Ted Dressel ‘14

Guest Columnist

Self-understanding and self-respect are essential for any individual. These two traits

enable an individual to act with confidence; participate in and change society; question

the way the world works; create and improve; and lead. Think about it, what could

you do if you don’t have confidence in what you do? You’d probably just “go with the

flow” – everyone can do more than that. Understanding who you are and respecting

who you are are essential to creating confidence.

How are these important to leaders? The Greek historian Thucydides said that “selfrespect

is the chief element in courage.” Leadership requires courage to provide the

vision, make hard decisions, and inspire others. Thus, the core of leadership is self-understanding

and self-respect. I believe we have an obligation to help others understand

themselves so that they appreciate themselves and have the courage to develop their

potential and strengthen communities.

Tara Black ‘16

Guest Columnist

I believe that optimism and positivity can change the world, yet I would not consider

myself the classic “eternal optimist.” I would say that I am actually a realist. I believe

that the impact positivity can have is so very real. Things in life are not always going to

be great. Where would the peaks be without the valleys? However, the important thing

is being able to see the good things that can come from terrible situations. Focusing on

the negative only allows that negativity to fester. It will drag you down if you let it.

So I believe in smiling and having a sense of humor and remembering there is always

someone in a more dire situation than yourself. Though easy to talk about, remaining

optimistic is no small task- you will need the love and support of your peers to do it.

So that is my own goal this semester and beyond- to stay positive and help