
Hauseman .said be also hoard firecrackers lluown at
various intervals, and saw many people walking aioiiud
with open containers of alcohol.
"I think they should have sealed oil I be area earlier',"
Hauseman said. "Instead of containing tin- violence, it
seemed like they kept dispersing them east.
"The violence just kept recurring I in dill'erenl places i."
he said.
Danene Shumaker says all she and her- huvlrierid
wanted to do for Western Weekend was harrow a video
camera and tape "the out-of-contr ol pai tiers."
She didn't go to any parties and hadn't bad a drop of
alcohol to drink, Shumaker says, so she never g'ic;serl
that she might end up spending the niglil  in  jail
About 1 1 p.m., Shumaker, Plairiw.-ll senior, said "1 was
walking   down   Main   toward   High   when   lh> m-   nflirns
-■„>,. WEFKEND I   ki     /
Rapper to leave music aside,
bring social message to CMU
by STEVEN PONIATOWSKI
LIFE Staff Writer
Although KRS-One is known for his message-oriented music, his
presentation at CMU Wednesday will include the message, but no
music.
Kris Parker is not expected to rap, but what he says is as
important as any song, said Steven Clark, assistant director of
Minority AfTairs.
"The things he says are important to all people, things like unity
and education," said Detroit sophomore Dajuanna Hunter,
secretary ofthe Organization for Black Unity.
Parker also will discuss the gritty side of life and the need for
education of minorities about their culture to alleviate the "lies"
white culture has forced upon them. His speech is scheduled for 8
p.m. in Warriner Auditorium.
See KRS-ONE Page 7
KRS-One
Two sexual assaults reported —■
one on campus, one off campus
by BRIAN O. BELL
[ It F  Sl.ilt Writer
Two CMU students reported
that they were victims of sexual
assaults, the Department of
Public Safety released Sunday.
A female student reported an
alleged third-degree criminal
sexual assault Tuesday, DPS
Director John McAuliffe said.
Third-degree sexual 'assault
means penetration was involved
and could mean the victim was
incapacitated and forced or
coerced into a sexual act.
This type of assault is a felony
punishable by up to  15 years  in
prison.
The victim said the iricidenl
occurred Sept. 15 in Cobb Hall.
McAuliffe said.
The woman reported she was
asked by a male Cobb resident to
come to his room where she was
allegedly sexually assaulted, he
said.
The man still lives in Cobb,
McAuliffe said. He added that
DPS knows who the suspect is
and the agency is investigating
the complaint.
An     alleged     fourth-degree
sexual assault was reported lo
the department Wednesday,
McAlllilli' said
This Ivpe ol sexual assatrlt
involves contact with a genital
area, a spoke-man lor' lhe
Michigan Stale Police Mount
Pleasant post said. In addition,
the victim was either incapacitated, forced or coerced. ;.
Fourth-degree sexual assault
is a misdemeanor with a
maximum penalty of two years
in prison, the spokesman said.
See ASSAULT 1'i'je /
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