2008 Woodie Awards
Sox' celebrations taken too far
Katelyn Henry
Issue date: 10/31/04 Section: News Stories
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As Assumption students filled the end zone of the football field following the Red Sox' 10-3 win against the New York Yankees last Wednesday night, fans in Boston took the streets to celebrate the team's first trip to the World Series since 1986.
What ensued, however, quickly turned from innocent fun to destruction and tragedy. Signs in front of local businesses were torn to pieces, parked cars were set ablaze, and a 21-year old Emerson College student, Vicotria Snelgrove, was killed after being shot in the eye with a pepper-filled pellet as Boston Police attempted to control rowdy crowds.
Although such drastic events did not occur on campus, the effect can still be felt here in Worcester.
"I was shocked," said Junior Erin Ranft. "[Snelgrove] dying shouldn't have happened."
Administrators at Assumption agreed, and hope that nothing nearly as tragic will happen to the AC community during such an exciting time in local sports history.
"We are not opposed to the students celebrating the Red Sox victory. It is a historical achievement for this franchise," said Vice President of Student Life Catherine WoodBrooks. "We are, however, concerned with the potential damage and injury that can come from these celebrations, and like the Red Sox players, encourage the students to celebrate responsibly and safely."
WoodBrooks refers to the multiple public service announcements released by the team over the weekend, in which players such as Johnny Damon and Curt Schilling reminded fans about the important responsibility of keeping all celebrations positive. These announcements were created after prompting from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and Boston Police Commisioner Kathleen O'Toole during the press conference surrounding Snelgrove's death.
In a similar fashion, action is being taken on this campus to assure celebrations do not get out of hand. WoodBrooks sent out an email reminding students of proper behavior at the beginning of the playoffs, and another is likely to be sent today or tomorrow. Campus Police has also taken action, adding additional presence beyond their normal weeknight coverage and having video cameras, which were used during the march last Wednesday and will be present for any World Series celebrations. Finally, administrators from various departments will be located throughout campus.