“You know there’s no way that this boy was going to let me forget him,” said Dr. Sally Clausen, president of the University of Louisiana System, at the scarcely attended presidential inauguration of Dr. Horace A. Judson in T.H. Harris Auditorium on Saturday.
It’s not my intent to blow this statement – made in reference to SGA President Martin Lemelle – out of proportion. But I have to shed light on it because if the word “girl” had been used to refer to Dr. Clausen, there would be an article already written.
In Webster’s New World Dictionary, the second definition for “boy” reads: “a man regarded as immature, a male domestic worker or servant.”
If based on nothing else but the fact that Martin withstands all the demands and backlash that come with being SGA president, I think he deserves to be called a young man.
Now every politician knows that word choice is critical.
One does not say words because they rhyme or because they slide off the tongue easy. One has to be cautious, otherwise, people may derive the wrong message.
Overall, I think there were a couple of innuendos dropped by Dr. Clausen. When she asked everyone to help sing “Lift every voice and sing,” she referred to it as “something that all of you have learned as children.”
I don’t know who “you” is referring to, but I do know who were the bulk of people in attendance – us.
While those two statements instantly stirred up something in my blood, the way we were smiling and clapping in unison hurt even more.
In clapping we are agreeing with the notion that everything is kosher. But it wasn’t, and it’s not.
We just had a presidential inauguration, and the students still don’t know the president.
Some inaugural events were publicized as scholarship events. But what scholarship were they for?
There is no air conditioning in Garner Hall, an honors dorm where students expect to be among the best living conditions on campus. Why not?
I am a realist, and I know money is always a need for HBCUs. I also know bringing money to GSU is one of President Judson’s main priorities. I wish him well in this effort because we need it.
I just want everyone to do his or her part and not swallow everything thrown our way. Instead, we need to regurgitate it and demand answers.
With that said, Mr. President, may I please have an answer to this question?
Why is it that an outsider (rumored to be a Tech student) was responsible for taking pictures at some of your events?
We do have two media outlets with numerous cameras that could have done this same job. Or are we though of as just useless and incapable of performing up to par.
Well, if this is the case, then maybe someone should teach us how to shoot properly because obviously we’re not up to snuff and won’t be able to get a job in the field most of us are dreaming about going into.
By no means am I the only student who feels this way. I just may be the only one willing to come out and say it. As a matter of fact, an irate mass communication student came to my adviser, Mrs. Wanda Peters, with similar comments.
“How is it that you’re reclaiming the legacy and reaching for the stars, but you don’t use your own? So what you’re saying to students is that we’re not going to make it in the business, that we’re just here to get a degree,” said the student, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation.
Wow – scared of retaliation.
That’s very sad to me because some students truly feel threatened to speak their minds.
In a sense I can concur with them because if it’s possible for financial aid funds to be delayed indefinitely, then certainly a transcript can vanish.
But my defense for negative energy such as this is the Most High. In the Bible it says the truth shall set you free.
Confucius said three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.
And the great Malcolm X said, “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it’s for or against.”
So, Dr. Judson, can you please tell us the truth?
My department head, Dr. Rama Tunuguntla, just announced he will be stepping down from his position.
Within the last few weeks it has been said that Dr. Geoffrey Rugege, head of the English Department, Dr. Yawsoon Sim, head of Political Science, Dr. Andolyn Harrison, dean of the College of Education, and Dr. Russell Willis, acting head of Sociology/Psychology, among others, are all stepping down from their administrative roles.
This is not just coincidence, because this has been happening since the beginning of your tenure. We knew some serious changes were going to be made, but we’re tired of hearing the news “through the grapevine” rather than from official sources. Plus, sooner or later, I wonder if we will even recognize any of our teachers or administrators.
I have no problem with the new people because change is inevitable. But the issue is, is the love for Grambling embedded in these new faculty members and administrators? I just want to know that people are working for the betterment of Grambling and not just for the plans implemented by the University of Louisiana System.
Before I leave, I must say thank you in advance to VP Billy Owens for replying to my request of the budget and source of funding for all inaugural events. He wrote that he would probably have final figures on inauguration expenses next week and he would provide me with the information then.
I would think figures would already be available. But maybe I’m off balance and don’t know exactly how these money issues work. So I’ll press the brakes and wait on a reply.