Smashing bottles is not a Queen’s tradition. Flipping cars is not part of the Queen’s spirit. As a student body, Saturday night was not our finest moment. It is a blemish on the reputation of this university. The atmosphere on Aberdeen last weekend seemed to have changed from years past. The usual sense of fun was replaced by a sense of chaos, mayhem, and complete and utter recklessness.
At one point in the evening, a car was overturned and subsequently set ablaze. This kind of behaviour is unacceptable and an embarrassment to Queen’s. It was the type of behaviour that sometimes occurs when people protest political injustice or voice
their opposition to war. But in this case, it seems students were defending their “right” to be above the law. This only encourages the incorrect stereotype that Queen’s students are all spoiled, well-to-do brats.
It’s unfortunate that the stupidity of a few Queen’s and non-Queen’s individuals has cast such a dark shadow over the rest of the student population. In the past, Aberdeen was an opportunity for students to celebrate Homecoming with friends and to connect with other students. But this year, it took a turn for the worse. Many students feared for their safety amidst the deliberate smashing of beer bottles and other raucous activity. During Homecoming, each of us is responsible for our own behaviour and the behaviour of our guests. However, this fact seemed lost on Aberdeen.
Kingston police were out in full force, attempting to keep irresponsible parties in line on Aberdeen. The fact that it was possible for a car to be set on fire amidst the full strength of the police force points to the ineffectiveness of their strategy for ensuring student safety. The lines of police officers on either side blocking entry onto Aberdeen did not deter students in the least. They simply gained access through the backyards of houses in the vicinity. By attempting to control the partying on Aberdeen in barring further entry, the police only caused the partying to spill onto surrounding streets like Johnson, Earl and William. Their strategy only aided in the proliferation of the raucous behaviour taking place.
What’s more, there were few, if any, officers actually on Aberdeen. Perhaps if there were police officers patrolling, students would not have had the opportunity to jump atop the car and set it on fire. If police were able to exert enough force to clear the area in order to allow fire trucks in to extinguish the fire, they should have been able to stop the dangerous activity before it got out of hand. Although the police presence was greater than in the past, it was less effective because it was misplaced and underutilized.
Even before Homecoming, the publicity given to Aberdeen and the increased police presence did little to decrease attendance. If anything, it only spurred interest. The radio and print campaigns by the University and the AMS—an effort to deter bad behaviour—also added to the hype. All the negative attention set the stage for this self-fulfilling prophecy. To quote the AMS ad that appeared in the Journal: “If something can go wrong it will.” The University should, however, be commended for attempting to present an alternative to Aberdeen. Although it didn’t decrease the number of people at Aberdeen, it was nonetheless a successful concert, enjoyed by those in attendance. The concert could have been more effective at keeping the crowd around if Metric had headlined instead of Billy Talent. In the future, the University should continue to present well-planned alternatives to Aberdeen by holding events such as the concert.
The Aberdeen Homecoming celebrations seem to be heading down a slippery slope. We’re lucky more people weren’t hurt, but maybe next year we won’t be so lucky. Aberdeen will inevitably continue in years to come, but after this weekend, better strategies must be found in order to prevent serious injuries.
The mob mentality of Saturday night on Aberdeen was unacceptable. It wasn’t the kind of behaviour that would ever be attributed to “leaders and citizens for a global society.” The resulting media coverage of Queen’s is unfortunate, because the vast majority of Queen’s students did not participate in the violence and remain upstanding leaders and citizens. Those who did behave illegally and recklessly on Aberdeen Street need to take responsibility for their actions. They should be dealt with under the law and by the AMS Prosecutor’s Office.
However, we should by no means allow the behaviour of a few reckless individuals to eclipse the fact that students at Queen’s are, for the most part, responsible. The future of Aberdeen has yet to unfold, but there is no doubt that things will have to change.
The police’s strategy is not working. Many students are not considering the impact of their actions. There needs to be better communication between students, the police and the community to find strategies that work—namely, that they don’t exacerbate the problem.
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