At this time last year, we were reflecting upon the disastrous results of College Fest 2012. Police threw tear gas into the massive crowd, and students retaliated by tossing bottles. Though the more eager partygoers among us find thrill in such mindlessness and unpredictability, it was unquestionably a terrible scene that should never be the outcome of something so petty as the right to party.

As we wrote in this space, the riot “wasn’t special or significant or even representative of any movement. Nothing meaningful came from these fights. There is no dignity found in these bloody faces and these burning eyes. If anything, it was one of the luckiest moments in our history that something worse didn’t happen.”

This year, nothing of the sort took place. Gatherings were small and under control. The police presence was probably excessive in comparison to what little was happening, which might have frightened some from stopping by.

College Fest had changed from one extreme to the other, and while the violence of the past is a stain on the city and must never happen again, we are a little sad that the aftereffects were this drastic.

Surely there’s a happy medium in here somewhere. Residents of College Avenue shouldn’t be afraid to have a gathering, but their guests shouldn’t be ignorant of the potential consequences of their behavior. The best-case scenario revives the fun and enjoyment of company without getting out of hand — a new tradition for which the city police don’t need to mark their calendars and arrange for the SWAT team to be on call.

But we can’t help but appreciate having a much more heartwarming centerpiece for our newspaper today: students organizing the annual Relay for Life to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Fighting cancer instead of fighting cops — that’s a much better use of time.