Timeless truths from The Champion that span generations
THEN
From Janice Bellairt’s “Gossip is for the birds” (Vol. 2, No. 4; October 1984):
People are like parrots; they repeat everything they hear, but they do not consider what damage they may do. …
Also, when the news flies around the campus, it often becomes distorted. Go out on one date this weekend; go to church together on Sunday morning, and all of a sudden wedding bells are going off. …
I sat at breakfast the other day and overheard someone talking about a friend of mine. They mentioned that she was in some trouble. I went to her immediately. She didn’t know what I was talking about.
NOW
Unfortunately, a big conversation starter in our society is to talk about someone else’s business. Gossip can seem harmless, but the damage and consequences are lasting. Gossip can deeply wound someone and ruin friendships for good.
I transferred to Liberty University last year and lived on East Campus. I never had the hall experience most students at Liberty had. I barely knew anyone in my building, let alone my dorm, so there wasn’t a lot of gossip to hear. While the campus dating scene encourages the “ring by spring” frenzy, we need to be mindful in making connections that are based on assumptions. Hold the wedding talk until after the engagement.
A common theme I see in Christian circles is hiding gossip under the mask of trying to care for someone, when it in fact is gossip. If we hear rumors about someone else, our first response should be to shut down the conversation. As image-bearers of Christ, we need to represent him well, even if it’s uncomfortable.
THEN
From Robert Pitts’s “Is there a parking problem?” (Vol. 4, No. 20; April 1987):
Although many students are dissatisfied with the current on-campus parking situation, the remedy doesn’t appear to be in sight. One administration official feels that the number of parking spots is not the problem. “We have provided more than enough spots for everyone.” …
Students sometimes complain when they are ticketed for illegal parking, (personnel director William) Barton said. He reasoned that because the parking is inadequate, students feel that they are justified in taking any available space.
NOW
More than ever, this problem still occurs on campus. I am a first-year commuter and arrive on campus at least an hour before my first class, just to be sure I can find a parking spot.
The partial remedy will hopefully be the new parking garage, but as of now, there doesn’t seem to be enough parking spots for everyone.
I must admit, I recently parked in a parking space that wasn’t really supposed to be one. I arrived 40 minutes before my class in Green Hall. I was anxiously driving around for 20 minutes trying to find a spot, but there wasn’t one in sight. I parked on the curb behind other cars that did the same thing. I didn’t want to be late!
Times have changed a little because we certainly don’t have a DeMoss lot anymore. Currently, residential students who park in the Runk and Pratt Garage can only park on floors 7-9, which makes us commuters very happy.
Denny is an opinion writer for the Liberty Champion