Dating: What's the Point?

In chapter 5 of David Cloutier’s book, the concept of dating being a means to practice for divorce is discussed. I disagree with this claim. I do not believe that dating is just a means to have sex. I also do not believe dating is a practice for divorce. I agree with the contrary that dating is essentially a way to learn and grow. I think from dating, we learn more about ourselves. One quote that stood out to me was, “We see the values we find in all human relationships.” From dating, we have many new experiences emotionally. We can learn a lot about others and ourselves from dating. I also believe dating depends on the people. One person may approach dating as completely physical, while another person desires an emotional connection. Ultimately I think dating depends on each person’s opinion. In our society today, dating may be see as a way to just be physical with someone. In the contemporaries view, they claim dating is caring for another person “in a way that is often deeper than a friendship”. The anti-daters argue the contrary. Finally, in colleges and high schools “the hook-up” culture is different. Many times today people “hook up” with someone they do not know. I think this is unnecessary. People are “hooking up” with someone whose name they do not know and someone they do not care for. I think dating today is sometimes not taken seriously due to this culture today.

Little Women

The documentary and article Misrepresentation brings forth a problem in today’s society and culture of women being objectified and sexualized. Although I did know this is a problem in society, evident from the media, magazines, television and even the news, I was unaware of the young age objectification begins. I was surprised to hear of the thong underwear manufactured for 7 to 10 year olds or the increasing rate of plastic surgery. I was also saddened by shows such as Toddlers and Tiaras or many of the reality shows. The media as well as stores, such as Abercrombie and Fitch always advertise girls as “sexy” or hanging all over a boy. The media and stores present women as objects and as if their only goal should be to look gain a man. This problem must change in the upcoming years. As a young woman currently, it is hard not to imagine what the future holds for women, especially in the workplace. It is astonishing to hear that some women may not get jobs, although they are more than qualified. Women are presented as over aggressive while competing for a job while a man as seen as the leader. Attending the Mount definitely has affected my understanding of gender and identity. I believe the Mount does educate us to be strong leaders with integrity and women who should stand up for what we believe in. Although as the documentary pointed out, the work place and world is very different. We must be the instruments of change and stand up for what we believe in.

Sources of My Identity

As I have grown up, many factors have been a source of and influenced my identity. The main things that have been sources of my identity are my friends and family, school and service, and athletics. The first influence is my friends and family. My parents and my older brothers, Rob and Ryan, have influenced me in a tremendous way. I am very close with my family and they are very important to me. I grew up where mostly every night we would sit down for dinner together and talk about our day and spend time together on the weekends. My parents have raised me into the person I am today with strong values. My brothers have taught me many things and have given me great advice. My friends have also taught me many things and I know I can count on them. The next source of my identity is school. As I have gotten older, I have learned school is more than just a place to take tests and write papers. Although one of the fundamental parts of school is learning, the experience in general has shaped me. I have learned so many things from being at school. One thing is the desire to learn and be inquisitive. School has also taught me to work hard and to stay diligent. At school, the extracurricular activities have played a huge part in my identity. From student council to CSC, getting involved is something I love to do. Going to LaSalle Academy and helping organize events around the school has taught me to always remain grounded and focus on the positives. Lastly, athletics have played a large role in my identity. When I was younger from about the age of 5 I played almost every sport there was. I played athletics all the way through high school from Mount to club to CYO teams. Sports have taught me to work hard and work alongside other people. I will never forget the volleyball team at Mount Saint Joseph Academy. Waking up early during the summer for preseason ending with winning the AACA championship is one of my greatest memories from my athletics. We worked hard together all season for an end goal. Athletics in general has taught me determination, persistence and leadership. These many sources and influences have shaped me into the person I am today.

Mission

I will live out my passion of helping others and making people happy. I will utilize my qualities to make people laugh and smile and encourage people live life to the fullest. I will work my hardest and strive for greatness. I will remain a loyal friend and family member. I will never give up and remain optimistic, even when times get tough. I will stay confident and stand up for what I believe in. I have learned so much from my experiences with others and want that to continue. I want to encourage others to avoid pointless drama and live life without hatred. We must learn from, respect and love one another.