College is often seen as the peak of existence, the prime years of a person’s life. Films portray the college years as the best years in which to have fun, experiment or try something completely new. The college experience is the culmination of years of preparation and is one of the primary goals of millions of Americans. Students across America look forward to it, and many alumni look back on their college years as the best years of their lives. American culture has ingrained in us the idea that college is the breakout period, the teenaged Declaration of Independence from parents.
What is the result of this cultural indoctrination? Many students arrive on campus thinking that college is their ticket to unrestrained freedom. It’s their chance to do whatever they want in a perceived consequence-free environment. Anyone who dares to stand in the way is essentially a force of evil that is to be condemned. Anyone who gets them in trouble is a problem, and the blame is laid on the person in authority who must dole out any sort of punishment.
Unfortunately, I have seen this mindset and these behaviors here at Gustavus. Let’s take the case of John Doe. “My CF is a total jerk,” says John Doe. “He busted me with an alcohol violation last night. Now I’m in trouble. It’s all his fault and now I’m screwed. I’m in big trouble.” I realize that this is a really lame and basic transcription, but it’s a story that I’ve heard several times. The student perpetrator laments that he or she was caught by a person of authority and chooses to blame that person for their trouble.
How is that fair? How can someone like John Doe (and believe me, there are many such people here at Gustavus) blame a CF or S&S worker or anyone else for his/her own transgressions? If I were to get caught drinking underage, it’s not the CF’s fault. It’s mine. The vast majority of CFs’ don’t go out looking to bust students for the pure pleasure of it. They only do it because it’s part of their job. If they come across signs of a violation, they are contractually obligated to investigate. It is the violator who is to blame here, not the authority figure.
A recently graduated friend of mine was a CF here for a couple of years. Toward the end of one of his years here, one of his student residents vandalized his truck because my friend had once given that person an alcohol violation. This student placed the blame of his own violation on my friend and punished him for it. Some self-centered brat of a student thought that college was the ultimate “Get Out of Jail Free” card, and when someone stood in the way, this student decided to punish someone else for his/her own decisions.
How is that behavior fitting of a Gustavus student? I like to think that we Gusties are above that sort of behavior. I believe that most of us are, and I hope that I’m preaching to the choir. But the minority that does behave this way is disconcertingly large.
Too many people come to college thinking that they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. We need to realize that college is not just a party. Certainly, it’s a great time to have fun and do new things. It’s a fantastic opportunity to make new friends and develop long-lasting relationships. You should make the best of it and enjoy the college experience to its fullest. It’s still part of the real world, however. College is not an impenetrable, insulated bubble. Consequences don’t just exist before and after college. They are an eternal part of this society and this world.
We need to learn to accept greater responsibility for our actions. I’m not asking anyone to be perfect—I certainly am not. I’m not saying that anyone who doesn’t obey the rules is a bad person. But if you want to go have a drink when you’re underage, that’s your choice. If you make that choice and then get caught, realize that it was your choice. Yes, it sucks to get caught, but when you’ve been caught, just accept responsibility for it and move on. Try learning something from it.
Ever watch COPS on T.V.? Do you ever blame a police officer that arrests a crack dealer? No, you don’t, because that would be stupid. It’s not the fault of the person who caught you. It’s yours. Deal with it.