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Commentary: Another crack, another day

Tuesday, 07 April 2009 04:52 Darryl Smith
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Run date:  3/26/09 
 
I woke up in the morning, preparing for another long, dreadful day of hard work. It wasn't that dreadful, but I'd rather stay asleep.
 
I picked up my hearing aids, did a quick checkup on them and noticed a crack in the left hearing aid. Luckily, the hearing aid still works, even with the cracks in it.

As I pondered the crack, I began to realize how much of my life is tied into my hearing aids. There isn't a day when I can't answer the phone, watch TV or do regular things without having my hearing aids on.

Of course, watching TV is easy when closed captioning is on, but there are some things missed when there's not enough adequate sound vibrating through the ear canal.

The major problem with using hearing aids all the time is that the ears do not get a chance to breathe, often leading to pain-inducing ear infections. Sometimes, the heat contained by the hearing aids makes my ears sweat. This makes hydrogen peroxide feel like a dagger in my ear.

Sometimes, I truly wish I wasn't deaf. I wish I could hear 100 percent. I'd love to be able to walk with my friends without having the wind hitting my aids, making a loud annoying noise and drowning out their conversations.

Yet, there are times I'm grateful to be deaf. If the military draft is ever instituted, I would not have to worry, as there's not much the military forces could do with a deaf guy. If I'm rooming on a trip with someone who snores a lot, taking out my hearing aids mutes the sound, allowing me to get some much-needed sleep.

With the crack in my hearing aid sometimes hurting my inner canal, I remember some of the pain my hearing aid has brought me when it comes to my social life.

Sometimes, people will tell a joke. They laugh; I laugh, not even knowing what was said.

Can you imagine being in a classroom with a soft-spoken teacher? I can't count the times that I've had to copy someone's notes after class, trying to understand the lecture that I missed out on. Luckily, I never let that get me down.

I worked hard to ensure that I kept a good GPA, maintaining a 3.67 GPA during my undergraduate career. I am trying to maintain a 4.0 during my matriculation through graduate school.

It's tough for a guy who struggles to hear what his friends say two feet away from him, but I'm working on it.

There are those times when I want to simply break down, let out the anger and pain that's been shelled into me for the last 16 years of wearing my sound enhancers. They have caused me much grief, much turmoil, much desolation.
 
Yet, I'm still alive and kicking, 23 years after being born in St. Francis Medical Center in Monroe.

On the flip side, I've been happy wearing my hearing aids - or pieces, as my fellow hearing aid wearer likes to call them. I still remember when I first got my hearing aids. I remember it like it was yesterday.

After years of being tested around the state for my hearing, my mom finally begged a doctor to let me get the hearing aids I desperately needed. I was fitted for the pieces, and I waited impatiently and patiently for me to have the hearing aids placed in my ear.

The day finally came, and I was beside myself. The ear specialist placed the first hearing aid in my ear, and my eyes lit up, hearing the hum of an air conditioner for the first time. I could hear the box move and the paper crumble as she prepared the next hearing aid to be placed in my ear. My eyes lit up again, able to hear well from both ears. It was a great day, a day I haven't forgotten.

I hear the seconds ticking on the clock nowadays. I've grown from a scrawny lil' kid with big ears and over-the-ear hearing aids to a man with in-the-canal pieces, trying to be the best I can be. I may be an inspiration to some, but it's nothing I dwell on. I just try to be me.

As I take my pieces out, I notice that slight defect again. I can only crack a smile this time around. After all, my hearing aid matches my being; it's imperfect. 
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 April 2009 16:31 )
 

Commentary: Student life is decaying rapidly

Tuesday, 07 April 2009 04:51 Darryl Smith
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Run date:  3/19/09 
 
As I eat my box of Samoas for the day, 10th of the year, I begin to notice that my time at dear ol' Grambling is almost up. A plethora of topics began to wander in my brain, so I just let my fingers guide the white keys attached to the Mac in The Gramblinite.

As the topics flowed freely through my head, I began to reminisce on the day I lost faith in a class of students. That day was the day of the Student Government Association Nomination Convention held Wednesday.

I watched numerous students fill up Grambling Hall, all eagerly anticipating their positions being up for grabs. As some shocking nominations came about, people articulated to each other in near-whispers, debating who would win.

However, that was not the "highlight" of the evening. The highlight is actually a lowlight - lower than the dim lights that filled the room - only four nominations came from the entire junior class. I sat on the floor astonished. How could only four people want to represent their class in the SGA?

This is the same class that had no Sophomore Class candidates last Spring, as I was informed. It was also the same class that the elected freshmen officers did nothing and were also booted from office.

This made no sense to me. I am a former SGA member, and I care about my school. I guess the Class of 2011 does not care about their school or what happens to their class, as the SGA is responsible for that. The SGA is also responsible for being a voice for the students; but if you have no representatives in the SGA, how can they represent your voice?

Maybe it's just me, but I always thought the SGA was a privilege to be a part of. I loved being able to vote on legislation and prepare projects that would benefit the students in the long run. I also loved being able to travel and meet other SGA officers at other schools. But that's the past now.

As I anticipated the whirlwind of snide remarks and insults to be hurled during the week before Spring Break - which is why I'm glad I can't be on a campaign these days - I am also worried about the future of student life on campus.

Lately, it seems that organizations, particularly those that have an intake process, cannot do anything without being disciplined. While I won't get into specifics of what I know, I will say that I feel the university may be going overboard in its effort to curb hazing and/or illegal activities.
 
I do, however, understand why they are doing so, as no parent wants their child beaten to death, as is what nearly happened to a pledge of a group that is no longer on campus. Also, the legal precedents of hazing have not been fully discovered, as some people do want to sue the universities where these incidents occur.

Yet, I don't necessarily see how ceasing these organizations to have some fun will hurt the students, university, or the parents. I also don't see how stepping on the Yard - a tradition done since back in the day - is hindering student progress or harming students.

Maybe I see things differently, but I never thought that my educational process was hindered when anyone chanted their organizational songs, stepped or just hung out on the Yard. As a matter of fact, those traditions brought me out to the Yard more, as it was interesting to see the back and forth between organizations, as well as the love they showed each other afterward.

Then of course, it's the never-dying rumor about TigerFest being canceled. While I don't believe that rumor, I have heard reports from credible sources that there are plans to scale back the event.

This type of news sickens me because TigerFest is indeed the biggest event of the spring semester, especially with football season over. There is no need to scale back an event that nearly everyone enjoys, especially when the city could use the business since most entities are suffering from this recession.

Maybe it's me, but I love TigerFest. I love seeing the many different artists that grace the stage at GSU, adding to our celebrity-filled list. I love seeing a lot of people on campus, coming to have fun and drop knowledge on the younger students.

Maybe it really is just me. 
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Commentary: Reclaiming our tradition again

Tuesday, 07 April 2009 04:50 Darryl Smith
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Run date:  3/12/09 
 
It's funny how things change. Just six years ago, I came to GSU to earn my bachelor's degree in computer science. Now, I have a bachelor's in mass communication and I am on my way to obtaining a master's degree in that same field. Over the years, I've seen a slew of changes.

The golden days of sitting on The Yard, watching the car show, are long gone. Those fun, yet crazy water balloon fights that got you in trouble with GSUPD have vanished. The traditional Friday night movies every week there was no home game for the Fall and every Friday for the Spring have also disappeared.

I'm starting to see a campus that is becoming devoid of student life … and it scares me. Of course, you have a few events that do occur, such as Lyrical Quest, but there used to be so much more participation. It's almost as if students don't care.

It's sad, because we, the students, are the customers, and, quite frankly, we run the show. There are some students that make outlandish requests, such as a Jacuzzi or sauna in the Intramural Center. But, there are some that make valid requests, such as getting the Internet turned on in the traditional dorms and working utilities.

Back when I was coming up through Grambling, we fought tooth and nail to get what we wanted. It took the SGA doing surveys around campus to get updated cable facilities. It took us pleading way back in 2003 to update the dire housing situation. It took us stepping on a few toes to get a better café and Tiger Xpress. It simply took dedication.

Today, that dedication is as rare as seeing Elijah this semester. It's really sad, because this campus has more resources and tools than the SGA of 2003 and 2004 had. There was no Facebook or TheGramblinite.com. There was no Internet in the dorms. Yet, we still got things done and played to the little we had.

With "the yard" shells of its former self, and the streets of Grambling quieter than a mouse at times, it seems as if the old GSU is dead. While that's partially a great thing, as no one wants to stay in a high-rise with a slew of problems, I feel that students today take things for granted.

The water goes out for a few hours and students want to have a fit. I remember in Garner when our water was out for days due to a busted pipe. We didn't complain much; we laughed it off and made it work. The lights go out for a few hours and students whine on Facebook about it. Our lights went off for days sometimes, but we made it work.

Yet, the sad thing seems to be that the students that make valid requests are few … very few. At a recent town hall meeting orchestrated by the SGA, the administrators outnumbered the students. I shook my head in shame after the meeting, because the students don't care.

Simply put, the students of GSU are spoiled. I hate to say it, as "spoiled" is a pretty strong term, but it's true. There used to be a time you had to scrape and scrap to get the best of the best. But nowadays, it's just handed to students.

Maybe we should leave some of the low-rises up and put students in there. I bet that'll slap some dedication in them.

Or maybe, the status quo is all that's needed.
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Dispute between SGA and administration settled

Tuesday, 07 April 2009 04:49 Darryl Smith
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Run date:  3/12/09 
 
The dispute between the Student Government Association and University administration has been settled after a meeting last night, according to SGA officials.

It marks the end of a stall in the approval of amendments to the SGA Constitution, as the SGA accused Dr. Stacey Duhon, acting vice president of Student Affairs, of holding up legislation.

During the meeting, it was brought to the attention of GSU President Horace Judson that the SGA did not think Duhon was allowing them to do what they wanted to do.

"(Dr. Judson) didn't think that was true because Dr. Duhon was always defending us," said Chris Harmon, SGA President.

A solution was reached for the issue concerning Duhon.

"When we come up with things we want to do to present to Dr. Duhon, and if she has a different idea, we'll go back for a day or two to rethink it," he explained. "If we decide we want to keep it our way, we'll take it back to her. If she still doesn't agree, we can take it to Dr. Judson, and he'll make the final decision."

One of the biggest issues between the dispute was the SGA Constitution.

"We came to the understanding that the SGA Constitution needs to clarify a lot of things between the SGA and University," said Steven Jackson, SGA vice president.

Jackson stated that President Horace Judson did say that the administration did not have the right to write the Constitution. It is, however, back to the drawing board with the Constitution.

"The problem is that the Constitution is poorly written," said Harmon. "We'll rewrite the Constitution in a more effective way during SGA Week."

SGA Week will be held March 15 - March 20.

Jackson said that under the Constution resolution, the SGA Constitution will be reworked by a committee made up of SGA members and other students, administration and a third party not affiliated with the university or SGA.

In the end, the dispute ended in a favorable fashion.

"Everybody is pleased with the outcome," he said. "It wasn't a victory thing. We did establish a protocol; we would consult with (Judson) before we took it to the (University of Louisiana) System."

With the dispute over, it puts the SGA back on track to conduct business again. The SGA will follow the current Constitution until a new one is negotiated and approved.

"It all came down to interpretation and how do we interpret what (the Constitution) is saying," he said.
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SGA Prez suspends activities

Tuesday, 07 April 2009 04:49 Darryl Smith
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Run date:  3/5/09 
 
SGA President Chris Harmon has suspended all SGA activity due to continued pressure from the Grambling State administration, according to documentation obtained by The Gramblinite.

The suspension began Tuesday (March 3) after stalled discussions between the SGA and University officials.

On March 4, Steven Jackson, SGA VP, adjourned the SGA Senate into recess until further notice, putting a hold on legislation and potential funding for orginizations.

In a letter addressed to Dr. Stacey Duhon, acting V.P. of Student Affairs, Harmon said he was "suspending ALL (sic) activities, meetings, and/or programs" due to Duhon's alleged obstruction of the SGA's legislative process.

The SGA Senate has been locked in conflict to make amendments to the SGA Constitution. According to various sources within the SGA, the amendments passed by the SGA Senate have been blocked by Duhon, stating that the administration will do them the way they wanted them done.

Harmon also said that due to the pressure, he feels that its the "students' best interest to be fully represented and defended."

Jackson said the major issue is the fact that Duhon has said the amendments cannot be enacted at this point and time.

"The way we're interpreting it, the constitution gives us the authority to enact the amendments now," he explained. "She told the committee and me that it didn't matter what the Senate's interpretations were, and the administration wanted to do it the way they wanted to do it."

The actual legality of who's right is pretty much a guessing game. According to Steven Jackson, SGA VP, Duhon cited page 62 of the GSU Student Handbook, which states, "The (SGA) is directed by the president, an elected position who reports directly to the Vice President of Student Affairs."

Jackson said there's a major issue with this reasoning, because it's not the full description of SGA.

"The handbook also states that the SGA should gain the opportunity for student participation in the institution's decision making (sic) process to develop self-direction for students," he explained. "However, the Handbook is outdated."

According to the copy of the Handbook obtained by The Gramblinite, which was dated from 2006 - 2008, there was no documentation stating what happens to the Handbook once it expires or if the rules and regulations are carried on until a new one is produced. There is no new handbook for the 2009 year, Jackson confirmed.

Jackson cited Chapter 2, Section XVII of the University of Louisiana System's by-laws, which states that "the SGA shall operate under a constitution approved by the president of the institution."

"This is not a personal attack against Dr. Duhon," Jackson said. "But, the principle is there's nothing in writing that gives the University administration the right to overpower the Senate and their Constitution."

The controversial amendments include, but are not limited to, setting GPA qualification for candidates and to eliminate wasteful positions in SGA.

"We're not doing this to show power or anything, we're just following the written rule," he said.

Not the first time
There has always been some kind of conflict between the SGA and the administration this school year, according to Harmon. Harmon's biggest issue with the administration is the non-use of the golf carts, which were acquired during last semester.

"The golf carts have been here since football season last semester," Harmon said. "They still haven't been used."
To make matters worse, the SGA never approved for the golf carts to be purchased. The golf carts were purchased with SGA money after the SGA said they'd look into getting them.

"There's no documentation signed saying that we could get them," Harmon explained. After arguing and getting nowhere, the SGA "decided to use the golf carts as part of the transportation program."

The transportation program is a program that Harmon used during his campaign. The transportation program is supposed to have shuttle buses running from Grambling to places in Ruston, such as Wal-Mart, a primary business for GSU students.

According to Harmon, the buses are already acquired and ready to go.

"We have the buses, and they are in Hammond, La," he said. "Yet, we have no explanation of who's going to go pick them up at this time. Even when they do get here, it's been so many problems and stipulations over how they'll be used."

One of those problems is the fee that students would have to pay to use the buses. The SGA Senate voted for the fee to be $6 a semester for students to obtain a shuttle bus pass.

However, as the transportation program was coming to fruition, Harmon said that Duhon wanted the fees raised to $12. According to Harmon, the SGA's refusal to raise the fees has helped delay the start of the transportation program.

Same ole, same ole
With the SGA and administration at a standstill, the SGA appears to be adhering to the normal standard.

"The students are going to believe that the SGA and administration never does anything," Harmon said. "The administration always wants to give the SGA a hard time."

With meetings scheduled over the next few days, including Thursday (March 5), Harmon hopes to have some sort of truce worked out.

"It's possible for there to be a resolution, but I don't think there will be," he said. "We appreciate the fact that they don't let us spend money we don't have. But, the administration needs to let the students run the SGA at the end of the day."
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