By The Rev. Gary S, Chamberlain, C.S.C.
The other day I overheard two freshmen talking about their intended majors. One was quite sure that he was going to double major in Biology and Drama. The other knew she was going to minor in German but was still figuring out what her two majors were going to be. I got tired just listening to them. Sometimes, life at a university can seem like one of those "all you can eat" buffets. The possibilities are endless with four kinds of potato salad and chocolate pudding right next to the pickled beets. It is all so exciting and you want to taste everything! On such an excursion, however, it is important to remember that the meat comes at the end. Too often one gets to the roast pork or the baked ham only to realize that there is no more room left on the plate. Instead of prime rib, there is only green Jello salad with cottage cheese and pineapple in it. Now there is nothing wrong with a delicious Jello-based side, but it is no prime rib.In the smorgasbord of academic life, there are so many possibilities to choose from. The university Web site lists 38 undergraduate majors and 29 minors. It is a virtual fiesta of learning, especially when considered together with overseas study programs, service learning opportunities and internships.The beauty of a university program based on a core curriculum is that one gets to eat around the menu and sample the various disciplines. One is pulled beyond narrow interests and required to look at issues from various perspectives and fields of study.However, like much of life, it is also important that after sampling the possibilities, one begins to deepen one's course of studies as well, and begins to plumb the depths of a discipline and engage its deeper questions. The effective use of a second major or a minor can help sharpen one's focus and make ties across one's interests just as the right summer internship can plunge one into the center of a pressing societal issue or help one to see whether a certain career field is right.But unless one is mindful, the endless possibilities offered by the university can also allow students to taste a little of everything and eat nothing.This is a real risk for all of us in today's world and it holds true across every aspect of our lives. When beginning to date, it is good to meet lots of people and to think about the kind of person one would like to spend one's life with. In spending time with a variety of people, one sees the possibilities.However, we can only window-shop for so long. In life, it is when we begin to enter into relationships more deeply that we begin to know ourselves best. It is when we live for others that we become truly alive. It is when we allow others to truly know us that we can be authentically ourselves. This authenticity is perhaps the greatest gift we can bring to our relationships, our studies, and our world.As we begin a new academic year, let us be excited by the possibilities of what the university experience offers us: courses, majors, professors, and friends. May we all take full advantage of these opportunities. May we also come to know that this will entail that we slow down some rather than speed up, that we take time to muse upon the deeper questions of life and learning, that we value true friendships by taking the time to grow in the knowledge and love of each other.Enjoy the macaroni salad, the baked beans and mushroom soup at the university buffet this year. Dig in and enjoy all its treats. Just don't forget the meat.
The Rev. Gary S. Chamberlain, C.S.C. is the Director of Campus Ministry.
