A few days ago, I went to visit a recently incarcerated friend of mine. As we were on the phone talking to each other through the thick glass, it dawned on me. He shouldn’t be there.
When I say he should not be there, I mean that when he graduated from high school he came to FAMU to get an education, not to get in trouble with the law.
Although my friend was alone in his prison cell, he wasn’t alone in his thinking. These days it seems as though people are working harder to start trouble than to graduate.
I don’t and can’t even go to a house party or a club without people fighting, shooting or causing problems.
So the question arises: why?
Is it because people are trying to impress females or be the “soldiers” Destiny’s Child sings about? Are they trying to live the lives of their favorite rapper?
I am not blaming the music, but there are a few things that rappers fail to let their fans know. Like when they get paid, they quickly make the move to gated mansions with armed security or that they have bodyguards when they are in the street.
Another thing that the troublemakers at FAMU fail to realize is that their reckless actions affect others.
Lets say I’m at a party and my friend starts a fight with the wrong guys. Now, I cannot walk the campus without worrying about getting my head stomped in due to my association with my foolish friend.
After my visit with my friend in prison I was left wondering what could he have done to avoid being there.
The answer is not difficult. He should have acted his age.
Grown men don’t go to clubs or parties 15 or 20 deep. Grown men don’t drink to get drunk, they are always able to drive their own cars home and the ones who can’t look stupid. Grown men use their minds and mouths to get out of confrontations, not their fists.
I do understand that college students are young. I realize that they do have a tendency to do dumb things when inebriated, but will those excuses be what you tell your friend when he’s in a hospital bed because he got jumped one day walking to class. Will that be your excuse to your parents when you are arrested or kicked out of school for fighting?
I am not saying do not enjoy the college experience. All I’m implying is when it gets to the point where you can’t walk on campus without a knife, or you can’t go to a party with less than 10 people, something has to be wrong and has to change.
If your reading this article and thinking or saying aloud “he’s soft” you’re probably one of the dumb ones who is getting ready to get drunk this weekend and start a fight.
Arize Ifejika is a junior magazine production from Silver Spring, Md. He can be reached at famuanopinions@hotmail.com.