MC’s own hoodlums

By Dustin Looney
Courier Staff

Who are the Monmouth hoodlums? They are the local Monmouth kids who loiter MC’s campus on their rollerblades and skateboards. They usually spend their time outside the cafeteria around 4 p.m. in a group of three.

I would not be writing this article if that’s all they did. I could even tolerate them if they attempted tricks on their rollerblades to impress the college kids, but they take it a step further.

When a kid half my age makes obscene comments to me when I’m walking back from dinner, I start to take it personal. That is what happened last Tuesday night.

As I walked out of the cafeteria, a little guy (probably 10 years old) asked me if I play football. Figuring I might as well play along with him, I said, “Yes.”

After he asked me if I was a receiver and I agreed again, he replied, “You’re a receiver, so you’re gay?”

He said other comments, which are not appropriate to mention in this publication.

As a naïve 10 year old, I don’t think I even knew what that concept was, and I would not yell it to a college student who’s double my age and size.

Although I knew it was not the smartest action to take, I confronted the kid later that night when I saw him on the way to the Huff.

He and the two kids he was with (who were probably 16 years old), threatened me in a variety of ways.

Resisting my temptations, I eventually walked away from the kids.

So my question is the following: why does college security focus more on pointless stuff, like ticketing cars parked in the wrong parking lot, instead of watching the hoodlums and cracking down on them when they yell sexual comments to college girls?

Although I am not sure of MC’s policy about Monmouth resident’s rights to use the college facilities, I do know the Monmouth hoodlums harass college students and this should not be tolerated.

In my opinion, the hoodlums should have hobbies that typical kids their age are into, like sports, eating cereal or Pokemon cards.

Maybe I’m taking this issue too seriously, but here’s my suggestion to Monmouth College: take care of this situation right now, or a student is going to lose their composure and something bad will happen.

And my suggestion to the hoodlums, go buy a pack of Pokemon cards, act your age and put some serious thought into the saying, “Respect your elders.”