Last week a group of female students allegedly trashed Gibbs Hall. The vandals spread food and feminine products on the floors and walls of the dormitory.
FAMU PD caught the perpetrators shortly after the incident and the University is expected to punish them.
But this act never should have occurred. Although dorm pranks occur every year, such acts of vandalism are childish and irresponsible.
Dorm pranks may seem fun and silly, but at some point they are no longer funny.
The Housing Department had to deal with the task of cleaning up the mess in Gibbs Hall afterwards. One housing official said that the chemicals used by the staff could not even remove all of the stains.
This act of vandalism is also inconvenient to the inhabitants of the male dormitory because the food products left an odor in the facility.
Furthermore, acts like this also promote retaliation. The Housing Department will have to increase dorm security to prevent another act of vandalism from occurring.
Although the majority of dorm inhabitants are freshmen, FAMU is an institution of higher learning and students must learn how to behave like adults.
There are plenty of ways to have fun at FAMU, but dorm vandalism should not be included.
A tip to students who want to vandalize other dorms: If you damage the boys’ dorm or vice versa, there will probably be an act of retaliation and discipline.
Schiavo’s death unites political parties
When the news media announced the death of Terri Schiavo Thursday, the nation felt more sorrow than ever, especially at the Florida Capitol.
Lawmakers came together in what seemed to be a moment of nonpartisan politics. Not one lawmaker could be labeled a “conservative” or a “liberal” based on their party affiliation. The end-of-life issues that arose from the Schiavo case distorted party lines to become more of an issue of feelings and religion.
Democrats and Republicans alike took roles that were certainly not consistent with the “traditional” roles of their respective political parties.
Take for instance, Rep. Frank Peterman’s, D-St. Petersburg, vote on the failed Schiavo bill. He was in favor of lawmakers intervention in Terri’s life. He was one of only a few “liberal” Democrats that voted in concurrence to a position often referred to as the “Republicans’ favor.”
Who would ever imagine that the Rev. Jesse Jackson would be found on the same side of the debate with President Bush?
No one.
Although polls indicated that the majority of America believed that government interception was unconstitutional, many individuals found themselves on the “other side.” They allied with soldiers not often found in their own army.
With Schiavo’s death, politics took another meaning. Citizens with broadly contrasting ideals and backgrounds came together on both sides.
Even though Terri may not have had the slightest idea of what her particular circumstances stimulated, her situation changed the way Americans thought of end-of life matters and written wills.