Xavier Piccone can’t think of a better place for his studies than Lehigh University. The third-year philosophy says the strong faculty and course offerings, along with the beauty of the campus, drew him to choosing Lehigh for his studies.
“When I chose Lehigh, I really didn’t have much of a concrete plan for what I wanted to study, but it was likely to be some combination of philosophy, cognitive science and political science,” explained Piccone. “All three of those departments were extremely strong and home to notable faculty that I really wanted to learn from. I was also drawn by the beautiful campus and surrounding area. I love to be outside, and South Mountain, and the Lehigh Valley as a whole, is the perfect place to do that. I guess it was a combination of the academic prestige, picturesque campus and its architecture, and the fact that it is within an hour of my home outside of Philadelphia.”
Being part of the philosophy department has been a wonderful experience, he says. “I think one would be hard pressed to find a group of people who are more passionate about getting others interested in the things that they love, which in this case is old difficult books. The professors I’ve taken courses with have been infinitely accommodating and always go out of their way to support those who care about the material. The discussions that I’ve had in various seminars have been extremely exciting, and the ability of the faculty to engage students of all academic backgrounds allows for many unique perspectives to be considered.”
During the Spring semester, Piccone attended the annual Selfridge Lecture Series, with keynote speaker Oxford’s Stephen Mulhall. Though a small department, Lehigh’s philosophy faculty bring him in contact with internationally renowned academics.
“I think there’s a real sense of community building in the department, and the few students who are passionate about the subject, along with the amazing department administration and professors, are helping make being a philosophy major at Lehigh something really special.”
Piccone is working on a thesis paper as part of his major. For the past couple of semesters, and continuing into the next academic year, he’s been working with some of his professors, including Professor Casati, to narrow down a rough direction for his research. The main focus of his thesis will largely be on the contemporary American philosopher Stanley Cavell and his commentary on Wittgenstein, Nietzsche, and the American Transcendentalists Emerson and Thoreau.
“Being able to consult the real expert interpreters of these authors while I read them has been invaluable, and I’ve been able to find my own passion in the works that inspired them when they were just starting their academic careers,” Piccone added. “I’m extremely excited to condense all the work that I’ve done, and will continue to do, into a larger-scale project that I can be proud of. Although the process initially seemed intimidating, talking through it with my professors has made me realize that there will always be support and that as long as I still care about my work, the research and writing process won’t just be easy, but extremely fun and rewarding too.”
Outside of academics, he is also a member of one of Lehigh’s fraternities, otherwise choosing mostly to pursue his interests in private. “I’ve had a great experience being in leadership roles in Greek life and making an impact in the local community, and of course have made lifelong friends along the way. Even as a kid, I was never a big organized activity person, and I tend to prefer to spend most of my free time making music, reading and spending time outdoors by myself, but as I become an upperclassman, I’m excited to branch out and get more involved on campus and in the Bethlehem community that has become my second home.”
Beyond his own reasons for choosing Lehigh, Piccone feels the real draw is the interdisciplinary emphasis that the university places on learning, especially within the College of Arts and Sciences. “There’s truly so much flexibility in deciding what you want to study, and even though the choice is daunting, the structure of the curriculum gives you plenty of time to experiment and change your mind. I find the academic diversity really appealing as well.”
He added that most of his friends are engineers and finance majors, with a smattering of other disciplines, and that being able to constantly be around really smart people who think differently than you is something that he has definitely taken for granted over the past two years.
“Lehigh certainly does live up to its ‘work hard, play hard’ reputation, and from my experience Bethlehem has something for everybody to do when it’s time to put away the books. The combination of academics and community have made my experience at Lehigh a very fruitful one.”
As of now, Xavier doesn’t have a clear post-graduate plan laid out, but from what he’s been told, that’s ok. He will likely continue pursuing his interest in philosophy in graduate school, but he doesn’t know what form that will necessarily take.
“I think that as long as I’m able to travel and accumulate cool global experiences, something that most, if not all, of the professors in the department seem to have done in their academic careers, and I continue to be passionate and curious about the subject and the world, it will be hard to go astray, especially with the priceless guidance and advice of the people around me in the department, both peers and instructors.”
Spotlight Recipient
Xavier Piccone
Philosophy major