As the spring semester begins, it’s an appropriate time to reflect on new beginnings and growth. While new life will begin to sprout up around us, we can renew the life within ourselves by remembering that we are Mavericks and embracing the spirit that name implies.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Maverick as, “an independent individual who does not go along with a group or a party.” Mavericks are free-thinking intellectual innovators. That is what we are by name, and that is the spirit we must embrace.

Considering the political environment, it seems necessary to remember that we do not allow others to do our thinking for us. It may sound somewhat contradictory, given the source, but this is particularly true in regards to the media.

This is not a President Trump style “fake news” rant because it’s about all media. Journalistic integrity is almost non-existent as news outlets on both sides of the aisle tell us what to think. Since right and left can’t even agree on which direction up is, the respective voices do little more than divide us.

On a national scale, this is a big problem that is going to take more than Colorado Mesa University students to solve. However, The Criterion does not speak for—or to—the nation. We are the voice of CMU students, and now we address our fellow Mavericks and perhaps their families as well as the surrounding community.

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We have another word that gets used around CMU: Mavily. It is the combination of Maverick and family. Sure, Mavily does imply that we are all part of a large family, but it does more than that.

Mavily means we are a family of Mavericks; a family of free-thinking individuals. Families with strong bonds may have many strong-willed individuals with widely different perspectives and opinions. However, those families do not let their differences divide them, and they certainly don’t allow outside sources to tear them apart.

That is why, at a time when the nation seems to be more divided than ever, we need to remember that we are a family that cannot be broken. We may have different political, religious or cultural backgrounds and beliefs, but that is no reason for division, no matter what others may tell us.

This does not, by any means, mean that intelligent and spirited debate shouldn’t happen. As free-thinking Mavericks, we demonstrate our level of thought and concern through such endeavors. 

While conversation and debate occur, however, we are still able to maintain unity, dignity and respect. We shouldn’t be divided through our differences, and we shouldn’t dehumanize each other for having opposing points of view.

On the national scale, dehumanizing opponents is the first thing that happens. One needs to look no further than the recent media blunder involving high school kids in MAGA (Make America Great Again) hats and a Native American military veteran. Before the whole story came out, the kids were demonized as intolerant bullies needlessly harassing a war hero.

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When full video was released, the kids were waiting for a bus to pick them up and chanting a school song. They were first approached and harassed by one group and then approached by the Native American.

Without falling into the trap ourselves of trying to assign motive to either side, we can easily see the story was not as horrendous as initially proclaimed. That is why, while other media outlets are busy issuing apologies for making the nation hate the high school kids, The Criterion is simply using it as an example of what not to do.

Instead of creating a false narrative about those who disagree with us and then demonizing them, we can strive to understand, educate and respect each other. By doing that, Mavericks will make CMU have a strong, cohesive environment of inclusion, tolerance and understanding.

While doing so may or may not set an example the rest of the nation will follow, it will make all of us better and make our university a great place to be. Remember that we are a Mavily and embrace the Maverick spirit.