On Wednesday morning, I sat in the waiting room of a sleek Boston office, awaiting an exciting job interview. However, my anticipation diminished when I saw a news report on television about the upcoming controversial “celebration,” at the University of Massachusetts, “Blarney Blowout.”

Later, as I was leaving the office, my interviewer did not say “good luck” or “you’ll hear from us soon,” but rather, “have fun this weekend.” I knew immediately what he was talking about.

It’s the same thing every year; the UMass administration and Amherst Police Department send out emails days or weeks in advance, warning students that police will be present and making arrests. Yet, despite these threats, masses of student show up. Why is this?

If the administration viewed this dilemma from a behavioral psychology point of view, they would see that predictions and expectations of behavior enhance the likelihood of that particular behavior. If you expect someone to fail, they are more apt to fail. But this is not the entire problem; obviously the students involved must take responsibility too.

So, it’s the age-old question: Which came first, the people or the police?

Discussing the legality of “Blarney Blowout” (and other notorious UMass events that make the news) is complicated. Yes, the people do have the right to assemble, but not on private property when the owner does not consent. If a dispersal order is given the police are legally allowed to arrest you whether or not you were being disruptive.

What kind of precedent is that? I’ve witnessed many of these events and have heard first hand accounts of the UMass judicial system. Many times in events like this, one or two students will be picked out of the crowd and arrested as an example to help disperse the crowd.

These students are immediately kicked off campus and are usually suspended for up to two years or expelled. From this point on, what happens to the student is subjective, but I think it’s safe to say that their lives take a severely different path due to the halt in their educational careers. It’s possible they will never return to school.

We as students pay to gain an academic and social education. Yet we live under a system that expects us to behave a certain way and when we fail to do so, we are immediately and severely punished.

In no way am I condoning “Blarney Blowout” or these other rowdy events. However, I do think that in some way, the administration, community and even fellow students have come to expect this behavior from the student body. It’s about principle now; we push and the administration pushes back. But the harder each side pushes, the worse the consequences become.

Arresting naive young adults for doing what was expected of them is not a solution, nor is hyping up an event that has become synonymous with alcohol poisoning, property damage and sexual assault. Not to mention, it’s just embarrassing.

Anyone who knows me can attest that I am all for having a good time. But look at what our school’s reputation has become, both for students and the administration. This isn’t a war. There needs to be a better way of dealing with these tousles that does not involve treating students like criminals, disrespecting public and private property and making UMass a media hot topic for its rowdiness.

There needs to be cooperation between students and the administration. If we’re going to approach events like “Blarney Blowout” from a realistic perspective, we know that students will always find a way to party, no matter who or what is standing in their way. It’s just a fact.

The students are the majority and the administration has to acknowledge that. However, the herds of students attending these events must also realize that they might just be fulfilling an embarrassing behavioral expectation, and might get arrested. Either way, both sides must evaluate the consequences of their actions.

We’re all adults here, so let’s start acting like ones.