Week 8 - Integration 1 8 weeks in Notre Dame In the first eight weeks of life in The University of Notre Dame, I have had my ups and downs, and I can safely say that the Moreau Class is one of the ups. The class is filled with friendly peers and we get to chill and have fun while also learning a lot. I have come to immerse myself within both the sciences and literature, and I witnessed my own personal values have grown from these two months or so. I believe that courage is essential to many things in life. One of the things to have courage for is to be vulnerable or show vulnerability. (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One) When I am faced with challenges and difficult questions in physics, I let down my pride and I let people around me know that I need help with this subject, and even though I showed that I was vulnerable, I got the help I needed and I got better at physics. I also believe that by showing some vulnerability, I can find some place to belong to. To make that initial step to show something about myself can let me find like-minded people, and who knows, perhaps life-long friendships can be made. I believe that self-improvement is also important. Society places too much emphasis on materialistic possessions, and not enough on love and compassion. (“Should you live for your résumé ... or your eulogy?” by David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week Two) It is also about how much money we earned last month or how big the house is, but we never ask ourselves whether we have shown kindness to others who need it. Every act of kindness means more than you think. Obviously we need to earn money to survive, but self growth is important, and the scale that balances these two things is not even by society’s standards today. I believe that faith comes a long way for all purposes in life, both figuratively and literally. (“Student Reflections on Faith at Notre Dame” by Notre Dame students - Moreau FYE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&list=PLmiPsabET-W_hjesjTZaITh2s1WbM-Kd0&index=4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YVemqUBaAs5DNBPYm806TyQZr3F0xElP/view Week Three) Faith as a concept isn’t just useful, it keeps us driven and living in the long term. It doesn’t necessarily even need to be based on a religion. Faith tells us that even though things seem bleak and hopeless, things will get better as time goes on. Having faith in others can deepen relationships and friendships, as trust is built among one another. I believe that an essential aspect of life is to build healthy and multi-wayed relationships. I think that it is easy to forget to account for the needs of others and as a result, relationships grow stale and toxic. (“5 Signs You’re in a Toxic Friendship by Olivia T. Taylor” - Moreau FYE Week Four) A healthy relationship goes both ways and makes sure everyone is accounted for, and people should be more conscious of this as we enter adulthood. I think it is also crucial that we strengthen and establish relationships by actively helping out others. (“It's On Us ND- The Three D's of Being an Active Bystander" by Notre Dame Football Team - Moreau FYE Week Four) When we see something that could negatively affect people, whether it’s someone we are close to or a complete stranger, it is important to speak up and show support. That way, we can build relationships based on trust and respect, and reduce toxicity and harm within our communities. I believe that I grow by absorbing and listening to the narratives of others. Obviously one of the most significant narratives as a Notre Dame student is the story of how Notre Dame was established ("Two Notre Dames: Your Holy Cross Education" by Fr. Kevin Grove - Moreau FYE Week Five) Notre Dame isn’t just founded on the belief of religious faith; it is also based on the idea of a well-rounded education and acceptance. To listen to the stories of other people perfectly embodies a well-rounded education and acceptance. We should actively hear out how others live their lives and show them respect. As such, we become kind and knowledgeable members of society, and we further grow our identity and rewrite or add to what we already know. https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/relationships/signs-of-toxic-friendships/ https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qk5iI7HctYydSB3xYZs5hNClJ-uo5Hq4/view https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qk5iI7HctYydSB3xYZs5hNClJ-uo5Hq4/view https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=859bc1a8-0d0f-4eb4-a1c1-d0a45c429187 Identifying how we are influenced is also integral to life. Consider what aspects of our life, from the moment we were born to the very present, how the people, events, and processes affect our decisions, thoughts, and opinions. (“Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon - Moreau FYE Week 6) As I said in the previous paragraph, we can put together what we learn from listening to others and doing some introspective thinking on ourselves, and come to a better and more well-rounded understanding of the world around us. Many things could have influenced our life, from the floor we lived on growing up to the people we surround ourselves with to the food we put in our stomach. Consider how such an upbringing is good and bad, and improve the bad while emphasising the good. Also understanding that other people can have a completely set of influences helps with our mindset and perception. Last but certainly not least, I believe that it is of utmost importance to identify the perspectives of other people. This point has been repeated a few times before, but it is important in my opinion. Not exposing oneself to other perspectives, cultures, and stories could be damaging for their own self-growth and knowledge. (“Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Moreau FYE Week 7) Adichie speaks on her own experiences in this Ted talk. She only grew up with stories of British and American white children who look vastly different from her, so she wasn’t exposed to people like her in the books she often read. However, she also found misconceptions beyond the inked-filled pages of her books. Travelling around her home, and eventually the world, has shown her that people are not what they seem like at first glance or from the tellings of other people. According to Adichie, the very same idea can be applied to those who met Adichie herself. In conclusion, Notre Dame has helped me develop all these core beliefs, and I believe that my experience here can only reinforce and develop my own self-growth. http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story