Moreau Integration Professor Pruitt Moreau Integration 1 October 15, 2021 At My Core I believe that my community should be accepting and inclusive towards everyone. Growing up, my parents always told me to treat others the way you want to be treated. This was a phrase that resonated with me, as I would want others to accept me for who I am. In week one, we talked about authenticity and vulnerability. Brene Brown emphasized the importance of authenticity by saying, “They had connection, and this was the hard part, as a result of authenticity. They were willing to let go of who they thought they should be in order to be who they were” (“The Power of Vulnerability” by Brené Brown - Moreau FYE Week One). In order to form connections with those around us, we must be our most authentic selves, which requires vulnerability, especially when meeting new people. However, in order to feel comfortable being authentic and vulnerable, it is imperative that we are in an accepting, inclusive environment. Everyone has different stories, as is demonstrated in week 5, and with our different stories, we can foster a very diverse community. Diversity is beneficial to everyone, as we broaden our horizons by hearing the variety of different stories and cultures that other people experience. For example, we can learn through the stories and hardships of others, as is demonstrated when Carla Harris said “I have learned that the way to grow your power is indeed to give it away” “"Notre Dame Commencement 2021: Laetare Medalist Address" - Moreau FYE Week 5). As an African American woman who worked on Wall Street, Carla Harris has plenty of stories of hardship, struggle, and perseverance that she can tell the world. For her, through telling her stories, she gains “power” because she is impacting the lives of others. In order to embrace the stories of others, like Carla Harris, we must have an inclusive and accepting environment. One thing that impedes our ability to live in an accepting, inclusive society is implicit biases. Implicit biases are, unfortunately, something that we all have, and something that many people are unaware of. Though people with implicit biases typically don’t have malicious intentions, implicit biases do prevent our society from reaching true inclusivity, as implicit biases tend to discriminate against certain minority groups. As was discussed in class, in the future we must target implicit biases at the source and eliminate them through early education. Chimamanda Adichie said “What this demonstrates, I think, is how impressionable and vulnerable we are in the face of a story, particularly as children” (“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie- Moreau FYE Week 7). This quote demonstrates how it is imperative that we teach children about inclusivity and acceptance while they’re young, since they are still impressionable. If we do that, our society and community will be more welcoming and supportive overall. Community is one of Notre Dame’s most notable qualities, and the community is becoming increasingly more inclusive as Notre Dame becomes more diverse. This is a big step in the right direction, and I believe that we should continue to make our community more accepting and more inclusive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0&feature=youtu.be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSwjn-SyB4&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDame https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjSwjn-SyB4&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDame https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story I believe that I am responsible for helping others. I was born into a very privileged family and have been super blessed with a pretty easy life. In my week 6 “Where I’m From” poem, I wrote about how I’m from a very privileged town, which has definitely impacted my view on the world. I’ve never been concerned about finances, family issues, or many other issues faced by the majority of the world. However, at times I forget that I grew up in a bubble, shielding me from the reality faced by most people in the world. As Father Pete said “Let us never forget that we live in a world that is hungry, thirsty, without shelter, ill and imprisoned” ("The Role of Faith in Our Story" - Moreau FYE Week 3). For those of us who have been fortunate, I believe that we have an obligation to help those in need. Growing up, my dad always told me “to whom much is given, much is expected”. I have been given a lot, so I think the least that I can do is help others. Additionally, the Catholic values have exemplified the need to do service. In Catholicism, service is a very important value, so it has been a priority in my life growing up. All throughout high school, I did various volunteer activities, which I really enjoyed. It was very fulfilling and rewarding to see that you’re making an impact on someone else’s life by helping them. I believe that I foster life giving relationships by surrounding myself with uplifting and supporting people. At home, my closest friends are my friends from elementary school and even younger than that. Coming to school, I was nervous about making new, close friends because I hadn’t had to make new best friends in years. I haven’t thought about the characteristics of good friendships before coming here, because I already had my good friendships. This idea is solidified by David Brooks when he said “The eulogy virtues are the ones that get mentioned in the eulogy, which are deeper: who are you, in your depth, what is the nature of your relationships, are you bold, loving, dependable, consistent? And most of us, including me, would say that the eulogy virtues are the most important virtues. But at least in my case, are they the ones that I think about the most? And the answer is no” (Should You Live for Your Resume... Or Your Eulogy? By David Brooks - Moreau FYE Week 2). Though I hadn’t put much thought into character traits prior to college, since coming here I’ve had to think about it a lot more. When making friends here, I try to surround myself with people who will help me become a better person, and I’ll do the same for them. This is reinforced in one of the articles that says “A good, healthy friendship is one where two people are mutually growing and on a path toward becoming better people” ("5 Signs You're in a Toxic Friendship" - Moreau FYE Week 4). By being uplifting and supporting, my friends are helping me to become my best self. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDameCampusMinistry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcZMeqWWOIs&ab_channel=UniversityofNotreDameCampusMinistry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM&ab_channel=TED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlLWTeApqIM&ab_channel=TED https://canvas.nd.edu/courses/23665/modules/items/107200