Integration Two Moreau First Year Experience November 25, 2021 CHAPTER 1: My ‘becoming’ story and how I define myself as a first-year student at Notre Dame Last night I met up with my friends from high school, seeing them for the very first time again since we all left in August. “Sooo….How is it Alexa? Is it everything you expected it to be?” My friend Livvy exclaimed, as it was now my turn to share my experiences so far and give all of the updates I had neglected to text in the still very active group chat we have. This question prompted me to really think back to the little moments which have stood out the most to me during my time so far, and the people I have met along the way. Before coming to Notre Dame, I watched an ND admissions video where the narrator posed the question of, “What is college? Is it four years of school, or the start of a journey that lasts forever. Is it lessons in the classroom, or lessons in life.” As simple as these words were, they stuck with me, encouraging me to challenge how I view my college experience and all that I will get out of it. Stepping foot on campus in the Fall, I was eager yet extremely nervous like many of my peers. Before divulging myself into a new endeavour, I always like to mentally prepare for what's to come. And luckily, these days it is quite easy to do so with the help of things like YouTube and of course Tik Tok. My mom and I would watch hours of POV: Day in the life of a Notre Dame student or College Expectations vs. Reality videos just so I could get accustomed to the new life I was about to adopt. So when Welcome Week arrived I thought I was ready, but it was not all as glamorous as I thought. The constant ice breakers, dorm chants, forced awkward interactions with other dorms, and class introductions made me feel overwhelmed to the max. Cornell sophomore Emery Bergman spoke about her initial transition into college saying “You can be surrounded by people but still feel alone” (“Text & Video: “Advice from a Formerly Lonely College Student” (Emery Bergmann, NY Times)- Moreau FYE Week Nine). This kind of encapsulated what I felt at the time. Although I was surrounded by so many people and trying to talk to as many as I could, I felt isolated in such a new environment where no one really knew me, and I knew no one. Although I sympathized with Emiy’s feelings initially, I feel lucky that Notre Dame has such an emphasis on community. The community I have built within my dorm is by far the reason why I love Notre Dame so much. I am not exactly sure what the formula is, but the random roommate lottery worked out so perfectly for me. This type of situation really forced me to become vulnerable, and because my roommate Haley and I were both in the same position, it made it easier to approach new people together. I can honestly say that the friends I consider closest at Notre Dame, are some of the sweetest and most genuine people, who I see continuing our relationships even after graduation. These are the people who help me get through the rigorous classes and long nights in Hes, and the people I celebrate with on the weekends and game days. There are a lot of reasons to love P-Dub, (the best dorm on campus of course), but above all I think P-Dub is really the home to the most diverse group of people on campus, which makes it such a great community. When I think of my closest friends on the fourth floor, I see everyone as an individual puzzle piece: so unique individually but when put together it creates a perfect composition. From Texas, Atlanta, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Maryland, the Chicago Suburbs and all the way to Barcelona, Spain, the different backgrounds, ethnicities, nationalities, and https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/well/family/advice-from-a-formerly-lonely-college-student.html https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/09/well/family/advice-from-a-formerly-lonely-college-student.html perspectives we all possess makes our friendships so special and eye-opening. After realizing how diverse my dorm is, I wanted to be able to share the voices within it, so I signed up to be one of the junior multicultural commissioners. Through this role, I had the opportunity to volunteer for the MINDful training on equity, what it means to be an advocate, and on the effects of coded language. Sparking conversations like this within Notre Dame is imperative to building a more inclusive student body where everyone feels not only accepted but embraced for every aspect of who they are. In Week 10 of Moreau, I read the article raising the question of if Catholic schools should teach critical race theory and what Catholic social teaching is. (Text: “Should Catholic Schools Teach Critical Race Theory?” (Christopher J. Devron, S.J., America Magazine)- Moreau FYE Week Ten). Likewise in the “Diversity Matters” video, Kevin Abbot brought up several interesting points about diversity, specifically how although there may be diversity in a particular area, it does not necessarily mean that the community is inclusive and integrative. When looking at the map of Chicago, it was clear to see how there were many different ethnicities spread out amongst the city. However, the racial groups were concentrated in specific areas and still highly segregated. (Video:"Diversity Matters!" (Prof. Agustin Fuentes)- Moreau FYE Week Eleven). Through these two medias, I now believe even more than before how important the principle of inclusion is in how I lead my life. The visualization of the map of Chicago was eye opening to me because it emphasized how although communities may consist of different kinds of people from different backgrounds and experiences, it is not always guaranteed that people will intertwine with one another and build an inclusive community. At Notre Dame, a predominantly white school, I think it is important to build a place where diversity is not clustered among various races and ethnicities. By learning about each other and becoming more exposed to https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/06/03/critical-race-theory-catholic-high-schools-black-lives-matter-240792 https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/06/03/critical-race-theory-catholic-high-schools-black-lives-matter-240792 https://notredame.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=d14a0472-9c0e-44ea-bd39-53c67ee1d436 different viewpoints and perspectives, biases can be changed. For me, I hope to become a person that leads my dorm community and beyond by starting conversations about our different experiences and backgrounds. This semester, I have also learned to give myself grace. College is a time where there is still so much uncertainty, and I have to be okay with this. C.S Lewis writes, “Their bodies, passions, and imaginations are in continual change, for to be in time means to change...Their nearest approach to constancy, therefore, is undulation--the repeated return to a level from which they repeatedly fall back, a series of troughs and peaks.” (The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis_Chapter 8.pdf -Moreau FYE Week Twelve) I think this philosophy is applicable to human nature in general , but also the true college experience. Major discernment, time management, faith, and self care are all things which can seem hazy to me one day, but clear the next. At Notre Dame, I think it is especially important to give myself a lot of grace when things become challenging and avoid the temptation to compare myself to others. Because everyone is at a different stage in their own journey, it is unfair to look to others when I want to see where I am in the bigger scheme of things. High school went so fast to me, and I know that college will go even faster, so I hope to adapt to the perspective where I work hard, but also try not to take myself too seriously. Next semester I hope to practice more self care, and regardless of the result just put my best efforts into everything, and be okay with whatever the outcome is. So, how did I answer Livvy’s question last night? Besides flaunting the fact that I get to walk by St. Joseph's Lake and the Golden Dome everyday, I was happy to share that Notre Dame is truly my new second home: a community where I can see myself really making an impact in, and a place where I learn my vocation, build lifelong relationships, and write my becoming story. https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/23733/files/192618/download?download_frd=1 https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/23733/files/192618/download?download_frd=1