ASG's view of 'Campus PD' too harsh, unrepresentative
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I was not surprised when I read about ASG’s reaction to the decision of the San Marcos Police Department to allow the G4 Network to film their excursions. I think it is immature for certain representatives to assume the network will depict our campus in a negative fashion. If any negativity is broadcasted, it will be that of the individual student.
I would like to think the audience, who will hardly pause their video game long enough to watch television, would not negatively judge our school by the show. They will think San Marcos is like any other university city. What crime will be so bad that it would off-put a prospective student?
I think the exposure is good because it will showcase the wild side (and sometimes fun side) of the university experience and bring awareness to the consequences. I don’t think one will opt out of Texas State because of the noise violations or traffic issues that fill The University Star’s Crime Blotter section. In reality, San Marcos is not an exciting town. The most exciting thing about San Marcos is Austin.
I question ASG’s effectiveness concerning their view on this issue. As a former president of a college’s student government, I understand the issues of the student versus the issues of the school. The most important thing an elected, governing body can do is focus on the currently enrolled students. We are speaking now. Hear us. Meet our needs now instead of making policies with future ramifications that will set you up for glory from future classes.
I would prefer certain ASG representatives to stop talking for me. They do not represent my views, values, personality or pop cultural outlook. I would love to watch the show only because I will be familiar with the backdrop. Viewers who are unfamiliar with our town will forget about it by the time the ending credits roll. I am sure ASG feels no student should support the network by tuning into the show. They are probably wrong.
—in response to SMPD hinders trust with students, ASGleaders say in the October 27th issue of The University Star
–Cody Underwood is anEnglish senior
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Comments
But that is what police always do....
October 31, 2009 by steven (not verified), 3 weeks 1 day ago
Comment id: 992
I mean, sure, they are exploiting students for publicity (prob. profit). How is that any different from what the police department usually does? All those new cars and SUV's are not free! The more laws we make, and the more fines the police impose, the more they can grow their department.
Law enforcement are here to protect citizens from harm and theft. Thats it. And really, it should be up to the citizens to protect themselves from most harm and theft. Police should be the last option. The problem is, like prisons, police departments have become a business. The more money they take in, the more they spend. The more the spend, the bigger the budget request for the next year. The more criminals they arrest, fine, the more police they say they need the next year.
Are we really that bad? I have never been assaulted, never felt threatened, never had anything substantial stolen from me. Yet, anytime I leave my house, I see 3-4 police cars running around San Marcos. Don't even get me started on the completely unnecessary University PD.
Don't get me wrong. I don't blame the police, or even the dept. It is just human nature. People like to feel that their job is vital. In policing, the more criminals, the more vital the police appear. Putting drunk students on TV for profit is horrible, but it certainly isn't a new direction for police.
"The most exciting thing
October 30, 2009 by Kelly (not verified), 3 weeks 2 days ago
Comment id: 986
"The most exciting thing about San Marcos is Austin." Did you think about how many people you were going to insult before this went off to print? Did you contact G4 about why they chose to film in San Marcos? Excitement is relative anyway: San Marcos may not have a huge music festival, but I know I get excited when Spring arrives, because we have a river that we can actually swim in.
And as the previous commenter said, the point of the ASG reaction was that SMPD did not engage in a dialogue with students about this. We, the students, approximately half the population of the city, were not approached about this. Just because you disagree with the ASG's stance does not make them ineffective. And if you wish for them to stop speaking for you, maybe you should go to their meetings and have your voice heard.
Speak for yourself, Cody.
October 29, 2009 by FedUpWithUTWannabes (not verified), 3 weeks 3 days ago
Comment id: 981
You just had to take a gratuitous potshot at San Marcos and suck up to Austin in your article, didn't you Cody? I'm tired of all of these UT wannabes that are just supposedly just soooo above San Marcos and Texas State, and they act their viewpoint is what's universally accepted here.
I would prefer poseurs like Cody Underwood to stop assuming that they speak for me and the rest of the student population. Frankly, there are a number of people who are more than proud to attend Texas State and would prefer San Marcos over Austin or UT any day. I've lived in both towns for a number of years, and I enjoy having a good time in both, but I know that I prefer the laid-back atmosphere and the beautiful hill country setting of San Marcos over the insufferable traffic and endless urban sprawl of Austin (just to name a couple of the problems they have up there).
This article also entirely misses the point of the previous op-ed, which rightly calls out SMPD for not notifying anyone about their plans to bring in "Campus PD" until they were already out filming busted citizens on camera. We as students have made a concerted effort to try and repair our relations with the city of San Marcos in the past couple of years,and this is the thanks we get? Shame on you, SMPD, and Cody, I have some advice for you: If you love Austin so much, then TRANSFER!
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