Roxy Hammond

I have been called quite a few nice things during the last month or so. I’ve also been scolded by administration and abandoned by my editors. I was kicked while I was down, bashed into the ground, and ultimately received support from areas I didn’t expect. Meanwhile, everyone keeps telling me this is all a learning experience. They really have no idea.

Unfortunately, some of those people telling me this are probably expecting me to learn different lessons than I really am. Maybe it’s my cynical view on life, or my distaste for the actions of others, but this experience has taught me a few things about this world-the good, the bad and definitely the ugly.

One of the first and most important things I have learned is that only God can judge me. But that doesn’t mean everyone else doesn’t.

However, my fear is that these people, and every other reader, are taking my opinions on one subject and judging me as a person by them. My picture appears with this column, so anyone who reads it has the ability to recognize me on campus and give me a scowl. And trust me, some of you do. But my personality consists of much more than the opinions printed in this paper. All I ask is if you are going to hate me, please make it because of something I personally did to you, not because you disagreed with one of my columns, which can be interpreted in many different ways.

This brings me to my next lesson: people will read what they want to read. There is always room for misinterpretation when it comes to writing, and, as I have discovered, those misunderstandings can be blown way out of proportion.

Whether it was my Halo 2 column (which was pretty much exactly what I meant), or the column that followed, I have received negative judgements across the board. While my intentions in my Halo 2 column were to criticize you gaming-addicts, I didn’t want anyone to take it personally. Nor did I mean to offend anyone in the column that followed. Yet, people didn’t read what I meant, but instead what they wanted to read. Chaos ensued. I can be partially to blame for poor word choice, but anyone who has ever written anything can understand that you do not always realize how your writing will be interpreted until after the damage is done.

And for those of you who do write letters to the editor against me, I do admire the fact that you do not sit around when you believe you are being criticized. However, I want you to consider that next time, maybe instead of funneling all of that energy into attacking a person because of a misunderstanding, you could use it to do something positive to further your cause.

The final lesson I have learned is not to underestimate the power of support. I would like to believe I am independent and don’t need anyone’s help–but that is a dirty lie. I’m so used to negative responses to my columns that when I opened the last Collegian and found people supporting me, I was pretty surprised.

Those people who wrote in support of me made me realize that we don’t stop often enough and catch those who might be falling. Whether it’s our friends, family, complete strangers, or Collegian columnists, we forget how easy it is to lift someone up with some simple words of encouragement, rather than bash them down with harsh words.

So there you have it. You’ve cracked the mind of the ever-hated columnist.

#1.884447:4166095905.jpg:RoxyHammondUsethisone.jpg:Roxy Hammond, Columnist: