So as I'm rummaging through the mess of my poor little ramshacked blog, putting the pieces and ideas together for Bella Essence's Jan 2011 relaunch, I felt as though I needed to write, so here I am. I hope you enjoy the changes so far with more to come in the near future!
Last night, ladies and gentlemen, I discovered a rat was in my kitchen. Yes, I said it. A rat.
Exhibit A, also, my new suite mate.
Now sadly, many of you all are going to read this, and think, "It's just a rat... Rats are always in the Towers." But this is where I'm confused. WHY on earth do others rationally and openly accept the fact that a living facility has a defiant rodent issue? THIS IS NOT OK! We are better than this and we deserve better than this! And if you've forgotten, we also PAY for this! So, in essence, if you deem this reaction of mine as dramatic or unnecessary, you're willingly stating that you would pay for a place to stay that occupies not only you, but rodents as well. This, to me, sounds like an immediate problem that has persisted for far too long.
I understand that things like this happen, but to due to the high frequency of rodent oriented occurrences alone, I have no choice but to blame the Howard Plaza Towers for this. Failure to secure a clean, healthy, safe living space for students is a breach of their duty to us, and we should not continue day by day, week by week, month by month, semester by semester, year by year to tolerate this mistreatment. It is not clean, safe, and/or healthy to enter your kitchen only to discover a rat is running across your countertop, stove, and cooking areas where the food that you consume is prepared. That, to me, is an extreme health risk alone, and it baffles me that there is not more concern regarding this problem.
This is a battle that needs to be fought in order to make a mark on the administration not only of the Howard Plaza Towers, but the university as a whole. As a Senior here at Howard University, over the past three, going on four years I have witnessed many examples of the internal flaws of the school which are unexplainable, unprofessional, and unbecoming of the representation that Howard University strives to exude. I don't understand why there are so many strong voices on Howard University's campus alone, and proper treatment in not only our living quarters, but administratively as well, is something that Howard fails to deliver us. I saddens me that my colleagues have allowed this university to make them think that it is acceptable to live under these conditions, and I am ashamed that no matter what I say or do, my concerns and desires for better treatment, proper respect, and adequate service will merely be brushed aside as if they don't matter.
I ask you this question...
Think about those who came before us who were monumental vessels of change that made history that effects us still to this day. Although my rodent issue is miniscule in comparison, think of those such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, and Malcolm X. What would life be like if they silenced their voice and did not stand up for their rights and what they believed in? In my opinion, this is no different. Yes, a rat being in kitchen is not the end of the world, but it's more than that. It's the issue of self respect and the acknowledgment that I'm worth more and deserve better than to pay to attend and live at a university that does not provide me with professional and respectful service, as well as a safe, clean, and secure place to, at the end of the day, call my home.
I ask you all to reflect, as well as act on these principles knowing that your rights are important, and standing for what you believe in is a voice that should always be heard.
A silence voice is a producer of no words.
Change does not come silently, and
without change, everything will stay the same.
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