“That’s Morgan” is a phrase often used in student dialogue about negative aspects of campus life. “It makes me feel bad about going to this school,” said Amber Newman, sophomore and psychology major. “It would be different if it was said in a positive way.”
On May 31, 2012, the university gained unwanted attention from the media after former Morgan student Alexander Kinyua murdered his roommate. “Did you know that guy who was eating people?” sounded like a scene out of a thriller. However, it’s a question many Morgan students found themselves answering.
Although the murder took place off campus, Kinyua’s affiliation as a Morgan student caused many to assume that the incident had transpired on campus. The age-old adage that bad news travels fast held true, and left a number of students wondering whether or not the reputation of the university was in jeopardy.
In the span of a year, there have been two shootings, a stabbing and a string of robberies on campus. Morgan ranked number nine on The Daily Beast 2010’s list of 50 most dangerous colleges. In 2012, Morgan was featured on Huffington Post’s list of 11 most dangerous colleges, coming in at number six.
Negative media can have a profound effect on a school’s reputation, but some students have mixed feelings on the effects that violence has on the campus.
William Ngakoue, junior and information systems and technology major, says he doesn’t think the school’s reputation will stop people from coming. “It’s common on a lot of campuses, even private schools, and people still want to come.”
