Integration 2 12/03/2021 Integration 2: Reflecting on the Semester The second half of my first semester at Notre Dame has tested my abilities as a student, friend, and daughter. After spending four months at college, I finally feel like I have found my close friends and have adjusted to the living and studying environment. However, as the semester has moved along, school has become increasingly more difficult making it harder for me to find time for myself. Another big change in the second half of the semester is the increase in club responsibilities which has been challenging to manage on top of academic work. In addition to school and clubs, there are also gamedays and social events to factor into my schedule. Amid all these obligations and activities, I have realized the importance of time management and prioritization as a college student. This is also a common theme we discuss in Moreau, as I know my peers face similar challenges balancing school, social life, and personal time. Through our weekly meeting in Moreau, I have gotten the chance to think about how I am challenged by the pressures of college, and how I can respond in the healthiest way. One of the main difficulties I’ve encountered in my social life at college is the pressure to have everyone like me. As freshmen, we meet so many new people in such a short amount of time during the first few months of college. Essentially, everyone has a fresh start and wants to make the most of it by making good impressions on the people they meet. However, sometimes the pressure to be perfect results in us feeling like we need to change things about ourselves to make other people like us. We discussed this inner conflict frequently faced by college students in Week 9 of Moreau. From the reading that week, I chose to focus on the quote, “They’re the ultimatums we give ourselves in order to be liked and accepted by others. If we meet these expectations, we tell ourselves, others will accept us.” (Why Letting Go of Expectations is a Freeing Habit, Julia Hogan, Week 9). As someone who often feels pressure to make everyone like me, I enjoyed reading the author’s claim about how we often hold ourselves to higher standards than the people around us. Given the state of our world today, it is also important to consider how racism operates at Notre Dame and how we can advocate against it. As a person of color myself, this is a huge part of my experience at Notre Dame as we are a predominantly white institution. Although I personally haven't experienced any negative responses to my racial background, I want to ensure that other students of color also have positive experiences on campus. We addressed this topic during Week 10 of Moreau by discussing whether Catholic schools teaching Critical Race Theory will help their students be better anti-racist allies. From the article that week, I focused on the quote, “They argued these exercises reveal a kind of essentialism that reduces everything to one’s racial background. (Should Catholic Schools Teach Critical Race Theory?, Christopher J. Devron”, Week 10). I agreed with this quote because so many of the one-sided stories about colonization that are narrated in history classes subconsciously pass along negative stereotypes about people of color. These stereotypes have the power to infiltrate the way students see people of color and the way they treat them. A challenge that I have encountered more frequently than I thought is the gender ratio in academic settings. I am majoring in Economics and Applied Math which are two fields notorious for being male-dominated. In my number theory class, finance club, and quant club, I am one of two women among many men. All my instructors and mentors for these classes are also men. Due to the fact that I can’t find female role models in my field of interest, I have found that it is important to be my own leader and take pride and ownership in my work. This is a topic we https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/christopher-j-devron-sj https://www.americamagazine.org/voices/christopher-j-devron-sj covered in Week 12 of Moreau. From the article we read that week, I chose to focus on the quote, “Leadership for community consists in creating, holding, and guarding a trustworthy space in which human resourcefulness may be evoked.” (Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community, Parker J. Palmer, Week 12). This quote stands out to me because it contradicts the assumption that we operate in a world of scarcity and untrustworthiness. Some of the examples given for this reason include people don’t want to work, they are lost without routine, and they will cheat if given the chance. Therefore, the author argues that communities/ organizations naturally come up with rules to address these assumptions. As one of the only women in my classes and clubs, I have to assume that people in my community have the best intentions to help me while still being confident and a leader in my own right. When I came to Notre Dame, I expected to find community in my residence hall because that is what I heard from all the current students and alumni. When I found that I didn’t naturally click with many people from my hall and didn’t want to participate in community events, I was disappointed. After reading the article from Moreau Week 11 and doing some reflection, I realize that community is more than just convenience. From that article, I chose to focus on the quote, “Long before community can be manifest in outward relationships, it must be present in the individual as “a capacity for connectedness” (Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community, Parker J. Palmer, Week 11). I actually have to make myself open to connecting with people if I want to find community in my hall. Worst case scenario, I can make these efforts elsewhere and find community in clubs, classes, or other activities. As this semester comes to an end, I have to admit that I have learned a lot about myself and how I deal with challenges. I am proud of how I have learned to manage my time to devote equal energy to school, friends, and family. Furthermore, I am happy that I have found a community at Notre Dame that has supported me through all of this. Work Cited Devron, Christopher J., et al. “Should Catholic Schools Teach Critical Race Theory?” America Magazine, 20 Aug. 2021, https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/06/03/critical-race-theory-catholic-high-schools-bl ack-lives-matter-240792. Julia Hogan, LCPC. “Why Letting Go of Expectations Is a Freeing Habit.” Grotto Network, 29 Jan. 2020, https://grottonetwork.com/navigate-life/health-and-wellness/letting-go-of-expectations/?utm_sou rce=fall_2021&utm_medium=class&utm_id=moreau. “Thirteen Ways of Looking at Community • Center for Courage & Renewal.” Center for Courage & Renewal, 25 Feb. 2017, http://couragerenewal.org/parker/writings/13-ways-of-looking-at-community/