News Media

I went to Dan Rather's talk in Skoglund today. I have to admit, I found it somewhat difficult to pay attention. Not in any respect because he was dull or uninteresting, but I'm just extremely tired and slightly overwhelmed. In his speech one thing he emphasized was the importance of truth in news media, unbiassed by the owning corporations. He said that true freedom of the press was necessary to create a fully function democratic and free nation. Thus, it is the obligation of reporters to give this information, and our obligation to seek out truth in the news. In essense, freedom of the press is an integral part of the success of our nation?

Sound familiar?

Maybe not. But I couldn't help but thinking about Tocqueville continued reference to the necessity of free press in any budding democracy. Back then it was a necessary ingredient, and Dan Rather (as well as I) believe it still is. But now more than ever, I believe it is under threat. All the major media outlets in our country are run by a handful of corporations that taint the news with their own agenda. News that is reported is sometimes less than quality "news". Now more than ever Americans must intentionally seek out reports that are of importance.

Societal Apathy

So over this break instead of doing productive activities, like catching up on homework or research for this Amcon project, I've been wandering the tunnels of the internet. While meandering around I remembered one of the TED talks I listened to a while ago, and thought "Well, if I'm going to waste my time I might as well waste it educationally." Starting from the most recent video, I started watching them. In this particular lecture, Dave Meslin discussed apathy. He said that maybe it isn't a personal choice, but instead the constructs of our society provide no reward or draw for participation. Listening to this, I could help but think about social capital, and maybe the decline isn't personal choice but the way our avenues of communication have. If you have time, listen to this. And all of the talks. That's what I'll be doing the rest of this break.

Character Study

I decided I should share the short paragraph I wrote in response to that painting today. I wrote it from the perspective of a southern mother named Amanda Richards. Here is her story:

"Look, America expands as she should! Soon, I can cross the country with the ease of a train to see my uncle Johny . I do hope he’s okay, he’s been gone for a long time without anyone hearing from him. That’s the chaos that is the west though, I suppose. With all them crazy native Americans, hollering and screaming and causing a ruckus. I can’t imagine laying out track in a place like that. Quite frankly, I can’t imagine being someplace like that at all. Even on a train! It’d get shot up in no time at all! It’s good that someone’s doing it. After all, this is America’s destiny."

Fanfare for the Common Man

I went to Chapel Choir and St. Olaf orchestra's production of the Brahms' requiem. It was absolutely beautiful, and I loved every second. It had me start wondering about art though. The Requiem is an iconic work of Brahms'. With the Hudson River School of painting in mind, I started wondering about what was classic American instrumental music. As soon as this thought popped into my head I thought of one name, and one name only: Aaron Copland. In short, Copland was well known for his music that captured American landscapes, people and attitudes. The video above is "Fanfare for the Common Man", composed before the US's entry into World War II. It was meant to capture the grandeur of America in its splendor, and the power of each solider and common person in the United States. His music evokes all sorts of identifying American images, from Billy the Kid to the magnificence of the Appalachians. I think Copland could easily be described as the iconic American composer, because of his ability to take visual cues and transfer them to strings and woodwinds.

Side effects

After Wednesday's class I was thinking about what Thoreau's intentions were when writing his essay. A lot of people brought up that it's possible he was just whining about taxes and didn't feel like paying them. It's very possible his intentions were more geared towards addressing his own needs rather than trying to move a whole group of people towards an ideology that addresses ways to protest government legislation. His intentions may not have been to directly promote justice (which by Kant's standard means the action was not moral), but look at the movements he influenced. Ghandi and King's peaceful protest have one of the most powerful examples of civil disobedience that humanity has seen, and both were indescribably successful in accomplishing their goals of the protesters. In more modern example, Egypt represents the same idea of gently stepping away from society with strong objections to government. Whether or not Thoreau's intention was to do so, he created a standard by which all effective protests must be lead. It's similar to the invention of the potato chip. A guest sent some fries back to the kitchen because they weren't thin enough for his liking. In a sassy response, the chef cut the potatoes as thin as he could and deep fried them, discovering the crisps we love today. Thoreau set out to justify not paying taxes and when society heard him, they responded by using his description for something more.

On Conscience

Can there not be a government in which the majorities do not virtually decide right and wrong, but conscience? -- in which majorities decide only those questions to which the rule of expediency is applicable? Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward.

To paraphrase, I think Thoreau was saying civil disobedience is how we should respond the unjust laws that have not been addressed by conscience.

I was interested in how Thoreau so strongly support conscience as the method by which we judge the government. I feel like a lot of issues are too gray to be dealt with by the simple judge of conscience, especially considering that conscience varies from person to person. It's shaped by experience, and the background of every person. But then he says that's the role of legislators, is to have the final word on the "Is this wrong?" question. It feels like that's where we've ended up as well. Except now every question, even the black and white ones are being debated. If only there was a way to pull through the standstill.

One of the ways would be civil disobedience. By objecting in an uninteruptive way we make our voice heard and not completely ruin our society through violence or upset. And it gets things done.

Nostalgia

This post is going to sound really lame and be full of cheese, so if you can't stand either of those things stop reading now.

Viking sang today at the admitted students day talk. It was really bizarre to be up onstage this time. I remember a year ago, sitting in the first row that had people in it, wondering whether or not I was ready to choose St. Olaf as my college, my future Alma Matter that would prepare me for the real world. All the colleges had their plugs, and to a certain extent I didn't think where I went made a difference.
Back then, I had no idea how the introduction program went. After Michael Kyle, the Dean of Enrollment, spoke about our school fight song a crowd of 90 guys rushed on stage and started singing. They sounded beautiful, and something inside of me glowed with happiness, to the point where I almost shed tears. Viking introduced themselves, I saw that not all of them were music majors (satisfying to me since Olaf denied me from their music program) and I knew this was the place for me. I don't know how or why I had that feeling. I suppose I have my beliefs as to the reason, but this is no place for a theological discussion.

Though it's only been a year, I feel so much older. All the pomp and circumstance is gone, and I am a fully enrolled student at St. Olaf College. My patience has been tried, I have been challenged in unexpected ways, and already the direction of my life has been altered. I've wondered whether this is the right place, and I've thought about the other colleges I applied (or didn't apply) to. But whenever I step out of the chaos and look at where I am, I realize that all my friends here don't mind sitting in a dorm talking on a Friday night. I've heard the St. Olaf choir move me. I've engaged with the professors, confronted injustice in small ways, and passed my terrifying tests. I've tasted the caf food, and felt the loving spirit each person brings to this campus. When I step out of the chaos I realize that in no other setting could I find someplace so perfect for me.
In front of all those students today I hoped for a few things. Secondarily, that they all come to St. Olaf. But primarily I hope all of them find the college that best fits them. I've passed out of the exciting prospie stage and into a full student. Now I want nothing more than to help students find their right fit, whether that means seeing them be introduced St. Olaf and watching them fall in love, or have them see this school and say "You know what... maybe this isn't the place for me.". I just want to engage every student in conversation and talk to them about their college process, to relive the excitement of that time and to help them find where they need to go.

That's really all I have to say. This day just kind of provided the amalgamation of emotions and excuse for cathartic ranting I needed... and it's only 10:30.

Spring has Sprung

It's spring on the hill!
Everyone is out and the community has come to life with the grass from the ground!
Out of hibernation, the students strut across the lawn forgetting snow was ever there.






I'm so glad winter's over.

Equilibrium

While reading The Transcendental Railroad I was kind of thrown off. It was so surprising to me that Emerson found the idea of railroad and nature going hand in hand. The idea of the steam engine being "natural magic" is just so bizarre to me. How could someone so dedicated to the idea of nature be so convinced that a hulking piece of metal could be a natural device? I'm not saying that railroads are evil, but I would say they're far from representative of nature.
Thoreau would agree with me. He listed all the ways in which the "Iron Horse" marred its landscapes and took advantage of the resources put in front of it. There was a sense of excitement at the material level, and how many goods it would be able to transfer. But there was a yearning for the resurgence of waterways, and the maintenance of the environment the tracks ripped through.
How do we find the balance between the brilliance of man and the necessity of earth? I think that question is one we continue to struggle with. With every step forward in technology we could pay the price in nature. Like the Kindle; sure, we save paper. But what about the smell of an old book? And where do we find the materials for the plastic and metal within that device?

Independent from Nature

We've spent a lot of time talking about how landscape influence society, from the fear of wilderness to the freedom expressed by American lands. It has the ability to push people in directions. It's an evolutionary pressure of sorts; Puritans fearing the wild were forced to create tight communities, which had its own set of implications. The abundance of fertile soil Tocqueville cited was the foundation for American Individual success, which also had another set of results. Then we reach the railroad. Once again, nature puts forth a circumstance. Farmers are tired of the mud Mother Nature put in front of their wagons, and sick of not being able to travel under rainy conditions. So once again, the human race over comes, trying to free themselves from mother nature's clutches. They created a monster of steel which could power through any conditions. This, also, had its own effects. It created chaos at first, with various companies setting their own standards. But after some standardization there was an influx of freight an passengers able to move across the country, time zones, and lowered transportation costs. There were also those that disliked this new development. They were powerless to slow the movement of progress.