Although university administrators support the recommendations set forth by the final Veishea task force report, there is doubt among students that stricter penalties for riot-related behavior will serve as the deterrent administrators envision.

The 2004 Task Force on Assuring Successful Veishea and Other Student/Community Relations suggested changing student disciplinary regulations to explicitly address rioting, disorderly conduct, failing to disperse and hindering emergency efforts of police, fire and emergency personnel as a possible solution to deterring behavior that it has identified as contributing to disturbances.

The task force also recommends changing regulations to state that students who violate student disciplinary regulations during a disturbance will be subject to enhanced penalties and suggests alcohol-related violations that result in a public disturbance should also be subject to enhanced penalties.

Matt Denner, senior in political science, was charged with interference with official acts after the April 18 riot; the charge was later dismissed.

Denner said harsher penalties shouldn’t be pursued because students would choose to ignore them as they did at the April 18 riot.

“People don’t think they’ll be arrested, and they don’t care what the penalties are,” he said.

Will Rock, vice president of the Government of the Student Body, said he doubts stricter sanctions for such student behavior will be an effective deterrent, since people will likely participate in behavior that contributes to a riot no matter what the penalties are.

“I understand the philosophy behind it, but, at some point, people are going to say they’ll do it anyway because they really enjoy drinking underage, providing to minors and other behavior — unless the penalties become extraordinary.”

But Thomas Hill, vice president for student affairs, said he thinks harsher penalties would decrease such behavior.

“I think it could be one part of the approach to creating an environment that will discourage that type of behavior,” Hill said of harsher penalties for charges that stem from a public disturbance.

“We need to get people to understand that, while the behavior might seem light-hearted at the moment, that behavior is very destructive and it extracts a significant price from the institution and the community. And I think this is a good recommendation for addressing that.”

Sophia Magill, GSB president, shared Hill’s sentiments.

“It’s definitely something worth looking into,” Magill said. “I don’t necessarily think right now that enhancing penalties is a catch-all strategy, but I don’t think we can continue to allow for violent behavior.”

Despite the disagreement about whether enhanced penalties should be implemented, all parties agree that, if enacted, the penalties need to be accompanied by awareness and education.

“A lot of students don’t know what the penalties are under the Student Disciplinary Regulations, let alone what the regulations are,” Rock said. “A lot of people got arrested at the riot because they didn’t know what punishment they were going to possibly face as a result of their behavior. I don’t think many knew that they could be expelled or suspended for what they did.”

Because of this, the task force also included a recommendation in its final report calling to change university policy to clarify that interfering with safety officials who are responding to a disturbance is a violation that is subject to enhanced penalties and that assaulting, throwing objects, or otherwise endangering people’s safety is grounds for immediate suspension and dismissal from the university.

“With education ahead of time, [students] are made aware,” Hill said.

“Some students won’t be deterred, but I believe a vast majority will be. I think it will effect a difference in the future.”