Monday, October 15, 2007

HOMECOMING '07 - FROM AFAR

This year was the first time in three years that I was not in Kingston for the Queen's Homecoming.

Since the debacle of '05, Homecoming seems to have become a regional media event.

The Toronto Star's online edition leads with the headline: "Queen's Homecoming Turns Violent," however the article under the headline is barely able to report any incidents of actual violence. What it does manage to do is mostly re-report the news of 2005.

The Star reported 54 arrests were made on Saturday night (down slightly from last-year's 58) and quotes Sgt. Helene Corcoran as saying "I think 54 arrests is ridiculous, I hate to say they were better behaved" (than in past years).

Of course when you have conditions of 6,500 20-year olds drinking, being policed by over 200 officers (a roughly 30:1 ratio) in a three block radius, you're going to get people arrested, mostly for alcohol related violations, as the Guelph Mercury reported.

Optimus Crime reports that nothing was too out of the ordinary on Aberdeen St., just your standard nudity (male and female), fireworks, and rooftop party-goers.

Posted by Matthew @ 9:13 a.m.