Salut

There are few words in any language that have such contrasting meanings such as "hello" and "goodbye." But they are nonetheless out there, like "salut" (pronounced sa-lyoo), which in French means both "hello" and "goodbye." As a result, the word requires special attention, listening to the context, tone of voice, and situation. In other words, the word demands multiple perspectives.

Looking back through memories of freshman year excitement, my first C on a test, I can say that I've been battered and worn out, but I have managed to come out with one important battle scar. That battle scar being the ability to acknowledge, think, and learn new perspectives that might be alien to me.

Entering high school as a freshman, I had been trained to take everything as it was given to me. My motto was believe everything your teachers say and what your parents say. Then I met Ishmael. Ishmael is a talking gorilla, but he was also the beginning to the journey I was taking. He had told me that our entire society was flawed. Never in my life did I think that there was another side to the "taker" life. That was the start to shedding my old life as thinking with only my perspective.

The word, "sophomore" means a wise fool. Let's just say I had a bit more fool in me than wise at this point. While school continued to open more perspectives, I was the given the opportunity to live in a completely new perspective for three weeks in Kiel, Germany. There, I learned the value of thinking in new perspectives, as it sped up the immersion process in their culture. At the same time, listening to such contrasting opinions on health care and even the environment reinforced the prominence of multiple perspectives.

Junior year was my caveman days, rarely finding the time to eat, shower, socialize. However, it was the year I first tried Original Oratory on the speech team. While I had initially joined because I loved to talk, as I began attending tournaments and receiving criticism for my speech, I learned that even an argument as harmless as the need for foreign language education drew a flood of comments and ideas. I had to learn how to acknowledge those different points of view and sincerely address them in my speech.

My senior year has been the time for these past smaller realizations to culminate into who I am today. Senior year has been very much about rearming myself with the gear to better develop multiple perspectives, by learning about the mythical lens, Marxist lens, and ecocritical lens. It's a realization that has allowed me to further appreciate words like "salut."

As I look to college, I'm optimistic that it will build off this journey and battle scar, but I also hope that it will be another journey that moves me beyond understanding multiple perspectives. So until then, Salut!