Yusman_Integration 2 Yusman 1 Professor Wagner Moreau FYE 30 Nov. 2021 In my time at Notre Dame... In my time at Notre Dame, I’ve encountered dissonance. I came to a place where I knew nobody, where I had no friends. I felt alone and out of touch with the going ons of the campus. While everyone was making new friends and hanging out, I was buried in my room beneath papers and worksheets. However, I’ve found that, as Emery Bergmannsaid in her NYT Article Advice From a Formerly Lonely College Student, “people are not alone in being alone.”1 Just like Emery eventually came to realize, there were others around me having similar experiences, especially in my classes. By beginning to reach out and talk to some of those that sat around me, bonding in the time we had. I found friends where previously there were only strangers. In addition, as I became used to the college life, I started to organize my time more. By sorting out what I was doing and when, I gained free time to spend with others and strengthen those new friendships. Continuing this outlook into the future, I can begin to look at the world in a less lonely way. Seeing that others are feeling the same, and joining together to overcome the dissonance we’re met with in our lives. In my time at Notre Dame, I’ve encountered brokenness. From the outside, Notre Dame appears to be a perfect college of joy and hope for the world, and to some degree it is, but when I arrive I found it to be different. Yes, I think it is one of the greatest forces for good in this nation, but, it is not void of the brokenness that plagues much of society today. Different cliques form almost instantly between freshman groups, ousting people from the beginning, even if not Yusman 2 intentionally. Those of non-Catholic faiths are hesitant to share their beliefs, even if others may be willing to accept them. There is a brokenness from fear, that, although in many cases unjustified at Notre Dame, comes from an outside world in which the fear is justified. As Kirsten Helgeson, a kintsugi artist, has found, many people have dealt with adversity, conflict, and challenges. These make their life harder to live and pull them from their true selves over time.2 How, then, do I respond to this brokenness? Kintsugi, the Japanese art form that Helgeson teaches, is about making something new from that which is broken. In the same way, I think that out of the brokenness of many, something new may be created. Brokenness is not hopelessness, but hope in need of assembly. In the same way that nations band together in hard times, so too may the broken within Notre Dame. In my time at Notre Dame, I’ve encountered community. Truly, from my first day on campus, it has felt like Notre Dame is a university pregnant with community. A truly palpable will from almost everyone to join in communion with those around them. However, the will to build community is not enough on its own. More is required from all involved. As I talked about earlier in the dissonance I encountered, it was only when I opened my self up to others that I formed communities with them. Just as in the With Voices True Snapshot Summary, community begins with listening.3 By listening to those nearby to me, opening myself up to not only their words, but their ideas, their personalities, their perspectives, community arose. These communities bring joy and fulfillment to all involved. Support in hard times, and celebration in accomplishments. As Agustine Fuentes says in his talk, Diversity Matters, by listening to all of those around us, we open ourselves up to new ideas and perspectives. From these we can grow ourselves, our communities, and those around us. And in a chain-reaction of interconnectedness, we can begin to improve and open up those larger communities. Not simply immediate friend Yusman 3 groups, but universities, towns, and nations. The United States has recently begun to go through one such growth of community. Previously excluded groups are being welcomed in, and people are beginning to listen to them. To learn what it means to be African American, Hispanic, or LGBTQ+. By listening to these groups, working to include them in community, we may all grow and become better human beings. In my time at Notre Dame, I’ve encountered hope. Hope is an essential part of Notre Dame. Father Sorin wrote that Notre Dame would become a great force for good in the nation, and by this it would become a force for hope as well. The key to this lies in Notre Dame’s roots in faith. Faith, as Fr. James King states, in Hope - Holy Cross and Christian Education, is the foundation of hope. It is by “trusting in the cross and God's promise of kingdom” that one may find hope in their life.4 I’ve found this to be true. Many times I’ve felt hopeless at Notre Dame, whether it was because of arguments between friends, or an overwhelming number of assignments. Many times I’ve taken a walk over to the Grotto or prayed while I sat and thought. These exercises of faith helped to open my mind to the possibility of hope. In following my faith I’ve been able to look at the bigger picture. Seeing my life as a journey towards the good I can give to the world, rather than looking at the stresses of the present. In addition, faith can also give hopeful goals. As we live our lives, we may assume that we are working towards communion with God rather than sin. This greater goal of life, a core teaching of the Christian faith, is one of hope. We are being guided by the word and actions of God towards that which is best for us. This is not to say that we may live our lives carelessly. Rather, through a pursuit of faith we may find hope, and in following that hope we may be lead by God on a path towards the good which we were meant to be. Yusman 4 Works Cited 1. “Advice From a Formerly Lonely College Student” by Emery Bergmann - Moreau FYE Week Nine 2. “Women Find Healing Through Kintsugi Workshop” by Grotto - Moreau FYE Week Ten 3. “With Voices True” by Klau Center Archive on Race - Moreau FYE Week Eleven 4. “Holy Cross and Christian Education” by Fr. James King - Moreau FYE Week Twelve https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/well/family/advice-from-a-formerly-lonely-college-student.html https://grottonetwork.com/make-an-impact/heal/find-healing-through-kintsugi-art/ https://voicestrue.nd.edu/ https://campusministry.nd.edu/assets/105431/holycrossandchristianeducation.pdf