Integration One Assignment-Shah


Nicolina Shah
Integration One Assignment

October 15th, 2021
All This Hard Work will Pay Off

Root Belief #1: I believe that I am made to struggle with my own identity.
This particular belief stems from the Notre Dame NROTC community. Prior to entering

the unit, most midshipmen, as well as most civilians, view the unit as a group of tough, strong,
professional, and emotionless midshipmen made to handle any and all tasks in both their Naval
and Marine careers. These individuals are not thought to be particularly caring, weak, or
vulnerable, since their ultimate end is to join the United States Navy. Their identity in the unit is
thought to be a successful Naval midshipman and eventually a strong Naval officer. The term
“weakness”  is not supposed to be in their vocabulary. However, this could not be more true.

On the very first day that the new midshipmen are brought into Notre Dame’s unit, they
are welcomed by warm greetings and smiles. The upperclassmen are happy to see the new
freshmen and are excited to get to know them over the next few years. On the same day, the
Commanding Officer of the unit welcomes the new midshipmen with an opening speech, which
is not meant to be emotionless. He comforts them that they will be welcomed and that the new
midshipmen should feel like they are at home. Within the first few moments of being in the unit,
the midshipmen experience several warming emotions from both the staff and the students,
unlike what anyone would expect. They learn that their identity is not meant to be what everyone
makes it out to be. The midshipmen understand that they can be weak at times and that it is okay
to make mistakes. The staff makes sure that the freshmen know that while they still have to be
professional and tough at times, they are also allowed to be human and experience human
emotions. They do not have to be as rigid as everyone outside of the unit perceives them to be.
The midshipmen have “the courage to be imperfect” in the unit (“The Power of Vulnerability” by
Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). The Commanding Officer also warns the midshipmen
that they will question why they are here and what their ultimate purpose is within the unit, and
he lets them know that this experience is normal and encouraged. Without struggle, the
midshipmen would never be able to understand their true and underlying reasons for being at
Notre Dame. Within a few hours, the earlier beliefs and views of the Naval unit held by the
midshipmen are shattered and replaced with new and more encouraging views and beliefs.

The Commanding Officer’s lecture lined up with several things that Brene Brown
outlined in her Ted Talk. Both Brene Brown and Captain Thompson, the Commanding Officer,
talked about being courageous and not giving in to your own personal shames and fears. In order
to grow, according to Brene Brown, “we have to be able to open ourselves up and be seen as we
truly are” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). Captain
Thompson’s lecture lined up almost perfectly with this quote. He wants to see our true human
selves, and in order for him to see that we have to open up to both him, his fellow officers, and
the other students. Both Brene Brown and Captain Thompson talked about allowing ourselves to
be vulnerable so that we can be successful in our lives and careers. In general, they both touched
on a very similar topic: Vulnerability is a necessity in our lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be


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After the first couple of days in the unit, the midshipmen also experience something else
that is new. They learn that they are allowed to be vulnerable in their unit not only to their fellow
midshipmen but also to their officers. The freshmen learn that they can explain and are
encouraged to explain their concerns and problems to the unit. Every officer in the unit wants the
midshipmen to feel comfortable to come into their offices for a “therapy” session, casual
chit-chat, or advice on any problem they may have. They want the midshipmen to understand
that they are not alone. The more that the midshipmen talk to their officers, the more they can
prepare themselves for their career in the Navy. The midshipmen are not living for the moment,
but rather they are living for their future careers in the military. In short, they are living for what
they can leave behind in their name.

These next few days in the unit align with a concept that David Brooks discussed in his
Ted Talk. David Brooks wanted people to understand the importance of what your life leaves
behind. Living in the moment is also important, but what you leave behind after your life is more
important. Just like Captain Thompson did not want the midshipmen to get too caught up in the
moment, neither did David Brooks. Captain Thompson wanted the midshipmen to succeed in
their careers in the Navy, not just as midshipmen in the Notre Dame program. David Brooks
wanted people to succeed in their eulogy, not in their resumes per se. “People will most likely
not remember what you do in the small moments of your lives but will remember what you leave
behind well after your life is over” (“Should You Live for Your Resume or Your Eulogy?” by
David Brooks, - MoreauDavid Brooks: Should you live for your résumé ... or your eulogy?
FYE Week Two).

Root Belief #2: I believe that I forge life-giving relationships by placing my trust in
uncomfortable things.

This second belief stems from the religious community at Notre Dame and in the
NROTC community. At Notre Dame, faith and religion are very prominent, and one expects
them to be since Notre Dame is a Catholic university. However, one would never expect how
much these two things actually affect the students in the unit. In the NROTC unit, several
challenging and stressful situations arise. For example, there are uniform checks, presentations in
front of the entire battalion, and face-to-face meetings with the Commanding Officer. Religion
and faith help provide some relaxation with these stressful things and can make these stressful
situations more bearable. Before some physical training sessions, the midshipmen pray so that
they have a good workout. During the battalion’s drill period, guest speakers can be brought in to
help the midshipmen with strengthening their faith. Overall, the battalion is interested in helping
the midshipmen become stronger in their faith. Placing your trust in religion, however, is not an
easy task. This “task” can be very uncomfortable to several midshipmen because it is placing
your trust in a relationship one cannot see or physically interact with. This is a relationship that
requires complete devotion, dedication, and belief in something that one cannot physically prove,
which is an uncomfortable thing to do. Even though this relationship is uncomfortable and
difficult, it is still a life-giving relationship since it will always be there, especially when

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM


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someone needs it most. This one-of-a-kind relationship will always strive to help, ease the mind,
and provide aid in difficult situations.

This difficult relationship within the unit aligns with a concept that is brought up in some
of the students’ reflections on faith at Notre Dame. One student said that “It was in my lowest
moments of loneliness and feelings of inadequacy that I leaned on God more than
ever in order to get me through” (“Student Reflections on Faith” by Nyah,

-Moreau FYE Week 3). Just like Nyah leaned on God inStudent Reflections on Faith_PDF
some of her toughest moments, so do the Naval Midshipmen. When the midshipmen are trying
to conquer their most difficult situations, they use their resources of faith and religion, even
though it may be uncomfortable and tiring.

Another aspect of the NROTC unit is the several essential relationships that the
midshipmen make with each other and the staff. All of the relationships are good relationships,
but they can bring their hardships along with them. For example, in the first few weeks of
training, the staff focus on lecturing the midshipmen on SAPR. SAPR stands for Sexual Assault
Prevention and Response. The staff teaches the midshipmen how to know when to stand up for a
friend being assaulted, when to know if someone is being assaulted, what to do in different
situations, and who to talk to if someone is in danger. These conversations are very
uncomfortable and can make the relationship with the staff member uncomfortable as well. No
one likes to talk about this subject, but it is necessary to talk about it. This life-giving
relationship with the staff can be agonizing at times, but all of the midshipmen know that is a
necessary uncomfortable. They understand that they need to know what to do in these situations,
so they place their trust in these uncomfortable relationships.

This aspect of NROTC aligns with a topic brought up in a video by the One Love
Foundation. The video explains the difference between real love and abusive love. One of the
quotes is: “Because I love you, you deserve to know what it feels like to be disrespected”
(“Because I Love You, Double Whiskey” by One Love Foundation,   

-Moreau#ThatsNotLove campaign | Because I Love You - Whiskey | One Love Foundation
FYE Week 4). This quote shows the power that an abusive relationship can have over someone.
The abuser can try to justify their action with love, but that does not make it right. The video is
trying to point out the signs of an abusive relationship so that people can figure it out for
themselves or others before it is too late. SAPR is trying to accomplish the very same thing.
SAPR wants the midshipmen to understand abuse and assault so that they can prevent it.
Therefore, the staff teaches the midshipmen about this uncomfortable topic so that they can learn
more in the future. The midshipmen place their trust in an uncomfortable life-giving relationship
with the staff so that they can be more successful in stopping and preventing assault.

Root Belief #3: I believe that I grow by applying myself to new surroundings.
This final belief stems from the integration of my new college life and old hometown life.

One of the amazing things about our battalion is the variety of people that are in it. Everyone
comes from a different background and a different hometown. Past the physical and geographical

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YVemqUBaAs5DNBPYm806TyQZr3F0xElP/view
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differences, everyone is also part of the unit for different and unique reasons. This variety allows
the battalion to flourish. Everyone can add their individuality to the battalion, while also keeping
in track with the battalion’s core values. Not only does everyone add their own values to the unit,
but the midshipmen also apply other midshipmen’s perspectives into their lives within the
battalion. The relationship of the battalion compares to the relationship of a bi-racial family.
People teach others about their perspectives and habits of doing things, while also learning from
others’ habits and perspectives. The midshipmen apply themselves in these new surroundings so
that the battalion can grow as a whole.

This type of growth in the battalion is very similar to a topic that Carla Harris talks about
in her Laetare Medalist Address. She says, “The way to grow your power is indeed to give it
away” (“  Notre Dame Commencement 2021: Laetare Medalist Address” by Carla Harris,

-Moreau FYE Week 5). TheNotre Dame Commencement 2021: Laetare Medalist Address
only way to grow stronger as a person is to give your power away to others. This is exactly what
the midshipmen in the battalion are doing. They are giving away their power of knowledge so
that they can grow stronger, and so that their battalion can grow stronger. The midshipmen are
sharing their personal experiences for growth and success in their new college lives. Also, this
variety and diversity within the battalion mirrors something that George Ella Lyon stands for.
George Ella Lyon believes that diversity around the world should be praised. George says, “We
want to gather the diversity of our voices, and we plan to archive the results online and to present
them, in some form, in D.C” (“Where I'm From”, a poem by George Ella Lyon, writer and
teacher -Moreau FYE Week 6). She wants to celebrate diversity, and proclaim diversity as an
amazing and productive thing. The midshipmen in the battalion are doing the same thing. They
want to celebrate their battalion’s diversity and learn from each others’ differences. No one in the
battalion feels like they have to hide who they are, and that is a truly wonderful thing. George
Ella Lyon also believes in the very same concept that no one should have to hide who they are.

One final aspect of the NROTC battalion is the flexibility of the midshipmen and staff.
All of the incoming midshipmen had to attend NSI, New Student Indoctrination, before joining
Notre Dame’s unit. NSI was very similar to basic training or boot camp. The midshipmen started
out as candidates and trained for four weeks at a base in Great Lakes, IL in order to earn their
title as midshipmen. While at NSI, the midshipmen learned how to fulfill military custom
requirements and skills in a very specific way. They learned how to march in a very structured
discipline, the responses to say to each other and their “higher-ups”, and how to act in a
professional manner. However, once the midshipmen arrived on Notre Dame’s campus, Notre
Dame’s unit wanted them to fulfill those same military custom requirements in a different way. It
was almost like the midshipmen were in a entrely new surrounding, and had to learn those
customs all over again. However, the midshipmen never judged the new customs, and the staff
never judged the midshipmen on their old customs that they learned at NSI. The midshipmen and
staff simply had to adapt to their new surroundings. In that adaptation, the midshipmen grew as
not just midshipmen, but Notre Dame midshipmen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSwjn-SyB4
http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html
http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html


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This growth from the incoming midshipem compares to a concept brought up in a text by
Keith Payne, Laura Niemi, and John M. Doris. The concept that they talked about was implicit
bias. They said that “This tendency for stereotype-confirming thoughts to pass spontaneously
through our minds is what psychologists call implicit bias. It sets people up to overgeneralize,
sometimes leading to discrimination even when people feel they are being fair” (“How to Think
about 'Implicit Bias'” by Keith Payne, Laura Niemi, and John M. Doris-Moreau FYE Week 7).
Implicit bias is a term used to describe the attitudes that we can have towards people or
stereotypes we can hold to people without our conscious knowledge. Thankfully for the
midshipmen, the staff did not hold any implicit bias towards them. The staff could have biased
them as NSI drones or NSI robots that cannot think without their rigid structure, but they did not.
Instead, the staff tried to help the midshpmen out of that rigid structure without judging them for
it. The staff knew that it was all the midshipmen knew at that point, and did not critique them for
it or hold any stereotypes against them for it. The staff and midshipmen grew in this new
surrounding and worked together towards a common goal of a less-rigid midshipman.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-think-about-implicit-bias/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-think-about-implicit-bias/


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Pictures:

Picture One: Photo of
Bravo Squad after the first field meet. Midshipmen used their combined strengths to complete
the required fitness activities successfully.

Picture Two: Photo of MIDN 4/C Shah competing
in her required event. She was required to run in a
burpee/suicide relay, since she did track in high
school.