Ohio State’s Motto. When you read it, you might react like Park and Recreation’s Ben Wyatt does to Li’l Sebastian from:
It means Education for Citizenship. It’s funny; I would have thought that by senior year I would have heard it 1,000 times, but somehow I think I can count on one hand the number of times it’s been discussed.
Online, this motto is discussed as:
- Understanding Citizenship
- Exploring what has meaning and gives purpose to your life
- Integrate social responsibility into your career plan to create meaningful work
I read an article discussing how Ohio State fails to live up to this motto. And to some extent, I don’t disagree. I’ve only taken one or two classes that I feel have made me a better person or citizen, but then again I am an engineer.
Where I feel like this has been most talked about is in the Buckeye Leadership Fellows program. We’ve completed workshops surrounding understanding citizenship and being intentional in your life. We’ve had several challenges that integrate social responsibility. We’ve even traveled across the world to India to learn lessons and gain perspectives on the world & United States, which have enabled us to better understand global citizenship.
This motto means a lot to me because it speaks to my involvements. Everything I’ve been involved in at Ohio State really falls into one of these categories. Buckeye Leadership Fellows as mentioned above. Student-Alumni Council focuses on advancement and service to the university community. Fine By Me dealt with social responsibility of making others feel welcome on campus. College Mentors for Kids (I’m their tech guy) helps impoverished students realize their full potential. Mortar Board has done many service activities for the campus and Columbus communities. Breath. All of these really fall into what I would define as good citizenship, and I think that’s really special.
The next time you see this Disciplina in Civitatem, don’t be Ryan Gosling:
P.S. I’m getting a tattoo on the back of my shoulder in a few weeks. This motto may somehow be incorporated…Don’t tell my mom ;). Also worth sharing: when I asked my roommate if I should get a tattoo, he replied “you don’t put a bumper sticker on a Bentley”. Ignoring his advice for once.
Update 3/1/15: Dr. J obviously reads my blog; she just posted something on Disciplina in Civitatem here.