A guest blog post by Ian Fignon (Legacy 16) and some of his cohortmates who all read The Road to Character by David Brooks this summer as part of the Leadership Legacy Experience. 

On September 13th at 7pm in Laurel Hall 102, David Brooks will discuss the development and multifaceted nature of character as part of the Legacy Leadership Speaker Series at UConn. The American public generally knows of him as a political commentator from his OpEd column in the New York Times, where he has written on foreign wars, American culture, economic concerns such as income inequality, and Medicare. His talk will revolve around the more philosophical and moral questions posed in his book “The Road to Character”.

Immediately within the novel there is a line drawn between the two archetypes of Adam I and Adam II. Adam I is a productive, work-driven individual who rationally evaluates the surrounding world according to self-interest. The external world both encourages and directly rewards this extrinsic thinking, yet Brooks argues this way of building one’s own self fails to construct lasting and enduring personal meaning. Adam II, on the other hand, is a self-guided individual whose inward values and search for metaphysical fulfillment lead not to riches, but to a life of character. Though the world we live in directly rewards the accomplishments of Adam I, the manner and attitudes embodied by Adam II focus on personal moral improvement for its own sake. Rather than continuing an abstract and philosophical discussion of character, Brooks quickly dives into various historical figures of significance as exemplars of different moral ideals.

“Struggle”, Legacy 2016 Cohort Member Caitlin Briody

The character that continually returned to my mind is Dorothy Day. I found I could relate to her younger self- her restlessness, her adolescent pride, her interest in counterculture, and her desire to be ‘good’ without knowing exactly how. As much as I admire the reticent, self-controlled characters, I have to admit that Day’s wild side made her sympathetic.
Day’s commitment to Catholicism despite its flaws intrigued me as someone raised Catholic but who personally chose to leave due to institutional ideology I don’t support. Unlike many, Day did not merely write about improving the soul – she spent each day actively trying to live a pure life through service. Her practicality and tirelessness impressed me, and I appreciated that she approached service by living in the same conditions as those she served. She was not condescending or self-congratulating; she simply lived life according to her beliefs. This pure and genuine commitment to others is something I hope to cultivate in myself. Her care for Nanette was particularly touching, though she approached it so matter-of-factly. Additionally, despite my hesitancy toward religion, I was attracted to the way she devoted her life to serving God. Day constructed a very practical life in a very spiritual context, and found a purpose. I like that despite the suffering she wed herself to, her spirituality came from a place of thankfulness. Even with the hardships she endured, she was grateful, and that’s something I aim to be better at.

“Self Examination”, Legacy 2016 Cohort Member Ian Fignon

My favorite character is essayist and writer Samuel Johnson, born crippled and disfigured by scarring. Curiosity and intellect, combined with brutal honesty, prevented wonderment over the world’s complexities from clouding Johnson’s keen judgment. Unlike others, Johnson feverishly interrogated his own perceived decencies to understand them. He could not fix his chronic medical ailments, but, through willpower and conviction, he could mitigate and navigate them. Despite dropping out from Oxford, Johnson pushed forward. Years later he had not only written hundreds of works spanning dozens of topics, he had single-handedly compiled “A Dictionary of the English Language”. Whereas similar efforts for other languages had taken dozens of scholars even longer, Johnson’s unforgiving discipline demanded a breakneck pace that finished after nine years. Regardless, Johnson would sit in the pub and buy the everyman a pint. He opened his own doors to the downtrodden and to drunkards, and himself embodied the paradoxes he found so amusing and interesting. This strange combination of cutting intellect, harsh discipline, and compassion was what drew me to this character as my personal favorite. By facing reality head-on, unabated, Johnson forced himself to wrestle with life’s most meaningful questions. Though his search did not always glean the most universal or revealing of truths, it certainly bought Johnson some degree of peace. Only by constantly testing ourselves and by meeting our own demands to achieve more can we ever truly look back and be satisfied.

“The Summoned Self”, Legacy 2016 Cohort Member Marissa Piccolo

I would consider Frances Perkins as my favorite character discussed within Brooks’ novel. Perkins devoted herself to her chosen cause of pushing Progressive labor reform and was very aware of the unique role she had the ability to play in furthering the movement. Having felt called to use her educated, middleclass upbringing for the public good after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire, Perkins began locally and eventually moved upwards past New York state politics. As soon as she knew what her calling was, she immediately became involved. Perkins considered her cause and values to be greater than herself, and therefore was always looking forward, and often on a much longer and greater scale than others. It was never about her personal reputation, the offered salary, or the possible connections. Eventually, she worked within FDR’s cabinet as the Secretary of Labor and was largely responsible for cornerstones of the New Deal, such as Social Security, wage and safety regulations, and public works programs. Throughout her entire life, however, Perkins was always willing to place the cause above her own pride and person and take on less public roles. Largely as a result of her years in public service, Perkins only became more committed to the various causes she became involved in. The fights she weathered toughened her, and she stayed true to her beliefs and values in the face of challenges.

Brooks’ rich commentary is able to frame historical figures in an easily accessible, yet deeply meaningful light that provides context for distinguishing between Adam I and Adam II. “The Road to Character” provides insight that is rooted in both the abstract and in reality. On September 13^th, Brooks will explore various traits and virtues like shame, reticence, duty, grace, and more through lives of various people to understand personal character and individual integrity better.

We often joke in our office that April is the month of Banquets; that we could probably go the whole month without having to grocery shop. As the year winds down and folks get ready to finish up the year, we all take this time to celebrate our efforts over the academic year. We get dressed up, we eat some food, and we reflect together on what we’ve accomplished.

But so often this celebration focuses on the big things: the successful program, the service project, the transition of positional leadership, and the farewells to graduating seniors. We don’t always take the same time to recognize and appreciate the little acts of leadership and commitment that have contributed to our successes (perhaps because we don’t think they directly connect to our successes). The member who has never missed a meeting; the one who remembers birthdays. The member who steps in to help when help is needed; the one who trudges along silently, doing all that is asked of them.

While I like a good banquet, a good awards reception, a senior night, I love the smaller, quieter notes of recognition we give to each other. The genuine words of thankfulness, of appreciation, of gratitude. That’s why we started Student Leader Recognition Week, about three years ago. It was our attempt to recognize and appreciate the humble acts of leadership that happen on this campus everyday.

So this week, April 11-17th, the staff in the Leadership Office are attempting to recognize as many student leaders on campus for their dedication and commitment to the university and to the community.

Please take a moment to fill out this very brief form here to recognize a few of your peers for their leadership in all that they do.

If the link does not work, simply copy this link into your browser: http://sla.uconn.edu/slrw/

Throughout the week, we encourage you to tweet, post, and/or Instagram when you see student leadership happening on campus using #UConnLeads. A collection of the best photos, posts, and tweets will be compiled and shared on our social media sites. Visit our facebook page facebook.com/UConnLeads or follow us on twitter @UConnLeads to see if your contribution makes it!

A guest post by Jackie Ruszczyk, a Leadership Certificate Series facilitator for the Student Leadership Challenge.

Two years ago I was blessed with the experience to travel to Oaxaca, Mexico and live abroad for a month. Oaxaca was a culture shock for me; it was not like the everyday life I was use to. Like a flip of a switch, I went from speaking English to Spanish. The people, however, were so friendly and made me feel welcomed and confident in my Spanish abilities. While I was there, I taught English to two college students, ate unforgettable food, saw beautiful waterfalls, and grew as an individual. My leadership opportunities were abundant during my trip abroad; I lead students on their journey to become fluent in English.

After a month away, I was forced back to my reality; I came back to Storrs, Connecticut where I would soon learn that my leadership opportunities would not end after Mexico. I first became a facilitator for the Discovery leadership program here at the University of Connecticut and then transitioned to become a facilitator for the Challenge this semester. Being a facilitator for the Challenge this semester was a new opportunity, but most importantly a challenge for myself as a facilitator. This is only my second semester as a facilitator for the program, but I have gained a lot of knowledge. Where has the majority of my knowledge come from, you might ask? The answer for me is simple: I have immensely learned from the participants in the program. Therefore, I don’t want this blog post to focus on myself, but rather to focus on them. The participants are actively learning and asking great questions throughout this semester. They have really put themselves out of their own personal comfort zone. I am proud to say that these participants are the future leaders here at the University of Connecticut and I will continue to make sure they have successful journeys, just like the students I taught in Mexico. As we are already half-way done with the program, there is so much room for growth and I can not wait to see where this program takes each and everyone of my participants.

A guest post by Sydney Morrison, a Leadership Certificate Series facilitator for Impact Delta.

This semester I have the privilege of facilitating the Impact Delta workshop. It was a little challenging at first because I was never a participant in the workshop; however, the topics were not brand new to me. My first experience confronting privilege and social justice was when I studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa two summers ago. To say it was an eye-opening experience is a huge understatement.

The evidence of Cape Town’s history was never lost on me. I was able to engage in meaningful discussions about the history of apartheid and the lasting effects it still has today. Also, we were fortunate enough to be able to visit sites such as the District Six Museum and Robben Island that were both impactful and informative. I learned that there is much more to the world than what we are used to or comfortable talking about everyday.

The word ‘ubuntu’ always comes to mind when I think of my time in Cape Town. I learned the word when I first visited several of the townships outside of the city. Ubuntu translates to “I am because you are.” It truly encompasses the importance of community and fits in rather well with the social change model. Having facilitated three of the sessions already I am beginning to see how huge of an aspect the model is to the Impact Delta workshop. It is through working with others towards a common goal, feeling passionate enough about an issue and understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses that change is able to happen.

A guest post by Joseph Ferraro, a Leadership Certificate Series facilitator for Discovery Leadership

When everyone hears the word “leader”, people that come to mind are presidents, famous business people, and activists who gave their lives to for a cause that changed the world. It is true that these people are amazing leaders, but what about the rest of us? Are these people the only ones that can be considered good leaders? The answer is no. Most of the change that occurs in our society is made by everyday leaders, regular people who decide to step up, take charge, and make small differences in the lives of the people around them. Even the most seemingly insignificant act can have a resounding impact on the lives of people we don’t even know.
In Discovery, we watched a TED Talk on the very first day titled “Everyday Leadership.” In this video, Drew Dudley discusses the importance of being an everyday leader. Some people believe that if they are not making a huge change, they are not doing anything at all. The video counters this idea by explaining the importance of “lollipop moments”. In the video, Drew explains that when he was in college, there was this girl who was terrified and was convinced before she even began that college was not for her. Then, right before she was about to leave, Drew came out, handed a lollipop to the boy next to her, and told him to give it to the beautiful girl next to him. Everyone laughed, and she said that it was that moment that made her realize that she could do this and that she was home; a few years later, that boy became her husband. This was a moment that Drew admits to not remembering; even though it was an insignificant act to him, it was a life changing moment for her. Drew encourages everyone to display good leadership practices all the time, because you never know what people will respond to and when your “lollipop moment” will happen.
One of the things that I loved about participating in the leadership series is that they encourage and prepare people to be good, aware, and informed individuals. The skills that I learned as a participant made me more aware of how I communicate and behave around others, and has made me a more effective leader. I know that at any given moment of any given day, I could have my lollipop moment. Encouraging everyone to take on the challenge of being an everyday leader can change the world just as much as a president could. By trying to make small changes in the lives of those around us every day, we as a people can help to inspire real, lasting change in our world.