Principle over convenience

College is often described as the best four years of your life. What no one tells you is that those years will test your character more than any exam or group project ever could. You will face moments where the easy choice is right in front of you – convenient, comfortable and popular – and yet your gut tells you to do otherwise. That's when principle has to win over convenience.

There are moments in college, especially in Greek life, when the gap between who you thought you were and who you actually are gets exposed. For me, that moment came when I was forced to decide whether to protect my own comfort or to stand for something larger than myself.

It was not a glamorous choice. It was heavy, isolating and at times it felt unbearable. But it was also clarifying. It reminded me that integrity isn't just a word we throw around in mission statements – it's a practice, tested when it's most inconvenient.

I write this now because I know I'm not the only one who will face a choice like that here. Every student, sooner or later, has to decide what they’re willing to stand for and what they’re willing to risk. I hope that when that moment comes, you’ll choose the harder, higher road – not because it's easy, but because it's worth it.

This past year, I learned what it means to stand apart. Choosing integrity sometimes meant walking into rooms where I knew I would be outnumbered. It meant carrying life-altering stress that didn't end when the meeting adjourned or the night was over. It meant learning that if you're going to do the right thing, you should be prepared to do it alone. And still, I would make that choice again.

But here's the truth: no one on this campus is truly alone. Every choice we make ripples outward. The failures of one can stain the reputation of many. The courage of one can inspire a whole community to be better. This is the real opportunity we’re given in college, not only to have fun, but to decide what type of place we want this to be and what kind of people we want to become.

Too often, we forget that our university is more than a backdrop for parties, Greek life and Thursday traditions. It is a community that reflects the values of the students who live here. When we choose to look the other way or settle for less than what we deserve, we reinforce a status quo that limits us.

When we choose to do better, to raise our standards, to support one another and to push against the grain, we set the stage for a stronger future, not just for ourselves but for the thousands of Miamians who will follow in our footsteps.

The truth is, there will always be someone against you. But if you do the right thing, there will always be people, often more than you realize, who are for you. That support may not be loud or immediate, but it is real. It comes from the community members, mentors and friends who believe that this university can and should be a place of integrity.

So the question becomes: what will you do with your four years? Will you blend into the crowd and leave unchanged, or will you take the harder path and leave this place better than you found it? The answer doesn't come from grand speeches or titles. It comes from daily decisions – choosing principle over convenience, speaking when silence would be easier and lifting others up when it's easier to turn away.

For me, that lesson comes down to the words we hear so often here: Love and honor. Love your community. Love your community. Love yourself.

Honor all of those by walking with integrity. Honor the great space we get to call home for four years. And honor the things that keep us safe, even when that requires sacrifice.

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If we each committed to that kind of love and honor, Miami University would not only be the best four years of our lives, but the foundation for the rest of them. And that is a legacy worth leaving behind.

To the many who questioned me along the way, I will simply say: thank you. You reminded me that conviction only matters when it costs something.

farquhti@miamioh.edu

Tyreke Farquharson is a senior from Columbus, majoring in diplomacy and global politics with a minor in Spanish. He currently serves as the Secretary of Community Engagement for the Miami University Associated Student Government and has previously served in multiple roles within the Greek community.