Belonging and the Benedictine Values at CSB+SJU

CSB+SJU is committed to many things, and recently, I’ve seen belonging rise to the top of that list.

Going hand in hand with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice (DEIJ) work in many settings, belonging is best defined by Cambridge Dictionary as “a feeling of being happy or comfortable as part of a particular group and having a good relationship with the other members of the group because they welcome you and accept you.” In last week’s edition of The Record, Sen. De’Andre Forbes began his opinion piece by asking readers, “do you really feel like you belong here?” This sentence struck me and is something I have been thinking about for the past week.

As Forbes acknowledged, certainly there have been moments where we’ve all felt out of place, unwelcome or uncomfortable here—we’re human beings and that’s natural.However, it hurts my heart deeply to know that some don’t feel like they belong in this community that is so important to me, and as a student leader on campus, this weighs heavy on me all the time. I know these problems are not able to be solved overnight and are much deeper and more systemic than this word count, my sphere of influence and even my own intellectual capacity can grapple with, but there is one thing I want to offer.

The definition of belonging as stated above from Cambridge Dictionary is defined as a noun, just like it is on every other website I could find. However, I would like to argue that belonging is a verb; it is something we do. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there will not come a day where we all wake up at CSB+SJU and suddenly belong. No administrator, faculty member or staff will come to work one day and say, “I have solved the issue and can now put the ‘belonging’ folder away!”

No, friends. Belonging is not a noun; it’s a verb. It is something we all can participate in daily to help make our campuses more welcoming, equitable, inclusive and just. Now you might be saying, but Liz, how do I do belonging? Luckily, people wiser than me have already answered this question. I believe that the answer lies in our Benedictine values, our fickle friend or maybe even foe. The 11 core Benedictine values listed on the CSB+SJU website with their interpretation and reference in the Rule of St. Benedict are not simply terms to use on a resume or in an essay for the Integrations curriculum, but rather a foundation and moral guide for how we are asked to live our lives as members of the CSB+SJU community. Nothing we do here exists above or outside of these values; and especially not belonging. I believe that if we truly use and practice these values in our day-to-day interactions on our campus, belonging will become second nature. Although they may seem abstract or unapplicable, I promise you do not have to be religious or a theology major like me to appreciate the wisdom and relevance of these values. I encourage you to take time to read and reflect on each value, available on the CSB+SJU website, then recognize how you can cultivate them in your own interactions each day. You, yes you, have an active role to play in creating and ensuring belonging on this campus. We live in a community and are going to see one another. What are you going to do to make sure each person you interact with on our campus feels like they belong in that moment? Maybe it’s as simple as inviting someone to sit with you in Gorecki or striking up a conversation on the Link. Ask about them and don’t talk about you.

Ask the group project member you don’t really like to get coffee or a meal. Get to know them as more than a student. Maybe there’s a bigger reason why they aren’t getting their work done on time.

Talk about the issue on your floor with your RA instead of on Yik Yak. Better yet, talk about all issues in person, in a mature fashion—not on Yik Yak. Refrain from gossiping or spreading rumors about people at our school. It’s small, and they will find out. We’ve all been on both sides of this. Share your concerns and speak out against injustices or inequities you see honestly and respectfully. Call people in to a conversation instead of calling them out or ‘cancelling’ them. We all have things to learn.

Attend a new event on campus and get to know a new group of people. Step out of your comfort zone. Be a leader. This list contains just a few examples I could think of off the top of my head. In general, the value Listening instructs us to listen with the ear of our heart.

This is always a great place to start and is a core value when aiming for belonging. To do this, you must begin to see each person as equal; someone created by God with human dignity just like you.

The value Awareness of God tells us ‘to look for God not in the abstract but in the ordinary events of every day,’ and this means in each person too.

When we begin to see each other as fellow human beings and recognize each one’s dignity, it’s easy to have Respect for Persons, ‘regardless of class, background or professional skill.’ Without a conscious effort and awareness of at least these three values, it can become increasingly difficult to foster belonging—in fact, it’s almost impossible.

By practicing these skills and values in our interactions with others, you are doing the work of fostering belonging, and it would be silly for others not to recognize that. Remember, though, that belonging doesn’t mean agreeing, and if we all agreed about everything all the time, no one would learn and grow.

True belonging is a process we all participate in co-creating with one another each day in every interaction. It takes bravery, authenticity and humility. But it’s on all of us to make sure people belong at CSB+SJU. And if you don’t think we’ve done that? You’re right. This work never ends, and you should never stop doing it. Go back to the Benedictine values and keep working at it.