Freshmen, listen up … the editor has good advice for you

To all my fellow students and Ram family, Welcome Back. I especially want to welcome all the new rams on campus. You’ll discover, sooner or later, that your time here will mark some of the best years of your life. The majority of you have no serious debt and no real worries, except for the headache of last minute schoolwork, so enjoy this time. Be safe and respect yourself, as well as others. Develop your own, true identity and start now trying to find your niche here at the university. Do not find yourself persuaded by either friends or even your own conscious to do anything, just for the fun of it. You may regret those actions for years to come. In other words, think before you act. This is a small campus. Some call your freshman year the ‘make it or break it’ year. It is easy to develop a reputation – good or bad-that will follow you for life. Imagine attending Homecoming events 10 years from now, only to find that your fellow classmates remember some foolish act you committed back then and really want to forget. Believe me, it happens. Have fun…as much as you can, but have no regrets. To my brothers on campus, women still appreciate a gentleman and someone who treats them like a lady. Never mind that some women seem to suggest, either by word or deed, that they prefer a thug. You, as young men, should behave in a manner that women will welcome, value and remember. To my sisters on campus, no matter what messages you receive from friends, music or the culture at-large, men still want a woman they can ‘take home to momma’ -not a woman who’s been around the block a couple times with the ‘boys.’ Respect yourself and others will have no choice but to do the same. Set priorities, and let your studies, campus activities and extracurricular interests come first. Start now getting involved in all that the campus has to offer, so that you can build an impressive resume. Although it may seen important now to chase after someone you’re interested in, chances are he or she will not be the one who’ll be paying your rent or other bills after graduation. You will, so study hard. The competition for jobs in today’s economy is tough. And many of those who have been fortunate enough to get jobs are not working in their chosen fields. Try to make as many friends as you can, because these may be the same people you have to network with for a job after graduation. Hip Hop artist, David Banner, said that when you graduate from college, you should know an aspiring lawyer, doctor, dentist, and business manager–at least one person from a host of occupational careers. Networking is a big key to success after you walk across that stage in a few years. To sum it all up, I’d like to encourage you to keep the indecent behavior out; get involved in those things that build you up, not break you down, and have a bangin’ freshmen year!