Members of the Hubbard Hall Black Caucus say they want to prevent future violence at on-campus social events and they might have a solution - restrict the events to MSU students only.
The caucus approved a plan that, if approved by other black student organizations, would limit attendance at black student organizations’ campus events - including dance parties - to MSU students only.
And caucus members aren’t alone in their cause. Representatives from several black student groups are slated to meet within the next several weeks to discuss the proposal. Those groups include Black Student Alliance, the National Panhellenic Council, the Coalition for Multicultural Education, the Shaw Hall Black Caucus and the Holden Hall Black Caucus.
BSA President Tonya Upthegrove said the organizations plan to implement 10 community standards at all social functions sponsored by black student organizations.
“It doesn’t apply to general Campus Center events,” she said. “We want it instituted there, but our main focus right now is for black student organizations.”
Aside from not allowing non-MSU students to attend such functions, the organizations also want to better control crowds and deny admission to people who have previously started fights or caused problems.
Darren Lamb, president of the Hubbard Hall Black Caucus, said the initiative was provoked by several recent incidents involving non-students.
“I think what galvanized this whole effort was that for the past few years now there has been continuous violence at parties, specifically at black parties, where students from other campuses will come in,” he said.
At least two fights have occurred at Campus Center events this semester, including one Oct. 14 at the International Center. Two non-students involved in a fight were arrested for trespassing, MSU police Detective Tony Willis said.
Kris Day, Campus Center assistant manager, said she knew of another fight believed to involve non-students earlier this semester.
Lamb said a third incident on Sept. 7 may have involved outsiders as well. A large gathering of people converged in a Spartan Village parking lot after a student-organized event at Lansing’s L.A. Globe Inc.
Several fights broke out and gun shots were fired.
“The majority of the incidents that take place on campus - not only with the black caucus events - we find that more so than not the trouble was caused by non-MSU students,” Willis said.
Lamb said while violence can be an issue at all student events, he thinks the problem affects the black community more.
“We see the issue crossing any type of ethnic borders,” he said. “But right now it doesn’t seem to hit the other groups hard enough to implement any type of radical change.”
Although the original proposal from the Hubbard caucus would have limited attendance to all campus events, that plan has been altered to include only the black student groups.
Upthegrove said the black community often uses campus venues, such as the Campus Center or the Union, for social events because many minority groups lack access to fraternity houses and bars that some other groups use.
“We’re basically at the mercy of the university in terms of having facilities to hold student events,” she said.
The student organizations plan to continue discussing their proposal with Campus Center managers, the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety and the Residence Halls Association.
Concerns about preventing violence have already led to some changes for general Campus Center events. New sign-in procedures were implemented Oct. 20.
All guests must now bring a valid ID to enter and wear wristbands. MSU students must present a valid university ID and be responsible for guests’ actions.
Lamb said students are encouraged by the Campus Center changes, but doesn’t feel it will solve lingering violence. He called the center’s alterations “a bit watered down for our purposes.”
Day, though, disagrees.
While she wants Campus Center events to be free of disturbances, she and other Campus Center managers are not ready to tell non-MSU students to take a hike.
“A non-student is not tied to campus and does not have the respect that students have for our buildings, our students or our events,” she said.
“But we are hoping that students can self-govern themselves instead of necessarily adding more security or making it an uncomfortable environment.”
Others, though, say changes need to be made.
MSU police Capt. Dave Trexler said he supports the Hubbard caucus plan.
“It would be much easier for us from a policing standpoint to work the events,” he said. “It lends more control to the event in knowing you have students at the events that can be held accountable.”
Although RHA Internal Vice President Jim McEvoy said there needs to be increased security, he and other members of his group are concerned about closing events.
RHA provides funding to many campus events.
“I don’t think students should be turned away,” McEvoy said. “We want to show other people what MSU has to offer.”
Lamb said Hubbard Hall Black Caucus members have considered the importance many students place on being allowed to bring guests to events. But limiting guests is in students’ best interests, he says.
“We decided that not being able to bring them here was a sacrifice we were willing to make for the good of the black community, the university community and for our own personal safety,” Lamb said.
Upthegrove said the black student groups plan to continue evaluating the measures. They are also considering requiring student organizations to attend an orientation session at the start of each year, so they can learn how to police their own social events.
The efforts have gained support from the Office of Minority Student Affairs and Lee June, MSU’s vice president for student affairs.
“We want organizations to be more informed and more accountable so they can have more effective programming endeavors,” Upthegrove said.
Nicole Jacques can be reached at jacques9@msu.edu.
