To the Editor:
Letters to editors generally are written to criticize or denounce what the letter writers perceive as the deplorable traits of our society. Inspired after I was the beneficiary of three random acts of kindness, this letter is instead written to commend the extraordinary good nature of Geneseo students.
On Feb. 22, due to personal illness and a packed agenda, I was literally dragging my feet across campus. When my student Robert saw me, he went out of his way to help me carry bulky equipment up our famous steep walks and back to my office. Later in the day, another student named Kerri brought me a cup of coffee because she noticed I had not been able to purchase the habitual cup and, feet in tow, I obviously needed it to sustain me before teaching two evening classes.
Certainly, because I am a professor, most cynics at this point would attribute the thoughtfulness of these students to their desire to ingratiate themselves with me - "These deeds were performed to get a better grade," cynics would argue (alas, my students know better). However, as if intended to quell naysayer skeptics, my long-drawn day was topped by a truly anonymous act of kindness.
As I was leaving Welles Hall about 8 p.m., weighed down by an assortment of school bags and no free hand to open the door, a young man rushed down the stairs to hold the door open for me. I thanked him, expecting him to exit behind me. Instead, he turned around and went back into Welles, making me realize he had only come down the steps to help me.
Students like Robert, Kerri and my Good Samaritan exemplify the fine morals and values of their generation; they also confirm, in my opinion, that Geneseo is a very special place-as special as our students.
-Rose McEwen
Associate Professor,
Department of Foreign
Languages and Literatures