For those of you who have previously read this column, you have probably come to expect a level of indecency and offensiveness that probably prevented you from ever reading it again. As such, I am going to assume that if you are reading this, you fall into one of two categories:

A) You’ve decided to give me another chance. You won’t regret it. I promise that other girl didn’t mean anything to me.
B) Unfortunate coincidence has led you at least this far.

Due to the fact that after reading my column most of my friends stopped returning my phone calls and my mother started sending me Alcoholics Anonymous pamphlets, I have decided to change it up a bit. Like Hugh Grant swearing off prostitutes, I’m cleanin’ up my act.

This past spring break I decided to go to Florida with a few of my friends and a large group of girls that I, for the most part, did not know. From what I had heard about these girls they were supposedly a pretty tame group compared to the "Animal House" regulars I normally associate with. So I decided to do what any logical guy would do when placed in such a situation: drink heavily and laugh at the girls when they couldn’t keep up. I figured if we couldn’t bond over tequila, what else could we possibly have in common?

The first day was interesting to say the least. We pulled into the driveway of our house and realized that we were going to have to fit 14 college kids in a house that normally sleeps six. This was going to require more tequila that I originally thought.

The festivities began with me running around the house, displaying my social tact by slinging snide comments everywhere and leaving all kinds of offended women in my wake. This behavior continued for the next several days. I would coat my woes in a thick layer of margarita and go about my business.

At this point you may be thinking, “Andrew, I thought you were turning over a new leaf? All I’ve heard about so far is how much booze you main-lined.” And you’d be right. But the thing was, normally when faced with people whom I rub the wrong way, I turn around and walk the other direction. It’s much more convenient that way. But in this particular situation, I was stuck with this group, for better or worse, for an entire week. After the second day or so when all the topical conversation wore out, everyone began to realize that we would have to learn to not just interact, but live with one another.

I began to realize what an ass I was being when my buddy and I went to lunch together on Monday. Among other things, he told me that a lot of the girls on the trip felt I did not enjoy being around them. My attitude over the past couple days had been pretty stand-offish and they didn’t like being around someone like that. Still reeling from the realization that everyone didn’t think I was the coolest thing since Chia Pets, I started to think about why I had acted the way I did.

After hours spent trying to rake the shallow bottom of my emotional pool, I began to see why I had decided to behave in such a way. See, I had stereotyped all of the girls on the trip before I had even met them. I gave them all one overarching label and treated them as such. Without even coming to know who they were as individuals I assumed I knew them, conceded that we wouldn’t get along and went about making fun of them. And thus far this strategy had not endeared me to anyone.

So I arrived home ready to try a new mindset. For the remainder of the trip I would forget what I thought I knew about these people and actually try to get to know them. By the end of the week I had so many great interactions with the girls that I completely changed what I thought about every one of them. It turns out we had a lot more in common that I ever imagined we would, and I cannot wait to learn more about each of them.

Vanderbilt is a college full of stereotypes and labels. Whether you’re in a fraternity or sorority, on a sports team, in a student organization, or completely uninvolved, you have a stereotype. And everyone, yes, even you, are guilty of labeling someone every day because of a group with which they associate.

So instead of taking the easy road and squashing someone into a category they most likely don’t fit into, take some time to get to know them. Let them open up to you and listen to what they have to say. Too many people wait for their turn to talk. Be the person who people can talk with, not at. Trust me: if you decide to think outside of labels, not only will you be surprised about what you learn about others, you’ll be amazed about what you can reveal about yourself.

Andrew Solomon is a senior in the School of Engineering.