Spring Break
Letter to the editor
Issue date: 3/12/09 Section: Opinion
During the spring semester of 2008, I took a class called "Criminal Investigations" with Chief of CSU Police Dexter Yarbrough. I know there are issues beyond what happened in our classroom; however, I can speak only to my experience.
Within two weeks, Chief knew every single student by name. He had a clear-stated open door policy. If I had ever taken offense to something the Chief had said, I would have had no problem marching into his office and opening up a dialogue.
The Chief might have had a funny way about things, but I truly believe that he genuinely cared about his role as a professor and about us individually as students. I never found the Chief to be intimidating or out-of-touch. It was very much the opposite.
It's easy to get caught up in the idea of being politically correct, but we live in a world that is incredibly unforgiving. Policing is a career path that caters to this unfortunate aspect of society, and he conveyed this to us in a way that was honest. Maybe he was insensitive to certain biases in the classroom. But maybe that was just what we needed.
Personally, I loved that class. I loved the Chief's humor. I loved the brutal honesty. And I loved the overall structure of a classroom that allowed me to experience things from a new perspective.
But I also have a generous sense of humor. I guess that can't be taught in a classroom.
Nicole Qualtieri
Colorado State Alumni
Within two weeks, Chief knew every single student by name. He had a clear-stated open door policy. If I had ever taken offense to something the Chief had said, I would have had no problem marching into his office and opening up a dialogue.
The Chief might have had a funny way about things, but I truly believe that he genuinely cared about his role as a professor and about us individually as students. I never found the Chief to be intimidating or out-of-touch. It was very much the opposite.
It's easy to get caught up in the idea of being politically correct, but we live in a world that is incredibly unforgiving. Policing is a career path that caters to this unfortunate aspect of society, and he conveyed this to us in a way that was honest. Maybe he was insensitive to certain biases in the classroom. But maybe that was just what we needed.
Personally, I loved that class. I loved the Chief's humor. I loved the brutal honesty. And I loved the overall structure of a classroom that allowed me to experience things from a new perspective.
But I also have a generous sense of humor. I guess that can't be taught in a classroom.
Nicole Qualtieri
Colorado State Alumni
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Libby
posted 5/05/09 @ 7:49 PM MST
I'm guessing he didn't outright say in class that he was perpetuating an environment on our campus that is conducive to sexual violence and rape.
Is this the sense of humor you liked:
"Gropp said he began recording lectures after what he called "asinine" and "wrong" statements from Yarbrough, including what he thought to be sexual harassment and possible admission of criminal culpability. (Continued…)
D. Elliot
posted 5/07/09 @ 12:54 AM MST
The alumni part of that says it all. Just because you had him in past years, doesn't mean he is still the same. When he says it's okay to provide crack cocaine to a suspect in exchange for information, and then if they get caught, tell them not to use your name. (Continued…)
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