I am pounding out my last two final papers of my university career (minus my Thesis paper for Lewis and Tolkien), and editing my final Crown editorial.
It's been quite the ride, and its quite the melancholy day.
And I don't know if I ever plan on walking these halls again.
Word of the Day: Sanguine
Quote of the Day: "Been reading a great book about Alexander the Great's younger brother, Carl the Mediocre.." Tim Hawkins' Tweet
Showing posts with label Essays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essays. Show all posts
Apr 12, 2012
Mar 31, 2012
Awakening
This afternoon, I sat at my parent's kitchen table working on notes for an upcoming paper I'm writing on Salman Rushdie, Christianity, and the Magic Real (which also may end up being the paper's title). As I was reading through Rushdie's collection of essays, released in 1991, I found myself lost in my literary thoughts.
Rushdie's essay, "In God We Trust," paints religion as a dream; first as a creation of a reality that suits us better than the reality we experience (which tends towards Plato's Cave and the Philosopher King), and ends with a discussion of the dangers of religion. As a Christian, I find Rushdie's views to be incredibly interesting, frightening, and a product of the actions of fundamentalism in a postmodern world.
Context: Salman Rusdie, for those of you who have not paid substantial amounts of attention to literary world news, is a writer who was educated in England with ethnic roots in the Muslim world. His experiences with religion have shaped his writing most profoundly. Rushdie's book, 'Satanic Verses' was read by the Muslim world as a parody of Mohammad, and thus, in 1989, a fatwa (or death sentence) was issued by the Islamic world. Rushdie was forced to go into hiding, since Islamic fatwas are recognized by the greater Muslim community, and so he took refuge in England. For the next 8 years, the UN worked to end this death warrant, and in 1997, the fatwa was finally lifted.
But Rushdie still lives in danger. For those practising radical Islam, a fatwa is a lifetime decree, and so still hold this death warrant over his head.
A religion has done this. For Rushdie, his writings are a reflection of his experiences. And that makes them even more difficult to contend with. I adhere to the Christian faith, meaning I find my identity within the greater narrative that God has written. My history has been created, and I don't belong to the socio-political ideology of 'make my own history' that drives Western consumerism and cosmology. My religion is one that leans toward the mysticism of love and goodness that modernism rendered untrue.
I do believe that my meta-narrative has given me a distinct purpose. This, I'm beginning to realize, is where I feel most awakened and inspired. I find myself thinking back to moments in elementary and high school when I would write instead of producing math equations, or grappling with the writings of John Barth at age 17, while normal teenagers played basketball, or planned weekend parties. These were the moments when I felt a profound vitality in my soul. That vitality is what causes me to interact with the philosophical implications of writings, evaluate popular culture, and critique social movements like Invisible Children's Kony 2o12 (to cite something recent). I'm an academic. I'm a writer. It's a calling that has been placed in my soul by the God I serve.
My literary thoughts love conversing with the critics, writers, and thinkers of my time. I love being a part of the academic sphere studying postmodernism as we live it. Perhaps some way, I'll be able to be of some use. And above all things, may I strive to do it all in the name of God, no matter what dangers that may lead to.
Word of the Day: Concord
Quote of the Day: "When you're shopping on Madison Avenue, you don't want to skimp on the swank." Seinfeld
Rushdie's essay, "In God We Trust," paints religion as a dream; first as a creation of a reality that suits us better than the reality we experience (which tends towards Plato's Cave and the Philosopher King), and ends with a discussion of the dangers of religion. As a Christian, I find Rushdie's views to be incredibly interesting, frightening, and a product of the actions of fundamentalism in a postmodern world.
Context: Salman Rusdie, for those of you who have not paid substantial amounts of attention to literary world news, is a writer who was educated in England with ethnic roots in the Muslim world. His experiences with religion have shaped his writing most profoundly. Rushdie's book, 'Satanic Verses' was read by the Muslim world as a parody of Mohammad, and thus, in 1989, a fatwa (or death sentence) was issued by the Islamic world. Rushdie was forced to go into hiding, since Islamic fatwas are recognized by the greater Muslim community, and so he took refuge in England. For the next 8 years, the UN worked to end this death warrant, and in 1997, the fatwa was finally lifted.
But Rushdie still lives in danger. For those practising radical Islam, a fatwa is a lifetime decree, and so still hold this death warrant over his head.
A religion has done this. For Rushdie, his writings are a reflection of his experiences. And that makes them even more difficult to contend with. I adhere to the Christian faith, meaning I find my identity within the greater narrative that God has written. My history has been created, and I don't belong to the socio-political ideology of 'make my own history' that drives Western consumerism and cosmology. My religion is one that leans toward the mysticism of love and goodness that modernism rendered untrue.
I do believe that my meta-narrative has given me a distinct purpose. This, I'm beginning to realize, is where I feel most awakened and inspired. I find myself thinking back to moments in elementary and high school when I would write instead of producing math equations, or grappling with the writings of John Barth at age 17, while normal teenagers played basketball, or planned weekend parties. These were the moments when I felt a profound vitality in my soul. That vitality is what causes me to interact with the philosophical implications of writings, evaluate popular culture, and critique social movements like Invisible Children's Kony 2o12 (to cite something recent). I'm an academic. I'm a writer. It's a calling that has been placed in my soul by the God I serve.
My literary thoughts love conversing with the critics, writers, and thinkers of my time. I love being a part of the academic sphere studying postmodernism as we live it. Perhaps some way, I'll be able to be of some use. And above all things, may I strive to do it all in the name of God, no matter what dangers that may lead to.
Word of the Day: Concord
Quote of the Day: "When you're shopping on Madison Avenue, you don't want to skimp on the swank." Seinfeld
Dec 16, 2011
Freud and Milton
They should never again be used in the same sentence. I can now completely understand why no one has ever bothered to put these two together in an academic paper before.
So, thought I, no secondary research means I get to have some creative liberties.
However, no secondary research means that I have been reading Freud's "Interpretation of Dreams" today, and NOT loving every minute of it. I'm not a psych student, so I don't entirely know what he is talking about some of the time.
Oh well, Academia, I love thee.
Word of the Day: Dreams...
Quote of the Day: "Desdemona was too sexy and too virtuous for her own good; better to be an alto and be both sexy and promiscuous, so that there is no question of the matter because everyone (read: men) wants an alto - soproanos are only ever good when they're on top; altos are more flexible." - Emily, Joel, and Maria.
So, thought I, no secondary research means I get to have some creative liberties.
However, no secondary research means that I have been reading Freud's "Interpretation of Dreams" today, and NOT loving every minute of it. I'm not a psych student, so I don't entirely know what he is talking about some of the time.
Oh well, Academia, I love thee.
Word of the Day: Dreams...
Quote of the Day: "Desdemona was too sexy and too virtuous for her own good; better to be an alto and be both sexy and promiscuous, so that there is no question of the matter because everyone (read: men) wants an alto - soproanos are only ever good when they're on top; altos are more flexible." - Emily, Joel, and Maria.
Dec 12, 2011
The Luther Story
Luther is my new Betta. He was purchased in September, just before school began. Dan had Northrop for the summer, which was all snowfalls and roses until Northrop died. I have a hard time without a fish, now (emotional attachment issues), and I have a harder time remembering that Luther's name is Luther and not Northrop (I call him Northrop at least 4 times a week, and Amanda scoffs at me, every single time).
Well, seeing as I've been having camera problems (site earlier blog entry where I recounted my camera falling to the bottom of the lake), I decided just to pull off a photo of a blue betta fish (since Luther is blue), that resembled Luther most.
It actually very closely resembles Luther. He has the cool red fins close to his head. But his head is black, not light blue.
Now. Northrop was a wonderful fish. He truly was. He never complained, he was always exuded patience in the morning while waiting to be fed. He transfered well, and loved minding his own business.
Luther, on the other hand is a little rat. He loves Amanda's music, basically gives himself a concussion every morning while waiting for food, and doesn't have a strange hate of highlighters like Northrop did (which is good, I think). He has, however, a nasty habit of rearranging the bowl. I'm not kidding. He tends to get angry at the small aquarium marbles I have on the bottom, and often slaps them around the tank. He's even pushed one of the bigger rocks around, simply because it was blocking his favourite water-vine. He doesn't scare easily, and he hasn't been sick yet (I've changed the water once since I got him...)
It's humourous, really. I wrote a paper at my desk the other day and Luther decided to put on a show. I think he wanted attention, but he gave me a show. Luther bolted across the bowl, miscalculated depth perception, faceplanted into the glass, jolted back in surprise (I don't know what he was expecting), got caught in the reeds, wiggled himself out, and repeated the whole thing several (and by several, I mean at least 15) times.
He's entertaining though. Peppy. I like peppy.
Word of the Day: Mock
Quote of the Day: "Congratulations, Amanda!" (There's a story here)
Well, seeing as I've been having camera problems (site earlier blog entry where I recounted my camera falling to the bottom of the lake), I decided just to pull off a photo of a blue betta fish (since Luther is blue), that resembled Luther most.
 |
| iStock photo. Borrowed from a website that had a lovely article about fish and their habits. Thanks guys! |
It actually very closely resembles Luther. He has the cool red fins close to his head. But his head is black, not light blue.
Now. Northrop was a wonderful fish. He truly was. He never complained, he was always exuded patience in the morning while waiting to be fed. He transfered well, and loved minding his own business.
Luther, on the other hand is a little rat. He loves Amanda's music, basically gives himself a concussion every morning while waiting for food, and doesn't have a strange hate of highlighters like Northrop did (which is good, I think). He has, however, a nasty habit of rearranging the bowl. I'm not kidding. He tends to get angry at the small aquarium marbles I have on the bottom, and often slaps them around the tank. He's even pushed one of the bigger rocks around, simply because it was blocking his favourite water-vine. He doesn't scare easily, and he hasn't been sick yet (I've changed the water once since I got him...)
It's humourous, really. I wrote a paper at my desk the other day and Luther decided to put on a show. I think he wanted attention, but he gave me a show. Luther bolted across the bowl, miscalculated depth perception, faceplanted into the glass, jolted back in surprise (I don't know what he was expecting), got caught in the reeds, wiggled himself out, and repeated the whole thing several (and by several, I mean at least 15) times.
He's entertaining though. Peppy. I like peppy.
Word of the Day: Mock
Quote of the Day: "Congratulations, Amanda!" (There's a story here)
Dec 11, 2011
So many good things...
So many good things happen when it snows.
- My first (real) kiss.
- Christmas
- A sparkling world.
- Entering Narnia
- Snow-ball fights
- Hot Chocolate with friends.
- Pretty walks.
- Icicles.
- It snowed on my first birthday.
I came out of my Classical History class and the ground was covered. And I stood there in the snow and let it fall on my face. Just stood there for about ten minutes in the middle of Redeemer's academic building parkinglot, face to the sky, letting the flakes fall on my face. In fact, I'm fairly sure I looked a little something like this:
- My first (real) kiss.
- Christmas
- A sparkling world.
- Entering Narnia
- Snow-ball fights
- Hot Chocolate with friends.
- Pretty walks.
- Icicles.
- It snowed on my first birthday.
I came out of my Classical History class and the ground was covered. And I stood there in the snow and let it fall on my face. Just stood there for about ten minutes in the middle of Redeemer's academic building parkinglot, face to the sky, letting the flakes fall on my face. In fact, I'm fairly sure I looked a little something like this:
In my imagination, I'm fairly sure that is what the night looked like.
The night ended with a parking-lot wide snowball fight sometime around midnight, pelting our friend from Zimbabwe (who had never seen snow), with the wettest, most amazing first-snow snowballs.
Now, we are entering into our weeks of exams. I am 3 exams, one issue of The Crown, and 2 final papers away from Christmas break. Then I have an unreasonable amount of novels to read for my second semester courses.
Word of the Day: Coffee
Quote of the Day: "Tonight's the night the world begins again." Googoo Dolls, Better Days
Dec 4, 2011
Soundtracks for Papers.
My weekend:
wake up. write paper. repeat.
This has been one of the worst weeks I have ever had in terms of homework and life stuff. The life-stuff I can't really get into, but it sufficiently affected the time frame I had to work on my papers.
Monday marks the end of the hellish week. On Monday, I will be handing 3 papers (one comparing The Fiddlehead and the Malahat, both of which are Canadian Literary Journals released quarterly, one about the relationship between the Lady of Shalott, and Tennyson's Elaine the Lily Maid, and the last about censorship in Charles I's England.. the latter two are both upwards of 2500 words). I will also be presenting two theses for my finals in my fourth year seminar courses.
Soundtracks of the weekend? Every Michael W Smith Christmas song I could get my hands on, MercyMe Christmas, Sting Christmas, Point of Grace Christmas, and the new Jingle Bell Rock by the Newsboys. Brilliant.
My brain is exhausted.
Word of the Day: Effectively (I have probably overused it in my papers)
Quote of the Day: Nothing. I have been staring at a computer screen all day...
wake up. write paper. repeat.
This has been one of the worst weeks I have ever had in terms of homework and life stuff. The life-stuff I can't really get into, but it sufficiently affected the time frame I had to work on my papers.
Monday marks the end of the hellish week. On Monday, I will be handing 3 papers (one comparing The Fiddlehead and the Malahat, both of which are Canadian Literary Journals released quarterly, one about the relationship between the Lady of Shalott, and Tennyson's Elaine the Lily Maid, and the last about censorship in Charles I's England.. the latter two are both upwards of 2500 words). I will also be presenting two theses for my finals in my fourth year seminar courses.
Soundtracks of the weekend? Every Michael W Smith Christmas song I could get my hands on, MercyMe Christmas, Sting Christmas, Point of Grace Christmas, and the new Jingle Bell Rock by the Newsboys. Brilliant.
My brain is exhausted.
Word of the Day: Effectively (I have probably overused it in my papers)
Quote of the Day: Nothing. I have been staring at a computer screen all day...
Oct 23, 2011
Nail Polish: Week 4.
It's called 'Hot Blooded' and it makes me feel devious. Also, I realize I neglected to post last week's nail colour. It was a hot pink called 'Lavender Cream' by Sally Hansen.
Currently, I am working on a paper for my Studies in Milton class. I'm writing about his view of Education as presented in his prose treatise. Milton is an interesting character in English Literature, living in the post-reformation, Stuart England. I'm also in a course on Tudor-Stuart England, and I find it helpful to have the background information leading up to Milton's time. I'm hoping to be able to use the two classes to come up with some pretty interesting final paper topics.
And reading break can't come soon enough. I am incredibly behind.
Thanks to my wonderful editorial staff, this month's issue of The Crown was pulled together without hinge. We had a few layout glitches, and the website wasn't working until the night of publication, but we managed to publish breaking news (Gadhafi's death), which, for a paper that publishes once per month, almost never happens.
You can find the newest issue of The Crown here.
Quote of the Day: "That banana is bruised, you abuse bananas." Kudzai
Apr 5, 2011
Paper Rush
It's like jumping out of a plane. Well, okay, maybe not. I've never jumped out of a plane so I wouldn't know that for sure, or really ever. The prospect of jumping from a plane is terrifying.
Yeah, okay, so that was a pretty bad analogy of paper season. But it does go by pretty fast, and you feel like you're going to fall flat and die, until your parachute comes out and you soar down and land on your feet.
Except that seasonal allergies are kicking in.
And I have 3 papers due this week (one handed in already).
And tomorrow is already Wednesday.
I need Hermione's little time redoer thing. There are not enough hours in a day.
And in case you were wondering. I got a job for the summer. Muskoka Bible Centre. Community Life Director.
No more cleaning dorms. Ever. Again.
Word of the Day: Exhausted
Quote of the Day: "What if they decided to close Facebook tomorrow? Facebook users would be roaming the streets in tears, shoving photos of themselves in people's faces, and screaming, "DO YOU LIKE THIS?! DO YOU!?" - Keeley Weese
Yeah, okay, so that was a pretty bad analogy of paper season. But it does go by pretty fast, and you feel like you're going to fall flat and die, until your parachute comes out and you soar down and land on your feet.
Except that seasonal allergies are kicking in.
And I have 3 papers due this week (one handed in already).
And tomorrow is already Wednesday.
I need Hermione's little time redoer thing. There are not enough hours in a day.
And in case you were wondering. I got a job for the summer. Muskoka Bible Centre. Community Life Director.
No more cleaning dorms. Ever. Again.
Word of the Day: Exhausted
Quote of the Day: "What if they decided to close Facebook tomorrow? Facebook users would be roaming the streets in tears, shoving photos of themselves in people's faces, and screaming, "DO YOU LIKE THIS?! DO YOU!?" - Keeley Weese
Mar 24, 2011
Ten days later
This whole publishing a post every ten days thing really needs to stop.
Life in a nutshell:
- Homework
- Classes
- Eating
- Pooping
- Sleeping
The reality that I will be finished my third year of University in one month is a little scary. I loathe the idea of having to pack everything up again... and to find the room for it all...
This weekend, Cousin Steven will be joining life at Redeemer. Hopefully I will get some laundry done before that happens.
I know it's short, but at least you know I'm still alive.
Word of the Day: Latinly
Quote of the Day: "But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild/ At every word/ Methoughts I heard one calling "Child!"/ And I replied, "my Lord." - George Herbert, The Collar. (1633)
Life in a nutshell:
- Homework
- Classes
- Eating
- Pooping
- Sleeping
The reality that I will be finished my third year of University in one month is a little scary. I loathe the idea of having to pack everything up again... and to find the room for it all...
This weekend, Cousin Steven will be joining life at Redeemer. Hopefully I will get some laundry done before that happens.
I know it's short, but at least you know I'm still alive.
Word of the Day: Latinly
Quote of the Day: "But as I raved and grew more fierce and wild/ At every word/ Methoughts I heard one calling "Child!"/ And I replied, "my Lord." - George Herbert, The Collar. (1633)
Nov 15, 2010
Blessings, Prayers, and Papers
I am sitting in the Crown office, currently, mucking my way through a paper on John 13:1-17. This is the story where Jesus washes the disciples' feet. I'm a little overwhelmed, and slightly antsy, and I really just don't want to be writing this paper right now. That is slightly problematic.
This morning I was on the Student Life panel for Campus Visit Day. It was pretty cool. I got to answer some questions about Student Life at Redeemer within the dorms. Myself and another guy were the representatives of the RAs. Students seemed really receptive. But the most fun was watching the parents' expressions as they listened to everyone ask questions and then listen to members of STLife try to answer them. I remember my Campus Visit Day. Oh goodness, do I ever remember NOT wanting my parents there. I remember not paying attention to much until I got to experience one of the classes. It was English 222 with Dr. VanRys. I remember being really excited because they were talking about a Leonard Cohen song against 'The Lady of Shallot.' Right then, I knew. This was my school. I think I even took notes in that class.
Looking back, I'm glad my parents came along. I would not have listened enough to the information sessions. I don't think I paid too much attention to the session on Financial Aid, or Dorm Life, or any of that. But regardless, 3 years later, I am sitting in an office in the school, writing a paper, after encouraging other prospective students to come here.
I'm sure the right choices will be made. There is a difference in Campus Life this year. I cannot really explain it, except to say that God is moving in the hearts of those here at Redeemer. Last night, I was watching a movie with a friend of mine, and the five people who were sitting at the kitchen table, suddenly got up (2 guys from Chad and Nathan's dorm and 3 girls from my and Amanda's dorm) went downstairs and closed the evening in prayer. Emily came back upstairs and I asked her what had happened, and she told me this: "We decided that before someone leaves at the end of every night, we're just going to go downstairs and pray, thank God for the day, and be in fellowship."
WOW.
It's been an honour and a pleasure to be with these people this year. I feel like God has blessed Amanda and I with a wonderful group of girls, and an extended family in Chad and Nate's dorm, where we have the most incredible brothers and sisters in Christ. Amazing.
Word of the Day: Hermeneutics
Quote of the Day: "I want to start the class off thinking about Bottom." Dr. Loney
This morning I was on the Student Life panel for Campus Visit Day. It was pretty cool. I got to answer some questions about Student Life at Redeemer within the dorms. Myself and another guy were the representatives of the RAs. Students seemed really receptive. But the most fun was watching the parents' expressions as they listened to everyone ask questions and then listen to members of STLife try to answer them. I remember my Campus Visit Day. Oh goodness, do I ever remember NOT wanting my parents there. I remember not paying attention to much until I got to experience one of the classes. It was English 222 with Dr. VanRys. I remember being really excited because they were talking about a Leonard Cohen song against 'The Lady of Shallot.' Right then, I knew. This was my school. I think I even took notes in that class.
Looking back, I'm glad my parents came along. I would not have listened enough to the information sessions. I don't think I paid too much attention to the session on Financial Aid, or Dorm Life, or any of that. But regardless, 3 years later, I am sitting in an office in the school, writing a paper, after encouraging other prospective students to come here.
I'm sure the right choices will be made. There is a difference in Campus Life this year. I cannot really explain it, except to say that God is moving in the hearts of those here at Redeemer. Last night, I was watching a movie with a friend of mine, and the five people who were sitting at the kitchen table, suddenly got up (2 guys from Chad and Nathan's dorm and 3 girls from my and Amanda's dorm) went downstairs and closed the evening in prayer. Emily came back upstairs and I asked her what had happened, and she told me this: "We decided that before someone leaves at the end of every night, we're just going to go downstairs and pray, thank God for the day, and be in fellowship."
WOW.
It's been an honour and a pleasure to be with these people this year. I feel like God has blessed Amanda and I with a wonderful group of girls, and an extended family in Chad and Nate's dorm, where we have the most incredible brothers and sisters in Christ. Amazing.
Word of the Day: Hermeneutics
Quote of the Day: "I want to start the class off thinking about Bottom." Dr. Loney
Oct 29, 2010
The Point of No Return
I truly believe that one of the most interesting phenomena involved in essay season is the point of no return. It hits people in different ways.
Some people get stressed, lock themselves in their rooms, and refuse to dress themselves or shower for days. For a shower becomes the reward for every correctly placed comma, period and citation.
Some avoid the work. They dance and laugh and scream about campus because life with friends is better than life with essays. The problem with that logic is that if life is exclusively with friends, the essays come back to haunt (failing grades included).
Some work weeks ahead of time in order to perfect every word, sentence and paragraph. They spend hours with books, dictionaries, thesauruses, headphones and library cards. They note-take, highlight, sticky note, and organize every bit of information they come across.
Or some, like me, procrastinate. They don't procrastinate in the name of friendships or fun, movies or entertainment. No, they procrastinate because it is what they have learned to do. Consequently, this procrastination stems into a flower of caffiene, late nights and excellent papers. Don't ask me how, but these people (myself included) get worse marks when they have done weeks of preparation, than when they have written the paper the night before it is due.
Further, I am the type of the person who reads and takes notes during the process. So, my procrastination, paired with the strict attention to detail, causes me to, well, look depressingly at my daunting stack of books.
Sometimes I get essay topics I like (example: current paper being written on the history of literary criticism regarding Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glasss by Lewis Carroll). They stem into sub-topics (Freudian interpretation, Feminist interpretation, theory of text interpreted as political/cultural allegory), or sub-sub-topics (cultural and historical surroundings of text and how they relate to previously mentioned sub-topics). Sometimes I get essay topics I do not like (an article review on something pertaining to the History of Africa), and everything that can go wrong, will (the missing 'Pocket Guide to Writing in History' which is necessary for the article review, since it outlines how the professor would like it written and cited). Other times, the essay topics cause conflict with normal class work (reading 76 pages of 'The Ode Less Travelled' by Stephen Fry, completing a '5 senses' poem, reading Midsommer Night's Dream, 3 chapters of African History). Still other times, surprise work comes (an email from a professor, informing me that, in order to remain enrolled in a 400 level creative writing course - I am the only 3rd year registered for it - I must have a 15 page portfolio handed in by Wednesday) and complicates an already disgusting life of work even further. Other times still, extra curriculars call, and offices need to be cleaned.
This is the point of no return for me. Normally, students will hit that point back at the second essay. I may have also hit that point at the second essay, but luckily for me, insanity is a very large part of my life, off-setting the realization that I'm in over my head.
I have 4 VERY solid days of homework coming up.
I also discovered that, in order to graduate with a double honours major and a minor, I will need to stay at Redeemer for an extra year, as I have 21 courses (and 4 semesters...5 courses a semester...yes, that's the right math) that I still need to take. It is a very good thing that I LOVE school.
Word of the Day: brain-dead
Quote of the Day: "England would be merely a free-floating political aggregate held together by nothing more glorious than money or self interest, devoid of its once cherished cultural and spiritual landmarks - a godless place not unlike the chaotic underground into which Alice falls i her first adventure, or the 'backwards' world she discovers just beyond the comforting bourgeios looking-glass." - Donald Rackin
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