VHS: Pilgrims on a Journey

All the lessons I have learned from VHS are hard to sum up in two paragraphs. The biggest lesson I have learned from VHS class is that we need to all listen to what God is calling us to be in life. When the senior class and I move on to college next year, we will be on a new, exciting journey. On the journey of college, we will be faced with many important decisions and VHS has taught us to listen to God before making a choice. We are all truly being called to a certain vocation, just as Sister Colleen was called to become a sister of Saint Joseph. We sometimes need to step back from the craziness of life and reflect on our true purpose, just like many of those taking the walk on the Camino do.

Listening to God’s call for us can also apply to relationships. After listening to numerous love stories, I have learned how strong love can be if you find the right person. The couples in the love stories were great models for how to make a relationship work. I learned that each of us has our own “love language.” An understanding of love languages can help us to form closer friendships or stronger romantic relationships with someone.

Most importantly, VHS has taught me that when in doubt about something, we just need to reflect or pray to find “our way” back to our path in life.

IVF: Is it okay?

In vitro fertilization is a highly controversial topic that I did not give much thought to before discussing it in VHS class. I always viewed IVF as positive because happy couples get babies out of it. Never, did I consider while watching shows such as John and Kate Plus 8 (the Gosselin parents had their twins and then sextuplets thanks to IVF), the Catholic Chruch’s view on IVF. I just saw the cute kids and happy family as an outcome.

The Catholic Church discourages in vitro fertilization because they believe conception should only occur by sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. They do not believe a baby should be made in a dish in a scientific lab. The Catholic However, I did like the one woman’s view in the US Catholic article that God made science and people, and therefore IVF is in a way another creation of his.

Still, the Catholic Church’s views and the Dateline episode of the “egg switch up” made me think more about the cons of IVF. Human error is a big con for me. Another con is that the eggs not implanted and left over may then be destroyed. The financial cost of IVF is not a con, in my opinion, because if the couple receives the joy of a baby it will be priceless.

I still see the positives outweighing the negatives for IVF, but I think every couple needs to seriously discuss the option of IVF before deciding it is necessary. I think a better option would be to request to have only 3 initial eggs made, and all implanted at once, so each one gets a chance at life instead of making 10 and the extra 7 being destroyed.

Abortions of Dr. Kermit

The acts of Dr. Kermit Gosnell and his assistants are repulsive. He took the lives of innocent babies and caused harm to so many patients. The article outraged me, especially the part about the department of health in Pennsylvania not taking action after multiple reports were filed. This doctor was a serial murderer of these babies, and the department of health did not do their necessary part of investigating.

Before receiving the article in class, I had only heard about Dr. Kermit from my younger sister who found out about it during her religion class. I am shocked that this story is not more widespread on the news. It may be in part because the location of the incidents was in the city, where murders happen more frequently. If Dr. Kermit’s facilities were on the Main Line I do believe the news coverage might be more widespread. News coverage also depends on the outrage of the people in the surrounding areas. People on the main line may be more outraged about this gruesome event. The race and economic status of the people involved may impact the news coverage. IF a teenage private school main line girl was killed in Dr. Kermit’s office, the news may have been more motivated to cover the story.

As the article emphasized, the most important thing we can do as readers is spread this story to others.

The Changing Face of Marriage

In my own life, I have experienced the “domestic church” in my home. My parents have raised my sisters and I as Catholics and set modern examples for us of how a good Catholic should act. They have taught us Christian morals such as honesty and respect. They have been the “first preachers of faith” as they have raised us and I hope to bring the “domestic church” into my home one day. Raising children with good morals to live by is important to me.

In our new modern world of marriage, divorce rates continue to climb. I think people take marriage now as less seriously (Kim Kardashian, for example). However, I think a woman’s role in marriage has improved. We are now known not only as the “housewives,” but as more of an equal to males. As the cnn video explained, many men are now marrying women that have higher degrees than they do.

Pew Trust’s study finding does excite me because my future college degree hopefully means less chance of one day getting divorced. I think the correlation between degree and lower divorce rates may have some underlying factors. For instance, the typical college student may think things through more thoroughly, and therefore, be more cautious when approaching marriage.

Dating: What's the Point?

To me, “Hooking up” means making out or kissing at a party, much like the younger people surveyed for the Busted Halo article. Older generations, like my mom’s generation, seems to think “hooking up” means having sex, which also mirrors the results of older generations in the Busted Halo article.

One of the points in Professor Cronin's speech that stood out to me the most was when she said that in today's "dating" scene going out for coffee is a big deal, yet you can hookup with someone at a party and have it not mean anything. In our culture, kissing at a party is much more prevalent than going out on a coffee date. In fact, most high schoolers I know kiss a guy a few times before they actually go on a date with them.

The dating sequence in the high school and college culture right now seems to be: hookup at a party, then have a texting conversation, then possibly hookup more times and continue your texting conversation, then be asked out on a date (over text) which is then followed with hooking up after the date. Professor Cronin’s dating idea is so novel, yet makes so much more sense because you actually get to know someone by dating them before you hookup with them. Having a one hour dinner date can definitely bring you closer to someone than a one hour hookup.

However, the anti-daters claim that our current way of dating is just a practice for divorce seems a little extreme. Fr. Rick Malloy’s claim that “hooking up” may not work in forming relationships also seems a bit too radical. We need to revamp our dating mindsets, like Professor Cronin suggested, but even our dating practices now still form legitimate relationships that won’t necessarily lead to divorce.

The Next Pope

The next Pope faces a variety of world issues to discuss.

As the Catholic Church abuse scandal trials/coverage continues, he will need to find a way to deal with the media. Media stories of abuse have made people shy away from the Catholic Church. He needs to find a way to convince wavering Catholics to return to their faith.

As the law cases are pulling from Catholic Church funds, the next pope also needs some financial skill to figure out how the Catholic Church can financially remain afloat. He needs to address issues such as the sharp decline in Catholic school attendance not just in the US but worldwide.

The next pope needs to be ready to discuss controversial Church topics of he modern day world, such as birth control or women in the church. He needs to consider the role women have played in the Church and consider allowing women to move up to higher level positions. He needs to consider women as priests or pastors of Catholic parishes. Women in today’s world have moved up to high level positions in businesses, in hospitals, and in politics, so why is the Catholic Church still belittling them?

The one thing I would change about the Church would be its extremely conservative viewpoints on topics. The Church, especially from a young teenage perspective, can be hard to respect and relate to when they typically only hold conservative, outdated views. If the Church could update itself, I feel we could look at it more as a realistic moral compass in our lives.

I do believe there is some room for democracy in the Church and its current condition. The Church needs a strict leader right now to keep order, but the Catholic Church must listen to the voices of its followers. I believe the Holy Spirit acts right now as one of those followers guiding the Pope and Cardinals to make good, wised decisions. Now the Church must also listen to the needs of its people.

Who Am I?

I think at Mount especially, it can be hard to remember that we should, like Palmer, be thinking of “Who am I?” instead of “Who should I be?”. Our private academy strives for success and prestige. Many students are therefore highly competitive. In the senior year college selection process, Mount students tend to look more towards the “Big Name” schools they “should” be looking at, instead of thinking “where would I fit in?”. The “Big Name” schools, however, may not be places that some of us would succeed the most or feel the happiest. My biggest advice to juniors embarking on the college search process would be to ask Palmer’s question of “Who am I?” before touring a college to see if a school best suits you, instead of stressing over the facts and numbers.

I like Palmer’s breakthrough line where he says, “What a long time it can take to become the person one has always been!” The line has so much truth to it. In teenage years especially, it can be hard to find our true selves with all of the pressures of friends/parents/society surrounding us. We can live our lives in a daily blur of doing the tasks and being the people we “should be.” Palmers line is simple, yet extremely eye opening. We each need to focus on being our true selves.

My Mission Statement

My mission in life is to trust in the person I am meant to be and have faith in my destiny.

I will not be afraid of discovering new adventures or taking a new turn in life. At times, I will need to let go of the life I have planned to welcome the life God has waiting for me.

My life is meant to brighten other lives around me. I will be the best me when I am inspiring others.

I will remember patience. I cannot rush through life, but must instead be present in each moment.

If I am unhappy with a relationship, I will make wise choices for a new path. I will surround myself with people who bring me joy, not distress.

I will keep my life organized and work to my fullest potential. I will find motivation from past mistakes. I will only let failure drive further success.

I will remember to step back from the chaos of the world and find peace in the simple things of life. Appreciating each moment is key.

I will remember to stay true to my truest self and put happiness above all else.

Influences on My Life

Throughout my lifetime, many different factors have made me the person that I am today. The biggest influence on my life and who I am is my twin sister Sarah. Being a twin taught me from a very young age companionship. Whether by sharing toys at a young age or stealing each other’s clothes in high school, I learn through my twin how to share. Our personalities differ, but we learn from one another. For example, I have never met a person who forgives as easily as Sarah (I am thankful for this when we fight). Her forgiveness has taught me to be a better person. She is someone I often look to for advice and is like my better half. I feel blessed that I was born as a twin.

My life has also been shaped by my experiences at the Jersey Shore. I vacationed in the same house in Avalon from the time I was one until I was twelve. We now own a house in Stone Harbor and continue enjoying our summers at the beach. Our family vacations were a time of year when we were all able to truly bond. My dad, who works often at home, can leave work behind and connect more with our family. Some of my happiest memories are on the beach building sand castles when I was younger or now playing bocce on the sand with my family. The Jersey Shore vacations have taught me how to find peace and relax. They have taught me that sometimes its necessary to leave the chaos of Pennsylvania behind.

Community service tutoring through Mount’s CSC programs has forever changed my life. I still remember the first time I tutored at LaSalle Academy, and I walked away feeling like a better person because of my experience.

Throughout my high school years, I have tutored at both LaSalle Academy and Face to Face. With each visit, I learn more patience and compassion. At Face to Face, where students come from city public schools, I learn to appreciate the excellent education I have been able to receive as I watch third graders struggle with kindergarten level reading. I have learned the most from my conversations with the students I tutor. One Face to Face young girl, for example, asked me one day if I had ever felt left out before and talked to me about her struggles with friends. It was cute of her to confide in me and ask my advice. Another LaSalle Academy third grader told me her mom was going to cancel Christmas in her house that year so Mount’s Christmas gifts to her family would be all she was getting. I have grown so much as a person by just listening to the students.