Dear Editor,
To say this campus has changed in my four years here would be a gross understatement. Rebirth would be a better word. From new buildings to the police state we now live in, it has been an interesting college career. "Police Yourself," a phrase mocked by students and some faculty and taken far too seriously by the university, has been the latest of changes on campus -- changes in the wrong direction.
Those of us here for our fourth year or more remember a campus with a different atmosphere. It was one of lighthearted fun, where students could be students and headlines of murder, assault and arrest did not dominate the DAILY NEWS. Yes, there were occasional tickets issued or minor disagreements at parties, but nothing to require twice the patrol cars on weekends as before.
Ball State and Muncie are beginning to act like parents who neglected to discipline their child when he was young. And now that they feel the child is out of control, the only solution they see is one of extreme punishment. But just as with a real child, this approach does not work on a college campus. As in a real family, it only fosters resentment for the parents. They are viewed as authoritative and not people who can be approached because their child is afraid.
If Ball State wants us to trust them and feel safe, then they must stop treating us as the criminals. Be the parents who have an understanding with the child and give some freedom, but let them know action will be taken upon misbehaving. True, perhaps poor decisions by students may have led to the tragic events which sparked this sudden increase in enforcement. But remember this: Students were the victims, not the perpetrators. Ball State and Muncie should find a way to enforce the laws without becoming totalitarian. The students have been through enough. Please, do not continue to add to this turmoil.
Chris Meyers
Student
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