Officer Ginter: An example of the impact of small deeds

Feb. 23, 2015

Jonathan Toman, editor-in-chief
[email protected]

It’s the little things that make the world go ‘round, and I want to thank UCCS Police Officer Craig Ginter for providing one.

As I do every week, I was in the middle of distributing The Scribe at the various news racks we have around campus (would you believe there are 21?).

I went down to University Hall (where there are two racks) to put papers there. But I found that both the doors to the building were locked.

I had noticed two UCCS police cars sitting in the lot; the two officers were chatting. I made nothing of it and tried not to look conspicuous. But what happened after I found that University Hall was locked is the reason for this column.

As I headed back to my car, Officer Ginter turned his cruiser around and rolled down his window. He asked if I needed to get in to the building.

“It’s not that big a deal,” I said. I figured I would come back later.

But this is where it got good, and where Officer Ginter surprised me:

“Well, it’s not that big a deal to let you in,” he replied.

Officer Ginter could have easily questioned me as to why I was rattling the doors of a university building on a Sunday afternoon. He could have told me to be on my way, and caution me not to do it again.

Instead, Officer Ginter proceeded to let me in, reminded me to check the door to ensure it locked after I left and wish me a nice day.

He didn’t have to do all of this, but he did. Frankly, I was stunned. His little effort made my day, and the cool thing was that I didn’t see it coming.

We need to recognize these deeds and the people that make them happen. We need to encourage these folks, make them understand that their efforts are appreciated, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

Because if we do that, maybe, just maybe, others will start to act that way as well. The small, positive things can make a large, positive difference.