Some teachers are more old-fashioned than others. They may have grown up in very formal, moral surroundings. They may be lonely, unhappy people who are peculiarly upset by emotional displays of any kind. They may be concerned that their students keep their minds on their school work and not get sidetracked by love and sex too soon. They may be deeply concerned about the future of certain students in whom they have special interest and faith.
In every school or college there are some adults who believe in young people and inspire their confidence. Such a teacher will “go to bat” for the students when some injustice has been done them by a particularly harsh disciplinarian. Even more important, this understanding teacher can help young people see what issues are involved and what social behavior is expected of them at school.
Reasonable young people do not label all teachers “old bags,” but learn to respond to them as individuals, without being prejudiced against them simply because they’re older people. Teen-agers don’t like to be labeled “delinquents” or “hoodlums” just because some of their generation are. So, too, the younger generation needs to discriminate in their opinions about adults.
THE TEEN-AGERS’ VIEWPOINT
In almost any community or campus there are some couples who are so open in their love-making that other young people feel responsible for correcting the situation. The annoyance of socially sensitive students at the behavior of some couples at dances and social affairs is understandable. They want their affairs to look “nice.” They don’t want to be embarrassed by conduct that is not suitable in a public place. They feel that it’s unfair to those who don’t date to carry on so obviously.
When young people themselves assume responsibility for their behavior at school and social functions, the adults in charge do not need to interfere. An overly demonstrative girl can be asked by the other girls to be more restrained. If this is done privately, perhaps in the powder room, neither the girl nor her date need be embarrassed. Similarly, a couple of fellows can pull aside an ardent male and suggest a less objectionable way of showing his affection.
DATES IN DORMS
Women’s dormitories face the problem of keeping the conduct of dating pairs within respectable bounds. Girls who live in a college dormitory share the public lounges with several scores or even hundreds of other coeds for the entire college year. Any one girl cannot be as free with her visiting date as she could be in the privacy of her own home. She is expected to meet certain standards of conduct that are acceptable to her dormitory mates.
Just what constitutes socially acceptable dating behavior in a dormitory parlor has been the subject of discussion on many a campus. The girls themselves in dorm meetings tend to agree on the following standards:
- Keep the lights on.
- Do not close or lock the doors.
- Keep feet on the floor.
- Show consideration for others.
- Acknowledge the dorm mother as the responsible adult at hand. Maintain a pleasant homelike atmosphere.
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