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tsukikageWell, I'm really gonna have to "ganbaru" at the workshops. (I signed up for the T/Th workshops from 2:30-4 in Yudof. They'll run from January 23rd to February 23rd, for a total of eight sessions.) Crappy essays, some of the paperwork done last minute in fine-tip Sharpie, and on top of it all I forgot to do the essays for the Living/Learning Communities, of which I had applied for two (GSD (German Scandinavian and Dutch) and substance-free), so those are at least two openings I have no hope of getting.
If anyone wants to see the essays I did complete, they're under the cut.
In your own words, define community.
- Discuss the importance of community development in a residential environment.
- How will your experiences as a member of a community help you excel as a Community Advisor?
According to dictionary.com, a community is “a group of people living in the same locality and under the same government” or “a group of people having common interests”. As students living in the University of Minnesota residential housing, we to some extent fall under both categories. We all share an interest in wanting to get an education, and those living in Living/Learning Communities share the interests that that particular community is based on. But for the most part we belong to the first category: we are students who have never before known each other, and have been thrown together for the duration of the school year, governed in terms not being allowed to infringe upon others rights (such as the right not to have one’s belongings stolen), but for the most part we are left to out own devices.
Because we are left to our own devices, many of us may be too shy to make friends, or we may have trouble getting along with each other, even if no one has made any great transgressions. When we are having trouble, we may not feel that we have anyone to ask for help, because our parents and friends, who we’ve spent years getting to know and becoming comfortable with, aren’t around anymore.
A C.A.’s job is not to build a community, because we are already part of a community, whether we like it or not. Rather, a C.A.’s duty is to build a sense of community. That is, they need to bring students together so that they can get to know each other, and to mediate conflicts so students will learn to trust one another rather than become wary of each other. This is not necessary in the “real world”, because there people have time to get to know each other, and they are able to spend time on their own when they need to depressurize, but in residential housing we live in such close quarters, and are only together for eight months before everyone moves and we are thrown into a brand new community.
I believe that I would excel as a Community Advisor because of my empathy, humility, and dedication to making sure everyone feels involved. Having been born with a cleft lip and palate and generally being a shy person throughout elementary school and junior high, I know what it’s like to feel left out and without a community to support me when I’m having difficulty, so when I talk to those in my community about their feelings of loneliness, I can help them using my own experiences.
At the same time, I have enough humility to be able to listen carefully and not assume I know exactly what they’re thinking and feeling. And finally, because I want everyone to feel involved, I will make sure to reach out and talk to anyone who doesn’t seem to be forming relationships, even if they’re not necessarily comfortable coming to me on their own.
What is your own personal mission statement or viewpoint regarding diversity?
- What experiences have shaped your mission statement or viewpoint?
- How is your mission statement or viewpoint reflected in your actions?
Growing up my family often took me to Quaker Meetings (church services). One of the four major testimonies of Quakerism is the Testimony of Equality, which is the idea that all people have a bit of God within them, and as such all people deserve equal treatment. This upbringing has given me a strong sense that every person on this earth is worthy of being treated with respect.
Still, I realize that we as humans are not perfect, and as such we sometimes have trouble with this and we find it difficult to act normally around certain people. The conclusion I have come to is that although we cannot control our thoughts, we can and must control our actions, and one of the ways we can control our actions is by becoming more aware of out thoughts. For example, when I ride on the city bus I sometimes make an exercise of searching for (inner) beauty in every one of the riders, and reminding myself that every one of the people sitting on that bus is a child of God. (Of course, I only do this if I am wearing sunglasses, so people won’t think I’m staring at them.)
Since I sometimes feel uncomfortable around homeless people, I also deciding to spent time working at a homeless overflow shelter so that I would learn to become comfortable around them. By regularly spending time reminding myself of everyone’s value, it becomes easier for me to act respectfully in those situations that make me feel awkward.
Although we don’t mean to, many of us discriminate against others every day. But I strongly believe that if everyone took the time to recognize their biases and discomforts, actively worked to change their thoughts regarding their biases, and intentionally exposed themselves to that which they are biased against, we would be much closer to treating others as they deserve to be treated.
What do you believe is the biggest issue or challenge facing students at the University of Minnesota?
- Please explain why you selected this issue/challenge.
- What skills or abilities do you possess that you believe will assist you in helping students facing this issue/challenge?
I believe that the biggest challenge that students at the University of Minnesota face is making and breaking habits. The habits you do and don’t have can make or break your employment, your studies, your finances, your relationships, and more. For example, if you aren’t in the habit of going to bed at a decent hour, you may not wake up on time to get to work, and you could lose your job. If you have enough bad habits, your life can become miserable because of the consequences.
Of course, the only way to make or break habits is by deciding that that’s what you want to do. However, having others to support you can help a great deal. A supporter can remind you of why you want to change, they can provide a accountability by asking you how things are going, and they congratulate you on a job well done, encouraging you to keep working hard.
Because I care for everyone and want everyone to be able to achieve their dreams, I will make sure to let everyone I am responsible for know that they can come to me if they need help with anything, including if they need someone they can be accountable to. I already do this in an online community which I moderate, so I have practice in taking such a role, and it will be even easier if I am in a position where people know I have been hired for the ultimate purpose of helping them in their endeavors.
The worst part of it is is that they can probably tell how last-minute those essays were, and on top of that they surely would think someone who waits to do things at the last minute, especially for something so important, is someone they don't want to hire to be a C.A.
As I said, I must ganbaru.
Now to work on freshman comp.
If anyone wants to see the essays I did complete, they're under the cut.
In your own words, define community.
- Discuss the importance of community development in a residential environment.
- How will your experiences as a member of a community help you excel as a Community Advisor?
According to dictionary.com, a community is “a group of people living in the same locality and under the same government” or “a group of people having common interests”. As students living in the University of Minnesota residential housing, we to some extent fall under both categories. We all share an interest in wanting to get an education, and those living in Living/Learning Communities share the interests that that particular community is based on. But for the most part we belong to the first category: we are students who have never before known each other, and have been thrown together for the duration of the school year, governed in terms not being allowed to infringe upon others rights (such as the right not to have one’s belongings stolen), but for the most part we are left to out own devices.
Because we are left to our own devices, many of us may be too shy to make friends, or we may have trouble getting along with each other, even if no one has made any great transgressions. When we are having trouble, we may not feel that we have anyone to ask for help, because our parents and friends, who we’ve spent years getting to know and becoming comfortable with, aren’t around anymore.
A C.A.’s job is not to build a community, because we are already part of a community, whether we like it or not. Rather, a C.A.’s duty is to build a sense of community. That is, they need to bring students together so that they can get to know each other, and to mediate conflicts so students will learn to trust one another rather than become wary of each other. This is not necessary in the “real world”, because there people have time to get to know each other, and they are able to spend time on their own when they need to depressurize, but in residential housing we live in such close quarters, and are only together for eight months before everyone moves and we are thrown into a brand new community.
I believe that I would excel as a Community Advisor because of my empathy, humility, and dedication to making sure everyone feels involved. Having been born with a cleft lip and palate and generally being a shy person throughout elementary school and junior high, I know what it’s like to feel left out and without a community to support me when I’m having difficulty, so when I talk to those in my community about their feelings of loneliness, I can help them using my own experiences.
At the same time, I have enough humility to be able to listen carefully and not assume I know exactly what they’re thinking and feeling. And finally, because I want everyone to feel involved, I will make sure to reach out and talk to anyone who doesn’t seem to be forming relationships, even if they’re not necessarily comfortable coming to me on their own.
What is your own personal mission statement or viewpoint regarding diversity?
- What experiences have shaped your mission statement or viewpoint?
- How is your mission statement or viewpoint reflected in your actions?
Growing up my family often took me to Quaker Meetings (church services). One of the four major testimonies of Quakerism is the Testimony of Equality, which is the idea that all people have a bit of God within them, and as such all people deserve equal treatment. This upbringing has given me a strong sense that every person on this earth is worthy of being treated with respect.
Still, I realize that we as humans are not perfect, and as such we sometimes have trouble with this and we find it difficult to act normally around certain people. The conclusion I have come to is that although we cannot control our thoughts, we can and must control our actions, and one of the ways we can control our actions is by becoming more aware of out thoughts. For example, when I ride on the city bus I sometimes make an exercise of searching for (inner) beauty in every one of the riders, and reminding myself that every one of the people sitting on that bus is a child of God. (Of course, I only do this if I am wearing sunglasses, so people won’t think I’m staring at them.)
Since I sometimes feel uncomfortable around homeless people, I also deciding to spent time working at a homeless overflow shelter so that I would learn to become comfortable around them. By regularly spending time reminding myself of everyone’s value, it becomes easier for me to act respectfully in those situations that make me feel awkward.
Although we don’t mean to, many of us discriminate against others every day. But I strongly believe that if everyone took the time to recognize their biases and discomforts, actively worked to change their thoughts regarding their biases, and intentionally exposed themselves to that which they are biased against, we would be much closer to treating others as they deserve to be treated.
What do you believe is the biggest issue or challenge facing students at the University of Minnesota?
- Please explain why you selected this issue/challenge.
- What skills or abilities do you possess that you believe will assist you in helping students facing this issue/challenge?
I believe that the biggest challenge that students at the University of Minnesota face is making and breaking habits. The habits you do and don’t have can make or break your employment, your studies, your finances, your relationships, and more. For example, if you aren’t in the habit of going to bed at a decent hour, you may not wake up on time to get to work, and you could lose your job. If you have enough bad habits, your life can become miserable because of the consequences.
Of course, the only way to make or break habits is by deciding that that’s what you want to do. However, having others to support you can help a great deal. A supporter can remind you of why you want to change, they can provide a accountability by asking you how things are going, and they congratulate you on a job well done, encouraging you to keep working hard.
Because I care for everyone and want everyone to be able to achieve their dreams, I will make sure to let everyone I am responsible for know that they can come to me if they need help with anything, including if they need someone they can be accountable to. I already do this in an online community which I moderate, so I have practice in taking such a role, and it will be even easier if I am in a position where people know I have been hired for the ultimate purpose of helping them in their endeavors.
The worst part of it is is that they can probably tell how last-minute those essays were, and on top of that they surely would think someone who waits to do things at the last minute, especially for something so important, is someone they don't want to hire to be a C.A.
As I said, I must ganbaru.
Now to work on freshman comp.
