And all became still. It’s all wrong. How do we go on?
These were the initial thoughts that ran through my head as Dr. Rossbacher, the president of Sothern Polytechnic State University, informed a number of students, faculty, staff and administrators about the proposed merger between SPSU and KSU.
The first few hours were difficult. I am a student leader at SPSU. In my mind, all that I have worked hard to see come to fruition may be absorbed in a potential merger. I did not care about wh
o wrote the proposal. I did not care for details; my beloved university was about to dissipate.
As in any situation, my voice of reason fought through to remind me of my position. I am editor-in-chief of The Sting, SPSU’s student newspaper. This means that I have a responsibility to deliver information and breaking news of any kind. Though most information surrounding any merger is at arm’s reach, I had to fish for answers. No one would have have given me information if I pressed on with a bias opinion.
That being said, I announced to the SPSU student body that I had to remain neutral.
Remaining neutral (playing the fence) is tough when those who work around you may lose their jobs, when your publication (65 years old) may be absorbed. Nonetheless, I placed my feelings aside and did what I do best, help the student body.
I am so proud of the staff that I have here at The Sting. They were on top of every event, every lead, anything that was considered important information. We have a monthly publication which does not allow us to print breaking news. My staff made up for this, publishing news as it unfolded via Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and on our website.
I do not want the students of SPSU to believe that my neutral stance means I do not care; I do. As it stands now, no one knows what’s going to happen in the upcoming months; I may lose everything.
It is my hope that we can preserve what makes SPSU, SPSU. Traditions such as Goat Night and the Bathtub Races, and monuments such as The Rock, and our beloved Globe are just some of the many things that the implementation teams should keep in consideration.
It is also my hope that we all remember that colors, traditions and monuments do not make universities; students do. What makes a university is its student body and the presence that they establish on campus. This place means more than the material things or spaces that we inhabit here; it means the ones we love and coexist with from admission till the parade across that stage.
Let’s all take the same energy that we put into building this place and strengthening the relationships we have with one another and press forward to make the best out of what many here consider to be a bad situation. If attending SPSU has taught me anything it is this: Change is inevitable; learn and apply.
Randy Brown Jr.
Editor-in-Chief , 2014
SPSU’s The Sting
I tend to agree. I think it’s too early to say what will happen. But everything’s written down in history, so I don’t think we’ll “lose” much. And even if we do, we can pick up KSU’s traditions, or we can just make our own.
New plates! haha