2008 Woodie Awards
Student loses temper, breaks Loftin window
By Will Underhill
Issue date: 4/11/08 Section: News
Originally published: 4/10/08 at 10:27 AM CSTLast update: 4/12/08 at 5:54 PM CST
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Music freshman Koy Trosclair knows the consequences of not properly handling anger.
Trosclair was socializing with friends and playing pool in Loftin Student Center at 11 a.m. April 3, when his friend, Lizz Zuniga, got upset at the mess he had made by spilling a bag of chips on the floor when he tried to hand it to someone else. One thing led to another, and Zuniga ended up splashing Trosclair with a bottle of red Power Aid, staining his white shirt.
Trosclair was angry because of the stain and punched through a large plate glass window next to the pool tables, leaving a hole in the window with cracks spreading across it like a spider web.
"I didn't think I was going to hit the window that hard," Trosclair said. "The window was closer than I thought."
He was treated for his injuries, a laceration to his hand, by EMS outside of McCreless Hall; he attempted to run, but realized it would compound the situation. He was held on charges of possible criminal mischief and $650 in property damage by the district's department of public safety.
He was released from the department of public safety office shortly afterward because campus personnel declined to prosecute, said Sgt. Ben Peña.
Punishment for the act was decided by Emma Mendiola, interim dean of student affairs, who was unavailable for comment; however, Trosclair said he would have to pay for the damaged window.
Trosclair's friend, biology freshman Jay Ching, witnessed the event.
"This is the first time I've seen him act this aggressive," Ching said.
Trosclair, Ching and Zuniga all graduated from Clark High School and attended Por Gracía Baptist Church at Bandera and Mainland roads.
The American Psychological Association says that expressing anger in an assertive, not aggressive, manner is the healthiest way to deal with it. Suppressing anger can cause it to turn inward and lead to hypertension, high blood pressure or depression.
The association's Web site also offers tips on how to deal with anger. Some techniques listed are breathing deeply from the diaphragm, slowly repeating calming words and visualizing a relaxing setting to calm down angry feelings.
More tips can be found at http://www.apa.org/topics/controlanger.html#strategies.
After reflection on the events that day, Trosclair said he wanted to apologize to everyone who was in Loftin and those who saw what happened.
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