I am Mills. I know because I’ve been told so dozens of times. I’ve got the sweatshirt to prove it. I’m certainly paying for the privilege of saying those three little words, but it’s generally worth it to live and learn in this stimulating, gorgeous Mills community.
Well lately, our community is stimulating frustration more than intellectual growth. Consideration of others has dropped on our collective priority list somewhere below “buy a gold-plated Public Safety truck.”
Printers are unusable for hours because no one feels like calling technical services. People leave nasty messes in the bathrooms and kitchens. There are long backups in the laundry room from clothes left in the machines for an extra fifteen minutes (or more). Oh, and try leaving something tasty in the communal fridge, then see how much is left a few days later.
You might think I’m being preachy. I realize that I’m not by any means perfect; last year’s second-floor Olney residents may remember an incident that I’m not proud of, involving red hair dye and a shower. That incident especially, though, helped show me how something I view as small can really inconvenience (and piss off) others. So, this is my open letter asking that we all try a little harder to respect the common space and others’ time.
Thank you so, so much to everyone who takes a few extra minutes here or there to counteract the “screw you” attitude that is especially prevalent in the dorms. All I’m hoping for is that you and I can better remember the other students, staff, and faculty who can also say, “I am Mills.”
