Thursday, January 15, 1998
Letters
A smile brightens others’ day
I am really frustrated by two articles I have read in Viewpoint
on how UCLA students "lack friendliness." The honest truth is, if
you are one of the few students who feel this way, I have something
to say to you. It’s YOUR fault. Being on South Campus 24-7, I know
how it feels to be stressed out about midterms and grades. That’s
the reason why I feel it is a part of life for me to smile and to
be polite to my fellow students.
Granted, I did have some advantage in that I met many faces by
working access control at Sproul for a year, but that doesn’t mean
I stopped making new friends. Everywhere you go there is an
opportunity to engage in a conversation, whether it be the Big Blue
Bus, your classroom or yes, even the cafeteria. A smile is always
welcome. If the issue is that the other person smells or is a
different nationality than you, who cares. It’s nice to learn about
different cultures. So the next time you see someone giving you a
dirty look, you give him or her a great big smile, and I promise
you that they’ll smile back. Maybe it was the sun that made you
think it was a dirty look. I realize that you might forget a name
or two – in such a great big school – but greeting them with a
hello is all right too.
I promise that if you start being more positive, you’ll probably
never encounter such a "lack of friendliness" and, who knows, you
might even be recognized by everyone walking your way. Being
positive motivates others, and that’s what I mean when I say
"increase the peace."
Alex Mora
Second-year
Psychobiology