Stewart Burns:
I was out to dinner over spring break with ten fellow DePauw students. We walked into a small Mexican restaurant, not hiding the fact that we were a group of college students on spring break. A middle-aged man sitting with his young son began to talk to us. We were asked about our break, school and random other bits of small talk. Ignorant as we were, we honed our focus on the chips and salsa in front of us and hardly gave the stranger the time of day.
A short while later, as the man walked out, our waiter said to our table, "This man just bought your entire meal!" We were speechless. We were captivated by this purely random act of kindness, something we probably did not even deserve. I ran out the door after the man, shook his hand, thanked him and asked if he had a business card. He said he did not and refused to tell me his name. All he said was "Enjoy the memories."
What had we done that made us so worthy of such a kind gesture from a complete stranger? Honestly, probably nothing. Though the most fascinating aspect was that the $200 the man spent on us was probably the equivalent of pennies to him, yet the simple act was priceless.
I, as well as the other recipients of the free meal, had spent the week backpacking in the Appalachians. We had taken the non-traditional route and avoided the filthy beaches of north Florida but any tangible lesson we learned was the one gained through that meal.
It raises the question, what compels a stranger to do something benevolent to another? It seems that too often that we as DePauw students become consumed with padding our resumes with community service and joining random organizations. Do we ever act with complete selflessness in hopes of bringing legitimate happiness to others? Creating happiness is challenging, especially trying to make it last. So next time you see someone who could use a hand or might appreciate a stranger's encouragement, why not capitalize on the moment? What is the worst that could happen? Five minutes of interaction could make a person's day, and if it backfires, you probably will never see the person again anyway.
Jimmy Kirkpatrick:
While Stewart and his friends were eating granola in the mountains, I, along with about 50 other scholarly DePauw students colonized the beautiful, warm, "filthy" beaches of Panama City, Florida. The twenty-one year olds enjoyed relaxing island drinks while the young grasshoppers dreamed of legal consumption. All was peaceful in the sun and the waters seemed to be clear for sail.
But then, as quickly as it started, the group felt the painful jab of abusive authority. As I retreated to one of our three humble condominiums of the 21st floor to rest up for the evening, I heard panic coming from an innocent member of the group, kindly requesting that I go to the door. As I approached, I heard the authoritative yells of what sounded like low-voiced children playing "cops and robbers."
Sure enough, I was smack-dab in front of hotel security. A gentleman who would not shake my hand was standing diagonally at the door, not letting anyone in or out.
"Afternoon sir," I calmly spoke as he turned away to call for his superior. After moments of silence, I requested to know just why he felt the need to be there. Again, hearing nothing, I thought I would clarify why I was asking "Might I inquire as to what we are being accused of? I feel that we are entitled to a reasonable amount of privacy."
"Boy, don't you get started with me on all that."
I was done trying.
Security told us that we were accused of jumping off of the balcony (from the 21st floor?), property damage, and a footprint on the wall (even that was proven false). The police were called (who told us he saw no evidence of misbehavior), and we were asked to leave the property.
Since then, all accusations of misbehavior have been proven false and dropped by the hotel. Though there was a substantial settlement after legal counsel was consulted, I learned a priceless and depressing lesson: for us students, no matter how well we behave or how well-versed in law we may be, we will always be the target of abusive authority.
So do your best to behave, respect officers of the law, but if you are made to believe you have done something wrong when you haven't, don't be bullied by the ignorance of abusive authority. Oh yeah, and Roll Tide.
— Burns is a sophomore from West Lafayette, Ind., majoring in political science; Kirkpatrick is a sophomore from Overland Park, Kan., majoring in political science. They are the hosts of "DePauwlitics," heard every Tuesday from 8-9 pm on WGRE.