“Be excellent to each other, and party on, dudes.” -Abraham Lincoln (Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure)
Integrity. Integrity, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary is defined as “conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong.” So what does this definition have to do with Residential Colleges? How can you apply a personal attribute to a community? I had no idea, so I turned to a thesaurus to try and find a word that could accurately describe the Residential College in terms of the “standard of right and wrong.”
The first word that struck me was “rightness,” that is, being in accord with what is just, good, or proper. Rightness if often used to describe someone’s moral character but that really doesn’t work in the context of a Residential College, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply to it at all. Being right in an RC means that you do what is right within the RC itself. This doesn’t necessarily mean doing what is morally right, like keeping your halls and lobby clean, respecting others, and bringing a positive attitude to the atmosphere.
What being right in a Residential College is truly about is your role and how you act within it. This means actively participating in what your Residential College is designed for. For example, if you are in the STARS and you have a natural talent for poetry or singing then doing what is right would mean performing at open mic night or poetry night.
The reason you join a Residential College is to connect with other students that have the same interests as you and to make your transition in to college smoother. College is often considered the place that really defines who we are and part of what college should instill in us is integrity. Not just doing what is morally right, but also doing what is right within your community by contributing and making it a more enjoyable experience for everyone. That is what integrity in college is all about.
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