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Students should pay attention to the manners which they are expressing

Good etiquette on campus seems to be a big problem for VSU students. Many students probably do not notice the things they do that may seem normal and perfectly harmless, but are in fact be creating problems among their peers. Below I describe several problem scenarios and what you can do to improve our campus etiquette.
Carrying on loud conversations in hallways where classes are going on. Though whomever you are talking to may be important, so is the lecture that students are paying to hear. The exit doors are only a few steps away and if you cannot wait a maximum of one minute until you get outside to speak to the person on the phone, you could at least whisper and pretend to have respect for your peers.
Talking on your cell phone while ordering food.  Not only is this rude to the person trying to take your order, but also to the hungry people behind you who have to wait for you to learn how to multitask. It makes the line go by a lot faster if you just tell the person on the phone to “hold on,” order, and move aside.
Not saying “excuse me” when passing. Sometimes you may not notice when you bump someone if you’re in a rush or otherwise oblivious, and that is understandable. In that situation, although you did not know, you still need to be held accountable and you should acknowledge any “excuse me” from the person you ran into and apologize. In addition, please do not take offense when someone does excuse themselves in a polite manner. And of course, if you see yourself about to run into someone, say “excuse me,” please.
Running through the halls. With parking being so far away, it is sometimes challenging to get to class on time, but that still does not excuse you from running into people or disturbing classes with loud shoes. Being late is something you will just have to deal with by either leaving earlier for class or coming up with some arrangement between you and your professor.
Throwing trash around campus. There are numerous trash cans around campus, so we should have no problems with littering. By the time the trash leaves your hand, you can look up and see the next bin or dumpster. We have a beautiful campus that we should be proud to take care of.
Touching doors with dirty hands after sneezing or wiping one’s nose.  This is how you spread germs and make others sick. This doesn’t just apply to swine flu. With even just one person sick, it’s inevitable that the illness will spread. Do your part to prevent the spread of infection and the resulting pressure on Farber Health Center and other medical clinics.
Being loud or disrespectful at campus events. Many events require audience participation and loud noise, but a lot of them do not. Events at which students or guests perform or speak require the audience to be quiet. If you do not have anything nice to say about the performer(s), why say anything at all? Quietly exit the premises if you are not interested in the event.
Not holding the door when people are behind you. This goes for both men and women. I can understand not waiting on the person who is barely in eyesight, but for the person who is two steps behind, come on!  I know you have two extra seconds.
Cars not stopping at crosswalks for waiting students. Not only is this against the law, but it’s just rude—and dangerous. Too many times, I have seen students patiently wait at crosswalks when they have the right-of-way. This is really sad when there is bad weather and no one will stop. In addition, many of them will run across the street, afraid a car will hit them. The next time you are driving through campus, please stop for pedestrians.
Playing loud music in the parking lot or while driving through campus. I know it’s your car and you can listen to whatever you want, but some music contains obscenity that is not appropriate even for a college campus. Some people do not want to hear what goes on in your car, and others simply don’t want to be subjected to your music. I am not telling you not to listen to your music, but please turn it down to where the sound does not escape your car, out of respect to your classmates and any pedestrians who may be underage. In addition, turning up the bass to let people know you are listening to music is equally rude.
Smoking where students are passing for classes. This is a problem that can easily be fixed by smoking in areas that do not contain heavy traffic. Areas such as in front of the library or hall entrances should be off–limits to smokers just out of common sense. Though these are public areas, many students have asthma or just may be non-smokers trying not to be exposed to secondhand smoke.
Please be more conscious of your surroundings and take my comments into heavy consideration. To keep our campus the best, we must take care of it and respect one another. Making these small adjustments will greatly improve our campus etiquette.

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