On Tuesday night students were invited and encouraged to participate in this year’s first student body forum hosted by SGA in the A.I. Thomas administration building. This forum was an opportunity for concerned students to voice their opinions about issues on campus, and to ask questions of administration to gain better understanding of procedures on campus.
After Monday’s protest in front of the A.I. building, it was expected that students would attend the open forum in droves, to speak out and speak up for what they believed. Unfortunately, this was not the case on Tuesday night. Only a handful of students attended.
A forum is designated to let students speak and give administration a chance to defend their polices and procedures. However, Prairie View students were silent and unaccounted for.
Those in attendance represented the student body as best as they could, but the small number of students in attendance could not possibly speak for every student on campus.
It’s shocking to know that PV students can make a loud fuss about events on campus, complain about what’s not being done, but won’t take the opportunity and initiative to participate and be a part of the solution.
This forum was what many had been asking for. It was an opportunity to have one’s voice heard and to gain more understanding and perhaps gain more knowledge of how things are run on campus. But who attended? Who acted as though they were concerned?
If students are going to complain, get upset, gripe and complain to parents, but aren’t going to take the time to actually come to these forums and make an effort for change then really, they have no room to voice their unheard cries.
Students can complain about financial aid and what it has not done, what it will not do and what it needs to do, but what have you done? Have you questioned the person in charge?
Have you gotten your facts to why? Have you tried to understand and maybe work with financial aid to get what you need when you need it? Complaining gets you nowhere, but when facilities are open, administration is present and meetings are called, students need to be in attendance.
You want your complaint heard, yet are not willing to complain when the opportunity presents itself. Who is to blame? The university? Sure, we can blame Prairie View for many things, but your lack of involvement when it comes to your concerns is not one of them.
I encourage all my fellow Panthers to attend forums, speak out at the forums, ask the questions you have been dying to ask. Grill em’ for all I care. Just attend.
Take the opportunity. Show them that you do care, you are interested and that you will take a stand. Make your voice heard. Loud and clear.