Place as Identity

I've always understood that the place in which you live can say a lot about who you are as a person and what values you hold to be important. I've seen the show RoomRaiders on MTV. The first chapter of Upton's History of American Architecture critically examines Thomas Jefferson, using his home, Monticello, as a lens. Now my dorm room isn't currently on the back of any legal United States tender (yet)  but I'm sure by examining it you could tell a lot about me. You'd see books and clothes and ticket stubs from subway rides and Phish concerts, and the room inventory activity tried to do exactly what I'm talking about. But there is a very stark difference between my dorm room and Monticello...besides the size, cool clocks, and dumbwaiter. Jefferson designed and created the actual building of Monticello. I wasn't even born when Hoyme Hall was built. I had no say in it's layout. Examining the architecture of a building one creates to live in is like taking the room inventory assignment and combining it with the study of sculpture. Not only are these buildings works of art, but they are works of art the artist had to live with, and in.

distraction?

In Orr's Architecture and Education he says:

"The design of buildings and landscape is thought to have little or nothing to do with the process of learning or the quality of scholarship that occurs in a particular place. But in fact, buildings and landscape reflect a hidden curriculum that powerfully influences the learning process."

This immediately reminded me of an incident that occurred just a few weeks ago in my Theology class. It was a beautiful Thursday here in Northfield: unseasonably warm, bright and sunny, and the leaves had already begun turning. It was just beautiful outside, and no one wanted to be in a classroom for an hour and twenty minutes on a day like that. One of the more favored students (perhaps because he had been coaxed by some of the less favored students) proposed at the beginning of the class that we move the class out of the stuffy classroom and into the fresh outside air. The idea was shut down by my professor because she finds class outside "distracting." This bothered me a little.  For one, it meant I would be spending the next 80 minutes inside, but it also bothered be for another reason. See, I'm not an overly religious guy and I don't claim to be either, but on beautiful days like that I just have to say to myself, "Whoever or whatever made this happen did something right." Now the point of the class I'm enrolled in isn't to convert you to a specific religion or even make you believe in a higher power; it's to understand the Bible from a more literary criticism-centered standpoint. But to really understand a collection of books like the Bible, it's important to not necessarily believe what the authors believed, but to understand it. I honestly think that going outside on a beautiful day like that Thursday would have helped me come a little closer to understanding what the people that authored the Bible risked their lives for. My professor was afraid of her students getting distracted, but by what? The very things that inspired many of the authors of the texts we were studying.

The New Mount St. Olaf

I really enjoyed the letter by Dr. Melby entitled "NEW NORMAN GOTHIC 'MOUNT ST. OLAF'" for a different reason than many might. I've always loved the look of Regents Hall, and it is without a doubt an incredible facility. But at the same time it never really seemed to quite fit. Regents seemed distant and different from the rest of campus to me, like it didn't really fit with the theme of an "extensive group of buildings in the same style and of the same beauty as this initial structure." Fortunately, Regents has finally been connected into the overarching style of the other campus buildings with the bridging building being the soon to be completed Tompson Hall. This renovated building serves as an ideal segue for a few reasons. First of all, it isn't a new building but an older building that has been renovated. The old science center was very much in the style of the buildings surrounding it when it was in use so there was a feeling of campus continuity, and with its renovations it will help reign in the somewhat dramatic change of style between Regents and the rest of campus. With its large glass faces and clean lines it neatly visually ties Regents into the community of Mount Saint Olaf. 

Ben Franklin As A Reliable Narrator

Ben Franklin's autobiography includes an anecdote about how in his youth he convinced his friends to steal some stones from a quarry so he could build a wharf. Young Franklin had to be secretive about this because his father did not approve of his interest in the sea. Of course, little Ben is found out and, in turn, punished. From this he derives that dishonesty never leads to any favorable outcome.
While a lovely little story, its placement not only fits in well with the chronology of Franklin's autobiography, but also works to establish an older Mr. Franklin, who now is recollecting his life, as a reliable narrator and all around good guy. As a proficient  prolific writer, Ben Franklin surely was aware of this clever little literary play. With as talented as a writer as Franklin was, this clearly was no coincidence.
Look at how Ben Franklin's story differs from a short quote from the unreliable narrator of Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, who tells his readers, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life."
Of course, in addition to how reliable of narrators they are, there is another major difference between Caulfield and Franklin that demands to be considered. One existed while the other was created. In my eyes, this makes Holden Caulfield's character come off as a brilliant invention of J.D. Salinger and Franklin come off as a touch smug.

American Exceptionalism begins with food?

In Butler's piece, Becoming America, a bold assertion is made that "This American "exceptionalism" stemmed directly from dietary improvements that began at colonization and, for Europeans, continued throughout the colonial period."
 Now I'm hardly the man to research the foundation of a claim as bold as this, but this is probably a fairly reputable source (I'm assuming because I was assigned to read it) so if we suppose for a moment that this hypothesis is true, then this claim becomes even more troubling. Never mind that this book is claiming American exceptionalism isn't derived from our heart, grit, determination, passion, patriotism, and all around better-ness because we're from America. Never mind that this statement claims the only reason we're the greatest country in the world is because of the food we ate. Never mind these two sarcastic remarks on my part, because that's not what troubles me.
What troubles me here, holding that this assertion is true, is that if food is what lead to the America's prosperity, the future is definitely not looking good for America right now. Heart disease as a result of poor diet is nothing short of an epidemic. The government subsidizes products like corn that are then turned into unhealthy substitutes for natural products (think high fructose corn syrup) and the health of our nation declines. And why shouldn't we make every product under the sun out of corn? Subsidies have certainly made it profitable to do so. The government is indirectly subsidizing the poor health of Americans and at a great cost. Not only is Americans unhealthiness leading to a decrease in productivity, but as a result of their unhealthy ways as a whole, American's pay the most in the world for healthcare and for healthcare that doesn't perform nearly as well as many other nations in the world.
But the inefficiency of the American healthcare system is a topic for another day. The fact is that people that don't eat right become unhealthy. Unhealthy people get sick more often. People that get sick more often pay more for healthcare. Do you see where I'm going with this?
Food can be an interesting sociological standpoint from which one can look into a society. If we assume that Butler's statement about the importance of food is correct, things aren't looking so good for American "exceptionalism" right now.

What's In My Room

Here is an inventory of the contents of my dorm room. Albeit incomplete, I think it is very telling. From this list I feel a lot can be surmised about both where I am and who I am. You decide:

Futon

2 Lofted Beds

Pop Tarts

Chips

4 Cans of Soup 

75 Chewy Bars

1 Bag of Tootie Fruitis 

2 Boxes of Couscous

2 Packages of Coffee

Coffee Maker

Electronic Teapot

1 Box of Microwave Popcorn

TV

Nintendo 64

4 N64 Controllers

Super Smash Brothers

5 Containers of Crystal Light Mix

1 Container of Kool-Ail

2 Desks

2 Chairs

2 Dressers 

Bamboo Plant

2 Fans

5 Cups

Recycling Bin

Printer

Wheat Thins 

Almonds 

Cookies

Roasted Eggplant

Peaches in Light Syrup

Several Old Newspapers

Preschool Diploma

27 T-Shirts

3 Pairs of Corduroys

5 Sweaters

Winter Jacket

2 Pairs of Boots

Penguin Costume

2 Pairs of Gloves

4 Winter Hats

5 Pairs of Shoes

Laundry Detergent

Body Wash

Deodorant

Shampoo

Extra Blankets

Books

Textbooks

Salsa

Olives

Yarn

Knitting Needles

Backpacks

Orange Juice

Posters

8 Pairs of Socks

Boxers

Belts

Paper Towels

Medicine

St. Olaf as a Place...and What a Place

The reading for today's class mostly focused on places as dense facts, which is really a divergence from how I had been thinking about dense facts. Once the concept was discussed in class though, it started to make a lot of sense. In fact, the way that places like colleges or towns are planned can say a lot about both the planners and the inhabitants of the community. This is true about St. Olaf as well. Just by looking at the building complex that includes Rølvaag Memorial Library, Buntrock Commons, and Boe Chapel, a lot can be discerned about the type of community that uses these facilities. To begin, there is a chapel, so it's safe to assume a large portion of the community has some sort of religious beliefs. By looking at the large cross on the top, it is also safe to assume that the affiliation of the community is of some sort of Christian denomination. Judging by the fact that the three aforementioned buildings are connected by tunnels, one could assume that there is some sort of reason why for part of the year it is less than ideal to be walking around outside. In this case, the culprit is the Minnesota winter. After walking through the tunnel, one will see hundreds and hundreds of post office boxes, and none of them have locks. In fact, on Fridays some even have pretty little flowers poking out. This is an indication of both the trust and safety provided by this community as well as of its friendly nature. In Buntrock, one large, wonderful cafeteria can be found, which serves all of St. Olaf. Although students may not realize it, this too is a testament to the togetherness of our community. Just try and keep that in mind next time you try and get dinner at 6 PM on a weeknight. I could go on with this for pages and pages....but frankly neither of us want that to happen. I think I have made my point abundantly clear; a place both changes and is changed by the people that inhabit it. Although it may will get cold on the Hill in coming months, there will also definitely be a certain warmth as well. To quote Mark Twain, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

Paul Johnson's View of John Winthrop

In A History of the American People, Paul Johnson very boldly calls John Winthrop the "first great American Son of a Suffolk squire." (pg. 31)  This is not a negative title that Johnson is bestowing on Winthrop, but an exultation of him. How he justifies this title as the chapter continues is what confounds me. Later in the same paragraph though, Johnson mentions Winthrop's "uncompromising Puritan views." (pg. 31) Maybe Paul Johnson and I have different opinions of what it means to be a great American. Later on in the chapter, Johnson says of Winthrop, "He rejoiced at providential news that the Indians within a range of 300 miles, 'are swept away by small-pox...so God hath hearby cleared our title to the place." Hold up...calling the destruction of a group of people for 300 miles a sign from God and rejoicing at it isn't exactly what I would call great American-like behavior. I understand that times were different then, but that doesn't justify exalting this man's actions. The part I have the most problem with is this one though:

"Under John Winthrop, whose first spell as governor lasted 1630-4, it got the kind of firm, even harsh, government a new colony needs. In effect it was a theocracy." (pg.38)

Saying someone was a good and powerful leader is something completely different than calling a man the first great American Son of a Suffolk squire, because the latter implies that the person being described is an embodiment of what it means to be American. Although John Winthrop lived before America existed, by giving him this title posthumously Johnson is saying just this. I don't think someone who instates and and forcefully upholds a theocracy while being "quite ruthless in dealing with any kind of dissent"(pg. 39) and "imposing orthodoxy on the colony by punishment, exclusion, and banishment." (pg. 43)  embodies what it means to truly be American. Then again, maybe Paul Johnson and I have different ideas about what it means to be American.

This evening I received a time slot for my radio show on the campus radio station. Although this seems like a common occurrence here in America, as the guidelines of what can and can't be said on the air were rattled off I started thinking exactly how incredible the freedom of speech we have is. I have the opportunity to express my opinions no matter how radical they may be on the radio as long as I don't do so in a vulgar way. And now that I think of it I could spout whatever nonsense I want on this blog too. As modern day Americans I think we sometimes fail to realize how great our freedom of speech is. On your radio you can find viewpoints from Rush Limbaugh's to Alex Jones's and anywhere in between. We take for granted this free press when other areas of the world are literally fighting and dying for this kind of freedom. Is the American media perfect? Of course not, but that's a topic for another blog post. The face of the press is changing daily though too. In today's world almost anyone in America could start a blog and many have. This personal expression is form a sort of new media where an outsider can look in and see just how many different citizens about an event because they're willing to tell the world through the internet, and they are certainly able. This new media could prove to be an enormously valuable resource. To quote an entry on The Library of Congress Blog on the Library's decision to archive every public tweet ever made on Twitter (found here):

 "I’m no Ph.D., but it boggles my mind to think what we might be able to learn about ourselves and the world around us from this wealth of data.  And I’m certain we’ll learn things that none of us now can even possibly conceive."


I think it's important for Americans to reflect on just how powerful all our voices can be, especially in a nation where they aren't being supressed by the government. It really is something many people take for granted. 

Freedom in an Object

I've decided to post my paragraph on what freedom means to me through the use of a dense fact so as to allow students in the other section of AmCon to view my work. Here it is:

The freedom of personal expression is a freedom that Franklin Delano Roosevelt fails to mention in his four freedoms speech. This freedom is as just as, if not more, important in the 21st century as it has been in the history America.  To represent this freedom of personal expression I chose a ball of yarn. Recently, I have picked up the hobby of knitting. This of course is not a typical hobby among eighteen year old American males. By choosing knitting as an expression of freedom I very purposely decided to touch on the ability of Americans to break free of gender stereotypes in ways unheard of, and even outlawed, in other areas of the world. Another aspect of knitting that I believe embodies our freedom as Americans is the self determination of the activity. Much like living in America, one is given resources (in this case a ball of yarn) and maybe even a pattern to follow, but what one does with what they have been given is completely up to them. In America, much like in knitting, an individual is free to express them self how ever they choose regardless of gender stereotype or whether or not others like what they’re doing with their yarn. How one uses their yarn is completely up to them, and what they do with it is an expression of their identity.  

To Complain is American

In Amy Tan's article, "To Complain is American" she opens by stating that she "finds it disconcerting to gripe in public. It goes against the tenets of how I was raised." Although it would be blissfully ironic to me if Tan went on to aimlessly complain in her published article; she does not. She instead expounds on her ability as an American writer to exercise her freedom of speech, and how her ability to do so can vary depending on where in the world she is. This emphasis on the freedoms the First Amendment grants Americans reminded me of a quote by one of my favorite historians, Howard Zinn. In an interview Zinn said, "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." It is through the use of the freedoms granted to us in the Constitution that we are able to best honor this important document and all that it embodies. This is why I had such a problem with the dissenting opinions that were voiced to Terry Tempest Williams commencement address at the University of Utah. Essentially what she was saying to the graduates was "Question. Stand. Speak. Act." Regardless of political ideology, I think it is important that an individual questions what they are being told to blindly accept and arrive at their own conclusion. Whether someone decides that they fit with the Democrats, the Republicans, the anarchists, the communists, or somewhere else on the broad political spectrum should be a choice they discern after much personal contemplation and meditation. That process will require asking a lot of questioning, but it is important that those questions are asked. Although Amy Tan says that to complain is American, T.T. Williams asks her audience to go a step further. Act.

Test Post

This is my first attempt at posting on a blog. I never really saw myself as a blogging kind of guy, but here we are. I have decided, in the spirit of the First Amendment, to start off by not moderating comments. We'll see how that goes. On this blog I will expound on both things from my American Conversations class, as well as information and scenarios I encounter outside of the hallowed halls of academia that I think relate to the class. Now I will try to add a picture. If you can see it, it worked.