Week 3

“Character and commitment are played out in the realm of action, not reflection (pg 6).” This is a quote from “Mysteries of Moral Commitment,” the first chapter of a book by Anne Colby and William Damon. It discusses human morals, why we have them, why we stick to them, how to they develop, and ultimately why some people are willing to dedicate and put their lives on the line to uphold them. The chapter cites historical leaders such as Gandhi and Sakharov. In line with these examples, I’d like to connect the reading with the life of Bayard Rustin as well. Without a doubt, he can be connected to the previously mentioned quote – he never spoke about his views of justice without backing them up with extreme, nonviolent action. His commitment to his causes, particularly civil rights and LGBT rights, was clear because his actions matched his claims.

Returning to that first quote, the authors go on to say that “pondering moral problems is not the same as dedicating one’s life to their solution… It may even be that some people who live out strong moral commitments tend at times to be impatient with extensive reflection, as if they instinctively fear that it may lead to hesitation and doubt” (pg 6). While the word ‘leadership’ is not specifically mentioned here, I think that this quote does a lot to define the term. It’s easy to discuss morals and what we think is right and wrong, but it takes a lot more courage to act upon these morals despite whether or not the majority supports you. Words are useless if they are not acted upon, and it is the ability to lead a movement forward that defines leadership. Rustin fits within this definition. As I previously mentioned, he acted in accordance to what he preached.

It is noted that the lives of great moral leaders tend to “demonstrate a combination of great certainty about moral principles…with an open-mindedness about new facts and their implications” (pg 16). I agree that while this combination seems contradictive, both aspects are absolutely necessary. A moral leader and visionary needs to be confident in what they are fighting for, and be able to convince others that it is a cause worth pursuing as well. However, they also need to be able to adapt to what is definitely going to be a changing situation. Keeping “an open-mindedness about new facts and their implications” (pg 16) is just as important as being sure about one’s cause. Rustin was absolutely steadfast in his belief that changes needed to be made for civil rights and LGBT rights in the United States. In the movie about Rustin’s life, “Brother Outsider”, I remember Rustin visiting India. He spoke with Gandhi, listening to his views and seeing where his ideas coincided with what he wanted to do back in the United States. This is a kind of open mindedness, a willingness to figure out how to reach his goals more effectively.

Ultimately, a leader and a visionary is one who leads by example, who is steadfast in their goal while still open minded to change. They live what could be called a “life of moral conviction”, knowing what they believe to be right and wrong, sticking to those beliefs, and ultimately acting upon them. We tend to view these people – Rustin, Gandhi, Sakharov – as superheroes of sorts, though in the end they are simply people with a sense of responsibility to act against injustice. And I think it is important to remember that each of us are just as capable of changing the world around us.

Week 2

Like most schools around the country, Allegheny students were given the day off last Monday for MLK Day. While classes were canceled, the school set up a series of events to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr.  Monday morning, I attended a keynote address given by educator Paul Buckley called “Civil Rights and Its Challenge to Higher Education.” The talk was organized based off of a speech given by King in 1967 called “The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life.” Buckley used King’s descriptions of the length, breadth, and height of life and applied them to students and higher education.

According to King, the length of life is “the inward concern for one’s own welfare.” This does not refer to narcissism or selfishness, but rather the ability to love and accept oneself. It includes knowing and accepting your faults as well as celebrating your strengths. One must be able to love and care for themselves before they can be of help to others. In regards to education, Buckley said that the length refers to the part of the college experience that prepares students for their own goals and ambitions. It is the necessarily self-centered aspect that students are paying for and thinking about when they attend college.

The breadth of life refers to the loving and caring of others. A truly happy and complete life does not come from living solely for one’s own ambitions. Interacting with and caring for others is a dimension of life that is crucial for the individual as well as the continuation of our species as a whole. This is reflected in the breadth of education as well, as this is the dimension that requires expanding students’ horizons and encouraging an open mind to differences. The unique human experience offered in higher education is as important as the vocational preparation, if not more so. Learning about others and discovering connections with people who come from other walks of life allows students to grow personally and become more informed citizens of the human race.

King’s speech, originally a sermon, refers to the height of life as loving and accepting God in one’s life. When applying this to education, Buckley focuses on the imperative influence of love in our lives. Whether in education or in general life, love and acceptance in all things is paramount to a happy and complete life.

Overall, I thought that Buckley’s speech was interesting and well presented.  He definitely observed the five C’s (Craft, Composition, Content, Clarity/Concision, and Commitment). His tone was casual, but authoritative, which grabbed the audience’s attention from the get go. I found him well spoken, which made for a well-crafted performance. He organized his ideas well, beginning with an introduction to the problem of racial prejudice (and prejudice in general) with an email he received from an audience member who was offended at the implication that there was any sort of existing problem today. This caught everyone’s attention and led smoothly into a description of King’s “Complete Life” speech, which acted as an outline to express Buckley’s own ideas and clearly show where they fit into the scheme of things. The speech was not too long, as he kept his ideas clear and concise. He was clearly passionate about the topic and well versed in it, allowing him to get his message across.

                For me, Buckley’s talk was a reminder that we are all connected. We all are in search of a “complete life,” and we can all find it if we can manage to love ourselves, others, and the world around us. I believe that achieving that elusive third dimension, the height of life, relies not only on oneself living openly and lovingly, but on others responding accordingly. We can either help one another reach life’s height together by celebrating our differences and similarities, or we can bring down ourselves and those around us through suspicion, judgment, and prejudice. King said that we are all “tied in a single garment of destiny. What affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” While this is a dramatic way to put it, I think it makes a clear point – that we all inevitably create impressions on the people around us, and that we control whether those impressions are helpful or hurtful.

                Recently, I watched the film Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin. Rustin’s entire life was incredible, and his contributions to human rights were numerous. Given how much he contributed and was involved in the social movements of his time, I still find it shocking that his name is not more widely known. Something that specifically stood out to me was his reaction to the “Black Power” movement, which encouraged racial pride, but tended to use verbally violent and sometimes physically violent tactics. Rustin said that the “Black Power” movement alienated white people, which would do nothing more than widen the gap between the two races. To use King’s phrase, “what affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” It was wrong for white people to treat the black community the way they did. However, treating the white community the same way would not lead to any kind of peace. Both sides needed to stand side by side equally and peaceably to move forward.

                These ideas about interconnectedness are not only related to civil rights and general prejudice. They can also be connected to ecology and sustainability. I briefly mention loving “ourselves, others, and the world around us.” Just as how we treat others can affect ourselves, how we treat the planet directly affects us as well. It is easy for us to divide the “human world” from the “natural world” and thus separate ourselves from any damage we cause to the planet. In reality, of course, there is only our natural world, and we are all a part of it. If we could be more aware of the fact that the deterioration of our planet is the deterioration of ourselves as well, perhaps we as a global community could improve our ecological state, and thus heighten the quality of life for ourselves and the rest of the natural world. In the end, we are all connected. We all make an impact on each other’s lives and environments, and have the power to make that impact a positive one. 

Week 1

I was born and raised in a suburban area called Rochester Hills within walking distance of my high school in a nice neighborhood that always felt pretty safe. Downtown Rochester, which is full of local businesses and restaurants, is definitely my favorite part of town. In particular, there is a family owned coffee shop called the Dessert Oasis where I have spent countless hours sitting with friends, drinking fabulous coffee, eating cheesecake, and listening to local musicians. When I want to get out of the house for an evening, Dessert Oasis is usually my first choice, though I'm often just as happy drinking tea and reading with one of my two cats in my lap.

            I haven't figured out what I want to do with my future. Early on in high school, I thought that I wanted to pursue something related to art or music or theater. However, my Sophomore year I discovered my school's robotics team and was somehow convinced to join despite considering science and technology completely out of my intellectual league and outside my realm of interests. Both of these assumptions were quickly proven wrong, and in short order I was dedicating almost all of my time and energy into robotics. I dropped theater and piano lessons so that I had the time to be the team captain my Senior year. While the robotics team didn't persuade me to become an engineer, I wanted to continue pursuing science and technology while combining it with the artistic pursuit that I did not drop during my time on the team – drawing. I've always loved to draw, and over the past year or so I've become very passionate about digital drawing and painting. Somehow, I want to cross my love of art with my love of science and technology. Ultimately, I'm passionate about creating interesting things with other creative, interesting people.

            As far as worries for the future, I'm mostly afraid of not finding a career that combines my interests. But I try not to worry about it too much. As long as I work hard, keep an open mind, and explore subjects and activities that interest me, I can't help but feel like I'll end up somewhere interesting after my four years at Allegheny. :)

            I learned a lot during my first semester. I discovered that I absolutely love Swing Dancing. I've gathered some experience as a barista at Grounds for Change, and learned that making coffee is almost as fun as drinking it. At a more academic level, my experiences in my FS last semester showed me that while I've developed very good formal writing skills, my public speaking skills leave a lot to be desired. While I may know the information I'm trying to express, explaining it to an audience is difficult for me. I sound very formal and forced. My writing tends to be very formal as well, and I think that finding my voice in writing will help me figure out how to find my voice while speaking. Though in the end, it may be that I simply need to keep practicing until public speaking becomes more second nature to me.

            As a student I work best in a friendly, relaxed environment that encourages discussion and the exchange of ideas about the topic at hand. With this in mind, the facilitator teaching style (according to Grasha's 5 Teaching Styles) appeals to me the most. I prefer for teachers to lead students in the right direction while still allowing them to discover things for themselves. It allows for independence and the proposition of interesting, unique ideas without fear of getting completely off topic or missing something important. In Peter McLaren's book “Schooling as Ritual Performance,” he describes one of a teacher's roles as being a liminal servant. “Liminal” means the transitional stage of something, so I took this to mean that a teacher's role is to serve students at a transitional stage of the learning process. A teacher's role is to do what they can to make sure students get the most out of their learning experience, often by making personal one-on-one connections and making classes more applicable to real life. In my opinion, learning is a team effort between students and teachers. Teachers need to be there, be supportive, and lead students in the right direction, but it is just as important that students be interested and engaged in the topic at hand. If both sides are fully involved in the process, then the learning experience can be much deeper and more rewarding.

            I'm not quite sure how to conclude my first blog entry, except to say that I'm looking forward to this next semester. I know that my writing can seem a little rigid and formal, but hopefully by the end of the semester, I'll be able to incorporate my own voice and style into my writing. With this in mind, onward to the next semester. Allons-y!!