Opinion

A Student Perspective

 

Grambling, ole Grambling, We love thee dear ole Grambling

I hear these words so often, that I begin to question the university. 

We the students of Grambling State University love our school so dear, but does the university truly love us in return? 

To answer the question, one must first ask themselves, “What is true love?” 

Though every student does not share the same theological belief, let’s refer to the Bible. According to 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, “love is patient, love is kind, … love is not easily angered but love rejoices in the truth, it always protects, love always trust, and most of all love hopes.” 

Now that love has been defined, ask yourself this question: When is the last time that you felt love from this university? 

Let’s talk about the GSU Police Department. Just recently on Sept. 10, I attended the free concert that was sponsored by Vitamin Water at T.H. Harris Auditorium. While standing in line, I noticed that the GSUPD had Taser guns pointed at people. Side effects from being tasered include significant pain and the loss of balance due to muscle contraction. 

The inability to maintain balance may cause scrapes, cuts, fractures and sometimes even broken bones as the tasered victim hits the ground. Seizures may also occur because of being tasered.

Reports show that being tasered can lead to having a generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Loss of consciousness and confusion may occur. 

The probes that shoot out of the stun gun have barbs on the ends that embed themselves into the target. Once the barbs have been embedded, the victim may experience skin or muscle damage from the penetration. To avoid damage, it is encouraged to have a physician remove the barb.

Another side effect is having cardiac problems. 

I can only assume that GSUPD was trying to keep people from bum-rushing the door and from breaking in line. No one was harmed by these carelessly threatening acts, but what if someone was? What if they had a serious heart condition and it caused them to go into a coma or furthermore, death? How could or would you explain that to the parents/guardians of that student?

After doing some serious research about this matter, I found that stun guns were to be used on criminals. When did breaking a line become a criminal act? Not to mention that this is not the first unprofessional act I’ve witnessed from the GSUPD. 

On Aug. 25, the #DreamTeam of GSU hosted a house party on R.W.E. Jones Drive. Just a little past midnight, the police showed up to shut the party down. Some of my peers reported that, as soon as the police officers entered the house,  they were throwing tear gas. 

Tear gas works by irritating mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, mouth, lungs, and causes crying, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, pain in the eyes, temporary blindness, etc. 

My question is: Why didn’t they just ask for the resident of the house and explain that the party had to end? 

The police are not treating us like students or respecting us as human beings but as though we are animals or criminals

In Spring 2012, my peers and I were sitting in front of the GSU Natatorium shooting the breeze. About 10 minutes after sitting there, a GSU police officer drove up only to tell us that we could not sit there. 

He made the statement that there had been a No Loitering sign up but it had gotten torn down. 

A good friend of mine brought to my attention that GSU has taken our funds and posted two signs (No Loitering and No Parking) on a dead building. Why wouldn’t there be a “Renovation Coming Soon” sign on the building instead? 

As citizens of the United States, we have rights, and they are being violated. #GRAMFAM, why are we allowing acts like this to take place? We are the voice of this school and we deserve better! 

As a candidate for a bachelor of science degree in elementary education, I have been afforded the opportunity to gain knowledge on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. There are five levels, and the third level is love being one of the most important. 

Humans need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance, whether it comes from a large social group, such as clubs, office culture, religious groups, professional organizations, sports teams, gangs, or small social connections. They need to love and be loved (sexually and nonsexually) by others. In the absence of these elements, many people become susceptible to loneliness, social anxiety, and clinical depression. 

This need for belonging can often overcome physiological and security needs, depending on the strength of the peer pressure. (An anorexic, for example, may ignore the need to eat and the security of health for a feeling of control and belonging.)

If the university is concerned with retention and graduation rates, or better yet, the lives of the students alone, love has to be shown. 

I do not want to just completely shed negative light on GSUPD, because they receive orders from someone of higher power. 

On several occasions I have had an opportunity to speak with Dr. Frank G. Pogue, the president of the university, and neither time did I get that he would approve of these malicious acts. I honestly wonder what his perception of these acts are.

 

 

Ty Malone is a senior elementary education and junior high math major from Ruston.