It's nice to start the semester off with hate mail, a few death threats and offers to forge a relationship with Jesus.
At least that's how I started off last semester, when I wrote a column titled "ASU's hot, but things could be worse."
The column compared ASU's code of conduct to the code of conduct of Harding University, a conservative private Christian school in Arkansas.
I pointed out that ASU allows its students to make their own social choices, while Harding requires its students to abstain from sexual activity, social dancing and promiscuous clothing.
What I thought was a harmless rant earned me more than 100 e-mails from Harding students, professors and alumni.
The e-mails ranged from harmless questions asking what I had against Harding to more probing questions about why I hated Christians and whether or not I was aware that I am going to hell.
At this point, I would like to issue a not-so-formal apology to all those Hardingites that I offended.
The truth is that while I still believe going to Harding would be a very stifling experience for the typical non-conservative ASU student, I have to give this school some credit.
In its attempt to create students with the strongest moral character, Harding requires them to live by the standards that it sees fit. As long as students willingly agree to live by these standards, I see nothing wrong with Harding imposing them.
In fact, I sometimes wonder how ASU would fare if it imposed a few standards of its own.
I'm not talking about infusing the University with a sense of Christian morality, but perhaps there are a few ASU-specific rules and regulations that students could benefit from by following.
For example, let's try a dress code that disallows all pointless articles of clothing and accessories.
Those J-Lo sunglasses have got to be replaced with varieties that shield only your eyes, and not your entire face, from the sun.
And those little "shrugs" and mini-jackets that are only large enough to cover a girl's upper torso should be replaced with full-length sweaters that actually accomplish the purpose of providing extra warmth.
Overall, however, there is one serious missing component on campus that a code of conduct like Harding's probably improves - an overall sense of ethics.
Ethics seem to be missing from the U.S. as a whole these days, as the Jack Abramoffs, Jayson Blairs and Enrons of the world run amok.
As a journalist, I have been advised several times to read the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics.
Although this code does include much information specific to the profession, it has some underlying principles that I think ASU, and the rest of the country, could seriously benefit from reading.
SPJ asks its members to "seek truth and report it." Outside of the newsroom, this translates to being an honest person who in return expects truthfulness from others.
SPJ also encourages journalists to "minimize harm" and "act independently."
For non-writers, this means that you should not just do your best to avoid hurting other people through your actions and words, but also to think outside of the box and refuse to adhere to the status quo when your conscience tells you its wrong.
And finally, SPJ's Code of Ethics tells its members to "be accountable," or take responsibility for one's mistakes and correct them promptly.
Just like our parents told us when we were young, being responsible for our own actions is a necessity. It is too easy in today's society to blame anything from tardiness to crime on other people and circumstances.
So while I am very proud to be a Sun Devil, I must admit that we could make a few improvements -- and I'm confident that there's nothing that increased ethical behavior and a little hookah couldn't solve.
Stephanie Berger is a journalism junior. Remind her that you think she hates religion and the media at stephanie.m.berger@asu.edu.
