Man, can we just be friends?
I’m about four weeks shy of closing out my first year of college at Earlham. With all the recent talks of poor retention rates (paired with my job hosting prospies), I’ve been doing plenty of thinking as to just why I decided to spend four years of my life at this college.
And why not think about it — I know as well as you do that my aunts and uncles simply cannot wait to ask me why I’m at Earlham (in addition to what my major is and, upon hearing a major that doesn’t sound jobworthy, what am I planning on doing with my entire life besides renovating my cardboard-box-ofa- home on the side of the road).
Visiting students and their parents always ask what attracted me to this place. It’s their stock question. And I’ve never honestly had a problem rattling off my answers. My top reason has always been the students and administration here at Earlham.
And it’s true. I’ve met amazing people here and I know for a fact that there’s plenty more, despite our small size (I’m oh-so-close to talking to that one person I see in the coffee shop every Tuesday, I swear). Not to mention the professors and faculty I’ve met who have been nothing but helpful and engaging. I mean, we have a pretty good deal going on here, people-wise.
But we really need to talk you guys and gals. I’ll be honest — you’re all great people. Sometimes though, we can all get a little bent out of shape. I know I’ve had my days where all my classes seem to have plotted to give me mountains of homework and stress can get pretty overwhelming.
But all year, time and time again, I keep running into so much passive-aggressiveness at Earlham. It’s everywhere — it’s followed me through each class I’ve taken and each dorm I’ve lived in.
I know it sucks when there’s ramen-caked puddles strewn around the kitchen — trust me, I do. But the passive aggressive note that “Earlhamite A” decided to leave at the scene of the crime is almost as bad.
Yeah, you clearly respect common space more than that guy who cut his hair in the bathroom sink and didn’t rinse it. But rising above your peers by calling out one of your classmates is low. Not to mention the fact that you normally shoot yourself in the foot by swearing like a five year old.
I know we all get stressed, but could we just choose to not take it out on each other? A constructive, calm conversation with the entire hall would work infinitely better than an angry note.
The comments board last semester was a fantastic example of this — instead of constructive comments or any witty remarks, the comment board simply turned into petty squabbles over semantics.
So yeah, I know that some students have a big problem respecting public spaces, and I know that that one girl in your discussion class was talking total BS because she didn’t read last night, and god knows that your professor just had to have class outside on that one day when you decided to skip and sit on the Heart.
But just relax, aye? Taking it out anonymously on other people certainly isn’t helping. And I’d really like to keep with my original statement that Earlham students rock my socks.
The next time that coke machine in first-floor Barrett takes even more of your hardearned coins which you debated about using for laundry or a soda for ten minutes, do that thing where you go meditate at Peace House instead of dumping on other people.
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