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CNN Live Sunday
Interview With Robert Caplin
Aired November 24, 2002 - 17:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This was the scene last night around the Ohio State campus in Columbus, as football victory revelry turned violent. Fans celebrating the Buckeyes win over Michigan went on a rampage. And officials say the crowd set more than 100 small fires and burned or damaged 20 cars. Police report 48 arrests.
Today, Ohio State University President Karen Holbrook apologized to the community. She promised discipline for any students involved in the disturbance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN HOLBROOK, OHIO STATE UNIV. PRESIDENT: Those who were arrested will be immediately suspended from the university. Those who engaged in criminal activity will face exclusion. Earlier today, I authorized Ohio State's vice president of student affairs, Bill Hall (ph), to use all means necessary to identify and address those responsible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: You've got to ask yourself, after looking at those pictures, what was going through those kids' minds? Why did they behave this way? We're going to talk with Robert Caplin, he is actually a photo intern at the "Columbus Dispatch." And Robert, you were actually eyewitness to all of this. What was it like to be there?
ROBERT CAPLIN, COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Yeah, it was crazy. You know, at first, it wasn't too bad. You know, after the game, there was a couple of couch fires, and that was it. Around 12:30 or so, it turned into pretty hard-core riots. Kids tipping over cars, setting them on fire. You know, it was like a scene out of any, you know, riot that I've ever seen on TV.
LIN: Well, what was the trigger? I mean, this was celebrating a victory?
CAPLIN: It was silly. I don't know. I think it was more or less too many people in one place with nothing to do but drink. And just turned around that way, you know.
LIN: Now, you're 19 years old.
CAPLIN: Yes, I am. LIN: All right. So I'm not saying that insanity has anything to do with the age of the people involved here, but give us an insight. Because when I was in college, the worst anybody really did was, you know, ran through Westwood naked after a big basketball victory. But it never really got this violent. And this is not the only case of violence related to the football season around the country. We're going to get to those stories later, but you know, just give us a mind-set of what's going through these kids' heads.
CAPLIN: You know, I think it's just really silly. You know, I've got to say, I don't think that everybody there were OSU students. There were a lot of visitors around. And you know, it was just a very strange thing to see these kids -- you know, there's a point at which High (ph) Street, which is the main street on campus, got pretty much raided by all these students, and kids were just running out in the streets, knocking the taxicabs, taxicabs, the tops off taxicabs, kicking cars. At one point, they tried to grab my camera away from me, take my film. But you know, fortunately, the cops came just in time.
LIN: So the university says that it's going to expel any students that they actually catch. Is the university going to really be aggressive at going after these people? Are they going to work with law enforcement?
CAPLIN: Well, you know, I'm not too sure about what the university is going to do. I know that some of these photos I've got are pretty incriminating.
LIN: Are you going to be turning them in to the school?
CAPLIN: Well, I'm not sure what "The Dispatch" is going to do with that. I know that, you know, we're going to be running some tomorrow at "The Dispatch," so they can check those.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Robert Caplin. It was a very busy night for police and firefighters out there.
CAPLIN: Sure was. Thanks for having me.
LIN: Yeah, thanks and I'm glad you're safe.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 24, 2002 - 17:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: This was the scene last night around the Ohio State campus in Columbus, as football victory revelry turned violent. Fans celebrating the Buckeyes win over Michigan went on a rampage. And officials say the crowd set more than 100 small fires and burned or damaged 20 cars. Police report 48 arrests.
Today, Ohio State University President Karen Holbrook apologized to the community. She promised discipline for any students involved in the disturbance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREN HOLBROOK, OHIO STATE UNIV. PRESIDENT: Those who were arrested will be immediately suspended from the university. Those who engaged in criminal activity will face exclusion. Earlier today, I authorized Ohio State's vice president of student affairs, Bill Hall (ph), to use all means necessary to identify and address those responsible.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIN: You've got to ask yourself, after looking at those pictures, what was going through those kids' minds? Why did they behave this way? We're going to talk with Robert Caplin, he is actually a photo intern at the "Columbus Dispatch." And Robert, you were actually eyewitness to all of this. What was it like to be there?
ROBERT CAPLIN, COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Yeah, it was crazy. You know, at first, it wasn't too bad. You know, after the game, there was a couple of couch fires, and that was it. Around 12:30 or so, it turned into pretty hard-core riots. Kids tipping over cars, setting them on fire. You know, it was like a scene out of any, you know, riot that I've ever seen on TV.
LIN: Well, what was the trigger? I mean, this was celebrating a victory?
CAPLIN: It was silly. I don't know. I think it was more or less too many people in one place with nothing to do but drink. And just turned around that way, you know.
LIN: Now, you're 19 years old.
CAPLIN: Yes, I am. LIN: All right. So I'm not saying that insanity has anything to do with the age of the people involved here, but give us an insight. Because when I was in college, the worst anybody really did was, you know, ran through Westwood naked after a big basketball victory. But it never really got this violent. And this is not the only case of violence related to the football season around the country. We're going to get to those stories later, but you know, just give us a mind-set of what's going through these kids' heads.
CAPLIN: You know, I think it's just really silly. You know, I've got to say, I don't think that everybody there were OSU students. There were a lot of visitors around. And you know, it was just a very strange thing to see these kids -- you know, there's a point at which High (ph) Street, which is the main street on campus, got pretty much raided by all these students, and kids were just running out in the streets, knocking the taxicabs, taxicabs, the tops off taxicabs, kicking cars. At one point, they tried to grab my camera away from me, take my film. But you know, fortunately, the cops came just in time.
LIN: So the university says that it's going to expel any students that they actually catch. Is the university going to really be aggressive at going after these people? Are they going to work with law enforcement?
CAPLIN: Well, you know, I'm not too sure about what the university is going to do. I know that some of these photos I've got are pretty incriminating.
LIN: Are you going to be turning them in to the school?
CAPLIN: Well, I'm not sure what "The Dispatch" is going to do with that. I know that, you know, we're going to be running some tomorrow at "The Dispatch," so they can check those.
LIN: All right. Thank you very much, Robert Caplin. It was a very busy night for police and firefighters out there.
CAPLIN: Sure was. Thanks for having me.
LIN: Yeah, thanks and I'm glad you're safe.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
