(ThyBlackMan.com) On October 12, 2023, Ronnie Caldwell, an NSU football player, was murdered. He was shot multiple times. The murder is upsetting, the worst part is all of this could have been avoided if the head coach at the time Brad Laird had heeded the warning he received. Ronnie Caldwell lived in an off-campus apartment complex The Quad, which was formally known as Frog Pond. When I moved to Natchitoches, I was rather surprised that university athletes had to stay off campus apartments. Students are housed in apartments with other students, or non-student residents. This is problematic as the apartments tended to keep a criminal element as residents. It was only a matter of time before something deadly took place involving a student.
When parents send their children…their athletes to college it with the understanding that there will be some level of care for their students. NSU’s football coach, and its athletic department failed the Caldwell family. To make the matter worse, it seems football was more important than the murder of this student. Several issues with Northwestern State University, LA would come to light and all of it is ugly. Unfortunately, there is also a racial issue that has been brewing for some time, and this situation became the perfect time for it to surface.
Ronnie Caldwell was initially staying in the Quads with fellow football players as roommates. However, due to mold he had to be placed in a different apartment, and the complex didn’t make it a priority to room him with other students. Instead, he became the room mate of non-students who had criminal backgrounds. The room mates would later to be found having both drugs and guns in the apartment. Hypothetically, if the police had done a raid Ronnie might have been arrested simply because he lived there with these elements. I’d like to believe the situation would have been rectified, but not before he was put through the humiliation of an arrest…in a small town whereby he would have been the tea.
On October 9, 2023, Ronnie Caldwell called his parents to inform them that his roommate pulled a gun on him, and he was scared. His father in turn reached out to the head coach of the football team to ask I he could make sure his son was safe. The father couldn’t drop everything and come to NSU as he was in Texas. All he asked for was the coach, the athletic staff, and the university to help his child until he could get there. After this there would be silence…the next call the parents would receive was to tell them their son had been murdered. NSU is a gated campus, and this occurred outside of the gates of NSU; these students should not have been outside of those gates. It is known that Natchitoches has had problems with violent crime, so why were students placed with non-students? Why didn’t this coach see to the safety of his athlete? Why is this young man dead? For decades students in various sports and student organizations have utilized living off campus in properties owned by those seen as friends of the university, or those employed by the university. This problem could be traced back to the dissolving of on campus housing, and the money that could be made by students having to find places off campus.
It is important to note that off campus situation was allowed to exist under past university presidents such as Dr. Webb and Dr. Maggio. With that being said, this murder that took place outside the gates of NSU, after a coach had promised he would take care of the matter, should not be used to execute Dr. Marcus Jones…NSU’s first Black President. This would become an issue when the duration of the NSU football season, right before homecoming, would be cancelled. The city, and university, was divided by tis decision…even though Dr. Jones would take his position after speaking with the head coach and athletic department. We saw NSU’s starting Quarterback come out in opposition as he felt taking their season away was taking away why they’re their…and football was how some players were coping. The problem with this is there is a player dead, and one in jail. To said quarterback, I doubt the family of your murdered teammate cares about the game; you were wrong for naming Dr. Jones, along with the coach and athletic department, in the list of those that failed your team and jeopardized your season.  I doubt some of your teammates…and classmates are worried about a game…a student was murdered. This is where race becomes an issue.
Natchitoches and NSU definitely their share of racial issues. If this football player was not Black, the outrage might be different. The move to action might be different. Students staying in unsafe off campus environments might be addressed. It’s sad that for some the death of Ronnie Caldwell will be a catalyst for calling for the head of Dr. Marcus Jones. Its’s sad that the game is more important than the athlete that is playing. The family of Ronnie Caldwell is seeking legal action against The Quad, the coach, and university… rightfully so. Hopefully, this tragedy won’t befall other families as NSU takes a look at resident housing, and how to better protect it’s student population.
Staff Writer;Â Christian Starr
May connect with this sister over at Facebook; C. Starr and also Twitter; MrzZeta.
Also via email at;Â CStarr@ThyBlackMan.com.