Carbondale was treated to a very nice treat during Halloween weekend. And while there are those among us who would have thought something like this was impossible, people took the Strip peacefully Thursday night to celebrate Halloween. What is both surprising and interesting is that a riot did not occur. In fact, the people who ventured to the Strip only did so to have a good time. Bottles were not thrown, and tear-gas did not taint the air. Local news reporters were on the scene to film the destruction that many thought would occur, and those same reporters went home empty handed.Thursday night, both the city and the students learned a valuable lesson. The lesson was that people, if they work together and respect one another, can have a good time without it getting out of hand.

Next year, when people begin to talk about what SIUC and Carbondale are going to do about the Halloween situation, this scenario should be remembered because it could serve as a model. It seems that a thin line of hatred has been created between some of the students and the city with each one blaming the other for what happens when a riot occurs on the Strip. Each one is unwilling to give in to the other party, and as the tension builds, someone gets out of hand. The saying that a few bad apples spoils the bunch is certainly true in this case, because all it takes is for one drunken idiot to throw a bottle at the police, and the police are forced to respond. That should not and does not have to happen, and the majority of the people realize that.

Thursday night was an ideal example of cooperation and, sadly, many people are not going to remember that. The riots are going to be remembered for a long time, and what is disappointing is that people are going to remember those riots while this peaceful night is, chances are, going to be forgotten. Or at least, it is not going to be remembered as much as the rampant destruction that filled newspapers and television channels. What many people will not get to see is how at 2 a.m. Thursday, the police posed for pictures and joked with some of the people in costumes, and the students were allowed to crowd into the Strip in a peaceful fashion. The partiers were there to have a good time, and about 30 minutes later, most of them had gone home. It was a night of non-violence where students were allowed to do what many of them had been wanting to do if given the chance have a good time in an area that was designated for that purpose.

It is sad to think that there are people who only know SIUC from what they see on the news. Every Halloween, the riots make newspapers all over Illinois and sometimes in other states. Some people who have never heard of SIUC are only shown students tipping over cars and being sprayed with Mace and tear gas. And this is going to be the only image they will ever have of a very good school that does not get the recognition and respect that it deserves. People will only associate SIUC with drunken mobs and police who are willing to spray chemicals on a student at a moments notice.

Next year, a riot may occur on Halloween. If it does, the city will continue to crack down on the students even more, and some students will do all they can to rebel even more. This can be stopped, and Thursday is proof of that. Next year, hopefully, people will remember the good parts instead of the destruction. And if people do use this peaceful night as a model to work with, SIUC will finally be on its way to putting aside the party-school image that has plagued it for so long.