Bidding farewell to seniors
Gary Caruso
Capitol Comments
As inevitable as seasonal changes, classes of students march through educational institutions. With spring comes the departure of Notre Dame's class of 2002. This year's seniors will be known as the first terror-hardened graduates since Pearl Harbor and the last hard alcohol consumers on campus.
Today's seniors enter a much more unstable economy, more so this year than during the entire preceding decade. They leave their Catholic Disneyland campus setting during a time of moral crisis in the Catholic Church. What lies ahead for them is not as bad as the 1970's raging Vietnam War nor as good as the booming 1990's economy. What lies ahead of them is what they make of it.
A wise father once told his son, "At the end of your life, it's not what you did in life that matters. It's how well you did it and who surrounded you."
The quote comes from a fictitious parent in a Disney movie, but it rings true as seniors prepare for the "real world." All of us cannot be president, discover the cure for cancer or make the largest financial contribution in the history of the University. Most of us never meet the president, can barely prepare tea and honey for an ill relative or miserably balance our checkbooks. Yet each of us makes an impact within our communities.
At the very least, Notre Dame students learn of community through the religious aspect of the University and the concentrated campus setting. If nothing else, osmosis develops an appreciation of the Catholic Church. How many times have students wondered why parish services could not be as personally rewarding as those on campus?
Catholics are saddened about the current crisis in the American Church community, but we should also be relieved that through an open dialogue it is being corrected. It can be a catalyst for change within the Church in less open countries throughout the world. It may also finally bring the debate regarding married and women priests to the forefront of the mind of the cardinal who will succeed Pope John Paul II.
A truly pure community is not one based on the Nazi pure-blood theory. Rather, a true community is one of inclusion. To achieve community everyone must embrace acceptance and reject exclusion. While an overwhelming majority of Notre Dame students as well as faculty are Catholic, the University has experienced its best moments when acceptance and understanding were the basis for its actions. It is a tragic commentary on the University's history that it took until this year to hire its first African-American head coach.
As a nation we are at our best when we embrace and understand others rather than selectively discriminate. Political campaigns tend to accent the nasty negatives in hopes of persuading voters to reject an opponent.
As individuals, we are most civilized when we are not hypocritical but tolerant. Those who say they are right and will not compromise have a false sense of community, one of selectivity and limitations. Those who think their god is the only god are examples of why Northern Ireland or Israel are such killing fields.
House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas, recently told a gathering of evangelical Christians in Pearland, Texas, that two of his state's major universities no longer provide a "Godly education." He said, "Don't send your kids to Baylor. And don't send your kids to [Texas] A&M."
The problem, according to reports on the Internet, is that DeLay was expelled from Baylor. He was reportedly known as "Hot Tub Tom" for his frequent trips across the border to Mexico during his stay at Baylor. Maybe he thought that Baylor should have dealt with him sooner.
The keys to a successful life include the advice from the Disney father to surround yourself with good people and do well whatever interests you. It sometimes calls for bold action to create an atmosphere of community. The Pope apologizing to Muslims for past ills of the Church is probably the single most important act of community outreach in our time.
Successful persons are the ones who teach and encourage little leaguers rather than pressure them to win. Successful persons are like my fellow Notre Dame classmate, not the one who contributed the largest single financial contribution to the University but the one who has no real job except playing the ponies. He and his heart of gold support disadvantaged, uneducated and poor neighbors in his modest midwestern town. Every month, another family or drifter spends time eating the equivalent of a feast and feels the warmth and love of my unselfish classmate.
The Class of 2002 will disperse throughout our nation and the world. Many will become financially wealthy. Many will work in positions that they love. Most will not achieve fame outside their local communities, but that is a universe in itself where the smallest of gestures can be the most effective.
But if the Class of 2002 can collectively sift through divisive issues with a live-and-let-live attitude, they will be the greatest class to ever graduate.
Gary J. Caruso, Notre Dame '73, served in President Clinton's administration as a Congressional and Public Affairs Director. His column appears every other Friday, and his Internet address is Hottline@aol.com.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
All Viewpoint Stories for Friday, April 26, 2002
