Picture this: you’re walking through campus and from (what feels like) a mile away, you see either someone you kind-of know or someone you’ve never met. The saga begins.
First, you contemplate when and where and if you’ve met this person- sat next to in a class? Best friend’s freshman roommate? Sister’s boyfriend’s cousin’s ex? The endless algorithms run in your head attempting to identify them. Got it. Sat next to me in English. Sarah? Rachel?
Next, your mind quickly works to classify them into one of two groups- to say hi or not to say hi (almost as dramatic as to be or not to be?). And by not say hi, I mean do everything in your power to look away in efforts to avoid the dreaded “awkward eye contact”. Maybe you turn to the opposite direction, look down at your feet, or of course, pull out your phone to check your Facebook for the 300th time today. We can all admit to doing this from one time to another. Distracting ourselves with anything and everything possible to prevent from ACTUALLY having to look at someone we may not know in the eyes and say hello. Or worse… you choose the high road and whisper a faint “hi” (so faint there’s a strong possibility they didn’t even hear you) only to be left completely embarrassed, wondering who in the surrounding area could’ve witnessed that complete and utter rejection.
Remember when you were five years old, walking down the halls of your elementary school, saying hi to every single person that passed within the 15-seconds it took to get from your classroom to the bathroom? Granted, I was an overly social child past the age of four, but knowing that anyone I passed in the halls of my school would smile and greet me was one of the more comforting parts of being a kid- also something that seemed to disappear the older I got. And although the awkward stage almost completely and totally wiped this from our social repertoire, some kindness toward those we may not know did make it through those tough times. This has left our generation with a blurred lines of sorts when it comes to greeting those we may not know (or wish we didn’t know).
Being a student on JMU’s campus, we start FrOG week, the first week of our freshman year, with a speech from either President Alger or Dr. Warner informing us of the type of environment JMU upholds. As the self-proclaimed “Disneyland of colleges”, JMU students hold doors, respect our professors and fellow students, and work to keep the campus feeling like the home-away-from-home we all know and love. Existing on a college campus with individuals who care enough to maintain these values is not only a privilege, but a blessing. So why is walking by someone you may not know such a terrifying experience?
I challenge you, students of James Madison University, to brave the “awkward” eye contact. Put your cell phones away while walking around campus, look up from your feet and smile at someone who walks by. Or if you’re daring enough, say hi. You never know whose day you’re making.
