Lecture draws a crowd

The Eugene J. McCarthy Center welcomed guest lecturer David Brooks on Tuesday, Oct. 6, for the 20th annual Eugene J. McCarthy lecture.

David Brooks is a Presidential Senior Fellow at Yale University, a contributor to The Atlantic and PBS NewsHour as well as a former New York Times columnist. He has written seven books since 2000, including “The Road to Character,” which his lecture was centered on.

The lecture, titled “The Road to Character and the Common Good,” was sold out shortly after tickets became available on August 27.

Before the lecture, attendees participated in a luncheon focused on “Character, Culture, and College Students,” which was co- sponsored with the Humanities Institute. This was followed by a live MPR interview with Brooks and the McCarthy Center Student Coordinators, a Q&A session with students and audience members and an exclusive dinner reception.

Matt Lindstrom, political science professor and director of the McCarthy Center, opened the lecture by welcoming the audience and explaining some background on the center, before showing the trailer for “Alone in the Land of the Aardvarks.”

CSB senior McCarthy Center Student Coordinator Alayna Furman introduced Brooks and spoke about what it means to live a purpose-driven life.

“We know what it takes to be considered an “impressive” scholar or employee. I find that we are less certain about how to become ‘good’,” Furman said. “Tonight’s program asks us to think about leadership not simply as a matter of achievement, but as a matter of honesty, integrity, courage and service. That is the question at the heart of tonight’s conversation; that is what we mean when we ruminate on character and the common good.”

Brooks began his lecture with his history with Minnesota and the history of humankind. He spoke about how humans are destined for movement.

“We and all our forebearers had a primal urge to explore,” Brooks said. “My political views are built around movement.”

Brooks describes himself as a “moderate Republican.” He believes that the need for movement and growth is something distinctly human and is inherent in everything we do.

“The soul is nourished by a scent; it is not when we are resting, but when we are moving in pursuit,” Brooks said.

Despite self-identifying as someone who is movement- centered, Brooks is sometimes referred to as having a “quiet passion.” He believes this is passion enough.

“Every day since I was seven, I wake up and write 1400 words,” Brooks said. “Some of us who don’t burn hot can still burn strong.”

Brooks advocated for self- discovery, especially in young adulthood. He spoke about how one can’t know their true passion until they’ve sampled multiple.

“College is a time to find what you love,” Brooks said. “You should have three adventures a decade to find what you love and find what you don’t love.”

After the lecture, Brooks was interviewed on stage by Bill George, a Harvard professor and author of “True North.” Both connected the idea of self-discovery in college to finding one’s true passion, or one’s “True North,” to the new True North Journey program implemented at CSB+SJU this fall.

Brooks also delved into his faith journey. He was born into a Jewish family in New York City, where he attended a Catholic private school. He was secular for a while before finding his spirituality when he was at a low point in his life. He then turned to Christianity, where he read several books, noting The Book of Matthew as the one that specifically influenced his faith.

He said that in times of struggle, one not only sees life through a new lens, but also uncovers new things about themselves. While this discovery is important, Brooks stressed that community is the key to escaping suffering.

“In moments of suffering you see deeper into your soul than moments of happiness,” Brooks said. “You can’t pull yourself out of the valley; someone has to reach in and pull you out.”

Brooks concluded his lecture by talking about the people who changed his views on life and changed him as a person.

“I’ve encountered such beautiful souls, and it’s changed my life,” Brooks said.

Brooks received a standing ovation after the two-hour lecture. The community members and students in attendance gained new perspectives, according to CSB first- year Addison Zimny.

“I enjoyed how he discussed the view on ‘the good life’ is built around movement and how you should have a love drenched life. David Brooks was an amazing speaker, and he allowed the crowd to have a lot of ‘ah-ha’ moments throughout his talk,” Zimny said.