EDITORIAL: Student safety must come first

The violence associated with a Palestra-hosted high school basketball tournament presentrs too much risk. The championship is one of the biggest high school basketball events in the country, with equivalents only in New York and Chicago. Every year it features some of the top college hoops prospects and draws crowds by the thousands, in addition to gaining national press coverage. Because of this potential for greatness, it is all the more regrettable that so much violence has become attached to the event. Even with metal detectors in place and 10 University police officers, 40 school district police officers and 60 security guards on duty near the Palestra yesterday, one person was killed and three others -- including a University student -- were wounded following an altercation inside the building. It was a more tragic version of last year's championship, when police reported hearing gunshots fired from a car in the same area, though no one was injured. There is obviously no question about the importance of the boys high school basketball championship. And it is wonderful that Penn has been able to play host to the Philadelphia tradition. But there is too much at stake to continue to do so. The University has a responsibility to protect the safety of its students above all else. The pattern of events surrounding the boys basketball championship has demonstrated that the violence far outweighs the benefits. Since the spectators for this event are predominantly black, many people are likely to perceive such a decision as racist and a bad PR move for Penn. But safety, not race, is at issue here. Between the Palestra and Franklin Field, the University is fortunate to boast two high-quality athletic facilities. It is nice to be able to share these with other colleges and high schools through events like Penn relays. Generally, we support Athletics Director Steve Bilsky's push to open the facilities for more non-Penn specific events. Last summer's U2 concert, for instance, was a huge success. But sometimes even the greatest preparation may not be enough to insure that an event runs smoothly. University officials must draw the line when student safety is at risk.