Rafael Román Martel

Coming from Miami to see my niece Yesenia Rodriguez graduate, who was proudly accepted into Rider University as a Fine Arts Major. As a senior, she was provided with 6 tickets to the ceremony. Three Orange tickets for her Mother, Father and Baby Brother. The other three where white tickets for her older brother, her younger cousin and myself. As told, we arrived approximately at 4:45 and became part of the first ten people on line waiting to get in as promised once all those with Orange tickets had gone inside. During this time, a massive rain storm occurred and more than 150 people with white tickets stood outside in the rain waiting for all those who possessed orange tickets go into the auditorium. After about an hour and fifteen minutes, the rain stopped and all of the sudden the doors were closed and an officer came to tell the now over 200 people crowd that there was no more room inside.

After standing in the rain and waiting patiently those with priority seating as well as secondary seating where extremely upset and devastated and despite trying to get inside and searching for answers, to no avail, nothing would prepare us for what was about to happen. The officer said he was sorry but that no one else would be allowed in or out and as people tried to force themselves inside, he quickly and abruptly locked himself inside and closed the door on our faces. As a result the crowd became altered, angered, heartbroken, sad and extremely frustrated as no one expected to not see their loved one graduated. Time started ticking and the crowds? dismay kept rising. No one came out side ever again. No one stood up and gave the people a reasonable answer as to why. No officers came to pacify the crowd nor form a safe barrier where we could all line up and wait to get inside. I was very hurt and upset to witness my nieces? accomplishments from outside.

The masses suggested that we contact the media and ask for help. I contacted Channel 9, Channel 12 and Univision. All promised to show but no one showed. No man came but Dr. Felix Roque. As he walked around dictating to someone on the phone what was happening and how crazy it seemed, he asked if someone could let him know what had been happening. This is when I met a man who decided that enough was enough. I introduced myself to Dr. Roque and he turned out to be the ONLY MAN, willing, able, certain and capable to do everything in his power at that moment to not only understand the hurt and frustration that we were all experiencing but to pacify the crowd who increasingly became upset as floods of texting came in from within the student body letting us know that there was plenty of seating still available within the auditorium. This fueled the fire that would remain throughout the entire night and erupt when one of the students who tried to leave the auditorium was struck and pushed to the ground by a few officers who had magically appeared as the crowed became larger, louder and more frustrated after waiting nearly three and half hours outside for their loved one.

Dr. Felix Roque, at that moment not only kept the peace, but tried hard to hold people back from creating a potential devastating scenario from occurring. He spoke to the crowds and offered understanding, sensitivity and a genuine heart felt sorry that should have come from Mayor Sal Vega as well as the WNY Police officers who were only called in at the very last minute when the climax of events had already been reached. Not only were officers called to contain what was now making people extremely upset but they urgently called for back up that came from Union City not West New York. This in itself again caused a major up roar as this town is about to lose approximately 22 police officers as a result of our high tax issues when this city now more than ever is in CRISIS mode and needs every single officer we can get to CLEAN up these streets and allow US the Citizens and Residents of WNY to feel safe, protected and cared for by the Law that dictates right from wrong in our city.

As a result, I have become a passionate fan of the TOGETHER WE CAN project to reinstate the officers that were dismissed and to help bring about change, transformation, improvement and positivism to a town that is scared, broken down and hurting by how little care its city official are taking care of their needs. We need to stick together, to stand up for justice and help one another urgently in order to survive not only the state of crisis that WNY is facing economically but also as a people. We need to stop being afraid of our streets, stop being afraid of losing our homes, our jobs, our sons and daughters to the way of these corrupt street and re educate them to see the possibilities that are their for them to grasp if someone like Dr. Felix Roque shows them the way.