"Good" Conversation

Good conversation is subjective. My idea of what a good conversation is can be completely different from another person's idea. To me, good conversation has been established when members of both parties share ideas without feeling threatened or belittled. Also, I believe that a good conversation includes thoughtful reflection afterwards. My favorite type of conversation is one that leaves you thinking after a class period or even just a casual encounter with a person. This type of conversation also allows for honesty and trust to be present in the relationship. It requires listeners to listen with an open mind and speakers to speak with an open heart. Having a conversation forces people to look at an issue from all angles in order to appropriately assess a situation. I think that the best conversations are had when many different people who are honest, accepting, and thoughtful provide insight and enlightenment in discussion.

My Home

Today's discussion centered heavily on architecture. Questions of where campus buildings drew their architecture from, where other colleges drew theirs from, where Jefferson drew his from, etc... All of this discussion made me wonder where my family got ideas and inspiration from in order to build our house.

My parents built our house the year I was born, and it is the only house that I have ever lived in. To me, its design is unique. For one, it is made out of limestone, and secondly, the design seems almost timeless. Although the house was built in the early 90's, I think that I would have a hard time pinning a date to it simply from its outer architecture. I know that my parents worked with a local architect in order to build it, but I have no idea what their collaborations were like or what they debated and discussed. After 18 years of living in the same place, the only design aspect I've ever heard discussed was the living room's vaulted ceilings. Apparently, my dad wanted high ceilings and my mom did not.

Today's discussion has prompted me to ask my parents more questions about my house and its "architectural origins". It may not be based off of great European architecture, but I might learn something more about my parents, their values, and the original ideas for my childhood home.

Americans and Houses

The first paragraph of Upton's article struck a chord with me:

"Americans are obsessed with houses- their own and everyone else's. We judge ourselves and our neighbors by where and how we live. We categorize the poorest members of contemporary society not as hungry, badly dressed, or unemployed, but as 'homeless'. For those people who are able to own homes (never the majority), a house is a largest rite of passage as important as marriage or a first child. This has been true for many generations. In the past, it was not uncommon for home-owners to inscribe construction dates on their houses, marking them as mileposts on the road to success. Some included the initials of both husband and wife, to identify the house as a bench-mark in the generations-long process of an entire family line."

I find so much truth in everything that Upton has said. How American is it of us to make the ownership of a home a "rite of passage". There has been such a great significance placed on home ownership, even in economically hard times. All young Americans dream of owning a home someday- I know I did and still do. The home is a symbol of freedom from parents- independence- and a sign of wealth. In America, the great assumption is that the larger the home, the greater wealth of the family living there. I agree with Upton that Americans have categorized people by their home ownership, and yes, a home's style/contents/architecture/etc. says a lot about the people living in it. But, I almost don't want to give it all that much significance. America has a very high home ownership percentage compared to most countries, but that doesn't mean that we can afford it. Reflecting back to the economic crisis of 2008, a huge problem was caused by the housing industry which sold homes to people who couldn't even afford them, and the banks who gave loans to those people. Maybe if Americans didn't place so much importance and value on owning a home, then financial troubles could be avoided. For most Americans, a home is the most expensive thing that they will ever own... It should be a privilege and not a right.

Tea Party Editorial

Tea Party Transforms the Republican Party
During the most recent midterm elections, Republicans won the House majority and made significant gains in the Senate. In addition to President Obama’s plummeting approval ratings and the unstable economy, the Tea Party Movement was a major contributor to the November election results. Many people are trying to sort out the differences between the Tea Party Movement and the GOP, but few recognize the striking similarities. In Idaho, Republican Rod Beck showcased just how the Tea Party Movement has reshaped the GOP. The Tea Party Movement did not borrow all of its ideals from the Republican Party, but through the growing importance and influence of the Tea Party, Republican voters have been forced to examine themselves for what they truly believe in.
In June of 2010, Beck changed Idaho’s GOP from within at the state Republican convention. In an article by Associated Press, John Miller explains how Rod Beck used Tea Party outrage to reshape Idaho’s GOP. Beck came into the June convention frustrated by his failed attempts to rejoin the state Senate when primary election rivals whom he insisted did not support party ideals defeated him. The Republican convention was his chance to sway delegates to his conservative beliefs. After just three days, joined by Tea Party members, Beck transformed 500 Idaho delegates’ platforms with a “spasm of anti-fed outrage.” They created a platform urging Idaho Republicans to seize federal land, end elections of popular U.S. Senators and support an inflation hedge to U.S. Federal Reserve-issued greenbacks. These Republicans, using the Tea Party’s momentum, hoped to also reshape Idaho’s policies on concealed weapons and force their inmates into performing hard labor in exchange for meals. Conservatives all across America are changing the 2010 political landscape amid anger over bank bailouts, health care reform, federal deficits and illegal immigration.
Polls are now showing not only Republicans gaining more presence in government, but also Republicans and Tea Party members being decidedly more conservative. Conservative Republicans now outnumber moderate/liberal Republicans by almost a 2-1 margin, as shown in a Gallup poll conducted in the summer of 2010. That gap among Tea Party supporters is a 3-1 ratio, showing that the Tea Party is a very conservative movement. The study also identified 8 out of 10 Tea Party supporters as Republican, and thirty percent of Americans, on average, identifying themselves as Tea Party supporters. The Tea Party is a young, new movement that has grown tremendously over a years’ span of time. If thirty percent of Americans are identifying themselves as Tea Party members, that means that Americans are becoming more and more conservative. The Tea Party’s conservatism is not only greatly influencing American politics but is also altering the Republican Party.
So why is this important? In the fall campaign, Republicans gained ground in American politics. The Tea Party backed candidates in crucial races against other Republican candidates and succeeded. Not every state has a Tea Party candidate though, so when it comes down to a Republican vs. Democrat vote, Tea Party members will most likely vote for the Republican candidate. It’s important for St. Olaf students to recognize this new-wave conservatism in order to better knowledge themselves about the direction of American politics. The Tea Party Movement is one of the fastest growing political groups in the country, but many students are unsure on what they stand for. For starters, Oles should turn to the hard evidence. Tea Party supporters are conservative Republicans at heart who are changing the heart of the Republican Party.

Slavery & The Declaration of Independence

During Monday's discussion, we talked for several minutes about slavery and its place in the Declaration of Independence. Many students brought up the sort of irony that Thomas Jefferson's original draft mentioned the cruelty of the King's use of slavery, when the Founding Fathers and virtually all wealthy white men of that day owned slaves themselves. In previous class periods, we had talked about how slaves were common, and the colonists did not view slaves as being equal to themselves because it had become ingrained into them that it was the "right" thing to do. By the time colonists were writing the Declaration of Independence though, we considered in class whether the colonists knew the error of their ways. After continuing on this discussion for awhile, the realization that helped me better understand why the colonists chose to not include "abolishing slavery" as an objective was one of my classmate's observations. He said that the Declaration's purpose was obviously more aimed at the King, and pointed out that discussing an issue such as slavery in this document would be a huge political move. Of course, I don't think that it was right that the colonists owned slaves, but I do consider that perhaps some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence had radical ideas with the hopes to abolish slavery one day, knowing that the Declaration would be a strong precursor.

Thoughts on Conversation Format

I really enjoyed Monday's class discussion. I felt that it was one of the most insightful discussions that our class has had in a long time, and the new format helped people to think more deeply about what they had to say and the rest of the class to listen to main "speakers". I was really pleased to hear some people engage in conversation that I had almost never heard before. Still, I haven't heard many of my classmates opinions during conversation and I am almost positive that they all have something meaningful to say. That being said, I hope that our professors will consider using this conversation format again. With more self-mediation and structure, I think it could prove to be a valuable tool in gaining new perspectives on the materials that we read. Anyway, the general idea is to have a conversation with everyone in the class- not just half.

Podcasts, Anyone?

I love listening to podcasts. They are free, can be as informative as books, and in my opinion, a much better "time-waster" (or maybe more of a "time-filler") than listening to music. (And I really love listening to music, so that is a bold statement.) Anyway, if you haven't checked out iTunes podcasts before, you should definitely download a few and see what sparks your interest.

Some podcasts that I currently subscribe to are Best of YouTube, Freakonomics Radio (especially interesting if you've read the book Freakonomics), NPR: Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Stuff You Should Know (possibly my favorite), TED Talks, and This American Life.

Finally, this is less of an opinion and more of a question: Is anyone in AmCon an avid listener of podcasts?!? Which ones do you recommend? Why?... Happy listening! :)

The Tea Party Movement and Its Effectivity

Last class period we shared some of our own opinions about the Tea Party Movement with the rest of the class. I realized quickly that many of my own classmates do not support the Tea Party, dislike the Tea Party, or have negative opinions about the Tea Party. This does not surprise me, because I know that while the Tea Party may stand for some positive causes such as encouraging people to become more actively involved in government, they are also portrayed as having radical members in the media who stand for causes that my classmates may not support. What surprised me though, was that many of my classmates didn't seem to think that the Tea Party is very effective, or that it could have the potential to be much more effective. I feel that the Tea Party has actually been extremely effective in gaining support. When I think about all of the coverage that is done every single day on the Tea Party- It has to be the single most talked about issue in America for months now... The movement does not seem to have hit a plateau either- it keeps building, and the most recent election is a reminder of that. Now I think that GOP is strongly picking up on the importance of the Tea Party Movement for its own candidates and what it means for the future. Just as I'm going to write about in my paper, I think that the GOP and the Tea Party Movement are deeply connected and not divided in their ways. I would like to remind my classmates that just because you may not agree with the Tea Party Movement and their motives, that does not mean that they have not been successful. I'm sure that as we all begin working on our papers at least a few of us will discover reasons behind the Tea Party's success and appeal, and the rising number of Americans who support it. I'm excited to see if me or any of my classmates have paradigm shifts.

Tea History and The Tea Party

In reading MacFarlane's article titled The Empire of Tea, I was intrigued by the immense history of tea.  I don't think I quite understood just how important tea has been, until after reading that article.  One of the historical facts highlighting the popularity and importance of tea during the 18th century was the actual economic boost it  gave to commodities.  Tea's popularity gave rise to the demand for production of ceramic's in Britain.
"The containers holding the tea, the tea caddies, had to be made, and the tables for serving the tea from, and the biscuits and cakes to accompany the drinking on appropriate side-plates, and the chairs and screens and fireplaces which would provide the elegant cosy setting.  So a consumer boom was launched in the first third of the 18th century, serviced by craftsmen and the expanding profession of general grocers, tea tasters, and auctioneers."
I thought that the economic growth of these tea commodities were interesting because I've read recent articles citing the increase of sales in powdered wigs due to the popularity of the Tea Party.  "The Tea Party movement, touting principles based in the Constitution and the Founding Fathers, has boosted the economy by fueling the sale and rental of anything symbolic of Colonial times — costumes, flags, even powdered wigs," states The Pittsburg Tribune.  This article in the Wall Street Journal also talks about how the rising demand for powdered wigs has spiked sales and vendors of the product.
Ultimately, the Tea Party movement has interestingly, such as tea did during the 18th century, generated an economic growth for a commodity.  

Tea Party: The Easy Target

I think that the Tea Party is an easily-attacked political movement that should be taken very seriously.  After reading many of my classmates forum postings and their opinions on the Tea Party, I found many articles presenting the Tea Party in a bad light.  I just wanted to point out that any political party will have some number of people with radical and/or controversial ideas.  These views may not support the entire party, but they become points of focus because they make for great news stories.  And while they may make for interesting articles, I think that the Tea Party stands for a lot more than just a few radical ideas, and they should be taken seriously.  

I've been reading the Wall Street Journal (almost) daily since I came to St. Olaf, and there never fails to be an article about the Tea Party every single day.  The movement is new, it's uniting, it's more and more mainstream, and it isn't stopping.  On Wednesday, Professor Rohn stated that we (as students) should be concerned with the Tea Party movement because it is our generation's movement.  I disagree with this statement slightly- I would say that the Tea Party movement is not the political of our generation, but of this time period, and perhaps even this decade.  

Because of that reason, I think that it is even more important than a generational movement because it reflects views of people from any age.  And now, to answer the tough question: What is the Tea Party movement?  ...No, no one exactly knows what it is, but in my opinion it is a group of people who are dissatisfied with government, namely large government control.  The movement is unhappy with the lack of control by "the people" and its goal is to bring control back to "the people".  The Tea Party has passionate members who are really just not satisfied with how things are going in America. I am quite positive that come election day, the people of the United States will be even more concerned with the Tea Party and its effect on politics across the country.     

Benjamin Franklin: Humble Beginnings

"[My father] sent me to a school for writing and arithmetic, kept by a then famous man, Mr. George Brownell, very successful in his profession generally, and that by mild, encouraging methods.  Under him I acquired fair writing pretty soon, but I failed in arithmetic, and made no progress in it."

This statement was so surprising to me.  Benjamin Franklin, one of our founding fathers, failing at arithmetic?!?  It seems too preposterous to be true.  When I think of someone like Benjamin Franklin, who was so successful in his lifetime and still maintains to be regarded with the upmost respect, it's hard to believe that they could fail at anything.  The statement itself actually gives me a lot of hope, though.  To me, it makes one of the greatest American leaders relatable and down-to-earth.  The fact that he included that information about himself also says a lot.  I shamefully admit that if I became famous, I would not want other people to know probably any of my greatest faults and weaknesses.  I admire that Franklin was bold enough to state that arithmetic was something that he was just not good at.  Next time I get down on myself about one of my academic weaknesses, I'll kindly remind myself that even Benjamin Franklin struggled with math.

Home

Being home last weekend was really nice.  I loved eating my mom's cooking, seeing a lot of my old friends and family, and sleeping in my own bed.  The strange thing is that one can be away from "home" for a good amount of time and still call it home.  Things are comfortable in that place and people are just like one remembers them.  I wondered if when I went home for fall break, even though it had only been a couple months, people would think that I had changed.  Or worse, would I think that my friends or family had changed?  The truth is, it was almost easier to fit right back in because I had taken a step out.  Leaving a place that was so engraved in me made me realize who I truly was by myself.  At home, the people around me shaped my actions and the vast majority of people that I knew in my town, I had known my entire life.  Here, I realize what type of a person I am because my actions are based on just my own individual choices.  No one is here to judge my plans or scrutinize my actions, and I'm very thankful for that.  Although the first few minutes with my friends back home might have been slightly awkward, (making small talk, asking impersonal questions), we quickly recognized our prior friendship and the bonds that we have with one another.  I realized that it isn't so hard to fit in even after being gone for a month or two.  I'm glad that my family and friends don't make me feel like an outsider even if they no longer know the details of my life.

To Infer

I'm really enjoying our class' study of symbolization through objects.  I have always thought that a lot can be said about a person through what they buy, wear, eat, etc.  Basically, I think that a person's choices can shape who they are.  Not only do the choices they make shape themselves, but they also shape how others perceive them.  In colonial America, this is extremely important because I think that the colonists no longer wanted to be seen as Europeans.  Through their choices, we can see that colonists were balancing a fine line between this sort of European-ism and American-ism.  They differentiated themselves through their clothing, houses, commodities, etc.  Because they originated from England, many of their styles had English characteristics, but certain American traits as well.  We talked today in class about clothing and how American clothes were generally more "rough" and also more expensive.  English clothing was much more ornate.  In the portrait of Paul Revere, he is seen to be wearing "American" style clothing.  We could debate the reasons behind this, but ultimately, I want to raise the question: Did New Englanders put that much significant thought into the clothing that they wore and the symbolism behind it, or were there choices based off of convenience, popularity, and other factors?

Inventory

I made a lot of lists prior to coming to college.  My largest and most detailed one was what I was bringing to college.  Making this list of what I already have while I'm here brought me back to the month before college when I was actually making those decisions.  It also makes me think of just how much stuff I really have...

Bedspread/pillows, Clothing, Shoes, Jewelry, Jewelry holder, Pet fish, Food, How water heater, Ruler, Book bag, Water bottle, Scissors, Notecards, Rubber bands, Calculator, Letters, Stamps, Bulletin board, Pictures/frames, Scarves, Medicine, Razors, Face wash, Shampoo/Conditioner, Blanket, Suitcase, Books, Tape, Paper clips, Checkbook, Rug, Printer, Laptop, Headphones, Blowdryer, Straightener, Curling iron, Iron. Laundry Detergent, Tide-to-go, Lint collector, Deodorant, Lapdesk, Book light, Wastepaper basket, Laundry basket, Poster, Mattress pad, Coats, Gloves, Hats, Shoe holder, Boxes, Calendar, Push pins, Paper, Lamp, Power strip... I'm sure I probably forgot something, but anyway, that's a lot of stuff!!!

Avatar: Pocahontas Recreation?

A few weeks ago, before AmCon really got into discussing Pocahontas, me and a few Hoyme friends watched the movie Avatar.  I'm sure most of you have seen it so I won't get into the plot, but anyway, it's a great movie! One of my friends watching the movie with me brought up the striking similarities between Avatar and Pocahontas though, and at first I didn't understand.  What similarities?  The fact that it's a love story?... Then he showed me this page on the internet, and I began to think that maybe James Cameron wasn't really the genius that we all thought him to be- maybe just someone who watched a lot of Pocahontas.  Read for yourselves!

Pocahontas: Part II

We've spent a good amount of time in class discussing Pocahontas.  On Wednesday, we talked about the different images of Pocahontas and how artists have portrayed her.  I've come to the conclusion, as I'm sure many other students have, that we really don't have any clue to how she looked.  Because I grew up thinking that a Disney movie was the most accurate representation, I now wonder how much of her appearance in the movie could be accurate at all.  Certainly, she had dark hair and eyes, and a thicker build, but almost everything else is just guesswork.  For one, I've now learned that Pocahontas would not have had a mature adult body because she was only around 10 years old when she met John Rolfe.  The Disney movie portrays Pocahontas as being this beautiful, statuesque Indian woman, but I feel as though the only thing we really know about her is that she is Indian.

For me, this makes Pocahontas even more confusing.  Now, not only do we not even know what she actually did or what type of person she was, but we also have no clue as to what she looked like.  Looking at the engraving of her in 1616, the only image of her during her real life, I become truly puzzled as to what image should come to mind when I think of Pocahontas.

^Huh?^

Pocahontas: The Legend

Reading about Pocahontas made me think about how little actually know about her, but how she is widely regarded as one of the, if not the most famous, American Indian woman.  Why is this?  We discussed this a little in class but I wanted to branch off of it a bit.  During class, I was trying to think of different reasons for why she was and still is relevant and important in today's American culture.  I came to a few conclusions:

1) Americans are eager to romanticize stories about the formation of our country.
2) The story of Pocahontas shows both Englanders and Indians in a good light.
3) Pocahontas is also a love story.

I think that ultimately, the story has drama to it.  It has been enhanced by the Disney film of course, but the real story itself does contain a lot of controversy.  The aspect that seems to make it popular is what I would call "positive" controversy.  Pocahontas has become not only a character in a Disney film, but also a symbol, and icon, just as we discussed in class.  She can be understood in many ways.

 

"Liberty"

In the picture of the female figure with the Phrygian cap, I think that the cap essentially represents freedom and liberty.  I like the article we read about the transformation that this piece has gone through.  In the beginning, the Indian Queen represented America.  She was a "nude woman warrior decorated with feathers and usually accompanied by an exotic-looking animal, a bow and arrow, and the odd severed limb nearby." To me, the picture shows America's resistance to England because this is displaying the most "Indian" characteristics of the the transformations.  Eventually, the Indian Queen would turn into a "slender white princess."  This picture, to me, invokes Deloria's idea of "playing Indian."  With the woman dressed in a feathered headdress and skirt, she is crossing both English aspects with Native American aspects.  Also, the woman perhaps even became more attractive over the years, which I found interesting.  And, her name changes from Indian Queen to Columbia.  There are still Native American hints found in Columbia- I'm excited to discuss these aspects in class as well as how and why it evolved.

Pueblo Landscape~New England Landscape~St. Olaf Landscape

My ORC group discussed on Monday how St. Olaf had more similarities to the Pueblo Landscape than to New England Landscape.  I think that in reality, St. Olaf is a good mix of both.  In Pueblo Landscape, the focus was on nature and not separating the people from it, but bringing them closer to it.  In contrast, the New England Landscape were more in awe of nature and didn't try to incorporate nature into their Landscape, but they still appreciated it.  Pueblo schools used nature and play in ordinance with their teachings, but New England schools kept both school and play separate.  Looking back at both, I'm not exactly sure who had it right.  But I don't think it's a question of whether one group did things "right" or not... It's more a question of how both Landscapes are still used today.  At St. Olaf, I see the beauty of the nature around our campus- trees everywhere and the natural lands surrounding the campus- but ultimately, the classrooms are in buildings where we are meant to learn.  I feel like St. Olaf ultimately appreciates the beauty of our landscape, but doesn't regard it with the same importance that the Pueblo Indians did.

Settling In

Now that I've spent over a month at St. Olaf, I've had some time to reflect on what transitions I have gone through during this time.  

My experience here is like no one else from my high school class... But yet I am so happy that I chose to come to school here.  I really can't imagine college anywhere else.  There is no one here from my hometown and it's been such a blessing in disguise.  Don't get me wrong, I miss all of my friends every day and wish that I could bring them here, but everyone that I spend time with here is completely new to me, and it's so refreshing just talking to each person.  Prior to coming to Olaf, I knew that this would be the perfect situation for me.  I am an independent person who wanted the opposite of my hometown, where I knew the names of everyone in my school.  In my hometown, I didn't HAVE to branch out to anyone because everything was right there and people practically thought that they knew me better than I knew myself.  So many people never branch out...but it was important to me to meet new people and see new things because I think that that is essential for new ideas to be formed.  If I had advice to give to students at my high school, my underclassmen friends, or even my younger sister, I would tell them to choose a place where you won't have to rely on anyone else.  In the future, you will have to make decisions that will dictate the course of your life.  Make those decisions on your own, without clouded judgement from someone else.

New England: Landscape

Last time in class, we spoke of how America was "un-tame" and "wild" when the Englanders first arrived. I like to think about what the colonists perceived when they first arrived to this new land.  In "The Puritan Reading of the New Landscape" I read some interesting paragraphs about their first thoughts.  The most interesting point for me was that two Puritans could regard the New England landscape so differently from one another.  Just as the article states, "William Bradford stepped off the Mayflower into what he described as a 'hideous and desolate wilderness.'"  This portrays New England as a sort of scary, unknown, and hopeless place.  But John Winthrop on the other hand, saw things in a completely different light.  "'There came a smell off the shore like the smell of a garden," he said.  What a promising and nice place he made it sound... I think this shows how each person's perception of landscape can be unique.  What is beautiful to one person, may be hideous to another.  Perhaps landscape's appeal is subjective to every person.

Landscape

I found myself to still be thinking about Stilgoe's article over Landscape in America after reading it.  The idea that landscape evokes certain kind of emotions within people is an interesting thought.  I thought a lot about my own house when I read his piece.  This is because I found so many parallels between my house's landscape and what Stilgoe had to say.  

I know that my mom particularly loves the idea of traditional American landscape (what can I say, she grew up on a farm).  My parents actually built our house the year that I was born, so it was planned precisely how they wanted it.  I live in a small rural town, and my house is a few miles out in the country.  They built our house on a hill 300 yards from the main dirt road.  "The detached house surrounded by land kept in equilibrium remains the spatial epitome of the 'good life'" - This describes my house perfectly.  

Before I left my hometown this year, I asked my mom why she chose to build our house away from the road, people, and town.  Ultimately, she had many different answers such as "not wanting to deal with neighbors" and "keeping road dust away from the house", but her real reason was because she wanted to see the countryside.  After reading Stilgoe's article, this makes sense more than anything.  Americans are fascinated with landscape, and build homes reflecting that, such as my family did.  

my kansas home.

Westerkamp vs. Smith

In addition to the required Westerkamp reading, I also chose the article "Out of Her Place: Anne Hutchinson and the Dislocation of Power in New World Politics" by Cheryl C. Smith.  After reading the two articles regarding Anne Hutchinson, I've thought about the message that each of them were trying to convey.

In Westerkamp's article, she points out the sheer magnitude of Hutchinson's importance to women in colonial New England.  She states that Hutchinson was intelligent, powerful, fascinating, extraordinary, and more.  She takes a position of approval for what Hutchinson was trying to accomplish in colonial New England.  Westerkamp agrees with the 1930's biographies portraying Hutchinson as a "pioneer for civil and religious liberty, crusading against the strictures of Puritan society."  Westerkamp's message is that Anne Hutchinson was a controversial and rare woman of her time.  Hutchinson went against social norms and introduced the importance of women to the church- something that was unheard of in those days.  She was one of the only women in colonial New England to have a controversial voice against the church, and to Westerkamp, that was a great thing.

Smith's interpretation of Hutchinson focuses more on women's issues in general, and the power of women.  According to Smith, women simply cannot obtain power without some sort of sexual appeal or victimization.  In the colonial times of Anne Hutchinson, women were portrayed as the cause of problems for men.  Smith noted that Hutchinson was unable to win public appeal because she was "the quintessential transgressor in colonial America: unwilling to merely chat or babble, incapable of making herself small, and repeatedly framed in terms of monstrosity by her detractors." ...

I would argue that many women in today's society struggle with the same problems that Anne Hutchinson did in colonial times.  Smith showcased how difficult it is for women even nowadays to gain high political offices, and how women are "supposed" to be submissive to men.  I find all of that quite ridiculous.  Women should not be in fear of men's power over them.  Anne Hutchinson shows us sheer courage in being one of the few 17th century women to hold herself equal to men, and for that, I think she can be inspiring to all of us.

Ale-Alejandro

I was told that the fourth blogpost entry for the week does not have to relate at all to American Conversation.  And so, with those words, this blogpost begins:

As some of you may know, I received a pet betta fish last week.  His name is Alejandro.  He's the basically coolest fish on campus and the official corridor mascot of Hoyme 4 South (represent).  I received him as a surprise gift, and it was all kind of overwhelming at first.  I mean, I already had responsibilities of homework and class, and now a fish too?!  Needless to say, I got kind of stressed.  My roommate even bet that Alejandro wouldn't last more than 10 days...(I'll show her!)  But now that Alejandro's going strong on his ninth day, I've figured out that this pet betta fish is essentially the perfect pet for me. Here's a few reasons why:

1- He is low maintenance.
I feed him every other day, change his water once a week.  Piece of cake.

2- He's a conversation starter.
Ever since I posted a sign on my door saying "Come meet my new fish!" I haven't had a problem meeting new people.

3- He's a good distraction from homework.
Don't get me wrong, I get my homework done, but Alejandro is entertaining to watch between pages and pages of reading.  And he's the only other living thing in my room when my roomie is gone.

4- He keeps me company.
I moved here from Kansas knowing just a few people who go to St. Olaf.  Alejandro keeps my mind off of missing my friends and family back home too much.  He's my new buddy.

Although this post was filled with a little sarcasm, there's some seriousness in it as well.  Ever since my roommate made the "10 day bet" I've been determined to win that bet.  So tomorrow, when I wake up and find Alejandro still swimming, I'll be smiling :)

^ My new friend.

 

Puritans, Pilgrims, and Religion

In Friday's readings, I noticed a common theme of Christianity.  When these groups of people came to America, they really put all of their faith and trust in God.  Their religion was almost the factor that tied everything together and helped them stay united.


Both the Pilgrims and Puritans were so devoted to their God.  In today's society, it's hard to believe that religion could ever be that prevalent and thriving- especially in a "government document" such as the Mayflower Compact!  The Mayflower Compact and the Model of Christian Charity both begin with strong statements stating their loyalty to God.  The first line of the Mayflower Compact: "In the name of God, Amen." The first line of A Model of Christian Charity: "GOD ALMIGHTY in His most holy and wise providence, hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, as in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity; others mean and in submission."


Statements such as these would be so extreme nowadays.  I wonder if the Pilgrims and Puritans were considered to be extremists of their time?

Perhaps this is what the Pilgrims had in mind all along?

PS- This was a LOT of information to read through and I had a very hard time choosing what to write about.  I hope that my interpretation was in some sort of correlation to what I should be gathering mentally after reading these articles. - Liza

Reading Takaki

After reading Takaki, I thought he brought up a lot of good points.  One being that American History teaches mainly only about European immigration and it's influence on American culture.  Because he is an Asian American, he noticed how little attention was given to Asian Americans in the development of the United States.  I agree that it is an unfair assumption when seeing a person of an obviously different race that they are not from the United States.  Just because someone does not have white skin, light eyes and hair, does not mean that they are any less American.  Textbooks written about American History unfortunately only give little knowledge on any countries other than European countries.  This is really ridiculous, just as Takaki has stated, because people of European descent aren't even the majority.  

When meeting someone from a different culture than yourself in the United States, I think that it is crucial to not place a judgement based on what only your eyes can see.  I must remind myself that the Europeans were not the first to come to America, and they are no more "American" than essentially any other immigrants from around the world. 

I found an excellent quote by Lyndon B. Johnson that I felt fit Takaki's message well: 

"[The United States is] not merely a nation but a nation of nations."

Learning to Love Olaf

Me and my partner Sarah began this poem together, but each finished it differently.  Here's the result of my product:

because it has something for everyone

because we say "Um Ya Ya!"
because we smell the Malt-O-Meal
and because we live on the hill

because it is a community

because we are in Minnesota
because we are not at Carleton
because we like snow "dont'cha know?"

because we strive for a better future

because the windmill is a guide point
because we're all about sustainability
and because we recycle

because I have homework every night
because I am paying serious money
because I'm too far away to go home.

Analyzing Poetry

I wanted to analyze Barbara Ras's poem "A Wife Explains Why She Likes Country" because it was the easiest one for me to relate to.  I grew up in a small Kansas town where the majority of the people consider themselves to be "country folk".  I also thought Ras did an excellent job sharing her interpretation of country life, and there was a lot of truth in it.

I thought the diction of this poem fit well with the context, because it used both simple words that cut straight to the point and words that could be considered "country slang".  When she begins her poem, she describes the colors of the cows, the grass... emphasizing simplicity.  I love the slang that she uses- hubbub, smarty-pants, fixin'... Her choice of words is great because it sets the mood for the entire poem.
I found that the rhythm of this poem uses some iambic language but I had a hard time deciphering the type of foot... The first lines of the poem: Because those cows in the bottomland are black and white, colors anyone can understand.
When I read this poem, I especially noticed the imagery that was being used.   A LOT of visual: "Cows in the bottomland are black and white... Even against the green of the grass... Hair bigger" Auditory: "The sounds of mealworms and leeches" (Yuck!) and, and even Tactile: "My people come from dirt" (I could feel the dirt in my hands at this point.) Figures of speech were also used; I love the line about the slide guitar "melting".

This poem brought me to a place where I could picture and feel the country life around me.  I enjoyed reading it because I could see the farmlands, the people who stick to their guns and religion, the women with big hair who love to dance and listen to sad country songs when they are heartbroken, the trailer parks and ponds in backyards, and a place where life is content.

What is The American Dream?

After reading Cullen's introduction to The American Dream and re-reading Foner's introduction, the idea that struck me to be the most similar between the two was the fact that America's dreams and freedoms are always changing.  Freedom is a collection of ideas from many, many Americans over hundreds of years.  The idea itself gives hope and dreams to people, just as Foner stated.  As Foner said, "Freedom is both an idea and a practice."  This, to me, directly relates to the idea of positive and negative freedom.  In my opinion, negative freedom is the "idea" and positive freedom is the "practice".  This idea of American freedom is to be able to do whatever I please, and the practice is to have the control...
I'm most curious to hear what other people's idea of The American Dream is.  In Cullen's introduction, he talked about the change of The American Dream throughout history.  When I think of The American Dream, I think of Cullen's latest accounts of it:  The big home ownership, family, successful job, and even fame.  But I think that everyone's interpretation is different just as both authors have stated.  Many Americans' dreams are full of equality and I'm interested to hear what my fellow classmates have to say about their idea of The American Dream.

Free Speech and Disagreement

Today, I really enjoyed our class discussion about the readings.  My favorite part of the conversation was being able to connect each reading with the other two.  It really helped me understand how they related to one another and helped me to focus on the “bigger picture”.  

I found it to be especially interesting when Athena shared her insight of Chinese culture with the rest of the class.  In many Americans opinions, Chinese government’s control of the internet is a terrible thing- taking away an essential freedom… When she pointed out that she does not view it as a bad thing because it’s keeping their people from being afraid or scared, it gave me a better understanding of their culture.

Overall, my favorite reading/listening assignment was the podcast on “The Great Textbook Wars”.  I found this to be the most relevant to me because I’ve grown up hearing about what is “right” or “wrong” to be taught in schools.  In my home state of Kansas, there was a big controversy over whether or not evolution should be taught in public schools just a few years ago.  In my opinion, the most important thing is having a wide and diverse selection of authors to choose from because this will cultivate the best learning environment for students.