It is hard to believe that I am already concluding my blog. It seems like only last week I timidly walked into the Multi Cultural Center to start my weekly service. Now I feel like a regular since the kids know me and the other volunteers know me too. The experiences I have had at the center have opened my eyes on the issue of racism and how apparent it is in our society. I wrote in one blog about how I am the minority when I go to the MFC and how the children there are aware of racism around them. I continued to think about racism throughout the semester because it came up all the time. The presidential election, reading Invisible Man, and volunteering regularly always exposed to some context of racism. I also wrote that I always knew racism was existent but I never knew to what extent; this experience opened my eyes to how apparent racism really is. Now I don’t want to sit back and just let racism happen, but I want to stand up to my friends and family who do make racist comments. This is going to be very tough for me because many of my good friends from home are racist and I know if I do stand up there will be lots of controversy which could possibly hurt relationships. But yet I feel that I must stand up for the kids at the center because no child deserves to be discriminated against.
This service semester has also taught me a lot about how much I have changed in the last four years. I think my liberal arts education has had a huge impact on the way I think and analyze the world. I also think that service was the perfect way to really use and challenge my liberal arts education. There were many times throughout my service that I had to use an open mind to respond to a child. One such time was when a child called me “whitey” and I had to politely tell him that was not my name and explain why it was not my name. Now I am confident when I leave Loras that I will be able to make decisions with an open mind so that the best decision can be made. I am not saying that I am good at making these decisions but having this education will definitely help. It will take lots of experience and time before I will become that wise old timer with all the right answers.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Community Change
In order to change something for the better in a community, people are going to have to work hard, and many people are going to have to step outside of their comfort zone. This is extremely scary for many people in society, and they would rather not go through all the work and just live with their problem. With the issue of racism, I believe that a lot of people know that racism occurs but they don’t do anything about it because it would be difficult. It seems difficult because they don’t know where to begin. That’s the way I always use to feel and in some ways I still feel like that. I think we must realize that it is hard for people to step outside their comfort zone to accept change, and it is also difficult for people to give up on their traditional style of thinking they learned from their parents. I have learned that the best way to change a community is education about the issue. Again looking at racism, if everybody spent time with someone of a different race or spent time where they were the minority then maybe stereotypes could be broken and racism could end. Since I have spent significant time with people of a different race, I can see that racism is very evident and now, more than ever, I want to do something to change that. But, yet, I still don’t know exactly how to go about this. I guess this is evidence that change within a community is very difficult.
In the novel Invisible Man, Ellison makes it seem impossible for an “invisible man” to promote change. He makes it seem impossible because none of the narrator’s followers had the same idea of change that the narrator did. They did not see his idea of change, and therefore, they did not see him. It is very tough for anyone to promote change and the only way an “invisible man” can promote change is by making his change visible to everyone else. He must find people who desire the same change and organize and educate these people about the change so that progress can be made. The only way to succeed at change is with numbers, and the only way to get numbers is to have a common goal. If a man is invisible to everyone else, than his message is not going to get across and his idea of change will not be promoted.
In the novel Invisible Man, Ellison makes it seem impossible for an “invisible man” to promote change. He makes it seem impossible because none of the narrator’s followers had the same idea of change that the narrator did. They did not see his idea of change, and therefore, they did not see him. It is very tough for anyone to promote change and the only way an “invisible man” can promote change is by making his change visible to everyone else. He must find people who desire the same change and organize and educate these people about the change so that progress can be made. The only way to succeed at change is with numbers, and the only way to get numbers is to have a common goal. If a man is invisible to everyone else, than his message is not going to get across and his idea of change will not be promoted.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Everyone has a Story
It is true that everybody in the world has a story to tell and many of those stories have the power to teach or change others. I believe the stories that include hardship, struggle, and pain have the most power to teach because they often include how that individual overcame their problems. Although it hurts me to say and think about this, but many kids from the Multi-Cultural Center do fight a lot of hardships. Everyone needs to hear the family and racial hardships these kids face as well as the potential and intelligence they have in spite of these hardships. Even the stories from young kids can teach everyone how to deal with major problems in one’s life or what problems actually exist in society. It might even inspire some people to reject stereotypes or to go out a try to make a difference via volunteering or donating money.
Nussbaum argues that literature and stories have an essential role in teaching students. But she also says that people can interpret literature in totally different ways. For example, an article from a child who had to steal bread in order to eat might bring up two different opinions: the child is a delinquent, or the child is in need of help. No matter how one views the story, Nussbaum believes these tragic stories should be told because they do have the power to change someone’s opinion or view. Even if they don’t break down stereotypes at least the reader would get an inside look at how the child felt and the hardships he or she is facing.
Nussbaum argues that literature and stories have an essential role in teaching students. But she also says that people can interpret literature in totally different ways. For example, an article from a child who had to steal bread in order to eat might bring up two different opinions: the child is a delinquent, or the child is in need of help. No matter how one views the story, Nussbaum believes these tragic stories should be told because they do have the power to change someone’s opinion or view. Even if they don’t break down stereotypes at least the reader would get an inside look at how the child felt and the hardships he or she is facing.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Service Update
My service site has been going very well fortunately. Working with kids down at the Multi-Cultural Center is very rewarding, but yet challenging in so many ways. It is rewarding because I have made bonds with the kids and they recognize me and get excited when I walk through the door. I am known as the “tall” one, and some of them always want me to pick them up so they can touch the ceiling. To save my back I tell them they only get one ‘pick-up’ a day which led to one little girl trying to bribe me with a piece of candy to pick her up twice. I must admit that at the beginning I felt stressed about having to go volunteer. I felt stressed because I thought of all the things that I have to get done and that I just don’t have time for this. Now, I look at my time spent volunteering as stress relief. It doesn’t matter how much I have to do or what’s on my mind about next year and grad school etc.; as soon as I enter the MFC, I forget about all that and I am there to have fun with the kids. This does not mean that the kids get a little rowdy sometimes, which can be stressful, but that is a different kind of stress. I think this means that I am getting a lot out of my service in ways that are often surprising and unexpected.
I don’t think that all of my service is stress relief though; a large portion of it is challenging on many levels. Since I am working with mostly inner city African American children, I am challenged with racism, which I have talked about in previous blogs. I am definitely not ready to answer those questions that have troubled me before, and I don’t know if I ever will, but I do think about them a lot, and not just when I am volunteering. The impact of this service has far extended the Multi-Cultural Center in the way I view the social world. Now I am constantly aware of how people treat people of a different race or social background, and especially how I treat them. I’ve always believed that not all people start out on the same level in life, some started lower than others because of factors such as race, socio-economic class, etc. However, I didn’t understand the full implications of this injustice in society until I was able to work with the kids at the MFC. It’s almost impossible to say that a child is the cause of their own suffering so it brings up questions about why they are treated differently when they are just like any other innocent kid. The only difference between these kids and my childhood is 1. My family had more money and 2. I am white. These two factors automatically judge how people would look at me as a child and how they would look at a child from the MFC. I believe that the kids at the MFC have just as much potential as I did, and, sadly, they have to work twice as hard for society to see that potential.
I don’t think that all of my service is stress relief though; a large portion of it is challenging on many levels. Since I am working with mostly inner city African American children, I am challenged with racism, which I have talked about in previous blogs. I am definitely not ready to answer those questions that have troubled me before, and I don’t know if I ever will, but I do think about them a lot, and not just when I am volunteering. The impact of this service has far extended the Multi-Cultural Center in the way I view the social world. Now I am constantly aware of how people treat people of a different race or social background, and especially how I treat them. I’ve always believed that not all people start out on the same level in life, some started lower than others because of factors such as race, socio-economic class, etc. However, I didn’t understand the full implications of this injustice in society until I was able to work with the kids at the MFC. It’s almost impossible to say that a child is the cause of their own suffering so it brings up questions about why they are treated differently when they are just like any other innocent kid. The only difference between these kids and my childhood is 1. My family had more money and 2. I am white. These two factors automatically judge how people would look at me as a child and how they would look at a child from the MFC. I believe that the kids at the MFC have just as much potential as I did, and, sadly, they have to work twice as hard for society to see that potential.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Dorothy Day and College Catholic Education
Since I come from a small, very conservative Catholic town, one thing I have learned about Catholicism at Loras is that there are other people in this world who don’t agree with everything the Catholic Church teaches. In high school, we were always taught to believe, accept, practice, teach, etc. exactly what the Catholic Church said. I was incredibly turned off by this because I had a lot of disagreements with the church, and I thought in order to be considered Catholic I had to believe everything I was taught. It was not until I came to Loras, and I met some people with similar morals as myself, that I realized I do not have to believe in every little thing of the Catholic Church in order to consider myself Catholic. In addition, I took classes such as Priest, Minister, and Rabbi that actually pointed out some “holes” in the church and made me think about my religion on a more critical and analytical level, that I had been yearning to do in high school. In general, a Catholic college education bestows the religion onto all of the students while still trying to keep an open mind about their own religion, and other religions as well. These experiences have taught me a great deal about my faith and how to be a ‘cafeteria Catholic’, i.e. someone who picks and chooses what to believe and follow from the Catholic teaching.
One thing that is distinctive about a Catholic college education is that the education teaches you every side of the church, the good and the bad. But yet, at times, I feel like they tell me too ignore all of those bad things and just be Catholic anyways. But I don’t want to ignore those things and neither did Dorothy Day. To her, being Catholic was treating everybody equaling and helping the needy. This is something that the church teaches but sometimes has a hard time practicing. Dorothy Day paved her own path and set up the Catholic Worker Houses on the basis of Catholic Social Teaching. I remember when I was a freshman at a bible study group and we were talking about how being Catholic meant that the same Mass was being said all across the world to fellow Catholics. This is admirable but what about the other billions of people out there who are not Catholic? Should we not share something with them every day? Dorothy Day wanted to share something with every human and her way of doing that was by sharing the main thing that all humans have in common, food. She would share her food, house, conversations, etc. with anyone because she saw every human being has having the right to survival. I would have liked to bring this topic up during that bible study and asked, “What are you sharing with the rest of the world today?”
One thing that is distinctive about a Catholic college education is that the education teaches you every side of the church, the good and the bad. But yet, at times, I feel like they tell me too ignore all of those bad things and just be Catholic anyways. But I don’t want to ignore those things and neither did Dorothy Day. To her, being Catholic was treating everybody equaling and helping the needy. This is something that the church teaches but sometimes has a hard time practicing. Dorothy Day paved her own path and set up the Catholic Worker Houses on the basis of Catholic Social Teaching. I remember when I was a freshman at a bible study group and we were talking about how being Catholic meant that the same Mass was being said all across the world to fellow Catholics. This is admirable but what about the other billions of people out there who are not Catholic? Should we not share something with them every day? Dorothy Day wanted to share something with every human and her way of doing that was by sharing the main thing that all humans have in common, food. She would share her food, house, conversations, etc. with anyone because she saw every human being has having the right to survival. I would have liked to bring this topic up during that bible study and asked, “What are you sharing with the rest of the world today?”
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Politics of Societies
Often times I use the word politics not in reference to a governing body but as a reference to a way things are ran and decided without going by a governing set of rules. This happens all the time in today’s world where people make decisions based on race or social class. For example someone might not attend a particular church because its clergy is mostly of a different race or social class. When I look at today’s society I can see and feel a set of governing rules on how where one is suppose to live, go to church, shop, send their kids to school, etc. And these decisions are based entirely on one’s social class. This is definitely visible at my service placement at the Multicultural Family Center. The vast majority of the kids are African American, come from homes with a low income, and live in the Washington neighborhood. There are no wealthy white kids there because the politics of society say that a wealthy white child cannot go to a free afterschool daycare. Why not? How come some parents don’t send their kids to the center and use the money they are saving by not sending them to a daycare to donate to the center? That money could be used by the center to improve the quality of daycare for your child and all the other children there. It is because the politics of society say that this is wrong; that this should not happen. Society has drawn lines between social classes and races and the politics and rules of these lines make it hard to cross them. I even asked myself the question. “Would I send my kids to the center as an after school daycare?” Quite frankly, I don’t know. By what I believe and what I think is right I would say yes. But for some reason society has such a huge impact on my decision that I just don’t know if I could, and I have no good arguments for this. I feel like this is an issue where I am in the middle of the racist spectrum which I talked about last week. I realize what is there and what is happening but I’m just not stepping up to the plate to do anything about it. I think I will have to spend more time at the center in order to answer this question as well.
I think Ellison is trying to tell us that politics in communities is what divides us. That is what divides our schools, organizations, cities into different social and racial classes. There are walls and barriers between us and if we want to tear them down we must get rid of society politics. There will always be this barriers as long as there are unwritten rules of ‘proper’ conduct between social classes. Ellison shows this in Invisible Man by how the character could not stay at the men’s house any longer for certain reasons. Though I thought it was very unclear to the reader what those reasons were one can still tell that that he was making a point on how divisions between societies are existent.
I think Ellison is trying to tell us that politics in communities is what divides us. That is what divides our schools, organizations, cities into different social and racial classes. There are walls and barriers between us and if we want to tear them down we must get rid of society politics. There will always be this barriers as long as there are unwritten rules of ‘proper’ conduct between social classes. Ellison shows this in Invisible Man by how the character could not stay at the men’s house any longer for certain reasons. Though I thought it was very unclear to the reader what those reasons were one can still tell that that he was making a point on how divisions between societies are existent.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Races in the Mirror
After spending time at the Multicultural Family Center the last couple of weeks, I have noticed how different my life really is/was compared to children who attend the center. The vast majority of them are African American, and one thing I found shocking is that they realize they are black. I thought these children would not realize that we were of a different race. But when one child asked “Whitey, can you read me a story?" I was shocked and stunned. I did not how to react so I just said “My name is not ‘whitey’ it is Dave.” Later on when I stood up one child said “You are tall like my dad. You kinda look like him!” “He can’t look like your dad! He ain’t black!” another child quickly intervened. Again I was shocked and I realized that these kids are no stranger to race. This does not mean that they judged me for being white; they didn't even care. They still wanted me to help them with their homework, read to them, play with them on the computers, but at the same time they still knew I was white and they were black. This past weekend I was reflecting and talking about this experience at dinner and I was met with a very disturbing fact, every time these children look in the mirror they do not see just a kid but a black kid. How does this make them feel? Do they feel different or think they are different? Every time I go to the center I step into a world where I am conscience of my race and these kids live in that world every minute of their lives. I think I need to spend more time at the center in order to answer these questions so I plan on answering these questions in a future blog.
Then I had to ask myself the question do I look at these kids and see that they are black? Or do I look at them and see them as another human being? I have always thought that I saw people of different ethnic backgrounds as just another human being. Whenever I meet someone of a different race, I automatically think what can I do or say to not come across as racist. And I think this makes me racist in a way. When I see another white person I do not think that so why do I think that when I see someone of a different race? After thinking about this for awhile, I have come to the conclusion that a large part of the way one perceives another race is based on your social environment. I did not grow up with any African Americans in my small hometown but I was always taught not to discriminate in school and at home. But for me not discriminating meant just not saying anything demeaning and being friendly when I very rarely encountered someone of a different race. Now I realize there is a spectrum of discrimination. The absolute racist, and the absolute lover of all peoples on the two ends. Then there are the people who don’t make racist comments but don’t do anything to stop racism in the middle. Hopefully I can move towards the ‘lover of all peoples’ end of the spectrum through this service opportunity.
Then I had to ask myself the question do I look at these kids and see that they are black? Or do I look at them and see them as another human being? I have always thought that I saw people of different ethnic backgrounds as just another human being. Whenever I meet someone of a different race, I automatically think what can I do or say to not come across as racist. And I think this makes me racist in a way. When I see another white person I do not think that so why do I think that when I see someone of a different race? After thinking about this for awhile, I have come to the conclusion that a large part of the way one perceives another race is based on your social environment. I did not grow up with any African Americans in my small hometown but I was always taught not to discriminate in school and at home. But for me not discriminating meant just not saying anything demeaning and being friendly when I very rarely encountered someone of a different race. Now I realize there is a spectrum of discrimination. The absolute racist, and the absolute lover of all peoples on the two ends. Then there are the people who don’t make racist comments but don’t do anything to stop racism in the middle. Hopefully I can move towards the ‘lover of all peoples’ end of the spectrum through this service opportunity.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Catholicism at Loras
I consider myself a cafeteria Catholic: I pick and choose want I want to agree or believe in within the Catholic Church. Going to a Catholic college has strengthened the things I do believe in but it has actually turned me away from the church in some sense as well. The one thing that has strengthened is my passion for social justice and Catholic Social teaching. I believe at the heart of the Catholic Church is social justice for everybody and that is why service is such a big part of our faith. Catholics as well as all Christians need service in order to develop and practice our faith. The hard part of this is getting and staying active in this service. That is why I think the Catholic identity is helpful; it will keep me active or pursuing service throughout my life.
I also think the Catholic Church can blind its followers from this service. Mainly, the politics of the Catholic Church can be the biggest blanket over a person’s eyes. Everybody has different opinions on what is and what is not Catholic. The church today is so big it incorporates such a large array of followers, all with a little different view on the Catholic faith. I think this is a beautiful thing, but it is also very challenging and can be detrimental to a Catholic Institution such as Loras,because everyone is automatically stereotyped and pigeon holed into a certain group. Let’s look at two examples: the conservative traditionalist and the liberal peace loving hippies. The traditionalists are stereotyped that they like to keep things the way they are and not even discuss certain issues that the church views as wrong, i.e. homosexuality. On the other hand, the perception of liberals is that they like to stir things up a bit and bring out some issues for discussion because they believe things could change for the better. These two groups often times butt heads and don’t want to listen to their other sides point of view. At Loras I feel like you have to be part of one or the other or nothing at all, which is not what the Catholic Church is all about. So when I leave I am going to be strong in only one side and will struggle in understanding where the other side is coming from. The college seems to struggle at finding a happy balance between these two sides and having them learn from one another.
I also think the Catholic Church can blind its followers from this service. Mainly, the politics of the Catholic Church can be the biggest blanket over a person’s eyes. Everybody has different opinions on what is and what is not Catholic. The church today is so big it incorporates such a large array of followers, all with a little different view on the Catholic faith. I think this is a beautiful thing, but it is also very challenging and can be detrimental to a Catholic Institution such as Loras,because everyone is automatically stereotyped and pigeon holed into a certain group. Let’s look at two examples: the conservative traditionalist and the liberal peace loving hippies. The traditionalists are stereotyped that they like to keep things the way they are and not even discuss certain issues that the church views as wrong, i.e. homosexuality. On the other hand, the perception of liberals is that they like to stir things up a bit and bring out some issues for discussion because they believe things could change for the better. These two groups often times butt heads and don’t want to listen to their other sides point of view. At Loras I feel like you have to be part of one or the other or nothing at all, which is not what the Catholic Church is all about. So when I leave I am going to be strong in only one side and will struggle in understanding where the other side is coming from. The college seems to struggle at finding a happy balance between these two sides and having them learn from one another.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Am I Prepared?
I have said in previous blogs that when I first came to Loras I was only concentrated on my science degree, which was true. But as I started taking classes in different disciplines that forced me to think about larger issues beyond science, I was gradually filled with a desire to make a difference in the world. But as I learned more, took service trips, and opened my mind even more I gradually and sadly realized there was no way I could save the world. I had to reevaluate my stance on world saving and decided to scale it down a bit. Now I believe that I do have lots to offer society when I leave Loras, but I need to offer those things on a local level. I can use my health science background to help people anywhere and my liberal arts education will insure I keep an open mind while helping others. Another quality Loras has taught me through their small campus and numerous activities is a sense of community. This is something that I want to maintain after Loras by becoming active in a community. This drive for community as well as my educational background will allow me to offer many different talents to my local community.
The different social issues I will face after I leave Loras could range greatly from where I live and how I spend my time. For instance, if I were to stay in Dubuque I could easily live in a predominantly white neighborhood, go to work, and totally seclude myself from the social issues in the Dubuque area. But if I choose to spend some of my time in a highly diverse area like the Washington neighborhood, I would almost instantly face social issues. Maria, Missy, Ryan, and I have already spent a little time at the Multicultural Family Center with a group of African American girls from Senior High School and have been faced with some of these issues. We asked the girls how they liked Senior and one of them instantly responded "It's too ghetto!" and another one slapped her and told her "You can't say that!" Meaning she shouldn't say that in front of white people. Later on in the conversation, a sophomore girl said she had a 3 month old baby. We must have looked shocked because one of her friends said "Look at all 'em! They like 'err'". I expected I would encounter young teenage mothers while working down there but the thing that struck me was how ok all of them were with it. To them it was a common occurrence and happened all the time. In my high school I had a classmate who had a baby with his girlfriend their senior year which is a rare occurrence in my town. It was huge shock to the school, to the community, and to the couple but people did anything they could to help them out. I don't think these girls from Senior have much help from the outside community and it is not shocking when it happens. I have to say I was not that prepared to face these issues. My whole life I have been around a predominantly white Catholic society: a society that thinks everything is hunky dory and only hears about the inner city projects or 'ghettos'. Even while at Loras, I haven't faced very many social issues because again we are a predominantly white catholic college. My liberal arts education does help by teaching you about the different social issues in the world and gives you an open mind to see all sides of these issues. But that does not even come close to what you will experience when you go out into the real world and do service. In a lot of ways I am like the narrator from Invisible Man. He had always heard about the way blacks were treated up north but once he saw it he was shocked. But the narrator was almost scared by what he saw especially when he saw the black rally taking place close to white police men. I do not feel scared; I feel like this is a perfect way to learn about these social issues and see how I handle them.
The different social issues I will face after I leave Loras could range greatly from where I live and how I spend my time. For instance, if I were to stay in Dubuque I could easily live in a predominantly white neighborhood, go to work, and totally seclude myself from the social issues in the Dubuque area. But if I choose to spend some of my time in a highly diverse area like the Washington neighborhood, I would almost instantly face social issues. Maria, Missy, Ryan, and I have already spent a little time at the Multicultural Family Center with a group of African American girls from Senior High School and have been faced with some of these issues. We asked the girls how they liked Senior and one of them instantly responded "It's too ghetto!" and another one slapped her and told her "You can't say that!" Meaning she shouldn't say that in front of white people. Later on in the conversation, a sophomore girl said she had a 3 month old baby. We must have looked shocked because one of her friends said "Look at all 'em! They like 'err'". I expected I would encounter young teenage mothers while working down there but the thing that struck me was how ok all of them were with it. To them it was a common occurrence and happened all the time. In my high school I had a classmate who had a baby with his girlfriend their senior year which is a rare occurrence in my town. It was huge shock to the school, to the community, and to the couple but people did anything they could to help them out. I don't think these girls from Senior have much help from the outside community and it is not shocking when it happens. I have to say I was not that prepared to face these issues. My whole life I have been around a predominantly white Catholic society: a society that thinks everything is hunky dory and only hears about the inner city projects or 'ghettos'. Even while at Loras, I haven't faced very many social issues because again we are a predominantly white catholic college. My liberal arts education does help by teaching you about the different social issues in the world and gives you an open mind to see all sides of these issues. But that does not even come close to what you will experience when you go out into the real world and do service. In a lot of ways I am like the narrator from Invisible Man. He had always heard about the way blacks were treated up north but once he saw it he was shocked. But the narrator was almost scared by what he saw especially when he saw the black rally taking place close to white police men. I do not feel scared; I feel like this is a perfect way to learn about these social issues and see how I handle them.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Liberal Arts Education
I generally get two reactions when I tell people back home that I go to a Catholic Liberal Arts college: “Holy crap you must be smart,” or “You damn liberal hippie.” But in order to receive a liberal arts education you do not have to be wise and you definitely don’t have to be a ‘liberal hippie.’ To me “liberal arts” refers to an education that exposes you to many different ways of thinking. The student is not focused on one style of learning, for example, the scientific method. Instead the student is pushed outside of his or her comfort zone of thinking and forced to look at problems from different angles. I think liberal arts are absolutely relevant outside of college. In the real world you are going to be faced with many problems and certainly not only in the profession which college trains you. There will be family and social problems in which a liberal education can prepare you for. For example, if a drunken man asks me for money, and I know he is going to use that money to buy more booze my biological research degree will not come in handy. But my liberal arts education will help to think about this problem ethically and act responsibly.
Martha Nussbaum believes that a liberal arts education is essential in creating superior world citizens. She believes that the use of Socratic style of thinking and questioning is essential in our daily lives and daily discussions. Nussbaum says, “Philosophy breaks out wherever people are encouraged to think for themselves, questioning in a Socratic way.” Since individuals are faced with Socratic thinking every day, they must be taught how to use Socratic thinking in school through a liberal arts education. But Nussbaum also realizes that not everyone holds the same view she does. Many people are in favor of a traditional style of education, memorizing the facts and figures without question. Still, Nussbaum believes that one must question his moral traditions in order to make them stronger or find that they are not actually moral at all. So no wonder people are having a hard time accepting this Socratic education, it is destroying their traditions--things they have believed in their whole lives and have taught their children. Traditional supporters believe Socratic thinkers are throwing these out the window, when in reality they are questioning them to try to make their beliefs stronger.
A liberal arts education is the perfect tool in order to do service. It prepares you on how to think and react when encountered with a difficult problem while doing service. I will have to make ethical decisions and the Socratic style of thinking will be very beneficial. Performing service is going to be very difficult, but I know my liberal arts education has prepared me to make it a little bit easier.
Martha Nussbaum believes that a liberal arts education is essential in creating superior world citizens. She believes that the use of Socratic style of thinking and questioning is essential in our daily lives and daily discussions. Nussbaum says, “Philosophy breaks out wherever people are encouraged to think for themselves, questioning in a Socratic way.” Since individuals are faced with Socratic thinking every day, they must be taught how to use Socratic thinking in school through a liberal arts education. But Nussbaum also realizes that not everyone holds the same view she does. Many people are in favor of a traditional style of education, memorizing the facts and figures without question. Still, Nussbaum believes that one must question his moral traditions in order to make them stronger or find that they are not actually moral at all. So no wonder people are having a hard time accepting this Socratic education, it is destroying their traditions--things they have believed in their whole lives and have taught their children. Traditional supporters believe Socratic thinkers are throwing these out the window, when in reality they are questioning them to try to make their beliefs stronger.
A liberal arts education is the perfect tool in order to do service. It prepares you on how to think and react when encountered with a difficult problem while doing service. I will have to make ethical decisions and the Socratic style of thinking will be very beneficial. Performing service is going to be very difficult, but I know my liberal arts education has prepared me to make it a little bit easier.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Wisdom and Service?
Everyone and every society have a different definition of wisdom. For example, I believe my grandparents are very wise since they have lived for a long time and have experienced many different situations and events. This wide array of experiences gives them wisdom on many different issues. Wisdom at its core is the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong. Many people in today’s society tie financial success with wisdom. In order to be financially successful you have to be money-wise, but there are many different forms of wisdom. A wise person puts thought into his actions and wants them to have a positive impact on society. This is why I think a discussion about wisdom is appropriate in a service learning class. Service has a strong positive impact on society; therefore a wise person will recognize the importance of service. A wise person can recognize the need to be actively involved in society in order to ensure that society runs according to his standards of right and wrong.
After reading “The Apology” for the second time in my college career, I have developed a greater respect for Socrates. He truly believed that he was performing service, or the act of god, when he pointed out to wise men that they were not wise. Socrates said, “For I spend my whole life in going about persuading you all to give your first and greatest care to improvement of your souls, and not till you have done that to think of your bodies or your wealth. And I tell you that wealth does not bring excellence, but that wealth, and every other good thing which men have, whether in public or in private, comes from excellence.” A good place to receive this excellence is through helping others. The act of service can bring true wisdom in recognizing the need to help others. This wisdom of service will lead to one’s own excellence.
The first time I read “The Apology”, I thought that Socrates was conceited and just liked to hear himself talk. I thought he did not care about his fellow Athenians and just wanted to make himself look good. But now I believe that he was doing his people a service by promoting their own personal excellence and true wisdom. This second reaction surprises me a little bit because it shows how much I really have changed while at Loras. The liberal arts education and the wide range of subjects and styles of classes that I have taken have taught me to think outside the box. I am able to look at different situations from different angles which has allowed me to draw different conclusions and perspectives. When I first came to Loras I thought I had a pretty wide perspective on most issues, but soon found out my rural public high school education did not expose me to many issues. I would definitely have been one of those men Socrates would have examined and proclaimed unwise because I believed in my own wisdom. Now I feel like a novice, and I think there is no better place to find my excellence than with service.
After reading “The Apology” for the second time in my college career, I have developed a greater respect for Socrates. He truly believed that he was performing service, or the act of god, when he pointed out to wise men that they were not wise. Socrates said, “For I spend my whole life in going about persuading you all to give your first and greatest care to improvement of your souls, and not till you have done that to think of your bodies or your wealth. And I tell you that wealth does not bring excellence, but that wealth, and every other good thing which men have, whether in public or in private, comes from excellence.” A good place to receive this excellence is through helping others. The act of service can bring true wisdom in recognizing the need to help others. This wisdom of service will lead to one’s own excellence.
The first time I read “The Apology”, I thought that Socrates was conceited and just liked to hear himself talk. I thought he did not care about his fellow Athenians and just wanted to make himself look good. But now I believe that he was doing his people a service by promoting their own personal excellence and true wisdom. This second reaction surprises me a little bit because it shows how much I really have changed while at Loras. The liberal arts education and the wide range of subjects and styles of classes that I have taken have taught me to think outside the box. I am able to look at different situations from different angles which has allowed me to draw different conclusions and perspectives. When I first came to Loras I thought I had a pretty wide perspective on most issues, but soon found out my rural public high school education did not expose me to many issues. I would definitely have been one of those men Socrates would have examined and proclaimed unwise because I believed in my own wisdom. Now I feel like a novice, and I think there is no better place to find my excellence than with service.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Introduction
My name is David Arens, and I am a senior at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. I am an honors student and am currently taking my Honors Service Learning Capstone class to complete my Catholic liberal arts education. I will be doing service work in the local Dubuque community and reflecting about my experiences in this blog. I grew up in a very small town in Nebraska where service consisted of helping my friend’s grandma weed her garden or working the concession stand at a baseball game. In college I took a service trip to Kentucky which was the first time I got to work with underprivileged individuals. I did a multiple array of tasks but always performed them in a group. This will be the first time that I will be doing service alone, in an area that I live close to and an area that does need help. I want to take this opportunity to learn a great deal about myself, my core values and how strong they really are. I will continue to work on answering my personal question of what I am called to do after graduation. To do this I must use all of the skills that I have developed through my liberal arts education, as well as improve those skills that need it. The greatest way my liberal arts education has prepared me for this would have to be teaching me to be open minded. When I first came to Loras the only important thing I wanted to learn was science. But through my many general education courses, and my study abroad experience, I have learned that there is so much more to learn from college. This open mind will not make my experience a piece of cake either. I do expect to be challenged in many ways, and I perceive to be most challenged in determining what the community needs from me and what I need from the community.
Earlier this week a group from my class and I took a walk through the community where we will be performing most of our service. I noticed right away that this is an incredibly diverse neighborhood. There are many people of many different ethnic backgrounds and houses that ranged from many different economic and upkeep states. The first part of White Street has several very nice Victorian homes that are kept in good order. The picture perfect scene is completed with flowers outside and small front porches with swings. But just down a house a two from these homes, however, the upkeep deteriorates rapidly. Though these seem to be from the same time period and still have beautiful brick, they are not kept up to their full potential. The flowers outside are replaced with trash, overgrown lawns and bushes, and an old, fat, and ill-cared for dog. The porches are not painted or stained but instead look ragged and unused. The windows have cardboard or plastic over them, and one house even had a warning sign about lead poisoning.
During this walk I thought about how the members of the community might view one another. Due to the wide economic class and ethnic range I expect them to be very distant from one another and not very supportive. I don’t know what I can do to try to bring a sense of equality and community to the neighborhood. That I believe is something that I will have to answer as this semester unfolds.
Earlier this week a group from my class and I took a walk through the community where we will be performing most of our service. I noticed right away that this is an incredibly diverse neighborhood. There are many people of many different ethnic backgrounds and houses that ranged from many different economic and upkeep states. The first part of White Street has several very nice Victorian homes that are kept in good order. The picture perfect scene is completed with flowers outside and small front porches with swings. But just down a house a two from these homes, however, the upkeep deteriorates rapidly. Though these seem to be from the same time period and still have beautiful brick, they are not kept up to their full potential. The flowers outside are replaced with trash, overgrown lawns and bushes, and an old, fat, and ill-cared for dog. The porches are not painted or stained but instead look ragged and unused. The windows have cardboard or plastic over them, and one house even had a warning sign about lead poisoning.
During this walk I thought about how the members of the community might view one another. Due to the wide economic class and ethnic range I expect them to be very distant from one another and not very supportive. I don’t know what I can do to try to bring a sense of equality and community to the neighborhood. That I believe is something that I will have to answer as this semester unfolds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
