The Daily Gamecock

CREEDx delves into meaning of Carolinian Creed

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Students, professors and administrators discussed the tenets of the Carolinian Creed and what it means to them personally at CREEDx, a forum hosted by the Carolina Judicial Council and the offices of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity.

Dara Brown teaches a yoga class for those with physical disabilities and uses her class to discuss the Creed's lessons about respect and dignity.

"Imagine a world for a moment where everyone felt comfortable in their own skin," she said. "I use yoga as a tool in order to keep my identification of myself, my self-respect and my perception of dignity intact and be the lens in which I see the world."

Third-year management student Martha Childress, who has used a wheelchair since 2013, discussed the effect that taking Brown's class has had on her. She believes that respecting yourself is necessary to really respect anyone else.

"Through Dara's class, I've really learned how to respect myself and respect my body and respect my own mind," Childress said.

USC President Harris Pastides gave his thoughts on the tenet that discusses discouraging bigotry, saying that it is a core belief for him, his family and, he hopes, the Carolina community.

"Stereotypes are often borne of truth," he said. "The problem is they become concretized, and we begin to think that we know everything about a person because of the stereotype."

Pastides recalled a discussion he had with several Muslim students, during which they told him that they were worried about having to return to their home countries after the presidential election. He cautioned students against limiting their friends to people who are like them.

"We do live, if I'm allowed to say, in the best country that I know, but it's because we're a patchwork, a tapestry, a rainbow of people who have come together from every corner of the world and have united in a common bond to make a wonderful place to live," he said. "That's how I feel about the University of South Carolina."

Building on his experience with UofSC Flood Relief, third-year sociology and Russian student Cory Alpert discussed the need for compassion. He stressed compassion for the many, which was demonstrated by the student volunteers during the floor relief efforts.

"Understand the problem, understand what you can do and then act," Alpert said, listing the three steps of his approach to compassionate action. "That's what this tenet, to me, is all about. Understanding compassion, understanding what you can do for your community."

After the speakers, the guests were invited to discuss the tenets, which were individually printed on slips of paper on their tables. Then they were asked to share what they had discussed. Frank W. Anderson, pastor at Gamecock Lutheran ministry, spoke about different ways to approach bullying on campus.

"I think we sometimes miss the opportunity to explore the person who's the perpetrator and what is the motivation for that person," he said. "And we might actually have more success stopping that kind of behavior on our campus by exploring more deeply what motivates somebody to do that."

CREEDx provided a space for members of the Carolina community to expand on the meanings and applications of the tenets of the Carolinian Creed. Most of the discussion tended to conclude that it boils down to creating relationships founded on open-mindedness, respect and compassion.


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