Regis University
Honorable News Volume 7, Issue 4
—Pearl Shields, class of 2009
4-25-12
“I engage with social reality by showing students how their writing transforms the communities to which they belong.”
Inside this issue: Senior Thesis Excerpts
A Tale of Two Universities
2
Dr. Howe’s and 2 Dr. Jacobson’s Senior Sendoff Dr. Palmer’s Senior Sendoff
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Director’s Note
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Since graduating from Regis I have had a lot of time to think a lot about the idea of a university. I also think a lot about Idea of a University—the freshman seminar class which invites us to see our education as pursuit of truth, quality and unity of heart and mind. I think about these things because I am an English instructor at Auburn University, one of the largest universities in Alabama and the institution from which I received my M.A. in 2011.
reminds me of Fr. Ignacio Ellacuria’s Santa Clara commencement speech where he declared that “[the university] must be concerned with the social reality—precisely because a university is inescapably a social force: it must transform and enlighten
In many ways, my experiences at Regis feel as far removed from Auburn as Alabama is from Colorado. (They do it all with their football team!) The two universities, however, share one important question in common: “How ought we to live?” Auburn’s mission attempts to answer this question by way of its identity as a Land-grant institution—a university designed to offer instruction in “practical arts” such as agriculture, science, and engineering. These institutions were specially created during the 19th Century so that people who wouldn’t ordinarily go to college, such as farmers, could further their learning. Effectively, Auburn wants all of us to live with the opportunity to learn regardless of how “common” or “industrial” our interests are. This educational inclusiveness
the society in which it lives.” Regis’ “social force” is shaped by its Jesuit identity, liberal arts curriculum, and emphasis on service learning, while Auburn’s is shaped by research programs, wide instructional access, and outreach toward Alabamians. In my role as a writing instructor, I engage with social reality by showing students how their writing transforms the communities to which they belong. This semester, I had my students contribute posts to a class Tumblr to explore one focused issue related
to sustainability to be made available publically on the Internet. Through this assignment, my students have come to understand how their writing can work to transform their readers—the Tumblr community— as more people “like” and reblog their posts. They see their work not just as an activity to enhance their own knowledge, but as a work of service to teach something new to their Internet audience. This is just a small example, but I think it models Ellacuria’s idea of transformation and enlightenment in a way that my students see as relevant to their own lives. As you continue your work at Regis and in the Honors program, I hope you can see this social reality at work in your own life. The writing seminars, Honors community events, and yes, even the thesis, work to enlighten us in some way, whether or not the message is one we really want to hear. It’s all preparation for the day when we’ll graduate and go on to extend Regis’ social force into our own vocations. For me, I know that whatever job I happen to hold next year, five, or fifteen years from now, I’ll still hold close the idea of transforming social realities that Regis and Auburn espouse; that is, to live in service of those who are willing to learn.