Shame on a Brother

SHAME ON A BROTHER

Shame on a Brother who pledged his all but commits the cardinal sin, for he is not an asset to the organization the organization is an asset to him

Shame on a Brother who does no work to help his chapter build, but he sits in his blue room, with blue lights, on his blue bed, drinks blue juice, wearing his blue letters, he chills.

Shame on a Brother who shows no shame and learns to live with the stigma, Sigma taught him all he knows about time value, now he has no time for Sigma.

Shame on a Brother who is a member, but not active and does not realize what’s at stake for when too many Brothers lean on the shield, the shield will eventually break.

Shame on a Brother for he is not a true Brother when most needed, his pledging stopped. There is no difference between an inactive Brother, and another who pledged and dropped.

Bro. Martin Roache
Beta Iota Chapter
Fall 1992

When The Smoke Clears

Recently, it appears I have new fan base. A steady flow of readers that want to know exactly what is going on with me, and where is all this controversy is coming from.

I’m never one to back down from a fight, but while I have everyone’s attention I thought there probably are a few things worth mentioning.

When the smoke clears, I’m not writing this to save myself. Rather to make peace where it can be made before that was to late.

It’s not about me.

This is to provide those who find it necessary the artillery needed to make peace without me. Put out fires so that when the smoke clears and the fight is over, no one had to burn the villiage to find the “thief” so to speak.

When the smoke clears I would like everyone at Hampton University to know that what I write is my view, through my lens. My thoughts and my opinions. Always.

We see things as we are not as they actually are. I never intended, nor do I intended now, to pass off my views as gospel to anyone, any school, or any organization.

I hope every one understands I’m not backing down from my previous statements, but adding to them when I say my intentions are never to expose or cause drama.

My intentions are to stir conversations about the truth. What that may be to me, is not necessarily truth to you.

When the smoke clears I’m very young and still learning. I hope to continue to learn at Hampton. But even if I’m not here, I’m still going to be learning. I’ve learned, ironically, more what I thought already knew.

That to whom much is given much is required.

I’ve learned that when you lead, even if you intend to lead only to serve, that there are things that you just can’t do. Responsibility that you just can not skate. Standards that can not be lowered or adjusted at your own will.

I don’t think I fully understood that. I still might not the way I need to. I like representing people. I like giving a voice to the voiceless. With great power comes great responsiblty. That is what I have learned.

This whole expirence has taught me more than any classes or any set of lessons that I have had over my three years.

When the smoke clears, I’ve spent the past two weeks telling a few pepole that it’s not all about them. It’s about those they serve around them. As head strong as I am, and I am, I will not be the one that says a lot of things and lives by none of them. I refuse to do that.

So…At the end of the day. I choose Hampton. I choose to stay for the three years I have been here. I choose to deal with all I dealt with and support all that I supported. It’s not about me, and when the smoke clears it won’t be about me.

It will be about the people who are standing with me when I’m still standing, or left standing when I’m gone. Those people deserved more than an angry tirade on a blog post.

Those people deserve more then to have there support of me defined by what I said, when what I have done or not done should be the issue.

When the smoke clears, while I disagree with everything she has done in my case, I’m sure the VP For Student Affairs thinks she is doing the right thing by her current students.

While I don’t agree with the system, I was the one in the office every Thursday, and recent alumni are quick to remind me that we only recently could do that. Those conversations would never be about me, I don’t know how anything was ever reframed as such.

When the smoke clears, after the dust settles and the controversy dies down, my only concern is for the people I have worked for and worked with.

Perhaps my comments where a little more aggressive than they ever needed to be. For that I’ll apolgize because what is worse than being the subject of an overreaction is responding in kind with an overreaction of your own. Justifying the orginal action in the first place. That is stupid.

When the smoke clears however, I am and will remain innocent. I’m sure that is not what had pepole reading, but whatever the reason you read (or are reading) please know that is the reason why I wrote (and am writing.)

Cause at the end of the day. When everyone’s opinion is heard. When the sub agendas are taken away. When the accusations stop flying and the blogs are no longer read. When the final judgement has been made…..You have left the lives of three innocent men…when the smoke clears……

OPEN LETTER TO THE WITCH HUNT

To All It May Concern,

Some of you may know, and for those who do not the situation is completely outlined in my blog post before this one, for the past month I have been embroiled in a situation that has placed my future unnecessarily in limbo. An incident that occurred on July, 9^th, 2010 has stretched out and keeps itself going all the way to today.

First of all, to all those that have supported, looked out, been concerned, or in anyway showed you appreciation for the kid and what he has done, I want to thank you.

To all those who have felt the kindness of my heart in the past, but as the shadows crept up, ran like rats, hid likes snakes, or have basically refused to support myself and getting my support in the past, I say shame on you (and you know who you are.)

Either way if you think I am talking about you I probably am. I’m three days away from a month long fast designed to cleanse my soul, so I’m get all the evil out right now, for those who feed on such things to feast before the famine. Its not until the ft is cut off and your hurt starts to skip a beat that you realize that there where leeches all over you.

Whatever happened on the night in question, (whether you believe me or not) one thing that can not be denied is what I have given of myself to Hampton University. The home by the sea that for some reason is trying to vomit me out. I’ve worked with some impressive students and some that where not so impressive. I have given my all to causes that a birthed, causes that I cared about, and causes that where not even my own. I am a person that values loyalty, respect, and trust above all else. I did the things that others did not want and where not willing to do. Was I or am I a saint, by no means (not even a bit close). I’ve hurt people been arrogant/stubborn more times then I can remember. I (then and now) refused to be anyone else except me.

But whatever my faults, whatever you may think of me, if you know me you know how hard I work even when I didn’t have to. You know how hard I work for other people after my work at the school but me in a position where I was pretty secure in my own position. I’m a Sigma (most of you know me only as a Sigma) and what we do is we help people. That is what I did and have tried to do.

The problem with helping people at Hampton University is that the school, its officials, and certain people in the Administration will do anything to maintain control. Students are not the motivation and Hampton, preserving Hampton (for better or for worse) is the major motivation at Hampton University. Whatever that means and at whatever cost. Page 5, the campus shooting, and the entire way this past summer has progressed are events that happened when I was here that prove that. When faced with a choice between doing what is right by the students and doing what is right by the legacy of Hampton, the legacy wins every time. It’s a attitude that leaves no incident under managed, means no student, professor, or employee is not expendable at anytime. It’s a policy based in fantasy and illusion not reality.

When they are people that stand up to this attitude of control, people that try and fight for the common student at Hampton University like in a page 5 the reaction of the immune system at the home by the sea is to reject and fight them like a plague, even if it means attacking its own.

For three years I gave my life, my sweat and tears to trying to make Hampton a better place. To strike a balance between those that cared about Hampton and those that cared about the people at Hampton. I would have done anything to protect Hampton even from itself, even from itself. Imagine my surprise when I realized it would not to the same for me.

So now it seems that this place that I have tried so hard to make better seems to think having me attend their will make it worse. Now it seems that because of the desires and decisions of one woman, all the work I have given to Hampton University will mean nothing. Now it seems that the immune system for the home by the sea has identified me as some sort of virus.

One thing is for sure do, the world is and will always will be bigger that one HBCU in southern VA with a population of 5,000 people. My high school had 5,000 people they never saw a great issue with me. My region of my fraternity has about the same, and they elected me. No. I refuse to sit here today and act like all knowing Hampton ( or one person at Hampton that has been given unchecked power to do whatever she wants) can judge me.

Only God can judge me,

and he knows my heart.

Let the students I helped over my three years judge me or the lives a touched. Let my work judge me and the countless hours of service to the University judge me. No, if the immune system does not want me it has more to do with it than me.

The reason I am making this so public, the reason I am putting all this out there is because I’m angry (of course) but also because win or lose this battle the war between students who seek an environment to learn and live and a school that seeks to control at all cost will still be going on. Whether I win or lose this battle, there seems to be no way to win the battle for the future.

On this old plantation in VA that used to be called little Scotland, the only ones that win are the slave owners, the overseers, and the house negros that will gladly sell their souls for the approval of the latter and former. The fields Negro, the masses, get ignored. They get marginalized, until they dare to get out of line, dare to challenge control, then the immune system begins to act.

Should I be excreted from the “body”, bare this in mind. I know where the shadows are where the students’ money is actually going, why certain money just seems to disappear, who really does what, why so many people seem to know nothing, and others with all the answers happen to answer to no one. All of this I’ve learned by working for the body, with in the body, helping it heal itself, now it seems the body that is my home by the sea would rather be in full control of itself then help itself. It would rather be defend a process than a cause. It would rather be right then do the right thing, all that is regrettable, but either way life will move on.

I do not know what will happen over the next few weeks as this process that gone on for a month draws to a close. I would hope that either way, the school that I have given free labor to for the past three years would at the very least if its not going to do the right thing put me in a position to finish my education at another slave plantation (or school) this Fall. So far, it does not even seem like it is willing to do that.

What I do know, what I have learned, is watch who you trust. As soon as they use you for what they want, as soon as the vampires are not thirsty, as soon as the leeches are full…….that is when the immune system starts to work…that is when control becomes the most important thing again.

The BullShyt Going on at Hampton University

My name is Dwayne Kwaysee Wright. I am a rising Senior, Political Science Major from Brooklyn, New York (by way of Port of Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.) I currently have a 3.5 GPA and have been on the Dean’s List my entire time at Hampton University. I plan to attend Law School in the Fall 2011 after I graduate from Hampton University.

I am an honors student and a member of Hampton University’s Honors College. I have sat on its Executive Board for the past three years under the direction of Dr. Freddye Davy. I have been appointed a Teacher’s Assistant for the University 101 Honors class for the past two years, under the direction of Dr. Jarvis Taylor. In such a capacity I worked directly with honor freshmen students. Also, for the past three years, I have been a counselor for the Honors College A+ program. In which I oversaw between 40-50 young males and females between the ages of 13-17.

I have represented Hampton University in debate competition several times. Last summer, I debated in the presence of a gathering of HBCU Presidents in Washington D.C during HBCU Week.

In addition, I have given numerous hours of service to the Hampton University campus and its community. Of which some include the following: I was a stage manager for Terpsichorean Dance Company during their presentations. I have been part of production crew for Hampton University’s Hampton Players show productions.

I am a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. in this schools chapter, Beta Gamma. For which I have served as Secretary, Director of Education, Director of Communication, Vice President, and currently I am President of the Beta Gamma Chapter. In addition, I am the Associate Regional Director of the Fraternity’s Eastern Region. In this position, I represent and oversee all undergraduates in the Eastern Region which includes 18 states and 75 Chapters.

Furthermore, I am the Hampton University National Pan-Hellenic Council
President. A position I was first elected to in September of 2009 and was reelected in May 2010 and continue to serve today. In such a capacity, I have worked directly with Ms. Sharon Trabbold (Director of Student Activities) and the Office of the Vice President For Student Affairs. As such, I have represented the school numerous times at other schools and events over the past year.

In addition, for the past year and half I have served as the President of the Political Science Club. In which I have built from a membership that was in single digits to one of over twenty students.

I am an active member of the New York Pre-Alumni and Caribbean Pre- Alumni Associations. Also, I am a recent addition to the Hampton University Greer Dawson Student Leadership Program.

During my matriculation at Hampton I have accumulated over 300 hours of community service in my three years.

I also have worked in several departments helping Hampton students. Some of which include, being a Resident Assistant during the Summer Session for the Pre- College Program during the summer of 2008.

I have worked in the Department of Freshmen Studies under the direction of Ms. Sharon Simmons. Also, I have also served numerous hours in the Office of Student Activities.

In my three years at Hampton University, I have accumulated 148 credits although my degree program requires just 129 credits for graduation. I am currently two classes (POL 403 and POL 404) away from graduating cum laude with departmental honors. My intention was to finish my service to the Hampton University community, and that is the reason I am still at Hampton University.

On the evening of July, 9th, 2010, which was a Friday, at around 10pm I arrived at the residence of 59-B in the Hampton Harbors Apartment Complex next to campus. The Hampton Harbors Apartment Complex contains private, off-campus housing owned by the school but operated by a third party and not governed under the same rules as on campus residential housing. The majority of the occupants are upper classmen students at Hampton University. The apartment unit I arrived at, 59-B, belongs to two other Hampton students both of whom I have known for at least a year if not longer. In my possession at the time of my arrival was three bottles of alcohol, which I had purchased earlier in the evening for personal consumption that night and for the remainder of the weekend. The purchase was legal because I am 22 years old as of today. I was initially in 59-B from 10pm until 10:20pm. While I was there at that time there were approx. 12-15 people also there that included; the two student owners of the house, several of their male friends, and anywhere from 6-8 young ladies that where Pre- College students that I knew.

Discussion between me and the two students that rented the apartment had been that some people may be coming to the apartment as the night progressed if nothing else was going on in the area. I am not certain who was invited or how many people where invited, but it was expressed to me that it would not be a lot of people and that the intention was not to allow the number of people in the apartment to get excessive. I invited no one initially and invited only five people as the night progressed to 59-B, all of whom where upperclassmen.

At about 10:20pm, the majority of the ladies that where at the apartment at that time decided to leave in order explore what else was going in the area. At this time, left in the apartment was one of those young ladies who were with one of the students that rented the apartment, the other student who rented the apartment, and his friends. His friends where in his room so I cannot say with any accuracy how many of them where there. Very shortly after the exit of the young ladies, I decided to go back to my house which is 38-A in the same apartment complex, maybe 3-5 minutes away.

My intention was to come right back to 59-B right after I left my house. Because of that intention, I did not take the alcohol I had purchased with me at that time. It is my belief that the people that remained in the house knew that the alcohol was mine and that it was my desire not to share it with anyone on that night. It was stored in the back of the freezer in the kitchen of 59-B, at the time of my departure. I have a statement from a Hampton University graduate who spent most of the night at 38-A placing me at my apartment from 10:30pm to 10:45pm. His statement also speaks to the fact that two groups of young man come by my house that night and asked if I knew of anything going on. My response to them was no because, 59-B was a private gathering as far as I was concerned, there was some studying at my apartment, and I knew of nothing else going on in the immediate area at the time that they asked.

I would latter go on to find out about several other gatherings in the Harbors Complex, such of the nature as that which was going in 59-B, as well as several other off campus parties planned for that evening. I have submitted a flyer from one such event that occurred on the night in question. This particular flyer was reproduced and disseminated in the Harbors Complex as well as many places on campus. The flyer advertises that event as beginning at 9pm on the night of July, 9th, a full hour before I was in 59-B. I submit it as further proof that the gathering at 59-B was not the only event that night. As well as, proof that anyone that was in 59-B, may have visited other locations in the area before or after attending the gathering at the apartment.

While at my house I took a shower, changed clothes, and dropped off some stuff I had with me. I did not go immediately back to 59-B as I intended. I went to several other apartments in the Harbors complex looking to see where the majority of the people in the area were. I did this under the impression and assumption that there were not many people at 59-B. An assumption based on how I left the apartment in at 10:20pm.

I returned to 59-B around 11:20pm. When I returned there where about 30 people at the apartment, both males and females, some of whom I knew but the majority of which I did not. Some lights where off and the main light was coming from the kitchen. I went to the kitchen to retrieve the alcohol that I had brought and left there; when I did it was in the freezer where I had left it. Upon further examination, I realized that some of the alcohol was gone from the bottles that where there. I did not know who consumed it and didn’t ask what happened to it until end of the evening. The alcohol in question then lasted about 10 more minutes and was done after that.

At no point during the night did I serve any underage students alcohol in the residence of 59-B. I have statements from two current Hampton University students that were in attendance at the gathering at 59-B during the time that I was there from 11:20pm to 12:20am, stating that I did not serve any type of alcohol to any underage students.

At 12:20pm, I left the gathering at 59-B. I returned to my house after 12:20am and left there at 12:40am to walk a pre-college student back to campus. I have a statement from that student speaking to that and confirming last seeing me around 1:00am in front of a dorm on campus. At that point in time, I returned to my house to end the evening.

I am currently indefinitely suspended from Hampton University for allegedly serving alcohol to underage students. The evidence that has been presented to me at the post-separation hearing, and because of such the only evidence I believe the disciplinary action to be based on, are statements from nine young ladies allegedly taken some point after their apparent attendance at the gathering at 59-B. Also, the fact that all nine young ladies questioned allegedly picked my picture out of a five man line up identifying me as the one who served them that night. This was stated to have occurred during a subsequent Hampton University police investigation. These two circumstances are all that are being used by the school to claim that my actions on July, 9^th where in violation of certain policies and warrant the disciplinary administrative action of indefinite suspension ending my matriculation at Hampton University currently.

The reason I believe that an appeal should be granted to allow me to continue my matriculation at Hampton University on the basis that there was not enough substantial evidence to make the ruling and that the post separation hearing was not fair to the accused is as follows:

The statements that the young ladies have made, as well as the consistency and accuracy of these statements have been brought into question. I have a statement from one of the young ladies (the student that went to the hospital as outlined in the allegations) stating that she does not think it was me that served her on that night and that she does not know who served her on that night.

In fact, that the young lady (who does not know me and I do not know her) thought that the truth was being so misrepresented that she contacted me through an R.A, and offered to write me a statement ahead of my post-separation hearing to help advance my case.

Furthermore, the other young ladies in question I believe I do not know do not know me. They all apparently resided in Twitchell Hall during this summer and I cannot think of one young lady that I was ever introduced to from that residence hall for the entire summer. Their statements reflect the fact that they did not identify me by name; rather some of them refereed to me by the alias “diddi” which is a name that I am referred to by close friends and (originally only) my Fraternity brothers. I do not introduce myself by my nickname; rather on first introduction I use my full name. This tells me that the young ladies in question were never introduced to me personally, but rather were told who I was through a third person who referred to me by my nickname.

In addition, the record will show the claim from the statements that the young ladies where served “Pepsi and Vodka”. I never saw any Vodka and/or Pepsi in existence in 59-B on the night of July, 9^th when I was there. It has also been told to me by the owners of the apartment that there was no Vodka and/or Pepsi there that night prior to the event nor was any purchased for the event. The record will show that the alcohol that I brought for myself was in fact not vodka, and was of such that it could have not been mistaken for vodka by these young ladies if they were making true statements. More importantly, as stated before I have statements that directly contradict and refute any claims by anyone that I served anyone anything on the night of July, 9^th in 59-B.

The Hampton University Police Officer that conducted the investigation has stated in the record he was given three names of young men to start an investigation with on the evening of July, 10^th. The origin of these names was not stated in the record and is in question. This needs further examination, because the three names given represent less than 1/5^th of the approximately 15-20 young men that were in 59-B from the time of my reentry at 11:20pm to my exit at 12:20pm. None of the other male attendants (including the second student that rented the apartment) has received letters of disciplinary action or where even questioned during the subsequent Hampton police investigation.

This officer has indicated that it was from those names he was given that he conducted research and generated pictures of the three of us. He stated that he showed the nine young ladies in question all of our pictures together along with two other young men (not young men who necessarily where even at the event on the night in question) and all nine allegedly picked me out as one the people who were serving them alcohol.

The picture used to indentify me was taken in September of 2007. It shows me without dreadlocks (of which I currently have and have been growing for two years), with no facial hair, and with dark green, Nike brand contacts that make my eye color appear “black”. The picture shown to the nine young ladies looks nothing like me currently and does not represent what they would have seen on the night of the incident if they were in fact in attendance. If the young ladies did pick that picture out of a lineup of pictures, they might have as well been picking out someone else because the picture in question could not and should not have been used to represent what I look like currently.

In addition, as stated earlier I have a statement from one of the nine young ladies that brings the entire picture line up into question. The young lady contacted me a week after the day of the incident through her R.A at the time, and indicated to me that from what she was hearing from other people the truth was being misrepresented at least in my case. She stated that she had been shown a picture by the Hampton University Police and was told it was me. When she indicated it was not the person that served her on the night in question, they informed her that it was me and that the picture she was viewing was my freshmen picture.

This brings into question the credibility of my identification via the picture line up for all nine young ladies. Not just because of the inaccuracy of the picture used to supposedly identify me, but because the statement she has submitted has indicated that witnesses where lead to pick me out of the picture line up despite the lack of knowledge as to whom I was, and uncertainly to who served them alcohol at all.

As to the fairness of the post-separation hearing, the lack of due process becomes a question. The disciplinary action taken against me based solely on the statements of the young ladies was imposed before I had any knowledge that an investigation involving myself had even started. I was never asked for a statement prior to the imposing of the disciplinary action, even during the Hampton University Police investigation of the incident. My first statement as to what happened the night of the incident to any University officials on the record came at the post-separation hearing. It seems to me as if I was deemed guilty, and asked to prove myself innocent without the benefit of knowing the full extent of charges against me. To this day, I have not been given an opportunity to face any of my accusers, although the only evidence which is being used to stop my matriculation at Hampton University are their words and statements. None of the nine young ladies have ever looked, or have ever been given the opportunity to look, me in the face and say that I served them anything.

As the record will indicate, I cannot say for certain who consumed the alcohol I brought while I was not at the function in 59-B from 10:30pm to 11:20pm. I unfortunately cannot say that it was not consumed by or served to students who where underage while I was not there. Neither can I explain why statements from the witnesses have implicated me as serving them alcohol on that night. However, I can say this; the young ladies did not know me before or after the alleged incident. There would be no reason for me to serve alcohol that I had brought for myself to someone I had not meet before and would not ever see again.

What I can state with all certainty is that I did not serve any underage students alcohol on the night of July 9^th in the residence of 59-B. It is possible these young ladies where caught violating the law and school policy on alcohol, faced with the possibility of being sent home from the Pre-College Program, and said the first names that they knew where at the party in order to save themselves from that fate.

If the school presented all the evidence against me at the post-separation hearing, as was stated would occur, the issue is this: How low is the burden of proof allowed to be to end a student’s academic career? I have attended this school for three years, never had any disciplinary action taken against me or alcohol related incident of any kind, not once. I have never been brought up on any disciplinary charges at all, not even a warning. These young ladies, who were attending this school for only three weeks at the time of the incident, clearly violated several directives given to them (i.e. not going to the Hampton Harbors Apartment Complex, not drinking while underage, not being on campus while intoxicated). However, while these young ladies are allowed to continue their matriculation at Hampton University, their inaccurate statements are all that are being used to end my matriculation.

To conclude a review of the evidence that is being used against me, the school has offered the statements of nine young ladies of which one was been apparently retracted, and the others are contradicted directly by my witnesses statements. They have also offered identification by a picture line up which a picture was used of me from three years ago. Furthermore, one of the young ladies has already suggested that the line up identification was a lot more guided than has been suggested up to this point. No criminal charges have been filed against me and no police report has been produced for me to see. There is no substantial evidence that has been offered other than the statements of the young ladies.

In conclusion, it is my belief that an appeal of the ruling from the Vice President For Student Affairs from July, 23^rd following the post-separation Administrative Hearing of July, 21^st been granted on the basis that the verdict was not supported by enough evidence to justify the end of my matriculation at Hampton University.