caldwell-magazine-spring-2015

Recommendations

Info

CALDWELLLIFE NATIONAL JOURNALIST PRESENTS ON contemplation in the age of twitter PBS-TV journalist Judith Valente (L) with Mary Ann Miller, Ph.D., professor of English. Valente presented on “Contemplation in the Age of Twitter” on Oct. 8 as part of the university’s 75th anniversary celebrations. Valente has poems in Dr. Miller’s anthology “St. Peter’s B-list: Contemporary Poems Inspired by the Saints” and read at a campus poetry reading earlier in the day. PBS-TV journalist Judith Valente used to fear dying—perhaps, she says, because she had parents who were middle-aged when she was born and looked like her friends’ grandparents. Today, Valente concentrates more on living and goes to bed at night with “a greater sense of having lived the day.” How did she make that leap of faith and learn to live each day with greater appreciation for life Not without deep soul searching and several trips to a monastery in Kansas. Speaking to a group on Caldwell’s campus, Valente recalled how she discovered the ancient tradition of contemplation and learned to incorporate contemplative living into her everyday life, which is often busy as a correspondent for the television show “Religion and Ethics Newsweekly” and as the senior correspondent at the National Public Radio affiliate in central Illinois. Valente’s lecture “Contemplation in the Age of Twitter” took place Oct. 8 as part of the university’s yearlong 75th anniversary celebrations. For Valente “the way forward” was found by “going back”—back to the rich monastic tradition of contemplation. She found that “way” in a Benedictine monastery in Atchison, Kansas, where she met religious sisters who “live mindfully” and taught her that “our days are meant for praise.” While at Mount St. Scholastica Monastery to give a talk, Valente became aware of the phrase conversatio morum, which, as one sister explained, means “conversion of life,” encompassing a slow, steady process of prayer, contemplation and silence. Valente made several trips to the monastery after that initial meeting, searching for something more, as she writes in her book “Atchison Blue: A Search for Silence, a Spiritual Home, and a Living Faith,” which was selected for the Catholic Press Association’s Best Spirituality Book in Paperback Award and as one of three top spirituality books of the year by the Religion Newswriters Association. Some visits at the monastery lasted for one and two weeks. Change occurred little by little as she learned how to bring the contemplative into her daily life. She also learned how conversion of the heart could help her with her struggles and bring the spiritual healing she needed to adjust to being married into a blended family. Busy professionals, parents and others can incorporate the monastic practices of silence, listening, hospitality, simplicity, prayer and praise into their daily lives, said Valente. “We are all searching for a spiritual home … and for many of us things run together … because we are all running daily at such a “ fast pace,” she said. Instead one can learn to make the day itself a prayer. She gives the example of her 2½-hour drive from her home in Illinois to the station in Chicago. “The entire drive is a meditation,” she said. “Sooner or later we all need our souls to catch up with the rest of our lives … and we can learn to pause during the day and still be productive.” During her workouts she incorporates prayers of thanksgiving to God. She recommends writing a three-line poem, known as a haiku, each day. “It is my way of pausing, a Liturgy of Hours for me.” Senior Kaitlyn Clausman was inspired by Valente. “Being a student, an employee and an athlete, I know how difficult it is to find time just to appreciate life … I found her idea of appreciating life in daily tasks to be very helpful.” Conversatio also encompasses relationships and how we treat others—our family, our co-workers. “Where are all the pieces in your life that need conversatio morum” Valente asked the audience. She pointed to cultivating “habits of the heart” and said, “Before you speak, ask yourself three questions. Is what I am about to say true Is it kind Is it necessary” Clausman was moved by that. “Given all the social networks and being behind a computer or phone screen when people are conversing, it makes it a lot easier to say things that are not true, kind and necessary.” Embracing Valente’s ideas “can have a great impact on the world,” said Clausman. Today, Valente carries a spirit of the monastery with her daily and says others can do that too by embracing a “monastery of the heart.” Monasteries are not “hopeless throwbacks to the past, a case of ‘Let the last monk or sister turn out the lights,’” she said. Instead she sees them as a window to the future, “a future we desperately need in our society—one that stresses community over competition, consensus over conflict, Sooner or later we all need our souls to catch up with the rest of our lives… and we can learn to pause during the day and still be productive. ” simplicity over consumption, service over self-aggrandizement, and silence over the constant chatter of the Internet, e-mail, Facebook and Twitter.” n — Colette M. Liddy 12 CALDWELLMAGAZINE
CAMPUSLIFE New Gazebo IS DEDICATED TO STUDENT COMMUNITY SERVICE A new gazebo has been erected on campus in honor of student community service efforts, thanks to the inspiration of alumnus Patrick Lehosky ’14. This fall he stopped by campus to help workers, students and staff put the finishing touches on the construction of the gazebo and explained how he came up with the idea. On the drive home from an alternative <strong>spring</strong> break in Appalachia last year, Lehosky said, he starting thinking about a way to “leave a legacy on campus and highlight service trips.” He had such a wonderful experience serving the poor in Kentucky that he wanted to encourage other students to take advantage of the opportunities Caldwell University offers for volunteerism. The gazebo, which sits in front of Werner Hall, is a “tribute to service,” he said. It will feature plaques recognizing students’ work helping nonprofits and community organizations locally, nationally and internationally. Rachel Levy, who served in Appalachia, thinks the gazebo is a great idea. “Props to Patrick,” she said. In addition to what the gazebo symbolizes, it will be a nice place to “sit, relax, have a cup of coffee and chat,” said Lehosky, but “the ultimate goal is awareness” about community service, an integral part of Caldwell’s fabric. n Climate Change Convergence: A Multi-Disciplinary Exposition The Visceglia Gallery presented an exhibition this past fall titled “Climate Change Convergence: A Multi-Disciplinary Exposition.” The interdepartmental event was spearheaded by Kendall Baker, director of the gallery. It featured contributions by students and faculty that included artwork, stories, poetry, informed commentary, scientific data, media analysis and sustainability guidelines in a multidisciplinary exhibit. Faculty, staff and students shared their diverse perspectives on the issue of climate change. CALDWELLMAGAZINE 13
Page 1 and 2: WINTER/SPRING 2015 CALDWELL U N I V
Page 3 and 4: PRESIDENT’SLETTER Dear Friends of
Page 5 and 6: CALDWELLSPOTLIGHT JOHN T. YURKO: A
Page 7 and 8: CALDWELLSPOTLIGHT SISTER KATHLEEN T
Page 9 and 10: CALDWELLSPOTLIGHT A PASSION FOR TRA
Page 11 and 12: CALDWELLLIFE Archbishop Hebda Celeb
Page 13: CALDWELLLIFE the Ancient Tradition
Page 17 and 18: CALDWELLACADEMICS ONLINE M.A. IN ED
Page 19 and 20: CALDWELLACADEMICS Caldwell Universi
Page 21 and 22: CALDWELLFACULTY&STAFF FACULTY MINI
Page 23 and 24: CALDWELLDEVELOPMENT Art Department
Page 25 and 26: CALDWELLATHLETICS MEN’S BASKETBAL
Page 27 and 28: CALDWELLATHLETICS CALDWELL ATHLETIC
Page 29 and 30: fall RECAP CALDWELLATHLETICS Senior
Page 31 and 32: CALDWELLALUMNI A LIFETIME OF GIVING
Page 33 and 34: CALDWELLALUMNI 2014 SHORE CHAPTER S
Page 35 and 36: CALDWELLALUMNI class notes ’57

caldwell-magazine-spring-2015

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?