After the Penn State game, I decided to go to Rounders to celebrate Bama’s victory with the Psi Phi fraternity. The party was broadcasted as “Fifth Quarter,” and they advertised that they would provide a DJ and band.
We all arrived around 11:30 p.m. and discovered that the cover charge was $20 for females and $30 for males. We were stunned at the prices, but we paid it and entered the club. There was a great crowd but there was no DJ. The radio music being played was boring the crowd and the club patrons were growing restless. We asked one of the security guards about the DJ, and we were told that he was there but the owners would not let him set up.
I immediately went to seek a manager in hopes of an explanation or a refund. I approached the managers with a greeting but didn’t receive one in return. I asked them if they were the managers and one of them replied “No, and why do you want to know?”
I asked him if he was sure because one of his employees had just routed me to them. One said, “Well yeah, what do you want?” I replied, “Well, me and 20 of my friends are wondering if we could please hear a variety of music.” He replied, “No, we are NOT playing THAT type of music!”
They had displayed rudeness and unprofessionalism from the moment I approached them, but this comment was simply a smack in the face. I really don’t know what he meant by “that type of music,” however, I do know whatever type of music he assumed I wanted to hear was simply racial discrimination. I felt degraded and insulted but managed to maintain composure. I told the three men that I would be giving them a call later on in the week because I felt they were discriminating and stealing from their customers through misleading advertisements. One of the men told me, “Oh darling, feel free to call me anytime” with a smile on his face and his pride and bigotry displayed before me.
I took their business cards and walked back inside of the club to meet my friends who anxiously wanted to know if they would play a variety of music. Before I could even get my words out, I was being approached to be escorted out of Rounders by one of their bouncers, followed by UAPD. I began to cry and as I felt the tears run down my face, I looked at the University Police and I asked him “How could you let them do this? I haven’t done anything wrong!”
The police claimed to understand my point but still ordered me to move away from the owner’s property because they no longer wanted me there. For the first time in my life I felt violated and worthless. I felt like I had no voice.
Some people have told me to ignore this incident, that it does not matter what I say nor do, nothing will be done about it. I will not rest until there is justice served. Most of all, I want an apology for the way I was treated and for the way my fellow classmates were treated. Unfortunately, I had to experience such hatred, but at the same time I am grateful because it has only made me stronger and more prepared for the real world that awaits me when I graduate in December.
Students — we are the student body and regardless of our racial, social or economic statuses, we should all be treated fairly. Let’s take a stand and demand that the hatred, racism and bigotry that exists on and around our campus be ended now.
Ashley Williams is a senior majoring in geology.
