Blame game must stop
COMMENTARY
Dale Smith

I hear it all too often. In fact, I rarely go even a few days without hearing some sort of excuse or justification in one of my classes. Whether it is because of a bad test grade or an uncompleted homework assignment, there is always somebody who is quick to deny responsibility and push the blame off to someone else. I mean, who hasn’t heard someone complain about a professor who is “out to get them” or about that “unfair” exam?

At the same time, students often fail to acknowledge that the problem is not with a professor but with themselves. If they had studied just a little bit harder or started that paper a few days earlier, the end result would have been far more rewarding.

As we all know, excuses are not limited to the classroom. Working as a resident assistant, I have heard more than my share of excuses. Even if residents are clearly in the wrong, an RA is sure to hear more than a few reasons on why they should not be held accountable for their actions. I have had the great pleasure of being an RA for a few years now, but it never ceases to amaze me how some people simply will not take responsibility for their choices.

If I sound arrogant or self-righteous, I only need to say that I am not better than any other student when it comes to this issue. For example, just last week I took an exam and quickly discovered numerous questions dealt with information I had not come across during my time studying. My first reaction was to mentally blame my professor for putting questions on the test that were never discussed in class. In reality though, I probably just overlooked the information while preparing for the exam.

To be honest, the overwhelming presence of pathetic excuses and the general absence of responsibility on this campus are starting to annoy me. I don’t know why our campus and society have such a tough time stepping up and accepting ownership for our actions. Maybe it’s the way we were raised. Maybe we are just following the example of the adults who surround us. Either way, I believe it is time we as a student body grow up and start acting like responsible adults.

In just a few years, we will be entering a harsh and often unforgiving world. Our future employers do not want to hear our lame excuses as to why we were late or why our work has not been completed. We will simply find ourselves out of a job.

Therefore, we need to take advantage of our college years while the stakes are still relatively low. Now is the time to stop blaming others for our struggles and downfalls and to accept ownership for our lives. If we aren’t able to learn this lesson now, we are going to have a more difficult time with it later in life.

I think John Stone summed it up well when he said, “You grow up by taking responsibility; you do not grow up to take responsibility.”

Dale Smith is a senior criminal justice major from Longmont, Colo.