As news from Ferguson continues to unravel, students and faculty based in Missouri return to Biola wondering how the case surrounding Michael Brown will unfold.
Senior film major Matt Sugg lives twenty-five minutes away from Ferguson. One night while at an ice cream parlor, Sugg saw several police cars drive past, sirens flashing.
“We thought, ‘huh, something must be going on,’ but they had called all the police out that night because of the rioting that had been going on,” Sugg said.
HOMEFRONT WARZONE
In the midst of this conflict, the city of St. Louis is searching for a resolution, Sugg said. However, racial stereotyping has been an integral piece of the city’s history long before the death of Michael Brown.
“All of the conversation in Ferguson has been going back to it’s roots. A lot of the people have been saying that they’re tired of being oppressed,” Sugg said. “The whole city of St. Louis is wanting peace to return. The city is working really hard to build up a good reputation again. It’s just hard to see.”
Senior anthropology major Emily Wilson lives three hours away from Ferguson in Springfield, MO. Though she was not in Missouri when the riots began in Ferguson, the unrest involving tear gas and rubber bullets close to her hometown is concerning, Wilson said.
“It’s scary to think about the fact that it’s three hours away from my hometown and that, you know, it could happen anywhere. I’d like to think that it would be resolved more peacefully in a community like Biola,” Wilson said.
Most metropolitan areas around the country have differentiating racial demographics similar to St. Louis, said political science department chair and St. Louis native Scott Waller. Areas around Los Angeles such as Compton and Long Beach with contrasting racial demographics have the potential to become similar to Ferguson, such as the LA riots during the 1990’s.
“Ferguson is the St. Louis equivalent of Rodney King,” Waller said, “The buzz word going around is everybody has a Ferguson. It’s probably true.”
PREVIOUS ASSEMBLIES NONVIOLENT
No peaceful assembly at Biola has ever created safety concerns on campus that prompted response from campus safety, said Chief John Ojeiskhoba of Campus Safety. Students at Biola are able to hold a peaceful assembly on campus through approval by Student Development.
“Compared to UC or Cal-State schools, I think that students here are more well-behaved. I’m glad to be part of this community. We have students that behave well and are orderly and respectful,” Chief John Ojeiskhoba of Campus Safety said.
If Campus Safety became involved in a peaceful assembly situation, procedure demands notification of the La Mirada Sheriff’s department, located directly across La Mirada boulevard. Campus officers are permitted to carry tasers, pepper spray and batons while on duty Ojeiskhoba said.
“We do not use rubber bullets. We would only use firearms if someone’s life is in imminent danger. We have firearms for one sole reason –– if students’ lives are in danger,” Ojeiskhoba said.
