Your Voice Counts!

Reading this book completely changed my view of the conflicts in that area. I have never ever been interested in politics, and find it very confusing on the news when they discuss the war and what is going on in Iraq or Afghanistan. The conflict between Pakistan and India I didn’t even know existed! “Three Cups of Tea” helped me see the conflict on a very understandable human level. Greg Mortenson truly believes that this conflict can start to be resolved though education, that Al Quaeda dropping bombs was not an event out of the blue, but a horrible pattern that has been occuring for centuries – because the people are uneducated and violence is all they know.

I feel so badly for the children thrown into those training schools, knowing no other life than that of war. It is a problem that can start to be resolved on the most basic level, though education. While here in America we are required to attend school, over there the schools don’t even exist! But what I saw as very inspiring was that many of the leaders, even the most feared and violent, really want education for their villages! I think what Dr. Greg has started is a wonderful program that can truly change the world one child, one school at a time, and start to bring peace to a very troubled part of our world.

By reading the story, do you think the book change the way you view the conflicts in this part of the world? Share your thoughts by leaving a response below.

Greg Mortenson took a risk when he decided to help the villages and the children who did not have the opportunity to become educated. He struggled getting the support he needed to help others, but eventually he was able to conquer his goal and set more goals. Coming to college is about setting goals and expectations for yourself and trying to achieve them, once you achieve that goal you should not stop there. Continue to challenge yourself and better yourself with higher expectations and goals. There are an infinite number of possibilities and opportunities to help make this campus, this community, and this world that we live in a better place if you take that risk and opportunity to help others and do good for those around you. Read the rest of this entry »

I wouldn’t consider Greg Mortenson’s experience on K2 to be a failure. Though he did not climb the mountain like he had initially planned, he still had an experience that lasted a lifetime and drove him to a life of service for others that most people simply would not pursue.I think Mortenson’s climb would have been a failure if no good came out of it, if he just went home and gave up on everything.

If there is anything I’ve learned while attending Fairfield University, and in life in general, it is that nobody ever achieved anything while staying in their comfort zone, and Mortenson is proof of that. If you want something, go after it with your fullest effort because only when you commit to something will you find out if it’s right for you. If you have a passion for something, pursue it. If you have a cause, fight for it. And if you find that your purpose in life lies somewhere else, do not hesitate to change your course. Nobody’s always right, so don’t be afraid to change, but don’t be afraid to make a decision either.

I noticed that throughout the book that climbing K2 is continually referred to as a failure. Like many experiences that you will have during college (and in life) they are greatly dependent upon the perspective you hold. The “failure” that Greg Mortenson associates with K2 would be the beginning of success in educating thousands of students in one of the poorest and politically volatile regions of the world. Mortenson’s example compels us to always look for opportunity amongst what might initially appear to be an overwhelming obstacle.

Do you agree or disagree with the definition “failed attempt” a failure? Share your thoughts by leaving a response below.

As I reflect on Three Cups of Tea, I am struck by what one person with good fortune, courage, and determination can accomplish. Greg Mortenson’s story reminds us that life’s journey is a path with sharp turns, detours, circles and sometimes dead ends. He certainly took an unintentional detour when he wandered into Korphe that day in 1993 – a detour that changed his life and transformed him in ways that he never dreamed possible.

I hope that each of us, especially our students, will think of how we can use our special gifts to help and heal our injured world. The gift of education is a priceless gift that changes lives and alters communities. What better gift can be offered to children who so passionately desire to learn?

I would like to pose two questions to the readers of our blog:

1) What ideas come to you when you read the following statement by David Relin: “The real enemy [to peace] is ignorance.”
2) What is your definition of poverty?

I look forward to reading your responses.

Best regards,
Debnam Chappell

Click on the Comments link below to respond.

I consider myself lucky to be of a Costa Rican family. More so, having family over there all my life has served with the advantage of living in their household while we visited, instead of a hotel meant for tourists. I consider that a blessing because, even for a little while, you live like they do, realizing the blessings one has as do they have. There are pros and cons to everything, of course, and I’d have to say at times sleeping with a mosquito net was rather hard to get used to.

With that being said, I feel that the advantage of learning of different cultures at Fairfield is that one is exposed to so many different people. To be fair, most institutions would offer the same circumstances, but I mainly realized and appreciated that people at Fairfield each had a story to tell in his or her special way. And likewise, I’d like to feel that I have something to offer to others.

The overall general direction that the U.S. is moving in is one of being more open, myself included. I more than ever just try to listen to other’s experiences, and realize that “culture” does not just mean myself coming from Costa Rica versus people I have met coming from El Salvador, or Germany, etc., but it also means acceptance of people’s choices. Read the rest of this entry »

Greetings, Class of 2012! I hope that you are all enjoying the remaining, and quickly fleeting, weeks of summer. I’m only about 1/2 way through Mortenson and Relin’s book, Three Cups of Tea….It’s an incredibly powerful book. How exciting that Greg Mortenson will be joining us for your Freshmen Convocation in September!

I’m always awestruck by individuals with the fortitude and conviction to impact the world, like Mortenson. I believe it’s our responsibility to look outside of our selves, our needs, and our wants, and consider how we can impact the lives of others. Some of us, like Mortenson, will have a substantial influence on many hundreds of people….on the other side of the world, no less! I think it’s important to remember, though, that reaching out and positively touching the lives of just one or two people can also make an impact. There are so many activities on a smaller, local level that can make a difference: volunteering your time to a worthy cause, becoming a tutor in a subject in which you excel, even smiling at and saying hi to someone you don’t know….all of these things can have an impact, in ways you may never fully realize.

As you commence your career as a college student — an exciting time of personal, academic, and spiritual growth, I invite you to consider how you might be of service to many others….or perhaps just one other person…..in the weeks and months ahead. “To whom much is given, much is expected…..”

Welcome to Fairfield!

Dawn M. Quintiliani, M.S.W.
Assistant Dean of Freshmen
Fairfield University
(203) 254-4000, extension 2222
dquintiliani@mail.fairfield.edu

Entering my junior year at Fairfield, I can tell you that freshman and sophomore year went by far too fast, but fortunately for me, they have been incredible in large part due to my involvement on campus. I was your average high school kid, played basketball, but didn’t do much else. I decided that needed to change in college. The minute I joined campus, I got involved in about 3-4 clubs. Except for one of them, I am currently not in any of those other activities. Yet now, entering my junior year, those “failed attempts” at some of the clubs opened the door to other opportunities, and more importantly, helped me meet friends I otherwise might not have.

Take risks with who you talk to, what clubs you join, and what classes you take. Everything in life is trial and error, and I encourage you try that, especially in your freshman year. You can go through college without getting very involved, and probably still make great friends and have good experiences, but when you get to be an upperclassman, you’ll start to wonder if there’s anything you could’ve done differently. Don’t be in that position 2-3 years from now.

Have you ever been in a situation to learn things by trial and error? Share your story by leaving a response below.

This book is about more than simply building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is about relationships that have neither borders nor boundaries. It was the social ties that created a beautiful cross-cultural experience where people of different faiths, languages, and perspectives were friends, brothers, and sisters who worked together towards a common goal.

In reading Three Cups of Tea, I revisited some difficult lessons from my own international experiences. I had the privilege of living abroad as a student, Peace Corps volunteer, and humanitarian aid worker. In each instance, I had to learn the importance of trust and relationships, and how they were the key to serving in any community in this world. In hindsight, I wish I had embraced the unusual smells, tastes, habits and languages more aggressively. It is such a privilege and a blessing to be able to live in a different part of the world—let alone study or do service in that setting.

Fairfield students, you are so fortunate to attend a university that encourages an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the world in which we live. I hope this book inspires you to take courses that educate you about the world and its many languages, cultures, faiths, histories and politics. Moreover, I hope you apply that knowledge to real life opportunities such as study abroad, international service learning projects and post-graduate international service. Living abroad is one of the greatest life experiences a person can have.

Jermain Griffin
Associate Director of International Studies
Canisius Hall 302
203.254.4000, ext. 2865

Fairfield University
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, CT 06824-5195

Mortenson describes his failure as not reaching the top of K2, however this was probably his greatest success. He was able to achieve so much more because he did not reach the top. Attempting to climb K2 was a difficult task in itself. There were many things that stood in his way, many obstacles he had to overcome, however, it was all these obstacles that made his journey more worthwhile. Mortenson’s failure only allowed him to achieve new goals and reach new heights. He may not have climbed to the top, but by “failing” he came to realize what he wanted, his path in life was greater than he ever imagined. Any failure in life can always be seen as an obstacle that must be overcome to achieve greatness. By switching his focus from a “failure” because he did not reach the top, to setting new goals he was able to move on and conquer bigger obstacles. I think we should all look to Mortenson’s example when we are faced with difficult times in our life, to turn it around, walk a different path and realize we are meant for so much more.

“ It is on our failures that we base a new and different and better success.”
– Havelock Ellis

Have you ever been in a situation to turn the failure into a success? Share your story by leaving a response below.

“Sustainable Equity for Women” is a Senior Women’s Studies Capstone project that the graduating class of 2008 bequeathed as their legacy to Fairfield University.

After considering many of the ways that each one of us as part of a global citizenry could do to help each other, we came up with a micro-lending project that gives a no-interest loan to women in Central and South American and Asian villages to engage in small agricultural ventures, in fishing, in educating their children, and in fair-trade cooperative business initiatives. The 9 women in the Senior Class had similar ideas similar to of Greg Morteneson in Three Cups of Tea of investing in people rather in donating to charity. For example, read the paragraph below to understand the motivation of the Fairfield Seniors to proceed with their project. The students in the class were amazing young women, each one excelled in her own field, from winning University awards and prestigious Fellowships to being invited to play with the International Women’s Soccer Team. They are Democrats and republicans, spiritual and secular, and yet they came together effortlessly to work on the Capstone SEW Project.

Read the rest of this entry »