'Beauty' is theme for freshman class

 This year's University theme is "beauty," which professors and faculty plan to incorporate into the classroom and everyday Gonzaga life. Philosophy professor Erik Schmidt, one of the faculty organizers who chose this year's theme, said, "We wanted to choose a theme where we can clearly identify the ways that different disciplines can approach it. With beauty, you can have multiple perspectives."

Last year, the university theme was "money," which faculty hoped would help students understand the role of historical development related to finance. The year previous was "water," which resulted in a ban of bottled water sold on campus. Returning students might remember the water bottle they received at orientation with the ethos statement on it. 

"This year it's different, it's conceptual. Past years were very concrete. This year it's something that is so unavoidable that it relates to everybody," Schmidt said.

Schmidt plans to incorporate the theme in his philosophy of visual arts and Shakespeare classes through assigned readings and class reflection.

"I'm going to have students read a wide range of issues on beauty in visual arts and have them look through the eyes of an artist that they wouldn't be drawn to naturally," he said. "Students will find that asking helpful questions and engaging in certain kinds of reflection can help us more fully engage in the rest of the world."

Gonzaga's student body is made up of students from all over the country and the rest of the world, which is what Freshman Orientation Small Groups Manager and junior Tyler Hobbs believes makes an education at Gonzaga University unique. 

"When you come here, you start out as something smaller in the beginning, the individual, but when we all come together, we can grow so much, we can learn so much from each other," he said.

That's why this year's freshman orientation theme is "Grow into Gonzaga."

"It's an analogy of the college experience. When you focus on beauty, you're more appreciative. It makes people recognize what surrounds us," Hobbs said. "I think if this theme is implemented the right way, placing emphasis on the different cultures and people that make up our community, it will be successful." 

Gonzaga University's mission statement states, "knowledge of traditions and cultures different from our own draws us closer to the human family of which we are a part and makes us more aware of both the possibilities and limitations of our own heritage." 

This year's university theme supports that ambition. Schmidt anticipates that students will come away with a world that has been expanded.

"I hope that it will bring sustained collective reflection. That we would as a group, pause and respond to the beauty that surrounds us," he said. "I hope that a student would come away with the resources necessary to engage in the rest of the world."

There are so many different perspectives when identifying beauty. For the psychologist, beauty might be found in the understanding of the human mind. For the writer, beauty may be found in a wonderfully written work of fiction. Perhaps the painter finds beauty in gazing upon a work of art. And for the sports fan, there may be no more beautiful sight than gazing upon the sea of red present at a Gonzaga basketball game.  

To be a Zag is to be a part of a community that brings those diverse perspectives together in a collaborative effort to learn and grow under the foundations of a Jesuit education. It's an opportunity to be inspired and expand your worldview by engaging in conversation with someone holding a different outlook than your own.

"I am the way I am because of the people I've surrounded myself with. By associating with people who live differently, think differently and with different personalities, I've grown," Hobbs said. "When you come into Gonzaga, embrace the person you are and the person that you can be. It's OK to make mistakes and to learn from other people. You come into college with a sense of self but realize that to foster that sense of self is why you're here. You're here to learn, change and grow. It's a one-of-a-kind experience. And that's pretty beautiful."