Throughout my education since the start of preschool, honesty was encouraged. Telling the truth and taking responsibility for ones own actions was always enforced.

While spending the weekend in St. Louis attending an ethics and credibility journalism seminar, I began evaluating my own values as both an aspiring journalist and as a person.

Sessions of the seminar were spent examining ethical decisions and diverse points of views, creating accuracy policies and discussing loyalties, principles, fairness and values. Hoaxes, little white lies, skillfully woven fabrications and the storytelling mania of embellishment were explored and doctored photographs were viewed. Unfair journalistic practices were the focus of all discussion.

All of these topics are relevant, not exclusively in journalism, but for everyone.

Often the ethical standards of the people the media presents, from leaders of our country to musical entertainers are analyzed, but how often do we look to ourselves?

Forgetting large scale imperfections such as government lies, and focusing on a smaller one, such as our individual daily problems, is a start to improving quality.

Even the simplicity of supporting statements and opinions with fact is important to be fair to others and yourself. Before disagreeing or making a statement all views should be explored with equal consideration. For example, some people continuely complain about the president or other officials, but do not vote.

Also, the same behavior we are repulsed to read or see televised should be the same behavior we should be equally repulsed to demonstrate.

Although stumbling drunk down Lincoln Avenue after a crazy night at Stix and flashing a car may not appear equally as scandalous to the college community as Janet’s Super Bowl strip show, both share similar irresponsibility and unacceptable behavior.

There comes a point in everyone’s college career (or so I am told) where we question the path we are on: where has it taken us, are we headed in the right direction and how has the trip been thus far?

Personalities and regular behavioral patterns change throughout a college education, but it is the ethical choices and examples demonstrated over its course that set up the next steps taken and mold the community created.

Like one professional journalist at the seminar suggested, ask yourself “What do I know, what do I need to know and what should I do?”

Because regardless of the family, friends or colleagues who may be easily fooled, at the end of the day there is only one person standing above the rest that cannot: yourself.

Calvin Coolidge’s belief is “There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no independence quite so important, as living with your means.”

So here I sit pen in hand at the crossroad between naive gull and sneering cynic.

Clearly, the world will never be entirely true nor entirely false, but it’s the honest people who create the happy medium to balance things out.

A main reason I selected the field of journalism was its candor. The news is not something we should need to question whether or not it is true.

I stand by The Daily Eastern News motto of “Tell the truth and don’t be afraid.”

It is important to tell the truth, but to also live honestly.

As cliche as it may sound, there are no shortcuts to any place worth going and I am confident that eventually I will arrive to my desired destination, by taking the ethical route.