For the more than 2,000 people who took to the streets Sunday to wreak havoc in East Lansing and on campus, feel free to find the nearest exit from the MSU community. Your kind isn't welcome here.
Yes, crazy and wild block parties are a welcome staple to college life, but when fun becomes turning over cars, igniting fires in the streets and damaging buildings, it's gone too far.
Like the March 27-28, 1999, riot, Sunday night's melee was pointless. Losing a basketball game is no reason to take to the streets in rage.
To echo university spokesman Terry Denbow, if this is what you came to MSU to do, it is the reason you should leave.
No one should ever want to recreate the embarrassment and destruction incurred by our community four years ago.
When university officials said they were going to pursue punishment for students arrested during Friday night's festivities, we said in our Monday editorial - which went to print before Sunday's riot - that drastic measures were unwarranted. Friday's celebrations were reasonable.
We still stand strongly against the off-campus code of conduct policy adopted by the Board of Trustees after the 1999 riot to punish students getting in trouble away from MSU property. But it's hard to argue our case when events like Sunday's occur.
Not since 1999 has there been such a blatant disregard for property and safety of individuals in this community. At least eight fires were lit in the streets and four cars overturned.
Some people said an overbearing police presence in East Lansing before Sunday's MSU-Texas basketball game ended was reason for their uprising. How truly sad is their logic?
Yes, seeing a 20-horse cavalry and parades of police cars from seven departments in the streets Sunday afternoon did seem a little much, but rioting wasn't the way to tell the law enforcers they weren't welcome.
On the contrary, it solidified the reasoning for their presence.
Students and police have made great strides in improving relations between the two sides since the 1999 riots. We just hope Sunday's riot won't hurt what has taken so much effort and time to build.
But if you feel overburdened by police, don't be surprised. Just know you have about 2,000 classmates to thank and hope you aren't one of them.
In addition, don't complain next time you see tuition go up a little more than you were hoping. The last thing MSU needs to pay for right now is needless repairs caused by riot damage.
With everything going on in the world, such as the U.S.-led war in Iraq, hundreds of drunken students engaging in riotous activity after your basketball team loses is extremely juvenile.
In all, seven arrests were made Sunday in connection to the riot, six of which were MSU students.
We're sure we can expect more Spartans to be charged in connection with Sunday's melee as police review video and film taken by their departments.
Our only advice is to not be surprised if you are notified that your presence is requested in 54-B District Court. Be prepared to face the consequences of your actions.
After all, this is a university community. You should learn from your mistakes. Unfortunately, you might have to learn the hard way in this case.
