When you come home from college for the summer, you run into all your neighbors, old teachers and relatives. They always have one question.
“How’s school?”
I love my school, but I found myself feeling like I had to explain why I loved Bridgewater State University. This is because BSU had been in the news an outrageous amount my freshman year. Maybe it was just an unlucky year for us, media-wise, but it always felt like there were news teams in front of our school sign every day.
I remember getting an e-mail about a sexual assault that happened on campus. I thought it was scary that it happened on a campus where I felt so safe. After that, it did not cross my mind much. Then the news came out that there had been sexual assaults that the student body was not informed about. This sparked controversy about the notification procedure and the law enforcement of the university.
The next thing that took me by surprise was the professor who was a convicted sex offender. I met a lot of his students who explained the full situation and genuinely liked him as a professor. This put me at ease, but the media was not as understanding.
At one point, one of the buildings had green water, but I honestly was not concerned about it. The news was called, though; I guess they had nothing better to do.
What really struck me was when a student, Kyle Loughlin, was sexually abusing children in the childcare center. To add to this disturbing news, the director of the child care center, Judith Ritacco, was arrested and charged with failing to report previous allegations against Loughlin.
This disturbing story was a tough one for the students of BSU to swallow. These stories hit close to home for so many who major in Early Education, or work with children in general.
As all the news settled and the media stopped visiting our campus, I started to realize how our reputation is now changed. When you google Bridgwater State, you are going to encounter the news articles that paint us in an unflattering light. It’s unfortunate that all of this happened but it important to acknowledge that this could happen anywhere. BSU was dealt a bad hand this past year but it never made me question my support for the overall university. I still love BSU and am proud to attend the school. I say this because I am a student who knows all the things that make BSU great. The news only shows up when there is something bad to report but if they were to stick around for a bit, they would see all the good that our school does for the community.
The Children’s Physical Developmental Clinic meets every Saturday morning. This is a place where students will wake up early on the weekend and volunteer to work and play with children with a range of disabilities.
Jumpstart is a program where students go into Brockton classrooms and help students reach their full potential. These students commit a lot of time making sure the students are where they are supposed to be academically.
“Will You Read With Me?” is a program for students to volunteer and read to children who are in temporary housing because the parents are in-between jobs or have domestic issues.
I recently joined a club called Operation Smile. This group raises funds for cleft pallet surgeries abroad and raises awareness. We went to a hospital school and volunteered with children and helped them make signs to decorate for spring. It was a simple thing, but it made everyone’s day.
Things like this are what make me proud to go to Bridgewater State. Yah, a lot of crappy stuff happened this past year, but that’s not what I think represents BSU. The media likes to come and report stories that damage our reputation. I understand this is their job and they are reporting the truth. What I am trying to say is that we cannot forget all the good Bridgewater has done for the community. This year was a rough one for us in the spotlight, but I know we can come back with all the positive things we do for the community. Our mission this upcoming year is to show everyone how proud we are to be BSU students.
