Posted by vandyleads on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 in News.

This ASCEND Reflection comes from Connor Morency, a Junior from Wheaton, Illinois, studying Mechanical Engineering. As part of ASCEND, we ask all our students to create a “This I Believe” statement to reflect on their ideas of change. Check out Connor’s insights into what he believes is necessary for change to come about and why it is so important.

This I Believe by Connor Morency

Before I reveal how I facilitate change, it is necessary for me to speak on what I think change is. I believe change is constant, which in itself sounds oxymoronic. One moment of life is never the same as the next, or any moment before it, therefore by the linear and relentless nature of time we as humanity and the situations that surround us are constantly changing. It is in my nature to question every thought and action that I see as profound and determine how it can and has applied to my life, in order to validate its plausibility. Change is absolutely necessary. One of my favorite artists, Talking Heads, sing a song about change that I believe outlines a defining belief I hold. The song is called ‘Heaven’ and the chorus goes something like ‘Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.’ I interpret this to mean that perfection, by definition, is a static state of existence, and therefore impossible to maintain due to the linearity of time. Perfection is also a silly concept because if I lived a life where every second was truly perfect, I would get bored. We as individuals are driven to action and change due to imperfections in the world, so change is just as much a part of being human as being imperfect is.

Before I get too Meta, I’d like to outline an example of how change has affected my life. Growing up in a cliché suburbian town of Chicago, life was in a lot of ways predictable. Looking back, my childhood was characterized by privilege and few choices. Sure, I could choose what sports team I wanted to join or what food to bring for lunch, but looking back these choices seem very trivial. In most cases I was told what to do which made change for the most part out of my control. When I got to Vanderbilt, through the people I have met, the classes I have taken, and the adult responsibilities I have assumed my eyes have been opened and I realize that I as an adult have been given complete control of my life. In many cases I believe that if I see a change I want made in my life I can do it, because I have equipped myself with the problem solving and organizational skills to make the change happen. But most importantly, I have an open mind. Having an open mind is the key to turning a nice thought of change into a reality. It’s having an attitude that will not take no for an answer, at least not in the long run. Sure, I may fail 100 times before I finally convert that change into a reality on the 101^st try. But it’s the faith and open-mindedness that keeps me going.

On a societal level, change is more difficult to see through. Change happens in large groups of people over years. This is because for change to truly become a reality for society, at least a majority of the people have to change themselves. And since for many people change is difficult to grasp (even if it is good for them) societal change takes a long time. As an individual, I can facilitate this process by first being the change I want to see, and then leading others to the conclusion that change is possible for them as well. This can be done by example, one-on-one conversations, or delivered to large groups of people through speeches or other propaganda, but I find the first two methods to be the most effective. That is why in order to see societal change through, we as individuals must believe in ourselves and have a clear vision of our change, so that when others come to question our stance we can convince them to join our side. A side of hope, faith, and believing in the impossible.