The Daily Pennsylvanian
A sorority event erupted into chaos last night when riots broke out at a charity fundraising party close to campus.
Philadelphia Police arrested several students and reportedly used force against some, according to sources who were at the Alpha Chi Omega sorority's annual Big Man on Campus party.
At about 10:45 p.m., police responded to a call for help from staff at World Cafe Live, a venue at 3025 Walnut Street where the event was being hosted.
About 500 people were clustered outside the entrance, Penn Police Sgt. Joe Risoli said.
"Half of them were peaceful. The other half were causing trouble," said Risoli, who was on the scene, of the "unruly" crowd, adding that patrons were pushing and shoving each other and refusing to back away from the doors when asked by police and bouncers.
Students waiting outside said that they saw numerous male and female students beaten with nightsticks and kicked and hit in a field outside the venue. Many were handcuffed and taken away in police cars.
It took the officers more than an hour to clear out the crowd, Risoli said. They shut down the event, although students who had already entered the venue were allowed to remain inside while the event continued.
Risoli said he did not know how many people had been arrested or what the charges against them are, as the Philadelphia Police are handling all arrests. The Philadelphia Police refused to provide any details about the situation.
An unrelated CD release party scheduled to end at 10 p.m. at World Cafe Live ran over schedule and contributed to the backlog of people around the venue. Bouncers stationed at the entrance had trouble containing the crowd.
Students estimated that there were at least 12 police cars on the scene and said a helicopter was circling overhead. Both Penn and city police responded to reports of the disturbance.
"Seeing kids get beaten is not my idea of fun," said a female College sophomore who declined to give her name. "Once we saw people with clubs ... we just wanted to get out of there. We were literally running." The student, who arrived at World Cafe Live at about 10:45, never gained access to the party, though she had already purchased a $10 ticket.
By midnight, some of those who were allowed in had begun trickling out. A few people were sitting outside the entrance; one girl was holding a bag of ice on her leg and crying. Police were still monitoring the situation.
Members of Alpha Chi Omega declined requests for comment.
Big Man on Campus is the sorority's biggest philanthropy event of the year. It features an all-male contest with dance, swimsuit and talent rounds.
College senior Nick Fritzhand won the title of BMOC. Wharton senior Kyle Johnson placed second, and College senior Ben Berman placed third.
Last year, the sorority raised about $10,000 to fight domestic violence.
Big mess off campus - At about 10:45 p.m., World Cafe Live staff called police for help in dealing with an out-of-control crowd of students - Both city and Penn police sent officers to the scene. They spent more than an hour trying to subdue the crowd
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