Called It

There are some things I saw coming from miles away. Those things can be challenging enough. Sometimes I worry about what I don’t see. Life can smack you in the face or grace you with all sorts of wonders. You just have to be ready for whatever is thrown your way. Live, learn and keep going but never deny the experiences you’ve had regardless of how it ended. It is part of you and it helped to bring you where you are now. And if that’s not where you want to be then live, learn and keep going.

I realize this is kind of optimistic and that no situation is clear-cut and conforming to any kind of standard. So many people have experienced things that I could never fathom and hope to never go through. (I’m writing a paper on refugees right now for example.) But this is me, and this is where I stand right now.

 

Fluorescent Bulbs: Easy Way to Cut Carbon Emissions

One of the classes I am taking this semester is Global Environmental Issues. I’ll be honest, it has nothing to do with my history or anthropology major, and I signed up for the class primarily because they are taking us to Taiwan and China at the end of the semester. But hey, I figure I’m there and am going to learn something while I sit through lecture.

I was reading for class and came across a section talking about how much carbon emissions could be reduced if incandescent bulbs were replaced with fluorescent. Click here to read the section of the book. A question that my mom often brought up at the store when we bought light-bulbs came to mind. How do you properly dispose of the fluorescent bulbs?

I decided to look it up. Apparently it isn’t as difficult as one might fear. This website gives a good explanation of where and how to dispose of them. From what I can tell, if there are no facilities in your area that accept the bulbs, you can dispose of them in your household trash after first putting them in two plastic bags and sealing them. Easy enough. Let me know if I’m wrong.

UPDATE: I have been told in the comments section that Lowes and Home Depot recycle fluorescent bulbs. Here’s an idea: Save the dead bulbs at your house until you are ready to take them out to be recycled.

 

Academics and Faith

No college student would deny that a majority of their time is spent going to class, working a job and doing (or at least thinking) about homework.  Because of this, most people would agree that maintaining a significant faith and/or prayer life can be incredibly challenging.  It’s easy to forget about prayer in the midst of of all the stress that college produces.

This is a question I’ve been learning to deal with recently.

I go to a group on campus called Life and Faith (LAF) and have really enjoyed going.  (I need to thank the person that introduced me to the group.)  We meet once a week to discuss issues that pertain to college students that one might not usually discuss just out on campus.

At the last meeting we were asked to answer two questions.  The first was, “How does my academic journey relate to my faith?” The second was, “How is my academic life prayer?” I had a lot of trouble answering these at first, and it wasn’t much easier when we broke into groups and tried to come up with an answer. After convening again with the whole group however, I was able to better understand the questions.

One thing we tried to do was to relate faith and prayer life to our own majors.  As a history major, I am taught to pay attention to change and continuity over time but always keeping a mind for context.  Just as history moves in relation to the context of the time, so does our faith or prayer life, regardless of who or where a person is regarding these two things.  I think it’s an interesting thing to consider.

In terms of how our academics relate to our faith, one person in the group mentioned another way for students to think about their studies.  He said we can come to know the Creator by studying the creation.

The second question, “How is my academic life prayer?” was the question of the night.  At first, it might not seem to make much sense, but after we talked about prayer and tried to define prayer we were better able to answer the question.  Someone in the group mentioned that prayer does not have to be the mantra, meditation or traditional idea of prayer that some people have.  Rather, it could be an attitude of being prayerful.

In any general education communication class students learn that there are different forms of communication besides verbal.  Of course that concept might seem obvious, but it is important to keep it in mind for prayer too.

It was an interesting discussion and I know that this summary and my thoughts about it are not well organized and totally coherent, but I thought I would bring these things up for you all since I had been thinking about them and because there were some interesting thoughts brought up in the discussion.  One thing I love about LAF is that the discussions we have there could go on for hours and it’s sometimes unfortunate that we only have an hour to discuss the topics we choose.

 

Say What?

What do college students get passionate about? What besides the latest YouTube or pop culture sensation keeps our interest? I rarely hear people on campus talking about the issues that are in the news. Everyone is interested in what is going on in the present, in their own world. I’m sure part of the reason is that we sometimes feel as if we are going 200 miles per hour every day with classes, homework, extra curricular activities and jobs that all we have left for the news and the big decisions that are being made in the world is a tired apathy.

 

A Revelation of Sorts

I came to a realization last night, one that I’ve been waiting for for a while now. I’m not sure how to explain it really, but it’s a realization and recognition of the changing nature of… well, everything I guess.

We all define ourselves based on what kind of things we are involved in, where we are in our lives, etc. But nothing is static and things are always moving from one state to another. Sometimes we might not want or ask for the change that has come upon us, but we have to accept that change and make it work for us rather than against us. To take a phrase I’ve heard from some of my environmentally minded friends, we have to adapt or die. It sounds harsh, but I think it’s true. If a change comes along that we weren’t looking for, that we didn’t want, we cannot let it be the end of us and we cannot let that change and that feeling of resentment of change define us. That can be difficult I know. But when we finally let go of something and embrace the change, recognizing that the past is the past and that the future is wide open, not defined at all, it is a liberating feeling. I’ve had that feeling of liberation a few times in the past year, and each time it’s been absolutely refreshing.

I am a firm believer in the will of God and that whatever happens is part of His plan for us. I know some people think that this is a really simplistic way of looking at the world and that only people who have never really experienced any kind of tragedy think that way. I’m proof that this isn’t true. I’ve experienced my own bit of tragedy, hardship, whatever you want to call it. I’m not going to get into that though. As I was saying, I honestly believe that whatever happens, good or bad, teaches us something valuable and that every person is put into our lives to teach us something if we will just let them. And you know that saying that “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?” I think there’s truth in that as well.

But the way I’m talking here makes it sound like all change comes in the form of some kind of surprise that hits you in the face and that you just have to deal with. That isn’t the case at all and I’m sure you all know that. Sometimes you make the change happen yourself. As I’m writing this, one of the things I’m thinking about is something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, the prospect of law school. This is a change that I will consciously decide to take on, but how much change I have not yet decided.

These thoughts have brought me to something else I’ve found interesting the past several weeks, and that is a couple of Sunday homilies I’ve heard. With the season of Advent upon us we are constantly reminded of change and preparing for something new, and this is something that the priest at UofL has pointed out a couple times. He told us in two separate homilies that sometimes we need to let something go, let something end, in order for something new to take its place. This is so true! Allowing something to end may be uncomfortable for all of us, but it might lead to something much better.

Oh, the only way you’ll really know is to really let it go.
-Ingrid Michaelson, “Maybe”

 

Apparently Simple, But Still Impressive

So I have this large world map hanging above my bed at home. It’s been there for a few years and, as with all things that you get used to seeing, I stopped thinking too much about it. Tonight though, for some reason, I stopped to look at it closely again. Do you ever have one of those moments where you know you’ve realized something before, and in all reality it’s kind of a “well duh” thought, but it amazes you all the same? I got that when I looked at the map. The earth is huge. Now wait, before you close this window and vow never again to return to check my blog, hear me out. This might not end up sounding quite as silly as it does to you (and even me) right now.

Right, so here I am, 20 years old and, though I don’t confine myself to my home town and the city where I now go to school, I still have seen only a fraction of a fraction of the world. I wouldn’t say I’ve travelled extensively. I’ve been out of the country only once and still haven’t made it to all 50 states, but doggone it what I have seen is pretty amazing! I have a hunger to see more, experience more, to step on to a plane and go somewhere completely new. Luckily I will have that chance for two weeks this summer. I am going to Taiwan and China with a group of people from the University of Louisville Honors Program! I’ve always wanted to go to China, but never thought I’d get the chance honestly. And yet, here it is.

But besides that, I still want to go back to Europe. Nicole and I have talked fairly seriously about backpacking after we graduate and before law school. It would be absolutely amazing if we could actually pull that off. (yikes, and that’s only a year and a half away… better start saving.)

“Hold on.” You might be saying now. “Europe is all fine and well, but you’ve seen parts of it already. Where else do you want to go? You can’t stop in Europe, especially after starting a ridiculous blog post about how big the world is and your realization of this after looking at a map.”

You’re right. So where else do I want to go? Everywhere… No, seriously, everywhere. It might not be a feasible goal, but hey, I never thought I’d even make it to China right? What I’ve learned thus far is that you can never let an opportunity pass you by. If you really want to go somewhere, grab hold of whatever you can and make it happen. You’ll never go somewhere just by wishing you could go or by getting upset that you haven’t left yet.

In 2005 I was only vaguely interested in hearing what a group had to say about a trip that they were planning for kids in my area. I went to the interest meeting, then decided, “Why not? What’s the worst that could happen?” And signed up for an interview. Before I knew it… BAM… I was in Athens, Greece, up the Italian peninsula and on to Paris. So, does going somewhere sound financially feasible? Maybe not. School or work hold ing you back? Maybe so, but there are ways of getting around that!

Another thing that always amazes me when I think of it (to change the subject just slightly) is the power of the internet in this huge world. We can literally be connected with anyone in any part of the world at any time. For example, I can be sitting here in my house and if I’m on the internet, I can have a conversation with my friend studying in Egypt! This sounds so simple now that I’m typing it, but WOW. I’m still amazed. If it doesn’t amaze you, just think about it a little longer and maybe it will. Or maybe it won’t and I’m just special in finding this fantastic.

These are the types of things I write past midnight.

So… our world is amazing. amiright?

 

This Has Nothing to do With Anything

I’ve noticed that as the semester draws to a close, finals get closer and finally underway, I completely lose the motivational stress that I’ve had all semester. Suddenly I procrastinate a lot more and freak out a lot less. Why is this? To be honest I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it’s because I’ve psyched myself out all semester, gotten everything done well and on time and now that I’m in the midst of scholastic hell, I know things will get done as long as I actually sit down and do it. Right, so how does procrastination fit in? I’m obviously not working if I’m procrastinating. Well I’ve gotten everything else done this semester, so this has to get finished too at some point.

I’m currently writing a 15 page research paper for my historical methods class on Ibn Khaldun of Tunis (1332 – 1406). (Last week I finished a 10 page paper on interbreeding between Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans.) I worked on my outline for this paper all yesterday in the library for seriously about 3 solid hours, then finished it up after dinner. Today I finished typing up my bibliography and now have to actually sit down and write the actual term paper. (whinecrysob)

I’m sure many people could relate to the finals procrastination that I’m feeling and actually, I’m writing this post as part of that procrastination. I can only check twitter and facebook so many times before even that gets old. So before I even started working I, of course, had to make my bed and tidy my space. Then I put my name at the top of the page… and got up to get a snack. I came up with some semblance of a title… then checked email. I thought about how to begin the first sentence of the paper… then decided to write this blog post instead.

Well, this looks promising.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my ramblings enough as part of your own procrastination efforts.

 

The Diocese Comments: NDA and MTV

Two days ago the Diocese released a comment to the Cincinnati Enquirer concerning the MTV crews at NDA. This is what they had to say:

Prior to (Sept. 28), neither Bishop Foys nor diocesan officials had knowledge of this decision. If consultation had been sought, Bishop Foys and diocesan officials would not have granted permission for the filming,” the statement said.

“We regret the decision to use the school as a vehicle to assist and promote an MTV program. Diocesan officials are very aware of the type of programming aired on MTV, and do not encourage the students in its schools to watch it.

“Bishop Foys and diocesan officials have met with representatives of Notre Dame Academy and the Sisters of Notre Dame. Bishop Foys is satisfied that the school administrators understand the gravity of the situation and its ramifications. He continues to be supportive of the Sisters of Notre Dame and Notre Dame Academy. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

I will agree that the decision to have TV crews from MTV inside the school was not a good idea on the part of the administration. There is no telling how the show might skew the segment of the school for its own purposes. Of course, one could give them the benefit of the doubt and hope that they would not skew it at all. I do however understand the initial reasons behind allowing it as described in the first email sent out to the alumni. (You can read that email in the previous post.)

The sanctity of life is a well known teaching of the Catholic Church. Unfortunately it seems that the Church’s right to life position gets twisted into something naïve or something potentially destructive to a mother’s health. I won’t get into the debates on the issue now as it is much too complicated and doesn’t have much bearing on this post. Anyway, I believe that NDA hoped to show that even in a Catholic community a young, single mother can have a support system outside of just her family. This community recognizes that, though it is not a good situation and her actions are not supported by the church, it is the person that need support. In other words, we may not respect the action but we must respect the person.

I know that I can say with absolute confidence that Notre Dame Academy was in no way advocating premarital sex by allowing MTV to film in the school, but hoped to empower women through their decision by showing people that there is a supportive network single mothers can go to. There can be no denying the fact that this kind of thing does happen. Yes, even in our conservative community of northern Kentucky. We cannot turn a blind eye to the fact, but must face it and tell these women, these girls really, that we can help them, we are willing to help them, and are going to help them.

Due to the backlash caused by the decision to allow the film crews, the administration sent the following email to alumni. I do believe that the sisters had the best intentions in mind when they agreed to the filming, but unfortunately did not assess all the repercussions of such a decision.

Dear NDA Alumnae,

Recently the administration of Notre Dame Academy allowed MTV onto its campus to film a segment of a show.  Despite our best intentions, we realize that this decision was a mistake and we apologize.  We regret any harm caused by this decision and ask for your prayers and support as we move forward.

Sincerely,

Sr. Mary Shauna Bankemper, SND        Sr. Elaine Marie Winter, SND

It is my hope that soon the eyes of the community will be turned away from Notre Dame Academy and toward the young lady in our community who obviously needs support. And not just her, but the many girls who are in the same situation.

My prayers go out to Notre Dame Academy as they continue to educate women to make a difference.

 

Notre Dame Academy and MTV

Several of you have heard the rumor that MTV crews have been to my high school to shoot for their show, “Sixteen and Pregnant.” When I first heard the news I was, of course, incredulous. I couldn’t imagine that a girls’ Catholic high school, let alone the diocese, would allow a show like this to be filmed there. Today I received an email not only confirming the rumor, but giving the reason for allowing MTV into the school.  The reasoning is actually what I expected it to be; that as a Catholic institution they support the sanctity of life, want to respect the family support and hope to educate other people that  may be in a similar situation.

Here is the email in its entirety:

Dear Parents,

On Friday a film crew was on the NDA campus to video one of our students at the request of the student and her parents. The student is pregnant and has chosen to deliver the baby rather than to abort. The family is currently working with MTV on a documentary on teen pregnancy . The parents contacted Sr. Elaine weeks ago to ask if the group could shoot a school segment. Sister spoke to the producers about NDA’s position on life. She was assured that the school’s identification would not be obvious and was promised anonymity within the contract. The teachers and students in the young woman’s classes were asked to sign consent forms before the shoot.

The fall out of the visit has been dramatic. We are hearing from parents, alums, and friends of Notre Dame. We wanted you to know the reason for permitting the shoot.

Notre Dame Academy believes in the sacredness of life and condemns abortion. The parents of the concerned young woman support their daughter’s decision to respect life and want to assist her in sharing her story with other adolescent girls who are facing the same decision. The student and her family are also working with Catholic Social Services to determine the appropriate options, one being open adoption. NDA believes that by respecting this family’s support of life we will educate and help influence other young women who are facing similar circumstances. While we knew that this might result in some controversy, our belief is that if this public story causes one additional young woman to protect a life instead of resorting to an abortion, we were willing to address the questions that might arise. The film follows this young woman through herpregnancy, the school segment being one of many. In an effort to support the student and her parents, permission was given for the filming of the segment here at the school.

We wanted to inform you of our position as soon as possible and Sr. Elaine will be talking to the students on Monday morning. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of Notre Dame Academy.

Sincerely in Notre Dame,

Sr. Mary Shauna and Sr. Elaine Marie

 

Graduate School Decisions

I mentioned in one of my recent posts that I’ve been thinking a lot about graduate school: what to study, where to study, etc. As I see it, I have three options. First, I can get a higher degree in history. Second, I could continue to study anthropology and get a higher degree in that. My final option is this: law school. All  three options would require a lot of work, but work I would be willing to do and driven to be successful in. I have already done some reading about careers for all three of the above options and have made a few preliminary decisions to guide further searches. What follows are some of my thoughts on the matter.

From what I’ve read, probably not a higher degree in anthropology. Don’t get me wrong, I think the subject matter is great and I really enjoy my classes. I’ve just been considering the career opportunities for someone with a higher degree in anthropology and most of what I have read encourages students to get a PhD and go into the field, conduct research, and publish the results. Traveling would be fantastic, those of you that know me well know that I have a passion for seeing different places. However, I don’t think that working in the field is the lifestyle I’m looking for.

Just getting accepted to Yale is the dream. Paying for it is another question entirely, but they have a fantastic history department.

see more Funny Graphs

Not only do they have a fantastic history department, but one of my professors, and adjunct law professor at UofL, told me that they also have an excellent law program. In the past several months I have done a lot of thinking and researching and I believe I have reached the decision to apply for law school. A concentration in either civil law or intellectual property law look really interesting. (Not to mention the average salary is outstanding… But that’s really not what’s most important.) Nicole and I met with the aforementioned professor after class last week specifically to ask about a class for next semester, but we ended up talking more about law school. He encouraged us to apply for the Truman scholarship and all the top law schools in the country, telling us that we had the skills, the drive and the GPA points to be competitive and successful.

This semester I’m getting into the Honors Overseers’ Mentoring program on campus and hope that meeting with someone in the law field over an extended amount of time will really help me to make a final decision. Unfortunately I haven’t met my mentor yet, but I should be getting his or her contact information this evening actually.

I think the biggest challenge for me this year in terms of working out my future will be deciding what it is I want to get out of my education and where I want to go in life. It’s a lot to think about and not easy to make decisions on, but I know it will come with time.

P.S… this post was written over the course of … well… a couple months, so I hope it reads well. Maybe I’ll be able to blog a bit more regularly again? hah! Only if school allows. Until then…