Course Reflection

I thought the Humanities 1100 class was an alright class. I didn’t find the nature issue unit particularly interesting or mind blowing and I felt that it didn’t make an impact on me. I liked the myth unit though because they were all so interesting to read and it was really fun making our own myth. It gave us a chance to really be creative. I didn’t like the religion section. I thought it would be really interesting to learn about but it wasn’t what I thought it would be. I was expecting to know the ins and outs of a religion, not read the text of it that I couldn’t understand. Needless to say, that unit was a letdown for me. I really liked the love and romance unit and my favorite quote in the entire class still comes from that unit. It goes like this, "Love, like war, is a toss-up. The defeated can recover, while some you might think invincible collapse; So if you’ve got love written off as an easy option you’d better think twice.  Love calls for guts and initiative.” (Ovid, pg. 295) I am a romantic so that’s why I liked this part so much. I didn’t much care for the race and gender section. I just feel like we talk enough about those subjects in history class that it was old material. Overall, I may not have been impressed with the topics we discussed in class, but I was sometimes happy with our discussions. I liked when we had deep, meaningful conversations that the class was actually involved in. I liked hearing new points of view from people that made me change my opinion or I liked finding out something new about someone. On a good day, this was a good class. 

Reflect and Connect: Week 18

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This week we have been talking about race and gender still, trying to wrap it up. We saw a movie clip of The Great Debaters that reminded me of the movie called Freedom Writers. Even though they are set in different time periods, they still deal with the blacks being supressed and outcasted. In one, segregation is still going on but the blacks are still trying to go to school and make something of themselves while in the other, black and white schools have been mixed for awhile but we notice that all black schools still don't have the supplies that the white schools get. In Freedom Writers, no one spends time with the black students so they don't get good grades but when the new teacher comes, she makes them want to learn and she tries to get better books for the kids and she really makes a difference in their lives. The two movies are different, but they remind me of one another.

Reflect and Connect: Week 17

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Hughes is a collection of poems that are about the author being black and the way people treated him. I really liked the poems because he didn't hold back with how he felt and he was funny too. I really liked a part of his poem Crossed when he said he didn't know where he would die since he was neither black nor white. Shocking Story is about the killing of a teenage boy in the south that is shocking because the two men who killed him weren't punished for the murder. It is a sad story, yes, but I don't find it very shocking. As mentioned in class, this kind of thing happened in the south around that time, everyday. I feel like there were much worse things done to black people for even more ridiculous reasons than taunting a white girl. I don't think what the men did was right and I don't think the boy deserved what happened to him but I feel that this story is one of the least shocking. I'm sure we could dig something up from history that is much, much worse than this. You also have to remember that the members of the KKK never got in trouble for hanging blacks in the trees. Is that considered shocking?

Looking For My Prince Charming

This wasn’t a very interesting article but I got some things from it. First, I hate the idea of arranged marriage because like the author says, I believe that love should come before marriage. I don’t like the idea that your parents have someone picked out for you at the age of three or that they keep setting you up on dates with people that you don’t like. I think you should be able to explore who you want and decide that you like someone. I did love the author’s sense of humor though. A perfect example comes from this passage, “Two days later he sent me a long-winded email explaining that he wasn’t ready for a serious commitment- which is a shame because I’d already mailed the invitations, set up the bridal registry and commissioned the cake.” (pg. 543) I think the most positive thing about this article is that her parents aren’t forcing her to pick the first guy she sees or the one that they picked for her. She still has her rights to say no and I think that’s important.

Media Portrayals of Men and Masculinity

The general argument made by the Media Awareness Network in their work Media Portrayals of Men and Masculinity is that recently, the studies of men in the media have increased to show the same, but not equivalent, negative advertising that women receive. More specifically, the M.A.N. suggests that the way media portrays men and their roles are enforcing the ideas of how to be a “real” man in our society. The M.A.N. writes, “In most media portrayals, male characters are rewarded for self-control and the control of others, aggression and violence, financial independence, and physical desirability.” (pg. 538) In this passage, the M.A.N is suggesting that to be a “real” man, you need to control your emotions, you need to be aggressive, you need to make your own money, and you need to be attractive. In conclusion, it is the M.A.N’s belief that the media is enforcing false ideas of how to be a “real” man in our society today.

            In my view, the M.A.N is right because men really are portrayed as these unfeeling money making machines that will cut you down to get to the top. For example, in the movie The Holliday, Jude Law plays a man who falls in love with a woman, Cameron Diaz, and she is getting ready to go back home so she has to leave him and as she drives away he starts to cry and it is a really weird thing to see because you NEVER see men cry in movies. I want to add that a man that can cry is pretty sexy and they should cry and share their feelings more often. Although the M.A.N might object that there are tender scenes in movies, I maintain that you never see tears. Therefore, I conclude that the media does send a message to men about how they are supposed to act when really they don’t need to act like that at all.

The Male Privilege Checklist

The general argument made by (author unknown, original Peggy McIntosh) in their work The Male Privilege Checklist, is that men have privileges that only apply to them. More specifically, unknown suggests that men have privileges that help them through life and they aren’t even aware of it! They write, “In the end, however, it is men and not women who make the most money; men and not women who dominate the government and corporate boards; men and not women who dominate virtually all of the most powerful positions of society.” (pg. 536) In this passage the author is suggesting that men always have a way to come out on top over women because of the privileges thrust upon them. In conclusion, it’s the author’s opinion that men hold a higher position than women due to these unnoticed privileges.

            In my view, the author is totally right because you see examples of the “checklist” all the time. For example, rule # 24 states that, “Even if I sleep with a lot of women, there is no chance that I will be seriously labeled a ‘slut’, nor is there any male counterpart to ‘slutbashing’.” (pg. 537) This is so true because there is a saying going around that being a man that sleeps with a lot of women, you are a master key but if a woman sleeps with a lot of men, she’s just a shitty lock. (The lock and key effect.) You even see this in movies when men are idolized for being with a lot of women. Although the author actually objects in the piece that, “…I never claimed that life for men is all ice cream sundaes,” (pg. 536) that life for men is easy because of these rules, I maintain that men do have it easier than women. Therefore, I conclude that men do have privileges that they don’t even think they have.

Graduation

This was a really hard piece to relate to. She gets so excited for her graduation and being in that process myself, I can’t say that we have the same feelings. It is like the most important day for her and everyone in town goes nuts but nowadays graduations are so common. It’s still important today but we don’t get very excited. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy but I have a sense of dread that comes with it. I have to start my life after this, I have to go to college and figure out how I’m going to live. That’s scary stuff. Times are so different now than they were then. I have all of those worries and she says that after graduation she will be free. She’s graduating from eighth grade, she doesn’t have worries yet. She says that teachers have the same degree as her and they are qualified to impart wisdom. It just is hard to relate to since things have changed so much since then.

            I think it is disappointing, however, that the white man comes and ruins it for everyone. He had no right to crash the graduation and make people feel down. It’s sad that Angelou goes on to say that she wishes she was dead, she wishes everyone were dead. But I’m not going to lie, I like that she says, “As a species, we were an abomination. All of us.” (pg. 616) I have agreed with statements like that for a long time. Humans do cruel things and in our minds we think it’s ok and that it’s right. We may be very smart and advanced, but that doesn’t mean we can go around and act like uncompassionate assholes.

            The best part of this passage is when the speaker gives his speech and then they sing the African American National Anthem and it gives everybody hope again.  It just reminds one how impactful  words can be and what they can mean to one person or to a group of people.

Reflect and Connect: Week 16

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This week we didn't really discuss anything. We talked about our eportfolio's and got on the computer to figure them out. I will say that this week was a transition week between the Love and Romance unit and the Diverstiy: Race unit. We ended love with Tristan and will begin diversity with Hughes and Shocking Story.

Hughes/Shocking Story

Hughes

            First off, I like this section because I decided that I like poetry, the kind that rhymes, and I like that his poetry really makes a statement. The first poem, Dinner Guest: Me, is a good one because obviously he knows that whites are racist so he pretty much throws it in their face in this poem and he basks in it. It’s quite humorous actually. And I like the part when he says, “Solutions to the problem, of course, wait.” (pg. 593) because it’s the typical belief that if a black person is involved they aren’t treated the same. The biggest connection I can make is in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air when they always say that they are going to go to jail because they are black or “he” is for sure going because he is black. I like the poem Harlem because it’s more toned down and nice to think about. Obviously it has some deeper meaning behind it besides a dream that you dream at night while you are asleep but how I read it made it nice to keep it simple like that and really wonder where deferred dreams go. I love Cross because in history the issue of half black and white kids has been a real problem and he brings that out when he says, “I wonder where I’m gonna die, being neither white nor black?” (pg. 594) I, Too is a good poem as well because he’s really challenging Americans and saying don’t treat me different, I’m an American too. The Ghandhi poem was alright.

Shocking Story

            The general point made by William Bradford Huie in his work The Shocking Story of Approved Killing in Mississippi is that man has a long history of inhumanity towards one another. More specifically, Huie suggests that racial issues have proven the most brutal examples in inhumanity. He writes, “…racial conflict had produced some of the most horrible examples of brutality.” (pg. 602) In this passage the Huie is saying exactly what I already said. In conclusion, it is Huie’s belief that this is one of the many examples of brutality displayed through racism and more broadly, humanity.

            In my view, Huie is right because what the ADULT men did was horrific. For example, I was trying to think of worse things that happened in history between the blacks and the whites but I couldn’t think of anything because this was a child, they shot him in the head, and then they tied the fan to him with barbed wire, around his neck. When they threw him in the water I can only imagine what that did to his neck. Maybe is severed his head! Although Huie might object that this wasn’t the worst act of them all, I maintain that I agree with him because it was a display of a large overreaction. Therefore, I conclude that the case of Emmett Till is in fact a great example in the ways of brutality between humans.

Reflect and Connect: Week 15

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I connect this week to a book I am reading outside of class called Crossed, by Ally Condie. It's a teen novel but I think overall I consider it a romance novel. The only reason I connect it to the love and romance unit is becuase it has love in it and it has a really great quote in it that spoke to me. It stood out to me so much. The quote goes like this, "Everyone has something of beauty about them. In the beginning for me, it was Ky's eyes I noticed, and I love them still. But loving lets you look, and look, and look again. You notice the back of a hand, the turn of a head, the way of a walk. When you first love, you look blind and you see it all as the glorious, beloved whole, or a beautiful sum of beautiful parts. But when you see the one you love as pieces, as whys- why he walks like this, why he closes his eyes like that- you can love those parts, too, and it's a love at once more complicated and more complete." (pg. 346) The reason this stood out to me so much is because this is how I can think of someone but I never quite had the words to describe what was going through my head and this is so true. When you first look at someone, you only see the larger picture but as you keep staring at the picture, the little details start to show themselves and a painting you thought you liked turned into a picture you love because of what you didn't see on the surface. Ah, I think I am in love with this quote...

Cultural Activity: Music

1.      What musical event did you attend?

I went and saw the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in Temple Square, Salt Lake City.

2.      Give a summary or description of the works you heard.

The blend of singing and musical instruments was beautiful. It had a light sound that was so harmonious and delightful. It was happy and uplifting music, even if it was a lot about Jesus and stuff. The choir itself was really refreshing. It was nice to hear people who can actually sing and sound beautiful over the high school and jr.  high performances. In the orchestra there were a lot of instruments. They had a harp that sounded so pretty and a flute that gave it a mischievous sound. It was also the first time I have seen an organ in real life. Even the lyrics were somewhat attractive. They were songs about god of course and they were just nice like all the children gathered around god to hear all of his wisdom. It just painted a good picture in the head, you know? The music was really calming and peaceful and it made it easier to listen to and enjoy.

3.      Would you say that this was a poor/fair/good/high quality performance? Why? Justify your answer. Did you notice any mistakes or other problems that detracted from the performance?

I think I would consider this a good to high quality performance because the quality of the music was fantastic and it was a very professional setting. Like I already mentioned, it was harmonious and sounded really well put together. As for the professional setting, all of the ushers were dressed in their Sunday best and they were really nice and helpful and showed us exactly where to go and they helped put order to the crowd. I personally didn’t notice any mistakes in the performance but I also don’t have a very hypocritical ear for music. According to the conductor, there were a few mistakes. He wanted them to open there mouth more for a more rounded sound and he wasn’t pleased with the pitches that the choir was hitting at some points but I thought they sounded fantastic. I guess there is a reason why I’m not the conductor and he is.

4.      What did you find out about the background of the works, composers, artists, or others connected with this production?

I learned that there are 360 members of the Tabernacle Choir and they are all different but are together based on their faith and their love for singing.  The ages in the choir range from 25 to 60 years old. The choir has appeared in 13 world fairs and events. They have also performed at the inaugurations of five US presidents. They also sing for worldwide telecasts and special events. The recordings of the Choir have reached gold record status, five of them, and two of them have reached platinum record status.  Important people are Mac Christensen, choir president, Mack Wilberg, music director, Ryan Murphy, associate music director, Igor Gruppman, conductor of orchestra, LeAnna Willmore, conductor of bells, Larry Smith, associate conductor of bells, Lloyd Newell, announcer, Richard Elliot, organist, Scott Barrick, general manager, and Barry Anderson, administrative manager.

5.      What was your personal reaction to this performance?

My personal reaction to this performance was that at first I was worried that I was in Temple Square and I felt really out of place. I was worried that we had to look nice and talk to people about our faith and religion and stuff but I was pleased that I wasn’t asked any questions by the obviously religious people. Then when we finally entered the silver topped dome and I calmed down a little bit.  There weren’t many people there so me and my friend could stick to ourselves. Overall, I didn’t really want to see the Tabernacle because of the religious connection but I was pleased that they were very pleasant to listen to. I ended up really liking the performance because it was so nice on the ears. I was excited to hear something so professional and skillful. It was so nice to listen to in fact that I started to get very sleepy and I think I started nodding off. It was like being in sleeping beauty when the fairies make the kingdom sleep. It was some sort of magical reaction that I couldn’t ignore. As I mentioned before, the harp was a nice surprise that I hadn’t expected. I have been in love with harp music since Ari played it in junior high. To be honest, I couldn’t really make out a lot of the lyrics, but I caught the general drift of it. But that was something that was annoying. I feel like when there is a lot of people singing at once it is harder to know what they are saying over a single voice. My friend and I had a conversation about the lyrics to decipher them and towards the end we would always come to an agreement about what they were. I thought it was beautiful but maybe the lyrics could have been easier to hear. I was relaxed and calm when we left.

6.      Would you recommend this performance or musical group to others? Why or why not?

I think I would recommend this to others just because it was a high quality sounding performance but I think I would only recommend it to people who have already seen the choir or believed in it because if I were to recommend it to others that weren’t religious I feel like I would get a lot of negative feedback. I feel that way just because of people who have closed minds that wouldn’t accept the beauty of the choir over their religious affiliation.  I would recommend this to someone if I knew they could appreciate it over judge it.

7.      Would you enjoy attending this type of event again? Why or why not?

I would enjoy attending a type of event like this again just in a different context. For example, I would love to see another musical performance if it wasn’t in Temple Square and if the songs were directed to something else. Like I said, it was really nice on the ears but I felt out of place. It definitely wasn’t my scene so if it was a little more relaxed I would have enjoyed it more I think. It helps that I consider myself one that can see the beauty in things so I could look past the Mormons but there are always bigger and better things out there.

Love Reading Quiz

Her and Him

“Love, like war, is a toss-up. The defeated can recover, while some you might think invincible collapse; So if you’ve got love written off as an easy option you’d better think twice. Love calls for guts and initiative.” (Ovid, pg. 295) This statement has never been truer than in the story of her and him.

            He was the cousin of her boyfriend; she was the girlfriend of his cousin. They met in passing one day but nothing out of the ordinary happened. She thought he was cute but didn’t have the personality to back it up while he thought she was cute but didn’t think about it again. The months passed by, the cousin and she were no longer a couple. One day, she was eating dinner and was shocked to see him in her kitchen. It was awkward and she felt that she needed to resent him. Every time they met, there was hostility from her, and jokes from him.

            They saw each other more and more and she started to think of him as a friend. One night in a friendly gathering, she saw him in a new light. She asked about his tattoos and really noticed his nature as a person. This is the budding of her love for him. This is when she truly noticed him.

            She thought about him often now and was excited to learn that he would be joining a camping excursion with her family and a few other people. She loved the thought of this just to be close to him even though she felt like she couldn’t act on it because he was her brother’s friend after all and a few years older. This however didn’t stop her from admiring him all weekend. Later on, she would find out that he was admiring her too.

            The weeks passed by, she was getting ready to go back to school, he was working. They decided to have an end of the summer party at her house. With the nectar of socializing in them both, they had courage to say how they felt. She made it obvious she was spending the night with him and he laughed. They stayed up well past everybody else, talking about the things they both had in common. It was late. He asked her to go home with him. She gladly accepted, not scared or worried about what would happen, just ready to go. They stayed up even later, talking about nonsense things, getting to know each other better. They drifted off in each other’s arms.

            In the morning, they woke up slow, like in Banana Pancakes. Nothing happened the night before but now she had a question in her head, where was this going? He didn’t even give her time to wonder; he held her hand the whole way home.

            They separated themselves from each other that day, she going to a concert, him running errands, only to be joined that night once more. This time, he was the only one with liquid courage in him and she took care of him. She let him sleep in her bed with her and she let him whisper his sweet nothings to her until he fell asleep, as close to her as he could get.

            After that, it was obvious they liked each other. They spent the next two weeks having fun and hanging out. He taught her new things and she taught him new things. It was very nice. His friends and her brother tried so hard to warn her about what was bound to happen in the end but she didn’t listen. She figured you can tell me but you can’t control him, he will do what he wants.

            This was true. They kept talking and seeing each other. As time went on, things became different. He took longer to text her back, they didn’t hang out as much, and he stopped whispering his sweet nothings. At first she didn’t mind, they could distance themselves. But after a while, she got worried. She didn’t know how he felt anymore and she was wondering if he was being a cheat. She didn’t let this go on for long, maybe a month. Finally, when she could no longer stand to see him, she told him it wasn’t working out. It broke her heart to do it but she respected herself more than she thought he was good for her and she ended it.

            He wanted to talk to her about it so they met up. At that moment, she hated how his arms always calmed her down and made her feel better. He asked if they could still talk and he told her he wanted to be friends. He even planted the hope in her head that, “I’m not going anywhere, maybe we can try again someday.” She wanted to stay friends, there were no hard feelings on her part, so she kept up with it and they continued to text and sometimes hang out. She couldn’t deny how happy she was when she was with him.

            One day it got too much for her and she decided to tell him how she felt about him after a couple of months of being separated. He pretty much ignored her. This is when she knew she NEEDED to get over him and move on.

            Since then it’s been a constant battle. On the random occasion when she sees him, her heart rate increases, her body temperature sky rockets, her hands begin to shake and sometimes she bursts into tears when she makes it safely to her room. She can’t help it that she compares him to sunshine. She hates that he feels so right to her. She loves everything about him. She wishes she knew if these were real feelings or if she is infatuated with him. She thinks she might be crazy and asks herself, “Is this what love is?” She thinks about him at least once a day, every day since she let him go. She has to remind herself that life isn’t a movie, they aren’t going to meet up one day and everything will fall into place, he’s not going to wake up and ask for her back. Would she even take him back?

            The ones thought to be invincible, by others or by themselves, are not. One day they will meet there match and they will fall. What will pull her, the defeated through, is knowing that she can, and will recover one day. With or without her love, she is determined not to let him push her down and keep her there.

Tristan

“He that never had sorrow of love never had joy of it either! In love, joy and sorrow ever went hand in hand!” (pg. 303) I am so happy that this story starts off with this quote because it is right on and it is brilliant.  It is so true and obviously the concept hasn’t changed over hundreds of years. I think that’s what I like most about the concepts of love, everyone agrees on the same things and over time the agreements haven’t changed a bit. “…but there was nothing there but love- and Isolde.” (pg. 303) This just sounds really romantic to me and that’s why I like it so much. It’s like he’s looking for something and he can’t really find anything but one thing and that one thing isn’t even the most important thing, Isolde is the most important thing. “They looked at one another and nourished themselves with that!” (pg. 304) I like that this is saying the lovers didn’t really need anything to live, all they needed was one another.

            I like the overall story, I like the idea of it. At the beginning when Tristan is just supposed to be the messenger boy and it hints that Isolde hates him, I’m assuming because she doesn’t want to marry the King of Kurnewal (which is the standard thing in these kinds of stories), and then they end up taking the love potion that makes them deeply love each other, throwing a twist in the story. It gives it a good feel that they can love each other for awhile on the boat ride but then it leaves you wishing something different had happened in the end. It’s so sad that Tristan ends up moving away to marry a different Isolde when he can’t stop thinking about the Isolde he fell in love with. I have never seen the movie but I hope that it doesn’t end like this story does. I hope it ends happily with Tristan and Isolde being together. Reading this story makes me want to go watch the movie.