Stereotypes hurtful

By: Kwynn Townsend Riley – Columnist, Sophomore

There are some people who still view the world as black and white.

I believe there are campus police officers at UD who see black as suspect.

It happened during Thursday evening of our long awaited midterm break. It was freezing outside. My friend and I decided to wait in her car while the heat was on. We were parked on Brown Street, near the Taco Bell and I noticed a cop car slowly coming toward us.

I told my friends, who were all girls, “Doesn’t this car look creepy?” They all laughed and agreed. As the cop circled around the block where we were parked, my friends and I continued to warm up. The car circled around for at least 10 minutes.

Suddenly, the car flashed the lights on. This caused my two friends who were in the driver and passenger seat confusion. Then another car pulled up behind us with their lights on. A cop came up to the driver’s side and opened the door. I immediately knew that this was not supposed to be happening.

My friend said “Is there a problem, sir?” He looked in the car with his flashlight and said “You all just look very suspicious just sitting here, the windows are all foggy and it’s four of you who do not go here.”

Shocked, I responded “How do you know that none of us go here?” He said “Ma’am, when was this school founded?” I told him “1850, here is my Flyer Card.” At one point I felt compelled to demand for his badge number. He was stunned. He looked at my Flyer Card, asked which building I lived in and I told him what he needed to know.

After harassing us for a few more answers, he left with the other cops. I felt ridiculed and stripped of my rights at the University of Dayton. I never thought this would have happened to me, or my friends. I would bet more than $500 that the campus police would never assume such an ignorant statement.

I am appalled, I am disappointed, and I am concerned. Who does the Campus Police truly serve?