Your Vision of the CSC

Last week, the CSC hosted its first-ever (to my knowledge) visioning day (which was actually two days). The event was led by the CSC's consultant, John Flynn, and his assistant, Jody Schrandt, and was attended by over 40 community members, parents, students, alumni, staff, clergy, and Wash U faculty. Through lectures, discussions, and brainstorming sessions, the group determined that the following five areas are the most important for the CSC to consider as it moves forward:

1. Build relationship between students and non-student community
2. Help new graduates transition to other communities
3. Create a residential community
4. Strong Leadership Team and Succession Planning
5. Catholic Intellectual Thought and Theology Courses

I collected a few thoughts from those in attendance that I wanted to share on this site. These are just random quotes that stood out:

• One person said that her experience with the CSC during college "filled a need I didn't know I had."
• A staff member noted that many students today have faith because it's useful to them: they labeled it "moralistic therapeutic deism"
• Another staff member, citing several surveys, said that young adults today are most attracted to humility from those in power
• One community member said that one goal they'd like to see achieved is that student continue to make the CSC their own, and that the CSC stay open enough for students to do that.
• As noted in point 4 above, succession planning was a major objective from many in attendance. Several people noted the importance of the community members and students having more of a connection to the CSC as a place than specifically to Fr. Gary.
• Someone said this really well: The CSC has no agenda other than to love students. I think that says it all.

The Rose

The other day I was grocery shopping at Schnucks when I spotted a CSC community member walking in the opposite direction. I was on the phone, so we quickly shook hands and moved on, but not before I noticed that he was carrying a single longstem rose.

Now, I cannot presume to know who the rose was for, but I have a hunch that it was for his wife of 2 years. This gesture struck a chord with me--it showed me that he wasn't being complacent in his marriage. He was doing the little things to show his wife that he loves her now just as much as he loved her on the day of their marriage.

I think this applies really well not just to our family and friends, but also to our relationship with Jesus. Sometimes we can be complacent about the way we live spiritually, morally, ethically, lovingly. And maybe we snap out of that complacency with a grand gesture--a big donation or a day of service with the poor or a trip to Haiti.

But let's not forget the little roses of our lives. The small gestures--smiling at those around you, holding the door open for the person behind you, giving your waiter a break when he spills a drink.

What rose will you give today?

The Intern Music Video

The interns took it upon themselves to create an amazing music video this semester that shows how much fun we have at the CSC (although, it wouldn't quite be true to say that we break out in song and dance every day). You can see the professionally-made dance video they tried to emulate here. Of course, the interns' version is much better (seriously).

EDIT: Intern Elizabeth has graciously offered her perspective on the video. Her words below, then the video:

The backdrop as to where on earth the video came from:

The video was originally introduced to me while on a retreat called Aggie Awakening back in November 2005. Students leading the retreat made a spoof of it (similar to our own) and used it as a tool to introduce themselves to us. Needless to say, it was hilarious and forever stuck in my mind.

Flashing forward to the CSC Gala this past fall the song "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire was played later in the evening. I immediately reminisced back to four years ago and that video. I had attempted efforts to remember what the dance looked like and received several confused looks from Andrea plus other onlookers. Following the Gala, I decided to show my fellow interns the video. After showing the video, we half joked we would make the video ourselves. But, do to the busy schedule of the CSC with the Awakening Retreat and Parents Weekend it was just literally an idea. Early November the idea popped up again and the four of us decided we would like to do it as a way to outreach to those who may not know of the CSC or be as involved. Also, since Andrea was leaving it would be the last imprint the four interns could make together.

It was excellent bonding time as a staff especially before Andrea left. I will forever have ingrained in my mind the staff dancing on a table and laughing hysterically in the process. More importantly, it was a fun way of spreading the word about the CSC!

So, watch it. Enjoy it. Share it.

Even Good Samaritans Need Time

I recently finished reading a book called The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. The book is about little things that create big changes. It's a fascinating read, and I highly recommend it.

In one part of the book, Gladwell discusses a study involving a group of seminarians. Seminarians were selected for the study because (a) they would be familiar with the story of the Good Samaritan and (b) they are training to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

In the study, the seminarians were asked to prepare a short talk and then head over to a nearby building to present it. With one of the groups of seminarians, when they finished writing their talk, they were told that they were a few minutes early and could head over to the other building. With the other group, when they finished preparing the talk, they were told that they were running late and should rush over to give the talk.

The catch was that on the path between the preparation building and the destination building, each seminarian came across a man to the side of the path (an actor) who had his head down, eyes closed, and was coughing and groaning in pain.

Would the seminarians--potential "Good Samaritans"--stop and help the stranger?

The study revealed that yes, some of the seminarians stopped and help. But many did not. The key factor? Whether or not they felt rushed.

Out of the first group of those who were told they were early, 63% stopped and helped. In the latter group--those who felt rushed--only 10% stopped to help.

This is astonishing, right? 10%! Of seminarians, no less!

The lesson lies in a factor that we might not think affects us. We read this example and think, "Oh, I'd stop and help. Of course I would." But the truth is that the odds that we would stop and help have very little to do with who we are and much more to do with time. Do we feel like we have an abundance of time or a complete lack of time? The difference could be a key factor in whether or not we walk like a Christian or just talk like a Christian.

How can we apply this to our lives? Find little ways to make yourself feel like you have a few minutes to spare. Leave early. Set your clocks a few minutes fast. Don't wait until the last minute to finish your work or tell someone you love them. Wake up a few minutes early.

Those few minutes could be the difference in your ability to embody the Good Samaritan.

A Different Kind of Thank You

This morning when I thought about writing a Thanksgiving entry for this CSC blog, I thought about writing a general thank you representing the entire staff (who, by the way, are very thankful for all of you).

I'm not going to do that, though. This thank you is going to be a little more personal.

I started working at the CSC as the Director of Operations on November 27, 2007--I started the Monday after Thanksgiving. I didn't quite know what I was getting into, and to be honest, sometimes I still don't. Every day is different. Every week, every month is unique.

The one constant--the one truly amazing constant--has been the people. My coworkers, the students, volunteers--I mostly interact with Gala and soup volunteers, the young adults, the old adults...you all have been constant reminders to me of God's love.

I mean that in a specific, intentional way--I'm not talking about God's love as some abstract idea, something you read about in a book or hear someone talk about. Rather, I'm saying that I see God's love in all of you. I see it in the way my coworkers truly want the CSC to be the best Newman Center for all students of faith at Wash U, how they are so selfless in the pursuit of sharing faith and love and challenging students to grow. I see it in the volunteers who go out of their way time and time again to serve and cook and fundraise and make this place run smoothly. I see it in the students who go on retreats and service trips and smile at new students who give the CSC a try. And I see it in the students who aren't all that active here, but they still make the choice to come to Mass when they could just stay in their dorm rooms and watch Simpsons reruns. I see it in the young adults who share their meager incomes with the CSC so the students can have the same programs and events and opportunities that they did, and I see it in that same group after Mass and at the happy hours when they laugh and chat and challenge each other--perhaps challenge each other even more than they did in college, when we were so resistant to other people challenging us. And I see it in the older adults, people who have no previous connection to the CSC other than they came to Mass or the Gala one time and found a group of people--a community, a congregation--of people who were opening and inclusive about their faith, not exclusive and derisive and dismissive.

I see God's love in each and every one of you. Every smile, every hug. Every day.

And really, is there any way to make this world a more loving place than to be a living example of God's love?

I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to work here for two years and been witness to the way all of you live in God's love. Thanks for being awesome. and have a happy Thanksgiving.

Jamey

Go on Awakening

If you are under 30 years old and haven't been on the Awakening retreat, go on Awakening (Oct. 17-19). It's as simple as that.

That's my advice, and I'd like to back it up with my experience on my Awakening retreat as a Wash U freshman 10 years ago.

I went on Awakening as tentatively as one could go. I was wary about missing a weekend away from new friends during my first semester, wary about going away with a bunch of people I didn't know, wary about the idea of being spoon-fed religion for a weekend.

By the end of the weekend, I realized that I need not have been wary at all.

The weekend is intense. I won't deny that. But it's intense in a good way. It's intense in the way that you get to know people better in three days (and essentially you're forced to get to know people in small group discussion, which, for my introverted side, was really helpful) that you'll get to know most people in three months. It's intense in a way that I imagined college would be--intense discussions in the quad, heated debates about life and love and politics and religion and relationship, talks that go well into the night. In no way did I feel like I missed out on a weekend away from Wash U. Rather, I felt like the rest of Wash U missed out on Awakening.

Also, Awakening isn't about spoon-feeding you religion in any way. Sure, there's prayer and confession and Communion, but they're presented in the most open, welcoming environment possible. In one weekend I realized that my religion, my faith, applied to all aspects of my life, not just the hour or so I put in my time on Sundays. It exemplifies that idea, and although you can wrap your mind around that idea by reading it here or hearing it during Gary's homilies, it's something that needs to be experienced firsthand.

Here's perhaps my biggest sell for Awakening: I was a huge doubter about the weekend before going into the retreat. After the retreat, I was not only a table leader for the next Awakening, but I also went on Growth (Awakening 2.0) after that, and then my senior year I gave the opening talk at Awakening (this is coming from a person who shudders at the thought of public speaking). I wouldn't have done any of those things if Awakening hadn't moved me. And it did, it really did. It moved me.

That's my two cents. Give it a try. Go on Awakening and being fully human, fully awake for a weekend.

The Waterfall: Before and After

For those of you who don't remember what the pond in the back looked like before, here are before and after photos. Feel free to drop by the CSC waterfall at any time to pray, nap, relax, or chat.

before

after

This Week's Gospel Question

This week's Gospel question is: When Is Enough Enough?

Feel free to listen to the homily to know what Fr. Gary is referring to.

CSC Featured in St. Louis Review

The Catholic Student Center was featured in an article in today's St. Louis Review. Click here to view the full article. They interviewed me (Jamey) for this, so I hope I didn't say anything too controversial!

The Link

One of my favorite parts about Mass and the CSC is the Lord's Prayer. At Mass this past weekend, I looked up and was reminded that at the CSC, people link hands across the aisle, creating one seamless chain throughout the entire church. For that minute that we spend praying, we're all linked together. We're all one body in Christ.

The next time you're praying the Lord's Prayer at mass, look around at the congregation. You are linked to every single person in the chapel at that moment, sharing words that have been passed on from generation to generation for thousands of years. It's an incredible feeling, to be so connected to so many people.

Teambuilding with Eggs

I put together a little teambuilding exercise for the staff on Tuesday. I gathered the staff together and presented them with two eggs, and I asked them to achieve the impossible (as they attempt to do every year with the students--some very fragile, some not as much):

I asked them to drop an egg from the third floor onto concrete and prevent it from breaking.

The guidelines were simple: The egg had to be dropped by me, an impartial party, and it had to land on the concrete. The only tools they had were as follows, and they were to be used to created some sort of structure around the egg to prevent it from breaking:

One sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper
A small piece of duct tape and a small piece of blue tape
Two paper clips
A foot of ribbon.
A small paper plate
A rubber band
A business card
Two coffee straws

We divided into two teams, but interestingly enough, they decided not to be competitive with each other. Rather, everyone decided they wanted to save the eggs. They just thought that working in smaller groups would prove more productive than working in one big group.

In the end, one egg shattered on impact, while the other barely cracked. The trick is that even though your instinct is to protect the egg--securely wrapping it in paper and tape--what you really want to do is reduce the velocity of the drop. That's what makes the biggest difference. Comparing it to our ministry, I'd say that we try to bring out the gifts in students and young adults that give them the abilities to be whole in the post-collegiate world, not find temporary fixes that aren't going to help them in the long run.

We also had a great discussion over lunch following this exercise. We talked about working in teams and how positive energy can provide a team with a much better result than if even one team member comes in with a negative attitude. We also talked about possible solutions we can use to teach students and young adults whose default attitude is more negative to recognize that and start to diffuse it.

All in all, I think everyone enjoyed this egg drop teambuilding activity.

Finding Work Without Losing Heart

My aunt, a nun in Philadelphia, sent me a link to a free e-book that a priest friend of hers wrote a while back. If you check it out, feel free to post a comment below.

http://www.sju.edu/academics/hsb/resources/findingwork/index.html

New Website

If you're reading this blog, you're probably looking at the new CSC website (beta version). Erik Buschardt, CSC webmaster, has been working on the new site for several months now, and I think he's done a fantastic job in reconfiguring the site.

Our mission when revamping the site was to find the optimal way to connect with more people more often. We're all about connection here at the CSC--connection through spiritual sharing, through mass, through discussions, through debates, through hugs--why should our technology be any different?

We decided that we wanted to simplify the user experience and put content that changes on a daily basis (announcements, calendar, blog) on the home page. More static content--important stuff that rarely changes--can be found by clicking the links on the left. Depending on the size of your computer monitor, you may be able to see the entire home page without scrolling at all.

Of course, the project isn't complete until we get user feedback. Let us know what you think of the new site. Is something really hard to find or counterintuitive? Let us know. Should something be bigger or smaller or more colorful? Let us know. Does something appear a little off on your browser? Let us know.

E-mail me with your feedback at stegmaier@washucsc.org.

Contest

My aunt, who is a nun in Philadelphia, sent me this information about a contest that might be of interest to you spiritual writers out there. It's sponsored by a publisher called Paraclete Press, and the prizes are large gift certificates to the company's books and products. If you win, let us know so we can link to it on this blog!

Jesus taught in parables, and as Peter Rollins (a Paralete author) says, "Parables do not seek to change our minds but rather to change our hearts." Do you have a truth you feel must be told? Do you have a parable to tell? Here's what you do: 1. Read the sample parable from Rollins' book (click here). 2. Craft your own, original parable, communicating truth from your own life of faith. Parables may be anywhere from 100 to 1000 words in length. 3. Send your entries to ellen@paracletepress.com no later than August 1, 2009. All entries will be read and judged by Peter Rollins and winners announced on or before September 1, 2009. (see below for prizes) Paraclete Press may post the parables of both winners and contestants on our website anytime after September 1, 2009.

Leap of Faith

The third and final article on my adoption--this time from my parents' perspective--has been published on Crosswalk.com. There are links to the first and second parts on the article in case you haven't read those.

http://www.crosswalk.com/parenting/11603222/

The CSC in the Post-Dispatch

The CSC is mentioned several times in today's St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The article, entitled, "Stretching Physical and Spiritual Muscles," mentioned the recent Yoga stations the CSC hosted:

"Last month, students performed yoga while praying to the Stations of the Cross at Washington University's Catholic Student Center."

Later in the article, the CSC was mentioned again, complete with several quotes from Fr. Gary:

The Rev. Gary Braun, director of the Catholic Student Center at Washington University, has watched the number of students who show up for Stations of the Cross dwindle to three or four. He said he's concerned that young people don't see God in suffering. He said they'd rather avoid acknowledging their own suffering by engaging in risky behaviors, such as drinking. 

So he cast about for something new and appealing that would mesh well with the Lenten devotion. He kept hearing students talk about yoga and came up with the idea of doing a different pose while praying to each of the 14 Stations of the Cross as they were projected on a screen. Braun was stunned when more than 40 students showed up to participate.

"It blew us away," he said. "The parishes around the neighborhood asked us to do it for them next year." 

A company has approached Braun about making a video of the poses so people can do it in their homes. 

Braun stresses that he's not proselytizing, but merely wooing young Catholics to the devotion. He hopes they walk away with a better sense of Jesus Christ's suffering, he said. 

"Yoga is about being present, and there's a pain in the body to hold the pose," Braun said. "It's amazingly visceral."

Lessons from the Interns

Gabe and Rachel, the CSC interns for the 2008-09 school year, spoke during a segment of the homily at Tuesday's Mass. They each had a lot to share, but I thought I'd pull one thought from each of them that stood out to me. The Gospel question was, "What have you learned this year?"

Gabe shared how he has gotten better at accepting help this year, and he offered some insight on how to do that. A struggle he has--that a lot of people have--is believing someone when they offer help. We don't know if they really mean it. So Gabe has come up with a theory that you should always accept offers of help because (a) if the person genuinely wants to help you, then they'll feel good after helping you or (b) if the person doesn't actually want to help you, accepting their disingenuous help will teach them not to offer help when they don't mean it.

Rachel shared how she has learned how to offer prayers of gratitude this year. She said in the past she would mix thankful prayers with "wishful" prayers, So she wasn't able to embody the gratitude as she was praying. She decided to name specific names and things she's grateful for, as well as gifts that God gave her. It became an exercise in intentional prayer focused on specific examples in her life and what those things mean to her (instead of thanking God in general for all of your gifts or blessings).

Dissecting the Ten Commandments

I've been reading Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, and yesterday I came upon a fascinating diatribe from the narrator about the Ten Commandments, particularly "honor thy mother and father". I couldn't copy and paste from the text, and it's a lot to type, so to read what I'm talking about, click the link below, then click on the book cover and search inside the book for "ten commandments." It'll take you to the first page of the diatribe. Great fodder for thought, especially the passage about the ways the commandments have been misused in the past (i.e., to justify slavery).

http://www.amazon.com/Gilead-Novel-Marilynne-Robinson/dp/031242440X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240798683&sr=8-1

The Zoo at Mass

Just thought I'd share a funny story about this past weekend's mass from my personal blog.

http://jameystegmaier.com/2009/04/05/management-tactic-31-the-camel-rule/

Managing Faith: Why Do You Go to Mass?

Why do you go to Mass?

Really, why do you do it? What's your motivation behind it? Why don't you just celebrate God and faith at home? Why don't you just pray in your dorm room for an hour every Sunday?

The answer, I would suspect, is that you go to Mass to celebrate your faith with other people. Even if you go alone, you go to celebrate your faith with other people of the same faith. You go for the Communion of it all.

So why, then, do so many forget that there are other people around them in the chapel?

Let me explain. And I'll preface this by saying that this is a post I've wanted to write for a while, but I didn't know if it was my place to write it. I still don't. But I think someone needs to say it.

On several occasions when I've sat in the chapel at the CSC on Sunday, I've noticed people being completely inconsiderate of those around them. I've noticed the following things:

1. People with crying babies who remain in the main chapel. This really, really disrupts people's spiritual experience. At the CSC, we have a special area for that in the Commons, where you can still experience Mass on the TV (and you can still see into the chapel).
2. People who don't scoot over when the congregation is asked to scoot toward the middle aisle. To me, when you don't scoot, you're saying that you don't want other people to share the Mass experience with you. You're saying, "You're not welcome in this pew."
3. People who don't sing. I understand that not everyone has a good voice. I've been told that I have a horrible voice, and as a result, I don't sing loudly. But I sing. Fr. Gary had a homily about this last year, about how you not singing discourages other people around you from singing. If we put our voices together, we can create beautiful music.
4. Couples who are extremely touchy-feely during Mass. Frankly, this is really distracting to everyone around you. Holding hands is one things. But coddling and constantly touching and reverting all of your attention to the person next to you is pulling your attention--and the attention of those around you--away from God, away from the point of our Catholic rituals. I don't see this very often, but when I do, it really disrupts my mass experience. I want to say, "Get a room! This is a chapel!"

I am certainly culpable of these transgressions at times. But I'm very conscious of them. I'm conscious that I'm in a room full of other people who are trying to get in touch with the Holy Spirit.

The next time you're at Mass, be aware of how the things you're doing--or not doing--are affecting the people around you. Offer that gift to the community, and to yourself.