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Taylor focuses on ‘Enough’

University of La Verne Convocation speaker Patricia Taylor joined students and staff on Sept. 10 on the Quad for the all-school picnic following her speech, “When is Enough Enough.” Taylor is an assistant professor of organizational leadership and coordinator of special education in the School of Education and Organizational Leadership. / photo by Beatriz Mendoza
University of La Verne Convocation speaker Patricia Taylor joined students and staff on Sept. 10 on the Quad for the all-school picnic following her speech, “When is Enough Enough.” Taylor is an assistant professor of organizational leadership and coordinator of special education in the School of Education and Organizational Leadership. / photo by Beatriz Mendoza

Yelena Ovcharenko
Staff Writer

Patricia Taylor, University of La Verne’s assistant professor of organizational leadership and coordinator of special education, introduced a new meaning to the word enough during the Fall Convocation Sept. 10 in Founders Auditorium.

Taylor said that enough is about forming relationships and reaching together. Her definition did not include quantitative interpretations such as sufficient, ample or satisfactory.

While growing up Taylor often saw herself not living up to the standards of enough in every category of her life. She was not enough of a student because she did not get an “A” in her courses, she was not woman enough since she was unable to have children and she was not wife enough because her marriage dissolved.

Taylor started contemplating the word enough. She was led back to Sanskrit, which she studied when she was seven, discovering that the word enough in Sanskrit is genah, which translates into reaching together.

“As the Western world evolved and became more industrialized the word enough has evolved along with it,” Taylor said.

Enough was introduced in the 800s but unfortunately the meaning of the word became lost. Today enough is associated with quantity when its true meaning is linked to relationships.

Taylor gave a vivid example of the forgotten definition. In school the professor should work together with the student to reach enough. For a student, enough would be talking to somebody when he or she is faced with a challenging situation and not dealing with it alone.

“Be in a relationship with people that you’re working with,” Taylor said.

Taylor stressed that people should not try to live up to the margins of society but come in relationship with power and oneself. Taylor supported her statement with Walt Whitman’s quote, “I exist as I am and that is enough.”

Taylor’s presentation motivated students who attended convocation at the University of La Verne.

“It gives you a boost when you are feeling disheartened and overwhelmed at the beginning of a semester,” senior Stacy Marquez said.

“It isn’t about academics but about personal aspects as students connect and have enough,” junior Jennifer Williams said.

Yelena Ovcharenko can be reached at yovcharenko@ulv.edu.

Yelena Ovcharenko, Web Editor
Yelena Ovcharenko
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