Celebrate, but wisely

After IU's 73-64 victory over No. 2 seed Oklahoma in NCAA Final Four Saturday night, more than 1,000 excited fans gathered in on East Kirkwood and the downtown to celebrate. For several hours fans cheered, yelled and, at times, used questionable judgement. \nMore than a dozen people climbed poles at the intersection of Kirkwood and Dunn, some making it to the top and dangling their way to the other side on an electrical wire. \nOne climber, Justin Hawkins, 12, had watched the game at the Buskirk-Chumley. Afterwards he had walked down Kirkwood with his mom and brother, and it was then that Justin made his attempt to climb a pole. When he didn't have much luck, his mother went so far as to encourage him to take off his pants, thinking his bare legs would afford more traction.\n"I almost made it to the top," Hawkins said.\nSome climbers fell. \nSeveral fights broke out among fans, likely because of intoxication and the jostling of a packed crowd. Stop signs, one-way signs and trees were just a few of the casualties along Kirkwood, which remains littered even after street sweepers made the rounds around 10:45 p.m. A broken window in Ernie Pyle Hall is just one testament to the overreaction of a few fans.\nPolice arrested about 10 people for alcohol-related offenses and several people sustained head injuries, although none serious, according to Bloomington Police Captain Mike Diekhoff.\nWhile celebrating IU's victory is certainly welcome, fans should use good judgement in how far they go following tonight's 9:18 final game against No. 1 seeded Maryland. \n"We have class fans at IU and we certainly want them to handle themselves in a class manner when they celebrate our success," Coach Mike Davis said.\nRegardless of whether IU wins or loses, there will be a considerable reaction among IU fans in Bloomington. But IU has never lost in a final NCAA tournament game and Maryland has never been to one, much less win one.\nWe should congratulate Mike Davis and team on an absolutely excellent NCAA tournament in Davis's second year as head coach.\nLet's celebrate, but let's heed Davis's \nwords and use our heads, too. \n