Wednesday night, Hope College students, faculty, and community members were invited to attend the annual Presidential Colloquium. This year's guest speaker was author and New York Times columnist David Brooks.
Brooks opened his lecture by telling a little bit about himself, how he became a writer, and what he has learned throughout his years of teaching. While living in the upper/middle class side of Washington D.C., Brooks said that he learned that the kids there have been trained to be successful. They have to live up to certain expectations that are placed on them by their parents and their teachers. They are expected to get into Ivy League schools and never to fail. These kids think very highly of themselves, but lose their moral language. They begin to live unfulfilled lives.
The main point of Brooks' lecture was the benefits of a liberal arts education. He said that a liberal arts education plants seeds in its students. It allows them to fall in love with things, make commitments, and find a vocation. It also gives students the ability to be contemplative. Most people are trained to ask "How can I be successful?" "How will this make me money?" "How can this benefit me?" But we are never trained to ask "why." Asking "why" is a pivotal part of life. It helps us to grow and learn. We have to have moral aspirations in life that help us to find joy and become better people. At a liberal arts college like Hope, we have the opportunity to get to know professors and create relationships, all the while gaining knowledge. These are some of the many benefits to having a liberal arts education. We not only become more well rounded but we learn to gain knowledge and radiate joy.
The final points of Brooks' speech focused on finding depth. Hope is a Christian college, and a majority of its students are Christian. We create deeper and more meaningful relationships because we are in a place to speak freely about religion. We get into more thoughtful conversations with our friends, developing deeper friendships. We learn to love better and live a more spiritual life.
When I decided to attend the lecture, I had no idea what to expect. When I left, I felt more enlightened and optimistic about all of the opportunities that are presented at Hope. It can be overwhelming in the first couple weeks because everything is being shoved at you. You have to get used to your class schedule, eating in Phelps, living with a roommate, etc. It incredibly stressful and can be hard to handle, but you have to look at all of the wonderful opportunities that are being presented to you. Make the most of your time at Hope. You may only have four (or five) years here, and they go by fast. Absorb everything you can, develop relationships with friends and professors, get involved. Everything that you take away from your liberal arts education will help you to live a more joyful life.
I want to say thank you to David Brooks for taking his time and coming out to Hope to speak. If you missed the speech and would like to watch, click here.
