Final Blog

This course has been one of the most eye opening courses that I have had the pleasure of taking at MSU. I have learned the importance of slowing down to realize the little things in life everyday because there is no such thing as and ordinary day. The most important thing to me that I have taken away from listening to Professor Sexson is the importance of ceremonies, especially in the fact that they mark new beginnings.

Initiation Ritual: Teeth Chiseling

Finally posting my initiation ritual about teeth chiseling. Women in a small Indonesian tribe have their teeth chiseled into sharp shark like teeth because the believe it helps make them beautiful. Being beautiful is important to this tribe because it is believed that the soul will leave the body if it is unhappy with the body it is in.

For more information here is the National Geographic documentary on teeth chiseling.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/places/countries-places/indonesia/indonesia_teethchiseling/

My Life as a Mythic Detective

My Life as a Mythic Detective

            When I first signed up for this class I thought it would be just another mindless easy core; well that was my hope at least. I am a junior in the mechanical engineering program and originally signed up for this class thinking that all it would do for me was fulfill my Core 2.0 requirement for diversity. After looking back on this semester, I can see that it has done much more than that for me. This class has taught me to analyze text and stories, also to read into what the writer wanted us to see and understand. Mythology is more than just pictures, famous Greeks, and the actual words on the paper. It is about understanding the literature, along with depicting what the story is about. It is about seeing a larger picture than just what is written in the small short story.

Many times during the semester I have felt that this class was similar to story time and that nothing linked together; even though Professor Sexson said that there is no such thing as being distracted in mythology because everything ties back into mythology. He could not have been more correct. This mythology class was more than story time and way more than a typical mythology class where they just memorize Ovid. Though we did read Ovid in this class it was not the focus point of the course, merely just the tool to launch us into the discussion of mythology. Which for me was a very good thing because I did read Ovid: however, I did not retain much of the content. The only stories I was able to retain were the ones that we discussed in class. It is hard to completely comprehend a story when you are the only one putting input. It is easier for me to understand and comprehend a story when I am able to see other people’s perspectives and how they understood the story. Discussing the same topic, or writing in our blogs helped me understand not only another way to understand the story, but how my classmates made sense of the story. I learned that everyone does not think like I do. Some people are very analytical such as myself, and others were metaphorical, logical, or emotional thinkers. This grabbed my attention because I was able to comprehend the story in a whole different way, than how I picked it apart.

            Going into this class as a junior in mechanical engineering had caused me to switch my thinking a complete 180º. I have spent the last two years in classes that I think very analytically in and where there is only one solution to the problem. This class has caused me to expand my thinking outside of the box and into a non-analytical thought process. I had to think with imagery, metaphors, moods, and tone. I also had to learn how to blog, take stories out of there element to apply them to a different era, and most importantly how to interpret text with my own opinion.

            Another very important thing that I got out of this class is the importance of tradition. I have always considered traditions to be an important part of life, but did not know why. When Professor Sexson talked to us about the importance of walking at the commencement ceremony and how it was a rite of passage something hit me. While listening to Professor Sexson go on and on about the importance of walking because we had earned that rite and the importance it has to our families. I realized that I did want to walk when I graduate, at least I do now. His speech to us also helped me realize why ceremonies are such an important part of us. Ceremonies are how we recognize new beginnings such as weddings, funerals, commencement, etc. They are all how we as people do not recognize endings, but the beginnings of new chapters to not only our lives but to the lives of everyone around us.

             I may not have learned how to be a great mythic detective in the way that I know how to spot where things in my life relate to Ovidian mythology, but I have learned a lot about mythology as a whole and its significance to our daily lives. I learned to see the importance of traditional ceremonies and taking the time to notice the little things in life. Through the course of this class I have learned how to appreciate every moment for though nothing we do is original in the dictionary definition; however, it is original to us. Our lives are original to use because no one else has ever lived our life and no one else ever will. We are unique in how we live the life that so many before us have and so many after us will.

            This class has made an everlasting mark on me. I will forever remember Professor Sexson and his lively readings/interpretations of Ovid, listening to Fred Turner, and most importantly recognizing the transformation of myself. The end, or shall I say the beginning.  

Motivation

Was surfing the web when I saw this picture on Tapiture, thought it was fitting to what we discussed in class today.

Displacement Story

Rob was just a run of the mill teenager living a run of the mill live. Born and raised in Burien, WA he was on a track to nowhere. He desired something more, something adventurous. He noticed guys at Highline HS, the school he attended, always wore blue. Every day they wore blue bandanas, blue t-shirts, blue everything. They looked like Smurfs but ones that could kick your ass to Timbuktu. Rob saw these men and thought to himself, “I want to be just like them.” Little did Rob realize that these were Crips, members of a large and deadly gang.

The average pasty white male growing up in the suburbs of Seattle wanted to become what most people consider a thug. Rob did not see these men as thugs. To Rob these men were heroes that were going to break him out of his conformity to life. When Rob first approached the Crips they laughed at him and thought he was joking. When they realized he was serious they agreed to let him go through initiation purely because they thought it would be entertaining.

During his initiation Rob accidentally stumbled onto a drug deal where some of the elite gang members were present. To protect the identity of the elite members most members, especially initiates, were not allowed to ever see them.  Since Rob had not been fully initiated into the gang and they were not sure that they could completely trust him the elite members told a group of members to take care of him.

While Rob was walking home from school on one of the side streets of 1^st Ave. a group of Crips chased him down. The first member to get to Rob was Joe, the one who brought Rob into the gang, tackled him to the ground. After that the rest attacked him and got as many punches and stabs in as they could. This continued until they had beaten every inch of life out of Rob. Rob laid there in shock and aw as Joe, Albert, George, Martin, Mike, Tyrone  and Will tore him apart. The members whom he thought were his heroes and had become his brothers took his life. One simple accident and his life was gone.   

Spinners Interpretation

The first thing I noticed about the painting is the lady in the white shirt. I believe this to be Arache. She is more abstract and stands out in the painting. I also noticed that she is in the light whereas the other "spinners" are not. I noticed that the front of the painting where Arache is, is very dirty. It has clutter, it's dark, and it looks like everyone isn't really paying much attention to the details. The back of the painting is bright, there is sunlight and there are people, all in a circle and seeming to be involved in the same work or conversation. They are also well dressed.

I also spent time just looking at the painting. It looks like several pieces of art. I believe that Velazques intended for his audience to see this. It looks like behind the four ladies, there is a bunch of other ladies in the back room, that is the first piece of artwork, the second would be the tapestry that I believe Athena wove. It is also in the light and has things flying around which could symbolize the gods.

The painting also demonstrates that Arache's workers or helpers are not working together, you have one on the right watching Arache wove, another one picking things up, and two conversing and they don't seem as interested. In the back, you see all of Athenas helpers all involved. None of them seem to be distracted or uninterested. This led me to believe that Velazques wanted to show us who has the higher power, which clearly is Athena.

Found this on theCHIVE thought that the class might enjoy it.