A New Vision for the Church

I think Pope Francis is trying to do great things with the Church. Society has been moving forward at a rate much faster than the Catholic Church has ever followed in the past, and too often I hear the excuse that "things have always been done that way". Pope Francis is advocating for the inclusion of women, a better look at the poor and why they are impoverished, and an open and accepting attitude for all Catholics to adopt in general.
Change cannot be accomplished without an open mind, and I think Pope Francis has one of the most open minds of any Popes we have yet had. I don't see much relation between this document and our society's consumerism, but I suppose changing this attitude is one of the ways we can approach the foundation of poverty. We can also use his views on being open-minded to change to try to fix this skewed view of life's priorities and materialism.

Gray Rape

I read the gray rape article last year, among many other articles I read regarding date rape and slut-shaming in general, for a large presentation I gave in morality on Date rape and the double standard set for women in America. It ended up leading into many questions and discussions that made the presentation last the entire block- which I think emphasizes how controversial, important, and uninformed we are on this issue.
For one, the statistics related to accused rapists, convicted rapists, imprisoned rapists, and falsely accused rapists really give one a lot to think about.

(that's 1000 total)

An extremely low percentage of rapes are false accusations made out of regret by girls. The "Blurred Line" isn't so blurred at all... it should be simple, that if a girl is vulnerable, she shouldn't be taken advantage of. The only blurred line is how this plays out in courts, because it is one person's word against another. I think that the only way to really make a change is to spread the idea of the importance of real consent, and what that means. Sobriety, comfort, etc. 

I also think that while it is nice to say that girls should be able to drink as much as they want and wear whatever they want and be completely safe, that is not yet a reality. Girls need to make sure they stick together, watch out for eachother around guys, and keep an eye on eachother. They should still avoid sketchy situations, and have someone with them who can take care of them in the event of extreme intoxication. 

Some say love...

hat are the qualities and characteristics of love that you seek to experience in dating/committed relationships?  Where do you see these illustrated in music?  Do you believe in the quest for soul mates as described in the article?  Why/why not?

In a committed relationship, I expect to experience several things. I expect to experience a mutually strong connection and care for the other person. I think there should be a sense of responsibility for the direction of the relationship and an understanding that commitment is serious. I think that happiness is extremely important, and both people should feel like they have the potential to be their best and happiest person in the relationship. I see examples of the support love requires in many songs. For one example, Adele's "Make You Feel My Love" references the unconditional support and love one person can give to another when they are feeling down or need care. Carrie Underwood's "I Told You So" talks about being hopeful that someone's love will accept them back and forgive them after they made the mistake of leaving. I think in love someone should be confident that they could be happy with the other person for the rest of their life. In Christina Perri's "Thousand Years", she sings about being completely sure  beyond a doubt that she could spend every single day with the man she loves. "I have died every day waiting for you. Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you for a thousand years- I'll love you for a thousand more." I think that on the search for a soulmate people may sometimes lose  someone who they cannot forget, and one of my favorite songs, Ed Sheeran's "Give me Love" talks about not being able to get over a girl and after time apart only needing her more than ever. With this comes the idea that you could have lost your soulmate.. aka finding someone who is perfect for you doesn't mean it has to be all rainbows and butterflies along the way. I agree that people aren't willing enough to work on their relationships- we can't expect one person to provide all the emotional nourishment we need, just as we don't expect ourselves to be complete emotional satisfaction for another person. My favorite song, John Mayer's "Slow Dancing In a burning Room" talks about two people who used to be completely in love but can see their relationship falling apart. "I was the one you always dreamed of, you were the one I tried to draw.." and "We're going down, And you can see it too. We're going down, And you know that we're doomed- my dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room."  I think too many people think that once they find that perfect relationship, that's it. Things can really change over time, and I think that part of love is learning to love in different ways through the years and different life circumstances. I agree with the article's idea of looking for a great mate- someone with similar values, who makes you a better person, and someone you can consider you best friend, while still maintaining other healthy relationships outside of marriage.

hookup culture

I don't think that dating trains us for divorce. I think that dating is a way to test the waters and find what kind of people we best mesh with as strictly coworkers, or friends, or romantically. I think throwing yourself into deep involvement emotionally and sexually every time you enter a relationship does make you more wary and worried about trusting people when the relationships eventually end, and so we should really carefully consider how fast we move with people and how intensely we involve ourselves in the relationship. I think healthy relationships, where you continually reevaluate how you feel about the person, how you feel about the future, and how well you work together, can lead you to grow as a person and eventually find a person you know you can be with forever. I think having common random hookups places little value on the emotional connection that results from this over-sexualized culture, and I  don't know many people who feel great after having a quick, no strings attached hookup. I think it causes people to lose the opportunities for friendships, because the two usually start clicking on some level, and then hookup right away and usually ruin chances of becoming close in the future. I also think girls experience a serious double standard, where it is acceptable for guys to run around getting with as many girls as they can, but a girl who does the same is never taken seriously. It has become so common that it would be less uncomfortable to watch two people hookup in public than to catch them out to dinner together.

Mission Statement

My mission is to lead a happy life that impacts those around me in the most positive ways possible. I want to achieve to the best of my ability in all actions that I pursue, whether they be academic, athletic, or relationship related. I hope to reach excellence in my career path, and choose a path that fills my life with purpose and enables me to interact with other people. I want to make a positive impact on everyone that I encounter through the day by trying to channel a bright attitude through my face, words, and actions. I want to raise a tight family that supports one another, and children who will go on to do great things. I hope to make myself and those around me proud of the way I live my life, and lead by example. I hope to do great things, and never let myself be stopped by others' negativity.

Miss Representation

Watching the documentary on misrepresentation of women in society only reaffirmed my already strong beliefs in the inequality and double standard women face in America. Women are sexualized, objectified, devalued, and dehumanized in efforts to sell products, make successful movies and tv shows, idealize the perfect woman for men. This idealization lessens all women's legitimacy and puts us in a difficult, appearance based society.
Women are rarely encouraged to go for leadership of powerful roles. There are so few women soldiers, police officers, firefighters, politicians, and executives. When one thinks of the powerful CEO, we envision a strong man in a nice suit. When we picture his secretary, we imagine a woman. Not every situation is like this of course, and not everyone pictures things that way, but it is the typical depiction we see within the media, and the actual workplace.
I want to be powerful. I know that I am smart, people-oriented, and would be able to make a difference in my future. I love to lead and want to be a high-powered CEO or the president of the US. I want to show that women are the new men. I think our society isn't focused enough on equal merit and accomplishment, and it continues to give or take away opportunities based on race and gender. I don't look forward to fighting twice as hard in the future to be taken seriously in the workplace, or facing judgement for having to choose between a relationship and family or a job. I don't look forward to facing judgement for my appearance on a bad day, or taken for being emotional when I am stressed. I think women have a lot of work to do, and a lot of change to look forward to.

Identity

My family has been the biggest factor in shaping my identity. My parents have encouraged creativity, thoughtfulness, responsibility, and kindness in me since day one. They are constantly giving me advice on how to better myself as a person, and praising my successes and triumphs. My siblings teach me and challenge me in different ways as I have developed relationships with them over the years, and they have been constant friends and companions.

The single biggest commitment I have made during my time in high school has been my decision to join the rowing team. Rowing has completely transformed me as an athlete, leader, and individual as a whole. The sport is a daily test of strength and willpower, and has required my endless patience and focus for every stroke I have taken over the past three years. I successfully made the team my freshman year, and have since then worked my way, 6 practices a week from September to June, to the honor of Most Valuable Oarswoman this past spring season. My confidence and leadership thrive in this environment, where I have learned to lead through supportive words, thoughtful advice, and silent example. I am 3 years, 6 seasons, and millions of strokes into the sport, and my success and commitment to rowing has now enabled me to row at Columbia for the next four years.

My friends have also been invaluable in defining who I am. They have helped me not only discover more about my character, but challenge me to decide what I value most in life. As I have changed over the course of high school and my life as a whole, I have had friends come and go, and many that have stuck with me through it all. Finding people that I am totally comfortable with has shown me a lot about myself as a person, and being with them allows me to be my best self.