hat happened two Sundays ago was a tragedy on many levels. In this aftermath, city officials are calling for the increased responsibility and accountability of universities, such as Northeastern. Those who lead the student body, such as Student Government President Michael Romano, now state that those who partook in the violence are not representative of NU as whole.
While I agree with all these statements, I see what happened two Sundays ago as symptomatic of a larger problem that has faced NU for many years.
I recall one of my friends confessing to me, before the end of the Super Bowl, that he couldn’t wait for the riot to occur. Sports have always proved to bring solidarity to a situation and what happened on Hemenway was no different. The Patriots’ win brought momentary cohesion to those who sought it. Though some might claim that the main motivation was this mobilized power of non-accountability, it is more to the point to say these people were converging on a point and congressing, working together and feeling part of a whole. Everyone was friendly and cheering others to participate and accomplish goals, which were, sadly, to destroy public and private property.
I believe in NU’s pragmatic approach to higher education, as do other people. But it seems, in recent years, NU has become all business and no play, no real cohesiveness. Therefore, I ask administrators and my fellow students to give this institution real-world experience with spirituality and community.
These are a few examples of what I propose:
1. Bring back the Husky Key Society. As alumni have told me, this organization was in charge of “making trouble on campus,” with the approval of a faculty advisor. It organized trips to places such as Puerto Rico, and facilitated having a live mascot. It also fostered community in the form of having trivial traditions, such as electing the “Mayor of Huntington Avenue” during the fall term. He or she who would represent the student population at most formal events with a top-hat, t-shirt tuxedo and gloves.
2. Bring back student proctors. These men and women would not be likened to the hall monitors of yore. These people would be much older, in their fifties and sixties, and the only power that they would wield is their congeniality and experience. Their job would be to curb the atmosphere before those with more legality have to intervene. Some might argue that Resident Assistants currently play this role, but these students do not have this instant certification of age that allows them to diffuse a situation. They also wield a form of judicial power that puts students on the defensive. And, of course, NUPD definitely does not play this role, as they usually state in their introduction to freshman students: “We have powers of arrest.”
3. If needed, students should find a way to organize and police themselves. During the student strike of 1970, students were rioting in protest of the Vietnam War. During this conflict on NU’s campus, students got together and informally formed a group of student marshals. Though no such urgency actually exists, and the effectiveness of such a group can be questioned, this group’s greatest force would be disapproving of the rampant behavior.
4. Give students more options to commune that do not involve the normal alcoholic partying scene. HAMMERED does get high marks for its programming. There should be more – possibly in conjunction with the proposed Husky Key Society.
5. Divide the student population into “Houses.” Each House would compete against the others in a range of events from volleyball, musical bands and solos, to overall QPA. These groups would also work on specific projects in the community. In each House, every college and year would be represented. And, each House would elect a representative to the House Council, which would be in charge of programming. The hope is to break down the divisions that have been intrinsically drawn in the university.
6. The Houses should also comprise “think tanks.” They would be in charge of brainstorming ideas to solve a variety of community problems, both on campus and off. Each House’s “think tank” would elect a representative to present to the House Council who would then present to SGA, which would then present to the administration.
7. Build the proposed stadium on Columbus Lot. If anything is physically needed at this university it is a legitimate gathering place for students. None of the current venues have enough capacity to accommodate the entire student body.
I realize I have raised many issues in the above statements. My hope, if any, is that I will spark some dialogue amongst students and administrators. I would agree that NU has hit a very low point with its relationship with the surrounding community, as what it does positively has been overshadowed by this negative event. But, it has been proven throughout history that such extremities serve to make more evident what can be done to surpass what was done before.
— Jeffrey Marzullo is a sophomore independent study major.
