Integration One assignment- Moreau 10/14/21 Professor Whittington Balancing Tradition in a College Environment Everybody has heard it: college is a place to open and expand your horizons. This clichè which to most is often overlooked and relatively ignored, contains such a valuable message and influence to my root values and beliefs. I believe that my purpose in life at college is to preserve and express my traditions and culture to others while simultaneously engaging in experiences that open my eyes to the complexities of the world. It is also a root belief that it is fundamental to navigate these new beliefs in a way that is completely supported by my faith. The materials and discussions which I have taken part of during my time at Notre Dame have already helped me move closer to my purpose because they have allowed me to practice my ability to look at other perspectives in a way that is respectful and constructive. My life thus far has been heavily shaped by the influences of my hometown in rural Minnesota, my Catholic faith, and my family traditions. Since my arrival at the University of Notre Dame in late August, I have been shocked at the amount of people who have commented on my “Canadian” accent and “unique” hobbies. One of these instances occurred during a café-style poetry discussion during Moreau class where I mentioned in a verse that “I am from the land of hockey and lakes, In which the cold weather causes many headaches (“I Am Poem” by - Moreau FYE Week Six).” When I told my classmates how cold it gets in my state (-60 degrees at times), they were shocked. This was a humorous example of culture shock which seemed to surprise others, but other parts of my customs such as abstinence from drinking have proved more confusing to my peers. To me, it seems like a normal behavior to https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jPDo_rHctYUI2d3CXiF-1kQSxSQFiLZfP0gX3v68zZQ/edit?usp=sharing avoid alcohol, but sometimes it is as if every other person on campus is drinking. This is often frustrating because although I don’t judge anyone who drinks, it is hard to find things to do on the weekend when everyone is engaging in activities that are not part of my values. The video "Because I Love You, Double Whiskey", which emphasized how friendship dynamics can be changed by substance, truly influenced my desire to treat others with respect even if they are rude or angry when under the influence (“Because I Love You - Whiskey” by One Love Foundation -Moreau FYE Week Four). I was originally upset when people tried to get me to go out and drink even when I said no but I tried to maintain my value system and explain patiently why it went against my morals instead of showing my irritation. My outlook on life has stayed steadfast in terms of my cultural values, but there is undeniably room to improve when it comes to connecting to other viewpoints. As a small town midwesterner, I have never really been able to interact with people from unique backgrounds and stories that are different from mine. Sure, I have travelled to an array of destinations around the world but even there I never really got a chance to talk with the residents who actually live in these different places. At first, it was hard to imagine existing anywhere other than St. Cloud, Minnesota, but once I tried to view other perspectives in a more empathetic way I noticed significant results. In David Fagerberg’s article “Faith Brings Light to a Dark World,” the idea of using faith, hope, and love to clear up self-centered attitudes is emphasized heavily (“Faith Brings Light to a Dark World” by David Fagerberg - Moreau FYE Week Three). As a political science and biology double major, I get the opportunity to hear a plethora of ideals and values which can be similar or completely different from those that I hold. To integrate my faith and love into my perception of others as Fagerberg described, I have had to assess my own preemptive beliefs which have influenced my preconceptions of my new peers. During a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwQ5ur9OZ-g https://grottonetwork.com/keep-the-faith/belief/faith-brings-light-to-dark-world/?utm_source=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau comparative government discussion earlier in the year, I noticed one of these implicit biases when I felt disgust towards a peer who expressed a viewpoint which was contrary to my own. I was initially hesitant to think of myself as implicitly biased because it is such a politically loaded term in society today. However, after further review I remembered that, as the article “How to Think about ‘Implicit Bias” discussed, it is hard to think about bias because it is not enjoyable to think about our failures (“How to Think about ‘Implicit Bias’” by Keith Payne, Laura Niemi, John M. Doris - Moreau FYE Week Seven). Despite this disposition, I truly believe that the only way to truly eliminate our negative biases is to look to God and realize that we are all made in His image and likeness. It would not be intellectually honest to say that I am always able to treat people with the love and dignity that God wants us to but, due to my trust in the Catholic faith, I try my best to treat myself and others as I think Jesus would. Growing up with parents who are doctors, my life was influenced by the notion that taking care of your body is foundationally important for the purposes of living a sustainable and productive life. This perspective, while important, fails to recognize the significance of preserving bodily health from a religious and societal point of view. Dr. Brené Brown stated “As it turns out, we can’t practice compassion with other people if we can’t treat ourselves kindly.” which is characteristic of self care (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). In my faith life, I feel that it is especially important to spend time focusing on improving personal struggles so that I can treat others in a pious manner. In addition, I believe that self-focus can help to determine the traits that need to be improved or expressed more in life. If these traits are never discovered, we could lose out on making life meaningful. Carla Harris mentioned in her 2021 Laetare Medalist Address that using personal attributes to help others is a way to make life significant (“Notre Dame Commencement https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-think-about-implicit-bias/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSwjn-SyB4 2021: Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris - Moreau FYE Week Five). In fact, I would go a step further and say that it would be a waste of God given gifts to avoid helping others and thus shows a lack of appreciation for the gift of life. Through discovery of new characters on the Notre Dame campus and comparison with my own values and beliefs, I have found that interacting with others is fundamental in shaping character. Although my personal features such as self regulation and prudence, which were found on my VIA Adult Survey, are important, it is even more crucial that I continue to expand my array of attributes through connection with others (VIA Character Strengths Survey by VIA Institute on Character - Moreau FYE Week Two). This is not to say that I should abandon my current values and beliefs as they still hold critical importance. Tradition is important to individuality and should be conserved, but it is also beneficial to find other perspectives to build a more understanding world. If we cannot improve ourselves and our society, there is no point in life. Self betterment is, in my opinion, the most important aspect of fulfilling God’s plan for us because it shows that we care about progressing towards heaven. If a purposeful life is defined as one that serves God then at this stage in my life, I need to make myself better through character improvement so that I can move myself and others towards the perfection that is found in the afterlife. Notre Dame is a perfect place to start for this mission of expanding my perspective under tradition. If this University continues to be a staple of Catholic culture where century long traditions and diversity are valued, I will continue to be able to pursue my root beliefs in a way that is advantageous to my develeopment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSwjn-SyB4 https://www.viacharacter.org/