“One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes… In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.”

Crusaders in our Choices program for grades 11 and 12 focused on this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt today as they discussed the options they have for shaping their own lives. In one activity, called “Factors Influencing Who I Am,” the group went through a list of 30 personal characteristics, asking whether they had control over each one or not. Your height? No. Your birth order? No. Your genetic inheritance? Probably not, they agreed. But your attitude? Your friends? Your interests and activities? Your appearance? Your motivation and self-discipline? Oh, yeah. They decided that more than half the list were characteristics they could control. More interactive activities that open Crusaders’ minds about making good choices continue tomorrow on the Brown University campus.

Above, Randy Gomez, Brittany Camargo, and Castella Camargo compare notes on the decisions involved in renting an apartment.