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St. Cloud State University
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Commentary
No sympathy for complainers
By Regina Eckes
Published:
Thursday, October 9, 2003
Regina Eckes -- Staff Essay
I have noticed an annoying problem concerning many SCSU students - they suffer from a huge superiority complex.
Students attending this school honestly believe that they can do no wrong. Everything they say and do is right and all of their actions, no matter how serious or dangerous, should be excused. And people say teenagers think they know everything? Try drunk college students who can't tell the difference between barfing in a toilet or their neighbor's lawn. Do not be fooled by my happy staff photo; I am not amused.
I cannot sit in class for five minutes without hearing someone complaining around me about how their awesome party got busted or they were unfairly given a citation for underage drinking. God forbid the police receive any credit for doing their job and students take any responsibility for their own actions. I have lost all sympathy for the aforementioned complainers.
If you are going to be an underage drinker, you technically shouldn't be drinking in the first place, right? That's a law and you can't argue too much with it. To me there is no "gray area." I don't care if the police did in fact track you down, hunt you, sneak up on you or even trick you. You shouldn't be drinking in the first place. And if you are dumb enough to draw attention to yourself, then I rest my case.
The SCPD does not terrorize students. Breaking up a house party where neighbors can hear glass breaking and screaming is not terrorizing. Dispersing a crowd of 100 people partying on a lawn holding offensive and derogatory signs at two in the afternoon is not terrorizing.
And how dare anyone blame community members and neighbors for the problems students have with St. Cloud. So the South Side is a s-hole? Then clean it up. It's mainly the students that wreck their own neighborhoods anyway. Do the middle-aged residents pee in each others' lawn, litter beer bottles and cigarettes everywhere, vandalize property and deal drugs in local parks? I highly doubt it - prove me wrong if you must.
Explain again why community members should be asked to move out? Most SCSU students do not plan on spending more than five years in this town, whereas residents love St. Cloud and want to remain here for many years to come. And why again shouldn't they be upset when their property is vandalized or someone yaks and litters in their yard? Oh wait, we're college students so we are better and do not need to give our neighbors or elders any respect, but we deserve it no matter what we do.
I am not saying St. Cloud is beautiful and perfect. No, I agree that certain areas are trashy and that Public Safety and the SCPD do step out of line from time to time. But it is not as drastic and hellish as so many students perceive it to be.
I am all about complaining and bitching about this school. I am 20 years old and get frustrated with this place more often than not. But I at least try to reserve my comments out of respect for others and do not base my opinions on issues and events I know nothing about. The majority of students think the SCPD acted out of context on move-in day last month, but how many people were actually there AND, here's the kicker, were actually sober enough to comprehend what was really going on?
Most students, who think they are being terrorized by the police, are too full of themselves to begin with. Those who think the city is getting rich off parking tickets and fines must not know anything about the St. Cloud government and budget. And those who think community members should move out of the way are just being disrespectful.
Have fun, have a great time. Get drunk, party, make-out with random people and play drinking games and music. But think twice before blaming others for your own mistakes when you get in trouble - if you can even remember what really happened.
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