I was able to make the Students for Safer Communities meeting tonight which was held tonight at Salisbury University's Fireside Lounge. 25 students showed up to the meeting starting the discussion and laying the foundaition for a club to address community relations and inner student relations. SFSC is will become an official club on Salisbury's campus after the usual customs are met and thus will be officially recognized and bound by school policy.
Students shared their experiences as well as possible avenues to follow in response to the problem of crime and community relations. These students touched base on myriad of questions and issues which were discussed in an open forum. Students were filled with concern of where the community was heading and seemingly lack of crack down on crime most of all. They addressed and recognized that it is a community problem and no fingers should be pointed at anyone. Our students are genuinely scared and we deserve the same protection and equitable service was another tone of the meeting. Founder Melissa Q said " We need to work within ourselves to give respect to the community and we would like in return the same respect from the community so we can work together to fix the problems".
The group wishes to expand their contacts and continue with the current discourse they have with local officials. In up comming meetings they are going to form the core mission statement as well as adopt a code of conduct for members to abide by. "Also we need to stay on focus and not get distracted by other issues which are brought up outside of the main focus of our group" Melissa said.
Hopefully this is the catylist which spurs discourse between students and locals. Melissa also went on to say that "There are changes which need to be made within the student body" as well as "we know that there is not going to be an immediate change, but we need to start somewhere".
As for my editorial on this issue, proper discourse is the cornerstone of any process for change and improvement. I hope that the community and these individuals can come together to start mending the problems which have and are occuring. We need to address this problem of crime right away! It affects us all. Those who terrorize and run the area crime rings need to have the maximum penalty incurred on them. We can all get behind this!
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
6 comments:
spelchek much
I started SSC because I feel as though a change needs to be made for the better of the city, and the university is an excellent place to collect and organize information, resources, and people.
Although the title says Students for safer community we will be absolutely reaching out to and working with the community because although students are easy targets, we are not the only ones suffering from rising gang violence and crime in general.
I want to STRESS that I fully acknowledge that university students cause problems and may put themselves in danger, and this must change as a piece to fixing the problem. There is a long history of tention between locals and the university, but the university is going nowhere and we must accept that each side has it's opinions and stereotypes, but right now im telling you that there is a large group of students that want to break that stereotype. Also, A large percentage of the university does not involve itself in drinking and those students are in danger as well. We generally feel as though many people look for those students who mess up and then reflect that image on the entire student body.
Please, if you have any ideas or concerns or want to be involved, contact Nick Loffer and he will let me know.
If I remember correctly, when Tim Spies was campaigning for city council he suggested forming an alliance with SU students. I don't remember the particulars but I do remember Tim pushing hard for a method of opening the lines of communication with the students. Then Barrie Tilghman defamed him with the assistance of the Daily Times. That was the last anyone heard of any alliance with the students. Can't have those students finding out what Barrie and her SAPOA slumlord buddies agenda is really about, now can we. The rest, as they say, is history.
Students using Holloway Hall as an address helped Comegys defeat Tim Spies, thanks to a threatening letters from the slumlords and an SU professor who owns student rentals. Perhaps they can start improving relations with the community by helping elect the RIGHT candidates that truly care about this city. Also students who expose themselves to the criminals by purchasing illegal substances put themselves at risk--and they must own up to that.
Do we remember Mr. Day, who let someone in to use his phone? He was robbed and terrorized in a neighborhood close to SU. Don't think the thugs are just targeting SU students.
Unfortunately one of the effects of a transient population is significant crime. Transient equals illegals,criminals and students. Salisbury has too many rentals and not enough owner occupied, plain and simple.
Post a Comment