A Part-Time Common Read

Happy Labor Day! I can't believe it's already September. Here's hoping it actually decides to cool off soon. I hate all this hot, sticky weather!
It's been a week since Orientation, and I still can't get our Common Read Experience out of my head. We read "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian". Each year, Aquinas chooses a book for incoming freshman and transfer students to read, in order for them to find common ground and get them talking about a familiar topic.

By far, this was my favorite book! I really wish we got to read this my freshman year. Some of the main themes of the book's main character, Arnold Spirit, I could really see in myself:

• I want better for myself
• Don’t give up who you really are, especially your culture
• I’m young, stupid (okay more like naive), and full of ideas
• Don't be afraid to leave, if you don’t, you’re being taught to give up
• Be tolerant, be forgiving, weird people should be celebrated
• You don’t need an education to be a good person
• If we want to live out our dream, we have to be courageous, imaginative, and a little mental
• Even the smallest part of the world is filled with things you don’t know
• Life is a constant struggle between being an individual and being a member of the community, individuals (especially weird ones) can threaten the strength of the tribe
• We all have problems in our lives, but not all of them are life-threatening

Another main theme of this book was tribes, or cliques/groups. Basically, all of Arnold's friends and those in his tribe were mad he decided to leave the reservation to go to a better school. But what Arnold doesn't realize, at least not right away, is that there are other tribes for him. No I don't me literal tribes, but tribes of things he likes and relates to, such as playing basketball, having loving parents, losing someone he cares about, etc.
We each had to come up with our own "I am a Saint" statement. It would describe all of the tribes we were a part of, and that now we would be part of Aquinas' tribe of being a Saint. Here's mine:

I am a daughter, sister, and a Hufflepuff. As a Communication major, communicating is what I do! I play volleyball and soccer, but remain active in theater and art. Fashion is an opportunity for me to express myself, and creativity is my best friend. I've traveled abroad to Africa, and plan to see the world before I die. I live for God, my friends, family, and to be the best that I can be. I am a Saint.