Confusion, allegations require active pursuit

Whatever the ingredients, the result was a melee.

Friday night, Phi Beta Sigma sponsored a… Whatever the ingredients, the result was a melee.

Friday night, Phi Beta Sigma sponsored a dance party in the William Pitt Union. According to the group’s adviser, Nathan James, a conflict arose when a small group of Pitt football players arrived and clashed with other partygoers. Pitt police responded and attempted to break up the party, which had between 300 and 400 people in attendance.

What exactly caused the conflict and what happened after the arrival of Pitt police remains unclear. Allegations and confusion surround the event and are cause for campuswide concern.

Some in attendance are alleging police brutality. Some partygoers also allege the police dogs brought to help break up the party were out of control and attempted to bite people. Police confirm one biting. James also alleges that several members of the football team left and returned with guns and came after some attendees.

The events and allegations are mind-boggling. Students generally feel safe in the Union and have trouble imagining such things happening on lower campus. As the rumors and bewilderment spread around campus, it’s imperative that all the parties involved sort things out – for everyone’s benefit.

Pitt and city police, the athletics department and the National Pan-Hellenic Council have been asked by the press to respond to Friday’s events. Thus far, the athletics department has declined to comment and the police and NPHC have said they will follow operating procedure to investigate.

Merely following protocol and investigating are simply not enough. The situation requires active pursuit. The shuffling of paper and private investigation is likely to quietly brush aside these issues, rather than to clear them up.

Students need to feel safe on campus and they need to feel like they can trust the police. With these issues lingering, students – particularly black students who may feel that they were treated unfairly during these events – need to know they can count on police. Conversely, the police need students’ cooperation in order to do their jobs. The campus learning environment requires this mutual trust.

There must be a public discussion to clear the air and it must include everyone involved. This is not the time for a dog-and-pony show; Student Government Board hosting a forum where some people speak on behalf of others will not resolve the situation.

For the safety and sanity of all involved – and to avoid perpetuating the problem – the truth must be found. This is a tall order that requires the cooperation of many people. It’s time to do more than follow protocol; it’s time to adopt, as Nordenberg once phrased it, a culture of openness.