Students are Getting Precisely What They’re Paying For.
Students are finally speaking up about the less than adequate living conditions of the Greystone Apartments at Texas Southern University.
Located less than a quarter of a mile away from the University, Greystone is seemingly harmless to the naked eye.
The school’s website and brochure also give off the impression that it is the “place to be” for Texas Southern University students.
The modest rent and utility prices are the lowest rates available to Texas Southern students.
However, the apartment complex has a bad reputation among students at TSU, and up until recently, the disdain that many students had the for the apartments in general has been kept quiet.
This is more than likely due to the fact that many students have mixed feelings about the living conditions.
“It beats the dorms, its more exciting, ” said Destiny Jones*, a junior, “But, I feel like maintenance people come faster for the other school housing complexes. They don’t do things when they are supposed to here.”
“I feel like it has its ups and downs,” said Genesis Johnson*, a sophomore, “The programs for residents are good. The location is cool. But everything is broken. And when you put work orders in, they complain. Plus the furniture is horrible. for as much as we pay, things should be better.”
Although the inner appearance of the complex and lack of proper maintenance appears to be one of the things that bothers residents, it isn’t the real issue at hand.
The biggest problem student’s have seems to be with security and resident assistants and their inability to target the problems that go on in Greystone everyday.
Events occurring over the past few years, including the murders of students Joshua McMackle and Bradley Eyo, as well as TSU being named the most dangerous school in the state of Texas by more than one newspaper has caused the university’s president, John Rudley, to implement a “Zero Tolerance Policy”.
The policy ensures that “trouble makers” are to be dealt with harshly. Curfews and visitation rules have been put into place in all university housing complexes, Greystone especially.
But students seem to feel that security and other forms of authority are targeting the wrong people.
“Security is not doing their jobs. They harass the people that they know live here. But they leave guest alone. Just the other day there was a huge fight here, caused by non-residents. Those people weren’t punished, the people that live here are getting punished,” said Genesis Jones.
Jones isn’t the only resident with these feelings. Many of her peers shared similar views.
Joshua Henderson*, a senior, expressed his problems with those in charge as well.
“The environment needs to better, its hard to focus on school with all these other things in the way. The problem is mainly security. They’ve attempted to stop things, but they over extend themselves by harassing students that are trying to do the right thing-- I don’t think they should keep waiting until things get bad and then over compensate,” Henderson said.
Other students were far less reserved in their opinions.
“The security guards don't do anything but make us mad. They aren’t getting the people that don’t belong here out, they're harassing the people that live here,” said Ashley Dunson*, a sophomore, “If I want to have a friend over to study, they get drilled at the entrance. But the guy walking around the parking lot everyday that doesn’t live here doesn’t have any problems.”
“Three out of five people that come in Greystone on a daily basis do not live here,” said Destiny Jones, joking about the high volume of students that frequent the complex but do not live there.
According to Joshua Henderson, the problem seems to be the lack of rapport between students, resident assistants, and security and other adults in charge.
“Most of the time, Greystone provides an exciting college experience and if things were handled correctly everything would be fine,” said Henderson, “If the people in charge would pay attention to who’s causing trouble and who’s not, it would be perfect.”
*To accommodate those students that were interviewed, all names have been changed.
