Jennifer Gumas stepped up to the microphone and introduced herself to the 12 independent commission members sitting across from her.

This was after she handed each member a document with the topics she was about to discuss.

"A lot of students feel alienated by East Lansing," she said. "People are going to be afraid the police are going to teargas everybody."

Other students stepped up to tell the commission what happened to them that night.

Advertising senior Scott Riddle came. Although the disturbances happened months ago, he was still riled up.

Spanish and economics sophomore Kevin Lappe looked the commissioners in the eye and told them how he was peppersprayed from head-to-toe.

Sick with the flu and losing her voice, sociology and criminal justice junior Jessica Fishman came and testified.

Students were well represented by the few who took the time to relive that night.

But still, only 11 students came to speak.

Compared to the 3,000 present in the April 2-3 disturbances, 11 is not many at all.

There were more students who attended but did not speak in front of the commission. Most of them were there for a class assignment.

Testimony from Wednesday night included stories which might alter the recommendations of the commission. Every story is another piece of the puzzle: The more the commission receives, the better the final picture will look.

Fishman was particularly affected by the tear gas. She was asthmatic and the tear gas affected her breathing. She said she blacked out repeatedly and a friend had to help her walk.

From the testimonies, the commission members were able to hear student observations of police action. Some details seemed to surprise many of the members.

Would it have made a difference if 30 spoke? 50? 100? More?

Those students who chose to be silent also chose to let the commission dictate what should happen. The student body has apparently given up on being heard.

An unofficial poll of readers on www.statenews.com showed 72 percent of the 186 polled were tired of hearing about the disturbances.

It's amazing such a big issue is so easily forgettable.

It doesn't help when our student leadership has been inattentive in unifying the student body on this matter. A lack of attendance at these meetings by Andrew Schepers, ASMSU's Student Assembly chairperson, is partly to blame. The independent commission proceedings should have been a priority.

A more unified student base might have been even more compelling in front of the commission. Perhaps students felt they were not heard last year when they first spoke at council meetings and sent letters and e-mails to the East Lansing Police Department and East Lansing City Council.

However, students must realize that the recommendations of the commission will affect everyone. There's little opportunity now to influence their decision with more personal accounts.

Hopefully, the concerns expressed by students at the meeting will be addressed in the final report.

How should chemical munitions be handled in the future? What would a planned celebration entail?

One student mentioned East Lansing police officers seem to have a preconceived notion about students and rarely take the opportunity to find out otherwise.

Most importantly, people wanted to know who would be held accountable for the April 2-3 disturbances.

Beth Alexander, a member of the commission, said all the members had different views, but didn't specify what those views were.

The entire community will be affected by the decision on who is held accountable. If police forces are said to have made a bad decision, it might show a lack of trust. If students are said to be held accountable, it will just add to the bad reputation students have in the eyes of residents in East Lansing.

The report will move forward to the City Council for potential changes to be made.

If the recommendations are not to students' liking, those who didn't participate have only themselves to blame.