Last Feb. 3, an incident at the Miguel Hall involving a student disrupted classes and activities along the East wing of the University.
At around 1:30 p.m., a student went out of a third floor classroom window, which prompted concerned stakeholders to report the matter to the Student Discipline Formation Office (SDFO) and the Security and Safety Office (SSO).
The Office of Counseling and Career Services (OCCS), with the help of security personnel and discipline officers managed to convince the student to safely return inside the classroom.
Tales from the Grapevine
Within hours after the incident, rumors surrounding the cause of the incident and the manner in which the crisis was resolved circulated the University via texts and social networking sites.
One of the allegations was that the student was given a major offense, immediately after the school authorities took control over the situation. Even The LaSallian received a similar report from credible sources only a short while after the incident happened.
After further investigation though, it was confirmed that the student did not receive a major offense.
A former University administrator explains that DLSU would not issue any major offense, without thorough consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case.
Other versions of the story quickly spread in social networking sites. Some even called the incident a video shoot.
Some students blamed less-than-credible sources who aggravated the circumstances surrounding the incident, while others lament that such a confusion and miscommunication would not have happened had the authorities used proper information dissemination to control accusations that might be blown out of proportions.
Brian Tan (IV, MMG), explains that the spread of rumors are difficult to stop. “People should be sensitive enough to care for the person,” he says, suggesting that information verification and transparency are needed when such incidents happen.
The incident was resolved and the student is currently under the supervision of the OCCS and the student’s parents.
DLSU, unprepared
Eyebrows were raised regarding how the incident was resolved and controlled. One student, who wishes not to be named, recalls a discipline officer shouting, while the student was being calmed down.
An SSO personnel also explains that anyone could easily go out of the window at the Miguel Hall since the building’s windows are big enough for a person to get through them and there was enough leverage from the cement benches along the halls.
This exposes the possibility that DLSU might not yet be equipped in handling crises like this. Earlier this year, University stakeholders clamored for a centralized disaster or crisis preparedness plan after the administration fell short in addressing the issue on suspension of classes during the typhoon season.
“I think the incident caught them [offices] by surprise,” Jan Dominic Bolus (IV AE-MFI) observes.
A University administrator affirms that they are working on a centralized and comprehensive disaster preparedness plan for future reference. The plan will include measures on flood control and security.
Jet Duterte Luga, Vice President for Internal Affairs of Alyansang Tapat sa Lasallista, focuses on a different issue. He says, “the University should look into the lives of their students in a more in-depth manner and find more effective avenues for students to channel stress and aggression.”
