Civic life is all about contributing to a society, understanding public concerns, and working together in order to create an environment that is beneficial for everyone. As humans, we have specific duties in this country that we are expected to partake in: voting, military service, volunteer work, community service and so on. There are so many ways people can be civically engaged, help others, teach, improve the quality of life, and ultimately do things for the common good.
The Question of the Day definitely reflects some important aspects of civic life. Although most of the questions of the day are concerned with each of our own private lives, they bring all of us together in many regards. For example, questions like “what is one of the most important things you have learned in your first year of college” remind us that we are all in the same boat, in the same community, facing the same challenges of adjusting to a new environment and working hard to succeed in our own pursuits. Questions like those also teach the rest of us and spread knowledge on what others have discovered over the past two semesters. I found it incredibly interesting and eye-opening listening to what my classmates had to say, especially since each of us have had different experiences while we were here.
Similarly, questions like “where is your favorite vacation place”, “what company would you like to be the head of someday”, and “what’s something you did over winter break that you think nobody else did” gave us the chance to share our experiences and get to know one another on a more personal level. Civic life is not only about the public life and engagement of a particular individual, but it is also comprised of who they are on a more personal level and what individual contributions and distinct characteristics they may have. Civic life is about understanding individual differences and using them in order to build something great, or do beneficial things for a society and community. We are all different in our own ways and so it’s important to learn about these differences and appreciate them in order to develop a strong community and civic life. Acknowledging the fact that each of us grew up in different areas, have experienced different things, have various strengths and weaknesses only makes the bonds between us stronger. By providing others with our input, stories, knowledge, and experiences, we can give them a greater understanding of what we are like and how we operate as individuals. If everyone were the same, ideas of addressing public concerns would be conventional, and everyone would contribute to the solution in the same manner, making the process less effective and innovative.