Paige Lussier - Sex

I remember the day that Professor Redick read Native American sex stories to the class. I was really surprised at how graphic the stories were, as at least when I think of past culures, I don't necessarily think about them enjoying sex. I know it's a part of life, but I associate the pleasure aspect with today's society. I also felt like a lot of people in the class felt really awkward about the situation, like it was taboo to be talking about. I don't share this view. Sex is all around us, and most recently the Captain's Log has decided to publish an anonimous column in the paper every week discussing this very subject. I have heard a lot of complaints about it from various students, such as it's inappropriateness and that we don't want to be viewed as "that kind" of school. I wonder if the people realize that most Ivy League schools have entire magazines and newspaper dedicated strictly to the topic of sex and other entertainments. For example, Yale, Harvard, and Boston University are all wellknown schools that also have very well known newspapers that discuss solely the topic of sex and relationships. Do we not want to be considered on the same level as these schools? And honestly, if you don't like the article, don't read it. I don't like articles on politics, but hey, that's life.

Paige Lussier - Drum Circle

I was a little skeptical at first of the drum circle we did as a class. First, it was cold. Then, it was cold and we had to take our shoes off. It wasn't exactly what I had been looking forward to that day, however the experience was a lot cooler than I anticipated. Although I didn't understand the going around in a circle three times before being able to enter or exist, I thought it was neat that someone believed so heartedly in the energy of the group and what we could bring to it. I didn't think we exactly sounded good, but it was still pretty neat to be allowed to just do our own thing, and when the sound did all come together and actually sounded good, I thought it was pretty surprising. Overall it was a great experience and I'm really glad I was able to be a part of it.

Morgan Arnold (Class Reading Blog) Original Visions Chapter 1

This concept in Carmody and Carmody’s Original Visions really got me thinking, “we are the only animals who can be both subject and object- can be aware of ourselves deliberately, in acts the objectify much of our sense of identity” (p. 5). Carmody goes on to explain that sense the beginning of humankind, humans must have understood that they live in a world that they cannot control. With this in mind, it is also true that humans have more control than any other animal. We are at the mercy of the universe or God/gods if one believes in that. Yet, we have been given the ability to have rule over all the land and animals. That is a large responsibility. Though the majority of us are not hunters and gathers, like they were thousands of years ago, we still have a duty to our planet.

Morgan Arnold (Class Reading Blog) Original Visions Chapter 4

I was blessed with the chance to take a trip to Kenya with my family a few years ago. My grandmother took us to about four different, little villages that she has worked with for years. It was the most priceless experience. Carmody and Carmody bring up a point in Chapter 4 of Original Visions: The Religion of Oral Peoples that I was amazed by when I was in Kenya. There are over 700 languages in the African region (p. 57). A friend that I met in a little village outside of Nairobi absolutely amazed me. She was sixteen years old and never had a formal education, yet she spoke 5 languages. She spoke Swahili (the main African language), English, her tribal language, her clan language and French! This proves that even though one might be illiterate, they are NOT unintelligent- typically, quite the opposite.

Morgan Arnold (Class Reading Blog) Original Visions Chapter 5

Carmody and Cardmody explore a really unique and intriguing piece of Australian tradition called the “tjurunga.” This is a very sacred board that is a part of a ritual when boys go through initiation to become men. There is a large rituals process that he must go through in order to obtain and prove his ability to protect the tjurunga. So what is this important piece? It is a “portable painting that represents aspects of the dream-time” (p. 85). There are even pictures of aborigines explaining the significance of the stone to younger men. I love the idea of this important piece of religion being passed down from generation to generation. I actually have this beautiful painting of my Grandfather’s father that I hope to continue to pass down throughout my family. I know it is not of religious meaning, but it is an integral part of sharing what is important to our family.

Morgan Arnold (Class Reading Blog) Orality and Literacy

Our society is so dependent on text- be that through technology, books, instructions, scripture, etc. Ong brings up this crazy awesome point that is very perplexing. He says, “we have all heard it said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Yet, if this statement is true, why does it have to be a saying?” (p. 7). We, as written culture, use words to describe everything. Our world is shaped and determined by the words in which use to describe it. Thus, we are limited by words. Ong’s answer to this question is as follows, “Because a picture is worth a thousand words only under special conditions- which commonly include a context of words in which the picture is set” (p. 7). Isn’t this so true?

Morgan Arnold (Class Reading Blog) Orality and Literacy

I just asked a few friends what they thought of when the word technology is said. Their responses included some of the following: the computer, Internet, the Droid, I-phone, I-pad, and I-pod. When I explained that writing, yes simple text is a technology, they literally laughed out loud. However, Ong explains how Plato really made the way for writing as a technology (p. 80-81). How can this be? Well before Plato, writing was not an intricate part of every day lives. However, it did require tools: such as ink and paper. Thus, this made it a technology. Ong brings up this great point about writing, which I think is applicable to modern day technologies, “by contrast with oral speech, writing is completely artificial. There is no way to write ‘naturally.’ Oral speech is fully natural to human beings in the sense that every human being in every culture who is not physiologically or psychological impaired learn to talk” (p. 81). Speech is one of the few things that every human has in common. We do not NEED technologies like the internet or latest cell phone like we need speech.