Final Blog

“As a daughter, sister, friend, student, patient, performer, Catholic, American, and human, I pledge to believe in myself and others. I promise to try to better our future and the futures of the next generations.  I promise to try change the culture of our society. I believe in power in numbers.  If one person can change the world, then imagine the potential in hundreds. 

I promise to use my knowledge to hear the music of the world; to help people find their voices.  I pledge to heal; to heal myself and to help others regain their strength.

Change does not just happen.  It is forged by empowered women with open minds who keep innovation and inspiration first.  I believe I can be one of those women.”

This mission statement acted as a catalyst for the rest of the course.  To me, this springboard helped me to focus myself on what the class was about.  From the different types of love, to vocation, to walking “The Way,” this mission statement was something to look back on and adjust to fit with my changing character and beliefs.

I think that one of the most important lessons we covered in this class is the ability to accept yourself and others.  Through discussing “hook-up culture,” the various religious stand points on abortion, sexual orientation, body modification, and more, it became easier to relate things to our personal lives.  The stories of Jason and Crystalina were inspirational and truly showed possible redemption.  However, the one ideal that stood out the most was learning about love.  Through the numerous activities, busted halo readings, and “slides,” the message of love and what it really means stood out.  Sharing the love stories gave great examples of the readings and information that we had studied.

Some Say Love...

Some Say Love…

Some qualities and characteristics to be found to committed relationships include: respect, loyalty, trust, and honesty.  Respect is an important thing to give and to receive. Respect shows that you think that the other person has value and that you want to show them that. Loyalty is the willingness to make an investment or personal sacrifice to strengthen a relationship. Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life. Trust in human relationships is indeed delicate.  Actions speak louder than words and building trust is probably the most important component of a solid and healthy relationship. Trust can take a long time to build, but at the same time can be destroyed by a single action or misconception.

In honor of the opening of Zombie Prom at Skippack Playhouse I have decided to only use love songs from the musical. One of the first songs, “Ain’t No Going Back", includes the following lyrics:

“AS BOUNDLESS AS THE HEAVENS/ ETERNAL AS THE SOUL/ AS DESTINED AS THE SUNSET/ WHEN THE CREDITS START TO ROLL/ AS CERTAIN AS THE STARLIGHT/ WHEN THE DAY HAS GONE TO BLACK/ YES, IT'S SAID AND DONE/ OUR SOULS ARE ONE/ AND THERE AIN'T NO GOIN' BACK”

            This section goes along with the loyalty and respect desired and expected in a relationship.

The song, “The Voice in the Ocean” also has themes of trust, loyalty and honesty.

“THE VOICE IN THE OCEAN/ THAT RANG IN YOUR HEAD/ THAT SANG THROUGH AND GOT YOU/ TO RISE FROM THE DEAD/ THE VOICE IN THE OCEAN/ THAT CALLED THROUGH THE SEA/ OH, YOU KNEW THAT THE VOICE/ YES, IT'S TRUE THAT THE VOICE WAS ME/ OH, IT WAS ME.”

In addition, the song “How Can I Say Goodbye?” has the ideals of loyalty:

“HOW CAN I SAY GOOD-BYE TO LOVE/ WHEN LOVE IS ALL I'VE GOT?/ TOFFEE, I'LL SEE IT/ THROUGH/CAUSE BABY, I FOUGHT BACK HELL FOR YOU/ OH, I'LL NEVER SAY GOOD-BYE-EEII-EEII TO LOVE!... HOW CAN I SAY GOOD-BYE, MY DEAR?/ HOW CAN I NOT BE TRUE?”

“Easy to Say” also from Zombie Prom portrays the motifs loyalty and trust.

“EASY TO SAY/ THIS IS NO TIME TO COAST/ EV'RYTHING WARPS/ WHEN YOU'RE BOYFRIENDS A CORPSE/ STILL, LOVE MATTERS MOST!/ BETTER TO SAY/ ‘I’LL TRY’”

And the last song that fits in with the themes of respect, loyalty, trust, and honesty is “Forbidden Love”:

“HOW COULD I NOT BE TRUE?/ YOU GAVE ME MY FREEDOM/ … WHERE WOULD YOU HAVE ME GO?/ I'D FOLLOW YOU BLINDLY/ NOW AND FOREVER”

The changing face of marriage

The ‘domestic church’ is a very realistic concept in place for all people.  Wherever your home may be, that is the initial place of interpersonal associations and the development of love.  My personal  ‘domestic church’ has been a nurturing one.  It has extended from the small realm of my immediate family and connected with cousins, family friends, and other family members.  The changing structure and composition of marriage and family should not effect the how the current primary ‘domestic church’ effects children.  The pros include that if a child is raised in a loving environment where faith and believes are part of a lifestyle, then there should be no change.  However, if the outside population does not accept and evolve with the new culture, more negative feeling may be engrained into the child.

The study completed by the Pew Trust suggesting that those with college degrees are less likely to experience divorce/multiple marriages than those without college degrees is to be expected.  Part of being in college is developing deeper connections with your true self and with others in addition to expanding knowledge.  Those traits will assist in forming a strong relationship with another.  I do feel compelled to establish the ‘domestic church’ in my home because of the positive benefits one can gain through such an environment.

Vatican II

In reading “What Did Vatican II Say About Marriage?” by David Gibson, there were a few thing I noticed in relation to current society.  This may be because I recently watched “The New Normal”, but the main issue that stood out to me is that, in current society, we are more accepting of same-sex marriage.

 

“The title of one of the constitution’s sections refers to “the nobility of marriage and the family,” a nobility to be fostered. Marriage, the constitution says, is a “vocation.””

 

Is there a reason that marriage cannot be revered or a calling to those attracted to the same sex?

 

In addition, “the council esteemed conjugal love as a sign to others of Christ’s own love for the church.”  It also went on to speak about the marriage being a positive force for the entire church.  However, in today’s day and age, less people attend church and controversial views push people away.  Many LGBT people leave because they are not accepted, yet they would certainly add to the marriage influence.

 

“In their 2009 national pastoral letter…the U.S. Catholic bishops [said this about marriage as a vocation]: ‘The church teaches that marriage is an authentic vocation or divine call. As a vocation, marriage is just as necessary and valuable to the church as other vocations.’”

Marriage is just as necessary and valuable to the church.  However, not all forms of marriage are allowed.

“The bishops explain that “the call to love reaches beyond the home to the extended family, the neighborhood and the larger community.” They add that “this marital and familial love finds its complete expression, following the example of Jesus himself, in a willingness to sacrifice oneself in everyday situations for one’s spouse and children.”

-          This statement though is restricted to only heterosexual couples

“Conjugal love is not a fleeting event, but the patient project of a lifetime.”

I believe that people still try to follow a life with one marriage and connection.  In current society, however, the divorce rate is very high and commitment rates are very small.

Dating: What's the Point?

I understand the point of ‘dating’ becoming just a ‘practice for divorce’.  With the current ‘hook-up’ culture, short relationships seem to be the new normal.  I think that if a relationship is taken seriously by both parties it does not have to be a quick association.  It depends on the given scenario and those involved.  Most teenagers in 2012 are not looking at ‘dating’ in high school as something that will lead to marriage.  In most cases, couples spilt not because of a real issue in the relationship but because of separating for college.  I agree that in most cases breaking-up before college makes sense so that you have more freedoms however it attributes to the potentially lackadaisical relationships of the day. 

The ‘hook-up’ culture stems from the idea of trying many different things to find what you like.  It is can basically be ‘speed-dating’ without the conversation.  The term ‘hooking-up’ has a different definition to each person and setting.  In conjunction with that, when someone says, “Guess what? [Insert name here] ‘hooked-up’ with [insert 2^nd name here] last weekend!” There is, almost always, the follow-up question of, “What did they do?”  Although popular culture has attempted to put less visual terminology to making-out/oral sex/sexual intercourse/etc. the term still needs to be elaborated on when used in context similar to the aforementioned scenario.

When Will He Propose???

I really liked this article on Busted Halo.  It brings to the forefront some ideals that are not consciously noticed.  The media tends to glamourize the idea of “the proposal” and does not always show that prior conversation is necessary to build a strong foundation.  In speaking with my parents, I know that they had spoken about the topic of marriage pre-proposal.  This is a logical thing to do in order to discuss topics such as children, lifestyle, careers and any changes that come with marriage.  A traditional proposal is the dream of many; however, I think that the world should bring more of the modern ways into play in our society.  Men’s thought process of being “the breadwinner”, in my opinion, is slowly fading to the background.  Women are becoming leaders in all facets of industry and men can take charge at home.

Wall-E Robot Engagement Ring box (too cute!)

Human Sexuality: 'Wonderful Gift' and 'Awesome Responsibility'

A response to the article by Richard Sparks:

Human Sexuality: 'Wonderful Gift' and 'Awesome Responsibility' by Richard Sparks is a clear overview on the basic teachings of the Church.  Most of the positions the Church takes in relation to controversial topics regarding sexuality were pretty much what I personally expected.  I understand their positions on unitive dimension, procreative dimension, married partners, single persons, and today's adolescents.  However, the stance on homosexual couples seems a bit hypocritical, in my opinion.  On the one hand they state, "homosexual [persons], like everyone else, should not suffer from prejudice against their basic human rights.  They have a right to respect, friendship and justice.  They should have an active role in the Christian community" (To Live in Christ Jesus, #52).  Yet, is not the Church denying them human rights and respect by not accepting who they love, as well as the right to marry?  This particular section stood out to me: “homosexual activity, as distinguished from homosexual orientation, is morally wrong" (Human Sexuality, 55). While the gay or lesbian orientation is not morally wrong (nor freely chosen), a homosexual person is not thereby free to engage in genital sexual activity with persons of the same sex.”  The Church will acknowledge that being homosexual is not a choice but something you naturally feel as a person (and as a child of God), but does not feel that loving your partner, (in a homosexual relationship) in a physical (or even marital) way is acceptable.

Mission Statement

            As a daughter, sister, friend, student, patient, performer, Catholic, American, and human, I pledge to believe in myself and others. I promise to try to better our future and the futures of the next generations.  I promise to try change the culture of our society. I believe in power in numbers.  If one person can change the world, then imagine the potential in hundreds. 

I promise to use my knowledge to hear the music of the world; to help people find their voices.  I pledge to heal; to heal myself and to help others regain their strength.

Change does not just happen.  It is forged by empowered women with open minds who keep innovation and inspiration first.  I believe I can be one of those women.

Who Am I?

I am a person of great contrasts, I've been told.  At one time you might see me belting out a number in the fall musical....and the next time, I could be wearing safety goggles working in the pit of my high school's all-girl robotics team.  My interests fall from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being on the stage, and, throughout the years I have had many opportunities to do so...in musical theatre, glee club, orchestra, a cappella choir, handbell choir, liturgy singers and dancers, and dance recitals.  But when I started high school, my engineering side came through. The world of robotics invaded my soul. 

Robotics is a different stage. It's where teamwork and know-how meet and join forces. The task of building a robot to perform a certain set of goals in six short weeks from scraps of metal in the leaky basement under the convent attached to our school...well, it's quite exhilarating!

I am a girl with some contrasting interests, who will be just as thrilled playing the lead of Toffee in Zombie Prom this fall as I will be using a drill press to build the next generation of competition robot come January

            Crohn's Disease, it is not contagious and it is not very sexy when it comes to chronic, lifelong conditions, but it is part of what makes me, me.  I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in 2005 after drastically losing weight and constantly being sick and in pain.  It was impossible for me to have even a bite of oatmeal before becoming sick.  As soon as I was diagnosed, my family and I were put in contact with organizations specifically for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).  I joined the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCFA) right away; that was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  After being stabilized with diet and medication, I became instantly involved with the organization.  In 2007 I was asked to serve as Youth Ambassador for the Philadelphia/ Delaware Valley Chapter of CCFA. Speaking at various events, raising awareness about IBD and funds to find a cure is an honor I truly embrace.  Aside from this position with the CCFA, I captain a team for the annual Take Steps walk held in May and attend a one-week overnight camp for kids and teens with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (Camp Oasis).  This past summer, my 7^th year at the camp, I was a Leader-in-Training and will return as a counselor.  This one week, though it may seem like just another summer camp, is the highlight of my year and I can honestly say I am a much different, and better, person because of it.

Crohn’s Disease is a HUGE part of my life.  I know that I would be radically different without it and would not change a thing.  I may have Crohn’s Disease, but it does not have me.