1) Review the Moreau FYE Fall 2021 syllabus. Which of the focus questions or objectives stated in the document stand out to you as particularly relevant to your life?
The objective that particularly stands out to me is “deepen your self-knowledge”. As I was leaving for college this summer I had thought to myself about what I wanted to accomplish in college. I came to the conclusion that one of my main goals was to find out who I really am as a person while I am here. Coming from Houston, I will not have many influences from high school at Notre Dame, so I can be whoever I want to be. So through Moreau I am glad I will have the chance to reflect on who I am as a person and who I want to be through the objective of deepening my self knowledge. I am excited to be around people who likely have very similar values and personalities to me, yet still have different life experiences. Because of this I think I will be able to learn more about myself by being around people who I will have a lot in common with. While deepening my self-knowledge I want to find out what type of people I like to be around, what truly makes me happy, and  what gives me value in life. Additionally, I hope to deepen my understanding of myself as a Notre Dame student and figure out what makes me happy specifically while I am here. 
2) Drawing from Dr. Brown’s commentary, submit a QQC Reflection to prepare for in-class discussion. View the “QQC Reflections” section of the syllabus for detailed guidance.
Question: 
Quote: “This is what politics looks like today. There's no discourse any more; there's no conversation. There's just blame” (The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown | TEDxHouston). I resonate with this quote because it is an accurate depiction of politics today and I think it sheds light on human behavior. Blame is such a dangerous thing because people do not embrace differences and the unknown. Instead of having civil discourse where people can work together through their differences and come to an agreement, politics specifically has become increasingly more polarized. While this is obviously apparent in politics, I too can reflect on how this plays a role in my life. Oftentimes when I feel stupid, I get very insecure and instead of being okay with that, I sometimes become angry. Instead of just accepting that it is ok to not know everything, my instinct is to somewhat resent the other person for bringing it up. By learning to embrace my vulnerability I can start to stop blaming others. 
Comment: I think Brené Brown’s advice can be summarized into the idea that you must have the courage to be vulnerable in order to feel a sense of belonging. I think this advice is essential to living a life where you feel valued and while I am at Notre Dame. As I discussed in my reflection from the syllabus’ objectives, I hope to find self-knowledge at Notre Dame. Additionally, while I am at Notre Dame in order to feel like I belong, I will need to be vulnerable around my peers and faculty here. Because I think at Notre Dame students have very similar values, this will aid my ability to be vulnerable because I know people will probably have similar insecurities. For example, I am afraid I am going to oftentimes feel like I am not smart enough to be here, but likely, everyone else is insecure about the same thing. Even yesterday during my Calculus class, I was confused over basic things but then I looked around and many other people were just as confused. If we all embrace that insecurity then we will cultivate an even stronger sense of community.