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.