Part 2: "An Orientation of the Heart" by Vaclav Havel

In Vaclav Haven's "An Orientation of the Heart," Havel speaks about the development of power and awareness in certain ideas.  He begins by speaking about not relying on expectations from "above," but rather by looking at what is "below," and seeing the movement of ideas in what has already been established due to history.  Havel then goes into examples of different events throughout history that have led to a change in perception and the development of new movements.  For example, Havel describes the social awakening that resulted from soviet rule.  In the end, Havel concludes that everything we do is a part of history and can effect and cause these social revolutions.

An important message to take from this essay is that everything we do, even the smallest of actions, comes with consequences, both good and bad.  As an RA, we have to constantly be aware of how actions we take and things we may say will be interpreted by our residents.  Especially with freshmen, who are coming in with vulnerable minds ready to learn new ideas, we need to be careful with how we act, as to prevent giving a false impression.

At the same time, however, this can be an incredibly useful tool, in that if we act the right way, and be the best person that we can be, we can help produce these tiny social revolutions.  If we work hard to perform as a great RA and cohesive RA staff, we can wholly affect the kind of community that will form in both our floors and in the Rez as a whole.  From my own experience living in a freshmen dorm this year, one RA in the building acted in very specific ways that set a precedent on the floor from the start.  Because of the way this RA acted, his floor became very much one big group of friends and were all happy to live together.  Every action we take, starting with orientation, even the small things, can change the course of the entire year.  We should take in Havel's advice and realize that we are a part of history, and therefore, every thing we do in our role as an RA has a major effect on the future.

Danielle