According to Alexis de Tocqueville in Democracy in America, freedom is perhaps the most desired element of a democracy. Tocqueville was quoted in Democracy in America as stating, “Nothing is more wonderful than the art of being free, but nothing is harder to learn how to use than freedom." Freedom being the best possible thing for a democracy proved to be true when completing the voluntary associations project because of the very few recognizable guidelines found within it. If I have learned anything about democracy this semester, it is that it does not exist without freedom. The voluntary association project was certainly not a perfect democracy, but I found that it largely displayed freedom, which is the key component of a great democracy. I think that if Tocqueville would have been in my shoes during this project, he would have asked himself the question, “What am I going to do with all of this freedom?”
Throughout the task of investigating voluntary associations with four other students, I quickly recognized that a lot of decisions were going to need to be made. In the assignment, my classmates and I were given extensive freedom of choice. Firstly, in choosing which category of voluntary associations to study. Secondly, in deciding the specific voluntary associations to research. Thirdly, by selecting everything that was to be included in the presentation. After completing all of these choices, I think that everyone on my group could come to the realization that although we may not have had equal amounts of work during this project, we were responsible for what we chose to do within it. I believe that when someone is given the freedom of choice, they feel a greater responsibility for their action and how they complete it. In this project, my group members and I divided the work by which topics we would each like to cover. There were no arguments about what each member chose, nor complaints. In fact, I was a little surprised by how well this kind of democracy worked and how easy it was to divide the different tasks. Each person completed their tasks differently, but we set a timeline of what dates we wanted certain tasks to be finished by. By setting a timeline of reasonable goals for completing our presentation, each person had delegated responsibilities to themselves.
From working in a group, I think that I have learned some effective habits of a successful democracy. When every person involved in a democracy has a central goal in mind, it becomes easier for people to not sway from that original goal. In places where democracies have been implemented around the world, many times, people have opposite ideas of what they would like to accomplish through their democracy. In our group, we did not face the challenge of anyone going against what we were trying to accomplish. With the given freedom of a democracy, any person can oppose the government and their plans. It was definitely easier for my group and I to work together because we all have the same basic objective, to finish the presentation and receive a good grade.
This leads me into why I believe that the necessity of a similar objective in a democracy is not the only piece to unifying a country underneath the entire governmental rule. In Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, I recognized the need for not only a common thread between citizens of a country, but also the need for community involvement at the local level of society. In my experience of working with a group, I felt that the ultimate reason for why the presentation was successful was because of the time and effort that was put into it. This idea of being active in a group project is exactly what Putnam was speaking favorably of in Bowling Alone. Bowling Alone demonstrated the strong correlation between community involvement and social capital found in societies. In a group project where people are devoting their energy to creating something that is successful, social capital flourishes. People such as my classmates and I became more concerned with the end product of our efforts. With individual effort and a central idea being emphasized in a democratic setting, I believe that my group and I saw many challenges fall by the wayside as our presentation took form.
Through the two most emphasized authors of our American Conversation class this semester, I have seen how their ideas of how a democracy should work shape the group work of my classmates and I. A democracy is greater though than Tocqueville’s argument for freedom and equality, or Putnam’s emphasis on generating social capital. In my understanding, a democracy should be connected by a central thought process that ricochets from one individual’s grasp to the full understanding of all people.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Louisa Mae Alcott Responds to the Reactions Surrounding bin Laden's death
I chose to write my piece in the voice of Louisa Mae Alcott. The product is a satire about the reactions to the death of bin Laden/bin Laden's death:
"What a joyous day! The gruesome leader of the terrorism organization al-Qaeda was rightfully killed during this past week by heroic American soliders. What is even more wonderful than the death of Osama bin Laden is the sheer patriotism of the American public, showing their festive spirit in light of the recent victory over evil. American flags waving in the wind, fireworks exploding in the countryside- Americans should be so proud to have vanquished this tyrant with their bare hands. This deserves the most radical celebration of pomp and circumstance that Americans have witnessed in years. With his own intelligence, President Obama single-handedly initiated this military mission. The American public responded with chants of "USA! USA!" throughout the streets, signifying their true elitism over the Middle Eastern countries. It is clear to everyone that the Middle East is a mecca for terrorism, with all of its inhabitants required to go to terrorism school, to learn how to make their first car bomb. Americans certainly have shown the Middle East that good does conquer evil. Americans are right in their manner of exuberance and patriotism because without them, the world would never have found Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted terrorist."
"What a joyous day! The gruesome leader of the terrorism organization al-Qaeda was rightfully killed during this past week by heroic American soliders. What is even more wonderful than the death of Osama bin Laden is the sheer patriotism of the American public, showing their festive spirit in light of the recent victory over evil. American flags waving in the wind, fireworks exploding in the countryside- Americans should be so proud to have vanquished this tyrant with their bare hands. This deserves the most radical celebration of pomp and circumstance that Americans have witnessed in years. With his own intelligence, President Obama single-handedly initiated this military mission. The American public responded with chants of "USA! USA!" throughout the streets, signifying their true elitism over the Middle Eastern countries. It is clear to everyone that the Middle East is a mecca for terrorism, with all of its inhabitants required to go to terrorism school, to learn how to make their first car bomb. Americans certainly have shown the Middle East that good does conquer evil. Americans are right in their manner of exuberance and patriotism because without them, the world would never have found Osama bin Laden, the world's most wanted terrorist."
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Teacher Shaves for First Time Since 9/11
I read this Time Magazine article online today after reading numerous Osama bin Laden articles and it definitely caught my eye. Washington state middle school teacher, Garry Weddle, made a vow following September 11, 2001 to not shave his beard until Osama bin Laden was captured or killed. Weddle kept his promise and finally, 10 years later, shaved his overgrown beard completely off on Monday at school. More on the story here: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/05/03/with-bin-laden-dead-teacher-shaves-for-first-time-since-sept-11-2001/
I have great respect for someone who keeps a promise, even if it is just to himself. Talk about dedication to your word!
I have great respect for someone who keeps a promise, even if it is just to himself. Talk about dedication to your word!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Bin Laden's Demise: A Social Capital Milestone?
After last night's news of Bin Laden's death, many of us students watched Obama's announcement and turned our attention to the news media portraying the reactions towards his death. Social media exploded with opinions, many cheering for his downfall, and others remaining cautious. Questions for the future arose shortly after: "Does this mean the war is over?" And I think most of us can guess the response of no, that this doesn't mean things are over because al-Qaeda is still a major threat in the Middle East even when its most prominent leader is gone. But in regards to what we've been studying in AmCon, I think that a different question to ask is what effects this death will have on social capital in the U.S.
In Putnam's follow-up article to Bowling Alone, he spoke of the change in the social capital for U.S. citizens following the event of 9/11. 9/11 was obviously a milestone in America's history that changed our generation and increased social capital by uniting Americans through a tragedy. But soon after in 2001 when the U.S. learned about the Middle Eastern terrorist group responsible for the attacks, al-Qaeda, the search began for its notorious, murderous leader, Osama Bin Laden. And now, 10 years later, the United States has found just who they've been searching for. The man who sparked an increase in community activism throughout our country through his attacks has been put to justice for his actions. It would seem as though this act, which is a joyous occasion for many Americans, should unite the U.S. in an equal, but opposite fashion. I do question whether or not an increase in social capital will take place following this historic event, but I know that for many Americans, the death of 1 terrorist front-man does not replace the lives of the nearly 3,000 people killed by 9/11.
So to me, this brings about an interesting question of whether or not any historic act of "justice being served" could ever bring about as great of an effect to social capital as a tragedy could. Osama Bin Laden's death might either bring about fleeting moments of patriotism (as most of us are witnessing now and also witnessed on 9/11), or it could continue to affect how Americans take action in their own communities.
In Putnam's follow-up article to Bowling Alone, he spoke of the change in the social capital for U.S. citizens following the event of 9/11. 9/11 was obviously a milestone in America's history that changed our generation and increased social capital by uniting Americans through a tragedy. But soon after in 2001 when the U.S. learned about the Middle Eastern terrorist group responsible for the attacks, al-Qaeda, the search began for its notorious, murderous leader, Osama Bin Laden. And now, 10 years later, the United States has found just who they've been searching for. The man who sparked an increase in community activism throughout our country through his attacks has been put to justice for his actions. It would seem as though this act, which is a joyous occasion for many Americans, should unite the U.S. in an equal, but opposite fashion. I do question whether or not an increase in social capital will take place following this historic event, but I know that for many Americans, the death of 1 terrorist front-man does not replace the lives of the nearly 3,000 people killed by 9/11.
So to me, this brings about an interesting question of whether or not any historic act of "justice being served" could ever bring about as great of an effect to social capital as a tragedy could. Osama Bin Laden's death might either bring about fleeting moments of patriotism (as most of us are witnessing now and also witnessed on 9/11), or it could continue to affect how Americans take action in their own communities.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Royalty
This has nothing to do with American Conversation....
... but I can't help but devote my "extra" post to Kate Middleton and the Royal Wedding. Although I didn't wake up at 4:30am to watch the ceremony, I spotted some pictures of her dress later in the day. Beautiful dress on a beautiful girl!
... but I can't help but devote my "extra" post to Kate Middleton and the Royal Wedding. Although I didn't wake up at 4:30am to watch the ceremony, I spotted some pictures of her dress later in the day. Beautiful dress on a beautiful girl!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Dan Rather: Live at St. Olaf College
Tonight I went to hear what the PAC speaker, Dan Rather, had to say. Although Rather mainly centered on the life story of his career, I found myself thinking about AmCon after many of his points of advice that he gave out to us as students. Namely, he urged all of us to be involved and active in public, government and in our communities, because they need it now more than ever. I could practically hear Tocqueville and Putnam whispering in my ear: this is what we've been saying all along. I find it almost humbling to remember that still, even in today's society, people must unite and work together. That people cannot do all great things alone, and that individuals are not as powerful as organizations. I believe that Dan Rather would probably agree with this statement. We are not a nation of individuals, but a united nation. The United States of America, to be correct. Let's start taking action to fit the name.
Black Elk Finds a Watch
One unique aspect of the book Black Elk Speaks, is Black Elk's nonchalant attitude about death at a young age. I don't find myself seeing a whole lot of distraught by Black Elk over these many war deaths of either the Oglala Sioux or the Wasichus. In fact, Black Elk is very proud of his first scalp and decides to show it off to his mother. I have recognized that throughout the book, Oglala Sioux and other Native Americans have a overwhelming sense of pride for their culture. They are proud of the things that they must do, even if it means murdering a Wasichu. They've been taught by elder members of the tribe to be prideful in their accomplishments.
In spite of the brutality of these wars between the Wasichus and the Oglala Sioux, Black Elk finds beauty. In chapter 9, Black Elk is removing a dying man's coat when a Wasichu solider pushed him away and took the coat instead. Black Elk spots something interesting hanging from the solider's belt and pulls it out. It's bright, yellow, round and ticks. Black Elk keeps the object around his neck to wear as jewelry. He notes in this passage that he later finds out what "it was and how to make it tick again."
This paragraph makes me realize just how isolated the Native American tribes truly were. They have absolutely no technology, and must utilize everything from the earth itself. To come across many of these new inventions for the first time must have been overwhelming for the Oglala Sioux, but apparently not enticing. It's funny how technology can seem only interesting but still useless to people such as Black Elk who rely so deeply on Mother Nature.
In spite of the brutality of these wars between the Wasichus and the Oglala Sioux, Black Elk finds beauty. In chapter 9, Black Elk is removing a dying man's coat when a Wasichu solider pushed him away and took the coat instead. Black Elk spots something interesting hanging from the solider's belt and pulls it out. It's bright, yellow, round and ticks. Black Elk keeps the object around his neck to wear as jewelry. He notes in this passage that he later finds out what "it was and how to make it tick again."
This paragraph makes me realize just how isolated the Native American tribes truly were. They have absolutely no technology, and must utilize everything from the earth itself. To come across many of these new inventions for the first time must have been overwhelming for the Oglala Sioux, but apparently not enticing. It's funny how technology can seem only interesting but still useless to people such as Black Elk who rely so deeply on Mother Nature.
Long Hairs
As I began to read chapters 1-7 of Black Elk Speaks over Easter break, the most interesting part of the Ogalala Sioux to me was the introduction of people that were given the name "long hairs." In the preface of the 1961 edition, Neihardt spoke of a certain Lakota type of people he had come into contact with called the "long hairs". "Long hairs" were the people that not only refused to cut their hair, but also maintained their way of life as Lakota men during the late-nineteenth and early twentieth century. The cutting of their hair or change to Euro-American style of dress was symbolic of their acceptance of white man's culture. By 1930, only a few men refused to cut their hair.
Neihardt chooses to focus an entire chapter of the process of the Euro-Americanization found in Lakota culture during chapter 9, "The Rubbing Out of the Long Hair." I thought that the use of the term "long hairs" has been one of the most interesting parts of Black Elk Speaks because it portrays perhaps the greatest fear of these Native Americans. To become one of the Wasichus is to no longer be a part of the Ogalala Sioux. It is to disrespect the tribe, and conform to society out of fear and weakness. More than being killed or kicked off of their land, I believe that this is what the Native Americans were the most afraid of. When Black Elk talks about the change of people such as Spotted Tail into Wasichu, it sounds as though the rubbing out of the long hair is the final step before becoming a Wasichu. The whole idea of growing long hair is a testament to the Native Americans great spirit, and to cut off the hair is to no longer have those spiritual powers.
Neihardt chooses to focus an entire chapter of the process of the Euro-Americanization found in Lakota culture during chapter 9, "The Rubbing Out of the Long Hair." I thought that the use of the term "long hairs" has been one of the most interesting parts of Black Elk Speaks because it portrays perhaps the greatest fear of these Native Americans. To become one of the Wasichus is to no longer be a part of the Ogalala Sioux. It is to disrespect the tribe, and conform to society out of fear and weakness. More than being killed or kicked off of their land, I believe that this is what the Native Americans were the most afraid of. When Black Elk talks about the change of people such as Spotted Tail into Wasichu, it sounds as though the rubbing out of the long hair is the final step before becoming a Wasichu. The whole idea of growing long hair is a testament to the Native Americans great spirit, and to cut off the hair is to no longer have those spiritual powers.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
A Mother's Prayer by Tina Fey
As I'm sure all of you know, Tina Fey is a hilarious SNL cast member. But as many of you might not know, Tina Fey recently wrote a memoir titled "Bossypants". I want to read this book! So please, if you're thinking of giving me a random gift or anything spontaneous like that, then this would do the trick (Joking). :)
In the meanwhile, I just read a piece by her titled "A Mother's Prayer" and it was quite funny. It may be a little PG-13, but hey, we're in college now and it's worth a good laugh.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/8kFwcb/melodygodfred.com/2011/04/15/a-mothers-prayer-for-its-child-by-tina-fey
Copy and paste the above link into the search bar. Unfortunately, my blog does strange things and won't let me post links.
In the meanwhile, I just read a piece by her titled "A Mother's Prayer" and it was quite funny. It may be a little PG-13, but hey, we're in college now and it's worth a good laugh.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/8kFwcb/melodygodfred.com/2011/04/15/a-mothers-prayer-for-its-child-by-tina-fey
Copy and paste the above link into the search bar. Unfortunately, my blog does strange things and won't let me post links.
Native Americans
Today during class we spoke about the different depictions of Native Americans found in 19th century paintings. We gave extra attention to the last painting on the powerpoint slides, containing a illustration of America's land and people being led from east to west by the Columbian angel. DeAne posed the question to our class if whether or not we thought that this painting should be in every household in America. I just wanted to take the time on my blog to elaborate on what I feel is the importance of this painting in today's society. First of all, I believe that the painting is a reminder of the oppression of Native Americans during the 19th century and throughout the Westward Expansion. What do I believe that Americans should do with this information? I guess I simply believe that Americans should know all of the history, all of the truth about what happened to Native Americans, and what happened to New Englanders in this time period. Americans should know struggles of the Native Americans, and they should recognize the wrongness in many of our actions. Because not all of what happened was right or just for either race. Americans should recognize the value of that land to the Native Americans, and what it meant for their culture. And maybe people should recognize that Native Americans deserve something to "pay dues" for what happened in the past, but perhaps Americans should not think of Native Americans as just a race that was oppressed, but a race of rich history and cultural backgrounds. Instead of a painting depicting the worst of times for Native Americans, I would prefer to have a painting of Native American's greatest accomplishment in America, because I want a positive reminder of what Native Americans have done for our country.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
April Blizzards Bring May... ?
Yeah... This adult is a reflection of me now-a-days. I think some of you can relate.
Click to and zoom to enlarge image.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Thoreau, Ms. Alcott, and Christopher McCandless
When I read Louisa May Alcott's "Transcendental Wild Oats", I didn't think it was very funny. After reading these serious philosophical pieces by Emerson and Thoreau, I wanted to take her piece "Transcendental Wild Oats" literally. Needless to say, after discussing the article during class today, I gained a better understanding of the many different levels of humor in the piece. After discussing Alcott's article more in class with Chris, I think that my favorite line from it was:
"'I shall wait till it is made clear to me. Being in preference to doing is the great aim, and this comes to us rather by a resigned willingness than a wilful activity, which is a check to all divine growth,' responded Brother Timon.
'I thought so.' And Mrs. Lamb sighed audibly, for during the year he had spent in her family Brother Timon had so faithfully carried out his idea of 'being, not doing,' that she had found his "divine growth" both an expensive and unsatisfactory process."
As we were discussing in class on Wednesday, I know that others and I believe that simply "being" is not enough. This philosophy made me think of the wonderful non-fiction book (and movie) "Into the Wild", which chronicles the life of Christopher McCandless. I remember from the book that the main character Christopher McCandless believed in many Thoreau-esque transcendentalist ideals throughout high school and college, and Louisa May Alcott's satire about "being, not doing" made me think of a particular passage from "Into the Wild" similar to this one. There's a passage in the book (which I cannot seem to find online) about McCandless's high school band teacher. He said that his teacher would tell the students statements such as "now imagine yourself playing your instrument. Imagine yourself playing this piece." Now anyone who's ever tried to become an accomplished musician knows that this notion is utterly ridiculous because practice is ultimately key to improvement. The irony is that McCandless eventually quit band even though his teacher obviously had similar philosophies to himself. I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that it's nearly impossible to live Thoreau's standards even if a person desires to do so. And in my mind, simply being, is not enough.
Also, please read "Into the Wild"! It's a great book that displays the life of a modern-day transcendentalist.
^Can't we just all be friends?
"'I shall wait till it is made clear to me. Being in preference to doing is the great aim, and this comes to us rather by a resigned willingness than a wilful activity, which is a check to all divine growth,' responded Brother Timon.
'I thought so.' And Mrs. Lamb sighed audibly, for during the year he had spent in her family Brother Timon had so faithfully carried out his idea of 'being, not doing,' that she had found his "divine growth" both an expensive and unsatisfactory process."
As we were discussing in class on Wednesday, I know that others and I believe that simply "being" is not enough. This philosophy made me think of the wonderful non-fiction book (and movie) "Into the Wild", which chronicles the life of Christopher McCandless. I remember from the book that the main character Christopher McCandless believed in many Thoreau-esque transcendentalist ideals throughout high school and college, and Louisa May Alcott's satire about "being, not doing" made me think of a particular passage from "Into the Wild" similar to this one. There's a passage in the book (which I cannot seem to find online) about McCandless's high school band teacher. He said that his teacher would tell the students statements such as "now imagine yourself playing your instrument. Imagine yourself playing this piece." Now anyone who's ever tried to become an accomplished musician knows that this notion is utterly ridiculous because practice is ultimately key to improvement. The irony is that McCandless eventually quit band even though his teacher obviously had similar philosophies to himself. I guess the point that I'm trying to make is that it's nearly impossible to live Thoreau's standards even if a person desires to do so. And in my mind, simply being, is not enough.
Also, please read "Into the Wild"! It's a great book that displays the life of a modern-day transcendentalist.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Bleeding Kansas
DeAne brought up the history of Bleeding Kansas today in class because of its strong connection with the Civil War. Although our class will not be reading a book about Bleeding Kansas, I thought that I would take some time in my blog to discuss the importance of Bleeding Kansas in American history. Growing up in northeast Kansas, Bleeding Kansas is particularly significant to the morals of the people that live in that area today. Bleeding Kansas divided the state during the civil war era between pro and anti-slavery (eventually becoming a "free state" in 1861). Although today Kansas remains to be mostly conservative, "the state embodies a curious blend of the Religious Right’s “culture wars” with Koch Brothers free-market fundamentalism," as stated in the Lawrence-Journal World. Kansas was John Brown's propaganda territory (Thoreau was a supporter of John Brown). Today, the history of Bleeding Kansas has created some moral issues via abortion laws. Two years ago, infamous late-abortion Dr. George Tiller was killed at a Lutheran church in Wichita, KS. Abortion laws have become hot-bedded issues in Kansas today. Other remnants of Brown's influence remain in the rivalry between University of Kansas (KU) and University of Missouri-Columbia (MU). Lawrence, KS (home of KU), was the place of the pro-slavery raid in an anti-slavery town. Western Missouri was stereotypically pro-slavery during this time while eastern Kansans were strong abolitionists.
So there is a bit of the history behind pro/anti-slavery in Kansas and its effect on today's society! And here is a mural of the controversial John Brown, which can be found inside of the Kansas state capital building:
So there is a bit of the history behind pro/anti-slavery in Kansas and its effect on today's society! And here is a mural of the controversial John Brown, which can be found inside of the Kansas state capital building:
Thursday, April 7, 2011
More Emerson: Nature
What a wonderful piece to read on a beautiful spring day! This piece made my happy because it emphasized nature which made me think of all of the wonderfully nice spring days that we've been having lately :)
"As when the summer comes from the south; the snow-banks melt, and the face of the earth becomes green before it, so shall the advancing spirit create its ornaments along its path, and carry with it the beauty it visits, and the song which enchants it; it shall draw beautiful faces, warm hearts, wise discourse, and heroic acts, around its way, until evil is no more seen."
This is a quote drawn from Emerson's "Nature", which I found a particularly strong personal parellel with. Nature, according to Emerson, connects to God, art, landscape and science. It is the soul and spirit found, untouched by man, which gives life and beauty to mankind. Ahhh... As I read this, I can't help of think of Emerson's work as a love poem devoted to nature. It evoked natural landscape images that made it visually beautiful to read. I thought that in addition to being a poem devoted to nature, Emerson's "Nature" was inspirationally speaking to mankind with philosophical advice. Well done, Emerson, well done.
"As when the summer comes from the south; the snow-banks melt, and the face of the earth becomes green before it, so shall the advancing spirit create its ornaments along its path, and carry with it the beauty it visits, and the song which enchants it; it shall draw beautiful faces, warm hearts, wise discourse, and heroic acts, around its way, until evil is no more seen."
This is a quote drawn from Emerson's "Nature", which I found a particularly strong personal parellel with. Nature, according to Emerson, connects to God, art, landscape and science. It is the soul and spirit found, untouched by man, which gives life and beauty to mankind. Ahhh... As I read this, I can't help of think of Emerson's work as a love poem devoted to nature. It evoked natural landscape images that made it visually beautiful to read. I thought that in addition to being a poem devoted to nature, Emerson's "Nature" was inspirationally speaking to mankind with philosophical advice. Well done, Emerson, well done.
Emerson
Yesterday in class we discussed authors Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne's opinions on 19th century trains. I found that although each author spoke about similar aspects of trains, their interpretations were quite different. When we formed groups of three with each person representing a certain author that they focused on, it became clear that each author had their own thoughts about trains and what they mean for the future. Although I focused on Thoreau during the assigned reading, I found Emerson to be more interesting and certainly more positive about the future of trains in America. Emerson presented a unique look at trains because he felt that their existence proved the correlation between trains and nature. I thought that Katie brought up an interesting perspective when she said that she didn't think that Emerson would like the influence on internet on today's society. Most other groups in our class (mine included) thought that Emerson would have a great appreciation for the social connectedness found in today's civilization. Even though the internet does not seem to incorporate nature, it psychologically connects us to other people across the world. I think the true question is whether Emerson would consider nature or connectedness of people to be more important for society.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Bronx Zoo Cobra
Just something to lighten a case of the Monday's...
The Bronx Zoo Cobra is the funniest thing I have paid attention to in the past week. The zoo's Egyptian cobra went missing last week and was widely publicized in the national news, and rightfully so: The snake's venom can kill a human in a mere 15 seconds. Yikes! The good news was that zoo's officials had said that the snake did not escape the Reptile Room of the Bronx zoo. Regardless, one individual took time last week to make the Bronx Zoo Cobra a Twitter account that made light of the situation. The Twitter account, which has an unrevealed account owner, created several tweets throughout the week chronicling the snake's faux adventures using the hashtag #snakeonthetown. Tweets such as "Getting on the ferry to Ellis Island. Let's hope that this goes better than that time on the plane. #snakeonthetown", added hilarity to the situation.
If you have some extra time or need a good laugh, click on the link to the Twitter page posted above. Although the snake has now been found (thankfully in its reptile room perimeters), #snakeonthetown no longer exists, but the hashtag has cleverly been renamed as #snakeatthezoo.
The Bronx Zoo Cobra is the funniest thing I have paid attention to in the past week. The zoo's Egyptian cobra went missing last week and was widely publicized in the national news, and rightfully so: The snake's venom can kill a human in a mere 15 seconds. Yikes! The good news was that zoo's officials had said that the snake did not escape the Reptile Room of the Bronx zoo. Regardless, one individual took time last week to make the Bronx Zoo Cobra a Twitter account that made light of the situation. The Twitter account, which has an unrevealed account owner, created several tweets throughout the week chronicling the snake's faux adventures using the hashtag #snakeonthetown. Tweets such as "Getting on the ferry to Ellis Island. Let's hope that this goes better than that time on the plane. #snakeonthetown", added hilarity to the situation.
If you have some extra time or need a good laugh, click on the link to the Twitter page posted above. Although the snake has now been found (thankfully in its reptile room perimeters), #snakeonthetown no longer exists, but the hashtag has cleverly been renamed as #snakeatthezoo.
Trains and Democracy: What's the Connection?
Today we spoke of trains as a major symbol of 19th century American life. To my American Conversation group, trains were the leader of the industrial revolution and aided in the rise of urbanization in America. In Mary Klein's article, she spoke of trains with admiration for their developments of several cities, such as Chicago and the entire Rock Island area. As we stated in class today, I agree that it that trains provided an economic development during the 19th century for many cities/towns not surrounded by a waterway. This machine could transport agricultural goods across the country at a whopping 20 MPH! The railway system was obviously a huge innovation for Americans because it created a bridge between agriculture and industry.
With the rise of the industrial age and the U.S. railway system, the people controlling the train stations gained high status in society. Many of the systems were run by the wealthiest people in the country, such as the Vanderbuilt's, and created monopolies of the economic system. Although these economic gaps between citizens do not seem to foster democracy, they did help to create the rise of unions in America. The actions of the workers fighting for their rights at their train station jobs is certainly a demonstration of democracy at work in America. The grand scale of the railway system across America's territory helps to literally unify the country as a whole, instead of dividing it based on the many state boundaries.
Not a 19th century train, but regardlessly still an awesome one!
With the rise of the industrial age and the U.S. railway system, the people controlling the train stations gained high status in society. Many of the systems were run by the wealthiest people in the country, such as the Vanderbuilt's, and created monopolies of the economic system. Although these economic gaps between citizens do not seem to foster democracy, they did help to create the rise of unions in America. The actions of the workers fighting for their rights at their train station jobs is certainly a demonstration of democracy at work in America. The grand scale of the railway system across America's territory helps to literally unify the country as a whole, instead of dividing it based on the many state boundaries.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Local Organizations
In beginning my research for our next group project, I have come to the realization that Northfield is chalked-full of organizations! Between the town itself, Carleton College, and St. Olaf College, there are more than enough clubs for people to participate in. Learning this information reminded me of DeAne informing us earlier in the semester about a study of the hundreds organizations that were found in one Chicago neighborhood. She said that the people from the neighborhood were quick to ask the question "...And where is my organization?"... Needless to say, my group has had a parellel with our findings in Northfield and absolutely no problem finding service organizations. With both St. Olaf and Carleton boasting dozens of clubs/organizations despite their relatively small enrollment sizes, one begins to question if the excess of organizations in Northfield is unique or not for a "college town". For having only 20,000 residents, Northfield alone was lousy with organizations. Learning whether or not there are a higher number of organizations found (outside of the colleges) in "college towns" would be an interesting question. Does having a university/college in a town positively affect the number of organizations in that town? How does Northfield's number of clubs compare with other towns of similar size? Does the midwest contain generally more organizations than U.S. coastal regions?
Just another way to possibly prove Putnam wrong in his early 21st-century findings of the decline in volunteer organizations across America.
Just another way to possibly prove Putnam wrong in his early 21st-century findings of the decline in volunteer organizations across America.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Welcome Back & Summer Plans
As we begin to ease back into our normal AmCon routine after a much needed break, I've been learning more about what my friends at Olaf will be doing this summer. I know that some will be spending it in Northfield, taking additional summer classes, and others will be traveling or returning back home to work jobs at places such as summer camps or restaurants. I'm excited that my job for this summer will be a hands-on experience with many of the things that we've talked about this year in AmCon. At the start of spring break, I learned that I will have a full-summer internship with my own district's Kansas Congresswoman. I hope that I will be able to gather a better understanding of both the government's role and how democracy works. Is there anyone else in our class who might be working in politics as well this summer?
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
I Loathe Group Projects
This is going to be an opinionated piece.
I'm not sure what I think of this AmCon assignment. On one hand, it's very clear in its intentions and I (for the most part) understand exactly what we're supposed to be doing. I like the idea of using a précis and I like the subject of Putnam's Bowling Alone. On the other hand, it's a group project. Group projects are probably not my favorite: several people writing together is not easy. We all have different styles of writing and don't even know each others' style. Writing becomes particularly difficult when it's nearly impossible to maintain an equality of work for each person and some people are just generally a lot more busy than others. Also, it's midterms week for most students. This means that someone who is totally stressed out over his/her chem or math or (fill-in-the-blank) test(s), is more likely to devote less time to this project and more time to the exam that will affect his entire grade drastically. Therefore, everyone in this person's group has to put in more effort to makeup for his/her slack.
I realize that this problem might not be the case for every group, but I do know that not everyone likes group projects. Yes, it's a different style of writing and an opportunity to work with our fellow classmates... but I find it extremely difficult to rely on several other people for a part of my personal grade.
I'm not sure what I think of this AmCon assignment. On one hand, it's very clear in its intentions and I (for the most part) understand exactly what we're supposed to be doing. I like the idea of using a précis and I like the subject of Putnam's Bowling Alone. On the other hand, it's a group project. Group projects are probably not my favorite: several people writing together is not easy. We all have different styles of writing and don't even know each others' style. Writing becomes particularly difficult when it's nearly impossible to maintain an equality of work for each person and some people are just generally a lot more busy than others. Also, it's midterms week for most students. This means that someone who is totally stressed out over his/her chem or math or (fill-in-the-blank) test(s), is more likely to devote less time to this project and more time to the exam that will affect his entire grade drastically. Therefore, everyone in this person's group has to put in more effort to makeup for his/her slack.
I realize that this problem might not be the case for every group, but I do know that not everyone likes group projects. Yes, it's a different style of writing and an opportunity to work with our fellow classmates... but I find it extremely difficult to rely on several other people for a part of my personal grade.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Fischer's Response to Putnam
I'm currently reading Claude S. Fischer's (from the University of California-Berkeley) response to Putnam's Bowling Alone essay. What I enjoy about her response is that many of her points align with the points brought up in class on Friday. One of those points was brought up by Jack when we discussed whether or not watching sports is a form of "social capital". Certainly in the U.S., sports are a huge part of our culture, but does that make them social capital or not? Some of us argued that they are not social capital because they are typically watched at home, with people that you've probably met before. Others argued that it does generate social capital because of places such as sports bars, where fans who've never met each other come together and watch a game (an example of "bridging"). Personally, I consider the latter to definitely be a form of social capital. The question is whether or not that act has increased within the past 60 years or not. As Fischer points out and our class forgot to mention, the act of attending athletic events has increased significantly within the past 60 years. This is a definite form of social capital. Fischer sites the increase in social capital through sports as one of the faults of Putnam's essay. Putnam does not recognize this increase in his essay, but I'm glad that we as a class made the effort to debunk some of Putnam's "statistics" through common knowledge of our own American culture.
Ways to Help Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Victims
When we're at St. Olaf, I know that it's easy for me to forget about the things that are happening outside of our little bubble known as "the hill". Most of us never watch TV, and only some read the newspaper. But as most of us are probably aware, Japan experienced its largest ever recorded earthquake at a 8.9 on the Richter scale. Hundreds of people are either missing or dead, and there has been enormous destruction. Luckily, there are ways that anyone from around the world can assist this situation. I found an article through TIME Magazine listing 6 different ways that a person can help the victims of Japan's earthquake and tsunami.
Copy and Paste into your search bar:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/03/11/five-ways-you-can-help-earthquake-and-tsunami-victims-in-japan/
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Bowling Alleys and Leagues
DeAne and Chris spoke a little today about what really made Putnam's article a great one was using the example of bowling leagues in America. DeAne's story about her Great-Uncle(?) having an inscription on a bowling alley table after his death and the bowling alley being used as the place for the funeral reception was certainly interesting. Hearing her talk about bowling leagues prevalence in America is something that I can relate to as well. I'll share a few bowling stories of my own here~
Growing up, I never knew much about my great-grandparents on either side of my family. They had all passed away before any of my siblings or me were born, but the one fact that I remember learning about my mom's grandparents is that they were part of a bowling league. The only real story that I know about my great-grandma Wendt is that she bowled a 200 when she was 80 years old and get her name and picture in the Salina Journal during the 1960's. Keep in mind that this is in a small 100 person town in the middle of Kansas. When my mom told me these things about my great-grandparents I remember that I didn't really understand what a bowling league was. "People used to have bowling leagues where they would get together with neighbors and go bowling for fun," she would say. Used to have bowling leagues... This definitely rings true for Putnam's essay. People just don't go bowling like that anymore, and I guess I never used to question why that is significant or why that trend ended.
My second story is about the bowling alley in my hometown. My town of 3,000 people used to have a bowling alley. I vaguely remember it from when I was just a girl. It probably contained about five lanes, was dark and sold a lot of beer. In 2001 after the bowling alley had been closed for around four years, the bowling alley collapsed suddenly and ruined two vehicles. The brick building was around 70 years old. Although this was a complete surprise to everyone, I think that the biggest disappointment was knowing that the possibility of having a bowling alley ever again (or at least during my childhood) would be taken away. For several years after, people talked about and tried to put in another bowling alley but it never went through. The fact is, with no bowling leagues or major community connections to bowling in my town nor a voluntary association to promote a new bowling alley, there was never another bowling alley put into my town.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Bowling Alone
Putnam's article is one of my favorite articles that we've read so far this semester. I felt that he used historical evidence and studies in a way that was clearly communicated to his audience. One question of the article was basically the question of, "Why is America now bowling alone?" Putnam attempts to tackle this question in the latter half of his essay where he uses statistics to prove a point. Certainly, as Putnam has said, I believe that women's rise in the workforce has contributed to part of the decline in social involvement. Although Putnam uses this information to show that women's rise in the workforce is just a small contribution to the underlying problem of the lack of civic involvement, I think that it has contributed more significantly.
I remember watching a video in my Sociology class during my senior year about the impacts of women joining the workforce. Women joining the workforce had such a dramatic effect on the economy and the social roles of both men and women. Because women began to work, their wages started significantly lower than men's wages because there was not enough money to distribute- on the other hand, men's wages lowered to meet women's. Slowly, over time, both sexes have had less of a salary gap between them. The negative aspect of this is that the "real salary" in "real money" of men 50 years ago is around the same amount of both men AND women's combined salaries today. This means that both sexes have had to devote many, many more hours to their jobs. I believe that this strong devotion and focus of money in the United States has greatly affected the average American's priorities. Americans are overall more concerned with debt and money and don't seem to really have time anymore for civic organizations.
I think that the average American cares about who gets elected in their politics and is constantly seeing information about candidates via television, news or internet... But, Americans devote less time to civic responsibilities because they simply don't see them as their first priority. Americans may not realize it now, but as Putnam said, their is a positive correlation between civic organizations and political involvement in the United States. Hopefully the economy will be able to support the rise of minorities in the workforce without having our political involvement suffer.
I remember watching a video in my Sociology class during my senior year about the impacts of women joining the workforce. Women joining the workforce had such a dramatic effect on the economy and the social roles of both men and women. Because women began to work, their wages started significantly lower than men's wages because there was not enough money to distribute- on the other hand, men's wages lowered to meet women's. Slowly, over time, both sexes have had less of a salary gap between them. The negative aspect of this is that the "real salary" in "real money" of men 50 years ago is around the same amount of both men AND women's combined salaries today. This means that both sexes have had to devote many, many more hours to their jobs. I believe that this strong devotion and focus of money in the United States has greatly affected the average American's priorities. Americans are overall more concerned with debt and money and don't seem to really have time anymore for civic organizations.
I think that the average American cares about who gets elected in their politics and is constantly seeing information about candidates via television, news or internet... But, Americans devote less time to civic responsibilities because they simply don't see them as their first priority. Americans may not realize it now, but as Putnam said, their is a positive correlation between civic organizations and political involvement in the United States. Hopefully the economy will be able to support the rise of minorities in the workforce without having our political involvement suffer.
Friday, March 4, 2011
America #1 No More?
I just finished reading a really interesting article from Time Magazine online. Title of the article: "Are America's Best Days Behind Us?" I strongly recommend anyone from our class to read all of most of the article because although much of our class is spent talking about America in the past, America today is very important for how we use the information we will learn from this class to better ourselves and society in the future.
The gist of the article is the fear of the U.S. not remaining "Number 1" anymore and what our government and people can do to help. It is written by a legal immigrant and speaks of the many problems with our government AND the solutions. The article even references back to the Founding Fathers.
Quote from the columnist: "America's success has made it sclerotic. We have sat on top of the world for almost a century, and our repeated economic, political and military victories have made us quite sure that we are destined to be No. 1 forever. We have some advantages. Size matters: when crises come, they do not overwhelm a country as big as the U.S. When the financial crisis hit nations such as Greece and Ireland, it dwarfed them. In the U.S., the problems occurred within the context of a $15 trillion economy and in a country that still has the trust of the world. Over the past three years, in the wake of the financial crisis, U.S. borrowing costs have gone down, not up."
Please copy and paste into your search bar, and read the full article here!: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2056610-1,00.html
The gist of the article is the fear of the U.S. not remaining "Number 1" anymore and what our government and people can do to help. It is written by a legal immigrant and speaks of the many problems with our government AND the solutions. The article even references back to the Founding Fathers.
Quote from the columnist: "America's success has made it sclerotic. We have sat on top of the world for almost a century, and our repeated economic, political and military victories have made us quite sure that we are destined to be No. 1 forever. We have some advantages. Size matters: when crises come, they do not overwhelm a country as big as the U.S. When the financial crisis hit nations such as Greece and Ireland, it dwarfed them. In the U.S., the problems occurred within the context of a $15 trillion economy and in a country that still has the trust of the world. Over the past three years, in the wake of the financial crisis, U.S. borrowing costs have gone down, not up."
Please copy and paste into your search bar, and read the full article here!: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2056610-1,00.html
Bipartisanship?
Today we ended our class period by basically talking about the effectiveness, or non-effectiveness, of bipartisanships. There were many students in our class who believed that having a bipartisanship in America is not the best for our country and proposed that we have other systems such as centralized government, parliament, or a three political parties. Listening to all of this made me realize how vast of opinions my classmates have when it comes to politics and government, and reconsider my own predisposition of bipartisanship obviously being the best for the U.S... There are some things that I think work well in bipartisanships though.
1.) As other students such as Petra said, I like being able to know that even when I'm in the minority, I'm not really in the minority because it's usually about 50-50.
2.) This knowledge lends itself to me believing that every election I might have a chance for the party I'm supporting to win.
3.) Bipartisanship originally means the chance for the opponents to work together after a government is formed... I guess sometimes number three is forgotten and we may feel as if they are "screaming at each other" as one student mentioned today.
So we may, as a class, agree to disagree on this subject.. but that's okay. It's what democracy is all about. To me, the benefit of having a two-party system is mainly that Americans can feel as though their votes will be valuable in election where the odds are 1:1 and not 1:3 or more.
1.) As other students such as Petra said, I like being able to know that even when I'm in the minority, I'm not really in the minority because it's usually about 50-50.
2.) This knowledge lends itself to me believing that every election I might have a chance for the party I'm supporting to win.
3.) Bipartisanship originally means the chance for the opponents to work together after a government is formed... I guess sometimes number three is forgotten and we may feel as if they are "screaming at each other" as one student mentioned today.
So we may, as a class, agree to disagree on this subject.. but that's okay. It's what democracy is all about. To me, the benefit of having a two-party system is mainly that Americans can feel as though their votes will be valuable in election where the odds are 1:1 and not 1:3 or more.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Kid Politics
One thing that we've talked about in successfully creating a democracy is forming habits. De Tocqueville said that this is essential in creating a lasting democracy, and I completely agree. In America, democracy is habit. From a young age, we're taught that democracies make decisions whether its on the playground or in the classroom. This is crucial in America because at a very young age, residents learn how our government system works in a broad sense.
All of this talk of children and democracy in America reminded me of a great podcast I listened to a few weeks ago on the ride home during Interim break. This American Life has a great weekly podcast (for free!) on iTunes that tells interesting stories in a unique manner. One of the episodes I listened to was called "Kid Politics"-- you can read about and listen to that story here by clicking on Play Episode: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/424/kid-politics
There are stories of kids learning about how to make presidential decisions at different Presidential libraries and acting as a true government. Although teachers do these sort of field trips to celebrate occasions such as President's Day or Lincoln Memorial Day, I now see that the learning experience gained is a good reflection of the habit of democracy that still exists in our country today.
All of this talk of children and democracy in America reminded me of a great podcast I listened to a few weeks ago on the ride home during Interim break. This American Life has a great weekly podcast (for free!) on iTunes that tells interesting stories in a unique manner. One of the episodes I listened to was called "Kid Politics"-- you can read about and listen to that story here by clicking on Play Episode: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/424/kid-politics
There are stories of kids learning about how to make presidential decisions at different Presidential libraries and acting as a true government. Although teachers do these sort of field trips to celebrate occasions such as President's Day or Lincoln Memorial Day, I now see that the learning experience gained is a good reflection of the habit of democracy that still exists in our country today.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Oscars 2011
It's that time of year again... Red carpet, A-list actors and actresses followed by the ceremony awarding gold statuettes to the top movies of the year: The Oscars! So tonight, the long, drawn-out ceremony begins. Anyway, If I have time after homework I hope to catch a bit of the show because I've actually seen quite a few of the movies that are up for awards tonight which makes it about 10X more exciting.
Here are some predictions for the winners by the famous film critic Roger Ebert (who is also a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Time): http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110210/OSCARS/110219999">
The top 3 possible winners for Best Picture seem to be The King's Speech, The Social Network or True Grit, with The King's Speech seeming to have the edge. I got the chance to watch all three this year and can say that they are all definitely movies worth seeing. Although The King's Speech has great acting and a feel-good story, I'm hoping that The Social Network has an underdog victory tonight.
When I think about it, I really enjoyed watching a lot of this year's movies. Inception, Black Swan, Toy Story 3 anyone?? Feel free to post your prediction for Best Picture and/or your favorite flick from this past year. Here's to hoping that 2012 has just as many great films.
PS- I do believe that the lower lounge of Hoyme will be showing the ceremony.
Here are some predictions for the winners by the famous film critic Roger Ebert (who is also a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Time): http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110210/OSCARS/110219999">
The top 3 possible winners for Best Picture seem to be The King's Speech, The Social Network or True Grit, with The King's Speech seeming to have the edge. I got the chance to watch all three this year and can say that they are all definitely movies worth seeing. Although The King's Speech has great acting and a feel-good story, I'm hoping that The Social Network has an underdog victory tonight.
When I think about it, I really enjoyed watching a lot of this year's movies. Inception, Black Swan, Toy Story 3 anyone?? Feel free to post your prediction for Best Picture and/or your favorite flick from this past year. Here's to hoping that 2012 has just as many great films.
PS- I do believe that the lower lounge of Hoyme will be showing the ceremony.
DIA
Recently, our class has been learning DeTocqueville's perspective on American Democracy. As Jake pointed out, yes, it does seem a bit like a love letter to America, but I think that the insight we've gained into America during that time period is very beneficial to our class and not all that much of an exaggeration. I enjoyed talking about Democracy being built from the "ground-up", as DeToqueville said in DIA, and I think that it is absolutely true. A country must start small and grow into a governmental change so huge as Democracy is. As it takes a seed to grow a flower, it takes people to form a government. In my mind, this means Ideas > People > Actions > Government > Change...
Overall, I think that reading DIA has helped me understand the complex process of forming a true Democracy in any country in the world whether it is taking place today, or over 200 years ago.
The man of the hour!
Overall, I think that reading DIA has helped me understand the complex process of forming a true Democracy in any country in the world whether it is taking place today, or over 200 years ago.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Democracy: A 25-word Definition
On Monday, we ended our class time by writing our own 25-word definition of the word Democracy. Since we have begun the 2nd semester of AmCon, our focus is once again on Democracy in America. This time, we work on a long-sentence structure.
My definition:
Democracy is the political idea of equality and equal representations throughout all peoples that promotes the freedoms of those peoples as individuals.
My definition:
Democracy is the political idea of equality and equal representations throughout all peoples that promotes the freedoms of those peoples as individuals.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
My Sentence
From Friday's class period assignment:
Take a sentence from McLoughlin's work and re-write it using the same sentence structure with a different subject of your choosing...
Original Sentence: During the Second Great Awakening the conservative pietists of the East gradually merged with the more radical pietists of the efforts to get all the unwashed masses washed in the Blood of the Lamb before deism, Unitarianism and Jacobinical mob rule put an end to the concept of a Christian commonwealth.
Revised Sentence: During her final year of high school Liza chose to attend St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota in order to obtain a degree in Economics instead of attending school for journalism, fashion design or mass media at larger state universities closer to home.
Not sure if I completely got the gist of this assignment but, I understand the idea of utilizing a longer sentence structure...
Take a sentence from McLoughlin's work and re-write it using the same sentence structure with a different subject of your choosing...
Original Sentence: During the Second Great Awakening the conservative pietists of the East gradually merged with the more radical pietists of the efforts to get all the unwashed masses washed in the Blood of the Lamb before deism, Unitarianism and Jacobinical mob rule put an end to the concept of a Christian commonwealth.
Revised Sentence: During her final year of high school Liza chose to attend St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota in order to obtain a degree in Economics instead of attending school for journalism, fashion design or mass media at larger state universities closer to home.
Not sure if I completely got the gist of this assignment but, I understand the idea of utilizing a longer sentence structure...
Saturday, February 19, 2011
What Would You Do With an Extra Hour?
I came across a photo-submission contest this past week that is entitled, "25 hours in a day." The site asked for people to submit doodles of what they would do with that extra hour and submit their photos in order to be voted on by the public. Then, one winner would receive a free T-shirt and a free magazine subscription to "GOOD".
"...Imagine that an hour has been added to each day, 30 hours to each month, 360 to each year. Sure you could always add an hour to your day by cutting back on something. But what if you didn't have to? What if tomorrow all of a sudden you had an extra hour to play with? What would you do?"
You can look through the top 25 submissions here: www.good.is/post/submissions-doodle-submissions-for-25-hours-in-a-day/
I enjoyed looking at the pictures, and although a significant number were the typical answer of "sleep", the website left me asking myself the same question: What would I do with an extra hour in a day? So, I've come up with a few ideas below... but ultimately I'd like to learn
what would you do with an extra hour?
"...Imagine that an hour has been added to each day, 30 hours to each month, 360 to each year. Sure you could always add an hour to your day by cutting back on something. But what if you didn't have to? What if tomorrow all of a sudden you had an extra hour to play with? What would you do?"
You can look through the top 25 submissions here: www.good.is/post/submissions-doodle-submissions-for-25-hours-in-a-day/
I enjoyed looking at the pictures, and although a significant number were the typical answer of "sleep", the website left me asking myself the same question: What would I do with an extra hour in a day? So, I've come up with a few ideas below... but ultimately I'd like to learn
what would you do with an extra hour?
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Everyone's Story is Important
Last night I went to a Chris Tomlin concert in Minneapolis with some friends (including 3 fellow AmCon members!). Chris Tomlin is a Christian rock singer who was accompanied by Christian speaker Louie Giglio for his concert tour. Of course, the concert was full of Christian messages that led to me reflect even more on our past AmCon class period. As our speaker Mr. Giglio spoke about Christianity and worshipping God, I thought about how present the idea of equality in Protestantism has become. The fact that Louie Giglio spoke to thousands of people about his own experiences with God is proof that Christianity has become democratized in America. So whether I have the seen signs of democratization in Christianity through a Christian rock concert, or just chatting openly at lunch about my own personal experiences with faith, I remind myself that this is a result of The Second Great Awakening in America.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Church Attendance in America: Doomed or Just a Slump?
On Monday, our AmCon guest-speaker Amy Fryholm began her discussion about Protestantism in America with a graph of church attendance from the year 1790 to today. Her graph indicated that the attendance steadily rose from 1790-1965, where it was at its peak, and since has slightly declined to where it is today. She spoke of both the idea of "Pre-Millennialism" and "Post-Millennialism" and the decline of church attendance since 1965. The social change that is demonstrated through Post-Millennialism may have led people to believe that they do not "need" the church.
I think the most fascinating aspect about Pre and Post Millennialism is that the formation of Protestantism in America is really fairly young and new. The fact that it took nearly 200 years until the church had a significant decline is amazing, and although America has seen a decline within the past 50 years, there very much still remains a future for the church. The question is, will Protestantism continue to decline or rise back to the top? Will Post-Millennialism become more or less prevalent according to that change? Only time will tell...
I think the most fascinating aspect about Pre and Post Millennialism is that the formation of Protestantism in America is really fairly young and new. The fact that it took nearly 200 years until the church had a significant decline is amazing, and although America has seen a decline within the past 50 years, there very much still remains a future for the church. The question is, will Protestantism continue to decline or rise back to the top? Will Post-Millennialism become more or less prevalent according to that change? Only time will tell...
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Can a Facebook App Prevent College Dropouts?
I found an interesting article earlier this week on the website http://www.good.is . The article is basically about how Bill Gates wants to try and restore Facebook back to its original purpose: creating networks for schools (specifically colleges). Through a huge investment in a Facebook Application called the "School App", Bill Gates wants to connect prospective college students to their choice school as soon as they are admitted. There, the students can share information and makes plans even before they arrive on campus. The main idea is that students will feel more connected to their college and the people in it and become less likely to drop out.
Reading this article reminded me of being in that same predicament last year after I was admitted to St. Olaf. Our college strongly encouraged every student to join the "Class of 2014" Facebook group where we discussed plans such as what classes we would take, our majors, interests, etc... And I do believe that was helpful for many students- especially ones who lived out of state or country. The reality is that most other colleges do not push as hard for students to join that group before they begin the fall semester, and it can be especially difficult for large state universities to get a majority of students to join that group.
After reading the article, I'm curious to find out others' opinions on the subject as well. Do you think that this is a genius idea? What about students who do not have a Facebook, how will they feel more included? Do you feel that St. Olaf's admitted students page was helpful to you? Should Facebook return back to its original intention- social networking for schools?
Read the article to find out more: http://www.good.is/post/can-a-facebook-app-prevents-college-dropouts-bill-gates-thinks-so/
Reading this article reminded me of being in that same predicament last year after I was admitted to St. Olaf. Our college strongly encouraged every student to join the "Class of 2014" Facebook group where we discussed plans such as what classes we would take, our majors, interests, etc... And I do believe that was helpful for many students- especially ones who lived out of state or country. The reality is that most other colleges do not push as hard for students to join that group before they begin the fall semester, and it can be especially difficult for large state universities to get a majority of students to join that group.
After reading the article, I'm curious to find out others' opinions on the subject as well. Do you think that this is a genius idea? What about students who do not have a Facebook, how will they feel more included? Do you feel that St. Olaf's admitted students page was helpful to you? Should Facebook return back to its original intention- social networking for schools?
Read the article to find out more: http://www.good.is/post/can-a-facebook-app-prevents-college-dropouts-bill-gates-thinks-so/
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Democracy in Our America
Democracy in Our America
Democracy is a loaded word. To ask 100 people on any street in America, “How do you define democracy?”, is a question that could quite possibly bring back 100 different answers. The word itself is not confusing, but it is word for which Americans have different interpretations. Although we as Americans think of democracy as “our word”, it is a word that also invokes passion in people around the globe. What I believe that democracy has meant to America in the past 200 years is a push towards the future, the fight for individualism and a deeper sense of unity throughout our country.
As it is used in American government, democracy provides the framework for any change to take place according to how the people want it to take place. Democracy is the freedom of individualism- the place where one voice can be heard. Because of our country’s democracy, a law such as freedom of speech is practically a necessity. How can a country truly declare a democracy in which the people of a country make the decisions, but are unable to express those positions in public? I once had a government teacher in high school who repeated over and over to my classmates and I that the most radical political groups are a great thing for America because they are a constant reminder of our democracy. Americans are allowed to express opinions freely because of our democratic system. The fact that we can live without fear when speaking poorly about our own government is to me, reason enough to support a democracy.
In contrast with my great support of democracy in America, I realize that this democracy has created not only unity but also divisions in our nation. Many times when people are given the freedom to express their opinions openly, it brings about anger in the opposing party and creates hatred. Violence can become prevalent in these situations where people begin to turn into animals and stop treating one another as human beings. Although this loathing of a fellow American is not “good” for our country, it does sometimes inspire people to take those opposing positions and not be afraid to be the minority.
I believe that Americans are passionate, but much of that passion should be given thanks, in part, to democracy. Having the democratic system not only allows Americans to vote but first, to form their judgment on any certain subject. Americans are provided with choice. What a great freedom to have! Allowing Americans to have options has provided, as Walt Whitman wrote, “spiritual and intellectual breakthroughs.” People strive to become themselves and search within themselves for their own ideas and individual thoughts. In “Democracy in America”, Whitman emphasized the importance of self-betterment. To be an American is to strive to be the best, according to him. His high hopes and expectations of Americans were written in defense of democracy. “The peaceablest and most good natured race in the world, and the most personally independent and intelligent [are Americans]”, stated Whitman. Although I may not go as far to say that I agree wholeheartedly with that statement, I do draw inspiration from it. If a man who is living during the bloodiest battle in American history can go as far to say that Americans are peaceable, then I respect his love for our country.
The overall effects of democracy in America have been a continuously displayed through our history. People in America do not stay quiet about their concerns and continue to have conversations with one another for what they believe is the betterment of America. I am fortunate to take a course in which I can have those conversations with nearly 50 peers of the same generation but different backgrounds. I have spoke of the ideals of democracy as being unifying, inspiring and ultimately important for the future of America. I know that I use my privilege of democracy not only every day that I have our American Conversation course but also in the very writing of this paper, and I am eternally grateful to have that freedom.
Democracy is a loaded word. To ask 100 people on any street in America, “How do you define democracy?”, is a question that could quite possibly bring back 100 different answers. The word itself is not confusing, but it is word for which Americans have different interpretations. Although we as Americans think of democracy as “our word”, it is a word that also invokes passion in people around the globe. What I believe that democracy has meant to America in the past 200 years is a push towards the future, the fight for individualism and a deeper sense of unity throughout our country.
As it is used in American government, democracy provides the framework for any change to take place according to how the people want it to take place. Democracy is the freedom of individualism- the place where one voice can be heard. Because of our country’s democracy, a law such as freedom of speech is practically a necessity. How can a country truly declare a democracy in which the people of a country make the decisions, but are unable to express those positions in public? I once had a government teacher in high school who repeated over and over to my classmates and I that the most radical political groups are a great thing for America because they are a constant reminder of our democracy. Americans are allowed to express opinions freely because of our democratic system. The fact that we can live without fear when speaking poorly about our own government is to me, reason enough to support a democracy.
In contrast with my great support of democracy in America, I realize that this democracy has created not only unity but also divisions in our nation. Many times when people are given the freedom to express their opinions openly, it brings about anger in the opposing party and creates hatred. Violence can become prevalent in these situations where people begin to turn into animals and stop treating one another as human beings. Although this loathing of a fellow American is not “good” for our country, it does sometimes inspire people to take those opposing positions and not be afraid to be the minority.
I believe that Americans are passionate, but much of that passion should be given thanks, in part, to democracy. Having the democratic system not only allows Americans to vote but first, to form their judgment on any certain subject. Americans are provided with choice. What a great freedom to have! Allowing Americans to have options has provided, as Walt Whitman wrote, “spiritual and intellectual breakthroughs.” People strive to become themselves and search within themselves for their own ideas and individual thoughts. In “Democracy in America”, Whitman emphasized the importance of self-betterment. To be an American is to strive to be the best, according to him. His high hopes and expectations of Americans were written in defense of democracy. “The peaceablest and most good natured race in the world, and the most personally independent and intelligent [are Americans]”, stated Whitman. Although I may not go as far to say that I agree wholeheartedly with that statement, I do draw inspiration from it. If a man who is living during the bloodiest battle in American history can go as far to say that Americans are peaceable, then I respect his love for our country.
The overall effects of democracy in America have been a continuously displayed through our history. People in America do not stay quiet about their concerns and continue to have conversations with one another for what they believe is the betterment of America. I am fortunate to take a course in which I can have those conversations with nearly 50 peers of the same generation but different backgrounds. I have spoke of the ideals of democracy as being unifying, inspiring and ultimately important for the future of America. I know that I use my privilege of democracy not only every day that I have our American Conversation course but also in the very writing of this paper, and I am eternally grateful to have that freedom.
Monday, February 7, 2011
back to school, back to school...
Today was the first official day of AmCon 102... Yay! The atmosphere of our new classroom in Rolvaag is fantastic with its gorgeous wood paneling and fireplace, and I enjoyed relating today's discussion/subject to the current events going on in Egypt. That being said, I must say that I left class today feeling unsure and slightly confused about the main point that we were trying (or tried) to get to today. For me, it's difficult to answer very broad questions that have very broad answers... Am I alone, or does anyone else in our class feel the same? I realize that we are studying subjects that are open for individual interpretation but I wish that I could focus in on one aspect and closely examine it instead of trying to navigate my way through a huge subject for which I seem to have several different opinions...
What is my definition of a democracy? When I think about a democracy, yes, I think of voting to elect people, but also the idea of each person having equal power. Does the United States have a true democracy? As we discussed in class, no, but do I believe that the United States' democratic-republic is effective?... Yes. So there are my thoughts if that is part of what we should have thought about today.
Also, I appreciate that Jack was not embarrassed to say that he had never read or really heard of the 2nd Inagural Address. I hadn't known the significance of it either.
What is my definition of a democracy? When I think about a democracy, yes, I think of voting to elect people, but also the idea of each person having equal power. Does the United States have a true democracy? As we discussed in class, no, but do I believe that the United States' democratic-republic is effective?... Yes. So there are my thoughts if that is part of what we should have thought about today.
Also, I appreciate that Jack was not embarrassed to say that he had never read or really heard of the 2nd Inagural Address. I hadn't known the significance of it either.
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