Stellan Sigl

LIBS 101

Dr. Law

12/6/23

Pursuit of a Better Future Through Adaptation

Entering college has been a transformative part of my life and Hutchins has contributed to the

process. Our studies touching on history, philosophy, science, and psychology have opened the door to the

idea that the world is bigger than I once thought. It has shown me that there is so much knowledge to be

consumed and ideas to be built upon, not just from texts, but from people as well. This is why I enjoyed

the presence of multiple perspectives during class seminars and group discussions. I appreciated the

freedom we were given to explore controversial subjects that aren’t always easy to discuss. It opens the

gateway for important questions to be asked and meaningful thinking to take place. We have read multiple

books touching on various in-depth topics, however, the most prominent theme I have encountered

throughout, is the human ability to adapt. Whether it's to our physical or mental environment. When we

follow a character's timeline and share their journey by reading along, we get to observe how a character

faces challenges and what qualities they have gained from adapting to them. I believe by learning from

these adaptations, we can use the wisdom gained throughout other people's lives to help us solve our

future issues. Especially if that means for the betterment of society as a collective force.

One of the books we read was Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, which focuses on

her experience of growing up as a Native American woman and how indigenous culture and wisdom

shaped her viewpoints on life. Throughout the book, she shares examples of the difference between

Western and Indigenous perspectives. Kimmerer explains that her people have been relocated time and

time again, each time losing more of their traditional ideals. One of the methods that Indigenous people
use to stay connected to their heritage is the practice of gratitude. They view the natural world as a gift

given to them by Mother Nature so they focus on reciprocity as a way to give thanks and practice

gratitude. This is unfortunately very different from Western values where we tend to view nature as a

commodity to be used at our disposal. This creates a disconnection between humans and the natural

world, a separation in a sacred relationship that should actively be supported. Kimmerer adds, “ Gifts

from the Earth or each other establish a particular relationship, an obligation of sorts to give, to receive,

and to reciprocate” (p25). She gives an example of this obligation by sharing a homemade ceremony her

family used to practice at a time when they were separated from their Native tribe. Every morning, her

father would bring the family out near the edge of a lake where he would pour the first drops of their

morning coffee as an offering to the land. This was their way of saying “thank you” for the gifts they felt

were given to them.

As a young man, I am still developing my core values and I feel Braiding Sweetgrass highlighted

the importance I feel to be grateful. I connect with Native Americans in this sense because I believe we

should value what we have as opposed to what we desire. One way I practice this mindset is through

minimalism. This is where you emphasize owning fewer material items to declutter your space and mind.

However, during my time in Hutchins, I got to practice another idea and that is presence. Presence is

when you let go of outside thoughts that aren't connected to the moment you are currently in. It is a way

to become fully aware of your current surroundings and appreciate the small details that we usually take

for granted. One instance where this was clear to me was during our class trip to Bodega Bay. It was a

beautiful environment with an abundance of wildlife and vegetation, not to mention the captivating ocean

view and tidepools. Here I tried to let go of thoughts rooted in the past or future to fully appreciate the

beauty I was witnessing. In an age where we value a fast-paced life and an abundance of distractions

through entertainment, it was nice to simply be present. By practicing gratitude we become more

connected to our surroundings and the things that make life meaningful to us. This way we can live more

deeply. I think that if we all added gratitude into our daily lives, then many of the issues stemming from

greed could be outsourced, leading to a less cluttered and cleaner future.

 Another compelling piece of literature we read was a historical autobiography of Assata Shakur,

entitled Assata an Autobiography. In this autobiography, we follow Assata throughout her life from her

adolescence to her adulthood where she consistently fought for her civil rights and the hope that people of

color could be free of injustice. Assata had a difficult childhood, frequently running away from home.

During these periods of being alone in the world, she quickly learned that people like her were not treated

fairly. This helped contribute to her interest in politics and standing up for what she believed was right.

Her grandparents and aunt also taught Assata that she should never give up even in the face of adversity

which she would most definitely have to encounter in her life. Assata writes, “The tactics that my

grandparents used were crude, and i hated it when they would repeat everything so often. But the lessons

that they taught me, more than anything else i learned in life, helped me to deal with the things i would

face growing up in amerika” (p20). She attended Manhattan Community College, switching her career

path away from business towards political topics. After becoming part of the Black Panthers as a medical

cadre, she found herself in the middle of a shooting that led to the death of two Jersey State Troopers and

her friend, and fellow Black Panther, Zayd Shakur. She was then arrested and for the next few years,

taken into court multiple times for crimes that she was never a part of.

Although the FBI tried to frame her and she was given biased judges with all white jurors, she

was only convicted for her involvement in the shooting. During this whole process of court cases, she had

to move around to different prisons and found that black people were disproportionately penalized in the

justice system. She was forced to spend long periods in solitary confinement and was refused

hospitalization when she started feeling symptoms of pregnancy. Recently I had the privilege of visiting

Alcatraz prison in San Francisco so I got to take a look into the lives of an average inmate during the

latter half of the 20th century. During my visit, I took mental note of living conditions that would make

the average person quiver. Small cells with freezing air currents and a tiny, pitch-black, room called the

hole used as a form of punishment are just some of the conditions prisoners were forced to endure. Taking

this into account, I can create a general idea of what Assata might have gone through during her prison

sentence. Through it all, Assata never gave up on her mission to end systemic racism. I believe we can
learn from her unbreakable resilience to fight for our beliefs on how we can develop into a better society.

Assata shows us that it is important to lead a life where you aren't afraid to challenge people or ways of

thinking that you find to be harmful. If everyone refuses to do so then there is nothing stopping people

from being marginalized. Assata learned this through experiences compounded throughout her life but, as

readers, we can learn the importance of resilience vicariously through Assata without having to face the

same obstacles.

One of my favorite readings from this semester was Albert Camus’s The Plague. Set in the 1940s

city of Oran, the story explores how the inhabitants are affected by a sudden black plague outbreak. The

main character and narrator, Dr. Bernard Rieux, is one of the most well-respected doctors in the city so he

becomes excruciatingly busy in treating sick people facing the plague. As the plague continues through

the months of the year, the daily death toll rises and Dr. Rieux finds himself being spread even thinner

with all the disheartening work he feels a responsibility towards. As a doctor, Riuex believes he must help

as much as he can during the city's trying times but he does not see himself as a hero for it. What he fails

to show most people is that he has his struggles on top of caring for patients. Before the city went into

lockdown, Dr. Rieux's wife was transported to an outside facility to receive better medical care for her

sickness. This means that as he acts on his obligation to be a doctor, he is also suffering the pain of being

away from his wife. What I find most fascinating about Dr. Reiux is that his response to all this struggle

seems to be to act selflessly. As the plague gets worse with little hope of improving, he adapts and works

even harder. Most people wouldn't have the level of discipline it takes to put aside their personal conflicts

to help the greater good but Dr. Rieux never fails to do so. He sees himself as part of the collective of the

city. I would like to think I would have the strength to do the same in his situation but I am doubtful. For

this reason, I feel an admiration for Dr. Rieux and an urge to learn from his selfless methods of fighting

the plague. If everyone was ready to battle their struggles as Dr. Reiux does, then we would develop a

stronger sense of community with the people we are enduring with.

As I have been thrown into this new life as a Sonoma State University student, I have had to

adapt in many ways. What I have found is that the knowledge I consume has an effect on how I interpret
and plan to solve everyday obstacles I am bound to run into. One of the most powerful sources of

knowledge is through reading, therefore my time in Hutchins has been actively reinforcing this ability to

adapt. Some of the most powerful character adaptations I have encountered while reading the Hutchins

curriculum are qualities such as gratitude, resilience, and selflessness. Not only can I use these ways of

adapting to the world around me for personal growth but also in my efforts to make the world a more

enjoyable place for the people I interact with every day. If this type of growth mindset is implemented as

a role for interpreting and solving future problems, then I believe we will find that we will be creating a

more thoughtful and sustainable society.