As student leaders attending last week’s National Summit on Preventing Civil Disturbances took the opportunity to discuss ways to promote the “one community” idea, experts offered university and law enforcement officials advice on preventing and dealing with riots.

Cynthia Buettner, director of the College of Human Ecology at Ohio State University, commended ISU officials for forming a task force as quickly and effectively as they did.

Buettner showed video clips of some of the 18 riots that occurred at Ohio State between 1996 and 2002. She also recommended resolutions that have proved to be effective, including efforts similar to the Ames Police Department’s party response team.

Following Buettner’s presentation Thursday, several panelists voiced concerns about preventing future disturbances like the 2004 Veishea riot.

Tony Borich, ex-officio ISU student City Council representative, said he is still not satisfied with the dialogue between students and police.

“My experience with cops didn’t occur until I was at a house party that was broken up,” said Borich, senior in community and regional planning. “As an underage student in Ames, there are not a lot of things to do. So an attack on parties is an attack on [students’] socialization.”

Bethany Schuttinga, assistant dean of students, said she wants to see the university step up its intervention early in students’ careers, an idea similar to the Government of the Student Body’s proposed principles commission that will define student expectations.

GSB President Angela Groh welcomed summit attendees Friday morning with ideas she and other student leaders identified to better the student-city relationship.

“We plan to reach out to students in the ever-growing, off-campus housing,” she said. “Reach out and bring in the typical student, create long-term efforts that don’t falter when things don’t go well,” Groh said.

A summit follow-up is scheduled for Dec. 1 at 11:30 a.m. in the Cardinal Room of the Memorial Union.