I have gone to a Catholic school all of my life. I am not "extremely" Catholic, and I try to question my faith in as constructive ways as possible--for a scientist that is. There are many things that I don't--and won't ever--understand because that's just the way things are. However, being part of a "Catholic" community has taught me a few things about people.
Now I never like to make generalizations about groups of people, but I think it is easier to describe what I've learned by doing so. I have learned that there are about four types of people.
One, the person who is overly faithful and believes that everyone should share the same faith.
Two, the person who has a strong faith, but understands that there are many religions, and that there is no proof that any one person is right or wrong.
Three, the person that has no preference but understands that there is something out there that is greater than us.
And four, the person who just doesn't care at all (in all honesty, there really aren't too many of these people, so I won't go into it).
So I'm going to admit that the first type is quite annoying to me. With my experience with people of many faith traditions, I simply cannot hold that view or agree that it is valid. You can't tell me that God will throw me into hell for supporting immigrants in the United States (as one man held a sign that said this up in Postville). I hate to have a Star Wars quote in here, but Yoda said that, "Only the sith deal in the absolute." And by sith, he meant the evil and selfish. And that is true, if a person is so focused on him or herself being right, only conflict will come out of that.
I personally like the second person. They are focused and seem to have a clear goal in life, but they still understand the world--or I guess they simply understand that the world cannot be understood. They believe that no one person is right, but if you live by a good set of morals, then you are living a good life (the third person is also quite similar). However, as soon as one mentions the word "morals," the discussion of religion and where morals come from now comes into play.
All-in-all, I guess there are two types of people that I discussed. Those that deal in the absolute, and those that try to understand. And these two are like oil and water, they don't go together. It seems that if you get two of these people in a room to discuss something, nothing gets accomplished and tempers flair. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but it would be better if we could all come to somewhat of an understanding.
So all this blabber that I just said gets me to this, I've had a lot of interesting conversations in my time at Loras College. I cannot say that Loras being a Catholic institution had anything to do with it, but I've had many--some had me up till three in the morning intrigued by the way other people view the world. I think it is awesome to share a great conversation with other people. It is a way to get to know how humanity works.
I do know one thing, though, I've never had to pull out a Dorothy Day quote or reference. It seems that when dealing with "backing up" your religion, I think it takes a personal understanding. You do have to know a bit about your religion, but you must be able to understand the view of the person you are conversing with. That is the key to what I've learn at Loras--UNDERSTAND, EVEN IF IT'S SIMPLY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DO NOT KNOW.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Politics
When I first see the word "politics," I first think of a bunch of old men and women jabbering on about a ton of money, yet they know absolutely nothing except how to get elected. Heck, I know (and I'm not trying to be arrogant) that a few well-educated people could run this country a lot better than a bunch of old men and women that make way too much money.
Anyhow, what really comes to mind is basically everything. Everything from the little interactions with managers at work to people who try to please professors by being afraid to comment on something they do not think is right. Too many times, I see someone try to suck up to someone else and completely lose theirselves. Politics, to me, seems to ruin people--it makes people lose their true selves if they are not strong willed. And the thing is, politics is everywhere. How do you think a building is built? First, you've got to go through all the rules and regulations that other people came up with. Recently in the news, I have read that soon, all taxis in New York and a few other towns must be hybird vehicles. The problem is that these vehicles are shorter than the current Crown Victorias. There is also a federal mandate that requires all taxis to have a bulletproof barrier between the passenger compartment and the driver. Now, this means there is a safety issue: there is a very stiff material that is close to a passenger. Thus, the passenger will strike this unforgiving material in the event of an accident. Engineers have been warning the federal government of such an issue, but the mandate continues--thus the engineers are left without a solution yet, and taxi drivers will end up paying tons of money to meet the mandates. BASICALLY, a lot of politics is costing tons of money (because people who know nothing about cars aren't listening to the engineers who build the cars), and they are wasting tons of time. Therefore, I say POLITICS=WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. Simply put.
Now enough of my own jabbering about what I think about politics. When I'm down at the Multicultural Family Center (MFC), I find myself thinking about safety. Last Wednesday, we took the kids to the playground at Prescott elementary school, and I worried about safety a lot. White Street is a very busy street, and these kids can be wild. It is hard to control many of them, so I feared that if one of them were to get hit by a vehicle, my tail would be sued. That is what type of politics is instilled in my brain, it seems to inhibit my judgement at times. Nonetheless, I had a blast. It just seems that I want to make sure that everyone is safe, and everyone follows the rules. That way, no one can ever say something poorly about the MFC.
Also, this Wednesday, we were cleaning up for the day, and one of the ladies that works there was cleaning up outside when she came in and said that some guy was getting all cranky about the sidewalk chalk that was a block away from his house. You've got to be kidding me! This guy is ridiculous. It is sad that people have the right to complain about such negligible matters. It's sidewalk chalk for heaven's sake. It'll wash off in the rain, and it is simply a few energitic kids having fun. We later found out that this gentleman is not very accepting of other races, and he complains a lot about the kids that come from the MFC. I've been working with these kids for a few weeks now, and I know that they are sometimes overly energetic, or sometimes they leave a bit of a mess behind, but they would never try to do anything that would upset someone. I just think it was a ridiculous situation. And again, politics caused much of the roots of this. Though the link may be difficult to follow.
Overall, I personally am sick of all the situations where politics comes to mind (especially during a political season). It makes me so mad when I see people who do not even consider the side of others. But anyhow, I could ramble on for hours about my disgust with politics and how it complicates everything.
Anyhow, what really comes to mind is basically everything. Everything from the little interactions with managers at work to people who try to please professors by being afraid to comment on something they do not think is right. Too many times, I see someone try to suck up to someone else and completely lose theirselves. Politics, to me, seems to ruin people--it makes people lose their true selves if they are not strong willed. And the thing is, politics is everywhere. How do you think a building is built? First, you've got to go through all the rules and regulations that other people came up with. Recently in the news, I have read that soon, all taxis in New York and a few other towns must be hybird vehicles. The problem is that these vehicles are shorter than the current Crown Victorias. There is also a federal mandate that requires all taxis to have a bulletproof barrier between the passenger compartment and the driver. Now, this means there is a safety issue: there is a very stiff material that is close to a passenger. Thus, the passenger will strike this unforgiving material in the event of an accident. Engineers have been warning the federal government of such an issue, but the mandate continues--thus the engineers are left without a solution yet, and taxi drivers will end up paying tons of money to meet the mandates. BASICALLY, a lot of politics is costing tons of money (because people who know nothing about cars aren't listening to the engineers who build the cars), and they are wasting tons of time. Therefore, I say POLITICS=WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY. Simply put.
Now enough of my own jabbering about what I think about politics. When I'm down at the Multicultural Family Center (MFC), I find myself thinking about safety. Last Wednesday, we took the kids to the playground at Prescott elementary school, and I worried about safety a lot. White Street is a very busy street, and these kids can be wild. It is hard to control many of them, so I feared that if one of them were to get hit by a vehicle, my tail would be sued. That is what type of politics is instilled in my brain, it seems to inhibit my judgement at times. Nonetheless, I had a blast. It just seems that I want to make sure that everyone is safe, and everyone follows the rules. That way, no one can ever say something poorly about the MFC.
Also, this Wednesday, we were cleaning up for the day, and one of the ladies that works there was cleaning up outside when she came in and said that some guy was getting all cranky about the sidewalk chalk that was a block away from his house. You've got to be kidding me! This guy is ridiculous. It is sad that people have the right to complain about such negligible matters. It's sidewalk chalk for heaven's sake. It'll wash off in the rain, and it is simply a few energitic kids having fun. We later found out that this gentleman is not very accepting of other races, and he complains a lot about the kids that come from the MFC. I've been working with these kids for a few weeks now, and I know that they are sometimes overly energetic, or sometimes they leave a bit of a mess behind, but they would never try to do anything that would upset someone. I just think it was a ridiculous situation. And again, politics caused much of the roots of this. Though the link may be difficult to follow.
Overall, I personally am sick of all the situations where politics comes to mind (especially during a political season). It makes me so mad when I see people who do not even consider the side of others. But anyhow, I could ramble on for hours about my disgust with politics and how it complicates everything.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Service Projects
First of all, I'd like to talk about my service at the Multicultural Family Center thus far. It is a wonderful time when I get down there. I arrive, and the kids that come on a regular basis recognize me and seem to take a liking to me. They have TONS of energy, and they can wear you out or get a little loud. All-in-all, its a great opportunity to be a part of their lives.
Basically, my job is just being down there and helping out. When things get busy, there can be a lot of kids packed into a tiny building. Wednesday, with the beautiful weather, we took the kids over to the Prescott playground where they all had a great time. We were hanging on the monkey bars, playing basketball, and just messing around having a grand ole time. It brought back good feelings of childhood. But the great thing is how the kids enjoy it as well. I know that many of them don't have an older person to play these games with them. I think it allows them to enjoy it more when others join them. Plus, I had a lot of fun helping them have fun.
As far as our group service project goes, I think we're headed down the right path. Once we gather all the relevent information that we need about the happenings in the Washington Neighborhood and the Bee Branch line, things will start to fall into place. Getting a hold of the city's information was crucial, and with information from actual city council members, we are well on our way to getting the information we need. So long as the others get the call to the people for the oral history, we'll definitely accomplish our goals.
In general, things are going pretty well. As for myself, I'm enjoying the work at the MFC, and as a class, we're moving right along on our data gathering. It was a slow start on both projects, but I think that once we get going on these things, everything will fall into place just right, and rightly so.
Basically, my job is just being down there and helping out. When things get busy, there can be a lot of kids packed into a tiny building. Wednesday, with the beautiful weather, we took the kids over to the Prescott playground where they all had a great time. We were hanging on the monkey bars, playing basketball, and just messing around having a grand ole time. It brought back good feelings of childhood. But the great thing is how the kids enjoy it as well. I know that many of them don't have an older person to play these games with them. I think it allows them to enjoy it more when others join them. Plus, I had a lot of fun helping them have fun.
As far as our group service project goes, I think we're headed down the right path. Once we gather all the relevent information that we need about the happenings in the Washington Neighborhood and the Bee Branch line, things will start to fall into place. Getting a hold of the city's information was crucial, and with information from actual city council members, we are well on our way to getting the information we need. So long as the others get the call to the people for the oral history, we'll definitely accomplish our goals.
In general, things are going pretty well. As for myself, I'm enjoying the work at the MFC, and as a class, we're moving right along on our data gathering. It was a slow start on both projects, but I think that once we get going on these things, everything will fall into place just right, and rightly so.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Catholic Identity and Social Responsibility
I think it is interesting that the subject of religion be brought up and how the Catholic identity of Loras is suppose to make us more socially responsible in this world. I have mixed feelings on this.
There are many people that do not attend masses at Loras, but are still very responsible. You see this at many schools that have no religious affiliation. These people sometimes have more "freedom" because they won't necessarily be criticized for their views because they aren't Catholic or aren't Christian. However, they are socially responsible just the same.
I'm Catholic, and I go to mass nearly ever Sunday. However, with the reasoning above, I don't know if a strong Catholic identity is necessarily a good thing for social responsibility. It definitely can be, but if people become overly identified with the Catholic identity and aren't open to other ideas, then the negative effects can set in, and that can be considered sin in the Catholic church. This is where I think Loras does do a pretty good job. Most of the Catholic identity courses that Loras offers discusses various religions. Our own Catholic identity course discussed Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism. I believe that understanding these various religions is what makes us more socially responsible in today's world.
Think about it for a second. How did most of the wars of the world begin? It usually had a religious cause. Someone didn't agree with another, and before you know it, countries are trying to kill off other countries and thousands, sometimes millions, of lives are lost. All because the leaders did not think the other person was right...thus they didn't deserve to exist. That is much of what I see today. There are many people who are quite narrow minded and do not see both sides of the bridge. They only see their own shore and stick with it for dear life. Low and behold, there is another side, and it seems that if someone tries crossing that bridge, they get blown to $h^t.
That is why I believe Loras does do a decent job at educating us on more than just Catholicism. This makes us more socially responsible because it gives us the opportunity to discuss other views and consider them in our solutions to various social and economic issues that face us today. We all need to work together, and that is one thing that I learned from my religion classes in high school and at Loras.
There are many people that do not attend masses at Loras, but are still very responsible. You see this at many schools that have no religious affiliation. These people sometimes have more "freedom" because they won't necessarily be criticized for their views because they aren't Catholic or aren't Christian. However, they are socially responsible just the same.
I'm Catholic, and I go to mass nearly ever Sunday. However, with the reasoning above, I don't know if a strong Catholic identity is necessarily a good thing for social responsibility. It definitely can be, but if people become overly identified with the Catholic identity and aren't open to other ideas, then the negative effects can set in, and that can be considered sin in the Catholic church. This is where I think Loras does do a pretty good job. Most of the Catholic identity courses that Loras offers discusses various religions. Our own Catholic identity course discussed Catholicism, Protestantism, and Judaism. I believe that understanding these various religions is what makes us more socially responsible in today's world.
Think about it for a second. How did most of the wars of the world begin? It usually had a religious cause. Someone didn't agree with another, and before you know it, countries are trying to kill off other countries and thousands, sometimes millions, of lives are lost. All because the leaders did not think the other person was right...thus they didn't deserve to exist. That is much of what I see today. There are many people who are quite narrow minded and do not see both sides of the bridge. They only see their own shore and stick with it for dear life. Low and behold, there is another side, and it seems that if someone tries crossing that bridge, they get blown to $h^t.
That is why I believe Loras does do a decent job at educating us on more than just Catholicism. This makes us more socially responsible because it gives us the opportunity to discuss other views and consider them in our solutions to various social and economic issues that face us today. We all need to work together, and that is one thing that I learned from my religion classes in high school and at Loras.
Learning Plan Version 0.1
Individual service site
Name of organization and location:
The Dubuque Multicultural Family Center
Name of contact who will serve as supervisor and reviewer
Madeline Cairney
Description of duties/activities
Help in creating programs for grade school youth with the help of the other volunteers at the MFC. Also, I will simply be available to the children to tutor mathematics. Furthermore, I will help with the Future Talk girls and their involvement in seeking colleges.
Learning plan
What are your goals? Why did you choose these goals? How do they relate to coursework at Loras?
My main goal is simply to be available to the children. At the very least, I want the children to know that I’ll be there to help them with math or just a cool guy to play some games with. It would definitely be great to have awesome programs, but the relationships that can be built are crucial. Some of these children don’t have any constants in life, so for as long as I can, I’d like to be there for them.
These goals really relate to the coursework at Loras because they focus on relationship, and relationship not only with myself, but with the children and the community.
Means to the goals. What will you be doing to help you reach your goals?
In order to reach my goal, I need to be at the MFC at the times I have set. Though it is only Wednesday and Friday, if I’m consistently at the center on those two days, I will set a pattern that the kids will hopefully get to know.
Assessments. How do I know whether or not I met my goals? How close did I come?
In order to assess this goal, all I’ll have to do is go to the MFC and when the children come they just have to smile when they see me. That will be the measure of my goal.
Name of organization and location:
The Dubuque Multicultural Family Center
Name of contact who will serve as supervisor and reviewer
Madeline Cairney
Description of duties/activities
Help in creating programs for grade school youth with the help of the other volunteers at the MFC. Also, I will simply be available to the children to tutor mathematics. Furthermore, I will help with the Future Talk girls and their involvement in seeking colleges.
Learning plan
What are your goals? Why did you choose these goals? How do they relate to coursework at Loras?
My main goal is simply to be available to the children. At the very least, I want the children to know that I’ll be there to help them with math or just a cool guy to play some games with. It would definitely be great to have awesome programs, but the relationships that can be built are crucial. Some of these children don’t have any constants in life, so for as long as I can, I’d like to be there for them.
These goals really relate to the coursework at Loras because they focus on relationship, and relationship not only with myself, but with the children and the community.
Means to the goals. What will you be doing to help you reach your goals?
In order to reach my goal, I need to be at the MFC at the times I have set. Though it is only Wednesday and Friday, if I’m consistently at the center on those two days, I will set a pattern that the kids will hopefully get to know.
Assessments. How do I know whether or not I met my goals? How close did I come?
In order to assess this goal, all I’ll have to do is go to the MFC and when the children come they just have to smile when they see me. That will be the measure of my goal.
Friday, September 19, 2008
What can I give?
What can I give to society? Recently, I was reminded by a professor who just retired, that I wrote something about having a job that gives back to society. I used to think that I was pretty selfish--and I was--but I did not know that I thought like that three years ago. So, as an engineer and mathematician, I can give my skills. Just down at the Multicultural Family Center this evening, I helped two children with their math homework. It was definitely rewarding to me to see them understand the problem after I talked it through with them. I can also help fix people's cars or help them out with housing projects, and I've done all that. But I always feel that something is missing.
I was also recently reminded today that sometime I give too much (though through my eyes, I think I can give much more). Sometimes, I don't let love in after it is given out. So what I got from this (and the person who reminded me is very dear to me), was that relationship is what I can give when I leave Loras. And with relationships, there is a two-way street. Each has to give a little in order to avoid a collision. It doesn't matter if it's at the job, at a restaurant, far away, near by, or simply at home, relationship is what we must give to other people. Whether that means stopping to help someone with a flat tire or simply smiling at someone who looks down, that is what we all must give.
With society now-a-days, it seems that relationship is getting further away from people. We walk around with iPods, talk on the cell phone as we walk the streets, and many other things (I'm guilty of it too), but all these things seem to take us further away from the important things in life. And now, especially, since the economy is unstable, people are going to be worried about money or could fall into depression easily. It's sad how much control money has on people today. That means we must do our best to make the people we care about feel important so that money won't rule their lives. I know a few gentlemen at work who have never had a serious relationship or even cared about another person--by the sounds of it, not even their parents much--they live purely on money...and I used to be like that as well. But now, I have seen that just one relationship has opened my eyes to let me see that relationship is the key to helping others. I am so thankful for that person; I make sure she knows my gratitude.
The only way to face such an issue is to go out into the world everyday with an open mind. That is the key. If you have an open mind, you can ask interesting questions and learn more about others while they ask about you. Thus completing the two way street.
The only real doubt that I have is that honest sometimes can get one into trouble. I'm not hesitating, but I've seen this happen before. Someone is honest and hard working while another is lazy and irresponsible. Unfortunately, a boss or someone likes the lazy person and gives he/she a raise. The honest worker doesn't get his/her fair share. However, I know who the better person is, but it bothers me a bit, and it really makes people hesitate.
Take for instance, a class at Loras. A student wants to say something to the professor but is afraid that if he/she speaks, the professor will lower his/her grade on the next paper. We all know this is wrong, but there are people who do this, and it drives me nuts. I, personally, cannot stand to watch someone who just told me they don't like something and want to suggest something different and then don't say anything at all, even when given multiple opportunities. It is best to be honest, but people have seen the honest man lose, and that makes people fearful.
That is much like the narrator. He is honest and is looking for a job with his "letters of recommendation." However, he didn't know that the letters weren't recommending him for any job. He trusted that they would get him to where he needs to go. However, his trust caused him to lose quite a bit, and it made him a bit angry. This is much like what I see in some people. They see this in books and movies, and then they become afraid themselves of the consequences of honesty.
All-in-all, I know that I want to be trustworthy, putting myself out there for others. I want to grow relationships, and I want to be there for those that love me. I am fortunate, and I have the obligation to share my good fortune with others. That's what I want to offer to others as I leave Loras. I just hope I can live up to my words.
I was also recently reminded today that sometime I give too much (though through my eyes, I think I can give much more). Sometimes, I don't let love in after it is given out. So what I got from this (and the person who reminded me is very dear to me), was that relationship is what I can give when I leave Loras. And with relationships, there is a two-way street. Each has to give a little in order to avoid a collision. It doesn't matter if it's at the job, at a restaurant, far away, near by, or simply at home, relationship is what we must give to other people. Whether that means stopping to help someone with a flat tire or simply smiling at someone who looks down, that is what we all must give.
With society now-a-days, it seems that relationship is getting further away from people. We walk around with iPods, talk on the cell phone as we walk the streets, and many other things (I'm guilty of it too), but all these things seem to take us further away from the important things in life. And now, especially, since the economy is unstable, people are going to be worried about money or could fall into depression easily. It's sad how much control money has on people today. That means we must do our best to make the people we care about feel important so that money won't rule their lives. I know a few gentlemen at work who have never had a serious relationship or even cared about another person--by the sounds of it, not even their parents much--they live purely on money...and I used to be like that as well. But now, I have seen that just one relationship has opened my eyes to let me see that relationship is the key to helping others. I am so thankful for that person; I make sure she knows my gratitude.
The only way to face such an issue is to go out into the world everyday with an open mind. That is the key. If you have an open mind, you can ask interesting questions and learn more about others while they ask about you. Thus completing the two way street.
The only real doubt that I have is that honest sometimes can get one into trouble. I'm not hesitating, but I've seen this happen before. Someone is honest and hard working while another is lazy and irresponsible. Unfortunately, a boss or someone likes the lazy person and gives he/she a raise. The honest worker doesn't get his/her fair share. However, I know who the better person is, but it bothers me a bit, and it really makes people hesitate.
Take for instance, a class at Loras. A student wants to say something to the professor but is afraid that if he/she speaks, the professor will lower his/her grade on the next paper. We all know this is wrong, but there are people who do this, and it drives me nuts. I, personally, cannot stand to watch someone who just told me they don't like something and want to suggest something different and then don't say anything at all, even when given multiple opportunities. It is best to be honest, but people have seen the honest man lose, and that makes people fearful.
That is much like the narrator. He is honest and is looking for a job with his "letters of recommendation." However, he didn't know that the letters weren't recommending him for any job. He trusted that they would get him to where he needs to go. However, his trust caused him to lose quite a bit, and it made him a bit angry. This is much like what I see in some people. They see this in books and movies, and then they become afraid themselves of the consequences of honesty.
All-in-all, I know that I want to be trustworthy, putting myself out there for others. I want to grow relationships, and I want to be there for those that love me. I am fortunate, and I have the obligation to share my good fortune with others. That's what I want to offer to others as I leave Loras. I just hope I can live up to my words.
Friday, September 12, 2008
The Liberal Arts and Service
I'm not gonna lie. When I first experienced a true liberal arts class at Loras, I HATED IT! I thought, "Why am I wasting my time taking these classes that have nothing to do with my major and my future?" I was utterly wrong in my understanding of liberal arts at the time. I believe it was because it challenged me to be a better human. It challenged me to understand many other points of view and to accept that point of view. I remember arguing about Socrates as Plato during our freshmen year in The Trial and Death of Socrates. It seemed pointless. No side of the argument would budge--either for fear of losing the debate or for fear of diminishing their grade. However, when all was said and done, I came out much different.
Throughout grade school, high school, and my first year at college, I would consider myself EXTREMELY shy. I wouldn't talk to many strangers or ask too many questions for fear that I'd make a fool out of myself. But it seems that the classes that challenged me the most personally--not mentally because engineering and science courses are absolutely brutal on the mind--were the liberal arts classes, my gen-eds. It was in these classes that I could truly question what I believed, and I could learn about many other ways at looking at the world. And though I still truly don't like the way some things are graded and believe that needs to be changes in the way the liberal arts are taught, it still does a great job at preparing us on how to communicate with others. I know that because liberal arts courses aren't graded by tests, people sometimes become scared and don't speak their minds as they should. This can hinder communication within a class, but the overall outcome--at least in my case is excellent. I make sure that I state my opinion when I can. I also don't want to be someone who kisses my bosses butt, but one who is respected for stating the facts and sticking to them...being an honest man, a man of my word.
Now because I believe communication is key and that I built a lot on my communication skills through my liberal arts education, it is only reasonable to state that the liberal arts education really prepares us for the "real world." Just the other day out at John Deere, I was talking to my mentor. He told me the story as to how I got hired, and I was impressed at myself (I hope I can live up to my expectations). However, I learned that many of the skills that I learned through my liberal arts education really helped me stand out. There are quite a few people that share the same technical skills of a good engineer, but excellent communication skills are what set engineers apart. And Lord knows how hard it is sometimes to find an engineer with good communication skills :).
As for preparing for service work, the liberal arts are crucial. Again, because communication is the key to dealing with people, the liberal arts are a way that can help us to try and understand the people that are helped and the people we work with. At times, we will be challenged because of our different points of view, and if we're not careful, maybe by stereotypes as well. It is our liberal arts education that is suppose to help guide us in understanding all stances while maintaining our own unique perspective. Therefore, I believe the liberal arts helps us prepare for service by sharping our communication skills and broadening our understanding of the vastness of the people of the world.
Now Martha Nussbaum, author of Cultivating Humanity, states that, "Liberal education in our colleges and universities is, and should be, Socratic, committed to the activation of each student's independent mind and to the production of a community that can genuinely reason together about a problem, not simply trade claims and counterclaims." This is exactly what I mean when I say that we must express our unique points of view while also understanding the other sides of the issue. That way, people can reason together rather than argue and fight about holding different points of view.
Also, Nussbaum mentions that, "This is because these people have never stopped to ask themselves what they really stand for, what they are willing to defend as themselves and their own." This hits the nail on the head for me. I really used to be afraid to state my point, even if I knew that I was correct. However, once I questioned myself as to why I did not say what needed to be said, I learned that something had to change. I needed to speak up when I felt strongly (but I have to be careful to understand the other person as well) about something. Once people learn that you speak what is true, and that you reach that truth through reason, they will, at the very least, learn to respect you for your reasoning and understanding. I think it is truly sad when people are too afraid to speak their mind...because the truth never gets out if people don't speak for it.
Overall, this is a topic that I hold dear. I really, really hated the idea of the liberal arts (and like I said, I still don't agree with everything but that's another ten page story). However, I have learned of its benefit throughout college and especially outside of college. A liberal arts education opens up many doors for people, and it also opens the doors between people. It is the key to open the door to worthwhile service.
Throughout grade school, high school, and my first year at college, I would consider myself EXTREMELY shy. I wouldn't talk to many strangers or ask too many questions for fear that I'd make a fool out of myself. But it seems that the classes that challenged me the most personally--not mentally because engineering and science courses are absolutely brutal on the mind--were the liberal arts classes, my gen-eds. It was in these classes that I could truly question what I believed, and I could learn about many other ways at looking at the world. And though I still truly don't like the way some things are graded and believe that needs to be changes in the way the liberal arts are taught, it still does a great job at preparing us on how to communicate with others. I know that because liberal arts courses aren't graded by tests, people sometimes become scared and don't speak their minds as they should. This can hinder communication within a class, but the overall outcome--at least in my case is excellent. I make sure that I state my opinion when I can. I also don't want to be someone who kisses my bosses butt, but one who is respected for stating the facts and sticking to them...being an honest man, a man of my word.
Now because I believe communication is key and that I built a lot on my communication skills through my liberal arts education, it is only reasonable to state that the liberal arts education really prepares us for the "real world." Just the other day out at John Deere, I was talking to my mentor. He told me the story as to how I got hired, and I was impressed at myself (I hope I can live up to my expectations). However, I learned that many of the skills that I learned through my liberal arts education really helped me stand out. There are quite a few people that share the same technical skills of a good engineer, but excellent communication skills are what set engineers apart. And Lord knows how hard it is sometimes to find an engineer with good communication skills :).
As for preparing for service work, the liberal arts are crucial. Again, because communication is the key to dealing with people, the liberal arts are a way that can help us to try and understand the people that are helped and the people we work with. At times, we will be challenged because of our different points of view, and if we're not careful, maybe by stereotypes as well. It is our liberal arts education that is suppose to help guide us in understanding all stances while maintaining our own unique perspective. Therefore, I believe the liberal arts helps us prepare for service by sharping our communication skills and broadening our understanding of the vastness of the people of the world.
Now Martha Nussbaum, author of Cultivating Humanity, states that, "Liberal education in our colleges and universities is, and should be, Socratic, committed to the activation of each student's independent mind and to the production of a community that can genuinely reason together about a problem, not simply trade claims and counterclaims." This is exactly what I mean when I say that we must express our unique points of view while also understanding the other sides of the issue. That way, people can reason together rather than argue and fight about holding different points of view.
Also, Nussbaum mentions that, "This is because these people have never stopped to ask themselves what they really stand for, what they are willing to defend as themselves and their own." This hits the nail on the head for me. I really used to be afraid to state my point, even if I knew that I was correct. However, once I questioned myself as to why I did not say what needed to be said, I learned that something had to change. I needed to speak up when I felt strongly (but I have to be careful to understand the other person as well) about something. Once people learn that you speak what is true, and that you reach that truth through reason, they will, at the very least, learn to respect you for your reasoning and understanding. I think it is truly sad when people are too afraid to speak their mind...because the truth never gets out if people don't speak for it.
Overall, this is a topic that I hold dear. I really, really hated the idea of the liberal arts (and like I said, I still don't agree with everything but that's another ten page story). However, I have learned of its benefit throughout college and especially outside of college. A liberal arts education opens up many doors for people, and it also opens the doors between people. It is the key to open the door to worthwhile service.
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