Students, housing butt heads at SU

Last night, Residential Life hosted a mandatory safety and security meeting for all on-campus students in the Clifford T. Seymour Gymnasium.
The meeting, lasting more than two hours, was met with visible disdain by most students, which showed while speakers were on stage.
Covering topics such as rape, consuming alcoholic beverages, staphylococcus “staph” infections and new housing and security rules, most students felt Residential Life should have focused on existing matters before creating new policy.
“I think this meeting was a waste of time,” said Courtney Hart, a freshman accounting major from Baton Rouge. “They (Residential Life) need to worry about fixing housing before we talk about security. Since last semester, we’ve had nothing but cold water in our dorm, broken light fixtures and alarms that go off every morning for hours on end.” The Booker T. Washington Hall resident said when she has gone to complain to her dorm mother around 9 a.m., she is never there.
“I go into the office, not there. I try knocking on her door, not there. I mean, taking a lunch break is fine, but not at 9 a.m. everyday.” Hart also noted she was told whenever someone used the exit door on the east side of the dorm and the alarm went off, everyone in the building would be charged $50.
Frustrated with the lack of respect the students were showing the speakers, Southern University Police Department’s Lt. Floyd Williams chastised their behavior.
“You have shamed me tonight because you cannot sit in your seat and be quiet. These people are here for your benefit, not mine. Be respectful.” Williams went on to say the members of SUPD are “100-percent real police officers” and “you think we’re at the check-points just sitting there, with nothing else to do. Let me tell you, I wish we had something else to do instead of sitting in the cold, rain, heat, making sure you’re safe at night.”
Williams stressed that all students should carry their Southern identification cards at all times.
SUPD Chief Michael Morris told students to check their subr.edu e-mail today because they would be getting a message about a check-cashing scam on campus.
“We are working with the FBI. If someone approaches you about cashing a check, then wiring money, report them. The bank account is a fraud and if you cash that check, it becomes a felony offense.”
Chief Morris also warned students that SUPD has an active undercover investigation underway involving students selling illegal drug paraphernalia on campus.
“We’ve had two drug arrest in the last 3 hours. They thought it was a joke to sell drugs…they called themselves entrepreneurs. If we catch you, you’re going to jail; no summons, no calling your parents, we’re locking you up.”
Student Government Association President Jamal Taylor apologized to the speakers for the actions of the students, but said he sympathized
with their frustrations with Residential Housing and had harsh words for them.
“I think the students were displeased by the disruption to their regular schedule. I wish the housing department would have found a more convenient way to communicate this to students.”
Taylor suggested D.J. Baker, the interim director of Residential Life e-mail students his concerns or held meetings in each dormitory separately.
“Why would they do this right before the Mardi Gras holiday?” Taylor asked.
By the end of the night, most students felt Baker was more worried about protocol than the actually living standard students were being provided.
Students wanted to know why there would be a fee ($50) assessed to the entire building when the alarm went off.
“It’s about safety. If students have one door to come in and out of, it’s easier to keep with everyone who comes into the building.” Baker went on to say in the upcoming days a 2 a.m. curfew would be imposed on the campus.
“You don’t need to be outside, you need to be in your dorms,” Baker admonished.
When Baker asked students about the new housing codes, many left amongst cheers from their colleagues. Despite the students signing in before the meeting started, Baker insisted on a second roll sheet. Earlier this week, students were told if they did not attend the mandatory meeting, a hold would be placed on their account.
Dean of Student Life Robert Bennett said students shouldn’t worry about the 2 a.m. curfew.
“You don’t have to be back on campus by 2 a.m., we just want to make sure that when you come home, you go straight to your rooms.” Bennett also said he thinks the curfew will be flexible during the SGA campaigns.
Monique Clark, a freshmen criminal justice major from Mansfield doesn’t have any faith that Residential Housing will live up to their revised housing contracts.
“During the winter break, they made us move all our stuff out of our dorms because they said they were going to do renovations. When we got back, nothing was changed. The showers were still grimy; paint was still peeling off the walls…I had ants in my room and all I got was some bee and wasp spray. My mother had to call my dorm mother and she still didn’t do anything.”
Langston Williams thought the meeting was informative and that students should have been a little more respectful despite their feelings towards Baker and Residential Housing, especially since his mother was one of the speakers present.
“I agree with Jamal (Taylor), but I didn’t think tonight was the time to address it. Parts of it seemed to drag on, but over all, I think it was very informative.” The sophomore mass communications and theater major from Baton Rouge, who also serves as a class senator, said that as a residential assistant, he understood where both sides were coming from.
“For one thing, Housing has to be more responsive to requests from students. As of today, I was told our checks would be a month late. Secondly, students should understand that a lot of the problems they have stemmed from RAs. Building requests are handled by us and students should come to us first. Thirdly, if Housing wants respect from the students, then they should approach them as adults. Telling a college student what time they have to come inside takes away the freedom of being an adult.”