This school year at Prairie View A&M University started out on a high note.
We’ve had a great win at the Labor Day Classic over Texas Southern. We had a wonderful time with Dourrough and “Ice Cream Paint Job” at Hump day on the Hill, and followed up with a passionate win over Grambling State University in the Cotton Bowl Classic. SGA also had successful elections and CAB was gearing up for a strong year. It seemed like everything was moving in the right direction.
And then the cracks began to surface.
There were allegations of hazing brought against student groups in the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) and the Council of Student Organizations (CSO). A student athlete was shot at a Homecoming party that got out of hand, leaving the campus wondering if it was an isolated event. And of course, none of us can forget the tragic death of Donnie Wade II.
The undercurrent continued to have rippling effects on our campus with the resignations of the Student Government Association Vice President and Mr. Prairie View A&M University, and other student leaders. Hazing charges were brought against our beloved Marching Storm and the PV family was rocked again as separate accidents claimed the lives of two more students.
Our beloved campus had been shaken to its core.
When I reflect on the past few months, I can’t help but wonder what the eight former slaves who attended this institution in 1878 would think now. Would those students be disheartened to see what had become of this former plantation? Would they be devastated to see an institution which had been transformed into one of the most picturesque and prestigious institutions in the world, be marred by such tragic events?
As people are starving in Haiti, some of us are still participating in food fights in the dining hall.
This place of higher learning has been demeaned by young men and women, fighting like common gangbangers and drug use is running rampant.
This type of behavior is totally unacceptable and it must stop now.
Yes, the things I have just laid out may make our situation appear bleak. But I am confident that Panther pride can allow us to rise above any of our shortcomings. Students, some of you bemoan that Prairie View needs to do better. We can only do better when you, students, do better. When you do better at respecting yourself and your fellow students. It is imperative that you understand that you only pass this way but once, and it is our duty to continue to protect these hallowed grounds.
As administrators, we must do a better job of making our students feel more like scholars rather than customers, while improving our customer service skills at the same time.
At Prairie View A&M University, we don’t care where you came from. We only care about where you’re going. We want you to awaken each day with the knowledge that you are a descendant of a majestic people who created civilizations, conquered adversity, and persevered despite the odds. You must continue to challenge yourself to reach new heights and to attain the seemly unattainable.
We have been shaken, but not broken. I know some of you are model students, and for that, I give a heartfelt thank you.
For those who try, but fall short, I urge you to try harder. And for those who have lost their way, who have failed to live up to all that being a Panther entails, I challenge you to dig deeper, work harder, and rededicate yourself to the true mission of excellence that is Prairie View A&M University.