Northeastern University has canceled their spring
concert featuring Ludacris, after students of the University participated in
a Superbowl riot that left one man dead when a drunk driver drove his SUV through
the crowd.
Northeastern’s President Richard M. Freeland
said that holding the concert was inappropriate after thousands of students
took to the streets to celebrate the New England Patriots victory over the Carolina
Panthers.
"It became increasingly clear to me that
the message that we’re going on with business as usual and having a big celebration,
when the world is looking at us through the prism of what happened after the
Super Bowl, is the wrong thing to do," Freeland told the Boston Globe shortly
after announcing the cancellation to students.
The April 2 show was to be part of Springfest.
Students said that the concert would have been the biggest event at the University
in years and voted to triple their yearly activities fees to afford a top name
act.
"It’s a couple of knuckleheads who did it,
not the majority of the students," said Ed Klotzbier, vice president for
student affairs.
Freeland said that even though the number of
troublemakers was only 15 students, others simply stood by as property was destroyed
and cars were flipped.
"I would’ve liked to see more students in
that crowd trying to put a stop to what was going on, or walking away in disapproval,"
Freeland added.
Students have already started protesting the
decision.
"This was going to be the biggest thing
to happen to student life and student activities – ever," Student Government
President Michael Romano said.
