Couselor’s Corner
Once upon a time, there was…
Once upon a time, there was a man, who in his wisdom, guided many. Not all, to whom he offered his guidance, liked him or his words. Perhaps that’s because he was a judge by profession. By nature, Judge William Silsby was a gentle, kind and brilliant man.
What enduring wisdom can we borrow from Judge Silsby? There are two major characteristics that immediately come to my mind. The first is virtue and the other is integrity.
Virtue is the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong. It is the equivalent of moral excellence. Not unlike virtue, integrity is about moral soundness and common honesty. In the process of growing up, parents, family members, religious leaders, teachers and community folks contribute to a child’s, and then an adolescent’s, moral development. By the time that person reaches college, there is an expectation that morality is set in place.
Judge Silsby knew differently. He was, often painfully, aware that not everyone had the opportunity to learn virtue and integrity. He often gave those who stood before him in his courtroom a second chance because he knew they previously had no frame of reference — no opportunity — to understand those moral constructs.
At Husson University faculty and staff know students who have not had healthy frames of reference for moral development. Second chances are not uncommon whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, or in the social arena. For students who have found their behaviors unacceptable, such as using drugs and alcohol, the educational program, Making Healthy Choices, is one program where students can learn an alternate frame of reference. I suspect that many of you know a student who cheated and was given another chance, or a student athlete who made harmful decisions for him/herself affecting the team and was offered a new opportunity.
Judge Silsby wanted people to make good use of their second chance. He was specific in his instructions to those who faced themselves in his reflection of them. Will you eagerly accept the wisdom of those who attempt to provide a frame of reference for you when you are struggling? Or will you squander another opportunity to grow and develop within a healthy framework?
On our campus, there is a professor and a student who called Judge Silsby “Papa”. They know their loving grandfather’s guidance first hand. Today, I thank them for keeping his philosophy alive and invite you to do the same.
article by Rene Collins, Ed. D.
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