Carol: As a total bookworm growing up, it was great hearing a presentation on something as near and dear to my heart as literature. You made great points about the bed time stories our parents told us and those connected through our dreams to become our own stories and tales. Then taking that principle and giving it breadth through other disciplines made the whole circle come into view in my eyes. When you said that "Literature is the human compulsion to create in the face of chaos" I had one those little light bulb moments when suddenly I wanted to write just for the sake of writing. It is a thoroughly soothing activity that in which I find clarity and meaning in my life which is chaotic to say the least. When you transitioned from written word to music though I saw a great many parallels between your work and that of Joe which made it only the more meaningful. Music truly does transcend any one person's capacity for description yet everyone knows the emotions associated with the chords. It truly is universal. Thank you Carol.
Brady: Whenever I look at the Kubla Khan poem now all I can think of is your alternative interpretation and what Samuel Coleridge would have wanted it to sound like. Your insights and perspectives, not only on that poem, but on every piece of literature we have come across have always been thoroughly stimulating to listen to. You certainly know what you are talking about and no one can deny that. I could not agree more with you that emotion is one thing that cannot be truly conveyed by written word alone. Thank you for all that you have given me this semester Brady.
Logan: My favorite part of your presentation was the sheer passion you brought with it. It was infectious to hear you talk on a subject you have spent so much time and research on but also one that you seem to thoroughly enjoy. I kept repeating "Yields falsehood when preceded by its own qoutation" over and over again in my head after class. The idea of so simple a self reference was fascinating to me but trying to concentrate on it too hard just made my brain hurt. However your point that language cannot express all ideas will always stick with me because of that example. Thank you Logan.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Presentations, Day 4
Valerie: I was blown away by the thoroughness of your presentation, you could tell you really put a lot of effort into this project and I appreciated it. The tarot cards and their symbology had always been a curiousity of mine that I never took the time to fully research but thanks you I feel that I now have a pretty firm grasp of the subject. The way you were able to totally integrate your project with The Magus was also very inspiring and must have taken a great deal of time and research. Thank you for sharing your passion with us and for giving us all a token to remember it by.
Matt: Before your presentation I had no idea about any underground publication in the 1980s or 90s and now I am happy to say otherwise. It was a very interesting topic to hear you share your insights on communications and the different methods people may use. The subject brought up many questions in my mind, especially in relation to how communication has evolved into its present form with internet blogs and chat rooms taking up too much space in the minds of people. Hopefully underground communications may make a return in popularity and bring back some creative soul to the art of communication. Thank you for sharing your vinyl with us all and let us know how your publication turns out!
Matt: Before your presentation I had no idea about any underground publication in the 1980s or 90s and now I am happy to say otherwise. It was a very interesting topic to hear you share your insights on communications and the different methods people may use. The subject brought up many questions in my mind, especially in relation to how communication has evolved into its present form with internet blogs and chat rooms taking up too much space in the minds of people. Hopefully underground communications may make a return in popularity and bring back some creative soul to the art of communication. Thank you for sharing your vinyl with us all and let us know how your publication turns out!
Presentations, Day 3
Third time is the charm...
Rose: Your presentation was one of the most personal and heartfelt I have ever seen. The courage it must have taken to speak on the subject of emotion is simple astounding to me. You brought up the concepts of vulnerability and connections which I felt were incredibly appropriate for this time of year when everyone feels vulnerable to some degree as one year ends and another begins. When you connected that vulnerability to emotions and questioned what place those feelings actually had in learning, I remember being shocked I had not asked myself that same question before. How we react to something affects everything we understand about it. "We can only deal with our demons when we choose to face them". I loved when you brought up the comparison of emotions to stories everyone carries around inside them. They represent everything and yet nothing, which makes all the difference when you really think about it. Next time I am reading a text or taking a test I will be sure to gauge exactly how I feel at that moment and see if I cant connect that story to see where it leads me. I could not agree more that life is a script and we share that script with every actor on the stage. Thank you Rose.
Katie Neal: That was the very first murder mystery skit I have ever been apart of and I will always have you to thank for that experience. I truly did enjoy becoming a detective and hunting down the dangerous murderer that never existed with my fellow lawmen. Your was incredibly fun and interactive which I appreciated at the end of a long day of books. Although we had a truly messed up family the experience and the lesson you taught us about how "its wanting to know that matters" is one I will not forget. If I ever become I detective I hope I never have to deal with a case in any way like that one but all the same, thank you for the laughs and memories Katie.
Joe: This presentation was truly remarkable not only in its delivery but in its scope. To tackle some of the biggest questions of all is certainly an intimidating task but I felt that I was able to learn so much from your timelines and analogies. You brought up the question given things as they are how should one live? In my notes I wrote down be like water, be formless and adjust. Given the breadth of the question I can think of no better response than that one. Your presentation made me think on many subjects, not the least of which was how I will live my life and what I want my life to mean. The song you ended with is still stuck in my head reminding me of questions and to never stop questioning. I believe it is safe to say that you effectively changed a great deal of my outlooks on life with your single statement: we know rhythm by the silence between the beats. Now I am listening for the silence rather than the beats in my life. Thank you Joe.
Rose: Your presentation was one of the most personal and heartfelt I have ever seen. The courage it must have taken to speak on the subject of emotion is simple astounding to me. You brought up the concepts of vulnerability and connections which I felt were incredibly appropriate for this time of year when everyone feels vulnerable to some degree as one year ends and another begins. When you connected that vulnerability to emotions and questioned what place those feelings actually had in learning, I remember being shocked I had not asked myself that same question before. How we react to something affects everything we understand about it. "We can only deal with our demons when we choose to face them". I loved when you brought up the comparison of emotions to stories everyone carries around inside them. They represent everything and yet nothing, which makes all the difference when you really think about it. Next time I am reading a text or taking a test I will be sure to gauge exactly how I feel at that moment and see if I cant connect that story to see where it leads me. I could not agree more that life is a script and we share that script with every actor on the stage. Thank you Rose.
Katie Neal: That was the very first murder mystery skit I have ever been apart of and I will always have you to thank for that experience. I truly did enjoy becoming a detective and hunting down the dangerous murderer that never existed with my fellow lawmen. Your was incredibly fun and interactive which I appreciated at the end of a long day of books. Although we had a truly messed up family the experience and the lesson you taught us about how "its wanting to know that matters" is one I will not forget. If I ever become I detective I hope I never have to deal with a case in any way like that one but all the same, thank you for the laughs and memories Katie.
Joe: This presentation was truly remarkable not only in its delivery but in its scope. To tackle some of the biggest questions of all is certainly an intimidating task but I felt that I was able to learn so much from your timelines and analogies. You brought up the question given things as they are how should one live? In my notes I wrote down be like water, be formless and adjust. Given the breadth of the question I can think of no better response than that one. Your presentation made me think on many subjects, not the least of which was how I will live my life and what I want my life to mean. The song you ended with is still stuck in my head reminding me of questions and to never stop questioning. I believe it is safe to say that you effectively changed a great deal of my outlooks on life with your single statement: we know rhythm by the silence between the beats. Now I am listening for the silence rather than the beats in my life. Thank you Joe.
Presentations, Day 2
More musings and reactions by me on the subject of today's presenations :)
Alaine: First of all just wow, that was a truly engaging poem and dynamic presentation. I had to write very quickly just to keep up with and even then I was only able to catch words that truly spoke to me: college, pursuits, knowledge, roles, future, grades, life, grow in not out, introvert and extrovert, social world, social obligations, mini atlas, lost, now. I have no idea why these words in particular are the ones I chose to write down but they are the ones with which I feel the greatest affinity. My impression that I shared after your presentation was that it was a poem so personal it was universal. I found myself reciting the words along with you as each of them fell into place among my own fears, worries, dreams, ambitions and doubts. Sometimes I forget that I am not so alone as I feel on this island and when I face the same challenges in the eyes of others it is a terrific wake up call. It was truly a relief to know that I am not the only one who only wishes to be themselves, no matter what else the world says or expects. Thank you Alaine, you truly have a gift for personal insight.
Brooke: The very first thing I wrote down while listening to your presentation were the words: "Life will break you". At the time I smiled when you brought up that point because it seemed to me something you would hear at a particularly motivating montage in a Rocky movie; something to shock you with its boldness. We have grown up in this world with all our comforts and protections that more often than not we forget what adversity is and choose to run from our fears and doubts. I learned early that failure is an embarrassing thing which I cannot afford and because of that I rarely took risks. I know now that I was wrong. You brought up the question why do we fear pain, one that certainly goes through my mind on a daily basis if not everyone else's. Your presentation made me question why I choose to fear at all if I am truly strongest at my most vulnerable. My only conclusion to those thoughts is that I simply have no idea what true vulnerability feels like. I have been quite comfortable in my nest and saw no reason to leave it. Perhaps it is time to brave the world. I absolutely loved the quote you chose at the end of the presentation: "Reason not the need, if only to be warm were gorgeous". Incredible words to live by, thank you Brooke.
Spencer: First off, your presentation reaffirmed my suspicions that I would not survive very long in any physics class that was not taught by you. The way you wove stories and jokes into your lesson was truly a standard I wish more teachers would pay attention to. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy a science lesson (for the first time) but the knowledge actually stuck with me. You truly showed how every discipline is nothing but story telling in different forms. Also, your drawing was pretty entertaining as well. Revisiting class memories on the white board with you is an experience I will not forget. Thank you Spencer.
Alaine: First of all just wow, that was a truly engaging poem and dynamic presentation. I had to write very quickly just to keep up with and even then I was only able to catch words that truly spoke to me: college, pursuits, knowledge, roles, future, grades, life, grow in not out, introvert and extrovert, social world, social obligations, mini atlas, lost, now. I have no idea why these words in particular are the ones I chose to write down but they are the ones with which I feel the greatest affinity. My impression that I shared after your presentation was that it was a poem so personal it was universal. I found myself reciting the words along with you as each of them fell into place among my own fears, worries, dreams, ambitions and doubts. Sometimes I forget that I am not so alone as I feel on this island and when I face the same challenges in the eyes of others it is a terrific wake up call. It was truly a relief to know that I am not the only one who only wishes to be themselves, no matter what else the world says or expects. Thank you Alaine, you truly have a gift for personal insight.
Brooke: The very first thing I wrote down while listening to your presentation were the words: "Life will break you". At the time I smiled when you brought up that point because it seemed to me something you would hear at a particularly motivating montage in a Rocky movie; something to shock you with its boldness. We have grown up in this world with all our comforts and protections that more often than not we forget what adversity is and choose to run from our fears and doubts. I learned early that failure is an embarrassing thing which I cannot afford and because of that I rarely took risks. I know now that I was wrong. You brought up the question why do we fear pain, one that certainly goes through my mind on a daily basis if not everyone else's. Your presentation made me question why I choose to fear at all if I am truly strongest at my most vulnerable. My only conclusion to those thoughts is that I simply have no idea what true vulnerability feels like. I have been quite comfortable in my nest and saw no reason to leave it. Perhaps it is time to brave the world. I absolutely loved the quote you chose at the end of the presentation: "Reason not the need, if only to be warm were gorgeous". Incredible words to live by, thank you Brooke.
Spencer: First off, your presentation reaffirmed my suspicions that I would not survive very long in any physics class that was not taught by you. The way you wove stories and jokes into your lesson was truly a standard I wish more teachers would pay attention to. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy a science lesson (for the first time) but the knowledge actually stuck with me. You truly showed how every discipline is nothing but story telling in different forms. Also, your drawing was pretty entertaining as well. Revisiting class memories on the white board with you is an experience I will not forget. Thank you Spencer.
Presentations, Day 1
I felt this would be an appropriate venue for me to express my thoughts and impressions I received from each presentation. Sometimes it may just be random questions I was thinking of during the projects or even random phrases that stood out to me but here it is:
Jonah's presentation on freedom and how we define it looked into the statement: "The better you understand freedom the less you possess it".
I particularly enjoyed the part where he brought up the experiment of Schrodinger's cat as a means to describe a possible translation of freedom. The way we want to so badly to be free and to know what freedom means hit home with me and my thoughts on the matter. I felt it was very appropriate how he brought up contradictions and categories we are all taught as children as they are the main vehicles we use in our definitions of reality. After the presentation, my concepts of freedom had to accommodate a vastly different field of vision, one that looked more inwardly than out. Thank you Jonah for pointing out how incredibly secluded and boxed in our perceptions of society and freedom are. I now know that freedom is not a category but a question and a mystery, as it should be.
Katie Chamber's presentation on the power of dreams and interpretation made me rather wish I was better at the art of dreaming. I rarely remember any big dreams I have while I sleep and the one that do stick with me in the morning are the boring ones about being late for class or failing tests. Her paper "The Fiends of Dreamland" gave me a terrific insight into the true essence of dreams as canvases for truth and the impossible. I found it to be a wonderfully written piece which I was immediately drawn into. Her perceptions of the dreams explored the themes underlying what it means to be human, especially at our baser foundations. Everyone must find their own truth in their realities, as both waking and sleeping dreams are realities. Thank you Katie.
Yasmin's presentation on the smile of truth did actually bring a smile to my face. I love to learn new things about history and Yasmin certainly gave me that opportunity. The Mona Lisa also happens to be one of the most interesting paintings to me, not because of the artwork itself but rather the reactions and readings people attribute to it. My personal theory of why that particular painting has achieved such fame all comes down to the smile on her face: the smile of truth as Yasmin suggested. The question has to go through every viewer's mind as they wonder what made her smile such a knowing smile. What does she know that we do not? Is it a joke? A riddle? A wise piece of advice? The human conscience goes into overdrive trying to solve this puzzle yet it will never be satisfied with the answer. That is the real Smile of Truth: asking questions that there are no answers to. Well done Yasmin, I could not agree more with your presentation.
Jonah's presentation on freedom and how we define it looked into the statement: "The better you understand freedom the less you possess it".
I particularly enjoyed the part where he brought up the experiment of Schrodinger's cat as a means to describe a possible translation of freedom. The way we want to so badly to be free and to know what freedom means hit home with me and my thoughts on the matter. I felt it was very appropriate how he brought up contradictions and categories we are all taught as children as they are the main vehicles we use in our definitions of reality. After the presentation, my concepts of freedom had to accommodate a vastly different field of vision, one that looked more inwardly than out. Thank you Jonah for pointing out how incredibly secluded and boxed in our perceptions of society and freedom are. I now know that freedom is not a category but a question and a mystery, as it should be.
Katie Chamber's presentation on the power of dreams and interpretation made me rather wish I was better at the art of dreaming. I rarely remember any big dreams I have while I sleep and the one that do stick with me in the morning are the boring ones about being late for class or failing tests. Her paper "The Fiends of Dreamland" gave me a terrific insight into the true essence of dreams as canvases for truth and the impossible. I found it to be a wonderfully written piece which I was immediately drawn into. Her perceptions of the dreams explored the themes underlying what it means to be human, especially at our baser foundations. Everyone must find their own truth in their realities, as both waking and sleeping dreams are realities. Thank you Katie.
Yasmin's presentation on the smile of truth did actually bring a smile to my face. I love to learn new things about history and Yasmin certainly gave me that opportunity. The Mona Lisa also happens to be one of the most interesting paintings to me, not because of the artwork itself but rather the reactions and readings people attribute to it. My personal theory of why that particular painting has achieved such fame all comes down to the smile on her face: the smile of truth as Yasmin suggested. The question has to go through every viewer's mind as they wonder what made her smile such a knowing smile. What does she know that we do not? Is it a joke? A riddle? A wise piece of advice? The human conscience goes into overdrive trying to solve this puzzle yet it will never be satisfied with the answer. That is the real Smile of Truth: asking questions that there are no answers to. Well done Yasmin, I could not agree more with your presentation.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
What I want to be when I grow up
I was recently going through some old school files trying to decide what to keep and what to get rid of since my parents were moving. My mom loved to keep these old scrapbooks of projects and newspaper clippings from when I was a kid and it was safe to say she may have gotten a little carried away with her projects. None-the-less, an hour into my personal journey of rediscovery I came across several papers I wrote in elementary school about what I wanted to be when I grew up. Being as curious as I am sure the rest of you are, I decided to flip through these old pages and discover the wonderfully ambitious musings of youthful Calder. One thing was immediately apparent, I had a hard time making up my mind back then. My life goals and dreams seemed to change with every new year so that I went from desiring the honorable post of fireman one year to the equally daring field of painting the next. I could not help but laugh at myself and the absurdity of the papers yet what I found even more absurd was how could I possibly know what I wanted to do when I grew up or, indeed, how could I even know I did grow up?
Since the fifth grade I have had a passion for history; a passion I have since nursed with multiple books and movies until it became a dream. My dream was to go to college to study history and teach it in a way that would not cause my classmates around me to roll their eyes or doze off in the back corner. I knew I could do it too, I still know I can in fact. Yet as the years rolled on and I entered into my senior year of high school I looked back at where I was and decided it was not enough. I knew I could do more, I knew I wanted more. The pursuit of history was still my guide and my goal but I would not be content with placing myself in the box of teaching high school in a single town. I still knew teaching was a very prestigious occupation and that was where my heart wandered to but there had to be something else, something more.
I came to Montana State and immediately declared a history major, no teaching option just straight history. I decided I would do whatever it took to work my way to a doctorate and teach history on a college campus. Becoming a professor seemed like an option that could offer me everything I was looking for: prestigious academia, my own writing and research, travel and most importantly lecturing on a grander scale. Nearly four years later, I have kept that dream close to my heart and have worked every day for it. Why then, when I looked through those old elementary school papers, did that question cause me so much concern? What do I want to be when I am grown up? Am I grown up now? I do not think so but if not now, when? What happened to shift my foundations, my certainties?
Personally, I blame this class. It was not the lone culprit, it certainly had accomplices this year, but this Tracings certainly got the ball rolling. After all, given things as they are how should one live? I find this question far more appropriate then the generic what do you want to be when you grow up model. My life has become more complicated because I know look at it through lens tempered in this class. I do not feel this is a bad thing though. No matter how much anxiety the future gives me, it is still and always will be the future; my future. This class has shown me that to question everything is simply the best way to live and the only way to be free. I still have the dearest passion for history and perhaps that will take me to that final destination on a far flung campus one day but it will not be tomorrow nor in the next few years. Those years are for the journey.
The contradiction now stands that although I have so many questions about what I want to be or want to do with my life, my answer to the question what I am interested in has become far more simple: I am interested in living.
Since the fifth grade I have had a passion for history; a passion I have since nursed with multiple books and movies until it became a dream. My dream was to go to college to study history and teach it in a way that would not cause my classmates around me to roll their eyes or doze off in the back corner. I knew I could do it too, I still know I can in fact. Yet as the years rolled on and I entered into my senior year of high school I looked back at where I was and decided it was not enough. I knew I could do more, I knew I wanted more. The pursuit of history was still my guide and my goal but I would not be content with placing myself in the box of teaching high school in a single town. I still knew teaching was a very prestigious occupation and that was where my heart wandered to but there had to be something else, something more.
I came to Montana State and immediately declared a history major, no teaching option just straight history. I decided I would do whatever it took to work my way to a doctorate and teach history on a college campus. Becoming a professor seemed like an option that could offer me everything I was looking for: prestigious academia, my own writing and research, travel and most importantly lecturing on a grander scale. Nearly four years later, I have kept that dream close to my heart and have worked every day for it. Why then, when I looked through those old elementary school papers, did that question cause me so much concern? What do I want to be when I am grown up? Am I grown up now? I do not think so but if not now, when? What happened to shift my foundations, my certainties?
Personally, I blame this class. It was not the lone culprit, it certainly had accomplices this year, but this Tracings certainly got the ball rolling. After all, given things as they are how should one live? I find this question far more appropriate then the generic what do you want to be when you grow up model. My life has become more complicated because I know look at it through lens tempered in this class. I do not feel this is a bad thing though. No matter how much anxiety the future gives me, it is still and always will be the future; my future. This class has shown me that to question everything is simply the best way to live and the only way to be free. I still have the dearest passion for history and perhaps that will take me to that final destination on a far flung campus one day but it will not be tomorrow nor in the next few years. Those years are for the journey.
The contradiction now stands that although I have so many questions about what I want to be or want to do with my life, my answer to the question what I am interested in has become far more simple: I am interested in living.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
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