FIND AN OASIS OF CIVILITY HERE

Do you miss the old days when young people were well mannered?   Look no further than a nearby private college campus.  My city  boasts of several colleges, including a state university.    But  two   campuses nearby—an engineering college (#1 in the nation) and a small Catholic college– are bastions of the three R’s: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness.  Here, you will find an oasis of civility.

Although  they are private schools, many of the students are  not rich.  Most receive some type of financial  aid.  But there’s something different going on .   Students  of every color, race, religion and nationality  interact harmoniously, without rancor or prejudice.   
Private college campuses are an oasis of civility, with serious students
If you’re looking for an oasis of civility, stroll around a private college campus.

How do these students stand out?   First of all, they’re not loud.  When you cross their path, they smile  and nod..  They open doors  and respect  older people. The girls don’t wear shorts that look like underpants.  The guys aren’t covered with tattoos.  If you overhear them talking in public, their vocabulary is not filled  with vulgarity and four letter words.  No one gives you the finger. You never see them smoking.

If you go for Sunday brunch at the local college hangout, you can easily  identify students from these two colleges.    They carry on conversations in a normal tone of voice .  Together,  in one booth,  you’ll see kids of different  color and nationality  talking seriously.  They don’t jump the line or bump into other customers.  Although I’m sure they are  amorous as the students from other colleges, they don’t make a public show of affection.

Private College Students are more focused on learning
Private college students form a more tightly knit community, focused on learning.

Why the difference between public and private school students?  Perhaps it’s because private schools are more focused on learning, and have more closely knit communities.

If you  feel  like American  society  is falling apart,  drive out to one of these colleges and take a walk around the campus. Here, you will find  an oasis of civility.    If these young people  are destined to be  leaders of the next generation,  our country is safe for our  grandchildren.

STUDENT’S WINNING ATTITUDE LEADS TO SUCCESS

The #1 engineering college In the United States(RHIT) is 5 minutes away from my home.  Fortunately, for we townies, they offer us an opportunity to swim in their magnificent pool on weekday mornings.  There, I can see firsthand why a student’s  attitude leads to success.

One lifeguard is extremely friendly, helpful, and conscientious.  I knew she was probably a student with a part time job, but the other day, I witnessed her on the diving board doing some amazing backward flips.  This girl is a real star, but you would never know it from the humility with which she conducts herself.  You don’t get into that school unless you’re extremely bright, but she’s also talented.  Obviously, it could be a bit boring for such  an outstanding student to lifeguard a bunch of local ladies, but she’s caring and enthusiastic.  I know that this student’s winning attitude will lead to success.

A good attitude leads to asucces
STUDENT DIVER HAS A WINNING ATTITUDE

Conversely, I remembered a student interning with me when I was a hospital department manager.   This girl  was a real beauty:  blonde hair, perfect figure, pretty face.  Unfortunately, she had little enthusiasm.  She walked into the department as if she’d just gotten out of bed, yawning frequently, showing little interest in the patients she worked with.  It made me wonder why she had chosen to work in the field at all, but I suppose it seemed like something that would pay well and not require a whole lot of effort.

In her defense, maybe she had some emotional problems.  But even if that were the case, she should have known that in the workplace,  you may have  smile even if you don’t feel like it.

Remember the song , “big girls don’t cry.”  When you’re an adult, sometimes you have to fake it, and pretend you’re happy even if you’re not.  I don’t know what happened to this student after college, and never heard from her again.  Obviously, she didn’t make a name for herself.

If these  two girls had entered the same beauty contest, The  beautiful blonde intern would probably have won.   But you can’t get by on just your looks in the real world.   A good attitude and hard work will take  you much further in the long run.

I don’t have to wonder whether my friendly lifeguard will prosper after she graduates from college. It seems safe to predict that she will be living long and  well after 80.