I love the beginning of the new fall semester, It is a happy time and a fresh start for all students at the University.
New students flood the campus and everyone is trying to make friends. And undoubtedly, it is the perfect time to do so.
Recently I caught wind of a story regarding a new freshman who was making a conscious effort to meet people, since he was alone and unfamiliar with anyone at the University.
Unfortunately, his effort was undermined when he was treated unkindly by fellow students in return.
According to his grandfather, he walked up to a group of boys in the Kreischer Sundial and asked to sit with them. Instead of being friendly and saying yes, the boys said, “we’d rather you didn’t.”
The student then went back to his room and ate alone.
When his grandfather heard of this, he was outraged.
“Not everyone comes to college with a group of friends,” he said. “Have a little sensitivity and accept other peoples’ differences.”
Since this incident, the student has met some people and everything is going well for him. However, the fact that this happened is sad and reflects poorly on the University.
The grandfather said he thinks it is necessary for students to portray kindness to all students and “not throw darts at others.”
I completely agree.
Everyone needs to make friends when they come to college and have a familiar friendly face to say, “hi” to. Students need to reach out and sometimes even go out of their way to help other students transition to the college lifestyle.
I do not understand how students can be so rude to another who does not know anyone else and is obviously making an effort to meet people.
It is the time of year to reach out to other people, no matter if you know them or not. It is the time to be friendly with all other fellow falcons.
Whether you are an incoming freshman or a senior, it is important to make somebody feel welcomed here at the University.
People are just trying to make a friend and not be alone in this world. It is literally unbearable for me to see a person, especially a new student who may not have any other friends, sit alone and eat their meal.
It is unbelievably discouraging for a student to be rejected and can severely hurt their self-esteem.
Would it have killed those students to let the freshman sit at their table and eat? Maybe start some conversation, ask where he was living and about his major and if he has had a good opening weekend? No. The answer is absolutely not.
Instead, they chose to be rude and disrespectful. Literally, it is not hard to be nice to people in any situation.
For a new student to build up the courage to ask complete strangers to sit with them is an amazing feat. I applaud this student for doing so.
However, I do not applaud the people who denied him and treated him unkindly.
Here at the University, we strive to create a welcoming environment where everyone can find a friend and have the best time possible. As students, we should all be trying to uphold this image.
Students come here thinking that everyone is going to be friendly and expect that people will be kind. As a student body, we need to try to uphold these expectations in order to create the best experience for all.
Sure, this is the real world and people are going to be rude. It is a fact of life. But one act of kindness is a step towards improvement.
I think all students need to keep an open mind and not judge anyone before they get to know them.
By excluding others, you are hurting them. You are completely discouraging their self-esteem and damaging them emotionally.
No one likes to be the one who is left out. Think about it, how would you feel if you knew no one on campus and was all alone?
It is terrible to think that students drop out every year because they cannot make friends. This is something that needs to be changed.
Open your heart and mind to others. Lend a helping hand to that struggling freshman wandering around looking for his or her class. Invite that lonely person to sit with you at the dining hall. Talk to that stranger next to you in their class.
You never know who you are going to meet. You may have your new best friend sitting next to you.
If you never try, you will never know.
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