Ethics class? Really?

I was so surprised to realize that my most life-giving thing from this past week was my Environmental Ethics class yesterday. This class has probably been the greatest source of academic frustration this semester with all of the reading and writing we have to do. Not to mention the 71% I got on the first exam. But yesterday was a different story. We got our second exams back, and I did significantly better than last time. Actually, our entire class did much better. And he even said that some of the essays we turned in for this test were some of the best essays he has read during his entire time teaching at Messiah. What a turnaround! My ethics professor also told us yesterday that he is giving us an extension on our research papers. We've known about this paper since the first day of class, and our syllabus says that it is due this coming Friday. As of this past Friday, I hadn't chosen a topic. Slight panic, yet moderately manageable. The panic has subsided as this paper is now due the Monday AFTER Thanksgiving break. *huge sigh of relief*

I would have to say that the most life-taking thing from this past week has been coming to the realization that this year is completely different for me in terms of my role as a Resident Assistant on campus. Last year I hardly dealt with anything at all. This year has been a different story. Not only am I dealing with more issues, but the severity and depth of these issues is vastly greater. I would never have imagined that I would be facing these situations on my floor or on my campus. My eyes are continually opened to the interconnectedness of everyone in this community. With each new situation I encounter, I remember that our decisions impact the lives of those around us. And it makes me wonder, what can I do to help people make better decisions?