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.

Over the next few weeks as you prepare for your arrival on campus I hope that you will take the time to reflect on your past experiences and the upcoming opportunities that Fairfield will offer you. When you arrive here at your new home to start your collegiate journey in late August, I encourage you to come in with an open mind to the experiences you will have, the people you will meet, the risks that you will take, so you can learn about yourself, others and the world that we live in.

Welcome Class of 2012, we are very excited for you to be a part of this community.

Elissa Carroll
Residence Life Staff

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.

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.

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.

In my opinion, I think it goes without saying, but the new overall “struggle” like the Civil Rights in the 60s is for the more acceptance of the homosexual community. While I have never been against the culture, I feel that I have grown a bit in that area of acceptance because I have learned that the attitude “don’t ask, don’t tell” may not necessarily be enough, given there are injustices still going on. And there is, unfortunately, yet to be total equality in race, gender, and other issues as well.
But I suppose the best is to do what one most can.

Overall, I feel that what will help the most is to be exposed and meeting many people. Again, each has a story to tell. Fairfield, as with all other institutions, really has nothing to do with the improvements or drawbacks in accepting different cultures, it’s all up to individuals themselves. And there is plenty of opportunity, made possible by people’s owns action, and I find myself appreciating different foreign cultures as well. Again, not that I was against, but my appreciation has just improved.

Have you been in a situation that involved cultural differences? Share your thoughts by leaving a response below.

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

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.

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

“ 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.

One of the main arguments for creating SEW is documented below:

“1.2 billion people around the world live on under one dollar a day. Seventy percent of them are women and girls. The world has far too many mothers and daughters living in abject poverty more horrifying than most could even imagine. Micro-loans can help. When women are afforded economic opportunity, the results are astounding: they send children to school, run successful businesses, live healthy lives. When these micro-loans are given to women - women who open fruit-stands, weave clothes, make jewelry – women who most of the world has given up on are given the chance to lead sustainable and equitable lives. With an average loan return rate of 98.35%, giving a loan to these women is far from a risky investment. Women around the world are crying for help. Sustainable Equity for Women is answering their calls.”

The Seniors did thorough research before investing money—for example, they registered themselves as not-for-profit group SEW in the Town of Fairfield; they wrote-up their Mission Statement and created a Goal; they opened a bank account with a local branch to ensure fiduciary transparency; did a risk-management assessment to ensure that people from nations who borrowed money were capable of returning the original loan within the standard 18 to 24 months; and, they selected KIVA, an established channel to transfer money from the bank to the people directly in these two continents. This is the global side of their initiative. For a local connection, they pledged to keep track of the funds collected and allocated to various projects, and as they are alumna, this is a very do-able project. As their faculty advisor, I remain in an advisory capacity. By May of 2008 (when they graduated) the SEW fund had $2885, and the fund managers have already loaned out approximately $1700 from this total. The local bank keeps track also by sending them monthly statements of the monies in the account. Another way to keep the local connection vibrant is to ask the Women’s Studies program and the various Dean’s Offices to make a small contribution every Spring to keep the fund healthy.

Especially for the purposes of the blog, I want to bring another valuable aspect of this Capstone class. Every day, we get more media coverage of situations in Afghanistan—how can we balance those accounts with life-conditions on the ground? To understand the major components like global finance, global policy, global arms trade, local governments, conditions of citizens within Afghanistan and the cultural-religious practices of men, women, and children, we read Khaled Husseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns, and relevant parts of Sarah Cheyes’ The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan after the Taliban, and Sonali Kolhakar and James Ingalls’ Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords, and the Propaganda of Silence.

One point to take away from the summer reading is that each one of us global citizens has the power to make a difference if we do it ethically and collaboratively. Charity is not the answer –it is ethical agency and accountability.

I recommend the following for further reading

• http://www.womensmediacenter.com/daily_news_update.html
• Mirror Article: “Women as Catalysts for Change: New Organization Starts Micro-Lending Fund

Dr. Gita Rajan
Professor, Department of English
Fairfield University
Fairfield, CT 06824
(203) 254 4000 X2508