Cooper Morrison English 111 10/21/13 Classically Educated Tolerance Although I have not always been one for

taking action, like some great people in the past, I do care strongly for everything I believe in. I think that, though on a much smaller scale than storming Washington by the thousands, logically discussing and debating can change lives. This thinking began developing when I was a freshman in high school. My mother took me out of the private school I had been attending and placed me in a homeschool community called Classical Conversations. The learning model of Classical Conversations (CC) is based on three stages of learning- grammar, dialect, and rhetoric. The CC program believes that with these three learning skills, a child can be prepared to conquer any subject and be equipped for lifes challenges. I was moved into this learning style in the ninth grade which, incidentally, is the first of four years in the rhetorical stage of learning. I was a part of a class made up of very intelligent ninth graders since most of them had been in CC for many years. If someone had asked me what my favorite class was going to be I am sure I would have said lunch. But, in fact, my favorite class that year was a philosophy class which was centered around a number one best seller, Sophies World by Jostein Gaarder, a historical fiction book about philosophers and philosophies. This, I would say, is where my adoration for moral, philosophical, religious, and political discussion originated. Before that class I had a very limited knowledge of philosophy. But this book and class relieved me of my ignorance in philosophy. My class, like we did in nearly every seminar, would come to class after reading one chapter of the book and then discuss what we read. Since everyone in my class was far more educated than me, I mostly listened, which, for me, was just as profitable. I learned so much that year about discussion skills and respect skills when engaging with your neighbor.
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In modern day, discussing and debating with peers or strangers about your beliefs is not common. It seems to be frowned upon and thought of as intolerant. Why cant people disagree? Not to make this read exclusive, but isnt this country (United States) partially built on diversity? Now, although this was a class made up of majority Christians with one catholic, we disagreed on more than one might think. But when we did it was always handled with respect. I had a classmate named Max Meirow who demonstrated this form of self-control constantly. As I watched and listened to the manner in which he talked to people over topics that they disagreed upon, it was a great model for me to look to and model after. One thing that helped me come to the realization of this also occurred my freshman year when I took a debate class. In this class, after we were given the resolution, we were assigned a stance on the issue which we had to argue after weeks of research no matter what preconceived feelings we had towards the resolution. This taught me that to truly argue what I believe I must also know what Im arguing against. My sophomore year was a bit of a lull for me in terms of me strengthening my dialogue skill set. But the following school year made up for that lull period and beyond. My junior year of high school was packed with learning opportunities for causal debates. In a select few of my homeschool groups classes, History, Literature, and Philosophy class, we would have student led discussion where we would read a chapter of our book then come to class ready to discuss. Just 13 high school students discussing the French and Indian War, Macbeth, and the blanket statement I think therefore I am. For hours we would sit outdoors around a picnic table and speak our minds. This was a great picture of how people should interact. How people can converse without being intolerant or crossing boundaries.

My class took a field trip in March of my junior year in high school to the mountains of Virginia. We met up in a large cabin with two other eleventh grade classes from a different homeschool group. The first of the three nights we stayed there, everyone on the trip met up

outside around 7 oclock for a bonfire. But this was no ordinary bonfire where there are stories (sometimes scary), music, and no worries. This was a homeschool bonfire. That meant no stories, no music, and many worries. Instead, all forty-plus of us huddled around this blazing inferno, in twenty degree weather, and discussed hamlet for three solid hours. Now, at the time it was a death sentence, standing out in the freezing cold discussing a Shakespearian play. I was not the typical, outgoing, study nut that some, if not all, of my classmates were. Im still not, although I have made progress in some of these fields. But looking back on that night I see how special that event was, how much of an anomaly it was. It was so beautiful to watch and admire my classmates converse with total strangers about how ethical hamlets decisions were, or whatever we discussed that night, without being offensive and without being intolerant. That night really helped me in shaping my own way of communicating while talking about my beliefs. Now, Im in my senior year of high school. Although perhaps my mind and the way I communicate still has more to develop, it has most certainly taken shape over these last three years. I am so thankful for the road I was taken down and the experiences I have been faced with that have shaped me, more importantly the people that have been placed in my life to guide me and teach me. Through listening and dialoguing with those of different views a person can truly learn and come to a clear understanding of what he believes while being respectful and tolerant.