Police prepare to face off with students on Court Street April 5 in a disturbance that resulted in dozens of s tudents being arrested. Photos: Bill Shilling, The Post

By Mary Alice Casey

From Ohio University to Washington State, UConn to Tennessee, student disturbances this spring have prompted school officials, alumni and community members to look back on their own college days. Whether those days came in the live-and-let-live '80s, the Vietnam-era '60s and '70s or the more conservative, prank-happy '40s and '50s, the talk at water coole rs and Little League games suggests folks just don't get the latest spate of campus uprisings.

And it's not because they haven't heard about them. TV viewers, newspaper and magazine readers, radio listeners and online news junkies virtually everyone who doesn't live in a cave have gotten word of what many are calling this spring's "right to party" riots.

A student is arrested during the April 5 disturbance on Court Street.

In Athens, dozens of students were arrested and 34 faced discipline by the university after a crowd estimated at about 2,500 gathered Uptown on Court Street in the early morning hours of April 5. Police responded in riot gear. The event came exactly a year after a smaller disturbance caused by the bars closing early for the switch to daylight-saving time, but few people believe the time change was behind the most recent incident. Rather, speculation on a cause has centered on advance media coverage, students' desire to challenge authority or overzealous law enforcement.

But whether you point to the start of daylight-saving time on Court Street or the end of beer-buoyed tailgate parties at Michigan State, the common thread in all of the flaps is alcohol.

"The biggest problem we have is the culture on campuses that says it's not only smart to drink, it's smart to drink too much. And that's insane," says Ohi o University President Robert Glidden. "Only the students can help us change that culture."

Senior Chad Tanner, as president of Student Senate for 1997-98, met several times with university and city officials after the April 5 incident. He has little sympathy for students who were arrested or disciplined for their actions that night, saying he can think of no logical defense.

"I think it's going to be up to the student governments and the universities themselves to focus on responsible dri nking," he says. "Irresponsible drinking is really what's behind these things."

Proponents of lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18 to take some of the allure out of alcohol use may have a point, he says. It could eliminate students' desire to get away with something and also give parents more of an opportunity to share their values on alcohol use before their children leave for college.

Such arguments aren't lost on Glidden.

"I give a lecture on alcohol use to freshmen every year at orientation and I'm sure it goes right in one ear and out the other," he says. "I frankly think it would be easier if we had a legal drinking age of 18 because I believe students would be more responsible."

Getting a message about responsibility across to students is the central tenet of a new Ohio University campaign developed by Professor of Journalism Michael Bugeja, who serves as special assistant to the president. Bugeja developed several public service ads urging students not to abuse a lcohol and emphasizing personal responsibility.

Print ads have gone to The Post student newspaper, The Athens Messenger and The Athens News. Officials also encouraged other state universities to use the ads. A video version has been provided to local television stations, and a multimedia ad is being created for use in movie theaters.

"I feel as Dr. Glidden feels that young people are responsible and we need to appeal to that," Bugeja says. "Our president emphasizes Ohio University's learnin g environment and part of the learning is personal accountability."

Glidden began the initiative May 15, the day before the longstanding Palmerfest street party just off campus. The university took out a full-page ad in The Post urging common sense and discouraging underage drinking and disorderly conduct.

In an editorial column that appeared the same day, he appealed to students: "When OU is known, rightly or wrongly, as a school where alcohol is more important than learning, everyone loses . Top incoming students go elsewhere. Top students already here think about transferring. In fact, I estimate our institution might have lost more than 100 excellent prospects because of the April 5 coverage. . . . You have the opportunity to show other campuses, law enforcement, alumni, prospective students and the viewing public that you have good judgment. Please use it at social functions . . . and help us restore our true image as one of the best universities in the land."

Palmerfest was ca lm. There were few arrests and little media coverage. Besides the president's appeal to students, Vice President for Student Affairs Joel Rudy credits thoughtful planning by police and cooperation from students.

"Expectations were clarified on both sides of the issues and the students reacted positively and responsibly," Rudy says.

He says university officials will continue to meet with students, local government leaders and representatives of other schools to help prevent a recurrence of the incidents. Students took to the streets this spring in similar alcohol-related incidents at the University of Akron, Ohio State and on two consecutive nights at Miami in Oxford.

Director of Judiciaries Richard Carpinelli believes disciplinary measures like those taken by his office after the April 5 event, coupled with public service messages and other proactive efforts, have helped the university "turn or be about to turn the corner" on the problem.

Thirty-four arrested students faced disciplinary action by the university, with 13 receiving one- quarter suspensions that were set aside if they agreed to perform community service, seek alcohol education and serve one year of disciplinary probation. Nine others were suspended from one to four quarters and the remainder were found not guilty by a hearing board, put on probation, had charges against them dismissed or had still-pending cases as of early June.

While OU officials voice frustration over the distraction such uprisings cause in the educational process, they are quick to say that only a small fraction of students are involved either directly or as onlookers. And they have stepped back far enough to realize that the problems extend far beyond Athens and even university campuses as a whole.

"The thing that saddens me about this is that I really believe young people today are more knowledgeable and more responsible than at any time before," Glidden says. "I think there's more social concern today on the part of s tudents. But that doesn't mean you can have this set of characteristics and not participate in binge drinking."

Mary Alice Casey is assistant editor of Ohio University Today. Bill Estep, editor of Ohio University Today, also contributed to this story.