By Rohan Andresen ’12
THE ROUNDUP
Our world has lost many of the things that kept people good and their morals strong.
We have fallen into a new, racier age.
Many of us have lost the strong values that made our country so good and civilized. Tradition has fallen out of popularity and has been replaced by new personas.
We have forgotten the importance of holding doors open for women, respecting our elders and treating our peers with reverence.
When you hold a door open for a woman or thank a teacher after class, you are not only helping someone else, you are making yourself seem like a better person.
By doing these traditional things, you are able to open doors for a better future for yourself.
People remember how you treat them, and if you treat them with esteem, they will help you when you are in need of assistance.
Our culture has turned to revolving around sex, drugs and alcohol. Though it is essential to have fun in life, one must also do it with class, and it does not have to be illegal or immoral.
You can go out and be with your friends without becoming wild and uncivilized.
One can go to a party without drinking, go and see a movie with your friends or go on a date with their girlfriend without having to engage themselves in public vulgarities.
Everyone is looking for their own way to express themselves, though sometimes it makes them stand out negatively.
Society as a whole looks down on those who choose to express themselves with tattoos, piercings, ill-fitting clothes or inappropriate social interaction.
Even though we were always told not to judge a book by its cover, many people do it, even when they don’t want to, so you need to make your cover appealing.
When one sees Snookie from Jersey Shores or tattooed Tommy Lee, many of us automatically associate them with drinking, drugs and partying.
However, when one sees Prince William or Chelsea Clinton well groomed and well dressed, a good number of us would associate them with class and dignity.
Many people would rather be associated with class and dignity than with drinking, drugs and partying, especially later in our life.
Though it is important to be yourself, there are many more respectful and less degrading ways to go about doing this.
You can express your individuality through your ideas. They can be displayed in the music you produce, the literature you write, or the art you create.
Though, one does not need to express their individuality and creativity in a way that makes other people look badly upon you.
Many say that tradition is outdated and that times change, but treating others with reverence and treating yourself with respect is a timeless attribute.
