Student "Riot"

It was 11pm, and I was just settling into bed when the yelling started. Every night at 11pm the electricity is turned off in the dormitories and the students are technically supposed to go to bed. Sometimes the guys in the dorm just across from us decide it is too early though, and they will yell in objection. Usually they will yell a couple of times back and forth and then settle down, but tonight, the yelling continued.

A few minutes later the cheering was still going on, getting louder and bursting forth in waves. I looked out of the window by my bed, and I could see flashlights jumping around in the darkened dorm rooms. I could see a few guys peering out of their balconies, but that was all.

When the yelling had continued for about five minutes, my curiosity was raised. Had something important happened that I don’t know about? Was this some sort of spontaneous celebration? I looked out my other windows but still couldn’t see any cause for the commotion. I saw that Christina’s light was on above me, so I gave her a call, but she didn’t have any idea either. We decided to scope out the scene.

I threw on some clothes and we walked outside. As we came out the door, we met a couple of post-graduate friends who were also headed toward the dormitories to find out what was happening. In the middle of the four large dormitory buildings (each housing about 1000 students) is a long, wide roadway. We joined a small crowd of students gathered nearby in frilly nightgowns and boxers and all manner of dress or undress. Even in the darkness I could see that the balconies of the dormitories were crowded with students.

Every minute or so a water bottle (mostly plastic, but a few glass) would come flying from one of the upper balconies and shatter on the ground. Each explosion brought a new round of shouts and cheering. On the ground a lone security guard stood, vainly waving around his flashlight. He yelled a few times but quickly gave in to the futility, realizing his powerlessness against the thousands of students sheltered by the anonymous darkness.

A police car drove up behind us flashing lights, and three policemen jumped out. They surveyed the scene then also stood back to watch. Even the little group of spectators on the ground barely glanced at them. Obviously they weren’t intimidated.

It was such an interesting sight that I just kept laughing. The spectators were clearly enjoying this break from the routine. Our friend said, laughing, “It’s a student riot!” (When I asked students today, they said it was perhaps a protest of the electricity shut off or seniors who are about to graduate protesting everything they couldn’t protest in the past four years.) Though confined to their dormitories, the students were united and empowered. The air was charged with excitement. There was really nothing to be done except wait for the students to get tired or bored.

Christina and I got bored before the students did. We bid our friends goodbye and went back inside. Finally at around 11:40pm the lights were turned on and the noise died away.

Really, I felt happy for the students. Sure, it was random and mostly useless, but it was one of those things that makes you wake up and remember that life is fun. Today, in our last class for the semester, I asked my students, “What is you best memory from this year?” Some of them yelled out, “Last night! Last night!” amid more cheers and laughter.