B.A.L.L.S.: Rude rules the day
This week's article was going to be much
more eloquent and included a garbage can, a
chicken and an elected city councilor/junk
removal man. Unfortunately I have had a bad
day so I feel compelled to write on a number
of issues I am finding here at Fanshawe. The
optimum theme would have to be: RUDE!
There seems to be a growing sense of entitlement. For example many Fanshawe folk are not saying "thank you" when you hold a door open for them. I went around the halls today, probably with a scowl, looking for a fight, and put myself into positions where I could test this theory. I held the door open for 25 people, 15 said thank you. Of course this phenomenon breeches the walls of our school, but one would think that this homeaway- from-home would be impetus enough to break the mould of discourteousness and allow us to cohabitate in a more courteous manner. Nope! I got up the nerve to ask three people why they didn't say thank you. I got one "I did," and two "Sorry, I was zoning out." There were also a number of people who did not hold the door open for me.
A "growing sense of entitlement" seems to be as catchy and cliché these days as "out of the box," "the whole nine yards" or "out like a light" (which doesn't make sense, 'cause lights are generally thought of as "bright," not "out.") I suppose it means that people feel the world owes them something, they take the things they have for granted, and they expect to get things without giving first. So they may mumble, "Sorry man, I was zoning out," but they really mean, "F&*# you!"
I wonder if these are the same people that leave their empty pizza boxes and sub wrappers on the tables in D block instead of throwing them out. Or the same ones that piss all over the toilet seats in bathroom stalls, or stick gum under chairs, or toss butts on the ground, or block the hallways without thinking about those that need to get by, or start texting someone in the middle of a conversation, or stuff garbage in hard to get at places in some sort of perverted attempt to hide it, or those baggy pants, crooked hat pseudo-Hollywood gangster puckering clods that wander the halls looking for guys like me to diss, cranking angry music while surrounded by a dim entourage of faded gangster groupies looking sidelong as students try to walk past them without matching the beat of the music.
My Take:
Perhaps, for some of us, our insecurities personify themselves in ways contrary to acceptable societal norms (whatever that means). Perhaps some of us must don a façade to cope with this world that we have invented. I suppose all of us do at one time or another. In the end, we can only be as courteous as our conscience permits. Most people are inclined to be kind.
Conclusion:
Some of us are indeed as bright as a light. Comments? Look for the group B.A.L.L.S. on Facebook.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
There seems to be a growing sense of entitlement. For example many Fanshawe folk are not saying "thank you" when you hold a door open for them. I went around the halls today, probably with a scowl, looking for a fight, and put myself into positions where I could test this theory. I held the door open for 25 people, 15 said thank you. Of course this phenomenon breeches the walls of our school, but one would think that this homeaway- from-home would be impetus enough to break the mould of discourteousness and allow us to cohabitate in a more courteous manner. Nope! I got up the nerve to ask three people why they didn't say thank you. I got one "I did," and two "Sorry, I was zoning out." There were also a number of people who did not hold the door open for me.
A "growing sense of entitlement" seems to be as catchy and cliché these days as "out of the box," "the whole nine yards" or "out like a light" (which doesn't make sense, 'cause lights are generally thought of as "bright," not "out.") I suppose it means that people feel the world owes them something, they take the things they have for granted, and they expect to get things without giving first. So they may mumble, "Sorry man, I was zoning out," but they really mean, "F&*# you!"
I wonder if these are the same people that leave their empty pizza boxes and sub wrappers on the tables in D block instead of throwing them out. Or the same ones that piss all over the toilet seats in bathroom stalls, or stick gum under chairs, or toss butts on the ground, or block the hallways without thinking about those that need to get by, or start texting someone in the middle of a conversation, or stuff garbage in hard to get at places in some sort of perverted attempt to hide it, or those baggy pants, crooked hat pseudo-Hollywood gangster puckering clods that wander the halls looking for guys like me to diss, cranking angry music while surrounded by a dim entourage of faded gangster groupies looking sidelong as students try to walk past them without matching the beat of the music.
My Take:
Perhaps, for some of us, our insecurities personify themselves in ways contrary to acceptable societal norms (whatever that means). Perhaps some of us must don a façade to cope with this world that we have invented. I suppose all of us do at one time or another. In the end, we can only be as courteous as our conscience permits. Most people are inclined to be kind.
Conclusion:
Some of us are indeed as bright as a light. Comments? Look for the group B.A.L.L.S. on Facebook.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
