CHARGED this week with writing a few pearls of wisdom for the incoming class, I thought deeply about what I wanted to say. I asked, "What can I impart that will be different from my colleagues on the page, and also interesting?" Perhaps something profound and literary, taken from a great Shakespearean play, or maybe something practical, like a shortened-up "Survival Guide to the University."
After engaging myself in hours of thought, I turned to the source of so much of our insight on life in America: basic cable.
Fortuitously, I was able to catch an airing of the 1980s classic, "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." First years might not remember this movie, seeing as their class was about three years old when it was released.
While watching, I gleaned two pithy statements from these sages of San Dimas, statements which apply as aptly to your time here at the University as they do to the future world the two titular boneheads encounter.
"Be excellent to each other."
The University is not a small private liberal arts college; you will never be able to know everyone in your year during your time here, even if you made that your one and only goal. So most likely you will fall into compartmentalized social segments of sorts -- a group of friends, an organization, a fraternity or sorority, a volunteer group, etc.
Even though you will not know everyone in your class, you should always remember that these people, known and unknown, are those with whom you will spend four years of your life, and you all should work to make your time here as good as it possibly can be. The days of the Southern gentleman at the University are gone, perhaps sadly, but that does not mean that you should not bear a sense of responsibility to your fellow classmates.
How does this responsibility translate to the real world? It takes many forms. It means keeping civil relations with your roommate and your hall or suitemates, no matter how much they aggravate you (and they will). It means abiding by the honor code, and holding each other to a promise to uphold a community of trust. It means taking on an attitude of service, whether that be through a Madison House organization, or club that you're passionate about.
There are plenty more examples of excellence toward each other. Make sure you embrace them.
"Party on, dudes!"
No doubt, you have probably heard plenty about the University's storied origins, its past and its traditions. Unless you have not visited Grounds yet, it is hard not to feel the weight of history at this place.
And unless you're the cockiest of cocky Echols and Jefferson Scholars, you're probably also just a little concerned about how you'll perform academically at the University. You know that this is a rigorous institution, and that you'll be expected to perform up to a pretty high bar of standards.
You should embrace both the legacy of the institution and step up to its academic challenges. They are valuable parts of the University experience. But never lose sight of the fact that you need to "party on" occasionally, to let loose, to buck tradition and do something completely different.
From my experience as well as from the insights of others, I can confidently say that the University provides a pretty good setting for this. People often describe it as a "work hard, play hard" environment. I concur, and advise you to use this to your advantage. After a long week of work, make sure you take time to do what helps you unwind -- bike-riding, video games, various types of consumption, whatever. Take time for yourself. Also, don't be afraid to break new ground. If you're an avid bocce player, start a new CIO. If you don't like how Student Council spends money, get yourself on the Appropriations Committee and change things. The University is a malleable place. Make your impact felt.
I'm not saying to go out partying every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, only to wake up muddied in the Mad Bowl or on some strange fraternity couch (or worse, bed). I'm also not recommending you start up Nude Olympics on the Lawn (some places, despite my "buck tradition" talk, do remain semi-sacred).
What I am saying is to never let the weight of tradition or the stress of assignments hold you back from relaxing and self-discovery.
Hailing from southern California myself, I feel somewhat clichéd in tossing out two quotes from a movie about two SoCal burnouts as profound pieces of advice.
But I feel that if you guide your time here by these ideas and principles, your years at the University will not be considered to be the title of another "Bill and Ted" movie, a "Bogus Journey."
Jim Prosser is a Cavalier Daily columnist. He can be reached at jprosser@cavalierdaily.com.
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