A Rose by Any Other Name

The census is in, and the cohort will now and forevermore be known as …Pangaea!! I have been talking with my friends about the census process over the weekend, and discussing with them the happenings as we implemented the process to select a group name. I have tried very hard to sort through my feelings and make sense of the process and understand the feelings of others (reading blogs and talking directly with others) about the process. I arrived at the conclusion that in the beginning it was “easier” to eliminate names because the comparison was mostly based on how attractive they sounded and how best, upon first glance, they appeared to fit the group. As the process progressed and we began to discuss the names, giving “positive statements/reasons” in favor of one name or another we also inadvertently (I think) began to give shape, mission, and purpose to each name, and thus began the subscription to a concept and not just a name.

By the end of the census it was obvious the we were discussing more than just names. We were no longer voting on the names as much as we were agreeing or disagreeing with the concepts that Pangaea and and Urbtopia represented. The titles on the board had taken on lives of their own and were very clearly representative of ideals, values, beliefs,and missions. These concepts are usually viewed on a very individual basis. It is important that as we continue to build a community that we remember that a community is made up of individuals, and that individuals do not always agree. Disagreeing with the census is not necessarily act of community mutiny. Let’s continue to respect each others as indivudual as we continue to build a community.