Since its opening in 1901, the illustrious Grambling State University has held a reputation of greatness; great scholars, great athletes, great leaders, and great members of society. In recent years we have seen the university evolve and many cannot decide whether or not this is a good change or a bad change. There are so many questions that are not receiving answers and students believe that because they are not being informed of the myriad of changes occurring around campus that this is the reason why the atmosphere is changing. “For us, Grambling was a way of life; we slept, ate, and breathed Grambling. I’ve always been a rider for Grambling and always will be.” Misty Booker, Fall 2011 graduate. Where is pride that students once took in knowing all there is to know about their university? Where is the pride students took in organizing events to build campus involvement? Where is the pride we once took in our community as a whole? To have pride in something is to care wholeheartedly about the image you portray while representing that entity; instead we have uneducated and misinformed individuals speaking recklessly in the view of news cameras.
“GSU was a paradise for a young black me. I remember it was clique tight based on where you were from. Student enrollment was approximately 8500 and I lived in Knott Hall where it was four people to a room. I wish I could back to that time every August. GSU was a small city of young adults eager to make their mark on the world. I miss the ‘G’.” – Dwight Jones Fall 2000 graduate. It’s alumni like Mr. Jones who believe Grambling State University will never be the same again. It has made countless, drastic changes for the worst. Yet, there are some students who believe that we just need the give the new generation a little time to restore GSU back to its former glory days. We as a whole must strive to live above the negativity and change the way the world views GSU. Hence why we must be educated on the issues and we must be the change that we seek. “We All We Got GramFam”
Kyrea Booker-Jones is a junior Biology major from Miami.