After ten days at the New American University, my best and worst assumptions about the institution have been realized.
The educational experience has been as positive as I ever could have imagined. The social experience has been a frightening reminder of the direction in which American youth are heading.
There seem to be two entirely different universities at ASU, one of which consists of students pursuing academic success as their priority, and who are working to get the most out of their time and money. The other is packed with "students" who look to do little aside from drink, fight and screw.
Each set of students can find happiness at Arizona State, but the more the university forces these groups into cohabitation, the more damage these groups will do to one another.
The massive increase in the number of students living on campus in residence halls force two very different trains (of thought) to pull into the same station, with unfortunate results.
Put yourself in the shoes of a motivated, dedicated student from outside the valley, moving into a shiny new room at Hassayampa. You get a randomly assigned roommate. You're excited about Biology, he is excited about "bitches and beers, brah!"
A couple nights in, he and his like-minded buddies are drinking in your room. RA's, who aren't, in fact, oblivious to your stupidity, give the door a knock knock and everybody's getting slapped on the wrists. Now you hate your roommate. He hates you because he knows you think he is an idiot. Somehow you manage to continue to coexist in a state of semi-peace.
A few days down the road, other members of the non-academic ASU community who live down your hall are throwing trash in the hallway and hitting people with foam pool noodles. Hallway gets wrecked; everybody on your floor gets a fine. Now you hate essentially your entire residence hall. You hate going home, and this hinders your ability to perform well academically.
So you decide its revenge time.
You call your RA and tell them the bro-dawg crew is guzzling brew again. Now Bro-dawg roommate is facing heavy fines and is in danger of losing his residency, so he beats your face in, because he can. You're pissed off and beat up, bro-dawg's getting thrown out of school, and you still despise the rest of your dorm.
If you haven't noticed this situation, and you live in a residence hall, it's because you're drunk and had a 2.2 in high school. If you have noticed it and are disturbed, don't worry. It's first semester! People with 2.2 high school GPA's and who "aren't feelin" their classes have a tendency to evaporate in October or November. Problem solved till next fall.
But quick fixes aren't the answer here. It is our responsibility as students to respect each other, respect the institution, and respect our neighbors. Drink your ass off; just be smart enough to do it outside your dorm room. Smoke weed, but not in your bathroom. Think your roommate is a dweeb all you want, but don't give him shit about it.
With a little respect, the kid who wants to learn can learn and stay in school. The kid who wants to drink all day can drink all day and disappear quietly this winter.
You don't have to love your neighbor, but respect them and they will likely do the same. If they don't, call the RA's and wait to get your ass kicked.
Joseph loves Famous t-shirts and checker-print shorts. Holla back at: burthemidnightlamp@hotmail.com.
