Event Analysis

Our Leader

In order to understand the short stories and poems read for today’s class it is helpful to examine Father Linanne’s State of the University address. Father Linnane in the eyes of the college, is the one man you put your faith in while you are away from you father. During times of despair, like Hurricane Sandy, the student body looks to him for hope. During the good times, we look to him to lead the celebration. He sets forth goals for our community, and we as faculty, staff, and students live our daily lives striving to meet these standards. The State of the Unversity showed our goals and what we will do to make sure they are met.

The short story, A Father, shows the all humans make mistakes. The mother, who wakes up early to cater to her husband and child, and works everyday, is criticized for being too Americanized. The daughter becomes pregnant through artificial insemination, and is seen as an abomination in her parent’s eyes. The father struggles with the battle of staying Hindu or assimilating to the American culture. I began to sympathize with the father, who seems like a hardworking man, until the last few lines where he tries to kill his unborn grandchild. He had goals for his family, just like Father Linnane has for the Loyola community. The difference is the way these two men reacted when something got in the way. Father Linnane pushed back the expected date to complete the goals by two years, where as the father pushed the rolling pins from the air to his daughters belly with all his might.

The Sampson’s set goals out to achieve their dream of owning and operating a deli and exclusive restaurant combination in Serving up Hope. The goal is not only to serve delish food, but to also give back to the community around them by creating jobs and improving people’s way of life. Like Father Linnane, who emphasizes not only Loyola community but also global community, the Sampson’s thrive to make their personal and professional goals successful for everyone around them. This sense of community can be seen in First Practice, by Gary Gildner. The football coach is seen as all knowing and almost untouchable. His voice is commanding and obeyed without questions. In our community, our coach is Father Linnane. He leads us without much opposition to a better and strong future. We are key players just like the boys in the poem, and everyone is needed to complete the team.

In the State of the University address, Father Linnane reminds us that we have worked hard to get where we are as a whole, but we must keep it up in order to be here in the future. This should be as stress-free as possible to be the most successful. In Directions for Resisting the SATs, the feel of the poem is very lighthearted yet still powerful. The poem shows that you should try everything, make mistakes, and have fun with what you do; this will lead to immeasurable achievements. The only way, to concur our goals as a university, is to enjoy the experience and make changes for the world, not just ourselves.