In response to Patrick Walters' column "'R-word best left unused until MSU's tournament bids are complete" '(SN 3/31), I hate to say it, but MSU earned that infamous reputation. MSU has done a lot of good for the immediate and global community, but those riot pictures and stories are seared into the memory of everyone across the country.

As much as you want to ignore it, it won't go away. The two small riots we had a few years ago proved that we, as students, hadn't learned the first time around. Remembering and learning from those experiences are the best things that MSU can do.

If you really want a solution, the student body needs to act and celebrate responsibly all the time. Maybe then people will stop tossing around the word riot.

Curtis Steuber
2004 graduate