Sources of Identity

One of the factors that has affected who I am today is my family. No matter what, I can always count on my family to stick by me. My family is always supportive of me and loves me no matter what. Having their constant love and support is a huge motivator in my life. From my family I have learned so many things. I've learned how to be a good friend because your family members are almost like your first set of friends. I've also learned to respect everyone, which has made me a very nonjudgmental person and someone who genuinely likes being around people. Most importantly, my family has helped me to be who I am. I am comfortable being myself, and I have my family to thank for that.



Another factor that has affected who I am today is music. It's funny because I'm not a musical person. I used to play the piano and really want to start again, but other than that, I'm not a natural-born musician. However, music just moves through my life so much and is such a powerful force. It always calms me down, cheers me up, and pretty much does whatever I need. I think that music has made me a really strong person. I don't drink or do anything like that--I'd much prefer to go to a concert. When I'm at a concert I feel so free and yet so connected to everyone else in the room. Music has made me become more in tune with myself and in some weird way just guides me in life. Another example would be the music history course I took this year. I didn't want to take a study, so I opted to take this course. I had no idea that it would become like a little family. We have inside jokes and a secret Facebook group--an eight week course brought an eclectic group of Mounties together as friends. Music has made me a more easy-going, friendly person who is open to opportunities.

Finally, Spanish has affected who I am. That sounds really strange, but it's true: the Spanish language has had a huge influence on me. I never knew what I wanted to do with my life, and I still really don't, but now I know that it will involve Spanish. The idea that I can communicate with people in another way is inspiring. When I went to Mississippi sophomore year, I was able to use my shaky Spanish to speak to the little kids, and it was so powerful. I can't wait until I know even more Spanish (and hopefully other languages, too) and am able to help others, which is ultimately what I want to do with my life. Spanish has become a passion and has helped me to discover myself more and realize, at least a little bit, what my plan in life might be.

In the land of invisible women

What I found most shocking about this article was that many Yemeni girls are married at an extremely young age. The one young girl in the article was married at 12 years old. When I was 12, I was thinking about what I was going to wear to the CYO dance on Friday, not about the fact that I would be married to a 30 year old in a few days. I think it is disturbing that girls that young are married off, and that their parents generally support it.

Reading this article made me so grateful for the life I live. A 17 or 18 year old Yemeni girl would be covered head to toe in the traditional black garb. She would stay cooped up in her house all day, probably making sure everything was just right for her husband, who would have total control over her. She would not be allowed to speak her opinions, let alone admit that she had any at all. In my life, I am free to dress how I please and think what I want to think. I have no intentions of marrying anytime soon, and even when I do marry, I will not be treated like a slave by my husband. I am fortunate that I will be able to go to college and get a job doing whatever I want, unafraid to leave my house each day and be independent. Overall, I am thankful that I do not have to live the life of a young Yemeni woman. I hope that the situation of women in Yemen gets better, because women do not deserve to be treated like they are not even human beings.

Can forgiveness play a role in criminal justice?

After reading about restorative justice in the context of the heartbreaking tragedy that is the death of Ann Marie Grosmaire, I think that the idea of bringing forgiveness into the criminal justice system is very beneficial. I don't really think that restorative justice can quite be an alternative to the current justice system, but I think that the two should be used simultaneously and collaboratively. I think it's very possible and realistic to say that someday restorative justice will be a term that is widely known and a concept that is used daily. If people could use restorative justice instead of dehumanizing people, our world would be so much more forgiving, loving, and understanding. I think that restorative justice is very pertinent to Catholic Social Teaching, but I think it can easily be applied to many situations in life. Such an outlook could affect everyone's lives and make people more forgiving and compassionate--before bad things happen, not just after. Moreover, people would think more before they act because they would see situations from many perspectives. Overall, I think that applying restorative justice to the criminal justice system and life in general would be exceptionally valuable to society.