Respect diminished

 

 

Sitting on the stairs of Coleman Library St. Juste Marcelin, a sophomore pre-physical therapy sophomore from Miami reminisced on his family values and how they will always be apart of his everyday life.

Family values are political and social beliefs or rules that are instilled within a family. Students sometimes come to college where the environment makes them forget those values they were taught. They occasionally leave the people who taught them their values and replace them with the values of their friends. They may confuse or forget their values and adopt new values or makeshift values. With not having family around to see or correct their mistakes students can lose those values they were brought up with.

“Sometime your environment over powers your values,” said Marcelin. “Your environment reflects who you are but your family values tend to show when you are in a sticky situation.”

The common family value that every student interviewed said they carry is respect. Respect is a value that everyone is taught to maintain but sometimes forgets.  

Tashaunda Leeks, a junior psychology student from Pompano, said a family value she will always carry is respect and having manners towards people. Many students on FAMU’s campus have lost their way of being polite. People no longer hold doors and keep walking. People need to be more courteous.

Sagging pants and cut off shirts have become way of life on FAMU’s campus. Students feel it is appropriate to attend class in attire that’s meant to be worn outside of class. The value of being respectable in a learning environment has left and been replaced with the value of comfort. 

Many students had difficulty admitting to losing some of the values they were taught.

Anna Louis, a junior health information student from Pompano admits to going against family values by getting a tattoo. This was a decision influenced by rebellion that her family does not agree with. Although she did go against the values of her family she did find a new values while being in college, not to judge. She used to judge others based off of their appearance alone, but she now realizes everyone is different.

“If you have no family values your environment will always influence who you are and that’s not how you want to live,” Marcelin said. “You will always change and you need a strong foundation to build upon.”