By Regina Morin
World Languages and Cultures Department
I read with interest the article regarding problems off campus with the College students and the surrounding community. I teach here at the College and live in Ewing. I know the problems described in the article are real. I have experienced them firsthand at other institutions. However, I would like to come out in defense of the great majority of our students who do not cause problems and are responsible citizens of our community.
There are a number of houses around mine that are rented to our students. In the seven years I have lived in Ewing, we have never experienced any problems.
Today, I had a particularly heartening experience. I was walking my dog, as usual, when a pit bull came out of nowhere and would not leave us alone, jumping up on me and grabbing at my dog. I was scared to death, and truth be told, a little bit hysterical as anyone who knows me might imagine. But the other dog’s owner was nowhere in sight.
A gentleman driving by saw the problem and stopped to help. Four young women from the College, runners, also saw the problem. One came and took my dog out of my arms to carry him, and all four of them surrounded me, putting themselves between us and the pit bull, while the other man distracted him.
They told me they were from the College, and I jokingly told them that so was I, and they might wind up in one of my Spanish classes. But the point is that I have great faith in our young adults in general because of what I see every day in our students.
While there are a few bad apples, students like the ones who helped me today should be commended. I believe that most of our students are like them.
