More than a week after the third Beaver Canyon riot in two years, the State College Borough Council is meeting tonight to discuss additional measures to prevent another one.

This very topic has appeared on the council's agenda several times this semester, and as with each meeting, students are welcome to attend.

With the amount of reader feedback we have gotten from students who were concerned either about the image of Penn State students after last weekend's riot or the police officers' use of chemical spray, there should be lots to talk about tonight. However, the discussion will not be a productive one unless students attend and offer their input.

Council members will be the first to say they need help from students in order to prevent another downtown disturbance. They will also probably be among the first to say that although students are upset about a number of issues surrounding Penn State's unfortunate demonstrations of school spirit, they are not the ones who fill up the seats at the council meetings. If we are serious about not making negative national headlines again, we must work with the borough to give them an idea of what causes these riots and what we can do to stop them.

We have seen that without student input, the council has come up with ideas like closing downtown window vendors (i.e. Acme Pizza) at midnight, because, according to some members, such businesses create crowds that cause disturbances.

Because that idea obviously did not work last Saturday when Acme closed at midnight, the borough must resort to plan B.

Unfortunately, plan B is still in the works. And it will not be effective unless members of the student body can give the council feedback when it proposes certain ideas. It is imperative that we are part of this planning process. If you were among those who were sprayed despite the fact that you may not have caused the disturbance, tell the council about it. Suggest to them ways that the police can perhaps give better warning to innocent bystanders.

Likewise, if you were a student walking by the riot and were disgusted by what you saw, tell the council you are fed up. Tell them what you think can be best done to prevent another destructive, student-led disturbance.

Help the council and most importantly, help Penn State students by showing up at the meeting at 7 tonight in the municipal building. Our input will not only be appreciated, it will be crucial.