Ball State University has a stigma as the "party school" in Indiana, the "public institution for other parents' kids." Since my arrival here four years ago, I have seen the school do everything it can to rectify this. They've started UniverCity, aggressively pursed grants, built new facilities and erected an enormous phallic monolith on McKinley Avenue. Obviously, the university does not wish to keep that stigma.
Regardless of who is to ultimately blame, the deaths of Michael McKinney and Karl Harford don't exactly dispel the stereotypes. The general rule is "Students being murdered is bad for admissions."
Ball State's solution to its image problem: Spamming your e-mail box. Oh, and ruling by fear, too.
Vice President of Student Affairs Douglas F. McConkey sent every student an e-mail March 22. The vice president (who ironically bears a strong physical resemblance to Grand Moff Tarkin) told students that changes were coming. He reminded the student body of the wide array of punishments the Galactic Empire, I mean the university, has at its disposal. He threatened us by saying "The consequences of breaking the law are severe... and we are looking at making them tougher."
Curiously enough, McConkey also feels he is well-equipped to judge the suspects in Harford's murder. "...in my view, Karl Harford's victimization by what appears to be a proven criminal was not his fault nor was it the fault of his friends," he wrote. That sort of martyrdom is unethical.
It is curious that many of the people at this university who were quick to defend Officer Duplain for killing a drunken student are equally quick to condemn three black youths for killing a drunken student, before any trial has taken place.
It is inappropriate for the university to be taking any stance on these matters until all the facts come to light and the trial is over. The fact that McConkey and other Imperial Officers, I mean, university officials have used the murders to advance their agenda is vomit-worthy.
The university's Rule By Fear campaign continued Thursday when each and every Ball State student received another e-mail: the first of several "Police Yourself" propaganda posters. All of the posters list the consequences of drinking at off-campus parties. All of the posters feature either police cars or students handcuffed and jailed. The posters also threaten to call your parents.
Ball State students are old enough to go to Iraq and be shot dead fighting terrorism. They are of adult age and old enough to make their own decisions. The university's policy of calling parents to report student behavior is condescending, offensive and representational of just how misguided the "Police Yourself" campaign is.
Dean of Students Randy Hyman intends to send out a "Police Yourself" e-mail every Thursday. Indefinitely. Apparently the dean feels brainwashing practices are ethical procedures, too.
Understand this, Ball State University: We are intelligent enough to know we can be arrested for illegal behavior. We don't need you to scare us back into our homes on the weekends. You concern yourself with the educational services we pay you for, and we will concern ourselves with what we do during our free time.
The deaths of Harford and McKinney are a shame. Changing "Ball State" to "Police State" would add more shame to the tragedies.
Write to Ben at bbmcshane@bsu.edu
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