Get to Know Your Fellow Students, Says Editorial in The Guilfordian, Oct. 8, 1919

From the editorial page of The Guilfordian, Guilford College, Greensboro, N.C., Oct. 8, 1919

Get Acquainted!

Among the many duties that we, as college students have, there is one that should claim our attention more than it seemingly does—that of getting better acquainted with our fellow students. We may be able to predict with accuracy when our next class meets, but can we name with equal accuracy the members of our class? And how many of our class mates can we say we really know? We have been here four weeks and, doubtless, there are many students whose names we cannot even call.

There is a potential friendship in every passing greeting between students. But does not friendship, like many other things, depend chiefly on ourselves? Do we not receive exactly what we give? Is not the world a whispering gallery which returns a pleasant or harsh tone, according to what we send forth? If we smile, or if we frown, does not the same come back to us? As Emerson has said, “He would have friends, let him first be a friend.” When you shake hands, grasp the hand as though you were glad to see the owner of it, not as though you were performing a perfunctory duty. Put your heart into your hand shake. The secret of getting next to people is to make everybody you meet feel that you are especially interested in him or her. You, who are old students, should manifest a deep interest in the new students. Make them feel that you are interested in them. Instead of visiting or walking with our same “old chum,” why not devote a part of our leisure time in association with the new students? The most of us are prone to be some what clamish in our friendship; we prefer to remain in the same “old bunch.” Surely our friendship should be broader than this. Intimate friends are much to be desired which, of course, is all right, but we can extend our friendliness farther than this. We can, at least, speak a good word to every one we meet. Often times a word of cheer and encouragement will prove to be a stepping stone to some one’s success.

Nowhere in the world is there a place comparable to college for studying people. No where else will we find equal opportunity for knowing intimately so many people. No where else will we fund people so easy to known. No where else can so many common interests be found. Our academic work is very important but the “book of human nature” is no less important.