Victoria Jamiel
Dr. Juniper Ellis
Understanding Literature
11 September 2013
Familiarity in an Unfamiliar Place
Today,
Wednesday September 11th, I hesitantly entered the 4th
Floor Programming Room at Loyola University for a presentation by author Steven Jones—a man whose
work I had no familiarity with. I was expecting the room to be nearly empty, with
only students solely there to fill a course requirement, or the select few
diehard fans. I was wrong. My perception could not have been further from the
reality. The room was filled with students, boisterous laughter, and a
sensation of anticipation. I took
my seat and the presentation began.
“Dreams,”
Jones stated, “Dreams are crazy places to go. They do not matter to the real
world.” I began to take his statement into perspective. This was not exactly
what I wanted to hear. I have always been told that dreams are powerful and
meaningful. I guess Jones is right in a sense. A dream is just a place to
escape, but what really matters is one’s actions. “Doing” is what makes a
difference and an impact in society.
In
the excerpt “The Service of Faith and Promotion of Justice in Jesuit Higher
Education,” Fr. Peter-Ham Kohvenbach
explains, “The real success in Jesuit universities is who our students
become.” It is about understanding reality, focusing on wisdom, broaden our
horizons free from bias, and discover our vocation (vocation to love and
serve). It is one thing to dream about making a change, but another thing to
actually take the initiative to do so.
Jones
began reading his short story, “Neither Heads nor Tales,” and I could not help
but notice the diversity stretching across the room. Students from all
different grades, backgrounds, and with different purposes joined the faculty to
learn and to laugh. It reminded me of Jill McDonough’s poem, “Accident, Mass.
Ave.” This poem is about two women of different ethnicity and get in a car
accident. The Caucasian woman’s first instinct was to yell, swear, and blame
the other non-English-speaking woman for her mistake. At the resolution of the
poem, the women come to find out that there was no damage. The little woman
cries, the narrator comforts her and the two hug in laughter. So often we jump
to a conclusion about something before giving it a chance. I went into the
presentation expecting it to have no relevance to my life. In reality I was
captivated by Jones, laughed with my peers and gained perspective on the Loyola
community.
In
the poem “Learning to Read” by Frances E. Harper, a young slave explores a time
when whites from the north came to the south to teach them how to read. Literacy
and knowledge have always been traditions and this poem emphasizes its
potential to bring unity. This is
the same unity I found today within the Loyola community, as well as the unity
through service emphasized in the Jesuit teachings.
As
Jones wrapped up his presentation, he admitted that although there were times
publishers restricted him from topics he wanted to write about, he did not let
that stop him. Jones was persistent on staying true to himself. Similarly, The
poem, “Mending Walls” by Robert Frost centered on the concepts of individualism
and tradition. Two evidently very different neighbors lawns are divided by a
crumbling stonewall. The narrator is open-minded, grows apple trees, and
invites change where as the neighbor is comfortable with the norm and grows
pine trees. The wall is a physical divider between the neighbors, but the
tradition of “the outdoor game” keeps the very different neighbors united.
It
is clear from my readings and experience that unity can be found is the least
likely of places. It is important to take actions to make a difference, while
remaining true to oneself. By the end of Jones’s presentation I realized that I
was a lot more familiar with what he had to say than I originally thought.
Works Cited
Kolvenbach, Peter-Hans.
“The Service of Faith and Promotion of Justice in Jesuit Higher
Education.” Commitment to Justice in Jesuit Higher Education 21-41
Myer, Michael. Poetry. 7th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. Print.
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