Marquette University's Web site currently features a YouTube video with a caption that reads: "Meet the movement that wasn't afraid to challenge assumptions, question authority — and change the world." "Change? Is this movement the Barack Obama administration?" you may ask. No, the movement spoken of is the Jesuit education that we are currently enjoying, based on the fundamentals of the Society of Jesus founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1540.

The video, entitled "Jesuit 2.0" offers a brief look into a Jesuit education. "Each year brings 5 exabytes (a lot bytes) of new information," the video says. "How do you make it make sense?" The video then introduces St. Ignatius of Loyola and states that, as a revolutionary, he was not afraid to ask "Why?" As a Jesuit institution, Marquette University helps its students to ask why through "challenging, analyzing and discerning," and also "empowers its students to change the world."

The video pulled me in with its flashing images of modern media such as Google, Facebook, Twitter and its depiction of "the chaos of modern life." So according to this video, since I go to school here, I should know how to handle the overload of this stuff, then…right?

I admit that I have benefited from my four years of Jesuit education by learning to put myself forth as a "contemplative in action," one of the core Jesuit principles, but I still have trouble making sense of these five new exabytes we are apparently exposed to every year. New technology and information thrown at us every day from the world — much of it from the internet — is overwhelming.

The video says that Ignatius would ask us to reflect on this material and try to make sense of ourselves within it. So, I'm wondering, who has time to reflect? Ignatius would tell us to make time.

Marquette University offers us opportunities to reflect through on-campus discussions and speakers, service opportunities, masses and retreats — all aspects of the Jesuit education of which we can take advantage. The Campus Ministry Web site says that Ignatius "urged men and women to be attentive to the movement of their hearts and the voice of God within them. To cultivate a deeper awareness of God and self, he urged people to take daily and sustained time for quiet and prayer."

Ignatius was a smart man who understood the importance of discernment and contemplation in daily life. I believe his reflective way of viewing the world is particularly beneficial in today's society of constant information and technology to, as the video stated, "make sense" of the world. Our campus and administration stress opportunities for us to understand Ignatius' unique philosophies of reflection and following up with action based on our reflections.

It's pretty sweet that we are able to benefit from a Jesuit education during a time when Jesuit ideals seem most useful. Basically, Ignatius emphasized simplifying life. He said this could be done by figuring out what is good and embellishing upon it, and figuring out what is bad and avoiding it. This is my over-simplification of his ideals, but it is my basic understanding of what it means to exercise Ignatian spirituality.

The YouTube video made me question if my Jesuit education has helped me think more critically. The answer is 'yes,' and for that I'm grateful. But reflection could be allotted more time in the planner, especially when the opportunities are so prevalent on this Jesuit campus and when today's "modern chaos" almost requires it to "make sense" of the world.