Disposition 2

Compassion:

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. - The Dalai Lama

I struggled a lot during my freshman year with many aspects of campus life. I had two professors reach out to me both in subtle and major ways. Each week I would go to my lesson (I'm not telling you which lesson!) and my professor would ask me how I was doing. It may seem like a simple, common thing that everyone says, and it is. Every single day, I ask at least 15 people, "How are you" and they ask me the same. Whoever it is, we both usually say, "Good!". With this professor, I knew that he or she genuinely wanted to know how my life was going and how I was adjusting. We eventually got to talking for up to 20 minutes of my hour long lesson about things that were bothering me, weather it was my room mate, anything regarding my instrument, inter departmental drama, or how there was nothing for vegetarians to eat on campus. Having an adult care that much about me right from the beginning has helped me to develop as an artist. In a lesson setting, I now feel incredibly free to express myself verbally AND through my instrument. These skills and feelings have even extended to my other instrument and helped me to be more confident and comfortable in all places on campus.

For January Term 2009, I took a Theatre/Dance course taught by Jane Hawley. The course was titled stubborn light and through that class and with her guidance, I learned so much about the human spirit and myself. I began to connect with more people on a deeper level because of her presence and influence in my life. In this course we did movement exercises, prepared meals together, read excerpts, held discussions, and learned about living life as your own person. In opening up during her course, we became very familiar with one another. I've continued to ask her guidance and shared with her all kinds of things I worry and think about.

These two professor's care for me (compassion for their student) has helped me to become more comfortable with myself and to live and build a life that I want to live.