Campus Talk: Season 2 - Episode 6

Synopsis

David opens the episode with news from the Campus Activities Board before introducing two conversations about student safety, campus involvement, and the university community.

The first guest is David Marazas, chief of the East Stroudsburg University Police Department. Chief Marazas explains that university officers must complete municipal police-academy training and receive a governor’s commission before serving on campus.

The discussion focuses on crime prevention and the mistaken belief that students and their belongings are automatically safe because they are on a college campus. Morazzes advises students not to walk alone at night, leave vehicles unlocked, or keep valuable possessions in plain sight. He also describes the department’s educational programs concerning theft, acquaintance rape, sexual assault, residence-hall security, and general crime prevention.

Marazas outlines several services available to students, including the campus escort program, assistance with disabled or locked vehicles, jumper cables, access to roadside assistance, and free fingerprinting. Student escorts operate throughout the evening, while police officers may provide escorts themselves outside the program’s regular hours.

The chief also discusses the continuing education required of university officers. Their training includes sexual-assault investigation, death investigation, bicycle and pedestrian safety, firearms qualification, CPR, first aid, and emergency response. The department is also considering a bicycle-registration and safety program that would remind riders that bicycles are subject to traffic laws.

Marazas emphasizes that the University Police Department exists primarily to serve students. Officers are available to speak with classes, organizations, fraternities, and other campus groups about crime prevention and personal safety.

David’s second guest is Carmine Duncan, a senior majoring in sociology and criminal justice and president of the Black Student Association. Carmine announces that the organization will adopt a new constitution and change its name to the African-American Student Alliance after the Christmas break.

Carmine traces the organization’s history to 1970, when it was established to give African-American students and other minorities opportunities to organize, sponsor activities, and learn more about their cultural backgrounds. He explains that the new name and updated constitution are intended to reflect the organization’s continuing mission and the university’s current identity.

The conversation examines ways ESU could improve race relations and create a more inclusive campus. Carmine advocates increased recruitment of minority students and staff, more opportunities for minority students to participate in campus life, and seminars that allow students from different backgrounds to learn from one another. He argues that understanding another person’s history and culture encourages empathy rather than judgment.

Carmine also discusses reactions to the organization, including misunderstandings from students who believe that an African-American student organization excludes or attacks others. He explains that the alliance is intended to provide support while helping the entire university community become more culturally aware.

Upcoming activities include one-act plays, a gospel hour, guest speakers, multicultural forums, and a discussion of interracial relations during African-American History Month. The organization also works with other student groups, assists the admissions office with minority recruitment, and hopes to become more involved with children and families in the surrounding community.

The episode concludes with Carmine expressing hope that greater recognition, stronger minority recruitment, and increased staff representation will help ESU become a more diverse and understanding university.