The Circle Prompt 1

At some point in everyone's life, change is inevitable. Some changes are big and some are small. After reading The Circle, I realized that Mae, a new employee, and me, a new Penn State student, are similar in many ways. Coming from small hometowns, both Mae and I are forced to digest the complexity of a new life in a strange place and must adopt the practices that its community sees as commonplace.

When exploring a new environment, it is the physical aspects that are often most apparent. Like me, Mae comes from a small town. The immensity and beauty of the Circle immediately strikes her: "My God, Mae Thought. It's heaven" (Eggers 1). In fact, this was almost the exact response I had when I first came to Penn State. I was intoxicated by the school's beauty and the seemingly endless rows of buildings. I remember instantly falling in love with the school and the infinite opportunities it presented.

After exploring a new environment, it important to know and adopt the practices of the community in order to fit in. At first, Mae confusedly navigates her way around the campus "trying to look as if she belonged" (1). Admittedly, this is exactly what I tried to do when I first came to Penn State. I've always gone to a small school of no more than a few hundred. All of sudden,  I was forced to go searching for everything in the random mix of building and streets. Just like Mae, I walked around as if I knew what I was doing, even though I really didn't.

Within time, though, both Mae and I learned to adopt community practices. Although hesitant at first, Mae allows Annie to take her to a party where the members of the community eat, drink, and socialize (31). At Penn State, I take every opportunity to forge relationships with the strangers that surround me. Meals not only allows us to live, but they afford us a time to be social, make connections, and celebrate.

Still, both Mae and I understand that to really embed ourselves into a community we have to accept their values. During Mae's first days at the circle, "everyone she met was busy" (29). It is quickly apparent to Mae that the Circle community values hard work, the driving force of the company. Wanting to be accepted, she soon makes herself busy and works to achieve a high customer rating. As a freshman at Penn State, I, too, am keen to observe the practices and values of the community. Upon arriving to Penn State, some of the main things I noticed were the intense passion surrounding football and the dedication to academics. Having identified these key points of Penn State life, I attend the football games and chant "WE ARE!" with thousands of other community members.

In the same way that Penn State forces me to alter how I live, the Circle thrusts Mae into a completely foreign environment. Although difficult at first, learning the practices and values of a community are paramount when trying to be fit in. Even the simplest of traditions, such as a meal or a "WE ARE!" chant can forge connections.  For me, it is these camaraderie building moments that will ultimately make Penn State feel like a second home.