A Matter of Respect

I'm emailing this to the Hibou today... I just needed a place to type it. So here you go: A preview of my latest angry rant.

A Matter of Respect by: Lacey B. Richmond

Some things never fail to amaze me. I was a student at Nipissing for 4 years (B.A. (lib), 2006), and I am a student at Canadore now (Social Service Worker Program), and there have been some major changes in those few years. Unfortunatly, not all of those changes have been for the better.
I don't know what is causing this new development in the student population. Maybe it is an age thing. I'd hate to think that it's generational, as I'm a part of this generation. Whatever it is, something must be done, and when I stepped on a dirty, used pair of thong panties this morning while getting off the bus at the Student Centre, I knew it was time for me to speak up.
Vandalism, distruction and a general lack of respect have overrun our campus. Though I no longer live on residence, I've heard the horror stories of people breaking windows, spitting in elevators and, of all the childish nonesense, peeing in hallways. I've seen students show up drunk to their 3pm classes, and I've seen people show up with the sole intent of disturbing their professors and their classmates, and generally making the "learning environment" uninhabitable.
I don't get it. I really just don't get it.
When did this kind of madness become "cool"? When did the distruction of property, both ours and others, become a fun time of a Saturday night? When did we forget our core values: Love thy Neighbor and Do Unto Others? These are the things that make us Canadian!
These are things we learned in Kindergarten!
We all know that the first years at University and/or College are a time of exploration and Adventure. Away from home and the authority of Mommy and Daddy for the first time, we're all expected to do a few fairly stupid things. But Frosh Week is over, and we're not laughing anymore.
People have aparently forgotten that their places at Nipissing, at Canadore, and on residence are privilages. These are things that we are very fortunate to have: not every first year student is guarenteed a place in residence, and not everyone "gets in" to University or College. YOU have earned it, and YOU are paying to be there, as are a generous handful of other people who have to put up with this nonesense.
We have become a very self-centered group recently: forgetting about those around us. Other people have to work, study and live here too, and we, the others, don't appreciate the broken windows and the dismantled elevator screens. We don't appreciate the smell of urine in the halls after a weekend of debauchery. We don't appreciate being put at risk of violence, or the risk to our health from spit and used condoms lying around, placing us at risk of disease.
The thing that really bothers me about all of this, aside from the immaturity and the general idiocy shown in the actions listed above, is that no one person can fix this disaster. I can't nag you into cleaning up your act. It is up to all of us, those who feel slighted, angry and disgusted, to stand up for our property, our territory, our rights. Not every student needs to be carted back to Kindergarten for re-programming, and I do appreciate those out there who are doing their best to maintain a peaceful, respectful community environment. But there are those who don't, things will only get worse if nothing is done.
So I'm standing proud on this soap-box, and I'm making my vioce heard. I'm not impressed. And I only hope that those around me, those contientious few who remain, will join me in when I say:
People, please: give your head a shake.