University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance students are outraged by the outcome of the early November incident between a senior acting student and the University of Houston Police Department.
Last November, Domonique Champion and Karina Ithier, the two theatre students involved, were rehearsing a theatrical scene outside the Wortham Theatre that involved screaming, arguing, and a physical struggle. A witness from the scene then contacted UHPD with concerns believing that a man is in an altercation with a woman and falsely identifying his script as a gun.
As a result, last Monday theatre students were given neon vests in all classes to represent safety when rehearsing for scenes outside the building.
“It hurts to know that it feels like my light was snuffed out because of paper,” Dominique Champion said.
When officers arrived at the scene, one officer drew his sidearm and then continued to point at Champion.
“We need more communication between the students, and staff, especially for instances that concern safety,” Senior theatre education major Lauren Kelley said.
During a listening session last Thursday between students and UHPD, Champion expressed his pain and trauma from this experience and also mentioned he had the police called on him four years ago on campus.
“To me, the green vest was a message saying, you are not safe on your campus, so I went to TikTok, shared it, and sent it to everybody. God told me do not stop until everybody is affected by this,” Senior acting major Brandon Sanders said.
The School of Theatre and Dance realized the negative effects of requiring students to wear neon vests and recently lifted the proposal acquiring that students do not have to wear them.
Students have expressed concern for action to be taken for more space in rehearsal buildings and in terms of making room for student stories.
“Theatre is an art form that portrays the world around it, yet stories and experiences from our students are often not taken into consideration when crafting the show season,” Kelley, a theatre student stated.
The University of Houston or UHPD has yet to release a statement but the School of Theatre and Dance continues to work with UHPD to find the best solution to ensure the safety of our students.
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