MSU Trustee Joel Ferguson said it's important police don't tear gas or pepper spray people in the future based on past civil disturbances in East Lansing.
"The police said the reason they were so aggressive is because of what happened years before," he said.
Some MSU officials say they want the independent commission reviewing the April 2-3 disturbances to take a more accurate look at the use of police force that evening to ensure a fair judgment is rendered.
"It is so difficult because there are so many different sides to the story," MSU Trustee Dorothy Gonzales said. "Hopefully, it will be a thorough and thoughtful process where everybody gets a change to talk about what happened that night.
"Everyone has to be responsible for their actions. Someone could have gotten injured or killed. My main concern is somebody would have a negative experience while at MSU."
Following the men's basketball team's loss to the University of North Carolina in the NCAA Final Four, a police estimated crowd of about 3,000 people rushed East Lansing streets, causing $5,775 in property damage - $2,500 of that damage attributed to a missing duck statue that was returned about a month later.
To help give the students a voice on the commission, two MSU students were selected to sit on the panel. Derek Wallbank and Andrew Schepers, who are heavily involved with student government, were voted onto the commission by ASMSU.
Although asked to represent students, Schepers has missed the last two commission meetings. He did not return calls for comment on Monday.
Many who were out during the disturbance said police teargassed and pepper sprayed crowds prematurely.
Although the commission has explored the idea of holding a university-sponsored event, most MSU students would prefer the university steer clear of sponsoring activities after the men's basketball team plays in NCAA March Madness games, a 2000 focus group concluded.
"Knowing what happened in 1999, then President (M. Peter) McPherson and then Provost (Lou Anna K.) Simon wanted to see if we could determine what students might anticipate after a game," said Ginny Haas, director of community relations for MSU.
"Students said they wanted to go to Grand River and be with their friends."
In the 1999 riots, 10,000 people flooded East Lansing streets after the MSU men's basketball team's loss to Duke in the Final Four, causing more than $250,000 in damage.
"Most of the people we talked to had been out there," Haas said. "We decided not to hold university-sponsored events."
Kris Turner can be reached at turne112@msu.edu.
