Pluto Koehnen, opinions editor

In fourth grade, my teacher cleverly introduced manners and respect as a game. He would challenge our class to create a chain of “thanks” when a paper was distributed, rewarded the student who could pick up the most scraps and enforced a circle of compliments into our mornings. I attribute my now habitual manners to said games. However, college has pushed me to realize that respect and decency are not as common as I once believed. 

I try to take all actions with a grain of salt. Depression, work, stress and upbringings all contribute to a person’s hygiene and awareness. However, when a person or group of people continuously disrespect others, their space and themselves I lose empathy. And as of recently, I’ve found myself in spaces and positions where people don’t seem to be reflecting on how their actions affect others. 

For example: interacting with customer service workers. As someone who has not only been a customer, but also an employee, it shocks me how many people jump straight into their orders without a simple “hello.” I’m a manager at Caribou Coffee— I understand that all shifts come with good and bad customers— but more often than not, the customers who spoil my mood are the ones that treat me like a kiosk. I don’t expect them to tip or ask about my day, but a small smile and “thank you” makes or breaks the interaction. This applies to any service worker. At Augsburg, I see students ordering without a “please” or “thank you,” especially at Einsteins. I’ve seen students take advantage of the workers’ kindness by stealing drinks, chips or other students’ orders. It’s nothing but careless.

The lack of respect to shared spaces also shocks me. Such as the Student Lounge in Christensen Center. The chairs are broken or spilled on, trash lays on the tables and dishes from the Dining Commons seem to be commonplace. It would be one thing if these behaviors were seen in a dorm or a personal space. However, the Student Lounge is one of the more popular rooms at Augsburg University—as it offers pool, furniture and a television— and therefore, in my opinion, should be cared for tenfold. 

I’ve seen similar issues in shared bathrooms— Urness specifically— in which residents expect the Janitors or Community Advisors to clean for them. However, Community Advisors are students with their own work loads, and Janitors are only expected every now and then. If someone creates a mess, it should be normalized that they clean up after themselves. Simply cleaning up after oneself should be common practice, especially as college students who are adults. 

Despite my concerns, I do see benevolence in my day-to-day life. One of my favorite aspects of the Augsburg community is how open students and staff are. Small smiles and waves on the way to class, invitations to events and small-talk in the Nabo line can flip my attitude immediately. The time I’ve spent on other, larger campuses—like the University Of Minnesota and Arizona State University— felt isolating and cliquey. People I had met before kept their heads down, strangers would bump into each other and not even glance. My friends from said campuses agree, describing fellow peers as passive aggressive, standoffish and laconic. 

I’m not one to be “holier-than-thou” but I truly don’t think greeting someone and appreciating their work is above basic human decency. In today’s world, we need more kindness and compassion. Actions don’t need to be monumental, a small smile or helping hand does go a long way.