College Reflection: The First Day Of Moral Education

We have been told since the first day of inquiry that commencement is when we will first be able to think freely and to do so on our own. This was a great surprise to me as I had thought that at commencement I would be significantly more knowledgeable in my field of study, but I have found that this is not the case. “Universities are not the places to come for answers, but they are places that have an obligation to be sure that important questions are being addressed honestly, thoughtfully, and with full respect for the worth and dignity of all people” (Liberal Education, Moral Education page 33). It will take us at least four years to be able to get to this day of thinking freely. Many of us though, will take several decades to get this far and some may never see the day where they can think so freely on their own. After attending my third co-curricular event, I am greatly convinced that I have elevated my ability to think openly and make connections to inquiry class, the recommended readings, as well as the class

That is exactly why I chose to do my paper on the musical performance. With me being unfamiliar and unaccustomed to the music setting, doing so would keep me motivated to make connections and ask countless questions. Of course this being a musical event, the first reading obvious I thought of was “What to Listen for in Music.” I often find myself listening to and not searching for any deeper meaning or ever looking past the words and sounds. “The simplest way of listening to music is to listen for the sheer pleasure of the musical sound itself” (What to Listen for in Music page 81). This is the sensuous plane (the other two are the expressive and musical plane) where the listener just hears the music without any thinking or consideration. I am often just listening for the sound appeal and have never actually listened to the