Avoid being tactless and learn the appropriate time to let your sailor mouth go

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State Hornet Staff

Swear words are the new adjectives for this generation, but knowing when, how and where to use them is the key. 

Most young people are brought up being taught that swearing is a bad thing and, in their adolescent years, leads to soap in the mouth. But as adults, these punishments do not exist. 

Swearing brings up the question of how intelligent that person is.

“I think when people excessively cuss when they speak, it makes them look very unintelligent and unprofessional,” said biologic science sophomore Carmen Emory. 

Emory said there is a time and place to use and not use curse words and if you know the difference, cursing is not a big deal. Knowing how to act engaging and relaxed with a room full of potential employers, is different than being engaging and relaxed in a room full of your friends. 

Swear words themselves, due to their overuse, have lost their shock value. 

But some students feel that curse words have not lost their meaning, but the meaning just depends on the situation they are used in. 

“The words have not lost meaning. ” said sociology junior Kevin Hettenbach. “They still mean the same thing and still have the negative connotation, however if it’s in a joking manner then I believe it’s fine if the other person knows you are joking. If used at the wrong times, then it still has a negative connotation.

Hettenbach said that he does not use those words every other sentence, so to him they still hold meaning. This is the real difference in how people view the meaning behind words – if words are used excessively, their meaning or value could change.

Most young people will admit to cursing with friends, but do not use that language in front of family and especially know not to conduct themselves that way in a professional setting. 

Professors and employers on campus agree with students, for the most part, that swearing is not really an issue unless it is excessive. 

“As long as it doesn’t affect someone’s ability to do a job, it’s not an issue that would get them fired,” said Roundtable Pizza staff member Dan Salter. “Though it is always better to remain professional.”

Students do not seem to have issues using vulgar language in the classroom either. 

“Swearing is not a problem,” said mathematics professor Dr. Andras Domokos. “Of course it depends on the subject and the professor, but usually students are able to express themselves in class without these words.” 

Dr. Domokos struggled to remember any situation where cursing had been an issue for him or other professors that he knew of. 

So cussing, as long as it is kept in check, is not an issue for college students.