Last weekend’s fights at the annual Fall Block Step Show had VCU officials and university President Eugene Trani meeting Tuesday to discuss security and enforcement measures.
Saturday night’s altercation at the Stuart C. Siegel Center marks the third time this year that a VCU-sponsored event had to be canceled because of violence, said Tim Reed, director of Student Commons and Activities. The other two functions – one during the spring semester and the other in August – were parties in the Commons.
Officials said that scuffles are not unusual at parties, but figuring out how to avoid ending a party offers a challenge.
“In any large crowd like this you may have a fight, but how do you respond? How do you get those people out of the way so the others can have fun?” Reed asked.
While he said the step show was a success with more than 4,000 people attending, the fights in the early half of the after-party shut the event down.
The cancellation sent the thousands of partygoers out on Broad Street where, Reed said, one arrest was made and Richmond City Police had to take action.
“There was a Richmond city police officer who released what is called a pepper- spray fogger,” he said. “The fogger was used to clear a group of bystanders who would not evacuate the area.”
Some VCU students said the fights make them leery of attending school events.
“If I was there I wouldn’t feel safe,” said Kim Wheatly, a first-year premed major. “With police officers spraying mace and everything it could hit someone who was not involved.”
“Kelli Lemon, assistant director for programs (at the Commons) met with the Siegel Center staff and VCU Police to talk about how we can increase security and do some things to make that event more safe,” Reed said.
Students who attended last Saturday’s after-party said they’re concerned that the fights might put an end to some campus functions.
“I’m scared they won’t have the events anymore just because a few people can’t act like civilized adults,” said Toni Wilkerson, a senior political-science major.
Senior officials met and voiced the same concerns at the meeting, Reed said.
“The president is concerned,” he said, “and he doesn’t want to see things like the after-party stopped.”
Future possibilities include increasing security and devising new altercation-response methods.
Still, some students said they didn’t think only VCU students caused the fights.
“Nine times out of 10 it’s people from other schools,” said Robyn Hicks, a senior social-work major.
Wilkerson agreed saying she thought that limiting the number of non-VCU students would cut down on fighting.
Saturday night’s step show and after-party were open to general admission.
Despite the recurrence of scuffles, some students said school functions still offer a better alternative.
“Fights happen anywhere,” Hicks said. “I feel safer at a school function than out on the street somewhere.”