Proud Alum

Deb -

Evan just called and informed me that he was deeply enrooted in the melee that following the Sox game last night. This really isn't a surprise. I'm all for the rioting on college campuses, but I hate how all of these Cub fans from ISU jump on the Sox bandwagon....they have no loyalty....and no souls.

- Dow


NORMAL -- Sox fans erupted onto the Illinois State University campus Wednesday night within moments of the Chicago White Sox's first World Series title in 88 years.

Thousands of people partied on and around the quad after midnight as police, including several in riot gear, worked to corral the crowds and control vandalism. Some revelers grew rowdier, throwing cans and bottles at officers, rocking a city bus in front of the Bone Student Center and climbing on awnings and other structures.

A 20-foot yellow pole was thrown into the In Exchange fountain in front of Stevenson Hall, and soft drink machines were overturned at the corner of School and Beaufort streets.

By 11:30 p.m., hundreds of people jammed College Avenue near Milner Library. A single lane of westbound cars tried to crawl through as some students threw beer from the overhead pedestrian walkway connecting Milner to the quad.

For the next hour and beyond, police struggled to contain the crowds that surged all over the quad and on the surrounding streets.

On the quad, people were bodysurfing off a stage -- it was set up for a planned post-game celebration with music that was canceled when the crowd grew too raucous.

At least one person charged an officer on the stage, but more students took the police in stride. Some snapped photos of the officers in riot gear while others sat on police car hoods and posed for pictures until chased off by officers.

Two men streaked across the quad.

The rowdiness came as a release at the end of a tense night for Sox fans. The game remained scoreless until the Sox scored the only run of the game in the eighth inning.

"Since they scored, it's insane here," said ISU senior Erin Joyce of Schaumburg, who was celebrating with about 200 people packed in the Pub II east of campus in Normal.

Joyce described herself as a Sox fan used to living in the middle of Cub fans. "Everyone's jumping on the bandwagon, but that's fine. I don't care," she said.

As the minutes ticked away and the Sox held onto their 1-0 lead, the crowd in Pub II grew more energized.

When Juan Uribe dived into the stands and caught a pop fly for the second-to-last out, everyone jumped around, high-fived, hugged and tossed beer.

"I'm going to cry in a minute," said Trevor Kahn, an ISU senior from Buffalo Grove. "My whole family is Cub fans, but I can't cheer for a losing team."

The end of the game was supposed to signal the start of a planned celebration on the ISU quad. A band was preparing to take the stage, and people were asked to sign a banner to be sent to the Sox.

Students started pouring into the quad as cars honked their horns and fireworks went off all over the campus area. Men stripped off their shirts and ran bare-chested toward the quad.