By Prof. Abdelghaffar Amoka
Shooting a TikTok video is definitely not a crime but it should not be on a walkway to obstruct movement. When you do that, a tap on the back or shoulder with “excuse me” is to give way. Excuse me, tap is not harassment in every sense of it, and we encounter it every day, especially if the person involved is carried away like the TikToker. The best she should have done, if sensible, was to apologize for partially blocking the walkway, and life goes on.
But she felt entitled and embittered that her video was disrupted and responded with an insulting comment. That opened a new chapter. They call themselves GenZ baddies. But unfortunately for her, the University has regulations. You don’t just study in the university, you are also expected to be of good character throughout your period of study. No lecturer is insulted by a student who won’t go back to be sure of who the student is.
Then, the UniZik lecturer went back to find out who the person was. He realises she was a student but not in his department. The lecturer had already appeared on her video and he requested her to delete the video. He definitely doesn’t want her to post a video that has him in it. A respectful student would have obliged and reshoot her video. But the GenZ baddy refused. She is either naturally disrespectful or on the influence of drugs. He then tried to confiscate her phone, and the student attacked him and tore his clothes.
A day later, the student’s disciplinary committee headed by a woman recommended her expulsion from the university. The university management agreed with the recommendations and she got expelled. Am I satisfied with the expulsion? Not really. I wish there was a penalty worse than expulsion for a student who attacked a lecturer to the point that she tore his clothes.
It’s obvious that a student who was truly in the University for knowledge and a degree won’t put up such an attitude. She seems ok with her TikTok content creation skills rather than a degree. She is already popular. She should be able to make a career from her TikTok content creation skills. Her supporters can help her blow or even sponsor her abroad for a degree. Rewarding stupidity with a gift is not a new thing in our society.
Dear students, don’t let a minute of madness cost you years of hard work.