Zip to Zap - Zap, North Dakota - News Article Locations on Waymarking.com

Originally started because the student president of North Dakota State University did not have enough money to go to Florida for spring break. As a cheap alternative he took out an ad in the student newspaper the "Spectrum" and called the event "Zip to Zap". The event was picked up by the Associated Press and the event grew. The event scheduled for May 9-11, 1969 and by Friday night May 9th, 2000 college age students descended upon the small town of Zap. The event was not fully planned and the town was not prepared for that many people. The local bars and cafes ran out of beer and the student took to the streets. When the temperature dropped, the wood from a vacant building was used to start a bonfire in the middle of Main Street. The local townspeople asked the the crowd to breakup and go home and some complied and many did not. The party atmosphere soon diminished and an a riot broke out, with local businesses broken into. By dawn 500 National Guardsmen surrounded the town. Two hundred moved into town and faced the 200 rioters still up and about 1,000 who were sleeping wherever they were. There was little resistance and peace was quickly restored. The "Zip to Zap" fiasco was carried as the lead story for CBC Evening New that evening.

Type of publication: Television When was the article reported?: 05/10/1969 Publication: Dakota Datebook NPR Article Url: [Web Link] Is Registration Required?: no How widespread was the article reported?: national News Category: Crime

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