Integration I Patrick McKenzie Moreau First Year Experience Integration One 10/15/21 What to do With Ripples in Your Reflection I believe this semester at Holy Cross and Notre Dame has broadened my perspective on the possibilities at my fingertips, while allowing me to reflect upon who I am as a person. I believe I was able to allow ripples to alter my character, making me a better person. At Welcome Weekend, we were divided into scavenger hunt groups and our task was to take photographs in front of various campus locations with an oar. As a shy, and mostly introverted kid, I did not expect myself to end up sprinting around campus with the oar in hand. As Dr. Brown said, I “had the courage to be imperfect” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One) and open myself to people I didn’t know and a place I was unfamiliar with. By opening myself up, I was able to set a precedent for myself and others that we are in a shared safe space. We were able “to let go of who they thought they should be in order to be who they were” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One), bringing out the uniqueness of the class of 2025. I had the chance, with the new community, to be the person I wanted to be. The members of Holy Cross College had no idea who I was, and there was no recollection of what to expect. I had the opportunity to alter myself to who I wanted to be. There were, however, certain values that I am adamant about upholding. According to the VIA Character Strength Survey, I uphold honesty as my number one value. The VIA Character Institute defines honesty as, “adherence to moral and ethical principle; soundness of moral character” (“VIA Character Strengths Survey” by VIA - Moreau FYE Week Two). At the Quaker school I attended for sixteen years, the school valued the SPICES: Service, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. I believe that it takes integrity to uphold any value. I believe that one must be honest with themselves before anything. I believe that personal honesty allows one to direct their path on the search for truth. When one is honest with themselves, they are able https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register?registerPageType=popup to develop their true character. However, David Brooks explains, “We live in perpetual self-confrontation between the external success and the internal value” (“Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by David Books - Moreau FYE Week Two) to explain the chasm between personal value and the value of external successes. I believe that a person should be judged on the context of their character and integrity. As Father Pete stated, ”What truly matters is authentically responding to the of your ability as the person you know yourself to be” (“The Role of Faith in Our Story” by Fr. Pete McCormick - Moreau FYE Week Three). Father Pete is explaining the importance of upholding personal integrity to enable one to uphold their personal dignity. I have come to this belief that character outweighs success because at the end of the day, when competition disappears, what is left? I am searching for a group of people who hold themselves to a high moral standard and go through life making everyone they encounter better people. I want to better the world because. I believe I want to be the one who is changing lives for the better. Everyone wants to change the world in one strike. However, changing the world will happen one person at a time. One human to human interaction that acknowledges the potential difference in values and moves to understand each other. The Notre Dame Football team repeated stated “It’s on us” ("It's On Us ND - The Three D's of Being an Active Bystander” by ND Football - Moreau FYE Week Four) to emphasize the importance of being an active bystander. I believe that active bystanders change lives. This past weekend (Oct. 9 2021), I was biking back from the Stephen Center after a long rugby road trip to Ohio State. The game was rough and I was mentally exhausted as I biked down past the Grotto. I saw a girl collapse on the path, heavily intoxicated. I \ stopped and looked around for others to help me figure out what to do. I quickly caught the attention of three others who were across the street as the girl stumbled to her feet. We walked her up to the front of the Basilica and one of us (call her Susan to be anonymous) went through the girl's phone and called multiple contacts to figure out who this girl was and what dorm she was in. We assisted the girl back across campus to Pasquerilla West where Susan took her up to her room. This was not a situation I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qk5iI7HctYydSB3xYZs5hNClJ-uo5Hq4/view https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qk5iI7HctYydSB3xYZs5hNClJ-uo5Hq4/view wanted to deal with on this night, but I knew, “If not me, then who?”. I upheld my moral integrity of doing what is right and made sure the girl got back safe. I believe bystanders make a difference. I have always held a special place for educators in my heart, my dad being a gym teacher, my one aunt a preschool teacher, my other aunt a grade school teacher, and my grandmother who I never met, a writer. These people have been great influences of who I want to be one day, and have influenced how I approach my education. I believe that I am responsible for educating our future generations on how to think independently, and how to see history as a tool to discover truth. By investigating the origins of thought and interpretations you can decipher the values and viewpoints of the author, which tell a lot about their intentions. I was moved by David Brooks’ quote, “Part of the blame goes to conservatives who try to whitewash history. Part goes to progressives who tell such a negative version of history that it destroys patriotism. But the core problem is our failure to understand what education is.” (“How to Destroy Truth” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Seven) because my past education, and my dad revealed to me the Civil War controversy that continues today is ridiculous. My train of thought leads me to believe that if the Civil War is so whitewashed, how many significant American events are misrepresented in history? What other stories do we Americans over glorify and over emphasize? As a history teacher, I aspire to change our narrative to better respect the truth. I believe that I cannot go about this by myself. Fr. Kevin explained, “Faith and reason together place us always in relationship to each other” (“Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education” by Fr. Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five), thus calling all educators to take a stand to pursue truth together. Educators need to feel a burning passion to change the lives of the students they encounter. For me, the quest for truth at my Quaker school was always present, the teachers always looking to help. In my sophomore year, I struggled with the passing of my grandfather throughout the year. He died unexpectedly, during his pickleball match. During the school year I would write his initials on all my tests and everything I wrote in English class reflected the way he lived. In the midst of our poetry unit in the fall of that year, we were prompted to write our own, “Where I am From Poem”. I struggled, writing that I was from physical places, but when I discovered I https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/opinion/patriotism-misinformation.html?referringSource=articleShare https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/01/opinion/patriotism-misinformation.html?referringSource=articleShare https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 could write about intangibles, my writing was unmatched. George Lyon says the “Where I am From Poem” is life changing, stating, “Its life beyond my notebook is a testimony to the power of poetry, of roots, and of teachers” (“Where I’m From” by George Lyon - Moreau FYE Week Six). I began to enjoy poetry because it was a way for me to express my feelings. I have struggled my whole life to be vulnerable and writing was a way for me to let loose. I believe an education based on truth can change lives. In the fall of my senior year, our class was tasked with writing a “This I Believe Essay”. It was easy to state concrete beliefs. However, mine was not a traditional essay. I wrote about my belief in ordinary heroes. However, only half my essay was in paragraph form. The middle section, where normally the “body” of the essay fits, I wrote a poem stating my beliefs: I believe in choosing kind over being right, I believe in backing down from a fight. I believe in always trying your best, I believe that even your mind needs its rest. I believe we should all wear a vest that absorbs all hate, And labels it with no return date. I believe that respect starts with a firm handshake, I believe the smallest pebble can make the biggest wake. I believe the extra mile is worth their smile, I believe that an extra smile can change someone’s lifestyle. I believe in seeking the truth, I believe this is something we must teach the youth. I believe our hearts should be filled, I believe friendly relationships are what we must forage and build. I believe our hands should be gentle, I believe our minds should be open, not judgemental. I believe integrity encompasses all morals, http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html I believe a sense of integrity can stop all quarrels. I believe things done in the dark will be brought to the light, I believe we must all let our light shine bright. This I believe. These are all traits of ordinary heroes. No capes, no sidekicks, no flashy names. When asked why ordinary heroes do what they do, they often respond, “it’s just what I’m supposed to do”. I believe in ordinary heroes because they are ordinary people who do extraordinary things. These are core root beliefs of mine that, when read, help the reader connect and understand the idea being conveyed. These beliefs are stated in tandem with the action that derives from the belief, in other words, how to put the belief into action. My goals for the future consist of learning how to understand people with different core values, educating myself on how to educate people on the danger of a single story, and I look forward to becoming an educator myself. I believe I am called to teach, not only because of interest in changing the lives of others, but because I have developed such a passion for working with kids that I can connect with them. The fall semester of this Moreau class has allowed me to become vulnerable to myself and others to allow for self-reflection. I have been exposed to countless perspectives which has allowed me to be open to different ideas. I believe I have come a long in personal development, but I strive to become better in building a spiritual relationship in which I can firmly ground my beliefs.