December 10, 2007

Fight Leads to Arrests at Oakwood College

A fight between two female students at a weekend basketball game became a melee at Oakwood College, a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution in Huntsville, Ala., the Associated Press reported.

“It was a major event,” a spokesman for the Huntsville police told the AP. Two officers were injured and 15 students were arrested after hundreds of people surrounded a police car, hitting and rocking it, the AP said.

The Huntsville Times confirmed the arrests of at least two students; both were charged with assault and one with resisting arrest as well.

The college, which released a statement saying it was “deeply concerned about the reported altercations,” held a closed-door meeting on Sunday to discuss the incident, the newspaper reported. Students at the meeting were told not to talk to reporters afterward, it said. —Sara Lipka

Comments

1. FOR CRYIN OUT LOUD I WAS ACTUALLY THERE DURING THE RIOT AND THE POLICE VERSION OF WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPEND AND WHAT REALLY HAPPEND ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. FIRST THERE WAS NO ONE ACTUALLY ROCKING AND SHAKING THE CAR. SECOND THE “FIGHT” WAS A VERBAL ALTERCATION THAT WAS ALREADY BROKEN UP BY THE TIME THE POLICE ARRIVED. THIRD THE POLICE RESPONDED WITH OVER AGRESSIVE FORCE GOING AFTER INNOCENT PEOPLE WHO WERE LEAVING THE SCENE AS THEY WERE ASKED

   — R. M. H.    Dec 10, 11:34 PM    #

2. The reported information does not tell the truth. I have looked online at all of the local tv news videos and articles. When you put them all together, the story is still not accurate. The police were wrong to arrest so many innocent people! There wasn’t a fight by the time they got there, yet 15 were arrested. Some were arrested just for asking questions. Someone needs to report the true story.

   — NC    Dec 11, 01:39 AM    #

3. I was there, and the crowd got out of hand!!! The two females did get in a physical fight, and the campus police could not break it up. This is appaling behavior for a seventh day adventist campus. The story is true.

   When will students act civilized, when law inforcement is involved!? I can’t believe the swearing, and threats the students made to the police!!

   Hard as it is to swallow, the students did get out of hand, and that is the fact. -witness

   — witness    Dec 11, 03:06 AM    #

4. I’m not sure who it is, but at least one of the first three posters’ pants are on fire. Ha ha.

   Opinion – expel both students who were fighting. End of story.

   — Skeptic    Dec 11, 07:11 AM    #

5. This is an embarrassing scene especially from a seventh day Adventist Institution.

   — #    Dec 11, 08:02 AM    #

6. You only have to read the posting by #6 to confirm that racism is alive and well in the US! I am surprised that in signing his name (local man?), he did not indicate a KKK chapter affliation.

   — Thomas Landefeld    Dec 11, 09:08 AM    #

7. I commented on a posting that was previously #6, only to find that it was removed by the time that my comment was posted. I am glad that the racist posting was removed but it made my posting make “no sense”.Is removing postings something that is done routinely?

   — Thomas Landefeld    Dec 11, 09:13 AM    #

8. I am suprised by the very racist comment regarding African Americans and fighting. Obviously the “local man” is an unfortunate soul who needs education and enlightenment. I know the posting has been removed but for those who saw it you will understand the comments.

   — OTM    Dec 11, 09:18 AM    #

9. November 24, 2002: Ohio State University explodes in a riot after a college football game. October 4, 2003: A riot breaks out in Mankato, MN near Minnesota State University after another football game. February 1-2, 2004: Boston revelers retrogress into rioters after Super Bowl XXXVIII. April 18, 2004: A presumably non-alcoholic celebration in Ames, IA disintegrates in yet another riot. And all the incidents involved whites who rioted. Anyone assuming that only blacks commit senseless violence ought to think twice before jumping to conclusions.

   — Bennie Visher III    Dec 11, 09:49 AM    #

10. The ‘so called’ witness apparently didn’t witness too much. There was a lot going on that night and there were seriously bad judgment calls made on both sides. The “fight” was a verbal altercation and there was nothing physical about it. It WAS broken up before police got there. The rocking of the police car was caused when 3 grown men picked up and slammed 2 female students into both the trunk and hood of the cruiser (that’s 3 men each). These students where 5’1” and 5’2” ranging from 105-130 pds. I think I would call that excessive to say the very least. Yes students jeered the police, and threatened, and cursed the police, but the police also went through the crowd tazering people, macing them, and beating them with Billy clubs and that’s not to mention the liberal sprinkling of Hoes, and dumb a**es, and B*tches that where given along with a clubbing. They chased people leaving the scene clear across campus tackling them to the ground and arresting them. They tackled one boy leaving the scene and when he flipped over and questioned them (maybe with a few liberal words) they tazered him, and THEN he began fighting them. Now he’s being charged with assault and resisting arrest. There were poor choices made on both sides but the melee was only an escalation of a situation that the school’s own security team aggravated. Before claiming to be a witness at least come impartially and with all the FACTS. Thank You.

    — Student @OC    Dec 11, 01:50 PM    #

11. The is a way to address issues. The students did not have the right to attack the security and police. If a student was wrongfully arrested, the process would be to go down to the station with witnesses and address the issue correctly. The College could then back the students better, however, we are dealing with teenagers who do not have respect for authority and don’t realize the seriousness of their actions. If they were in a real city (i.e. New York, D.C., Chicago, etc.) it would have been worse. Also, the police in Huntsville are not authorized to have tazers! Just another rumor

    — concerned parent    Dec 11, 02:06 PM    #

12. Since everyone wants the Facts and true story, Here it is… I was one on the people who got Arrested, I am sick of hearing people say there was a fight, there was no fight it was a Verbal Altercation, By time security came it was done and over with… The girl that had gotten into the argument in the first place was already back in her dorm room… The security guard took up the wrong girl first off choked her and threw her into the police car, both of her sisters ran to the car trying to see why she was being arrested, THEN FOUR big Security Guards took the youngest one threw her on the hood of the car and started bashing her head on the hood, Her sister then ran up to help her and she was thrown to the ground mind you she was ONLY about 5’3 110 pounds… They were being called B****es and all sorts of names… This is when it started to get roudy and four of the boys went to BREAK up the fight and they got Brutally beaten with Night Sticks and Fists they also got mased, These boys faces and bodies are brusied and battered… There were also incidents inside of the booking room at the jail, the police officers were out of order talking down to us expecially the white cops, they threw one of the boys and told him “he will beat his ass again” ... MAny are making assumptions of what happened, these are the facts and the truth…. I was arrested for walking back to my dorm when about 5 cops tackled me and called me out of my name they also did that to the two girls that was with me.

    — First hand witness *one of the 16*    Dec 11, 02:19 PM    #

13. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conveniences, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” – MLK, Jr.
    The struggle continues….

    — VW    Dec 11, 02:54 PM    #

14. Very embarrassing for all concerned.

    — marci    Dec 11, 04:29 PM    #

15. Has the school even released a statement concerning the event? This happens time and time again, the school gets bad PR about things that happen on campus and they take too long to react. It’s not a matter of taking sides, but the current administration has/continues to do a poor job of managing Oakwood’s perception and image.

    — Concerned alumnus    Dec 11, 04:43 PM    #

16. We really need to stop accepting students who are problems to begin with just so we can meet budget not only at O.C. but in all of our “regional” schools on all levels. I say raise the standard and leave those students outside who are not serious about studying. The real world workforce is no joke.

    — Ashamed Alumnus    Dec 11, 06:17 PM    #

17. poster #16, how sad that you would say such a thing without any facts yourself. You immediately correlated this event with the type of students allowed to attend the school. Shame on you!!!! You have yet to learn who any of these students were who were arrested or their background and yet you have made a public decree of their ineptitude. It is because of people with attitudes like yourself (black or white) that we (black or white) continue to face these challenges even when we are trying to rise above our circumstances. This did not happen on a street corner, or in an Amazonian jungle. This was at a college, a place where people gain entrance by having to prove themselves by not only getting through 12 prior years of schooling and socializing, but by passing academic tests as well. I can only surmise that these were YOUNG people with hopes and dreams shattered by a moment of hostility, hatred and lack of good judgment. I guess you haven’t seen that in the real world with grown adults no less have you?

    — Ashamed of the Shamed Alumnus    Dec 11, 06:57 PM    #

18. I am a former student/alumnus of Oakwod College. My class was considered one of the rowdiest, but we were very close to one another and even today have a love for our members and cherish the memories. I learned something during my matriculation. People are people regardless of religious affiliation and Oakwood College is not isolated from the world, rather it is a microcosm of everything that exists in society at large. These are the last days, and the devil is angry at God’s elect, especially an educational institution that openly celebrates and worships in Spirit and in Truth. Don’t be dismayed by these disturbing events. There will be wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet! Beloved, Heaven is the only true Utopia. Strive for it, prepare for it, and pray for our beautiful school and our world class students. We are still the best! Enter to Learn, Depart to Serve…that’s the Oakwood motto, Forever!

    — NDW    Dec 11, 11:52 PM    #

19. I don’t know who I am ashamed of more! The students (whose parents have sacrificed a lot of money to send them to Oakwood ) who have such lack of regard for authority that they refused to leave the area as requested or the President who has allowed this incident as well as MANY more to occur without taking action! Regardless of what happened, the POLICE told the students to leave and they argued and cussed at them. If they had left, no “so-called” innocent people would have been arrested and there would not have been any melee! This is not the only incident of disrespect for authority at Oakwood. The students even booed the president recently and he did nothing. Sounds like Oakwood needs a lot of changes starting with Administration. For the young men that were charged with assualt, has it clicked to you yet that the same girls who started the mess (that you were rallying for) are charged with misdemeanors while you just messed up your lives with felony charges. Was it worth it? If this had happened anywhere else, and the students fought the police, you would know it! Now these students are stirring and embellishing everything to get themselves and/or their friends out of trouble. What a way to advertise the new name of Oakwood University. Shame on the administration!

    — Embarrassed Alumnus/Adventist!    Dec 12, 12:16 AM    #

20. As I was reading the different posts, I was truly saddened. Whether we want to admit it or not, Oakwood is not Utopia. We can’t blame this on the devil being mad at God’s elect. This can only be blamed on the students who decided to act like complete fools! Do you really think this is something new? NO WAY! It’s just that it is usually swept under the carpet because it is Oakwood. The bottom line is Oakwood is not what it once was. We were always warned against the evils of A &M, but Oakwood is just the Seventh Day Adventist version of it. First it was Pastor Doggette, and now this… SDA’s are really looking good in Huntsville. So what’s next? And to the students with the wild imaginations—- just stop it already! Some of those versions were so comical that I almost forgot how absurd they were. You are doing a disservice to the College and to yourselves.

    — Kimberly Burns, former student    Dec 12, 01:00 AM    #

21. Listen!!!! Oakwood Is a college just like anyother college (just the Jesus factor!!) anything and everything could happen at that campus- for that reason this does not suprise me!!! not one bit I think that all this qaugmire and foolishness thats going on went over board…lets be happy some crazed “individual”/“local man” didn’t open fire or do something else, or someone didn’t get killed…My sympathy to all the innocent bystanders that got caught up and arrested (don’t worry guys God is in control!!) ..This is another Way that the devil is using God’s people against each other..my prayers go out to the students and the families-especially those officers; those cops want to find a reason to come on campus and ruffle SDA feathers ( they think we are weirdos anyways, it prolly felt good for them to try to take our folks down)...so I say to my OC brothers and sisters: God is bigger than this and this is just a crumb of sh** in the toilette bowl of life…Pray about it!!!...I was one of the girls who was exposed to that Demon freshman yr 00- so things happen lets keep the ball rolling and keep the faith-..... God is love, and he is peace

    — Alumnus with a cause    Dec 12, 09:24 AM    #

22. Oakwood College – “The Broken Blue Print.” All reading this posting please read Jeremiah 6:16-17. Friends as a church in the last 30 years we have neglected our duty. We want to be like other schools. We push for our children to be like the world. “Make money, buy a big house, nice car- and by the way go to church on Saturday, the Sabbath.” We got our priorities wrong. We must go back to the blue print of training our youth for God’s service. Not the world. So what if our youth become lawyers, doctors, and business men or women. If they are not using their talents for the service of God what is the point of our schools? Oakwood forget the applause and accreditations of the world. Our schools should be totally unique in character. Repent Oakwood College, alumnus and parents. Jesus is coming very soon. Let’s get back to what He has called us to be – Missionaries for Him.

    — Farmer Rodgers - Oakwood Alumnus    Dec 12, 09:48 AM    #

23. I have read these postings, with dismay. The verbal tit for tat has racial undertones from both points of view. It is time to grow up children…

    — concerned academic    Dec 12, 11:34 AM    #

24. I believe this could happen at any time, as long as differences remain between people, there will be altercations. There always stands a chance of things being esculated, sometimes even the best of people get their feathers ruffled. For this reason I don’t think we should cast assumptions on those envolved, and just take note that we too are all imperfect. I know all of us have pride and when we are confronted with a situation that challenges this we can be weak. I don’t think that accepting only the PERFECT into Oakwood is realistic or in any way a solution. For those who said the struggle between God vs the Devil shouldn’t be mentioned, you are dead wrong, because this is nothing but the devil. I do believe however that some form of higher administration should speak on behalf of all events like this, no matter it be negative or positive comments. This is in no means to defend those students involved, but to simply say that I am sure there was at some point poor judgement by all involved, students and higher authorities. I don’t think that anyone who does’nt have facts have the right to judge, not even those in the immediate area probably would have been able to take in all the activities that are reported to have taken place at that one period of time, so who are we to cast stones. Just PRAY and hope that this will all be over one day and we will be caught up. That’s what we’re about, or at least I’m about as a Seventh-day Adventist. Hold on because this is only going to get worse, before it gets better!!!!

    — out of character to post, but felt the need    Dec 12, 07:31 PM    #

25. I just sat back and read all these postings and realized how small minded and cold-hearted some of you guys are. As much as i want to be lengthy, i am gonna TRY to keep it short and simple by emphasizing that we need to PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! Posting # 12, my heart goes out to you and your friends that got arrested that night. My cousin that was there at the scene said what he witnessed was similar to the civil war picture he painted in his head. MERCY!!!

    — alumni as well    Dec 12, 11:36 PM    #

26. We must remember first and formost, Satan has a short time, and we must through all adversaties, keep our eyes on Christ.
    Wear our knees out in prayer.
    This is our school and we must, we must hold up Christ. We move forward praising the Lord. In good times as-well-as bad times; Praise the Lord!

    — Marian Pelote    Dec 13, 07:10 AM    #

27. To my sanctimonious brothers and sisters,

    Do you actually believe everything the mudia throws at you? Or do you not realize that there IS a war out there -a war on our young people by the criminal justice system?

    If you are as spiritual as you claim to be, love our young people, believe in our young people, or at the very least can you give them the benefit of the doubt?

    To all the students at OC – I love you, I believe in you. I do not believe everything I read about this incident in the press. I’m glad to read your accounts of what really happened. Stay strong and believe in yourself.

    — JAN c/o 1987    Dec 13, 11:05 AM    #

28. For anyone who believes the student comments these accounts are very distorted. First of all the offender was arrested at the other end of the campus punched an officer and took off running so the officers were very justified in chasing him across the campus. I have heard students sound like idiots saying they were tazed( Huntsville Police does not carry tazers). Also i saw many fights still going on as subjects were on the ground, but everyone failed to say that these subjects had their arms tucked underneath their body thus still resisting arrest. No students had to go to the hospital and in my opinion if you punch a police officer you should. If this would have happen an any other city there would have been quite a few students going to the hospital because of their stupid actions.

    — db    Dec 13, 12:47 PM    #

29. I am very saddened by what has taken place at our beloved OC. I graduated from a public university only because my parents did not have the money for OC. However, I attend Alumni Weekend and support the school as much as possible.Those of you who feel that you must condemn, God forbid, if you are ever arrested without a cause, especially in the south! I truly believe that Oakwood has the very best president ever and the BEST and BRIGHTEST students anywhere on the globe! Oakwood look up, God is in control, this is just one of the crucibles that the SS lesson talks about! God bless!

    — OC LOVER    Dec 14, 11:15 AM    #

30. There are two sides to every story and then there is the truth. Let’s not jump to any conclusions without hearing both sides of the story. Just because people have authority or are in authority does not mean they are always right (that is why slavery lasted so long). Police officers are humans and can operate using bad judgment and can also misrepresent the truth. Why can’t people just wait to hear both sides of the story. There have been many cases of police brutality that have been caught on tape and if it was not for the videos we probably would have just accepted the words of the police officers and even when things were caught on tape people were still in denial. Let’s stop being bias and let the truth prevail. If the students were wrong then so be it, they deserve to suffer the consequences of their actions, but when you have two parties involved usually both parties are at fault.

    Why has this been given so much publicity anyway? Altercations happen on college campuses all the time. The media needs to stop sensationalizing everything and blowing things out of proportion. Why doesn’t the media jump to report “good news.” We should really be concerned about those young people who shot individuals at the mall in Nebraska and at the church in Colorado. Let’s focus on how to stop incidents like that from happening.

    — anonymous    Dec 14, 02:14 PM    #

31. I just want to say to the president of Oakwood, that lately I have been both hearing and reading a lot of negative comments about our beloved school. This, Mr. President is calling for some serious fasting and prayer. God bless!

    PL

    — PL    Dec 15, 04:13 PM    #

32. I read all the above comments on the subject of this brawl on campus that required police intervention.What happened to campus supervision and why was this incident allowed to progress to such an embarrassment for all involved. Parents ,students and most of all the faculty and staff of such a reputable Seventh day adventist college.I hope this incident will be an eye opener to all involved and a lesson well learn. Young people , love one another and refrain from violence.May God bless you all .

    — YC    Dec 15, 08:46 PM    #

33. yeahhhhhhhhhhh!

    — shadonna    Dec 16, 01:36 PM    #

34. i want to go to this college,when i get older,because it sounds fun,and interesting!!!

    — samira    Dec 16, 01:39 PM    #

35. Obviously some disgusting behavior at OC. When I deal with police its yes sir and cooperation or trouble for me

    — lance hodges    Dec 17, 04:56 PM    #

36. as a alumni 81-85 im deeply ashamed my wife and i almost sent my daughter their she is at andrews where she,s safe it disheartning to read and see this what has happen to the school of the prophets

    — johnny willis    Dec 18, 05:57 PM    #

37. if anyone knows where i can get old oakwood music from the 80.s blessed peace,andre ashby etc please let me know jdublsteph@yahoo.com young people at oakwood think about the legacy you are leaving would you want your children knowing all the negative things happening at your school oakwood means something im proud to have attended in all my years there never once did i hear or see anything like this this behavior needs to end dont embarass the students that where their before you most of all remember its still a school ordained by the most high

    — johnny willis    Dec 18, 07:27 PM    #

38. I do believe that this is an unfortunate incident, but as an Oakwood Alum who is an attorney I don’t believe this one incident truly represents the majority of quality students at Oakwood.

    To think that someone is safer at Andrews or another College is meritless. Any school you go to in this country colleged aged students will have laspes of judgment, whether it be fights or in extreme cases opening fire and murdering students.

    I think the big problem here is that the altercation was one that the Huntsville Police had to get invovled in.

    I hope the school does an independent investigation into the actions of the students involement and the police The students who committed crimes or broke school rules should be dealt with.

    And in the same token. I hope the school solicits the help of the NAACP and other local organizations if the above alleged incidents of police brutality were in fact true. As the police would not have handled this situation similarly if this incident occurred at UAH.

    Mr Rogers you sound like a fanatic. Forget the accediations of this world? Who would invest money and send their children to school that’s not accredited?

    — Ken S    Dec 20, 04:55 PM    #

39. This message is for those students involved in the altercation with Police. the Police are given a lot of immunity when dealing with disorderly people, as you can see, you have LOST your credibility in the court of law by behaving the way you did. As the saying goes ‘You can catch more flies with Honey…” Admit it, you went about it the wrong way. The criminal justice system is very hard on those who resist, oppose or assault the men and women who protect us. Law enforcement is not always “right”, so behave youself in the manner to avoid any questionable conflict. I pray that whatever happens, that this incident will be a positive lesson for you, that you may grow spiritually from this experience. I am not trying to sound harsh or insensitive, but to show you reality of the “REAL” world. Be not of the world. May God bless you and your families while you endure these difficult times. Don G

    — Don    Dec 23, 02:30 PM    #

40. I want to briefly respond to Blog#12. Student involved and arrested. First of all you need to excercise your right to remain silent, anything you say now can be held against you in a court of Law. Based on your story of events, you would not sound credible to a jury or judge,for you are trying to justify the behaviors of those involved. Keep this also in mind as you prepare your defense. Police rarely respond to major incidents,where they are the majority. In most cases the Police are always out numbered. Due to this fact Police tend to overreact in order to protect themselves or others. So the court will give officers more room for their errors. Be careful what you say and speak your heart to your attorney. God Bless you. Don

    — Don    Dec 23, 05:04 PM    #

41. It is a shame that people would still call it the school of the prophets when it has become a semi—fake—- Adventist in name mostly college. Why do we keep telling people lies when it is ovious that the school needs to shift away from being a school of higher education to becomming a Seventhday Adventist Christian College who’s aim is Christian education not worldy. Some years ago I bought into the lie and hipe that Oakwood was a Christian Godly school where my child would be taught the “What would Jesus do” first. Instead I found out that the wolves on campus and her lack of judgement was not matched by a spiritual atmosphere. The wolves won and I wished I had allowed her to stay home and destroy her life. When will we wake up and realize that being black does not give the school a pass.

    — John    Dec 24, 06:21 AM    #

42. WHEN THE SCHOOL VALUES CHANGE TO KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES—-YOU GET PROBLEMS. I AM AN ALUMNI. WHEN YOU ALLOW THE WORLD TO CREEP IN —YOU HAVE A MESS. RETURN TO THE OLD WAYS AND PRAY.

    — SANDRA HOWARD    Dec 25, 05:30 PM    #

43. Read the account of the Jewish people in “The Great Controversy”. Make comparisons and God will be glorified althought it doesn’t appear that way at the moment. If you don’t have this book, get it. God is alive. God Bless.

    — Sonya    Dec 26, 12:46 PM    #

44. Sonya took my thought from me, however, I would like to expound upon it. The SDA church and its members are the remnant church of Bible prophecy (Revelation 12:17), and the things that happened to the Israelites were written as ensamples for those living at the end of time. They rejected the prophets from Moses all the way down to Zacharias who was killed between the porch and the altar, and then they killed Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God. What more could God do for His vineyard than He had already done? Nothing. They had filled up the measure of their cup, and then the wrath of God was unleashed upon them. Or, let’s make that more clear, God removed His protecting care from their nation so that Satan could have his way. Read the 1st chapted of the Great Controversy as Sonya said. (I wrote a note before, but I previewed it w/o submitting it.) Ellen White says that those Romans came to Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Let’s compare them to the Huntsville police. Were they outsiders? Absolutely. Might they have been racist? Absolutely. Might they have used excessive force? Absolutely. Were supposedly innocent people affected by their invasion of Jerusalem? Absolutely. Yet God allowed it. He allowed it because they had rejected God’s offers of mercy. He allowed it because they would not be transformed by the messages of prophets (preachers) of that day. He allowed it because they rejected Christ, and they put Him on a cross. Therefore, many of them were hung on crosses at the very same place where Jesus died. In fact, one million people lost their lives in the terrible massacre. Many of these kids at Oakwood College have been raised in Christian homes hearing sermon after sermon after sermon, and that probably includes the young ladies that were involved in the fight. Perhaps God just removed His protecting care because the cup of mercy may have almost run over. You hear sermons about the evils of fornication yet you do it. You hear sermons about being respectful to parents and authority yet you will not. You hear sermons about the evils of fighting, cursing, smoking, cheating, and wasting your time focusing on the opposite sex instead of your studies and yet it’s as if the word goes in one ear and out the other. God is a merciful God, but in mercy He sometimes allow terrible tragedies like this to happen to somehow get our attention. Furthermore, we must consider the fact that it could have been worse. Even more kids could have gone to jail for far worse charges, and spent substantially longer in jail. Friends we are living in the shaking time, Jesus is about to come, and Satan is mad at the church. Yet Satan knows that he cannot mess with you as long as you stay close to Jesus so he’s doing all he can on you, young boy or young girl, to separate you from Jesus. He’ll do it through wicked acquaintances, forbidden relationships, drugs, or anything else. Don’t give him the opportunity. This is not the first such uproar at Oakwood. Prostitution, drugs, kids with guns, abortions, other brawls, and so many other ills have darkened its history from its inception. I really believe that God finally gets tired of our waywordness, tired of our backsliding, tired of our gangster rap mentality (when you’re not supposed to be gangsters but Christians), tired of the young ladies acting like prostitutes, tired of young men who can’t keep their pants up, tired of brawls, and guns, and all the other evils. Friend, the judgments of God are coming on the church FIRST. SDA preachers, teachers, administrators, and students are going to have to stand in review before God, and what is the record of your life going to look like? Quit making excuses, that’s to all of us (including even myself). You can’t use your race as an excuse, MLK jr. died so that segregation would be ended. You can’t use your lack of education as an excuse. We’ve got internet, the Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, etc. STOP MAKING EXCUSES, and start acting like you really do serve the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus is coming again, but the question is will you be ready?

    — anonymous    Dec 27, 09:12 PM    #

45. Check this. “WHEN THE SCHOOL VALUES CHANGE TO KEEP UP WITH THE TIMES—-YOU GET PROBLEMS. I AM AN ALUMNI. WHEN YOU ALLOW THE WORLD TO CREEP IN —YOU HAVE A MESS.”

    Sandra howard is right on the money.

    it’s been happening in SDA environments(churches, events, schools and even in media avenues) for the last few decades.

    Frankie Lwaton told us in 1967, to watch for the changing times. It would gradually and subtlely creep in until it seems like it is the norm.

    Check yourself. Are you a part of it!

    — Anthony pearson    Dec 29, 01:55 AM    #

46. We must keep in mind that we are living in the last days. This is indeed a tragedy. This is our school, our students, our children and our truth. I attended Oakwood College years ago, and if I needed to do it again, I would without a doubt! Oakwood is within each of us, its what we make it – however, we cannot determine that Oakwood College is a terrible place to send our children; without taking responsibility for our children that we send to attend. We as parents are responsible for their behavior. Behavioral patterns are learned from the society, television, radio, fashion – but mostly it is learned from our homes and genetic makeup. “Train up a child in the way he should go…when he is old he shall not depart from it…” We cannot blame children, without blaming ourselves. I was raised in a loving home with parents who believed in chrisitianity and displayed it. The end result, children who displayed christianity. It saddens me to learn of this occurance, but in this occurance, we must execise forgiveness. Regardless of right or wrong – forgive – as our heavenly father forgives us daily. I pray that the police officials in it’s governmental levels, will drop all charges against the students and Oakwood College. We must forgive the officers and their part in this travesty; as we understand, they themselves are not Christians. We are to reflect and live Christianity. It is our truth that is being damaged, we must remember that Oakwood College is our school, the attendees, are our children, the truth learned, developed and nutured at Oakwood, is why we send our children there – we must keep this in mind. Tempation is all around us, we can’t let the devil win his battle – by a “cause and effect” event against the good name of Oakwood College. It has produced such wonderful results in ministers, educators, missionaries, leaders, musicians, etc. We must forgive, set an example – move on to preparing for Christ’s coming and focus on the upcoming Alumni Weekend – for which we need no bad publicity – as its purpose is to provide support and encourage new students, etc. With Love, an alumnist!

    — Alumnist and from the home town of Andrews University    Dec 31, 03:54 PM    #

47. After reading about half of the 46 comments, I had to stop. Its hard to take anyone seriously when they can’t spell or when their grammar is so poor. Maybe the school should be shut down anyway if this is the level of education received at Oakwood.

    — amazed student    Jan 2, 11:29 AM    #

48. as far as um concerned oakwood college as it was known when i was still a student can take their God Fearing Peace and Love principels and shove um…i attented their fall 2007 got attacted by a security guard defended myself and was told by administrators i could’ve handled myself better and that even though i was tol to kiss a security guards A** and F**k off i was being Insubordinate because i didnt not follow his instructions…oakwood deserves all that it gets and for any alumus who is ashamed u very well should be because this is what the school brought upon its self hiring off duty officers who have tendencies to provoke students by callin them “boys” as i was and to man handle young women…i am suspended for semester for my incident…u tell me were this is just and were can an education be attained in that sort of enviroment…also i am also tired of everytime something goes wrong its we get a biblical lesson sometimes we want solutions not bible quotes and ellen g white life lessons people…we must keep up wif the times i bet if i was up to some of u we would be amish wif long dresses and as far away from modern life as possible…for goodness sake ellen g white didnt believe in bathing on the sabbath because of the circumstances that it involved in her time…question is should i skip my sabbath morning shower because she did…get yourself ready for the lords return and stop subjecting people who want to read about a incident to ya forced Indoctrination

    — iwasattactedatocandgotsuspended    Jan 7, 12:33 PM    #

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