It takes a lot to create a working relationship between administration and students and Hampton is a long way from it. The Student Government Association (SGA) held a town hall meeting to help students voice their concerns to administration.
Though I do feel like President William R. Harvey honestly cares about creating solutions to fixable problems, most on the panel did not. He provided straight-forward answers to tough questions, no matter if his answer was considered pleasing to the students or not.
Harvey said it best.
“There’s no need to be rude,” he said. “I know how to say yes and I know how to say no. If I say no, I know how to do it. I don’t have to be rude about it.”
Or in other words, there’s a way to speak to people. People appreciate kind honesty, but honesty nonetheless. When Harvey was questioned about a freshmen step show and Greek suspensions for hazing, he spoke candidly.
“I’ve been an Omega for a while,” Harvey said. “You can’t say its tradition. That’s bull. You want to stay on campus, follow the rules.”
That’s blunt honesty but a straightforward answer.
When Barbara Inman, vice president of student affairs was asked if a suspension from an organization warranted suspension from school, she dodged the question. She masked her unwillingness to answer by repeatedly asking the usher to repeat the question. After repeating himself three times she finally answered.
“The question was so general, I guess I’ll give a general answer,” she said.
Yet when an audience member tried to narrow the question and ask about specific students, Inman said she was unable to give out personal information about specific students. So, what then is the answer? If a general question is too general and a specific question is too specific then what question should be asked? What wording would warrant an answer?
It is my belief that students deserve honest responses from administration, after all that’s the purpose of hosting the town hall meeting, to hear the students’ concerns and address them. An administration can’t solve every problem in one meeting, after all some problems aren’t solvable, but every problem deserves to at least be addressed.
When I submitted a question and asked why the Hampton Script hadn’t received the 10 computers our editor-in-chief Keisha Ralliford had requested in August and only approved for six I was told that some of the computers were deemed functional. After I followed up with a question of who deemed them operational Inman told me that she and a computer technician from the ATM had reviewed them and found four were in working condition. Yet, when the computer technician from the ATM reviewed the computers he told Ralliford that they weren’t worth saving.
There is a discrepancy in the scenarios. Was the computer tech that told Ralliford the computers were no good wrong or when Inman supposedly reviewed the computers had she found something worth salvaging?
Something has to be done about situations like this. In this case I would have preferred no answer to a half truth. It’s unacceptable. We have to hold administration accountable and question suspect answers.
If the meeting would have had a moderator to ask the audience’s questions and create educated follow-up questions I believe the meeting would have been more productive. Too often administration was able to dodge questions because there was no one to force an answer, to press for a valid response.
I believe the meeting was a step in the right direction but only one small step on a long path. The road must be walked by all, both administration and students. Administration, if students ask the question, we’d like an answer. Students, if administration holds a town meeting, they’d like you to come. You don’t have a voice unless you use it and if you have a concern, it won’t become an issue until you bring it to someone’s attention. That meeting wasn’t nearly as packed as it should have been for all the complaining that goes on around campus.
It’s time to step up to the plate and all become accountable. Students, decide to ask the question. Administration, will you answer?
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